When Auren finished speaking with Gareth, the group made their way to the village inn where they would be staying. Everyone gathered in Auren's room, where he sat on the bed and asked, "Alright, you all have a rough idea of what's going on, right?"
"Right. Just some backwater folks scared out of their minds and hoping the boogeyman disappears," Erika said, placing a hand on her hip. This wasn't her first time being welcomed with fake smiles while they were left to deal with some supposed Starfiend threat. Sometimes it turned out to be a real danger, but other times, it was just a petty criminal stirring up trouble.
"We'll need to check on the Ward and the Lumenbloom tree in the village first. Then we should visit Mira's house," Alwyn added. "Even if she's already missing, we might find some clues there."
"What do you think, Han?" Auren asked. "You heard what the villagers said about her. Do you think she's dangerous?"
"She was infected as a child, right? Wouldn't it be best to kill her?" Han replied bluntly.
The answer stunned both Alwyn and Erika. Until now, they had seen Han as the kind-hearted type who wouldn't hurt a fly. Yet here he was, suggesting Mira be killed, without hesitation. His voice was steady, and the serious look in his eyes made it clear that he meant what he said.
"Wow. I didn't think you'd be the cold and pragmatic type," Erika said.
"But isn't that the most reasonable choice?" Han asked, tilting his head. The warmth in his gaze had been replaced with a chilling seriousness.
"We need to figure that out first, don't we?" Auren said with a small smile. "Alright, pop quiz. Tell me, Han. How do Starfiends replicate?"
Han jolted at the question, then quickly stammered, "They replicate by infecting other living beings with their aether. Most cases happen through wounds caused by a Starfiend."
"Good. Now tell me the types of transmission that usually occur," Auren continued.
"Um, there's Necrotic, Transformative, and Latent," Han said, raising three fingers. "Necrotic is the most common. The host usually dies because their body rejects the foreign aether. Transformative causes the infected to mutate into a new Starfiend. Latent is the trickiest. It also leads to transformation, but the infected shows no outward signs. That makes it harder to detect, and the resulting Starfiends are even more dangerous since they retain some intelligence and self-awareness."
Auren clapped. "Great answer. You really have been reading the books I gave you. Now, let's say Mira is infected. What type of infection would she have?"
"Um... Latent?" Han guessed. It seemed the most likely since the village head said Mira had lived with the others for years, even if she had been an outcast. She must have still looked human.
"But that wouldn't work," Auren said. "Do you know why?"
Han looked uncertain. After reading so much in the past few days, all the information was starting to blur together.
"Because of the time frame," Alwyn said, stepping in. "According to the village head, Mira's only possible contact with a Starfiend happened when she was still in the womb. But she survived, grew up, and has lived for years without changing. That kind of latency doesn't exist."
"Exactly," Auren said. "Even latent infections usually show results within weeks or months. There has never been a case where it took years or decades. Unless she was attacked again recently, it doesn't make sense."
"But the village head said there were marks on her skin. Doesn't that mean she's at least a little infected?" Han asked, pressing his lips together.
"That is definitely something worth noting," Auren said, tapping his chin. "You'll need to observe her closely to see if she's stable. Mira surviving birth even though her mother was infected is rare. From what I've read, children in similar situations usually don't live long."
"Why not?" Erika asked.
"Some sort of mental instability. Most of them ended up taking their own lives," Auren said calmly.
"But Master, even if the chance is small, wouldn't it be safer to just kill her now?" Han asked, frowning.
"Damn, you really want her dead, huh?" Erika said, raising an eyebrow. "Maybe I shouldn't call you a goody two-shoes after all."
"It's just... she could be a threat. Shouldn't we neutralize her before it's too late?" Han asked. He didn't like the idea of letting a potential danger roam free. Something deep inside urged him to end it quickly, to kill her and be done with it. After all, death seemed preferable to becoming a Starfiend.
"Neutralize, huh," Auren murmured. "Well, if you think it's necessary, you're free to do so."
"Oi oi oi! Is that something you should be saying, master?" Erika said. "Aren't you supposed to stop this guy from doing something stupid?"
"Why would I do that?" Auren shrugged. "I'm not your parent, and I'm not here to control your actions. Ultimately, you need to grow into well-rounded, capable Starvanguards. Developing strong critical thinking and sound judgment is one of the most important parts of that. If I just hand you the answers, you won't learn a thing." He fixed his gaze on Han. "That said, Han, you're free to do whatever you want; just make sure you think it through. And don't make choices you'll regret."
Han nodded.
Auren then kicked them out of the inn and told them to investigate the case thoroughly before reporting back to him. The three teenagers set out to explore Hollowrest, heading toward the large Lumenbloom tree at the center of the village. Its purple leaves whispered softly in the breeze. Colorful cloths hung from the trunk and branches, no doubt placed there by the villagers. At the base of the tree, offerings and candles were arranged respectfully.
"We need to make sure the tree's healthy," Alwyn said as he pulled a device from his spatial pouch. It was about the size of a pocket watch, encased in smooth obsidian and etched with glowing, rune-like circuits.
"This scanner checks the condition of a Lumenbloom tree. Master lent it to me. It's not as reliable as an expert, but it's good enough for a quick checkup." He pressed the device against the tree's trunk, and it latched on with a soft click. Lines of light spread across the bark as the device pulsed brightly for several seconds before shifting to green.
"So, it's okay?" Han asked. Green usually meant good.
