In one of the inn's rooms, Relia and Canon each set up their belongings on their beds. As she adjusted her blanket, the young woman let out a low, muffled moan of pain. Canon, lying on his back, turned his head toward her.
"What's wrong ?" he asked.
"Nothing," she replied, looking away.
With a discreet gesture, she scratched the sleeve of her tunic before pulling the fabric down to hide her arm. Under her pale skin, thin violet veins had begun to slowly snake their way, still faint, barely visible. But they were definitely there.
Later, the team gathered at the inn's entrance, their faces drawn but more relaxed.
"Okay folks, we've got two gold coins and eleven silver coins left," announced Helydia, checking a small pouch. "For two nights, we paid forty silver."
At that very moment, Kai's stomach growled loudly. All eyes turned to him. The young man shrugged, embarrassed. Helydia rolled her eyes.
"Well…" she sighed. "We can sacrifice a few coins to go eat."
"Go without me," said Relia, holding her damaged golden breastplate. "I'm not hungry right now. I'll join you later. I need to find a blacksmith to repair this."
"Oh yeah, Helydia's threads messed up your armor," said Canon.
"Still sorry about that…" added Helydia, clasping her hands in front of her face, looking sheepish.
"Don't worry. I asked you to use your threads," Relia replied with a kind smile. "Can you just give me a few coins for the repairs ?"
Helydia handed her a small pouch, and the group split up: Helydia, Dante, Kai, and Canon on one side; Relia on the other, while Samuel was still fast asleep in his room.
A little later, Helydia's group sat down in a modest little restaurant. Against all odds, the dishes were tasty and cheap — a pleasant surprise for Helydia, who was watching every coin. Dante, meanwhile, wasted no time trying to flirt with the waitress, both charming and persistent.
Around them, the customers spoke in hushed tones, all their conversations revolving around the same topic: the dull rumble from the previous night.
"It's probably the Forest Venerable hunting again, like usual," a man said aloud to his wife, seated near their table.
Kai leaned toward Dante and whispered:
"You think they're talking about us?"
Dante shrugged.
Canon sat up a bit and politely addressed the man:
"Excuse me, sir… The Forest Venerable ? What is that ?"
"Oh, you're not from around here, I see," the man replied with a smile. "It's a giant, very high-level monster. It lives in the forest just across from here. It comes out of its cave at night to hunt other creatures."
"And why call it 'the Venerable ? if it's just a monster ?" asked Kai, intrigued.
The man set down his mug and leaned on the table.
"Because before it arrived, that forest was a real hell. Terrifying monsters swarmed it, attacking the village nearly every day. The kingdom sent reinforcements every week. But since the Venerable settled there, it drove them all away. Just by being there. It only comes out at night, and monsters that get too close are killed in the shadows."
He let out a small laugh.
"Of course, it comes at a price. At night, the whole village stays quiet as death. We avoid making any noise. The Venerable detects its prey by sound. That's why, come nightfall, our village looks like an abandoned ruin."
The group exchanged glances. Silence fell over their table for a moment. Each of them understood that the "Venerable" the man spoke of… was the monster they had killed the night before.
Canon cleared his throat and smiled.
"By the way, sir… I suppose you've guessed we're not from around here. To be honest, we're a bit lost. Can you tell us where we are?"
The man laughed, proud to answer:
"Of course! You're in Neoras, the Dead Village."