It was after Belinda had left the inn, having received an invitation from the temple, that Cedric sensed the ominous aura floating around the village.

His quiet gaze turned towards the mountain behind the village.

The innkeeper had said that thanks to the sacred relic, the village was unusually warm, allowing them to gather spring herbs from the back mountain even in winter.

Though exaggerated, it was certainly true that it was strangely mild.

However, mixed into this mild air was an unsettling energy that even Cedric could detect.

It was when Cedric stood up to find the source of this impure energy.

Suddenly, he realized he wasn’t alone.

In one corner of the small room, Leo was doing his homework using a wooden box as a desk.

He couldn’t leave the child alone in this unfamiliar place.

But it wasn’t appropriate to take him to a place that might be dangerous either.

After some deliberation, Cedric spoke.

“I need to look around the village quietly. Would you like to come along?”

Blinking at Cedric’s words, Leo accurately pinpointed the key point.

“Quietly?”

“Yes, quietly.”

“So it’s an undercover investigation!”

Undercover investigation?

Where on earth did he learn such a term?

He was about to deny it, but thinking about it, it didn’t seem incorrect.

The sudden lockdown had made the villagers’ nerves on edge.

Therefore, he intended to investigate this matter while attracting as little attention as possible.

“…You could say that.”

Then Leo gave him serious advice.

“But Sir, I think people could recognize you as you from 100 meters away if you’re wearing your mask. That wouldn’t be an undercover investigation, would it?”

“……”

That was correct.

While it might not be noticeable in the broad and bustling capital, in a small village like this, Cedric’s mask would undoubtedly stand out wherever he went.

After pondering for a while, Cedric finally spoke as he reached for his mask.

“You must keep this a secret from Lady Blanche.”

***

The market in Forbes Village was bustling with a different atmosphere than usual.

“Just thinking about that thief makes me so hot with anger I can’t sleep even in the middle of the night! Of all things to steal, how dare they take the Saint’s sacred relic!”

“Are you sure it’s not because last night was unusually warm that you couldn’t sleep due to the heat?”

“How heartbroken Father Melio must be. I should visit him later with some food.”

Whenever the villagers gathered, they were busy cursing the thief who dared to steal the sacred relic from the temple.

In the midst of venting his frustration, a middle-aged man stomping his foot accidentally bumped into a passerby.

“Oh, I’m so sorry.”

Then, recognizing who he had bumped into, he gaped, his mouth open like a fish. It was a handsome father and son who looked alike.

Cedric, who had lightly nodded to accept the man’s apology, asked,

“I have a question. Is the mountain behind the village usually without snow like that?”

“Mountain? Of course not, it’s winter, why wouldn’t there be snow… Huh?”

Confusion spread across the man’s face as he turned to look at the mountain behind the village at Cedric’s words.

Although the weather was mild thanks to the sacred relic, this was a region close to the north.

So there was no reason for the snow on the mountain to melt, yet strangely, the mountain was revealing reddish-brown soil.

“Well, I’ll be. The heavens must be angry that the sacred relic was stolen. The weather’s acting strange. It’s warm enough for the mountain snow to melt.”

That answer was sufficient.

Cedric took Leo’s hand and headed towards the back mountain.

As they walked together, Leo kept glancing up at Cedric’s face.

‘Sir looks like a knight.’

Leo, imprinting Cedric’s bare face in his mind, wondered if he too could grow up to be like Cedric someday, imagining his future self.

They soon arrived at the foot of the mountain.

Cedric stood in front of Leo and slowly surveyed the mountain’s atmosphere.

The ominous energy mixed in the air was clearly coming from the mountain.

Touching the soil with his hand, Cedric spoke in a subdued voice.

“The land is dead.”

“The land is dead?”

“Yes, all the plants have withered and died from the roots.”

From the inside out, the mountain was withering and dying.

Cedric closed his eyes and placed his hand on the blackened, dead soil, then opened them and declared,

“Something is sealed within the mountain.”

And the seal was rapidly weakening, allowing the unsettling energy of the sealed entity to leak out and engulf the village.

***

‘This is really driving me crazy.’

I clutched my head in frustration.

All the way back to the inn from the temple, I couldn’t think of anything else.

I had hoped that the glimpse of contempt in Jusepe’s eyes when he blessed me was just my imagination.

But at today’s banquet, I realized the reason for his hostility towards me.

‘He suspects that I might be a black mage.’

I couldn’t exactly say, “I’m not a black mage, but I am related to black magic,” so I had no choice but to keep my mouth shut.

But I had doubts.

‘Cheshire told me that the traces of black magic left in me have almost disappeared.’

What evidence did Jusepe have to suspect that I was a black mage?

“Black mages don’t walk around surrounded by evil auras that priests can detect. Even to a priest’s eyes, black mages look no different from ordinary people.”

“Then how do priests distinguish black mages?”

“They have what they call the great power of God that they praise. Something like the ‘Eyes of Truth’.”

‘Eyes of Truth’.

It was essentially an upgraded version of a lie detector glasses.

It was God’s power that could clearly distinguish between black and white in any truth.

Therefore, when a high-ranking priest with the ‘Eyes of Truth’ held a holy trial and asked a criminal accused of being a black mage like this, everything would become crystal clear.

“As God’s representative, I ask. Are you a black mage?”

No lie or even brainwashing could escape God’s power.

That’s why Cheshire told me that as long as I avoided being accused of being a black mage, there would surely be no problem.

But as always, life was practical, and things never went according to my plans.

I decided not to take out Kao recklessly in this village, thinking Jusepe might see it, and after the banquet, I went to see Father Melio.

It was to warn him that they should be prepared to evacuate the villagers at any time in case of a landslide, but…

“A landslide, not an avalanche? That’s impossible. The ground in this area is frozen, so landslides rarely occur. What makes you worry about a landslide?”

I couldn’t say anything to that.

Because in the future, the village will be buried by a landslide.

I couldn’t say that either.

Moreover, Father Melio became noticeably wary of me when I mentioned that people should be evacuated.

At the banquet, I had already been accused by Jusepe of being a black mage and a suspect for stealing the sacred relic.

If such a person suddenly brings up a landslide and recommends evacuation… Yeah, even I would be suspicious.

The only one with enough authority to warn people and prepare them for a landslide was the lord, but given that he had been pointed out as a suspect at the banquet, I was in no position to rashly request a meeting.

‘First, I need to figure out why the landslide occurs.’

Just as I decided to uncover the reason for the landslide and then visit Father Melio again, it happened.

“I’ve found out something separately, and I think it would be good for you to know as well, my lady.”

As if he had been waiting for my return, Sir Penadel addressed me.