The Cabin In The Woods

Two days after unwittingly causing the Mana-imbued Blood Crystal to explode, Arthur and co came across a small cabin within the woods.

After they swiftly run away from the scene, they made sure to cover their tracks and only rest at relatively hidden spots.

Since they weren't caught yet, Arthur became much more relaxed but he didn't completely drop his guard. For now, he refrained from experimenting with the Blood Crystals until he was certain neither Addy nor Amare were after him.

He had long since possessed the bodies the thoughtful Evelyn stored in the bag. Unfortunately, the increase in stat was minuscule and the obtained skills weren't particularly useful.

Arthur got the [Blacksmithing] Skill, along with [Culinary Arts] and [Hammer Mastery], all of which were designed for activities he wasn't interested in.

"Master?"

The maid looked at the parasite, who dazedly looked at the solitary cabin. It was unexpected to find a building in this massive forest, but they didn't rashly reveal themselves.

For a little while, they watched from behind the trees. Soon, they heard footsteps and saw a well-fit stalwart middle-aged man come out with a child in his arms.

He was teasing the pouting little girl, unaware that he was being watched. Barely a minute later, a brunette dashed out of the cabin and snatched the girl.

"Let her study in peace, Will!"

"B-but I wanted to show her th-"

"But me no buts! We need more wood. Start chopping!"

The wife scolded her husband then returned inside with the girl. Left alone, the man sighed, his shoulders dropping as he reluctantly walked to the stack of woods and began working.

Arthur still didn't know what to do; Revealing himself so suddenly would make the man suspicious and the situation could escalate quickly. However, as they have been traveling non-stop for two days, this was the perfect place for a good rest and replenishment, though it was unlikely they would be offered hospitality.

Mort, who had been dozing off at the side, out of the blue, let out a frightening shout.

"You stupid-ugh.."

Arthur grabbed the undead and forced him to sit. Alas, it was too late as the man heard the cry and warily made their way towards them, his ax in hand.

Evelyn revealed herself first, followed by the disheartened Arthur.

Once he spotted the maid wearing an exquisite and clean black dress, along with her white-haired companion, the man halted his steps, surprised and highly-alert.

"Greetings, sir. We apologize for the intrusion, we didn't intend to scare you."

Evelyn, as was her wont, followed the proper etiquette and elegantly bowed, keeping her tone respectful.

"E-emm.."

Seeing the pair standing a couple of paces away, the man didn't know what to say. Whether it was Evelyn, who would be considered a beauty, especially with the matching outfit and her refined behavior, or the white-haired Arthur standing tall and straight, both of them definitely didn't look like normal villagers.

"We were passing by and saw you. Didn't you hear about the recent tragedy?"

Arthur followed after the maid, trying to divert the man's attention.

"Tragedy?"

"Everyone in Smithy Town died. Currently, Holy Knights are conducting an investigation."

"W-what?!"

Flabbergasted, the man's mouth was wide open and his hands, which were holding the axe, were unknowingly lowered.

"Is… is this true? What happened?"

Whether he was stupid or too trusting, Arthur didn't know. But seeing the man believe him on the spot spared him the effort of a long and convincing explanation.

"Unfortunately, yes. Lest you misunderstand…" Arthur glanced at the cabin's entrance, noticing that the wife was hiding her daughter behind her while looking at them.

"We didn't specifically came here to warn you. We are travelers, you see… and wanted to get away from that scene."

"O-oh! Thank you for telling me. Give me a second!"

The man turned around and hastily walked to his wife. He relayed what happened and they talked for a bit.

Meanwhile, Arthur stood next to Evelyn, signaling Mort with his hand to remain hidden or else the man would freak out.

"If we could rest with a roof over our head, I wouldn't mind that." Commented Arthur as he watched the husband and wife.

"Would it really be wise, Master? We still got dogs at our heel."

"About that… I have a plan that will distract them for a while."

Soon, the man returned while softly smiling. He was about to say something but Arthur was faster,

"Sir, we would be alright if we stayed here for a bit? We are tired, you see, and a brief respite would do us good for the long journey."

As if expecting this, the man nodded, "I was about to invite you. I was going to visit Smithy Town this evening, but after what happened, I might've been embroiled in that mess if you didn't tell me."

"Great! Please give me a second."

Arthur turned around and disappeared for a minute or so before reappearing. He saw that Evelyn was introducing herself to the little girl and the wife.

The wife, in particular, was hesitant and suspicious, but when she got a good look at the maid and saw her manners, she was relieved.

From the couple's perspective, Evelyn and Arthur, albeit suspicious, were dressed in relatively fancy clothes, so there was no reason to come here to rob them.

