Yamiyo no Hotaru

Chapter 66

A group of horseback riders was slowly advancing along a mountain road, which was slightly foggy.

　The group, which was so silent that it seemed to blend in with the scenery due to the hiding, moved forward silently, and all of them were on the lookout for the surroundings. From their appearance and swarthy atmosphere, if a normal person had seen them, he or she would have known that they were not on a sightseeing trip, even though it was obvious that they were not a respectable person.

　In fact, there was no time for that. At least, not until the mission is accomplished.

　"...Finally."

　Among the group, I finally muttered after a long silence. After passing through a dense thick forest, we came to an abandoned village. A quiet, abandoned village with no sign of life at all...

　"......"

　In silence, I turn my eyes to the map. This deserted village is one of the dozens of villages and three cities that form a county named Kohanami county in Kashu province, Fuso-kuni's northern region. According to the family register maintained by the county office, it has a population of 152. However, from the looks of it, it seems that not a single person lives there anymore.

　"One group will stay here. The other team will split into two and search every house in the village. But do not enter the houses of the village headman, the sake brewer, or the village doctor. Makura, you're with the search team. If you don't, we won't be able to divide equally."

　I dismounted my horse, turned around, and ordered. I brought two groups of ten people, seven on horseback and three in two-horse carriages. The wagons also carry food and other supplies for this mission. Since one group cannot be divided equally, we have no choice but to bring one person from each of the remaining groups. Even though I wanted a group of three for precaution and support.

　"The rest of you stay here. Take care of the horses. If you see any danger, get out. Ignore us. Someone needs to report back."

　It had been almost a month and a half since contact with the village had been lost. The letter carriers and merchants who went to the village stopped coming back, followed by the officials who went to see the village headman to discuss the collection of tribute. The county governor wondered why and sent ten soldiers from his army to check on the situation. Then came a request to the Kizuki family.

　"As for Yun-shoku-dono?"

　"I'll go to the three houses I mentioned. That's the division of labor. Just be careful."

　I ordered my men to be careful, and I picked up my spear and headed for the village. My first stop is the village doctor's house. There were blood stains on the walls. They belonged to more than one person and were probably the result of some kind of medical treatment. However, neither the living nor the dead were found. There were scratches on the doorway. The claw marks extend from the inside of the clinic to the outside of the door. Scars made by people who were dragged out, trying desperately to resist even though their fingernails were chipped...

　"...It's a miss, huh?"

　I muttered to myself, and next, I went to the village headman's house. The search for the house, the biggest one in the village, was not far, but not as big as the Kizuki's house, and the search was over soon. I guessed that it was just before dinner. There was a table in the living room. There were seven, one more than the village head's family, which was supposed to be six according to the information. The food was rotten and bug-infested as if it had not yet been eaten.