Chapter 79: Cremation
The Morning Star rose above the village massacred by werewolves.
Hode’s squad was carrying out post-battle cleanup.
They were disposing of the corpses.
"Are we going to cremate them?" Marl asked.
Because everything in the territory belonged to the lord, including the land.
Burial required the lord’s permission, or it would be considered an infringement on the lord’s property, punishable by death.
However, when the lord delegated burial rights to the villages, the authority became somewhat distorted.
Not only did one have to pay taxes, but they also had to pay the village administrator enough money to be allowed a burial.
Although the Church had cemeteries where the dead could be buried.
That also cost money, and the distance from home was too far; if a commoner left the village to invite a priest, something might happen on the road.
Therefore, when one truly had no money to buy land, cremation became the only option.
"Yes, we don't have the means to bury them now. We have other tasks to do," Hode said.
"But, did you find your father's body?"
"No, we searched the entire village and didn’t find his corpse or any trace of him," Marl said.
"Maybe he escaped," Hode offered a bit of comfort.
Marl shook his head and said, "I counted. We only found two hundred and forty-two bodies here, but there should have been over three hundred and fifty people before the werewolf attack."
As a local, Marl knew the situation of the village better.
"Maybe they ran away," Hode said, though it was merely to console Marl.
Facing the werewolves—natural-born hunters—being able to have ten people escape would already be considered lucky. Nearly a hundred missing was definitely suspicious.
Hode kept this information in mind.
"Perhaps," Marl clearly didn’t believe it.
Flames rose.
After offering a round of prayers, Hode and his group headed to the Hayes Family's stronghold.
...
Upon arrival, Hode understood why the Hayes Family’s base was built outside the village.
Though it was called a base, it could already be considered a fortress.
The former lord did not allow them to build stone walls, so they laid a stone foundation.
Above ground, they constructed triple layers of hardwood to form a wall, coated the exterior with clay, and once it dried and hardened, it looked like fortress walls.
The inner buildings leaned against the mountain, as if embedded into it.
Hode’s group had come from knightly families, but even those families dared not build such a "manor" in their own fiefs.
"No wonder the knights were ordered to suppress them," Hode said as he looked at this "manor."
As a vassal to the lord, this was already overstepping authority.
"What use is building it so well? It’ll still fall to knights," Marl said with resentment after arriving.
The main gate opened normally from the inside, and not far to the right of the gate was a broken ladder.
Without siege equipment, the thick walls were indeed hard to breach.
But knights could simply climb the ladder and breach from the inside.
With no knights in the family, even a fortress-looking stronghold like this couldn’t withstand an army led by knights.
"But things changed once the family produced a knight," Hode said, signaling Marl to follow.
"Hah, the Hayes Family couldn’t produce a knight in another hundred years."
"Of course, because all their heads have been left to dry outside the town."
Without the lord's order, no one dared to take down those heads.
"Alright, Marl, we're entering the fortress now. Be careful," Hode warned.
"Yes, sir. I will guide you," Marl said, suppressing his bitterness and bowing.
He was very familiar with the fortress and would help Hode’s team look for clues about the werewolves.
Inside the walls were traces of war’s devastation.
There were a few buildings and small tents, and an extinguished forge.
At a glance, it looked like thirty to forty people could live here permanently.
In a corner lay a few uncollected corpses.
A foul stench wafted from them.
After searching the buildings, they found nothing except for a few corpses.
The group eventually stopped outside the main hall.
"This is the Hayes Family’s main hall," Marl whispered.
"But only half of it is outside. The other half is carved into the mountain."
"It was excavated from the mountain, and that’s the true core of the Hayes Family’s stronghold."
"You’ve been inside?" Hode asked.
According to Marl, there was only one entrance.
"That place is extremely sealed. I couldn’t enter," Marl said.
"Even direct descendants of the Hayes Family wouldn't live there for long."
"The Hayes Family also had a house in the village."
"Of course, they wouldn’t live in that house either."
By the end, Marl’s tone was heavy and resentful.
Hode led the team into the hall, where tables and chairs were in disarray, and wooden debris littered the floor.
"Over there," Marl pointed to a stone sculpture in a corner.
From the entrance, it looked like just a protruding decorative sculpture.
But following Marl’s lead around the back revealed a narrow passage fit for only one person.
"Looks like we’ve found a clue," Hode said.
He could smell a faint stench—not that of corpses, but the same bloody stench he’d smelled on captured werewolves.
There were also shed hairs in the passage, similar to those on the captured werewolf.
Peeking slightly into the passage, he could vaguely hear snoring.
Hode gestured for the others to retreat.
Once outside the manor, Hode asked:
"Marl, do you know the interior layout?"
"Only from what I’ve heard here," Marl replied.
"There are two areas inside—one for direct descendants and one storage room."
"But overall, it’s not very large. Even eight people living inside would feel cramped."
"After all, it’s the Hayes Family. They couldn’t have hollowed out an entire mountain."
"So the worst-case scenario is eight werewolves inside?" Hode said.
"Are we reporting to the lord?" Marl asked.
Counting himself—a sixteen-year-old—they only had five people.
"If we report to the lord now, the army won’t arrive until the day after tomorrow," Hode said.
"By then, the werewolves might have escaped."
"Their noses are very keen. They might’ve already sensed us."
"It’s only because it’s daytime—they avoid sunlight. They are dark creatures active at night."
"So, what do you mean to do?" Marl looked at Hode.
From Hode’s words, he didn’t hear any intention of leaving.
"Is the mountain sealed?" Hode asked.
"Of course. That’s how they keep people from entering the treasure storage," Marl said, voice growing excited.
"Sir, are you thinking of burning them inside?"
Marl had guessed Hode’s plan.
"But that’s very dangerous." Hode looked at Marl.
"Of course it is. But please, let me help," Marl pleaded.
Seeing the resolve in his eyes, Hode knew that even if he refused, Marl wouldn’t back down.
"Fine. But when the real battle starts, you must run immediately—head for the town," Hode said.
"I promise you, sir," Marl replied with a smile.