Episode 48
“That is strange.”
Antonio furrowed his brow in thought, then took a step closer to the soldier.
“Between the homes that were attacked and those that weren’t—did you notice any similarities or differences?”
The soldier fell silent, lowering his gaze. His face was ashen with fatigue, as if the memory of facing the basilisk still haunted him.
Finally, he shook his head weakly and spoke.
“We tried to figure that out too, but we couldn’t find any clear pattern.”
He stared blankly at the floor.
“Both rich and poor homes were attacked. It didn’t seem to relate to location or structure either. Some brightly lit homes were attacked, while others left in darkness were untouched.”
Antonio slowly nodded, pondering the soldier’s words. His eyes paused on the soldier’s trembling hands.
As I listened, a thought came to me:
It felt like something deeper was at work behind the basilisk’s attacks—something that couldn’t be explained by mere chance or logic.
And in a situation like this, where I lacked combat or healing abilities…
“I’ll try to figure out why some homes were attacked and others weren’t. That might be a lead.”
I raised my hand high as I spoke.
“….”
Antonio stared at me silently. He didn’t seem particularly enthusiastic about the idea, so I quickly added,
“Even if I don’t find anything, I promise to be back before sunset!”
“Fine. And Josephine, you and the others… go with her.”
Antonio pointed to Nathan and two other knights.
[Me too! I’m coming too!]
Polka’s voice piped up from inside my jacket pocket.
…He always seemed to be hidden until the exact moment he wanted attention.
Since it was daytime and monsters wouldn’t be active, bringing Polka along shouldn’t be a problem. Besides, we were just gathering information around the village—he might actually be helpful.
“The estate’s staff will guide you through the area. Please finish your investigation before nightfall and return safely,” said the Count.
At his signal, the butler bowed once and swiftly exited the room.
“Then we’ll head to the forest. We need to locate the basilisk’s lair before nightfall,” Antonio said to Bartol, Edric, and the other knights.
“That’s too dangerous, isn’t it? What if it wakes up suddenly…?”
I couldn’t help but worry at the thought of them heading into the forest.
“We’ll move using mirrors for visibility. We’ve been training for this the whole journey,” Antonio replied in his usual calm tone.
…Right. The knights had practiced riding backward on horseback, using mirrors attached to the inside of their shields to see behind them. All of that had been in preparation for this moment.
I was assigned to the “information unit” and headed with the others to the largest village in Marcana. Count Valteor sent the village chief to guide us.
The village chief bowed repeatedly and pointed to the homes near the entrance.
Some of the houses had their windows completely shattered. Jagged glass clung to broken frames, letting cold wind seep through the gaps. In homes where doors had been torn off, the insides were completely exposed, no longer fit for living. A few had their windows boarded up with planks or rusty metal sheets, though the repairs were clearly rushed and uneven.
In contrast, the untouched houses looked serene. The windows were clean, laundry fluttered on the fence, and warm smoke drifted from the chimneys.
The stark difference between the destroyed and untouched homes made me stop in my tracks. The houses stood side by side, yet it felt like two completely different worlds had been forced to coexist.
The village chief seemed to notice where I was looking and nodded.
“Strange, right? I thought so too. One house gets completely wrecked, while the one next door is untouched—not even a scratch. There’s no way to tell what the pattern is.”
“…You’re right.”
“So, the families who lost their homes are staying with neighbors. But even those untouched families live in fear, wondering if they’ll be next.”
I took another look around. The broken, exposed homes and the peaceful, untouched ones—the contrast went beyond eerie. It was unsettling.
What was the basilisk using to choose its targets?
“I’d like to inspect some of the houses. Is it possible to go inside one of the untouched ones?”
The village chief hesitated, then nodded.
“Yes, a few can be entered. Some are still messy, but we appreciate your help. I’ll guide you.”
He led us forward. I took Polka out of my jacket and silently made a vow to myself—I would find a clue during this investigation, no matter what.
[So what do I do? If I help with this, do I get to join the knight order too?]
Polka fluttered above my head, excited.
“Polka, you see it too, right? The difference between the homes that were attacked and those that weren’t. Let’s figure out what the untouched homes have in common.”
[Got it! Let’s go!]
Polka wagged his tiny backside while perched on my palm.
The village chief gave me a strange look, clearly thinking, Is this woman talking to a bird?
But I didn’t care. I didn’t mind how others saw me. As long as I could be useful in my own way.
As we moved through the village, I decided to focus on one of the homes that hadn’t been attacked.
Since they remained safe even after repeated incidents, I wondered if there was something about them that the basilisk avoided.
Logically, there was a good chance those homes shared some specific feature. Uncovering it might be the key clue in all this.
Even if the soldiers hadn’t found anything, that didn’t mean I couldn’t. But I had to try to be sure.
Guided by the chief, I stepped into the yard of one of the untouched homes.
The place was peaceful—almost too peaceful. In one corner of the yard stood a small chicken coop, and inside were four hens and one rooster, calmly pecking around. A few chicks chirped and scurried across the straw.
Just then, I heard a voice from the coop.
[Oh! We have a visitor! Hello there!]
The chickens greeted me.
Chickens were always this polite. Even the palace hens used to cluck excitedly whenever the kitchen staff walked by. Of course, the humans never understood them.
The hens tilted their heads and stared at me curiously. They flapped their wings in greeting, and the rooster puffed out his chest and gave me a proud stare.
“Hi there, everyone,” I said as I approached the coop.
Up close, the chickens didn’t look too healthy. Their feathers were drooping slightly, and their movements seemed sluggish.
[Our house is fine, but the master ran off to the next village out of fear.]
[Someone from next door tosses feed in every other day, but it’s just not the same.]
The chickens grumbled their complaints. I rummaged through my pocket and pulled out a few biscuits.
“Want some of these?”
I tossed them into the coop, and the chickens immediately rushed over to peck at them.
[Wow! Food!]
[Thank you! Much appreciated!]
Glad I had brought something birds would like.
[Those were mine though…] Polka muttered from my shoulder, sounding a little sulky.
The chickens, now in a better mood after the snack, seemed more talkative. I took the opportunity to ask,
“Have you ever seen the monster? Looks kinda like you… but with a snake tail…”
As I began to describe the basilisk’s appearance, the rooster interrupted, spreading his wings wide.
[Oh, you mean that scaredy-chicken with a snake tail?]
