Attacked

Zell was surprised about how much control over the thralls he now possessed.

The fact that Zell could stop Elisabeth's heart unsettled him but he understood that it would be useful in the future when he has more thralls. However, for now, he chose not to tamper with Elisabeth's heart. Instead, he opted to continue studying magic further.

His research eventually resulted in discovering the location of an old ruin called the Ruins of the Ancient Magus. It wasn't far from the village where Zell lived and it was rumored to contain many rare books and artifacts. Since learning of its existence, Zell had made plans to visit it. Today being Sunday, he decided to leave early in hopes of finding the ruins without interruption.

And so, after bidding farewell to Elisabeth, Zell set forth.

─Task Generated: Visit the Ruins of the Ancient Magus─

─Rewards: 100 EXP, Breakthrough Pill─

"How convenient," mused Zell aloud.

After walking for an hour Zell arrived at his destination. A large stone building covered in moss and vines occupied the center of the land. No doubt built hundreds or thousands of years ago by a powerful sorcerer. As Zell gazed at the structure, he wondered if any records were kept within. Or perhaps some magical wards protected the place.

Without thinking much about it Zell entered the ruin.

─Task Completed─

─100 EXP Gained─

─Breakthrough Pill Gained─

─Level Up─

─Three Points To All Stats─

─One Point To All Stats To All Thralls─

"Hmph! More points gained!" said Zell cheerfully.

Though the sun had risen considerably higher above the horizon, Zell still felt quite warm. The humidity must have been high enough to make it seem like late spring rather than summer.

Within minutes of arriving, Zell located three chests scattered around the interior of the ruin. Each contained various texts and scrolls written in strange symbols and letters. Most likely these belonged to the former owner of the ruins.

Ignoring the contents of the chests, Zell instead inspected each of the books individually. After careful examination, he discovered that all of them held similar titles: "Magical Theory". One volume described theories on the creation of mana elements; another dealt exclusively with the use of wind elementals; another examined ways to manipulate light. Another book was dedicated solely to the theory of death and immortality.

For several hours, Zell studied his way through the collection of arcane knowledge. Some subjects proved challenging to comprehend and others impossible to grasp completely. Nevertheless, he learned a great deal about the fundamentals of magic and managed to improve his comprehension of certain concepts.

Zell felt satisfied with how much he had learned today and decided to leave. With his mind full of thoughts concerning the topics discussed, he headed back toward the mansion.

When he returned, Elisabeth was waiting for him outside her mansion.

"You're finally returning!" she exclaimed happily.

"'It's good to see you too, Elisabeth."

They exchanged brief pleasantries and then sat down next to each other.

"What did you find?" asked Elisabeth.

"Some books on magical theory."

"Interesting..." Elisabeth murmured as she watched Zell intently.

She didn't know exactly what the topic entailed but knew that Zell loved studying it. Which explained why he sought out this particular ruin. For whatever reason, it intrigued him greatly.

Perhaps because it reminded him of a distant memory long forgotten.

Or maybe because of what it represented to him. An opportunity to learn more.

Whatever the case may be, Elisabeth couldn't help but admire Zell's enthusiasm. Something which had always impressed her.

"So I'll take my leave now...but before leaving, there's something else—" began Zell.

But then someone interrupted.

"Excuse me, misstress!"

It was a maid who ran over to interrupt their conversation.

"...what is it?" queried Elisabeth.

"The town got attacked by monsters again!"

"Oh, dear… Well, let us hurry along then."

As soon as they exited the gate, Elisabeth took command. Her voice rang across the empty street and immediately drew attention to herself. Within seconds, people started gathering near them.

Elisabeth looked to Zell.

"Do your best, master,"

"Of course, Elisabeth."

With those words spoken between them, the pair hurried off towards the nearest injured villager.

By the time they reached the battle scene, most of the attackers had fled. But there remained four men lying unconscious on the road. Their wounds were serious enough that neither could move freely. Yet both of their lives appeared safe for the moment.

"Whoa…" breathed Zell. His eyes widened in surprise upon seeing the extent of the damage caused by the attack. Dozens of broken trees and bushes littered the ground. Large branches torn away from nearby trees blocked portions of the path leading southward. Many homes in the area suffered extensive damage including collapsed roofs and smashed windows. Several buildings in the southern part of town were burned with blackened husks. Others lay half-destroyed.

All told, five houses and two shops were destroyed. Two dozen people—including several children–had been wounded.

Most terrifying of all though, was the sight of the fallen villagers themselves. They wore expressions ranging from shock to horror. Although none of the injuries appeared fatal, the sheer number of victims shocked even Elisabeth.

A group of women gathered together and formed a circle while tending to the wounded. Meanwhile, several young girls tended to the corpses and cleaned up the debris. The older members of the community tried to console the younger ones.

While everyone worked feverishly to restore order, Zell approached a woman who stood apart from the crowd. She knelt beside an elderly man whose face bore marks of severe bruising.

"Is he alive?" Zell inquired quietly.

"Yes sir. He's breathing fine but he can't walk on his own," replied the woman.

"That's good."

***

Several hours later, the entire population of Viscount Melville had recovered sufficiently enough to begin repairing the damage done by the raiders. Soon afterward, the last body was buried in an unmarked grave.

Everyone involved agreed that they should forget the incident that ever happened. The bandits' attacks were considered nothing more than random acts of violence committed against the helpless. Such things weren't uncommon occurrences in the countryside. The only thing remarkable about this one was that they'd struck during daylight hours. And that no one died.

Soon, the day passed and the sun sank behind the horizon. As evening descended upon the ruined streets, the citizens settled down for rest. Everyone went home to tend to their families. Those unable to do so stayed in town. There was little need for anyone to stay awake anyway. By dusk, the sky grew dark and the moon rose overhead.

"I'm going to sleep now," announced Elisabeth.

"Good night, Elisabeth."

"Night, master."

Elisabeth bid goodbye to Zell and retired to bed. Not long afterward, Zell followed suit. Both slept soundly until morning.