Chapter 45: Finally Arriving
"And how much do you think it costs to get a charm from a priest or buy a blessed amulet?" Azalea asked with an amused smile. "Besides, you can’t just walk up to a priest and ask for one. You’d either need to be a clergyman yourself or have the right connections for a priest to even consider giving you a charm."
"So much trouble just for a charm?" Lumien said, puzzled. "I thought they were sold cheaply and easily to the public."
"What makes you think that?"
"Well, since it’s a Church, wouldn’t it make sense for them to sell charms openly? It would help people feel more connected and strengthen their faith, right?"
Azalea chuckled. "You’re thinking of something else entirely. Churches do sell charms and trinkets, but those are just souvenirs with no real power. What I’m talking about are true charms, personally blessed by priests and infused with divine energy. They aren’t sold to the public because the power inside them can be dangerous for civilians."
"Plus, only those with strong connections can obtain them since not only these charms are limited, but the Churches also can’t risk them falling into an evil person’s possession. If so, it would bring serious consequences, considering the power within them is unmistakably linked to their origin. That’s why only clergymen or Awakened individuals with close ties to the Churches are allowed to buy them."
Azalea continued lecturing Lumien for a few more minutes before the conversation shifted back to the Golden Sun Wheats.
"In conclusion, Golden Sun Wheats are by far the better choice for most Awakened. They’re easy to obtain, affordable, and incredibly practical. I mean, you can’t exactly eat a charm if you’re stranded in the freezing North with nothing else, can you? But if you had flour made from Golden Sun Wheats, at least you’d have something to survive on."
"You’re right," Lumien nodded in agreement before a thought struck him. "Sister, can we get seeds for this plant? The way you talk about it, it sounds like a great product. If our family could obtain the seeds, cultivate them on our land, and sell them in the market, wouldn’t that help ease our financial troubles? Since this plant has so many benefits, I’m sure there would be no shortage of customers."
Azalea smiled, though Lumien couldn’t see it. "That’s a nice idea, but unfortunately, Golden Sun Wheats can only be grown in specific conditions and areas. And our hometown, Milois, doesn’t meet those requirements."
"What a pity. I really thought I had come up with a brilliant plan to make our family rich," Lumien sighed, shaking his head.
Azalea rolled her eyes. "Do you think you’re the only one with a brain and capable of coming up with such an idea? I thought the same thing when I first learned about the plant. But after discussing it with Father, I realized there’s more to it than it seems."
"Haha..." Lumien could only laugh dryly.
A few minutes into their journey deeper into the farm, Azalea suddenly muttered, "Strange..."
Lumien, who had been quietly sitting at the back, enjoying the scenery, immediately tensed up. A sense of dread washed over him as a chill ran down his spine. He let out a nervous laugh. "W-what do you mean, sister?"
Previously, Azalea had said the word "strange," and almost immediately, they were ambushed by goblins. He didn’t know if she was just a walking jinx or if she simply had a knack for sensing when something was off. Either way, he had learned to be on edge whenever that word left her mouth.
"There’s no one on the farm," Azalea continued, her tone serious. "The crops are ready for harvest, so I expected to see workers here. But it’s completely silent. We haven’t seen a single soul since we arrived."
"Maybe something comes up in the village that essentially forced everyone to stay there?" Lumien suggested, though even he didn’t sound convinced.
Azalea frowned. "Maybe I’m overthinking it..."
A few more minutes passed before they finally spotted wooden buildings and walls in the distance.
As they got closer, Azalea instinctively frowned. She saw there was no one guarding the entrance.
Her expression darkened as Kuro carried her inside, only to find the entire village empty and desolate.
"What the hell? Where is everyone? We didn’t come to the wrong place, did we?" Lumien exclaimed in surprise.
Obviously, he knew they were in the right place—he had seen the carved signboard at the entrance. He just felt like cursing in order to express his shock.
Azalea suggested with eyebrows creased. "Let’s check one of the buildings."
They hopped off Kuro and slowly approached the nearest building. It seemed to be the house of one of the residents.
Azalea pushed the door open with ease. Strangely, it wasn’t locked.
As they stepped inside, their eyes instinctively scanned the room.
On the table sat two wooden cups filled with water. Nearby, a half-eaten piece of bread lay abandoned, hardened, and looking dry as a brick from being left out for too long.
