The three of them finally arrived at the small wooden house. The air was heavy with the faint smell of damp earth, and distant sounds of life in the village drifted over soft voices, the creak of tools.
"I was planning to show you the way to the roads," Math said as they stepped up to the porch, "but like you heard earlier, we can't go out right now. I could tell you the directions, but with those mutated beasts wandering outside… it might not be the best idea. It'd be better if you stayed here in the village."
Shirou didn't protest. The beasts weren't a real threat to him, but he didn't want to reveal the extent of his strength. Besides, a part of him was curious. If he happened to encounter one of these creatures, it could be an opportunity to earn a little more experience. It wouldn't be much, not at his current level, but experience was still experience.
"How long does each scouting usually take?" Shirou asked.
Math pushed the door open and motioned him inside. "Well… weeks. Sometimes months. When we found you in the forest, it had already been a month and a half since we'd left. We were on our way back. Honestly, it was lucky you crossed paths with us. Even I didn't know about the beasts when we went out."
Shirou frowned slightly. "Wait…you don't have any kind of communication devices?"
Math chuckled faintly as he sat down in a wooden chair. "Oh no. Technology isn't something we use here in the forest."
Shirou took a seat across from him. "Why, though? Wouldn't it be more efficient that way?"
"You're not wrong," Math admitted. "But we're against it. Most devices rely on mana stones as their source of power. Mana stones are part of nature. Using them for our own convenience… it doesn't sit right with us. I don't expect you to understand. You're from the Kingdom, after all."
Shirou nodded, though he pressed further. "But the mana stones used in communication devices are artificially made, aren't they?"
"Yes, you're right. But the raw materials still come from the forest. They're processed through certain… scientific means, but that goes against our cultural values."
"You do have a point," Shirou said thoughtfully. After a pause, he added, "You said you don't know exactly how long each scouting takes, right? So how would you even know if something happened to them? And even if you did, how can you be sure it was caused by a beast and not… humans?"
Math folded his arms. "Each squad is expected to return and report to the village head within two months. If they haven't shown up by then, we send our strongest men as a search party. The scouting teams are given specific locations in the forest for gathering materials, so if something happens, we know where to start looking."
"So the search team found their bodies?" Shirou asked.
"Not exactly," Math said quietly. "There were no bodies to find. Just blood and… body parts from the first squad. From the signs left behind, they concluded it was a beast. They then went to check the location where the second team had been sent and…" He trailed off, his voice tightening. "Same results. No survivors. Then they came to find us. You might not have noticed, but some of them were with us on the way back."
Shirou noticed the sadness in his eyes. This wasn't a large village; everyone knew each other. Losing two scouting teams must have been devastating. Yet there was no anger in Math's expression, only acceptance. Shirou understood why. The villagers didn't see the beasts as monsters to be destroyed, but as part of the natural order. They knew the creatures had only attacked because they were infected.
"But the third squad went out after they thought the beast was dead, right? And they were only gone for five days," Shirou said, his brow furrowing. "They could've covered a lot of ground in that time. So how did the villagers find out about their deaths so quickly?"
Math sighed. "One of them survived and made it back."
"Right," Shirou said. "You mentioned that before. I forgot." He leaned forward. "So… what did he say? And why weren't there any bodies?"
Math leaned in as well. "First of all, the infected or mutated beasts aren't as intelligent as normal ones. Their minds are clouded, unpredictable. We thought maybe the beast took the bodies away to eat later. But now that we know there are multiple creatures… the best guess would be.."
"I get it," Shirou interrupted gently. He didn't need Math to finish. If the bodies hadn't been found, they'd likely have been completely devoured.
"You're right," Math said. "And according to the survivor, the beast they encountered could create thick fog, so dense they couldn't see a thing."
"So they have abilities?" Shirou asked.
"Yes. Some are born with them. Others gain them when they mutate."
Shirou could tell this was a painful subject for Math, but he asked one last question. "And how did this one guy survive?"
"From what he said, there were two beasts. When they attacked, the squad initially tried to fight back, but without sight, they had no chance. They scattered. The survivor managed to get away. Like I said, infected beasts aren't as sharp-minded as normal ones. They lose their ability to track prey efficiently."
Shirou lowered his gaze. "Thank you for telling me. I'm truly sorry for your loss."
"It's fine," Math said quietly. "We're sad, but… we see these things as nature's law. We don't hold hatred for it."
Shirou nodded in understanding.
At that moment, Thena entered from the kitchen, carrying a wooden tray stacked with steaming bowls.
They shared a quiet meal, the conversation shifting to lighter topics. Afterwards, Shirou wandered around the village, observing the way the people went about their day.
Eventually, he found the person he'd been looking for.
"Hey," he called out.
The man turned, a spear slung across his back. "You're not from the village."
"No," Shirou replied casually. "Just someone who got lost."
"Need any help?" the man asked.
"Actually, I was wondering about the beast. How strong are we talking?" Shirou asked, his tone light but his eyes watchful.
The man smirked faintly. "I see. You want to help. But no. I can't risk your life. And just how strong are you, really?"
"Early Adept," Shirou answered plainly.
Oswyn, if Shirou recalled the name correctly, nodded. "The beast I killed a few days back was at Late Apprentice level. But trust me, I can handle this myself. I won't endanger anyone else. So why don't you just stay put?"
"Got it," Shirou said with a nod.
He turned and walked away, his voice barely more than a mutter under his breath.
"Like hell I would."