Chapter 53: A Familiar Visitor

Not long after the mysterious incident involving the assassination of the imperial envoy by heretics more than half a year ago, a logging crew in Airi stumbled upon a strange forest while searching for suitable timber.

This ancient grove was filled with towering trees that required dozens of people to embrace. The crew's most experienced lumberjack immediately swung his axe into a few trees to test their quality. To his astonishment, the wood proved to be exceptionally fine—something he had never encountered in his decades of cutting trees. He marveled, saying it was as if the wood were as delicate and spirited as human flesh. Such timber would fetch a high price, and this seemingly endless forest was undoubtedly worth more than a massive gold mine.

However, the forest was peculiar. It was almost devoid of birds, beasts, or insects, creating an eerie silence. A subtle, almost imperceptible terror hung in the air, making everyone uneasy. They dared only to linger at the edges, afraid to venture deeper into the stillness. Yet, fueled by the thrill of discovering such a treasure, they left a few people behind at the forest's edge while the others returned to report their findings.

Upon seeing the samples of wood brought back, the lumberyard owner became ecstatic and decided to inspect the site himself. However, at the edge of the forest, they found no sign of the workers who had stayed behind, not even the trees they had cut. No matter how loudly they called out, there was no response from the shadowy woods. Until someone caught a whiff of blood and lit a torch to check around, they discovered the horrifying truth: They had already been crushed into a flattened and fragmented state by some force, their deformed bodies squeezed tightly by immense pressure, much like how soy pulp is pressed. That's why when they stepped on it, the ground felt solid and they didn't even notice it.

The ghastly scene instantly incited panic. Yet, after a brief commotion, no one could discern what had transpired. No one dared venture deep into the forest.

Someone rode around the perimeter and discovered just how vast the grove was. This led to disbelief: how could such a gigantic forest have remained undiscovered until now? The eerie atmosphere and the strange fate of the workers were felt by everyone. Nonetheless, the trees—worth countless gold coins—were undeniably alluring. For the moment, fear was set aside as the lumberyard owners excitedly prepared to exploit this extraordinary timber resource. The illusory danger paled in comparison to the tangible profit within reach. After all, they wouldn't need to do the labor themselves; under the lumberyard owner's direction, a large contingent of workers was dispatched to begin operations at the edge of this virgin territory.

In the early days, they felled several trees along the perimeter. The superb quality of the wood quickly made it a hot commodity in the marketplace, fetching unexpectedly high prices. Encouraged by the profits, the owners instructed the workers to establish camps and equipment within the forest, planning to work day and night.

But then strange noises and cries began emanating from the forest. When enough courage was gathered to enter the woods, they found that all the workers had met the same fate as the earlier crew—flattened bodies resembling those of mice run over repeatedly by carts.

The news spread quickly, drawing in local elders who spoke of ancient legends claiming that the forest was home to a forest deity, and that those who offended its majesty would meet a terrible punishment. The ominous tales from the elders only added weight to the horror of the situation, and despite the lumberyard owners' urgings, no workers dared to return to the grove.

However, the allure of gold proved irresistible even to the wealthy, and the threat of divine retribution was rarely sufficient to dissuade them. The lumberyard owners firmly believed that some monstrous beast lurked within the forest, so they gathered a team of soldiers and mages to delve into its depths, hoping to dispel the superstitions. Unfortunately, this extraordinary bravery yielded no results; none of the expedition returned, as they were quietly swallowed by the mysterious woods.

Such eerie occurrences caught the attention of people who were disillusioned with the church and were seeking new beliefs. The forest, with its captivating and intimidating aura, was the perfect setting for their desires. They formed a cult named the "God of Nature," emulating the druids from ancient lore, aiming to worship nature and transcend the mundane world. As their numbers swelled, the cult began to attract those from smaller heretical groups, who also sought to align themselves with the awe-inspiring presence of the forest.

Naturally, this was unacceptable to the church, especially since most of the lumberyards in Airi were owned by the Ernies family, who faced considerable pressure from local officials. Thus, conflict between the "God of Nature" cult and the official military was inevitable.

The turning point came over a month ago. Local troops and the church gathered nearly a thousand soldiers and got the heretics dispersed. After that the soldiers camped in the fields outside the forest, and prepared to eliminate the source of heresy and eradicate the beasts within. The following day, when the cultists returned to scout, they found only remnants of the military—bodies strewn across the ground. They also found dozens of gigantic stone statues, previously unseen, standing vigil at the edge of the forest. Every few dozen meters, a statue knelt, forming a semi-circle facing the grove.