There was no dust, but the air felt heavy and stale due to the lack of ventilation. It seemed like it had been trapped inside for a long time, only escaping when they opened the door.
"What do you think, sister?" Lumien asked.
Azalea examined the details carefully, her fingers swept across the table. "Judging by the lack of dust, this place was only abandoned recently. The water is still relatively clear, and though the bread has hardened, it hasn’t molded yet, which means it hasn’t been sitting here for too long. These are clear signs that the people left in a hurry but not too long ago."
She paused, her gaze scanning over the room again. "As for why they left... that’s harder to determine. But considering there are no signs of a struggle—no overturned furniture, no blood, no broken objects—I doubt they were taken by force. At least, not in a chaotic manner."
"Then they left on their own?"
"Perhaps," Azalea muttered. "Or maybe... they were forced to leave. Either way, it’s too soon to jump to conclusions. Let’s check for more clues."
They moved to a smaller room, which they suspected to be the bedroom, but found nothing useful. With no new leads, they exited the house and began searching the nearby homes.
However, every house they entered told the same story. Signs of an abrupt departure were everywhere—unfinished meals, personal belongings left behind, and doors left unlocked. It was clear the villagers had left in a hurry.
Despite the lack of important clues, one thing that stood out and relieved Azalea greatly was that there were no signs of a fight.
"If monsters had attacked, the houses wouldn’t be untouched. There would be damage, blood, or signs of a struggle. But everything here is still in place. Perfectly unharmed."
"Then what made them leave so suddenly?"
Azalea sighed, her eyes scanning the empty streets. "That’s what we need to figure out."
Lumien stared at the emptiness around them, then a thought suddenly popped into his mind. "Hey, sister, what if I just screamed?"
Azalea turned to him, eyebrows raised. "Why would you do that?"
"There are dozens of houses to check. If we keep searching one by one, it’ll take forever. Just getting here already took us over an hour. If this keeps up, we might not be able to figure out what happened before sunset."
"True," Azalea agreed. "We’ve already lost a lot of time, especially because of those two goblins we ran into. So, what’s with this sudden idea of screaming?"
"Hehe, you said the villagers left in a hurry and are probably still alive, right? What if they’re just hiding somewhere and too scared to come out?"
"You want to attract the hiding villagers with your scream?" Azalea immediately understood Lumien’s idea.
"Exactly! What do you think of my plan, sister?" Lumien asked eagerly.
"Hmm..." Azalea tapped her chin. "I did consider that possibility earlier—the villagers might have fled in a hurry due to a natural disaster or an unexpected monster horde and took shelter somewhere. If that’s the case, they could still be hiding."
"Well, there’s no risk. Go ahead and try, brother."
With her approval, Lumien wasted no time and let out the loudest scream he could muster.
The moment the sound left his throat, regret instantly hit him. His scream wasn’t just loud—it was downright terrifying, as if he were in unbearable agony.
’Great... if any villagers were hiding nearby, I probably just scared them even more,’ he thought, cringing at himself.
Lumien let out a few more screams until his throat felt unbearably dry and his voice became hoarse. He had finally lost partially of his voice.
"How is it, sister? Do you see anything?" he asked, his voice raspy.
Azalea glanced around before shaking her head. "Err... no, nothing seems to have changed."
"What?" Lumien groaned. "So all that screaming was for nothing?"
Just as frustration settled in, Azalea suddenly gasped.
"Wait! Over there—I see something!"
Following the direction Azalea pointed, Lumien spotted a house that had been closed just moments ago—its door now slightly ajar. A small head cautiously peeked out, glancing back and forth as if searching for the source of the noise.
Then, its gaze landed on them.
The figure froze for a moment, seemingly hesitant. But after a brief pause, it slowly stepped forward, revealing itself.
It was a woman, likely in her twenties. Her hair was disheveled, and dark circles hung under her weary eyes, as if she hadn’t had a proper rest in days. However, the most noticeable emotion on her face was fear. She looked terrified, her eyes darting around anxiously. Only when she fully took in Lumien and Azalea did a flicker of relief cross her expression.
Lumien and Azalea instinctively exchanged glances at the sight of the woman.
Just as Lumien was about to rush toward her, Azalea grabbed his arm, stopping him. She didn’t explain, only raising her voice to call out from a distance.
"Are you the resident of the village?"
