Planning

That night, the moon shone brightly while the stars sparkled all over the sky.

My goal was to live peacefully, far from any disturbances or nuisances.

But if I think about it thoroughly, I need to live alongside people who will accept me. As per my looks, I can be considered a demon from the perspective of humans after what I've experienced earlier with Arthur and the others.

But that matter has been resolved, I think, since I'll be living with the slavirs for the meantime, but the problem is that trouble will always come if I stick with them.

So in order for that not to happen, I need to know some things, perhaps as a precaution, about the kingdoms, the surrounding areas of this vast forest, and any possible threats that could come our way.

That is why I have decided to imprison Arthur and the others inside a wooden cage.

I know it wasn't a good idea to imprison some people who can destroy it in an instant, but I'm pretty sure that I have reminded them that if they ever tried to escape, death is what awaits them outside of the wooden cage.

portraying such horrifying words would surely strike their mind, and knowing what I'm capable of would add to and inflict more fear upon them since they have already seen my monstrous capabilities.

With that, the manipulation was successful, and decreasing the chance of their escape attempt was surely guaranteed.

Meanwhile, Grand wanted to ask them immediately to end their lives. I disagreed, since it'll take some time before they spill up important information. And I've also grown a liking for Arthur; I hope he isn't the type of person I think he is.

Since lying to me regarding the information was a small sin that can be forgiven, and their attempt to slay me somehow made me think that they were just thinking for their safety since they saw me as a demon.

But I still need to be wary since Grand is really upset with my current decision.

It somehow bothers me; I should ask them immediately after I eat and rest.

And just like that, I was sitting along with the slavirs, who had prepared a bonfire in the middle of the village, while people were gathered, passing pots to one another. Camping outside was their only choice after their houses burned.

Some were still intact and got partially burned, but it was still unsafe since it could collapse at any time. So in the meantime, they built tents and gathered around to camp.

Others mourned while eating. Everyone really looked down as they passed the food among each other.

Some of their loved ones died from the blade of that unknown murderer, whom even Arthur and the others do not recognize. It was as if it were just a huge coincidence. They approached the place while an unknown individual murdered the slavirs in secrecy.

Grand did not believe their story, and so did I, since their words don't carry much weight anymore after lying to me once.

The villagers see me indifferently. It was expected since I have the eyes of a dragon that resemble those of a demon in this living realm. 

Perhaps there aren't any dragons here?" I wondered as I ate the food that the chief gave me.

It was a small portion of potato soup, and the food didn't really suit my taste. It was so bitter that my current unwavering expression turned a bit pale.

"Mister, is it not to your liking?" Miya asked, glancing at my portion, which I held between my knees.

I guess she noticed."

"Well, to be honest, it doesn't really taste that good." I said.

Miya giggled, while Mara and Tia were a bit confused.

"I know right; it tastes so bitter that even my tongue is about to give up." said Miya.

I guess the soup was literally the problem.

"But it's all we've got since acquiring seasonings for tasty packaged meals is quite hard for us slavirs since we aren't allowed to go out and step foot into other towns or even meet passing merchants." she said, looking glum as she explained.

"I see." I muttered and ate quietly.

A large pot was placed further, and a man distributed portions to each person as they passed it around to others.

I now understand why seasoning is needed since they cook food for everyone.

Cooking your own meal would be different, but cooking for everyone, with ingredients being added in a large pot, would surely taste awful without proper seasonings.

Meanwhile, Fenil was standing near a collapsed post, observing our surroundings.

"Will you be staying in our village, Mister?" Miya asked while the other two looked at me intently.

"Yes, I'll be staying here for a while, I think." I said, placing the small pot I'd held into the ground.

I stood up and noticed that Grand had been giving some analysis to the villagers, It shocked me.

Their levels were low, yet their mana energy was outstanding for low levels.

It was all that Grand could analyze since the special privilege of the system is gone now. Despite that, it was still useful to see that Grand could still know what level others had, and I could guess their capabilities by knowing how much mana energy they possessed.

Among the slavirs that Grand analyzed, the chief was the one that caught my attention.

His level was 30, yet his mana energy was three times that of an ordinary level 30 individual.

Making me wonder if it is somehow connected to their rare abilities. Grand also had the same idea as me; we puzzled it out and concluded that they surpass the required minimum of normal people, and with their outstanding mana energy and rare abilities, normal people would really need to be wary of them.

As I wondered, Fenil came from behind and tapped my shoulders.

"Master, will we be staying here?" she asked in a low tone.

"Yes, for now." I replied, glancing over at her.

"Then what about the prisoners?"

I turned around and looked at the wooden cage in which Arthur and the others were held captive.

"Just guard them for tonight, we still have a lot to discuss for tomorrow."

"Okay master, I will follow your command." she said, bowing slightly and smiling, walking towards the wooden cage, where Arthur and the others felt spooked as Fenil approached them wearing a sinister expression.

Now that I'm here, I should discuss something about this village's state with the chief.

First, the barrier needs to be redone, and walls will be needed in order to act as a second precaution once the illusion barrier gets bypassed. Third, I'll need to ask about this village's military personnel. There are a lot of people here capable of using magic, but none of them tried to fight against the murderer; only the three girls tried to fight.

The illusion barrier might have worked, but it is completely unsafe because there are no hindering features for it.

Well, this is frustrating." I mumbled in my head.

[Report: The illusion barrier has been examined.]

[Analysis has been completed, and the illusion barrier has been generated through system skill creation.]

Eh? Are you saying that you just created a skill?"

[Yes.]

[The creation of skills can be generated through magic corridors and system independence.]

[I have also added modifications and several features that would help make the barrier a reality wall.]

[With Fenil's beast fang ability, I was able to add fear infliction, causing enemies that would go near the barrier to feel immense fear and make them double-think if it was okay to proceed.]

[I have also added the feature of downfall, acting as an invisible wall that would press any outsiders that came within range of the barrier.]

[Therefore, to deploy the newly generated barrier, I would need your permission.]

Yes, I give you my permission." I said through thought communication, happy to know that one of the major problems I've been thinking about has finally been solved.

[The illusion barrier has been deployed.]

A bright light shone, covering the entire village and engulfing its atmosphere. altering reality from an outsider's perspective.

I stared around the village and grinned.

As expected, you never cease to amaze me, Grand."

[Thank you for the compliment, Master.]

This is the first step toward my goal of a peaceful life. In order to live peacefully without disturbance, I need to fortify this village and turn it into a safe haven.

Chapter End.