Dong, dong, dong, dong...
A sound of iron pans being struck rang out.
"Everyone up! People in town, get up!" Voices shouted along with the banging.
From the streets to the alleys, nearly everywhere, Danti's guard squad was waking those still asleep.
"Everyone, get up! The Lord wants to gather us... All young people, grab your tools and come with us!"
Residents in the northern part of the small town might have been roused by the earlier tremors, but those in the far south still needed to be called. The entire town of Taylmyan was home to three thousand households year-round.
If all the able-bodied adults were organized, there would be at least three or four thousand people.
There were also many foreign merchants and mercenaries... including the archaeological team.
"What's going on outside? Why is it so suddenly noisy?" Kry was used to sleeping early, so he also woke early.
Before dawn, he had already stirred slightly awake...
"Not sure. It seems the Baron of this town is summoning the people for something. Outside, there are calls to assemble." A flickering light with flames passed by the window. It was nearly dawn, but because it was winter, daylight came later, and torches still lit the path in the darkness.
The banging came in waves, and even the hallway grew noisy.
"Manus, go see what's happening. A local lord wouldn't gather everyone for no reason unless something major has occurred." Though Kry specialized in archaeology, he was also an old mercenary, having traveled to many places and seen much over the past decade.
With that, the younger team member opened the door and stepped out...
As soon as the door opened, he felt the chaotic noise outside; the entire inn was stirred up.
Manus hurried back just a few minutes later!
"Captain, something's happened!"
"What is it? Don't panic, speak slowly." Kry noticed the flustered look on the returning member's face.
"There's been an avalanche in the north. They say the whole village is buried—the one to the northeast... that creek village we visited before." They had just returned from the mountains not long ago, and had passed through that village just a few days earlier!
Hearing the news, Kry broke out in a cold sweat.
Creek Village.
He and his team had been there only two days ago. Though there were many paths into the mountains, the ancient tomb was to the east, and Creek Village was the most convenient entry point. It was the town's timber supply area, with trails forged by earlier loggers, making the route easier to travel.
In the remote regions of the country, the primeval forests were no joke.
Many areas had almost never been entered by humans. Trying to blaze a new trail instead of following established paths would be incredibly difficult and risky.
"So what are they doing now?"
"They say Baron Weigel is organizing people to dig, to clear a path to Creek Village. Everyone is to bring tools and torches," Manus said.
"Now? What's the point of going now? There's almost no chance of survival under an avalanche, and if it snows again, it'll be extremely dangerous... Doesn't Baron Weigel understand that?" Kry stood up and walked directly to the window.
Outside the window, on the street, a large number of people were heading out with shovels from their homes, some pulling donkey carts and handcarts. Right below the building, someone he recognized—the innkeeper and his family—was also rushing by.
"After all, this is a small place. Many haven't learned much, so they don't know better. I hope nothing goes wrong," Manus said from behind.
Even someone who considered themselves knowledgeable wouldn't mock the situation at a time like this.
"No..."
"What is it, Captain?"
Kry suddenly turned to look at him.
"Maybe this remote Baron isn't as foolish as we think. He has to do this, and it's the most correct course of action."
Manus looked at Kry with confusion.
"He's now the spiritual pillar of all Taylmyan. The entire region's people are looking to him for answers... Let's go too."
Kry suddenly stood up.
"Go? Where to, Captain?"
"Better than sitting here doing nothing... Wake Guda, and also get Gwen and Illya up." With that, he began putting on his clothes to head out.
..............................
The sky was still very dark, but the northern part of the town was brightly lit by torches.
When Kry arrived with his four subordinates, many people were already digging. The ground had turned into muddy water, and ahead, a vast expanse of snow and ice blocked the view.
The road from Taylmyan to the outside world also went north. With such a large area, the path ahead was likely blocked too.
"How's it going, friend?" Kry grabbed a middle-aged man who was loading snow onto a cloth-rope cart.
Those maintaining order seemed to be the town's guard squad. Everyone was busy in one area, and even some animals could be seen joining in. On another side, people were crying, with women comforting them.
Visible areas were covered not only by snow but also by debris and fallen vegetation pushed by the avalanche.
"You are?"
Noticing their different attire, the middle-aged man asked casually.
"We're foreign adventurers who just arrived in town. We want to help!" Kry said.
"I see..." The middle-aged man shook his head and sighed.
"It's terrible. Most of the north is buried under snow. It's not too bad here, but the further northeast you go, the worse it gets. Creek Village is probably in a dire state."
"And your lord?" asked one of the women in the five-person team, standing behind Kry.
"The lord is inside, directing everyone's work!"
Kry looked toward the densest part of the crowd...
There, a flat path had already been dug out, with snow and debris piled on both sides.
"Let's go take a look," he signaled to the four behind him.
Though this team was temporarily assembled, seeing the situation, everyone chose to help immediately, even though they knew their impact would be minimal.
Walking through the crowd, at the brightest torchlight, they saw a short man in luxurious furs surrounded by people, with a sword-bearing knight guarding him.
"Baron Weigel."
A call made Sean look up.
He showed no surprise, as the map had already indicated five people approaching.
It was the first time Sean saw so many dots densely packed on the map—the white dots in his view nearly formed a solid area. If they weren't moving, they could have covered a whole region.
But despite the crowd, his townspeople appeared as white dots, while these five showed a yellowish tint.
Sean wondered if this related to his favorability with them. They were at most friendly, different from the goodwill of his townspeople, and even different from the respect shown by friends like Danti.
"What are you doing here?"
His expression wasn't surprised, but that was his opening line.
Sean also glanced meaningfully at one of the two women in the group...
Lucille's disguised appearance and behavior in the team were vastly different from how she visited him every night.
"We heard about Creek Village. Is there anything we can do to help?" Kry asked.
"Perfect timing. We're digging a path along the mountain's edge to get closer to Creek Village. I'll lead the team personally, aiming to enter the village after dawn."
Because he could see the simulated map, Sean could more easily spot areas with less snow cover. But since he hadn't been to Creek Village, that area remained in shadow...
If he got closer, he might use this special ability to find townspeople buried under the snow, though the chance of survival was slim.
But as a local lord, Sean had to do this.
Sometimes, rationality wasn't the only way; humanity was needed too—at least to return the bodies to their families.
"But if it snows, it'll be too dangerous," Illya suddenly said from the archaeological team.
Even Kry was surprised that the usually quiet magic-using girl in his team spoke up. Since the team needed diverse skills for expeditions, Illya's magic wasn't a secret.
"It won't. I can guarantee it won't snow for a while."
Sean looked at the sky.
[Early morning, clear, 12:30:49]
If it were going to snow, his real-time weather would predict it. It could at least guarantee no snow for the next twelve hours.
He could even see that the daytime weather icon below was still dark, indicating clear skies—no further snow.