The cult interpreted this bizarre event as a divine miracle, believing the colossal statues were manifestations of their deity, protecting the forest. This served as compelling evidence for their faith, suggesting their god was more powerful than that of the church. A living fact was far more persuasive than any sophisticated theological or philosophical argument. From that point on, the numbers and influence of the "God of Nature" cult skyrocketed, reaching nearly forty to fifty thousand members, undeniably becoming the most severe heretical threat in the empire.

"Forty to fifty thousand?" Asa exclaimed, his eyes wide in disbelief after hearing from the local official. Rodhart was equally astonished. Although they had noticed the unsettling atmosphere in the city upon their arrival, they hadn't anticipated such a dramatic escalation. The entire population of Airi was only about seventy to eighty thousand; it was as if the entire region had succumbed to the "God of Nature."

The local official grimaced as he lamented, "There's nothing I can do! When I sent the urgent report to the capital, their numbers weren't this high. In just one month, those heretics have multiplied faster than cockroaches—not only local villagers but also many from outside have joined them."

The successor to the official Dorte, who was killed a year ago, was a thin man, a rare exception among officials. His gaunt face was etched with deep worry lines, resembling a bitter melon. "My lords, I've truly done my best. You've seen the magnificent cathedral that cost a fortune to build, but those stubborn villagers refuse to acknowledge our Lord. Initially, I could crack down on those with heretical tendencies, but now the heretics outnumber our soldiers by dozens to one. They've even threatened me to release those I've imprisoned. Ultimately, I had no choice but to focus all military efforts on city defenses. Fortunately, those heretics are too engrossed in their own rituals to attack the city. However, they first destroyed the lumberyard, then occupied several villages, and even vandalized the town hall when I refused to release their people. Now, almost all of Airi's production and work have ground to a halt."

Realizing that his political career would likely end due to these calamities, his face turned pale, making him look even more miserable. "Please, my lords, think of a way! I've truly done all I can."

The situation was far worse than they had imagined. As they left the cathedral, both Asa and Rodhart wore gloomy expressions. The troops were stationed outside the city, and to ensure mobility and keep certain matters confidential, they had not brought any attendants.

This cathedral, built at great expense by the unfortunate local official Dorte—who had been turned into a corpse by Vadenina—had only recently been completed. When Asa had visited before, the construction was still ongoing. Now, under the oversight of the wretched Dorte, it had become a site almost as grand as the magical academy. While its solemn and majestic aura remained undiminished, it had become little more than a working office for the troubled local official who had lost the town hall.

Asa shook his head and sighed, "Rather than spending so much money to repair such a useless thing, it would be better to save the money and give everyone a few silver coins to lift their spirits. I believe the followers of that Nature God can't be that numerous."

Rodhart asked, "Bishop Ronis said that you should be well-informed about the situation in that forest. Why have so many pagans gathered there?"

"I don't know what's going on either," Asa shook his head. From the local official's words, it seemed that the workers who died in the Whispering Forest were killed by the deadwood guardians. But that's all he could discern. As for why the awe-inspiring power of the Sun Well barrier, which once left people terrified to even look at or remember it, had diminished and vanished, or what the inexplicable stone statues were about, he couldn't make sense of those things either. After a while, Asa decided, "Let's go find those who have seen it with their own eyes and ask them."

The lumber yard outside the city had been reduced to fragments by the followers of the 'Nature God.' The two of them arrived at the lumber yard's office in the city. Several lumberyard owners hurried to welcome them when they heard that the special envoys had arrived. Rodhart asked them to bring the workers who had witnessed the strange events to ask them questions.

The lumberyard owners naturally complied at once and mentioned that their behind-the-scenes big boss had just arrived from the royal capital and wanted to meet with the two special envoys.

"Are those guys not the bosses?" Asa quietly asked Rodhart.

Rodhart replied, "They're just the little leaders under the real boss. Almost all of Airi's lumber industry is under the Ernie family."

Surrounded by the lumberyard owners, the behind-the-scenes figure stepped out. Asa and Rodhart were both startled and exchanged glances.

This big boss didn't exhibit the wealth and kindness typical of a merchant. His cold and stern face seemed to carry an aura of menace, and his tall, upright figure radiated a habitual oppressive presence. Even the lumberyard owners beside him felt uneasy. He coldly glanced at the two special envoys, showing no respect or surprise.

