When the old village chief heard the news, he rushed over as quickly as he could, his face full of gratitude as he spoke to Nathan.
And it was not only the old chief—Manager Kerry from the hotel also hurriedly came running, his expression just as anxious.
After all, this matter concerned whether their place could continue operating in the future or not.
"There's an ancient ruin hidden inside Dream Valley. I found those two children inside that ruin."
Nathan did not hide anything. He simply stated outright the place where he had discovered the children.
However, the truth was that the mystic realm had not been fully explored yet. He still had no idea what lay deeper inside, or what dangers it might conceal.
More importantly, he hadn't even seen the so-called "big sister" that the two children had mentioned.
In other words, the matter was not yet completely resolved.
"Ancient ruins? Why have we never seen them before?"
Manager Kerry blinked in surprise when he heard what Nathan said.
They had lived here for so long, yet this was the very first time they had ever heard that such ruins even existed within their valley.
"That's right. Not to mention in the past—just during the last few days alone, we've searched all over Dream Valley for five or six days straight. We never once saw anything that looked like ruins."
The old village chief also spoke with confusion.
They had combed through every corner of Dream Valley while searching for the children, yet had never come across any kind of ruin.
But Nathan, who had searched for a far shorter time than they had, somehow managed to discover the ruin and even rescued the children from inside it.
"The entrance to the ruin is hidden inside a cave on the hillside. But the catch is, this entrance only appears occasionally, and it only stays open for a short period of time."
To tell the truth, if he hadn't spent so much time keeping watch there, he might not have even found it himself.
The moment Nathan said this, both the old chief and Manager Kerry instantly knew which place he was talking about.
They were all too familiar with that cave.
In the past, when people wandered around Dream Valley and happened to be caught in a rainstorm, they would often take shelter inside that very cave.
But this was the first time anyone had ever discovered that there were ruins hidden within it. Fortunately, the ruins had been found this time—otherwise, who knew when the children would have been rescued.
"For now, don't go near those ruins. And for the next few days, don't let anyone else enter either. Let me first investigate properly and confirm whether there are dangers inside, then I'll inform you."
Nathan stretched lazily as he spoke. After days of travel and constant searching, even his back was sore.
Manager Kerry noticed his movements and immediately understood that Nathan was exhausted.
"In that case, why don't you return to the hotel and rest for a while? I'll have people prepare a proper meal for you."
Manager Kerry spoke very tactfully.
And besides, as Nathan himself had said, whether the ruins were dangerous or not still remained to be seen.
Right now, Nathan was willing to help them handle this matter—that alone made him their greatest benefactor.
If the ruins truly did hide dangers, then with their strength they were in no way capable of dealing with it.
After all, the man standing before them was none other than Nathan Vesper, the World Champion.
His strength was beyond any doubt.
Nathan did not refuse. He followed Manager Kerry back to the hotel.
In less than half an hour, Manager Kerry personally brought in several people carrying trays laden with all kinds of delicious food, delivering them straight to Nathan's room.
After two or three days of running about without a proper meal, Nathan's eyes lit up the moment he saw the spread. Without the slightest hesitation, he began eating heartily.
"Eat as much as you like—don't hold back. Everything is on the house. Without you, our hotel would probably be finished. We truly cannot thank you enough."
Manager Kerry once again expressed his gratitude toward Nathan.
Originally, he had nearly given up hope. Yet who would have thought that Nathan's arrival would turn everything around and bring them this unexpected chance?
Nathan simply nodded while chewing, his mouth too full of food to answer properly.
Once Manager Kerry tidied away the leftovers, he quietly excused himself from the room.
Nathan lay down on the bed, and within mere seconds, he was asleep.
When he next opened his eyes, darkness filled the sky outside. Judging by the time, it was probably already the following evening.
After washing up, Nathan left his room.
The moment he entered the hotel lobby, Manager Kerry appeared before him as though waiting.
"Nathan, you're awake. Are you heading for the ruins? Do you need us to help with anything?"
Manager Kerry asked quickly.
The hotel had surveillance cameras. From the instant Nathan stepped out of his room, someone had already notified him.
"Prepare some food that's easy to carry. I'm going back into the ruins to take a proper look."
Since Manager Kerry had practically delivered himself to his door, Nathan did not bother with politeness and spoke directly.
