Morning arrived swiftly, and the gentle sun resud its position in the sky as usual, casting a serene glow over Winterseed.
The village was tranquil.
Calr than it had been yesterday and the day before.
There were no midnight cries, no signs of death, and therefore no need for the villagers to gather at the village square to bury any loved ones.
One after another, the villagers stepped out of their houses, exchanging cautious glances with their neighbors, trying to discern if any tragedy had occurred overnight.
They couldn't ask such a question directly, so they studied the expressions of those around them.
After so ti, they discovered the good news and couldn't help but recite appreciative prayers to their ancestors.
It was a few minutes past dawn.
Blaze and Rowan strolled along the southern border, where they had gone to check on the livestock.
They walked through the streets, observing every action of the people.
"No deaths?" Rowan murmured, a bit bewildered.
Death among his villagers had almost beco a norm in the past two days.
"Has the dark creature finally decided to leave the village?" he wondered aloud, even more perplexed.
So of the villagers greeted him with warm smiles.
A few young won even approached Blaze, giving him affectionate pats.
No one wore an expression of sadness, confirming Rowan and Blaze's speculation that no deaths had occurred in the village.
Rowan shut his eyes briefly and heaved a sigh of relief.
'I wish the village continues to be this peaceful henceforth,'
Today, he wouldn't have to wrack his brain giving emotional speeches, and the weight lifted from his shoulders made him feel genuinely happy.
He began strolling back ho.
Blaze complained he was tired, so Rowan sent him back into the Divine Beast Plain.
"Very soon, I'll have another divine beast in the Divine Plain," he said to himself, "and Blaze won't have to be lonely in there."
---
Back at ho, Rowan t with Riela and shared his experience with her.
He was about to head out to et with the rchants from Cold-gin Village when the air outside suddenly beca tense. In the next mont, Dragun and Vishirk appeared.
"Rowan, we're back," Dragun announced with a smile.
Vishirk nodded beside him, his eyes gleaming.
"Were you able to obtain the potion?" Rowan asked after greeting them.
Dragun's smile widened as he produced a bottle containing the awakening potion.
As the potion was revealed, a system tab quickly opened, providing a brief description:
[Awakening Potion (87.8% Pure): A special potion utilized for the unnatural awakening of the mana core. The chances of awakening interesting affinity and core quality depend on the purity of the potion.]
Rowan read the description while gazing at the shimring liquid.
"You are very lucky; we managed to purchase the potion at a price far cheaper than we budgeted," Vishirk revealed with a grin.
"I used part of the money to acquire everything else required for your awakening. It will take about four hours to set it up, so be prepared to undergo your awakening this afternoon," Dragun added.
Rowan listened attentively and nodded.
Dragun and Vishirk then brought out the spells they had purchased for Riela and handed them over to her.
They also distributed the mana stones they had purchased to Rowan, who stored them in his inventory.
Vishirk, ever the talkative one, seized the opportunity to recount their adventures at the black market and in Yellow River City. He didn't miss the chance to embarrass Dragun by sharing how an automaton had scamd him.
Rowan, eager to prepare for his awakening, found it hard to focus on Vishirk's tales. He politely excused himself and headed to the eting house.
On his way, he encountered Roland and two other captains, who offered to escort him to et Obi and his company.
As they walked, Roland and the others expressed their relief that none of the villagers had lost their lives last night.
From their voices and words, Rowan could tell that the hope of survival in their hearts had grown stronger.
Rowan hoped the sa—he didn't want to expend all his resources searching and trying to capture the evil being wreaking havoc on his territory and people.
He inford the captains about the arrival of visitors from another village. Though he didn't disclose the purpose of their visit, he assured them that these newcors weren't enemies, hoping to prevent any unnecessary hostility.
They agreed and continued walking with Rowan.
After a few minutes, they arrived at the eting hall.
However, upon arrival, they saw several n standing at the entrance of the eting hall, while more than seven soldiers pointed their swords at them with hostile expressions.
Obi tried to explain to the soldiers that they weren't spies, but his words fell on deaf ears.
Rowan couldn't help but smile at the sight—it showcased how much his soldiers had improved, not just in strength and skill but also in vigilance.
"Oh look, he's here already," Obi's mood lifted when he saw Rowan and the captains approaching.
The soldiers holding them hostage turned to Rowan and saluted.
"Lord Rowan, we found these people coming out of the eting hall. They claim they have t you already and are here on good terms," they explained.
"Let them go; they are not spies," Rowan instructed firmly.
Only with Rowan's assurance did the soldiers lower their weapons.
They were still curious about the strangers' business in the village.
Winterseed hadn't had any visitors in the past few years who weren't hostile, so it was difficult to trust anyone claiming to be peaceful.
Unable to contain their curiosity, they asked Rowan what the n had co for.
Rowan explained the situation, and their eyes widened in surprise.
"That's great!"
"We'll be able to interact and et new people who aren't hostile towards us from now on."
"Our village is definitely going to beco really rich under Lord Rowan's supervision. He will make us great again."
The soldiers reacted enthusiastically, excited about the developnt.
They apologized to the n from Cold-gin Village and departed.
Only Roland and George remained with Rowan.
Together, they settled the trade.
Rowan helped move the sewing machines to the carriage parked at the eastern border.
Upon reaching the border, the n handed over the gold coins to Rowan, finalizing the trade.
"We would have purchased more, but sadly, the sewing machines took up all the money we budgeted," Obi said to Rowan with a wry smile.
They shared a brief discussion before the n set off on their way.
After they were gone, Rowan heaved a sigh and made his way to the village square, where his awakening would take place.
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