The moment we finished our morning meal, the gravity of our situation set in, and we all immediately began to move with a shared sense of purpose.

Sofia made her way back to Justo's office, her mind already focused on the complex task of studying the medicinal potion he had been taking; she hoped to find a way to further slow the disease's progress and offer some relief to those who had already been infected.

Jerusha and Lycus went back to their rooms for a brief moment to retrieve their weapons before meeting me back down in the common area of the inn.

Once they had finished their own breakfast, I sent Zephyrus and Pyro back to the meadow of roses to maintain a constant watch on the area. Jerusha also made sure they weren't alone by sending a few of her pixies to accompany them.

They were the only ones among our group capable of perceiving the mysterious, dark energy currently tainting the village, they were the only ones who could truly observe the phenomenon with any degree of accuracy.

Anyway, they immediately headed toward the meadow to begin their watch.

And shortly after they departed, Jerusha, Lycus, and I set out on our own way as well.

*****

Our main objective now was to track down the demon worshippers hiding in the vicinity. While the village was relatively small and the task seemed doable on paper, the clock was ticking down far too quickly and we were severely lacking in manpower.

And so, the three of us decided it would be most efficient to split up and each check a different designated area.

Jerusha was assigned to search the village proper; with the help of spirits, she could cover a vast amount of ground and peer into places others might miss.

Lycus would be in charge of scouring the nearby forest, as he was naturally nimble and well-accustomed to navigating through dense woods. His senses were far sharper than mine as well, making it unlikely that he would miss any physical signs of an enemy camp.

As for me, I would be responsible for searching the perimeter outside the village walls.

By splitting up this way, we ensured that we basically covered every possible location where the worshippers could be hiding.

So, as soon as we had received our individual assignments—

"See you later, guys." -Jerusha

"Good luck to us." -Lycus

"Yeah, let's meet back in the inn later."

We split up and began our search in earnest.

... ... ...

"Ugh, where could they possibly be hiding...?"

I grumbled, frustration getting onto me as I attempted to detect any trace of a demonic presence by projecting my mana in a wide arc throughout the surrounding area— SWOOSH~

I scanned the landscape far and wide, searching every nook and cranny, yet I found absolutely nothing that could serve as a lead to their location.

'They're probably utilizing some method to suppress their presence... It has to be the robes they're wearing.'

I thought to myself. This wasn't a far-fetched idea, considering they were capable of orchestrating curses and complex demon-summoning rituals; it was highly likely they possessed some kind of artifact designed to mask their demonic aura.

'It's been quite a while since I last had to fight a demonic human. They really are annoying to deal with.'

Anyway, I continued my diligent search of the vicinity I had been assigned.

I looked carefully everywhere, peering behind every rock and into every shadow, hoping for even the slightest clue that could lead me to our enemies.

Seconds passed... which eventually turned into minutes... and before long, those minutes became hours.

The search continued until the sun finally set below the horizon and the world became dark; and still— I found nothing at all.

Nevertheless, I didn't stop searching.

...

But when the hour grew late, I had no choice but to give up for the day and make my way back to the inn.

'I just hope the others managed to find something useful.'

I thought as I walked back through the village gates, still carefully observing my surroundings for anything out of the ordinary as I did so.

*****

As I arrived in front of the inn, I saw Lycus and Jerusha approaching at the exact same time.

And based on the weary, disappointed looks on their faces, it seemed clear that they had found nothing during their searches either. We simply exchanged nods and greeted one another, and then, without saying anything else—

We all entered the inn in total silence.

"Oh, you guys are back!"

Sofia greeted us the moment we stepped inside, her face appearing unusually bright and hopeful.

"I have some good news!"

She exclaimed, and before any of us could even get a word in—

"I was actually able to slow down the spreading of the curse after studying the specific potions Justo was taking!"

Sofia declared this with a wide, triumphant smile stretching across her face.

My eyes widened in genuine shock at her words, and it seemed like the two standing beside me were just as stunned by the news she had just given us.

"Although it's not quite as potent as Justo's original potions because we lack the resources for such rare and expensive ingredients, the version I created can be easily mass-produced."

Sofia explained, her voice filled with pride.

'Damn, she really is doing an incredible job.'

It made me feel a bit foolish for starting to lose hope... I guess it just means I really need to do my absolute best on my end.

"Haha, you're really amazing."

Just then, Lycus spoke up and offered that compliment. Hearing his praise, Sofia became so embarrassed that her face turned a bright shade of red.

Jerusha and I looked at each other and shared a small smile, and then, after a brief and slightly awkward silence— we all decided it was time to have our dinner and get some rest.

But just as we were turning to head toward the dining area— FWOOSH—!

A powerful gust of wind suddenly burst through the entrance, slamming the door wide open. And the next thing we knew... Zephyrus was hovering urgently in the air directly in front of us.

"Huh?"

I was completely confused, and the others looked just as bewildered. Zephyrus looked as though he arrived in a desperate hurry, and before any of us could even ask him a single question—

-Bad news! The dark energies have accelerated and have started gathering in the middle of the meadow!

He exclaimed.

-If things continue on this path, the demon summoning will be completed in only two or three days!

He immediately followed that up with the grim warning.

Our faces crumbled as the weight of his words sank in.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com