Alwyn nodded. "Yeah, the tree's healthy. That means the Ward around the village is less likely to be compromised. Still, we should inspect everything carefully."
The Ward itself was mainly sustained by the great Lumenblooms at the center of each Ward dome. However, the smaller Lumenblooms around it provided additional support, strengthening the nearby sections of the barrier. When one of these trees fell ill, it usually signaled a weakening of the Ward in its vicinity.
The three finally exited the village and made their way toward the barrier, which was located several kilometers away. Since Han was new to this, he stuck close to Alwyn, while Erika veered off on her own to inspect the other side. She stared at the softly glowing runes etched into the ground and the shimmering veil that marked the boundary between the Wastes and the world within the Ward. How many times had she gone through the same dull checkups, ensuring there weren't any breaches? It was frustrating.
"Ugh, system, can't you do something useful?" Erika muttered.
"Answer: this system can assist the host, but the system's answer remains the same. With the current system condition, I can only perform a basic scan. This will take time and is likely to produce a noticeable visual effect, which may attract unwanted attention," the system replied in its mechanical tone.
"Tch. As useless as ever," Erika grumbled and continued her inspection.
On the other side, Alwyn was explaining to Han what they needed to look for when examining the Ward.
"Generally, all the runes should glow steadily like this. If you see one flickering, that usually means something's wrong. Another warning sign is a visible crack in the veil itself, though that's rare. A crack typically indicates a major breach."
Han nodded, thoughtful. "Hey, Alwyn, can't you use your summons to scan the area? Like those birds you used before?"
Alwyn shook his head. "That won't work. I can create the summons, but they're not sentient. I still have to control them directly, and there's a limit to how far they can travel from me."
"That's too bad," Han muttered. He usually wasn't this impatient. He understood how important it was to learn proper Ward inspection as a Starvanguard. But right now, all he could think about was finding Mira and confirming whether she truly posed a threat.
"The faster we finish checking, the sooner we can move on," Alwyn said.
They continued their patrol, carefully examining the runes and the Ward, watching for anything unusual.
By the time the sun dipped low in the sky, the three regrouped near the village.
"No breach on my side," Erika reported.
"We didn't find anything on ours either," Alwyn said.
"So we're going to Mira's house now?" Han asked, unable to hide his eagerness.
"Wow, you really are set on killing that poor woman, huh?" Erika said, raising an eyebrow. There was something like anticipation in Han's eyes. Honestly, she hadn't expected this side of him. She had assumed he was just another naïve, soft-hearted idealist, but he was proving her wrong. She wasn't sure yet if she liked that.
Though the group could have called it a day, they decided to visit Mira's home first. After asking a nearby villager, they were quickly pointed in the direction of her house, located at the village's edge near the river.
The building looked a little run-down. Its roof sagged awkwardly to one side, and it wouldn't have been surprising if it leaked when it rained. When Han pushed against the door, it gave way easily. The interior revealed a small but lived-in room. The space was cramped with old furniture and various knickknacks. One wall was lined with jars and boxes of herbs Mira had apparently collected.
Alwyn and Erika followed him inside, and the three began searching the room. They found several books and loose papers, most of them related to herbs and medicine. Alwyn moved into the bedroom, initially thinking there was nothing noteworthy there. Then he noticed something off about one of the floorboards. It was a small detail, but the spacing between that plank and the others was slightly wider than normal.
Pushing aside a basket that had been sitting on it, he tested the plank. It came loose with little effort. Beneath it was a narrow hidden compartment containing a single item: a small notebook.
It looked like a diary.
Alwyn flipped it open and began skimming the contents. Most of the entries were mundane, filled with simple accounts of daily life in the village. Some pages were practically gossip. One villager was angry at her husband. Another got married. Someone else moved away. A few travelers visited. Scattered between those were notes about medicinal plants and remedies Mira had picked up from books or through experimentation.
But the more intriguing parts came later. Mira began mentioning whispers beyond the Ward, strange voices from outside the boundary. That raised red flags. Given what they knew, the whispers likely originated from Starfiends. Could Mira have gained more than just scars from her mother's infection?
Alwyn skipped to the most recent entries. His eyes narrowed as he read:
"More and more travelers and merchants heading to our village are going missing. Nobody is saying anything."
"Alric also went missing. Good gods, why isn't the village head doing something?"
"I tried to speak up, but no one listens. Everyone detests me. They wouldn't care what I think."
"I have to go. I need to get to the bottom of this. I'll head into the Wastes."
"Find something interesting?" Erika asked, stepping into the room.
Alwyn looked up. Both Erika and Han were eyeing the diary in his hands. He handed it over, and Erika snatched it eagerly. As she read, Han leaned in to peek over her shoulder.
"Check the entry dated Fifth Moon, Twentieth Sun," Alwyn said. "The one about Alric."
Erika flipped through the pages. Her expression darkened. "Alric... wait, wasn't he the Starvanguard assigned to this village? This says he went missing two months ago."
"That's strange, isn't it?" Alwyn said. "The village head told us Alric disappeared recently along with other villagers. But the diary says otherwise."
"Darn it, why didn't she write more?" Erika grumbled as she skimmed the remaining pages. "She scribbled pages of village gossip but barely anything useful about the case."
"She probably feared being caught," Alwyn replied. "If she suspected foul play, writing anything down would have been risky."
Han's face turned pale. "Wait, is this saying the villagers might be involved?"
"That's what it looks like," Alwyn said.