The main road in the center of Elvin Village.
It should have been a bustling scene with shops lining the streets and carriages coming and going, but at this moment, it was completely deserted.
Not a single Staya could be seen.
Throughout the streets and alleys, only the cult executors of the Echoes of Truth moved with tense expressions, everyone searching for something.
The Elder Hermit was missing.
The cult had been searching for three consecutive days; the entire village, along with all the neighboring Staya villages, had been turned upside down, yet they had found nothing.
The Elder Hermit had vanished completely, without a single trace, as if he had evaporated from this world...
The atmosphere of the entire temporary camp was oppressive to the extreme; all cult members instinctively avoided the Acting Cult Leader, not daring to approach the solitary figure standing there.
Celia stood silently in place, looking down at the magitech communicator in her hand, her expression terrifyingly cold.
The communicator was stuck on the last message sent by Ansu; she had read it countless times, almost carving every word into her heart.
Several elders whispered among themselves, occasionally glancing at Celia, none daring to step forward and provoke her wrath.
The old foxes exchanged looks, and finally, Elder Barnes spoke softly, "Let David go report."
Everyone knew what the Hermit meant to the Acting Cult Leader.
The elders even felt privately that it was precisely because of the restraint brought by the Hermit that the originally ill-tempered mad witch had gained a semblance of humanity, allowing the cult to gradually get on the right track.
The current state of the cult was indeed improving; the changes seen today were entirely thanks to Ansu.
But if he were dead...
The elders did not even dare to think further.
David wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and braced himself to walk toward Acting Cult Leader Celia.
There was no choice; in everyone's eyes, he was the most die-hard member of the "Hermit faction"...
It was only by following the Elder Hermit closely that he had been able to rapidly ascend to his current position as chief inquisitor.
Of course, David also sincerely hoped that nothing had truly happened to the Elder Hermit; without him, this cult would likely become a dangerous place.
"Acting Cult Leader, there is still no sign of the Elder Hermit." David lowered his head. "The last time the Elder Hermit and Miss Freya were seen was when they passed through the cult outpost in Count Karl's territory..."
Those cold eyes slowly shifted toward him.
"I know."
Celia suppressed her surging emotions, forcing herself to think calmly.
Because she was worried about Ansu, she had set up many 【Reconnaissance Golem】 around him for surveillance, so she knew that Ansu and Freya had suddenly vanished upon entering the boundaries of the Talin region.
She still hadn't figured out what happened in that instant.
Mana detection, trace tracking... every possible method had been used, but it was as if Ansu had completely disappeared from this world.
Except for that one message.
Celia lowered her head, urgently and irritably checking the communicator again.
【Safe, contact later】
It said later, but three days had passed, and there hadn't been another message.
Ansu, where on earth are you...
What happened...
David felt the oppressive silence reaching its limit, and his heart grew increasingly nervous, leaving him no choice but to continue his report.
"Furthermore... the current situation in the Talin region is close to a state of war. The Wolfgar wolf-born are steadily encroaching upon the territories of other demihuman tribes. The elders analyze that these Staya might have already evacuated the villages to seek refuge."
"The Elder Hermit and his companion might... have moved along with those Staya."
He looked up, gazing at the distant silhouette of the snow mountains. "Elder Barnes suggests searching toward the snow mountains. If the Elder Hermit happened to encounter the migrating group and followed them, it would make sense."
Celia stared toward the snow mountains and nodded gloomily. "That is a possibility."
"Send out several teams to search toward the snow mountains, but do not withdraw too many personnel from here. I want to continue studying this village."
David was taken aback, his face showing confusion.
If they had really moved with the Staya, wouldn't staying in this empty village be a waste of time?
Celia saw his doubt and added coldly, "There is something wrong with this village. Just do as I say."
Elvin Village, or rather, the entire Staya gathering place, was a bit strange.
But she couldn't see it yet.
Because no matter what, Ansu had suddenly lost contact at a specific moment within this territory.
A mysterious power had interfered with all of her 【Reconnaissance Golem】.
David nodded, asking no more, and turned to leave.
Celia stood alone, her fingers tightening slightly around the communicator.
A corner of her heart grew increasingly terrified; she suddenly remembered the days when Ansu had been in a deep sleep because of that damned Goddess of Holy Light.
She had stayed by the bed, looking at Ansu's bloodless face, unable to do anything...
As expected, nothing good ever comes from anything related to the Holy Light!
It would have been better if she hadn't agreed to let him and Freya come back... even if it was of great use to their cause.
If the one by his side were her instead of Freya, this kind of thing definitely wouldn't have happened.
Celia took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down and continue the search.
Then, on the evening of that day.
In a corner of the village, a commotion suddenly broke out among several cult executors.
Celia quickly looked over and actually saw a brown, stocky horse running toward them.
"Ra... Radish?"
Celia first blinked in confusion, and then her expression instantly turned into one of pleasant surprise.
"Radish!" she shouted in a commanding tone. "Come here!"
In the gap where several executors instinctively moved aside, Radish's large head turned, his gaze falling on Celia.
Then, as a reflex, he began to tremble...
But despite his fear, Radish still moved his hooves and slowly trotted up to her.
Celia reached out and gently stroked Radish's mane, the tension in her heart finally easing for a moment.
"How did you get here? Where is your master?"
Radish's head bobbed up and down, snorting hot air as if he wanted to say something but couldn't.
An executor stepped forward to report, "Acting Cult Leader, his... Lord Radish's appearance is a bit strange."
"How is it strange?" Celia asked.
"We have searched this village inside and out many times, and many people are stationed outside." The executor hesitated, his brow furrowing deeper. "But Radish suddenly ran out from a stable just now. This is too strange!"
Celia's pupils contracted slightly.
"Go get the elders!"
Among the cult elders, there was one who was very skilled in nature magic, practically a semi-druid; he knew how to talk to animals.
Then.
Celia looked up, silently surveying the increasingly eerie empty village.
"It's not strange. This isn't strange at all..."
This confirmed a faint suspicion of hers.
Disappearing suddenly and then appearing suddenly... had Ansu entered an invisible 'world', a domain that did not belong to this physical realm or this dimension?
Rate on N.U.
