It was the night of the second day when they finally arrived at Surock Village. It was still early enough that people were bustling about, and many shops remained open. To Cassian's surprise, this wasn't the small, quiet village he had imagined with only a few houses and maybe one restaurant—it was far larger, lively, and well-kept.
There were plenty of people moving through the streets, and several shops had customers coming and going. Cassian had expected a more subdued atmosphere, but instead, the village was vibrant, with fires lit along the main paths and even some streets illuminated by mana stone lamps.
"I thought this was just a small village?" Cassian said, looking out at the bustling scene outside. There were even carriages coming and going, though he distinctly remembered Daniel mentioning he was the only one traveling to the village.
Hearing Cassian's question, Daniel replied, "I never said it was a small village. It could almost be considered a town, but constant monster attacks have kept it from expanding." and then with bit lower tone he continued, "and almost dozen or so people die from monster attacks per year the death rate don't sound much but it's lot for a village, and the ones die are not normal people they are ether circle warrior or mages who is born here."
"The village has Circle Warriors?" Cassian asked, surprised. He'd always thought becoming a Circle Warrior was incredibly challenging, especially when it came to establishing a domain. Unlike mages, who only needed a good mind and some talent with mana control—though it took time—Circle Warriors seemed rarer.
"Yeah, there are quite a few of them here," Daniel replied. "Most are only First Circle, with a few Seconds, and the strongest among them is a Third Circle warrior." He added with a smile, "That Third Circle warrior is also the village head and a friend of mine. He'll have all the information you need about the murdered family and the one who helped them."
"I haven't been back here since I took that family to the city," Daniel said, a nostalgic look crossing his face as he glanced around the village.
"Why not?" Cassandra asked, looking puzzled. "I thought you mainly worked around these villages."
"I do, but there are a lot of villages scattered through these forests," Daniel explained. "I've been to so many that it takes a while to return to the same one. Most of the time, I'm working based on the demands of my clients, so it's quite rare coming to one village again and again."
"So we're heading straight to your friend's place, right?" Dallas asked.
"Yep, unless you'd rather wait until morning?" Daniel offered, but Dallas shook her head. "Nah, let's just get it over with."
Since no one objected, the carriage made its way toward the village head's house. It might have seemed like overkill, coming all the way out here to dig up information on someone who might not even be connected to the murders. But they couldn't overlook the fact that this person had mysteriously helped the family relocate to the city. Plus, being in the village might give them a chance to talk to locals who knew the family better, since no one in the city seemed to know them well.
They could likely accomplish more meaningful investigation here in a single day than they'd managed in weeks back in the city. Soon enough, they arrived at the village head's residence—a large, well-kept house with guards stationed outside.
As the carriage halted at the entrance, one of the guards recognized Daniel and allowed them to pass through the gates. The place resembled a small mansion.
"Daniel, my friend, you've been busy…" A burly older man greeted them warmly at the door, his arms open in welcome as he beamed at Daniel.
"Aiden, you're looking old…" Daniel teased as he embraced his friend, causing the muscular village head to laugh heartily.
"Well, can't escape time," Aiden chuckled. "So, what brings you back to our humble village after all this time?"
Daniel gestured to the three people behind him. "Before that, let me introduce my friends from the city."
He introduced them one by one. "These two ladies are Detectives Cassandra and Dallas, and the young man here is Cassian. They're from the city's law enforcement, here to investigate a few matters. I was hoping you might be able to help them out."
Aiden's welcoming grin faded slightly as he took in the seriousness of Daniel's words. "Investigate, huh? Must be important if it's brought the city folks all the way out here."
Cassandra stepped forward with a respectful nod. "Thank you, Mr. Aiden. We're looking into some troubling matters…" She explained the investigation, outlining why they had come, as Aiden listened in silence. When Cassandra finished, he finally spoke.
"The family you're referring to… they're known as the Wans around here. They used to take care of the village church and even served nearby villages. But they didn't move to the city for the reasons you mentioned…" He paused suddenly as a woman appeared behind him, clearing her throat. Aiden fell silent, looking slightly nervous as he continued, "Oh, where are my manners? My apologies for keeping you standing at the door. Let's go inside and talk comfortably."
He turned, feigning surprise as he spotted the older woman watching him with an amused expression. "Ah, Rusella! I didn't see you there. Look who's come to our humble abode."
The woman was dressed entirely in black, with only a silver chain and a gleaming locket breaking the monochrome. Her hair was a mix of dark strands and ashen white, hinting at her age, but her face was remarkably youthful, showing no signs of aging. Her lean figure added to the illusion, making it hard to determine just how old she truly was.
Daniel smirked, giving Aiden a knowing look. "Still afraid of your wife, huh?" he muttered, low enough for only Aiden to hear. Aiden shot him a mock glare but couldn't hide his sheepish grin.
Meanwhile, Rusella's face softened with a smile as she approached Daniel, wrapping him in a warm hug. "Long time no see, cousin," she said, her voice filled with genuine affection.