[NR] Helina's Wild Guess - Chapter 656

Within moments, the guards notice the group at the top of the hill. Though their reactions are subdued. Sure, they prepare their weapons in case of threat, but no one is running around.

Jason frowns at this, but there isn’t really anywhere else to go and so the group make their way down, heading towards the other side where the gate is. Though they find the gate closed, unusual at this time of day. There is a small gate through which they are allowed to enter.

The silence from outside continues into the town where the streets are practically empty. Rosha recognizes everyone, which points towards only locals being left in the town. A fact proven when they pass through what was the marketplace, now empty of merchants and traveling traders. There isn’t even a cheeky player or two with a cloth laid out and random goods haphazardly placed on it.

And while it wasn’t completely silent, there was something in the air caused the trio to remain quiet. Not that they had much to talk about. Even those out on the street have their heads down and clearly want to be left alone.

This does mean they make it to the Helina’s office much quicker than normal. And in somewhat of a surprise, Helina Swift-Water was actually in her office when they arrived. The bearfolk, however, isn’t doing work, instead pacing back and forth.

When she sees the group, she gestures them into the room and it is only once they shut the door that she welcomes them. “Welcome, it is good to see your group is fine. I’m. I’m not sure if you coming here is a good thing, though.”

Courtney nods, “Strange things are happening, do you have any information on exactly what?”

Helina collapses into her chair and shakes her head. “Five days ago it was first noticed. All the predators were gone. Three days ago we couldn’t find any animals. At that point, we sent away anyone who wasn’t local.”

Courtney, “Do you still have a communication channel with the Kingdom?”

Helina nods, “At least the communication tool is still working. Now, we can’t use the tool often, but the town is still in contact. That’s why we don’t have any merchants coming in. The next settlement out has been turning them away.

“Though we aren’t the only border town, this has happened to. There are three others that we know of. No attacks have happened, and so the guards are just waiting for the other shoe to drop.”

Jason frowns, “That’s not exactly a sustainable situation. I assume the captain of the guards is on top of it, so the town must know something if they’re out there standing around right now. I hate to assume, but we are travellers. What do you need us to do?”

Helina lets out a grim laugh, “You know? I used to doubt that the System would set up situations just for you guys. Yet here we are!

“We tried to send out our scouts. They get stopped right at the edge of this effect. Only travellers can pass through the barrier. Well, I guess I should note that is the case now. Since the merchants could leave, this obviously wasn’t always the case.”

Courtney rolls her eyes, “Was the System at least straightforward in what it wants you to ask us to do? The Deep Wilds is a bit of a large area to go searching for the solution.”

Helina sighed, “Oh, if it was only that simple! The System isn’t going to hand us the solution. Besides, now, the captain doesn’t take kindly to my guess, but I don’t think this is a System thing. At least, not purely.

“The captain wants to simply see this as the System messing with us. Nah, it can’t be that simple. I don’t think the Deep Wilds is an entity or anything, but I’ve been living on the edge long enough to recognize there is more to things than just an extra dimensional forest.

“And something is stirring. Maybe it is just some titanic beast stirring. The source of all the giant beasts we’ve suffered through. Though anything beyond my guess that this isn’t purely the System is me worrying, so don’t take it seriously.”

Courtney levels a glare at her, “I can see why the captain of the guards isn’t too happy with you. If you had left it at that, whatever. Adding on all the speculation? Especially speculation about something which is very much a potential concern? That could cause serious issues with morale. Though I do agree this probably isn’t from the System.”

Jason, “Why do you think that?”

Courtney shrugs, “The System doesn’t work like that. If the System had made a situation for travellers to handle, there wouldn’t be a barrier. After all, why make a barrier when the System can simply control whatever the problem was to stay where it wanted? You, of all people, know how much control the System can have.”

Helina spits, “The System has always been cruel, even before you travellers showed up. It is just more targeted since you all showed up. My tribe believed you all to be another curse from the System at first. Most folk tribes did until the elders managed to knock the fact we are people and not monsters into the skulls of that first wave.”

Courtney sighed, “That was a dark time from what I’ve heard. We were pretty much dropped into things without any kind of idea of what we were getting into. Though it certainly doesn’t help that many from back then are still around. Age can only heal wounds like that with the passing of the torch.”

Rosha claps her hands, “Well, we can mope about that nastiness after we figure out what is up. What have the scouts actually found? You don’t make barriers like that if there isn’t something to keep in.”

Jason, “Wait, how did we get in? If there is a barrier keeping people out and in, we should have been stopped before we got the area bereft of animals.”