Chapter 380 The Village Part 1 (1/2)

The handler was pleased, or at least it was what Lith hoped for. He could hear her taking notes the whole time.

”I called because I met a human settlement. Do you have my position?”

”Positive. Call me back once you are done. Do not lower your guard. Based on the images collected it's a medium sized village, so it's likely to be run by a renegade mage or a deserter.”

”Once I'm done doing what?” Lith said. ”If I get down there, either will be a massacre or they'll run away as soon as I leave. If our purpose is collecting taxes, then it's better for me to stay away from the village and let you do your job.”

”Negative. Our duty is not collecting taxes, but ensure the safety of the citizens. You must make sure that no one there is forced to stay against their will or is being subjected to the practice of illegal magic.

”Taxes are just an excuse to prevent bureaucrats from bothering us with budget issues. In the wilderness we are the law, young Ranger. Today, you are the law. So get down there and call me back once you are done. I expect a full and detailed report.”

Cursing at his bad luck, Lith descended to the ground. He activated Life Vision while Solus activated mana sense. They could perceive about 100 life signatures but no arrays or magical protections of sorts.

'Do I go there incognito or do I keep my uniform?' Lith pondered.

'Incognito? How exactly?' Solus chuckled at the idea. 'Aside from your uniform, you only have light clothes suitable for disguising yourself as a farmer or a hunter back in Lutia. Your skin and hair are too dark to pass yourself for a man of the north.

'Also, you have no backpack. No one in their right mind would think you got here by chance. With your build and well fed appearance, they wouldn't believe you are lost or have been robbed either.'

As it happened most of the time, Solus was right. Lith had not bothered packing disguises or makeup.

'Point taken. I'd say it's better to check the outskirts of the village before going deeper inside. It's unlikely we'll meet a dangerous opponent, but after Nalear I don't like the idea of getting surrounded again.' Lith thought.

He was surprised by the lack of watchmen. The path to the village was clear, making things too easy to be true. The closer he got to the settlement, the more Lith became aware of his surroundings.

The houses were made in hardwood and looked solid. Lith could smell a fresh coat of tar mixed with other substances used to fill gaps between wood to insulate the heat and prevent drafts.

'Two things. One, this isn't a makeshift camp. It's been made to last. The lack of guards doesn't make sense. Why are they not afraid of hungry monsters or magical beasts raiding the place for food? Two, how did my predecessor miss all this?'

Lith stopped the moment his eyes caught an anomaly near his left foot. There was a thin tripwire a few centimeters above the ground. He followed both extremities, one at a time, discovering they were tied up to trees, not to an alarm.

He focused on his sense of smell, detecting a lot of metal lying around coupled with a sour scent. Lith used air magic to float above the ground and by following the scent he discovered several traps, all coated with poison.

'This should be Death Pepper.' Lith thought after licking a greasy substance off a sharp blade placed at the height where the thigh of an average man would be.