The day after we departed, we are soon about to arrive at the village. That's where I see some anomalies.

"I think I can see the village of our destination. But something is very weird there.

Everything seems… normal from the outside. Just the outside.

Let's check the map just in case.

"Jewel, I can see a village. Is that the destination we're going to?"

Jewel has the map, so I asked her.

She's smart enough to read a map. I can as well, but I'm just confirming it with her.

"Yes, it is! If we go straight this road, we will reach that village! Finally, my first mission!" Jewel said happily.

"And it might also be our most difficult mission so far." I said.

"Hmm? Roy, what do you see with those eyes of yours?" It was Candy who asked.

"I can't say anything conclusive as of now. Let's move forward until I can see more. Let's stop right now and move forward on foot. I'll send back the carriage to Cassau. Shelia, scout ahead for us. Make sure no one notice you, and tell me what you can see or smell."

"Alright. I'm going."

Shelia left the carriage and move forward alone. I'm sure her sense of smell and my Divine Vision has similar range, but the fact that she hadn't reported anything mean she didn't find anything suspicious.

Then, Kron stopped the carriage and I sent it back to Cassau. The horses were slightly panicked when they see a portal, but enter it anyway after I start pulling their reins.

"Roy, what is so strange about the village?" Candy asked curiously.

"There are several things that bother me. First, there are a lot of people in that village. Unlike what the quest says, there don't seem to be any missing people. In fact, the number of the people is more than the house. There are about sixty people in that village, and only twenty houses. But the numbers of adult alone are more than forty. Even if they are married and live together, the number doesn't match." I said.

"What does that mean?" Celestine asked.

"It means that the village can't provide housing to everyone in that village. My guess is that the hunters who went for this mission are among them as well. And somehow, they are unable to leave. I'm afraid that if we enter unprepared, we might be unable to leave as well. Especially with the thing that bother me the most."

"What is it? Is it related to why they are unable to escape?" Celestine asked.

After leaving the cult, she experienced many things and has become more and more curious about things she doesn't knows. I'm glad that we have someone powerful who wants to learn. Unlike a certain future Elemental Master who hate learning.

"All of the people in that village, the whole organs inside their body, even their blood, are black. That's not the color of living human's inner organs. I'm scared that if we enter that village, we might end up like that." I said.

What kind of thing able to turns human body like that? This is getting scary.

"Roy, our mission is just to investigate. We don't need to solve the problem."

Candy reminds me of our mission.

"I know, but I want to make sure that whatever is happening to them won't happen in Cassau as well. I'm fine with sending Shelia since I can summon her here any time I want. I'm making sure that she's staying within my sight. Hmm? I think I found someone familiar."

I said when I somehow managed to see two women that I think I have met before.

"Oh, great. Now, it's a guessing game. Since Kayla isn't here, I guess it's my turn to guess who it is." Victoria said.

So, she actually makes my inability to remember stranger's faces and names as a game, huh? Well, as long as I find out who they are, I guess it's fine.

But for those two, I remember the situation we met. So, it's not really a game for her.

"Victoria, there are two girls that look familiar. Those two are together with Nana when they were being caved in under the destroyed dungeon. The two that actually said thanks to us." I said.

Good thing that yesterday I remember about Nana and her party. If it was not for yesterday's test, I won't remember these two at all.

"Oh, then they are Jessica and Ellen. Don't you remember, Ellen is the one we're together with when we first entered a dungeon near Cassau?" Victoria asked.

"I just remember it. If not yesterday's meeting with Nana, I would not remember at all. Oh? Shelia doesn't seem to be able to get closer to the village. Something is wrong with that village."

Just like I said, Shelia seem to not be able to get closer. It's like something is blocking her. Something invisible. But I don't see anyone casting a barrier. Is it not magic?

Then, Shelia called Sonia. She's saying something to Sonia while pointing toward the village. Then Sonia tried to go there as well, but she fails. What the hell is wrong?

I opened up a portal toward a Blobby that I gave to Shelia and asked her without entering the portal.

"Shelia, Sonia, what happened?"

"There seem to be something near the village. It makes us unable to go further." Sonia explained.

"Is that so? Victoria, try to get some Blobbies over there."

I ordered Victoria to have some Blobbies enter the invisible barrier. And just like with Shelia and Sonia, none of the Blobbies are able to enter.

"Does anyone sense something strange?"

"Yeah. There's nothing blocking us, but something is preventing us to get closer. Before you open the portal, I didn't sense anything. But now, I can sense it slightly. Whatever it is, it can make Blobbies that doesn't even have any intellect to stop even if you order them." Victoria said.

"Hmm… what about you guys?" I asked the others.

"Nothing strange here." Kron answered first.

"Same!" Next is Jewel.

"Hmm… whatever it is, it's not magic." Celestine said.

None of the humans able to sense anything strange. What about Sunny who's wrapping her vines around Jewel?

She shakes her leaves. That's Sunny's reaction.

"Does it mean you sensed something, Sunny?" I asked the sunflower.

This time, the flowerhead nodded.

"I see… That mean, whatever it is, it only affects monsters. I guess for now, it will be us humans who will enter. You will keep watch on the surrounding." I said as we entered the portal.

As soon as everyone entered the portal and get near the invisible barrier, I close the portal.

"If this barrier is really something that block a monster from passing, it does make sense that those inside that village are unable to leave. And that mean… we're facing a really bad situation."

"Just bad, right? Not the worst?" Victoria asked.

"Worst is if it's something that will get me killed. I don't see anything like that at the moment, and I can still use portal multiple more times. If there's any danger inside the village, we'll escape with portal to this place."

"And what is that bad situation?" Jewel asked.

"Well, since it's only monsters that can pass this barrier, that mean everyone inside that village is no longer humans."

Everyone is shocked by my deduction. But it's true.

It has been a few months since the mission was given to the guild, but everyone is inside the village alive albeit no longer human. And I can't see any well or water source in that village! If they need water, they need to pass where we are right now since there is a river behind us.

That mean… they no longer have any need for water. Or maybe, even food.

"Alright everyone, it's planning time. What should we do?"

"Roy, how about forcing the Blobbies to enter? If you force them, they might enter the village." Victoria suggested.

"Let's try it. Give me three Blobbies."

Once Victoria created three clones, I threw each Blobby into the invisible barrier with different strength so the location they will land is different.

The first throw is the closest one. Just ten meters. The second is thirty meters. The third one is over fifty meters.

The first Blobby, quickly trying to get back here. And so is the second Blobby.

As for the furthest Blobby, it's trying to get away from here. I guess it's closer to go over there than over here.

I keep watching the Blobby until it stopped. And that's about 80 meters from here.

"I guess monsters are still able to get there. But they have to be forced to." I said.

"But we can go there if you open a portal inside so we don't need to pass this barrier. I have to go there so I can talk with Ellen and Jessica since I'm closer to those two than you. If we are still able to communicate with them, we will ask them what happened." Victoria said.

Hmm… I guess those two are someone we can trust better than other people in the village.

Wait! I have better idea!

"How about we go there, try to communicate, and then we will bring some of them back to Cassau so the guild can examine what's wrong with them? Then our mission is done, and we can leave the rest to the guild." I suggested.

"Wait! Why just some of them? What about the other people inside!? You want them to stay there?" Kron protested.

"We don't know what happened to them. What if it's some kind of contagious disease? It's dangerous if we brought all of them when we don't know much about them. Let's just bring those two girls and some villagers to the guild. We'll use portal so we can get back faster. I'll try to make them sleep with my sleeping gas so they won't know that I can use portal. Sonia, tell the others that we no longer need the permit."