Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 23: The Hidden Village (1)
The morning after receiving information from the arms dealer Goliath, Elliot prepared to depart from a room in the palace. Lloyd soon arrived.
“I canceled our engagements with the visiting dignitaries on the pretext of investigating yesterday’s undead beast. Together with the leave we were already due, that should give us five or six days.”
After returning to the castle, Lloyd had swiftly adjusted their schedules and arranged everything required to leave for the Hidden Village that morning.
“Thank you, Lloyd. I’m sorry for the trouble.”
“It’s fine. Bishop Powell helped negotiate, so everything went smoothly. Convincing Marcus and Richard was considerably harder.”
Lloyd smiled wryly.
“It’s probably best not to tell them yet either, isn’t it?”
“Yes… I suppose so…”
How would Marcus and Richard, who respected and admired Elliot as the Holy Knight, react upon learning his present condition? Their response would surely exceed mere disappointment, and Elliot couldn’t bear to imagine the rest.
—We must restore it as quickly as possible…
“If the journey takes two days by carriage, we could arrive in less than one by riding, couldn’t we?”
“Perhaps, but no one will speak with us if we arrive in the middle of the night. Calm down.”
Lloyd tried to soothe Elliot’s impatience.
“I wonder how long it’ll take to repair the sword…”
“I can’t say without asking him.”
They possessed a clue, yet their anxiety continued to grow, and silence settled over the room. Even the rustle of Elliot pulling a hooded cloak over his plain clothes to avoid attention sounded unnaturally loud.
A knock interrupted the silence, followed by a bright, cheerful voice.
“Good morning, Elliot! Hey, is it true you’re taking the day off?”
When Emily poked her head inside, Elliot’s shoulders relaxed.
“We’re leaving for a few days to investigate yesterday’s undead beast.”
“Oh, I see… I thought that if you had the day off, we might go on a date in the city. But if you’re working, I suppose it can’t be helped…”
Elliot comfortingly stroked Emily’s head as her shoulders drooped.
“True. But once this is finished, I’ll make as much time for you as I can.”
“Hooray! I’ll ask Marianne whether I can have the same time off!”
Emily’s eyes sparkled. She immediately hurried away to make the request.
“Should you make a promise like that…?”
As silence returned, Lloyd sighed at Elliot, who raised his brows with a wry smile.
“I can’t let her be sad. We’re already late; let’s go.”
Elliot hurried from the room. As the door closed behind him, Lloyd reached toward it, then abruptly stopped.
“…When does she actually pray?”
Lloyd’s quiet doubt reached no one. As though to forget the words he had uttered, he took a deep breath, opened the door, and followed Elliot.
Several waterwheels stood along a small stream beside the road connecting the royal capital to the provinces. A vast forest spread behind them.
“Strange. I was told it was somewhere near here…”
Elliot looked around but saw no path branching from the main road.
It was still early, dim and misty, but visibility wasn’t poor. Nevertheless, only dense trees stood before them.
After riding from the castle throughout the previous day, they had finally reached their destination—yet nothing here resembled a settlement.
“Did we take a wrong turn…?”
“No. This road runs straight, and the waterwheel Goliath described is here. Perhaps the roads to the ‘Hidden Village’ are hidden as well…?”
Together, they stared at the forest.
They pushed from the roadside into the woods, cutting through overgrown grass and brush, but found neither the trace of a path nor a single signpost.
By the time the sun stood high, exhaustion had caught up with them.
They had ridden through the previous day and night with little rest. Fatigue and impatience furrowed Elliot’s brow as he gripped the sword at his waist.
“…I saw several houses shortly before the waterwheel. They may form a carriage stop. Someone there might know the way. Why don’t we ask?”
Elliot nodded at Lloyd’s suggestion, although his expression soured. Under the circumstances, he preferred to avoid being seen, but he could no longer insist.
A handful of small houses clustered beside the road before the waterwheel.
At first they had wondered whether this was their destination, but the buildings were ordinary farmhouses, not blacksmiths’ homes.
Small stables and a watering trough beside the road suggested a carriage stop.
When they knocked at one house, a hunched elderly woman answered.
“Madam, have you heard of a settlement near here called the Hidden Village?”
“The Hidden Village…? Ah, you mean the Blacksmiths’ Village. Couldn’t you see it?”
Elliot shook his head, and the old woman laughed softly.
“If you can’t find it, you weren’t invited. Nothing can be done, so give up.”
“Not invited? Do we need an introduction or advance notice? We truly must reach it. If you know anything, please tell us.”
Giving up wasn’t an option.
Unable to conceal his impatience and irritation, Elliot pressed her for an answer. The old woman sighed, genuinely troubled.