The village appeared quiet. Richard only saw a few servants sweeping dry leaves.
However, it was clearly not a place where just anyone could enter.
Richard noticed several birds perched on the rooftops of the castles. They seemed ordinary, but he knew they were High-Ranked Primordial Beasts that had transformed into smaller forms.
He didn't observe the village for too long, worried that his gaze might make the powerful people there uncomfortable.
If he stared too long, they would likely sense it.
But just as he averted his eyes, a woman's voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
(Richard, why don't you stop by?)
It was unmistakably the Empress's voice, which made Richard realize that she must have seen him and used her Sixth Sense to speak directly to him.
She was actually inviting him to stop by.
Of course, he was a little nervous. After all, even though the Empress appeared kind, he couldn't be certain what she would do if he entered her private domain.
