Chapter 178 The Mystery of Disappearance: Lost Items, Land Deeds, War...
Barnett searched every corner of the room, but couldn't find the significant staff.
Everything else in the room was there, except for the staff. This staff was involved in many things, and he never imagined that one day it would be lost in his hands.
As Barnett looked around, he found some clues on the door of the room and the window in the hallway.
The room where the sacred object was kept had no windows, so the only way to steal it was through the door, the only exit.
He had long ago boarded up the corridor windows from the inside, but now, those boards were showing signs of loosening.
Barnett frowned and tentatively bent the wooden board, and the nails on it fell to the ground like ornaments.
He usually checks on the staff every night, except for a few days after the beast attack. This means the item was likely lost on the night of the attack and in the days that followed.
If it really did go missing that night, then everything makes sense—
In order to steal the clan's sacred artifact, someone deliberately provoked a wild beast attack on the village, thereby diverting everyone's attention and providing cover for the subsequent theft.
The relic was the "key," and Barnett would never forget the moment he received it from his father, the previous patriarch, nor would he forget the words his father solemnly entrusted to him.
"A hundred years ago, the demon race ruled the land, and all living beings had long suffered under their rule. The great sage and the leaders of various races sacrificed their own bodies to help the holy mage tear open the spatial barrier and suppress the demon race in the 'Land of No Return'."
This staff is a sacred object of our tribe, and one of the keys to unlocking the Land of No Return. They gave the staff to our ancestors, and we have guarded it for generations. Gradually, more and more people came to live here, and eventually, the small mountain village we see today was built.
Now that the staff is missing and no one knows who did it, Barnett feels he has let down his father and his entire family.
Centuries of protection vanished overnight.
"Father?"
Kari asked from the bottom of the stairs.
Barnett stayed in his small room for an unusually long time today. He was a little worried, but he didn't dare go upstairs to disturb his father's peace.
After a long while, Barnett finally made it down the wooden staircase, looking completely lost and unsteady on his feet, as if he would collapse at any moment.
"Dad, what's wrong? What happened? Tell me quickly!"
Kari helped Barnett into the living room, and under the bright lights, Kari noticed that half of Barnett's hair had turned white, and he no longer had his former vitality.
“Kari, my child, it’s all my fault. The staff…”
Kari gripped Barnett's cold right hand tightly, silently transferring his strength to him.
"The staff is lost."
Kari was struck dumb.
This is a sacred object passed down through generations of their family, and it has extraordinary significance.
He didn't know what role this "sacred object" played, but he knew it was very important, even the foundation of the small mountain village.
"Don't worry, I will definitely find out who stole it!"
Kari said solemnly.
"Don't tell anyone about this. Investigate secretly so as not to distract the villagers. The situation is turbulent right now, and with what happened in the village just a few days ago, it's really not a good time to be honest."
Tomorrow, I will go to town to report this matter to the church and the mage association. How they handle it after that is up to them.
After Barnett finished explaining everything, he sent Kari away, wanting to be alone for a while.
Ryan quietly resolved the beast attack on the village, but various rumors about miracles began to circulate in the town. The entire town of Rosen was shrouded in a strange atmosphere of pride and joy, as if they were people favored by the gods.
They hadn't personally experienced any beast attacks, so they simply forgot about them.
This atmosphere reached its peak when the Eton City Church sent messengers.
Oh! Miracles have indeed occurred here, and they have indeed been loved by God.
For most of the winter, they lived in a bubble of happiness, receiving compliments from distant relatives who had not chosen to settle in Rosen Town.
Ryan kept his achievements and fame hidden.
When Neil heard about what had happened in the village during his winter break, he was filled with fear again. He worried that his meddlesome brother might have gone to the animals again.
Only after hearing the unanimous denials from Lei, Seya, and Tata did they finally feel relieved.
The joke was that if Neil knew that Ray had actually been involved, they would have to endure Neil's nagging for the next two months.
However, Neil seems to be already considering having Rye move.
"elder brother?"
"What's wrong?"
Neil mysteriously walked into the small bedroom.
"I have something I want to tell you."
"Do you have a girl you like?"
"What?! No!"
Neil blushed deeply.
"It's something else."
"Um?"
Neil closed the door, took a small piece of metal, and tapped it on the bedroom floor. Finally, he chose a spot and used the metal to pry open the edge of the wooden floor.
"What are you doing?"
"Brother, wait a minute, I'll tell you later."
After much effort, Neil finally managed to lift up the long, narrow floorboard.
Ray leaned closer to look and found a small reddish-brown wooden box under the floor, in addition to the wood shavings.
Neil opened the small wooden box with the key-shaped pendant hanging around his neck. Ray had always thought it was just a small pendant, never imagining it would have such a function.
He lifted the lid, turned the wooden box towards Ray, and looked at Ray with an expectant gaze, gesturing for him to see what was inside.
"Brother, take a look quickly."
Ray took out the only item in the box, a rolled-up parchment. He slowly unrolled it, looked at it for a while, and then looked at Neil, who had been watching him.
"How come there's a land deed for the capital here?"
Ray looked at it again and was certain that it was a land deed. It was signed by the late Mr. Victor, with a line of small print added after it: "This property is given to my beloved son, Ray Victor, free of charge."
