Reincarnated as Twins: And Then, I Was the Only One Abandoned - ☆24 Omen of Disaster

☆24 Omen of Disaster 

After entering the territory of the Silenia Federation, our carriage began ascending a small mountain. The mountain path was narrow. It was flanked by tall trees on both sides. Occasionally, the chirping of birds echoed through the forest. 

I opened the carriage window, letting in the cool morning air. Taking a deep breath, I felt the crisp scent of the forest fill my lungs. 

Beyond this mountain lay the town that was our destination. 

Since I hadn’t found the right moment to ask before, I decided to clear up something that had been on my mind. 

“By the way, Elysia, who exactly are you? What country are you from?” 

I turned my gaze to Elysia as I asked. 

Surprisingly, it was Yuna who answered. She smiled slightly before speaking. 

“Lady Elysia is a princess of the Eldarin Kingdom. It’s the elven nation even farther east of Silenia.” 

…!!!!! 

A PRINCESS!? 

I stared at Elysia in shock. 

Wait, no way. Princesses don’t just casually go on adventures like this, right? 

I had just assumed she was some insanely rich noble’s daughter… 

Now it made sense why Gald, Fia, and even the maids treated me the way they did. 

“Y-You’re a princess…? Lady Elysia, please forgive my past disrespect…!” 

The bl00d drained from my face as I forced the words out. 

However, Elysia immediately frowned. Her tone was sharp and displeased. 

“Souta, act the same way you always have. If you call me ‘Lady Elysia’ again, I’ll be angry.” 

Wait, but… you’re a princess…! 

Noah and Yuna, meanwhile, were smirking at me. They were clearly enjoying my reaction. 

I should’ve never asked……. 

At a loss for words, I turned my gaze to the window. 

That’s when I felt it—something watching us from afar. 

It wasn’t an animal. 

It was something far more foreign, an indescribable presence. 

“Something wrong?” 

“No, I just… felt like something was watching us. But now it’s gone, so maybe it was just my imagination…” 

My words came out awkwardly, as if I were trying to convince myself. 

…It’s fine. 

It was probably nothing. 

I turned back to the window again. 

The leaves rustled gently in the wind. They produced a soothing sound. 

As we reached a valley, a clear river flowed beneath us. Its quiet murmuring filled the air. 

Nothing happened after that. And before long, we reached the mountain’s peak. 

Suddenly, the scenery before us opened up. 

A vast plain stretched as far as the eye could see. It was covered in lush green grass like an enormous carpet. 

Scattered in the distance were small villages. 

A river cut across the plains, sparkling under the sunlight. 

“If we pass through that village ahead and keep going straight, we’ll reach our destination. We should arrive in about two days.” 

“Are we staying in that village tonight?” 

I deliberately kept my tone casual. I spoke as I normally would. 

“Yes. By the time we arrive, it should be evening.” 

◆◆◆

The village we arrived at had an eerie lack of energy. 

It could’ve been the time of day, but there were barely any people outside. 

Apparently, there was only one inn in the village, and its exterior was… well, hardly fit for a princess to stay in. 

Yeah… I doubt the food’s going to be any good either. 

Noah seemed to be thinking the same thing. 

“This village isn’t just quiet… it feels downright gloomy. I can sense people, but the whole place is unnaturally silent.” 

He voiced his thoughts to the innkeeper. 

The old man let out a deep sigh before replying. 

“You folks came from the west, right? Then it makes sense you wouldn’t know. About a year ago, an epidemic started spreading from Rivandel. It’s been creeping into this village too. A lot of people here work over there, so…” 

An epidemic? 

That sounds seriously bad. 

Yuna turned to Elysia with a worried expression. 

“Lady Elysia… could this be…?” 

Elysia nodded gravely. 

“Yes. It’s highly likely that this is the work of the Demon God we’re after. We should hurry. Let’s leave early tomorrow morning.” 

The inside of the inn was just as run-down as its exterior. It was filled with the smell of dust. 

But right now, rest was the priority. 

We needed to be ready for whatever was waiting for us tomorrow.