After getting Abis' confirmation, Flora politely took a few bites of food. As a high-ranking undead, she didn't need to eat, but there was no harm in doing so.

After finishing their meal, Abis took Flora's hand, stood up, and said to the woman and the one-eyed old man, "Thank you for your hospitality. I need to discuss with my assistant what songs we will sing for the children later."

"Please feel free!" The woman smiled at Abis. "If the poet gentleman wants to explore the village, feel free to wander around. If you have any questions, you can ask anyone in the village."

Abis nodded, leading Flora out of the house and finding a secluded corner before they began talking.

"Abis, I feel strange. The villagers don't seem natural when they look at us," Flora whispered to Abis. "Maybe we should leave quickly. Although they are very hospitable and the children are cute, I still feel uneasy."

Abis didn't often interact with the living, so he asked after hearing Flora's words, "You say the villagers' gaze is not natural? What do you mean by 'not natural'?"

"I can't really explain. Although they do want to accommodate us, I can see through their eyes that they actually want us to leave," Flora said. "There is a tinge of fear in their emotions."

"That's quite strange." Abis furrowed his brow and looked at the closest house. "This place feels like a vampire's hideout."

"Also, I can't sing the songs of a troubadour..." Flora said embarrassedly.

"It's alright. You must know a nursery rhyme or two at least... Wait a moment." Abis suddenly paused and walked towards the house he had been looking at earlier. He lightly scratched the wall with his finger. The wall's quality was good, and Abis' scratch didn't leave a mark. Even though the bricks on the wall seemed weathered, they still looked relatively new.

"What's wrong? Did you find something odd?" Flora walked up in concern and asked softly.

"Just as I suspected..." Abis stared at the bricks on the wall and nodded. "Flora, you see, although these bricks on the wall appear weathered and old, the concrete used to build the wall is different in age. It doesn't seem to be more than fifty years old."

"But that doesn't prove anything, right?" Flora curiously asked. "What if the house was renovated?"

"Let's go see the houses of other families." Abis said to Flora, then led her towards the neighboring house.

With Abis' explanation, Flora was somewhat surprised to discover that the style of the neighbor's house was slightly different, but the wall's condition was the same - old bricks and concrete not exceeding fifty years.

The same was true when they looked at two or three other houses.

"So the conclusion is becoming apparent..." Abis folded his arms behind his back. "Moreover, the older people in this village seem to be relatively strong. From the way they walk, they appear to have better balance than ordinary farmers. They should have received training in Fighting Spirit, though farmers can also undergo such training. But if all the males in the village possess this condition..."

"Princess Leona passed away forty-two years ago..."

"Flora, go sing for the children. I need to do some final confirmation." Abis said to Flora. "The children will love you."

Flora nodded and pursed her lips. "Understood."

Abis watched as Flora walked towards the empty space in the village, and curious children ran up to surround her. Flora smiled gently, allowing the children to form a circle around her. After clearing her throat, she began to sing.

A melodious voice filled the air. Initially, only the children listened to Flora's singing, but soon, the attention of the whole village was drawn to Flora. In her past life, Flora was not only a powerful Spirits Master but also a beloved songstress. Some of her hymns even put certain believers into a state of bliss. Abis only knew that Flora's singing was beautiful, but hadn't heard it firsthand. Now, Flora displayed her vocal abilities, and even Abis, who was well-versed, couldn't help but whisper in awe.However, he did not linger and instead headed towards a small hill behind the village.

As a necromancer, Abis could feel the presence of death in that direction from afar. On top of the hill, there was a small cemetery with only about twenty tombstones, some of them seemed recently erected.

"This cemetery only buries one generation." Abis nodded slightly with his hands behind his back, then turned his head to get a full view of the village from this direction. "So Leona Princess is buried here. These villagers, who appear to be ordinary villagers, are actually an army stationed here by the imperial order from generation to generation. This explains why they are so reluctant to conflict with travelers and try their best to please them. They simply do not want this remote village to attract too much attention..."

"So... Princess Leona should be underground nearby..." Abis muttered to himself and closed his eyes.

...

When Abis returned to the village, Flora was already surrounded by many villagers. They were blissfully recalling Flora's singing and unconsciously applauding.

"Oh, uh... Master, you're back!" Flora greeted Abis as soon as she saw him.

The villagers just noticed that Abis had been absent for a while and looked at him with a hint of suspicion in their eyes.

"I went to the nearby hillside to enjoy the scenery of the village. It's indeed beautiful. I think my new sonnet will be written soon." Abis tried to act knowledgeable about art and loudly said to Flora, "My assistant, come over here and give me some ideas for my poem!"

Upon hearing that Abis had only gone to see the scenery on the hillside, the villagers eased up a little, thanks to the good impression that Flora had just gained from them.

"Do you have any findings?" Flora immediately asked Abis once they were in a secluded place.

Abis nodded and earnestly told Flora about his speculations and findings, then pointed to the ground. "I have sensed it. The underground here indeed holds the buried dead, very likely to be Princess Leona."

"So, do we now go and retrieve Princess Leona?" Flora blinked her eyes. "It should be easy for you, right?"

"It is indeed easy. I can retrieve Princess Leona in the blink of an eye." Abis glanced at Flora. "But the price is that all these villagers will die because of our actions."