Chapter 64: Return?

  Nitaan frowned. Pailin's face was filled with worry, as if she were afraid of something.

  "What do you mean?" Nitaan trembled slightly. Pailin was worried about the same thing he felt. At first, he didn't understand what it was, but now he was certain.

  There was something strange going on around here, and he wasn't imagining it.

  Princess Pailin took a deep breath, composing herself. She knew her current state was rather unsightly.

  "I feel something strange, like something is bothering me, a premonition… I guess," Princess Pailin replied softly.

  "That Devil beast is dead. Everything is clear. The mission is complete," she continued.

  "But I feel… like it's not over. Like there's something behind it all."

  Nitaan remained silent. Princess Pailin was right. That Devil beast was definitely dead, and there was only one Devil beast. The hallucination ability was confirmed. Its changing appearances were due to its power and its need to disguise itself. Its intelligence was proof. There was nothing left.

  "So that's why you said you'd stay for another two or three days?" Nitaan asked.

  "Yes," Princess Pailin replied, gazing into Nitaan's deep blue eyes. She wasn't worried about her own safety. What worried her were the villagers. If she was just imagining things, that would be good. But if she was right, something terrible might happen to these unprotected villagers once they left.

  Nitaan remained silent for a moment, then spoke softly.

  "Me too."

  "Huh?" Princess Pailin tilted her head, slightly surprised that someone felt the same way about her inexplicable anxiety.

  "I said I feel the same way," Nitaan replied.

  The princess's face brightened. She quickly stood up and shook Nitaan vigorously.

  "You too? There’s no way we would be imagining things at the same time. There's really something strange!" she said excitedly.

  Nitaan quickly dodged Princess Pailin's hand. He spoke softly, his face serious:

  "I feel the same way, but the problem is, I can't quite put my finger on why. For me, there's only one thing that's suspicious and unanswered. What’s its purpose?" Nitaan asked.

  Princess Pailin, having calmed herself, sat back down. She raised an eyebrow slightly, then lowered her head in thought.

  "That's right… why would it do all that? It's not pregnant, it doesn't have a pack to care for, and it doesn't even eat the bodies. There's no reason," Princess Pailin murmured.

  Princess Pailin snapped her fingers as if realizing something. She quickly turned back to continue.

  "The tracks are also suspicious. It is able to conceal scent and tracks, yet it also leaves some parts visible, like footprints and scales."

  "Now that you mention it, when we examined the footprints, Kiita told me it looked like it was left on purpose. The weight of the footprints was too heavy, as if it stomped repeatedly to create the marks," Nitaan added.

  "It's like it wanted to make people realize it was the culprit, not another Devil beast…" Princess Pailin murmured.

  The more they talked, the more strange things became apparent. These points were easy to overlook. But as he sensed something strange, the gaping holes seemed to keep increasing.

  “There’s more. In the final battle, why did it attack Kiita?” Princess Pailin’s eyes widened. She suddenly understood something.

  “Because Kiita could track it, right?” Nitaan tilted his head in confusion.

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  “That’s right. But attacking Kiita when we were all there was very dangerous, wasn’t it? If it were that smart, it should have let us go and escaped to somewhere else. There was no need to take such a risk.” She spoke rapidly, opening her small notebook and flipping through its pages.

  “It wouldn’t attack recklessly just out of anger if it were that smart. But the fact that it attacked Kiita means it wanted us to stop tracking it. And if we couldn’t track it…”

  “It could freely attack the village and escape!” Nitaan completed the sentence. He suddenly felt like everything was starting to make sense.

  Nitaan couldn’t help but be amazed by the intelligence of the woman in front of him. At first, he had many questions but couldn’t explain them. But with her joining the conversation, in just a moment, many things were quickly revealed. As someone who relied heavily on intuition, Princess Pailin's various perspectives were incredibly helpful to him.

  "What's going on in this village? Why is that Vaira Locust so focused on it? There are so many other villages around here. There are more than three within a ten-kilometer radius," she murmured.

  "Is this village secretly plotting something?" Nitaan asked, frowning as he looked at the large banquet and bonfire. Many people were still singing and dancing merrily.

  "That little kid and Granny were certainly scared and desperate. There’s no way that was the act." Princess Pailin shook her head.

  “If there’s really something fishy going on, at least those two don't know."

  They both fell silent again, each pondering various possibilities. Nitaan, unable to resolve his thoughts, sighed and muttered, but Kiita interrupted, drawing their attention.

  "Woof!"

  Strange smell! Strange smell!

  Nitaan raised an eyebrow slightly.

  “What did Kiita say?” Pailin asked, noticing the expression on Nitaan’s face when Kiita barked.

  “Kiita said that the scent of that Devil beast’s footprints lingers faintly on everyone in the village.” Nitaan frowned. He suddenly remembered when they first discovered the footprints. Kiita had told him the same thing then, but he had only thought that it was normal since that Vaira locust sneaked into the village multiple times. He hadn’t given it much thought at that time.