Admittedly, crimes such as murder, rape, and thievery weren't that common, at least not here. No bandits lurked in the forest, and due to its close proximity to Blackcrest, there would be knights regularly dispatched to eliminate any beasts that might endanger Smithy Town and Warmcross.

"I am Evelyn, and this is…"

"Francois, at your service."

Arthur shook the wife's hand and, soon, they were led inside the shabby cabin. The interior, although small, had quite a bit of furniture and felt cozy and welcoming.

The fresh smell of the stew permeated across the cabin as the unexpected guests sat around a small wooden table.

"Pardon the mess, we seldom get any visitors." The wife, named Nayri, smiled as she resumed cooking.

"Madam, let me help you."

Although Nayri refused at first, she eventually relented and let the expert Maid assist her.

Meanwhile, the parasite and William conversed. The young girl, on the other hand, was curiously poking the sleeping Furball, giggling as she saw the rabbit shake for a moment and then raise its head, sizing her up with interest.

"It was, truly, a terrifying sight. As soon as we saw all the dead bodies, we departed. I don't know what happened exactly, but I'd wager it's the doing of an insidious secret organization."

"For the first time, I'm glad that I've decided to live here. Reclusion has its benefits, I guess…"

William, who had calmed down, let out a heavy sigh. He had stealthily scrutinized Arthur and became more relaxed when nothing happened. It would be wrong to say he wasn't wary, but the more he thought about it, the stranger they became.

In the end, he suspected they might be a pair of exiled nobility. Of course, he didn't voice his thoughts, instead opting to behave like a hospitable host and let them stay for the night.

"Can I play with it?"

"Anna!"

Seeing his daughter point at the fluffy white rabbit, William was about to reprimand her.

"It's fine. Anna, right?"

Arthur walked to the girl and lifted Furball by its nape then gently putting it in her stretched arms.

"This is Furball. I'm sure it'll be happy to play with you, right?"

As he looked down at the rabbit, it wiggled its short tail and then snuggled into Anna's arm, letting out purrs similar to a cat.

"Yay! Thank you, Mister!"

"Hahahaha! No problem. Have fun!"

He petted the girl's head, feeling nostalgic about the times he used to visit the orphanage back on Earth. He and Chris would play with kids and buy them gifts each time they visited, and slowly but surely, Arthur became quite adept at dealing with the younglings.

Soon enough, the fragrant vegetable soup was cooked.

"Anna! Put it down and eat properly."

"But.."

"..."

Seeing her mother glare at her, Anna reluctantly put down Furball and picked up the spoon. She curiously looked at Arthur then at Evelyn, but the latter's stone-faced expression made the little girl jerk her head downwards and eat in silence.

Although it wasn't a lavish feast and the ingredients weren't high-grade, Arthur still felt satisfied. After possessing the cockroach, he was able to eat almost anything and that would nourish him, but he still preferred to eat normal things like normal humans.

"Please accept this."

He pulled a couple of shiny gold coins and slide them toward William, who shook his head.

"Nonono! It's fine! Really!"

He was adamant and kept declining, but with Arthur's incessant insistence and his wife stomping on his foot, William wryly smiled and tucked the gold with an embarrassed expression.

While they were enjoying a good meal, Mort was sprinting like a madman. He zigzagged through the trees, his speed accelerating until he became a blur. He had run for almost an hour, crossing a considerable distance and finding himself near a small translucent pond.

"Mana, was it?"

He took out a jet black crystal from his pocket and, following Arthur's instruction, started imbuing Mana into it.

Generally, there were types of Undead that could use elemental energies or Black Mana. However, ambient and pure Mana was harmful to these walking dead creatures born of Black Magic.

However, Mort was an exception, a unique zombie: The masterful creation of Latif, the Necromancer.

Although not proficient at Mana usage, the task of imbuing Mana was simplistic in nature and required no extra effort. So, after a couple of minutes, the crystal changed color and started pulsating, making Mort panic a little.

He didn't know if the quantity injected was enough, but when he saw the stones under his feet tremble, float slightly in the air then disintegrate, he knew it was time.

"Here we gooo!"

He leaned backward, extended his arm, then threw the crystal with all of his strength. In seconds, it transformed into a dot that merged with the sky before falling down.

With the task done, Mort turned around and ran away, though seconds later the ground shook heavily, indicating that the crystal had exploded.

…

Two kilometers away from Mort, Amare and co were marching slowly only to hear an explosion not unlike the one from two days ago.

They looked at each other before increasing their pace, heading straight into the origin of the momentary tremor and the far yet audible explosion.