Chapter 83: No Anomalies, Just Normal…

After some time, in the outskirts of a small village at the foot of the mountain.

Experienced and extraordinary adventurers were lurking in the nearby bushes, utilizing the cover to conduct further surveillance and reconnaissance on their target.

But the more they observed, the more puzzled Enrique’s expression became.

“Big Brother, I’m back!”

The small figure of the Tree Monkey leapt down from a tree, immediately launching into a detailed report without needing any prompts from the Tree Bow.

“First, there are indeed people living in this village, estimated to be between 200-300. Judging by their clothing and behavior, they are likely the original villagers from Adelaide Village 192. Unless there’s a deliberate disguise at play, most of them appear to be regular folks without any combat training.”

“There are two sentries at the village entrance, and around the perimeter, there are makeshift structures built from fences and wooden barriers, a common level of local craftsmanship. It’s presumed they are primarily meant to keep small to medium-sized mountain beasts out of the village, not of strategic significance.”

“To the west of the village, there’s a watchtower with a view that covers most of the village. About twenty armed individuals are stationed there, dressed according to the Ost Empire’s village guard standards. They pose a low threat to us at the moment, and we haven’t detected any signs of hidden sentries or ambushes… That’s all.”

“Sounds like a completely normal village to me…”

Miss Sophie commented simply beside them.

A self-defense force of such scale is perfectly standard here.

The Ost Empire is known worldwide for its strong military might, celebrated for valor and strength, having built its vast empire through constant warfare and conquest, lacking roots as deep as other long-standing nations.

Thus, the overall management here leans towards a semi-militarized structure.

From numbering each city’s respective villages, to dispatching military trainers, supplying resources, arming locals, and forming militia teams, all reflect this administrative style.

In the Ost Empire, the top leader of each village or town is not the village chief or town mayor, but rather a militia captain sent down from the higher government. Since the watchtower is still operating and the militia structure remains intact, it indicates that Adelaide Village 192 is still under the Empire’s jurisdiction.

“So, what’s the plan now, big bro?”

Glancing at his younger sister crouched beside him, her green hair almost blending into the bushes in the night, the Tree Bow shook his head, pondering for a moment.

“Whether there’s an issue with the intel from the Adelaide Adventurers’ Guild or some unknown changes have occurred within the village, sitting outside just won’t solve any problems…”

“Since there are indeed people in the village, how about this: Miss Vilyric, I’ll take a small team in to try and make contact with the villagers, see what’s going on. The three of you should stay outside and observe… Qionghua can stay as well; if anything seems off, we’ll retreat immediately and signal for help.”

Noticing the handsome young tree spirit casting an inquiring glance at her, clearly seeking her agreement and confirmation, Vilyric shook her head, understanding the intent behind Enrique’s arrangement.

“The plan itself is fine, but let’s adjust the team distribution. We don’t need too many people exploring the village; just you two siblings plus me should be enough. The rest can stay outside to set up camp, keep watch, and be ready to adapt.”

“Well… if that’s the case, then alright.”

After quickly discussing strategies, they left Le Qiao Qiao and the other members of the Tree outside, enabling the three strongest legendary adventurers to temporarily sheath their weapons and take a roundabout route to approach the entrance of Adelaide Village 192 openly.

Although being somewhat remote due to its proximity to the mountains, for adventurers who frequently undertake troublesome tasks in perilous areas, this village would be more familiar than ordinary roadside ones. If it turned out to be just a normal village, their arrival would neither be surprising nor out of place.

As the Tree Monkey had reported, indeed, there were two armed villagers at the entrance. While they were simply the most basic lower-tier armed forces of the Ost Empire, their appearance was entirely on par with many standard military forces of small to medium-sized nations.

At the very least, their weapons weren’t subpar, but military-grade spears crafted by skilled artisans, and they wore well-protected yet simple standard leather armor. The level of armament in a typical mountain village presenting even one unit would be astonishing, let alone distributing it to every soldier.

“Stop! Who goes there?”

Without any intent of concealment, illuminated by the torches on either side of the entrance, the two guarding villagers quickly spotted the trio approaching from the end of the village path. Instantly on high alert, they raised their spears and adopted a defensive stance, clearly well-trained.

The three adventurers exchanged furtive glances, and Enrique stepped forward, slightly raising his hands to indicate no malice, wearing a perfectly timed “surprised” expression.

“Oh my, oh my! It’s so good to finally find the village! I thought we were going to have to spend the night in the wilderness! Haha, don’t be tense, brothers. We are adventurers from Adelaide City. I’m Enrique, and these two are my teammates.”

Saying this, the young man with emerald hair, looking in his early twenties, pulled out an adventurer’s badge from his inner pocket and offered it to one of the villagers for inspection.

It was a fake badge used for identity concealment in specific situations; though issued by the Adventurers’ Guild, it was only of gold level, and combined with Enrique’s youthful looks, it seemed entirely reasonable and less likely to raise suspicion.

The intention to use his real name was also deliberately orchestrated by the Tree Bow as a test. Despite being legendary adventurers, Village 192 is part of Adelaide City’s jurisdiction, far removed from the Coastal City of Leila, meaning the average villager likely wouldn’t have heard of them.

In other words, if they reacted oddly to the name or made strange moves, it indicated they weren’t the genuine village militia and were likely impersonators of some sort.

However, this test didn’t seem to yield the expected results. After examining the badge in the firelight, the young militia member shared a brief look with his comrade, and their wariness quickly diminished, returning the badge with a nod.

“Oh, so you’re adventurers. No wonder you came to this place. So, you’re looking to stay in the village, right?”

“Yes, yes! I don’t mind at all, but as you’ve seen, my team includes two girls, so they shouldn’t be left to sleep outdoors…”

The militia member who checked the badge raised his hand to interrupt him, nodding friendly.

“We understand. This isn’t unusual, but the mountains have been a bit restless lately, and I can’t make decisions directly… How about this, I’ll take you to meet the captain. He’ll sort it out; how does that sound?”

“Oh… the captain.”

That should be the person in charge of the village.

Enrique silently turned his head, taking advantage of the night to exchange glances with the two girls again, as if nothing had happened, and continuously nodded.

“Thank you, brother!”

   

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