Chapter 377: Grayrock Town

The conversation about Earth clearly excited Princess Liya.

The moment the heroes began talking about their original world, the princess became more talkative. She asked question after question, her curiosity almost impossible to contain.

Mina was also interested in learning about Earth, especially because it was the world where the summoned heroes had originally lived. However, unlike Princess Liya, Mina remained composed. She listened carefully and only occasionally asked questions whenever something particularly caught her attention.

Eman watched them with a faint smile. Their curiosity reminded him of how people from different countries would react when learning about something completely unfamiliar. Despite living in different worlds, people were still people. They became curious whenever they encountered something outside their understanding.

For a moment, Eman felt nostalgic.

Earth was no longer a place he could simply return to whenever he wanted. His memories of his former life remained inside him, but they had slowly become distant.

Then Emily spoke.

"I want to go home. I miss my family."

Her voice was quiet, but the longing in it was impossible to miss.

The cheerful atmosphere immediately became a little heavier. Emily lowered her gaze, her fingers tightening slightly around the edge of her clothing.

"I wonder how they’re doing right now," she continued. "My parents must be worried about me. I disappeared without even getting the chance to say goodbye."

No one immediately answered. Even Princess Liya became silent. Eman looked at Emily for a moment before a thought suddenly crossed his mind.

"Wait."

Everyone looked toward him.

"You guys were summoned here by people from the Church, right?"

Eline nodded.

"Yes."

"But they didn’t tell you how to return to your original world?"

The question made the heroes exchange glances.

Eman had never seriously thought about it before. He had simply no idea that the summoned heroes were actually people from his former world. He assumed that the Church, which had summoned the heroes, had at least some method of sending them back.

If that was the case, he could also find his way back to Earth.

Eline was the one who answered.

"According to the Archbishop, we only need to defeat the Demon King."

Eman raised an eyebrow.

"That’s it?"

"Yes."

The answer was so simple that Eman became speechless.

He stared at Eline for several seconds.

"That sounds suspiciously convenient."

"W-What do you mean?" Emily asked.

"Nothing."

Eman leaned back slightly. His expression became thoughtful. The mission given to these heroes was almost exactly what he had seen countless times in stories from Earth. Summoned to another world, granted special powers, and ordered to defeat the Demon King.

It was practically the standard formula for an isekai story. But there was one important problem. They had no guarantee that defeating the Demon King would actually send them home.

It could be a lie.

According to Eline, that information came from the Archbishop. In other words, the only people who knew the truth were the members of the Church. And Eman didn’t really have any trust with those in church, especially because they were connected to the assassins that were after Eman’s life.

Eman narrowed his eyes. There was something about the whole situation that bothered him.

Back on Earth, stories about people being transported to another world often made the process seem simple. The heroes defeated the Demon King, saved the world, and somehow returned home.

Reality was rarely that convenient. Especially because the one behind the summon was the church.

Since arriving here, Eman had already encountered several demons. None of them had been weak. Even the ordinary demons he had encountered possessed strength that would have been terrifying to most people.

Then there was the demon aristocrat he had encountered before.

Now that he remembered, that demon aristocrat even warned him. But whether it was true or not, Eman couldn’t tell as of now.

And that was exactly what concerned him. Because with all the shady incidents that connected to the church, he started to think that the demon aristocrat’s words seemed more plausible.

The Empire was currently dealing with serious internal problems. The conflict between noble factions, the strange incidents surrounding the academy, and the recent events involving the Lushao Family were already enough to keep the Imperial Palace occupied.

If the Demon King’s forces decided to launch a major attack at the same time, the Empire would be in an extremely dangerous position.

Fighting an external enemy while dealing with internal unrest was the worst possible situation for any country.

Eman sighed quietly.

Perhaps this was the church way of delaying the external threats by letting the heroes deal with it.

Suddenly, a pattern slowly formed in Eman’s subconscious mind. However, it was too vague like punching water.

"This world really doesn’t know how to give people a break."

"What did you say?" Princess Liya asked.

"Nothing."

Eman looked outside the carriage window.

"We’re almost there."

...

It took them a little over two hours to reach the Northwest District, where the Lushao Estate was located.

Rather than heading directly toward the estate, they stopped near Grayrock Town, a small settlement located several kilometers away from their destination.

The carriage descended onto a stone road outside the town.

Grayrock Town was built on top of a rocky hill. The settlement was surrounded by uneven stone formations, giving it a somewhat rugged appearance.

At the foot of the hill was a narrow river that curved around the settlement like a natural boundary. Beyond the river, a large stretch of forest covered the land.

The forest continued toward the north, eventually leading toward the territory controlled by the Lushao Family.

According to the information they had received, the Lushao Estate was approximately five kilometers north of Grayrock Town.

The town itself was relatively small.

There were several wooden houses, stone buildings, shops, food stalls, and a few larger structures that appeared to belong to merchants or local officials.

Despite its remote location, Grayrock Town seemed relatively lively. Farmers carried baskets of vegetables. Merchants pushed carts through the streets. Children ran around near the plaza while adults went about their daily business.

At first glance, nothing seemed unusual.