This time, his venture into the ruins was essentially to resolve their lingering crisis for them.
If the ruins proved safe, Dream Valley would not only survive this scare but might even gain a brand-new attraction.
After receiving the supplies he asked for, Nathan mounted his Flygon and soon arrived at the cave.
This time, he was lucky—after waiting less than an hour, the entrance to the ruins once again revealed itself before him.
Previously, in order to comfort the children and return them to their parents as quickly as possible, he hadn't ventured too deep.
Now, at last, he could truly take a proper look and uncover the true nature of this so-called ruin.
And he was also deeply curious—just who, or what, was the "big sister" that the children had mentioned?
…
Walking through the ruin, Nathan left no corner unchecked. Every inch of the place he carefully examined, like an inquisitive child.
Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he caught the flash of a figure darting past.
Though it had been just a fleeting glimpse, Nathan was certain—the silhouette was humanoid.
But whether it was truly a human or not, he could not say.
"Volcarona, Frosmoth—come out!"
For safety's sake, Nathan summoned both Volcarona and Frosmoth.
"Volcarona, go investigate over there. See what's there."
He pointed in the direction where the shadow had fled.
Volcarona beat its wings and sped swiftly toward that place, while Frosmoth hovered protectively by Nathan's side.
After less than two minutes, Volcarona suddenly landed on the ground, wings folding as though confronting something.
"Stop right there!"
Even from a distance, Nathan could hear Volcarona's crisp, echoing cry.
With Frosmoth at his side, he rushed quickly toward where Volcarona had stopped.
He had not expected to corner the mysterious figure so easily.
But was this being truly human? That was the real question.
If it turned out to be human, that would be even stranger—because these were ancient ruins, several centuries old at the very least.
A human's lifespan generally reached only a little over a hundred years. The only exception would be someone like him—someone blessed by Xerneas, granted eternal life.
But the odds of such a thing were incredibly, impossibly slim. And more importantly, the timeline did not match up.
Nathan himself had only recently encountered Xerneas. The blessing of eternal life was only bestowed when Xerneas awakened.
Meaning, for someone from these ruins to have received such a gift, the ruins themselves would have to be over a thousand years old.
Yet, from the look of things, these ruins were nowhere near that ancient—at most six or seven hundred years.
And Xerneas was a unique being—the embodiment of life itself. There was only one in the entire world.
The one currently with him.
There could not possibly be a second.
When Nathan finally saw the figure that Volcarona had cornered, he was stunned.
Because it really was a human.
And just as the children had described—it was a young girl, an older sister-like figure.
"You… are you someone from these ruins? Are you the only one who lives here?"
Nathan asked as he studied her closely.
The girl looked to be about eleven or twelve years old. Her features were delicate, almost cute, but the clothes she wore were completely different from the ones people wore today.
Her long hair was tied into twin ponytails behind her head.
Her outfit looked like it belonged to some ancient ethnic group. And no matter how long Nathan looked, he couldn't shake the sense that there was something strange about her.
But he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.
"Y-You… don't hurt me… I was only playing with those two children… I didn't mean any harm… uuuu…"
The girl's voice trembled, and before long she burst into tears.
Her sudden crying left Nathan completely at a loss.
He hadn't even done anything yet!
The little girl hugged her knees and crouched down, burying her small head into her lap.
Nathan stepped forward, intending to comfort her. But just as his hand reached out, it passed straight through her body.
Not human!
No—she was a ghost!
Nathan froze in shock. He had never expected that what he had run into here would turn out to be a spirit.
Watching the little girl sobbing so pitifully, Nathan suddenly recalled how the children had mentioned that she had traded snacks with them before.
Quickly, he rummaged through his backpack and pulled out some treats, holding them out toward her.
"Don't cry anymore. Look, here are some snacks for you."
The moment he spoke, the girl lifted her head. She gazed at the food in his hand, swallowing involuntarily.
Her teary eyes still shimmered with wetness, and her expression was full of helpless sorrow—so pitiful that Nathan almost wished he could hug her, if only she were tangible.
"R-Really? Are those really for me?"
The girl sniffled as she asked.
"Yes, they're for you. As long as you stop crying and talk properly, I won't hurt you."
Seeing her calm down at last, Nathan let out a long breath of relief.
As a man, nothing terrified him more than being faced with a girl crying.
(End of Chapter)