"Actually, there was originally a wood element stone and some gold coins inside. The element stone was used up when you were sick, and a lot of the gold coins were spent on doctors to treat you."
Neil was a little embarrassed.
“Brother, I didn’t mean to keep it from you. Father told me to tell you later because he was afraid you were young and impulsive.”
At that time, Mom and Dad had to deal with the monsters, and you happened to still be at the magic academy, so they called me to your room alone and told me all these things, including this key.
"And now?"
"My brother is the best, most reliable, and most trustworthy brother in the whole world!"
Neil showered him with compliments.
"So what do you mean by telling me all this now?"
“I…” Neil paused, and after much deliberation, decided to speak his mind.
“Wild animals have been coming to the village lately, and I’m worried something might happen to you. Perhaps it would be safer in the capital.”
Neil answered Ray's question carefully, afraid that Ray would be angry with him.
"Where do you want to move to?"
"No, no, I love this little mountain village very much. It's where we grew up, but you're my only family left. I don't want to lose you too."
Neil's words were veiled, but Ray understood what he meant.
"It's okay, don't worry. We can think about these things when it really comes to that. Just focus on your studies. I have other plans after you finish all your courses."
"elder brother?"
Ray ruffled Neil's hair.
"You've grown taller again."
I'm about to turn sixteen.
"Yes, he's a big kid now."
Rye put the land deed back in the box, locked it again, and placed it in the same spot. Neil secretly slipped the key into the notebook Rye often read before leaving.
"Brother, I'm leaving!"
"Um."
Lai was sweeping up the sawdust on the floor when Tata joined in.
"Ray."
"Um?"
"If you move, will you take the beast with you?"
Tata looked up and stared into Lei's eyes.
"Sigh, all of you." Lei sighed.
"Tata, what you need now is a water elemental stone. I promised to heal you, and that will happen soon. Then I will send you back to the Eton Great Forest and then leave the small mountain village."
"What if—I mean, what if—we can't find our father?"
“Then let’s come back first, and then continue the search until we safely hand you over to him.”
Tata rubbed against Lai's calves for a while, then jumped onto the bed.
"Lay, continue. The beasts will not disturb you while you work."
"You little rascal."
The longer they spend together, the deeper their bond grows; Tata has become an important part of this family.
Ray was afraid that he would be reluctant to let Tata leave, and he was also worried about whether Tata could adapt to the wild environment, but the Great Eton Forest might be the most suitable place for him.
A magical beast that has always been kept in human society will never see the vastness of the outside world, nor will it ever be free. It should roam the forest, embrace the sky and the entire starry sea.
Love is not selfishness, but letting go.
Since the relic went missing, Kari has been investigating the matter both openly and secretly, but has found nothing.
Barnett had already reported the matter to the church and the mage association, as it was a serious matter. They each sent people to investigate the small village, but they couldn't find a single clue. After the matter was reported to Eton City, it was simply shelved.
In fact, there are many such "sacred objects," and it is common to lose one or two occasionally. However, for those who have been protecting them, such blows and injuries cannot be overcome overnight.
Since then, Barnett has become more taciturn, gradually delegating authority to Carrie, and showing signs of wanting to step down.
This winter seems unusually cold, and bad news came from the border near the end of the year: the envoy had been killed, and war had inevitably broken out.
Five thousand soldiers quickly assembled and launched a surprise attack on the orc tribes on the border. Earl Aryan of the capital was appointed commander-in-chief, and his Thorn Knights were an excellent force, known for their bravery and skill in battle.
It is clear that the new king is determined to win this war.
The saying "if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold" applies to all border towns, and a sense of unease descends upon them. People begin hoarding food, causing grain and salt prices to rise significantly.
As a result, the fresh vegetable business has become somewhat difficult. After all, it's okay to eat less vegetables, but grains are essential.
Lai had always stockpiled food; there were over a dozen bags of wheat and rye in his pendant space, and he also had plenty of vegetables. With few people to feed and everything they needed, their lives were much better than other families.
However, Guge suddenly fell ill. After a fever, his cough persisted, and Lai suspected it was pneumonia. A doctor examined him and prescribed medication, which provided some relief but didn't completely cure the condition.
Lai wanted to bring Gug to live with them, but Gug refused again. So he could only bring Gug food every day and check on him every few days.
After returning from Lai's house, Iru gave Jeru some instructions, and the two goblins never saw each other again, as if nothing had happened that night.
But once Jeru discovers something, he secretly tells Iru, thus becoming a mole under Iru's command.
Strangely, Soru and the other two appeared on Mount Bella the next day, as if nothing had happened, so Jeru had no choice but to continue observing.
This time, many wild beasts came from Bella Mountain due to the beast plague. The town could not send anyone to help them, and they could not let their superiors know about their existence. They could only "be self-sufficient".
Yiru summoned all the goblins who were staying in the house and had them hunt these "foreign species" all over the mountains and fields. They worked from the moment they opened their eyes, and it took them almost a month to finish.
Each household in the wooden huts received a large amount of meat. If they ate it sparingly, they would have enough to last until spring.
News of the war reached Iru's ears, but in the goblin world, war wasn't a big deal. They rarely went to town, so it didn't affect them much.
This autumn and winter seems to be unusually busy.
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