When the carriage approached the town’s entrance, however, several guards immediately became alert. Their eyes focused on the strange beast pulling the carriage.

"What kind of creature is that?"

One of the guards gripped his weapon. Another guard stepped forward cautiously. The creature pulling the carriage was certainly not an ordinary beast. Its size and appearance were enough to make the guards suspicious.

Before they could stop the carriage completely, Eman showed the Imperial Palace Seal. The moment the guards saw it, their expressions changed.

"An Imperial Palace carriage!"

The guards immediately stepped aside.

"Please, proceed."

The carriage entered Grayrock Town without further trouble. They eventually stopped in front of the town plaza. Eman stepped down and quietly observed his surroundings.

Everything looked normal. People were walking around. Merchants were shouting about their goods. Children were playing. A few adventurers were drinking outside a nearby establishment. Several people were sitting beneath the shade of a large tree.

Nothing appeared suspicious.

"This place is strangely peaceful."

Mina climbed down from the carriage behind him.

"What do you mean?"

Eman did not answer immediately. He continued observing the people around them. There were no obvious signs of panic or wariness.

"How should we start our investigation?" Mina asked.

Princess Liya stepped down from the carriage.

"Should we go around and ask the people here?"

Mina immediately stopped her.

"Wait. If we do that, we might alert the people responsible for the incident."

Princess Liya’s expression changed.

"You’re right."

Eman nodded.

"Mina is correct. We shouldn’t announce that we’re here to investigate the incident with the Lushao Family."

He looked around the plaza again.

"There’s no reason for a large group of strangers to suddenly start asking questions about a noble family."

Eline nodded thoughtfully.

"Right, we should avoid attracting attention."

"Exactly."

Eman glanced toward the summoned heroes.

"If the people responsible are still nearby, they’ll probably be watching for any strangers."

Eline’s expression became serious.

"Then we need to make sure they don’t realize we’re investigating."

"That’s the idea."

Eman nodded.

"Since this mission was originally assigned to you and Emily, we’ll follow your lead," Eline said.

Eman gave a small nod. Then he looked toward the buildings surrounding the plaza. "How about we check the guild first?"

"Guild?" Princess Liya asked.

"Most towns have one."

Eman had learned this from his experiences traveling through the Empire. Depending on the size of a settlement, there could be several different guilds. Like Assassins, Thieves, Mercenaries, Guardians, and Adventurers Guild.

Each organization had its own network and sources of information. If something unusual had happened in or around Grayrock Town, there was a good chance someone from one of those organizations had heard about it.

The guilds were often better sources of information than official authorities. People talked more freely around them.

"A guild sounds like a good place to start," Princess Liya said while stretching her delicate arms.

Eline also agreed.

"Yes. We might be able to learn something without revealing our purpose."

Eman looked at everyone. "Then that’s what we’ll do." He paused. "But there’s another problem."

"What is it?" Eline asked.

"Our group is too large."

Everyone looked around.

There were six of them in total. A group of that size was difficult to ignore. If they entered the guild together, they could gather more attention.

"We should split up."

Eline nodded.

"I agree."

She thought for a moment before saying, "In that case, Emily, Rolando, and I can gather information in different areas."

Eman nodded.

"That’s a good idea."

Princess Liya looked slightly disappointed.

"Then what should I do?"

Eman sighed.

"You’re probably the easiest person here to recognize."

The princess puffed out her cheeks.

"I can disguise myself."

"I believe you."

Eman looked at her seriously.

"But even if you change your clothes, your behavior will probably give you away."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Well, since you ask too many questions."

Everyone laughed and Mina covered her mouth to hide a laugh.

Princess Liya glared at her.

"You’re laughing too, Big sis!"

"I didn’t say anything."

The brief exchange helped ease the tension.

"Alright, you can come with Mina and Me."

"Yay."

Eman then became serious again.

"We’ll meet back here in one hour."

"One hour?" Eline asked.

"That should be enough for the first round of information gathering. We don’t need to investigate everything immediately. First, we need to understand the situation."

Eline nodded.

"Understood."

"Don’t mention the Lushao Family unless necessary. Ask general questions. Things about recent disturbances, unusual visitors, strange movements around the town, or anything else that seems out of place."

"Got it."

Rolando scratched his apple-shaped haircut.

"And if we find something suspicious?"

"Don’t confront anyone. Avoid unnecessary confrontation as much as you can."

Rolando’s expression became serious.

"Just report it?"

"Exactly."

Eman looked at everyone one last time.

"We’re here to investigate, not start a fight."

The heroes nodded.

Soon, the group separated.

Eline, Emily, and Rolando headed toward the eastern side of town, where several shops and inns were located.

Meanwhile, Eman, Mina, and Princess Liya remained in the plaza for a few moments before heading toward the guild.

Eman glanced back at the departing heroes. There was a strange feeling in his chest. Something about Grayrock Town bothered him.

The town looked peaceful. The people looked ordinary. The streets were busy. Yet beneath that peaceful surface, Eman felt as if something was quietly hiding from the shadows.

He narrowed his eyes.

When Eman and the others disappeared into the crowd, the mysterious observer quietly turned around and walked into a narrow alley.

A few moments later, the figure vanished from sight.