Chapter 336
Chapter 336
-Woosh!
-Woosh!
In a fleeting moment, the darkness took on a physical form, the rustle of fabric barely audible as the shadows converged. Adorned in attire as black as the night sky, their hair and eyes matched in hue.
"We've made contact earlier than anticipated," remarked Andras.
"Andras, who are these people?" I inquired.
"They are the Shadow Clan. I believe they arrived after hearing the commotion from our earlier battle," he replied.
The Shadow Clan. Their name befitted their appearance. They halted their advance, maintaining a respectable distance. Despite being able to discern their countenances, their eyes remained inscrutable as they appraised us.
Terzan ventured forth, gesturing for us to remain still. She approached one of the Shadow Clan men, and they engaged in an unusual exchange. For a moment, they simply regarded each other without speaking. It wasn't until Andras pointed it out that I noticed the faint movements of their lips.
"Sihyeon, look at their lips," he urged.
"Lips?"
I furrowed my brows and focused on the motion of their mouths. Though no sound emanated, they were communicating in their own unique way.
"Uh, what is that?"
"That's the Shadow Clan's method of communicating. They can converse silently by moving their lips slightly," explained Andras.
"Oh"
I watched Terzan and the Shadow Clan man, astonished by their silent dialogue. Even with my keen senses, I struggled to discern any indication of speech between them.
The Shadow Clan man broke his gaze from Terzan and fixed his unfeeling eyes on me. I involuntarily flinched under his intense scrutiny, attempting to keep a placid facade as I averted my gaze.
He spoke silently once more, prompting Terzan to nod in agreement before returning to our group. Lia was the first to inquire about their exchange.
"Sister Terzan, what happened?"
"It's a scouting team of the shadow clan. They came here after hearing the sound of battle."
Andras probed further. "Did you discuss the entrance to the fairy realm with them?"
"Not yet. I've requested that we stop by the village first," she replied.
"Have they granted us permission?" Andras questioned.
Terzan shook her head. "Not yet. I've briefed them on the situation, but outsiders aren't readily allowed into the village."
"Hmm
It was understandable. Even as a member of the Shadow Clan, Terzan's affiliation wouldn't suffice to grant us access to their settlement. Our identities and intentions remained uncertain to them.
From the perspective of the Shadow Clan, it was understandable that they maintained a cautious attitude.
"Instead, he said he would allow us to visit the village if you could confirm one thing."
"Which is?"
She looked at me and continued talking.
"Do you still have the fairy?"
"Fairy? Yes. I'm still carrying Gyuri."
"The condition is to show the fairy."
A condition to show the fairy?
I was taken aback by the simplicity of the request. However, I understood that this was a necessary step in order to gain their trust.
I carefully called out to Gyuri hiding in my pocket.
"Gyuri, Gyuri! Wake up for a moment."
I tapped the pocket on the top and called Gyuri's name. Then, a drowsy voice came from the pocket, and the cute face of the fairy popped out.
"Huhhh~! Are we already at the entrance to the fairy realm, Popi?"
"We haven't arrived at the entrance to the fairy world yet. Can you come out for a moment?"
"HmmIs it time for meals, Popi?"
Gyuri came out of my pocket waving her wings.
As the dazzling fairy appeared, the members of the Shadow Clan began to react. They still didn't make much noise, but they shuddered as they looked at Gyuri's face.
The man who was talking with Terzan also showed a faint sense of surprise on his face.
He once again had a conversation with Terzan, then he suddenly blurred himself and disappeared into the darkness. The rest of the shadow clan scouting team also disappeared.
"What happened? Didn't you say that if we show the fairy, we'll be allowed to visit the village?"
Terzan nodded at my question.
"That's right. They will escort us safely to the village."
"Escort? Didn't they all leave?"
"No. They are staying nearby, keeping an eye on us."
..
"Let's go. We'll be safe until we get to the village."
Terzan casually started walking through the forest path again, gesturing to follow her.
However, the rest of the party could not easily take their steps.
It was because it was not easy to believe that so many shadow clan people were protecting our surroundings.
Locus looked around and said in a skeptical tone.
"Kroc, Do you feel anything?"
