’It’s probably just my imagination,’ Colin thought.
The moment they stepped outside, the dull tolling of a bell sounded from overhead once more.
The children’s laughter came to an abrupt halt. Most of them scurried toward the schoolhouse or the scripture-copying room, leaving only the sound of hurried footsteps and the rustle of the wind.
The faint, cold sunlight fell on Colin’s face.
He kept his expression unchanged and led the others back to their room.
"Let’s head to Rommon next. Once we’re there, we can see if there are any worthwhile missions," Colin said while packing his things.
Beside him, Ale said nothing, also busy packing her things.
Kase complained, "I hope we don’t have to eat that weird spicy stuff this time."
"I’d actually like to eat it again. It tasted really good," Orelia said with a cheerful grin.
After they finished packing, the group headed out of the Church.
Fortunately, it was class time, so they didn’t see any children on the path. When they reached the main gate, they saw Lil Moss still standing guard.
The Cambion saw them approaching and asked with a smile, "Didn’t you just finish your report today? You’re leaving already?"
"I’d actually love to stay here for a while," Orelia said, taking a deep breath with a smile. "But there are many missions waiting for me up north. This is no time to rest."
"Then I wish you a safe journey," Lil Moss said, giving a small wave.
"Goodbye, sister."
After saying their goodbyes, the group followed the small path from the Monastery gate and walked onward.
After walking for a few kilometers, the small path merged with a wide trade road. It was only then that they began to see merchants traveling along the road, and the surroundings finally started to feel a bit livelier.
As they were walking, Orelia slowly sidled up to Colin and said, "Colin, did you notice anything strange back at the Monastery?"
Hearing this, Colin immediately grew serious.
He, along with Ale and Kase beside him, maintained their walking pace, showing no sign that anything was out of the ordinary.
Colin asked in a low voice, "Strange things? An Evil Demon?"
"I just... I just felt that something was a little off, but I can’t be sure of anything," Orelia said, blinking. "I didn’t dare say anything back at the Monastery. I only wanted to ask now because I don’t smell anything strange around here. If there’s nothing wrong, then all the better."
Colin took a deep breath.
He said in a low voice, "Then let’s first see if there’s anything strange around."
"Should I not have... said anything right now?" Orelia asked, lowering her head.
"This is a trade road. Priests in Adventurer parties pass through here all the time. If there really is a Demon, they probably wouldn’t be stupid enough to send something like an Imp to follow us," Colin said reassuringly.
After thinking for a moment, he continued, "First, let’s see if anyone is following us. Then we’ll find a place to hide, and I’ll go scout the area by myself."
Using the techniques he had learned from Yuri, Colin and the others carefully checked to see if they were being followed.
After confirming that no one was following them, the party moved into the woods and found a hidden hollow to hide in.
"What now? Should we go check the area around the Monastery?" Kase asked, his eyes constantly darting around.
"This isn’t like the city. Villages around here usually don’t get many strangers. I’ll go check the nearby villages alone. The rest of you are a bit too conspicuous, so it’s not ideal," Colin said as he took off his backpack and dropped it on the ground.
Orelia stood to the side with her head lowered, her tail drooping listlessly behind her.
"Don’t worry. Even if there really are Demons, didn’t we make it out of the Monastery unscathed? Since they chose to deceive us instead of killing us, it means those guys can’t be that powerful."
Of course, Colin knew deep down that these were just words of comfort.
If there really were Demons hiding in the Monastery, and their disguises were so good that even Orelia could only perceive a hint of it, then their power was definitely far greater than that of the Cultists in Three Bays City.
As he thought this, Colin proceeded to take off the noisy parts of his Chain Armor, leaving on only his Chest Guard and Wrist Guards. For weapons, he kept only the Hand Half Sword and Dagger at his waist.
He then emptied out most of his bag, stuffing just a few things like ointment back inside.
Colin put on the backpack and moved around a bit.
After removing the pieces of Chain Armor, with the help of [Empowerment Armor], he was indeed much quieter when he moved.
Once he was ready, Colin recited a Spell.
A faint purple Magic Radiance swirled around him like a current of water. Then, this Magic Radiance slowly gathered and solidified around Colin, forming clothes, skin, and a new face.
The Spiritual Light dispersed.
The fully armed Adventurer who had been standing there was transformed, becoming an Ordinary farmer wearing a small white hat, a belted linen tunic, and a pair of loose-fitting pants.
At the same time, Colin’s sallow complexion turned somewhat pale, his straight black hair became curly and blond, and even his facial features had changed slightly.
With this appearance, plus the backpack, he looked almost exactly like one of the traveling merchants often seen in the villages.
There was a reason Colin chose to disguise himself as a traveling merchant.
Generally, aside from the major merchants with their own caravans, there were also small-time peddlers who traveled between villages, buying goods from larger merchants to do a little business of their own. Such a person wouldn’t be too conspicuous walking into a village, and could easily get by with a simple lie.
The others gathered around, sizing him up curiously.
Previously, Colin’s practice had only involved changing his clothes and gear; he had never made such a drastic change before.
Curiously, Ale reached out her small hand to touch Colin’s nose. Her finger sank right into what looked like a high nose bridge—this Magic could only create an illusion, which would be exposed by a simple touch.
She asked curiously, "Is this the best your [Polymorph] can do?"
"This is just a Tier One [Disguise Technique], not advanced enough to actually change my form," Colin said, slapping away the little hand that had started pinching his cheek. "Alright, just wait for me here."
With that, he followed the path toward the nearby villages.
Before long, he found the nearest village. The moment Colin walked in, a few children started running circles around him, sending a flock of chickens and ducks scattering in every direction.
When the village women saw him arrive, they called out to their neighbors before coming out, ready to buy something.
"Ointment! Ointment to heal your wounds!" Colin called out as he walked to the village well.
"Ointment? Is that all you have?" "No cloth?" "There’s a Monastery not far from here. You won’t make any money selling that."
Just then, a man with a full beard walked over, interrupting the women’s chattering questions. He looked at Colin and asked, "You’re a new face. First time doing business around here?"