Chapter 36
Though tiny, I could tell. These were faces I had seen countless times whenever I went to the Volcano Village to receive quests.
What on earth happened here?
Before I could ponder further, Kaizen returned, carrying the other water plants.
“You did well. Hand them over.”
I carefully took each water plant from Kaizen and moved them one by one.
One, two, three… until the eleventh. I froze when I recognised the face on the last one.
“Huh? Isn’t that the guard from earlier?”
“You think so too, right?”
On the eleventh planet floated the very guard I had seen at the entrance of Volcano Village.
“The aura is… different. Unlike the guard from earlier, I sense no hostility at all.”
Kaizen’s observation was accurate. The person at the water plant had the same face as the guard but looked utterly gentle. The shell was the same, but the person was completely different.
Just as we all exchanged puzzled glances, a soft, thin voice, like dandelion seeds floating on the wind, spoke from somewhere nearby.
“May I explain the reason?”
It was the same woman who had greeted Ria a moment ago.
“Could it be… Ria’s mother?”
Hamma murmured. The woman smiled gently.
“First, allow me to introduce myself. Pleased to meet you. I am Ariel, Ria’s mother, and the head of Volcano Village.”
“The head of Volcano Village…? But… why in this form…!”
Hamma’s eyes widened in surprise. I thought of the NPC from Tales World as I looked at Ariel.
So this is what she really looks like.
Ariel had been the NPC who, after completing all Volcano Village quests, would guide players to the treasure chest containing the Demon King Castle map fragment. Only the village head could hold the key to that chest.
“I’ll explain the rest gradually. It must have seemed suspicious, but thank you for coming all this way.”
“Then why did you lure us here?”
Kaizen asked, and Ariel gave a polite, formal smile.
But it didn’t last long. The smile faded, replaced by a fierce, burning anger.
“Before I answer that… I should explain why we are in this state.”
Ariel’s eyes shone cold as she spoke, each word deliberate and precise.
“The reason we are like this… is because the people currently in the village stole our bodies.”
“Wh-what? Stole your bodies…? You mean… the villagers are all fakes?”
“Exactly. Those are all thieves wearing our skins.”
“Wh—why? And… is that even possible?”
It was shocking. If Ariel was telling the truth, Tales World was no longer the world I knew. Countless strange occurrences suddenly made sense—or rather, my prior assumptions were meaningless.
Hamma looked just as shocked, his round eyes practically bulging.
“It’s possible with Mystic Powder.”
“Mystic Powder…?”
“There’s a secret technique passed down through generations in Volcano Village. By boiling water from the Mystical Spring for a long time, it leaves a white powder behind. We call it Mystic Powder. Using it, you can steal another’s body.”
Hamma and I were speechless. We had known the spring could be used to make transformation potions, but stealing someone’s body as well?
“This happened seven years ago, when they first invaded our village.”
Seven years again. How coincidental. What had happened seven years ago? Ariel’s eyes seemed lost in memories of that time.
“The intruders, heavily armed, threatened us to make Mystic Powder. Naturally, I refused.”
“And then…?”
“They took Ria hostage. They said they would kill her if we didn’t make the powder!”
A faint grinding of teeth echoed. Ariel’s expression darkened with rising fury.
“As the village head, I knew I shouldn’t have done it… But I couldn’t abandon Ria. So I made the Mystic Powder for them.”
“You mean… that powder made back then caused this?”
Ariel shook her head.
“The effects of Mystic Powder aren’t permanent. In a week, it wears off, and things return to normal.”
“Then how did it last seven years?”
Ariel didn’t answer immediately, instead looking at Ria.
“…!”
The answer was clear in that gaze. Everyone in the village had shrunk, but Ria remained because…
They were using Ria to continuously produce Mystic Powder.
“Couldn’t they refuse?”
Kaizen, who had been quietly listening, asked. Ariel’s expression darkened, and she gave a bitter smile.
“They threatened us by holding our bodies hostage. Ria, of course, could not abandon us either.”
“……”
“……”
Silence stretched among the three of us. Hamma stared at the ground, lost in thought. Kaizen and I were no different.
Seven years ago, intruders changed their appearance to try and kill Kaizen…
Something felt off. If assassination was their goal, they wouldn’t have waited seven years for Kaizen to arrive in the village. Normally, they’d send a hitman or act first.
Yet these thieves had remained idle for seven years, only revealing their intent when Kaizen arrived. Why?
“Romi…”
Hamma stepped forward hesitantly, his white ears drooping in unease.
“I know time is short… but I want to help Ria and the villagers.”
I looked at Hamma quietly. His face showed guilt as he glanced between Kaizen and me.
“And… I can’t explain it, but I feel like we’re supposed to solve this problem.”
“Instinct?”
“Yes… something like that.”
I smiled faintly and patted Hamma’s ears, then turned my attention to Kaizen, who had been silent.
“Kaizen, what about you?”
“It doesn’t matter to me.”
“Good. I expected as much.”
Even without Hamma’s request, I had intended to help Ria. Something about this problem demanded resolution.
I can’t just ignore the villagers trapped in the mine.
Hearing our conversation, Ariel spoke softly.
“Thank you for agreeing to help even before I could ask. I don’t know how to repay you…”
“You’ll be able to repay me once this is over. For now, tell me everything you know. Who are the thieves in the village, and what is their goal?”
“Of course. I’ll tell you everything I know.”
Her eyes sparkled with renewed determination. Even in her tiny body, her courage was palpable. Truly, being the village head was no small task.
“I can’t be certain, but the intruders seemed related to Sky Island. I overheard their conversations before they took our bodies.”
“If they’re from Sky Island… those people never leave the island, right?”
Sky Island was home to advanced wizards. As Hamma said, they were exclusive, even separating themselves within their own kind…
Noticing our puzzled looks, Ariel shook her head.
“They’re not from Sky Island—they cannot use magic. But it seemed like they were planning something there, just as they did in our village.”
“Hmm…”
“We still don’t know their full purpose, but one thing is certain: they harbour unexplained hostility toward you, Hero.”
“To the point of making a wanted poster?”
Ariel nodded.
“You saw for yourself. Even though they were confident you wouldn’t come to Volcano Village, they acted as if disaster would strike if you did.”
