The sun had just risen, casting a ray of dawn on the ground, and a cluster of low-rise buildings on the distant horizon gradually came into focus.

In the distance, the sounds of children playing and adults calling out could be heard. Abis and Flora dismounted from their undead warhorse, and with a snap of Abis' fingers, they once again emerged from the Darkness. The difference was that this time the undead warhorse was not collected into a ring by Abis, but transformed from its semi-transparent ghostly form into an ordinary black warhorse, with the exception of its slightly red eyes, it was no different from a living horse.

Abis looked at the low-rise buildings in the distance and couldn't help scratching his head, "Hmm, this clearly is a village... it seems like there are quite a few people living here."

Flora also found the scene in front of her strange, "Did we get deceived by that necromancer named Laina? After traveling for two days, we end up in a village like this..."

"It shouldn't be. When someone lies, their soul fluctuates and they can't escape my eyes. I'm certain that Laina didn't deceive me, unless he himself got a fake address..." Abis pondered, his brow furrowing.

Indeed, it was a village. As Abis and Flora approached, the clusters of houses in the village became fully visible to them. It was winter now and there were no crops planted in the fields. Most of the villagers in the village were idle. The villagers wore clothing made of animal skins. Some male villagers were setting off with bows and arrows, preparing to go hunting nearby. The female villagers were busy sweeping away the accumulated snow in front of their homes. Smoke rose from the windows of the houses, and children played merrily in the open spaces of the village. It was clearly a village that still had the ability to sustain life. Abis estimated that including the children, there were over a hundred people in the entire village.

"Travelers, where are you heading?" When Abis and Flora reached the village entrance, they were finally noticed by the busy villagers. An old man sitting in front of his own door, chopping firewood, asked.

"Well..." Abis took out a thin booklet from his pocket and waved it in front of the villager who inquired. "I am a wandering bard, and I've come here with my assistant to gather inspiration. We would like to experience the local customs and culture of your village."

"Oh, I see!" The old man stroked his fluffy white beard. "The people in the village will all welcome you. Bards rarely visit our remote little village."

The curious children from the village gathered around, staring at Abis and Flora. Their clothing was quite nice, and Flora's elegant and tidy mage robe made it impossible for the children to look away. Some women also started to approach. One of them said, "If you're bards, then come to my house. We're preparing breakfast and haven't started eating yet. You can rest for a while."

"Huh, aren't you bothered by us?" Abis widened his eyes in surprise. "I remember that farmers don't usually like bards."

"You're thinking too much, sir. We have a tradition in our village, as long as guests are well-mannered, we'll extend a warm welcome," the old man said, putting down his axe and smiling at Abis. "Our village may not be wealthy, but we have enough to spare to offer you a breakfast."

"Mr. Bard, can you sing?" a child asked, jumping up and down with his hand raised.

"I can, but singing comes with a high fee. It's quite expensive," Abis coughed twice. "But my assistant can sing for you for free."

Flora was once again sold out by Abis by accident. She quickly waved her hands in a flustered manner, "My singing isn't good at all..."

"Sister's voice is as melodious as a nightingale. If sister sings, all the boys in the village will fall in love with her!" a little girl exclaimed loudly.

"No way! Girls are noisy and troublesome! We all hate girls the most!" a little boy argued immediately.

"Betty, Avril, don't misbehave in front of guests. Let the guests come inside and warm themselves by the fire first. Our village is so remote, you two must have traveled a long way," the woman who invited Abis and Flora to have breakfast scolded the two children while politely smiling at Abis. "Mr. Bard, please follow me if you don't mind our humble house."Abis and Flora exchanged a glance and followed the woman. Although they had many doubts about the village, the villagers' enthusiasm made them feel somewhat reassured. Abis was not worried that the villagers had the ability to harm him and Flora. He had seen villagers do bad things before, but it was usually just pranks and pitchforks, which were completely useless against him.

They entered a house with the woman. As soon as they walked in, the smell of stewed meat wafted through the room and Abis couldn't help but sniff the air. The kitchen utensils were probably already on the fire before Abis and Flora arrived. A cast iron pot on the stove was emitting hot steam, and there were a few halved roasted potatoes nearby. The warmth from the fire made Abis feel comfortable.

There were two beds in the room, and on one of them sat an old man who was blind in one eye and missing half a leg. As soon as he saw Abis and Flora, he asked the woman, "Mary, do we have guests?"

"Yes, father, they are traveling minstrels. I invited them to have a meal at our home," the woman replied. "And the stew we made today is enough for everyone."

"Good, good," the old man nodded and said to Abis, "Welcome, travelers from afar. Please forgive this old cripple for not being able to stand up to welcome you."

"We should be the ones saying thank you. Although we don't have money to offer you, my assistant can sing for your children," Abis added.

Flora blushed, but she couldn't continue to defuse Abis' statement at this time, so she stood quietly on the side.

"Winter life can be quite boring, and the children will definitely be happy," the old man smiled and nodded.

The woman quickly brought the stew to the table and threw a few more potatoes into the extinguished fire. Then she brought the roasted potatoes as well.

Abis didn't refuse and simply thanked the woman before starting to eat the food she handed him.

Abis carefully chewed the food. The meat was fresh, probably deer meat hunted just the day before. It had less salt, so the taste was slightly bland, but still delicious. Most importantly, there were no other ingredients added to this pot of stew. If the villagers had put any herbs to harm people, Abis would taste it instantly. Necromancers were special mages who often dealt with herbs, and they had a similar knowledge to alchemists. Abis' nose and taste buds were naturally sensitive to medicinal substances, and he could say with certainty that this was just a pot of ordinary stew.

Although there was nothing wrong with it, Abis still felt strange. The villagers in this village were quite friendly, and he couldn't sense them lying, but there was something off about it.

It seemed like they...were trying to avoid any conflicts with outsiders.