Chapter 20: The Vanished Caravan

Before long, Xavier and Aornet arrived at the designated location with the merchant caravan.

As President was well aware, this was a small hill just outside Bawo Town, which was only a few meters higher than the town below, even at the very top.

They left most of their forces behind the hill and brought a few elite guards along, climbing to the top to pull out the necessary far-sight gems that both adventurers and caravans relied on, closing one eye to start the observation.

“It feels… very quiet. I don’t see any bandits around, and everything is lined up neatly, no signs of blood or the like. It doesn’t seem like there was any attack.”

“What about signs of life?”

There was only one far-sight gem, so Aornet had to rely on Xavier’s description to figure out the situation.

“Um… nothing, it’s indeed strange. It’s too quiet. What are the townspeople doing? It can’t be that everyone disappeared all at once, can it?”

Hearing their boss say this, the Captain of the Guards grew uneasy again, like a startled bird.

“Xavier! Something definitely horrific has happened here, we need to leave immediately! Listen to me, let’s retreat right now!”

“…You’re right, this is no ordinary bandit or magical beast attack. Hurry, take a detour to the nearest city and call for adventurers and the army to handle this.”

Xavier wasn’t foolish; he would never hesitate when it’s time to run. Although he felt a bit guilty for the missing guard brothers, he could only say sorry.

The sight of Bawo Town suddenly reminded him of that legendary cursed city—the Forgotten Land.

Both were places that had turned into silent dead zones overnight. If their situation was tied to such a thing, even sending ten of Xavier’s Merchant Association wouldn’t be enough.

The two hurried back to the merchant caravan’s camp with a few guards, but the sight that greeted them left them in shock.

“What happened? Where did all the people go?!”

This clever association leader screamed for the first time in shock.

It was empty.

Behind the hill, the entire merchant campsite, over a hundred people, including the horses hauling the goods, had vanished into thin air, yet the products and carts remained exactly in their places.

What a joke; those were over a hundred living people!

They were only a few hundred meters away from where they were observing. Aornet, of Ink Steel level, could reach this spot in less than ten seconds, yet…

The goods were neatly placed on the ground, with dry bread and water just taken out by caravan members still next to the carts. There were no fights, no cries for help, not even a struggle.

These people had simply evaporated into thin air.

Wait, was Bawo Town also…

President felt a wave of dizziness. Without even considering whether they could escape this bizarre situation safely, losing so many association members would be enough to bankrupt him.

Xavier Merchant Association… am I… done for?

All because they lightly brushed against the edges of the Abyss.

This astute businessman in his forties felt a genuine fear for the first time at the existence Aornet had mentioned that surpassed human intelligence.

Just as he was at a loss, Aornet suddenly drew a large sword from her back, pointing it at a cart in the caravan, taking a tense battle-ready stance as if facing a fierce enemy.

“Who’s there? Come out!”

Seeing the captain’s move, several guards who had survived by following them immediately nervously drew their weapons, ready to attack at her command.

“Wait…”

Only Xavier was momentarily stunned; he remembered what was previously carried in that cart…

“Ugh… so annoying! What’s going on? I just wanted to sit quietly on the cart…”

A girl in a white priestess robe, with long black hair casually cascading behind her, and a delicate aura that mixed nobility with a hint of mundanity, emerged from within the cart.

She held a staff topped with a red gem, emanating a slight flame aura, clearly not an ordinary item. The hem of her white robe revealed her fair, smooth calves and ankles, extending into brown little shoes, and with a “hey hey”, she jumped down from the cart.

As the girl landed, arms crossed in dissatisfaction, her gaze swept over the tense Aornet and the others, and then over the empty caravan site with an arched eyebrow.

“To dare brandish weapons against my master… do you want to die, insects?”

Suddenly, a cold yet angry feminine voice came from beside her.

Aornet and the others turned pale instantly, redirecting their weapons toward the figure that had appeared behind them without their notice.

It was a beautiful girl who didn’t lose to the black-haired priestess, with waist-length light golden hair sparkling like sun rays piercing the earth, dazzling and fiercely alluring.

Her limbs were long, her body shapely, making her appear far more mature and enticing than the seemingly younger but slightly more innocent girl in front of her; she seemed to be in the prime of her youth.

The girl’s pupils were vertically slit, sharp and dangerous, akin to a beast ready to pounce, yet her lithe figure fit the standard of a human perfectly.

She wore a tight-fitting outfit of unknown material, covering only the main parts of her body. The healthy skin tone of her half-exposed arms, abdomen, and legs made her look alluring.

Yet, remarkably, one wouldn’t feel any seductive aura; instead, it was filled with wild and natural beauty.

The most peculiar thing was her delicate feet; the girl wasn’t wearing shoes, instead opting for some kind of symbolically white translucent foot wraps that circled her ankles, trailing down and wrapping around her feet.

The fabric clung tightly to her skin, barely covering the middle third, with ten cute round toes playfully pressing against the dirt, the heel providing support in the same way, making the delicate silk look more like a special accessory.

Even while directly stepping on the filthy ground where carts passed by, the golden-haired girl’s small feet remained smooth and white, untouched by dirt, as if some invisible protection prevented mundane filth from tarnishing such perfect divine creations.

Eye-catching.

But right now wasn’t the time to worry about those details.

“Don’t, hold on before you make a move!”

Seeing the situation about to spiral out of control, Xavier, as a businessman, was the first to react, hastily stopping Aornet, who looked ready to snap and attack on impulse.

“Miss Vilyric, and Xiao Guang, may I ask what happened here? Why are there only the two of you…?”

The black-haired priestess stared at the merchant for a few seconds without answering his questions, merely waving at the dangerous golden-haired girl.

“Come back, Xiao Guang. They should not be a threat.”

“Understood, master.”

Xavier and the others were left dumbfounded as the once terrifying golden-haired girl, who had been standing behind them, now appeared beside Miss Vilyric.

“So fast… Is that really a speed humans can achieve?”

Aornet’s pupils contracted, seemingly recalling something, her face alternating between pale and green, finally lowering her weapon in resignation.

Just seeing this scene made him realize that if the girl named Xiao Guang wanted to kill them, they’d already be cold corpses by now.

“Mr. Xavier, here’s some advice: don’t do anything unnecessary. If you don’t want to die, leave this place quickly. The next ‘one’ is coming soon, and it’s not something you all can resist, nor will you be lucky to avoid every time.”

“Well then, farewell. We’re clear.”

Leaving behind incomprehensible words, the mysterious girls turned and headed toward Bawo Town.

“Miss Vilyric, what are you going to do?!”

Xavier stood dumbfounded as the black-haired priestess brushed past him, only snapping awake and crying out as the girls’ figures gradually faded from view.

But Vilyric didn’t acknowledge him, merely waving her hand dismissively, before she and her companion disappeared on the other side of the hill.

   

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