"Captain Claudius, I didn't expect to see you here," Rodhart smiled and nodded at him. "May I ask what brings you here?"

Claudius sat down in the chair opposite and coldly replied, "This is my family's business. I don't need you two to worry about it. You can do whatever you want."

"Yes," Rodhart maintained a friendly smile and naturally made a gesture to Asa to remain calm.

No matter how large the enterprise, it certainly didn't require a squad leader from the Knights Templar or the Duke's deputy to oversee it. Undoubtedly, Claudius had another purpose to be here. Though it wasn't clear what that purpose was, it surely wouldn't be to help the two of them.

The lumberyard owners had brought in the workers who had experienced those strange events and were still in the city, totaling only a little over ten people. They lined up in a row, listening to one of the lumberyard owners say, "Listen up, these two special envoys want to know about your experiences in that damned forest those days. You must tell them every detail without missing anything."

In the midst of a chorus of "Yes" and "Understood," a particularly pronounced voice exclaimed, "Eh!" The voice was loud, and the speaker was clearly surprised.

Everyone turned to look at the person who had exclaimed. It was a lean little man, not an ounce of fat on him but seemingly able to squeeze iron juice out of himself. His skin was pitch black, and his hair was bizarrely tied up with a cloth, sporting a small goat beard. He seemed unconcerned with the gazes directed at him, staring wide-eyed at the two special envoys as if he had seen the most peculiar creature in the world.

Asa took a look and found the man familiar. After a moment's thought, he recalled that this was the leader among Rodhart's surviving compatriots, Hunter Levin. He hadn't expected that he would return to Airi and be working at the Ernie family's lumber yard.

Rodhart's expression certainly reflected surprise, but when Asa turned back to look at him, he had already stood up and walked over to shake hands with this long-lost fellow townsman, saying, "This worker looks very familiar… oh, right, we're from the same hometown."

"You how could you…" Hunter Levin was still wide-eyed, unable to regain his composure. He was even more surprised to meet them here, and that they had both become special envoys.

"We have many things we want to ask you, so please tell us," Rodhart tightened his grip on Hunter Levin's hand, his smile unchanged.

"Ah. Ah. Oh. Good, good," the hunter seemed to finally understand Rodhart's hint.

Claudius maintained his cold expression without any sign of emotion, but his eyes seemed to flash with light. Asa noticed it.

After hearing the workers' accounts, Rodhart signaled to Asa that it was time to leave. As if suddenly remembering something, he said to Hunter Levin, "This fellow townsman should also come back with us. I have many more things I want to ask you privately."

"No way," Claudius, who had been silent like a statue, suddenly spoke up. His voice was even colder than his expression. "During the validity of the labor contract, he belongs to our lumber yard."

"I just want to…" Rodhart still smiled, his voice very amicable.

"You can't do anything you want. If I say no, then it's no," Claudius's attitude remained as unyielding as a stone.

Asa suddenly said sternly, "We are now special envoys. We can make decisions on all matters in Airi."

"I am the squad leader of the Knights Templar. In emergencies, I have absolute command over the local military." Claudius stood up, his voice and expression becoming sharp.

Asa snorted coldly, "What kind of emergency is this…" Rodhart reached out to stop Asa and simply smiled at Claudius, saying, "Since that's the case, there's nothing we can do. We'll just have to try another day."

As they walked out of the lumber yard, Asa immediately asked Rodhart, "Why didn't you forcefully take him away? That guy definitely has ill intentions."

"Of course he has ill intentions. He must be sent by the duke to monitor or deal with us," Rodhart's expression immediately darkened as they left the lumber yard. "And he has likely discovered that there is some significant connection between Hunter Levin and us. I was too careless to make such an obvious hint."

"Then why did you stop me from forcibly taking him?" Asa asked again.

"It wasn't to stop you from taking him away but to prevent you from revealing that we absolutely need to take him. Levin definitely won't return alone. Even if we forcibly take him, Claudius will know that there is something significant going on and will certainly look for other people related to him," Rodhart quickly walked toward the city exit. "We must immediately bring soldiers to take everyone away. Now we can only hope that my senior brother doesn't manage to ask out anything significant during this time."

As Rodhart and Asa had just left, Claudius immediately took Hunter Levin to a separate room.

"Now I want to ask some questions about your fellow townsman and his friends. What exactly did he imply to you just now? Why are they so eager to take you away?" Claudius ordered the lowly commoner in front of him forcefully. "Answer quickly."