-Swoosh.
"Um"
Kroc shook his head at Locus' question. Andras also did not hide his admiration.
"I've heard rumors that once the members of the Shadow Clan hide it is nearly impossible to detectand now that I'm experiencing it firsthand, it's sending shivers down my spine."
I also looked around with a blank look on my face. Only the silence of the forest was conveyed, and the presence of the shadow clan people could not be felt at all.
If a hidden shadow clan member attacks us with the intent to kill
The horrible thought that crossed my mind made my body tremble for a moment.
"Sihyeon let's go quickly. We might lose Sister Terzan."
"Uh okay, yes, Lia."
Responding to Lia's urging, I regained my composure and followed Terzan with the rest of the group.
After an hour of winding through the dense forest, we finally arrived at a clearing where the village was located.
"This is the village where the shadow clan lives"
"This village is your hometown?"
"Yes, that's right."
"It's my first time coming to the village of the shadow clan, too."
"It looks normal on the outside".
As Locus said, the village that the shadow clan lives in was not very different from any other village.
Terzan pointed to one side of the village and said, "That's the entrance. Let's hurry in."
"The people who escorted us, arent they coming with us?"
"Scouting team? They are back in the woods."
"What?"
"Since their work is over, they said they will continue with the patrol."
"I was going to say thank you" I muttered to myself as we entered the village.
A guard at the entrance let us in without any restrictions, perhaps having heard in advance of our visit.
As we walked through the village's main road, I marveled at how clean and well-maintained it was.
It was hard to believe that this was a village surrounded by the "Forest of Silence."
-PEEK.
-PEEK.
As we began to walk on the main road of the village, the villagers in the house showed their faces one by one. Villagers openly expressed interest in rare outsiders' visits.
"Hmmthe villagers are normal, aren't they?" Locus murmured. "I thought the shadow clan would all be ghostly like the scouting party earlier."
Everyone except Terzan nodded in agreement. The villagers were surprisingly ordinary, except for their black eyes, hair, and distinctive expressionless face.
As we reached what I assumed was the heart of the village, the most senior-looking man approached us. He was dressed similarly to the scouting party from earlier.
The man spoke to Terzan. "You're back after a long time."
Fortunately, we were able to hear the conversation between the two this time.
"Yes, I have a request," Terzan replied.
"I heard the gist through the patrol team."
"They want to go to the entrance to the fairy world."
The man then turned his attention to us and politely greeted us. "Welcome to our village. My name is Bardan, leader of the shadow clan." His voice exuded a sense of solemnity and authority.
"Thank you for welcoming us like this despite our sudden visit. I'm Lim Sihyeon and I'm from Cardis Estate."
"My name is Lia."
"My name is Andras of the Schnarpe family. This is Locus and Kroc."
"It's such an honor to welcome you all. You must be tired of coming here, so I'll guide you to a place where you can rest right away."
Bardan immediately gave instructions to the people around him. We headed inside the building with polite guidance.
The room we arrived in was equipped with a stove that exuded warm energy and a soft carpet on the floor.
The party enjoyed comfort by letting go of the fatigue accumulated by the trip and the tension held tightly in the forest of silence.
Sir, I brought you a drink and a snack. May I come in?
Not long after being guided to the room, a woman's voice was heard from the outside.
"Yes, come in."
As soon as permission was granted, the door swung open and a flurry of activity burst into the room. Adult women and small children rushed in, following the instructions of a woman who seemed to be in charge.
The children diligently placed drinks and snacks on the tray in front of the party, as directed by the woman. A young girl with black hair and eyes, just like the other shadow clan people, came over to offer me a tray as well. She was incredibly cute, and her gentle smile as she served the guests made me feel proud of her.
"Thank you. I'll eat well."
"Huh? Do you have anything to say to me?"
As I stood there, the little girl's eyes locked onto mine, and she stumbled forward, falling into my arms. Initially, I was taken aback, unsure of what to do, but I instinctively held her close to prevent her from falling.
The young girl sniffled and wriggled around in my embrace, exploring me with her tiny hands. She looked up at me with innocent, crystal-clear eyes and asked, "Are you a fairy?"
(To be Continued)
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