  Princess Pailin frowned.

  “Linger on many villagers… means it sneaks into the village often,” Princess Pailin murmured.

  “Or…” Nitaan continued,

  “…it often hides in the village! ” Princess Pailin frowned.

  “Devil beast wouldn’t do something like that for no reason. And why would it even want to?” she murmured.

  “So we are back to square one,” Nitaan sighed.

  “This is really troublesome. It’s just a royal mission…” He stopped abruptly, his eyes widening and his mind racing. Princess Pailin, noticing Nitaan’s sudden halt, looked up.

  “Pailin, is it possible that…” Nitaan starts speaking his mind slowly. Pailin was initially puzzled, but the longer he spoke, the more her brow furrowed. Her expression is growing serious.

  After a long pause, Princess Pailin finally answered softly.

  “It’s possible. No, there’s a very high chance. And if that’s the case, everything just falls into place perfectly.” She replied with a tense expression.

  “If that’s the case, then we need to prepare ourselves." Nitaan frowned deeply.

  “I can only hope you’re wrong and I’m just overthinking things. If your suspicions are correct, then all the villagers are in danger.” Princess Pailin sighed.

  ——————————————————————————————————————————————————

  Morning arrived once again. The remnants of the previous night's celebrations were still evident. Many villagers, heavily drunk and unconscious, lay sprawled on the ground or buried in piles of straw.

  Even Napha and Gion weren't in much better shape. For fun-loving people like them, losing control due to alcohol was commonplace, especially after completing a major mission like Princess Pailin’s royal mission.

  They diligently helped with the cleanup. After that night, Nitaan and Princess Pailin didn't speak to each other again, simply going their separate ways to attend to their duties.

  Princess Pailin went around chatting with the villagers about their well-being and helping with small tasks. Nitaan and the other members of Unit 3 joined a special patrol, helping to clear out other beasts in the area.

  Most of the beasts in this forest were just ordinary wild animals. Although there were more of them than usual, they weren't particularly dangerous. Occasionally, they would encounter a Learner-level Devil beast. For the members of Unit 3, Learner-level Devil beasts weren't a problem.

  They all worked diligently, none of them neglecting their duties. Prepare themselves in case there are new Devil beasts coming around.

  Three days passed without incident. Seeing this, the villagers' faces were filled with relief. Many began returning to the forest to resume their livelihoods. The village was beginning to regain its former vibrancy.

  “Princess Pailin, I think this village is safe now. This mission has been a resounding success,” Leader Mei said to the princess during their meal.

  “Let’s prepare to return, Princess. We have prepared our provisions and can depart immediately. We congratulate you on this achievement,” the elderly soldier said with a smile. After knowing Princess Pailin for several days, they had begun to open their hearts and respect her more than ever.

  “Then I will quickly gather the villagers for a farewell.” Sila said with a serious expression.

  “We sincerely thank Your Highness and everyone for saving us. Our FlameFrost Village will never forget Your Highness's graces," the village chief said.

  “Let’s go back! I really craved Bharata’s Mixed Flower salad.” Napha laughed heartily.

  “I’ll go to the bathhouse and soak in some warm water, stretch my legs, and relax,” Kasa said. They all laughed happily. Only Nitaan smiled faintly.

  “I think three days might not be enough time. I’m still worried about the Devil beast, so I thought I’d stay and help with the work for another two or three days,” Princess Pailin replied with a faint smile.

  Everyone paused, exchanging glances. Many secretly looked at Princess Pailin with suspicion. However, she only offered a slight smile and said nothing more. No one dared to disobey her orders. They simply nodded in confusion.

  “Yes, Your Highness." Unit 3 responded in unison. Even the soldiers who accompanied them saluted. They secretly sighed. Given Princess Pailin’s personality, it was understandable.

  Those three days were the same as always. Nothing changed. They continued their duties, the atmosphere was the same, the work was the same, and of course, there were no attacks.

  On the last night, Sila and the village chief met Princess Pailin again during their shared meal.

  “We are deeply grateful, and therefore we have made this small bracelet together. The children in the village helped select colorful stones and dried flowers, hoping it will bring you good luck and serve as a token of our gratitude. I wish you a peaceful journey home tomorrow.” The village chief and Sila bowed and presented the bracelet, adorned with vibrant colors and flowers.

  Princess Pailin accepted it with a smile and put it on her wrist. She gazed at the bracelet affectionately. Seeing that Princess Pailin liked the bracelet, the village chief and Sila smiled happily.

  “You have taken such good care of us. Now that I have received such a gift, I cannot leave you to face Devil beasts alone. I will stay in this village for three more days to help you protect the villagers from any potential dangers.” Princess Pailin said with a smile.

  Everyone looked stunned and puzzled.

  How long did she intend to stay in this village?

  While everyone was asking themselves these questions, only Nitaan sat calmly. He gently stroked Kiita’s fur with a faint smile playing on his lips.