Chapter 335 Scarecrow

Andel's family lives in Hengfeng Village, which is at the foot of Eternal Peak Mountain and is considered a border area.

It stands to reason that at the border, this kind of missing persons case is likely to be related to banditry. The disappearance of his wife and daughter is no accident. There is a high probability that they were abducted and sold by the robbers.

This kind of human trafficking incident is very common in Runeterra, and even Piltover in the past is no exception.

But no matter what, if it was just human trafficking, it would not bother Jarvan IV.

If it was really something done by bandits on the border, even the Dauntless Vanguard would not need to be dispatched, just a small team would be needed to solve it.

But Jarvan IV wanted to deal with this matter personally... and even said that he might need Shyvana's help?

Li Lin felt very puzzled, but still listened patiently to Ander's story.

“That night, we had just finished a long day and had brown bread baked by my wife, Natalie, with vegetable stew, and it was supposed to be a wonderful day.

"When the sun completely set, I was preparing to conduct a routine inspection of farmland on one side. However, due to the recent unrest at the border, the village chief had something urgent to do and called for a village meeting, so Natalie said that she could just leave this matter to her...

"It's all my fault. I shouldn't have let her go. This is my job..."

Tears kept pouring out of Ander's cloudy pupils, crying like a child.

Jarvan IV walked forward silently and pressed his broad palm heavily on Andel's shoulder, "This is not your fault. Stop condemning yourself."

"King, prince...your highness..."

Barrett also shook his head and sighed, and he could understand Andel's mood.

He also has a wife and two daughters, and "love" is the bridge connecting them.

If they suddenly disappeared one day, Barrett felt that he might be even more hysterical than the man in front of him.

Or what will happen to them if I am no longer here...

Barrett couldn't help but shudder, wondering why he would think this way.

"I also have a wife and daughter. I can understand you very well, Andel."

He comforted Andel with a complicated mood, "But no matter what, things have happened. What we have to do is not to complain about ourselves, but to work hard to find their traces.

"Until the outcome of the matter comes to light, it is still unknown whether they were actually killed. We should think on the bright side.

"Isn't this the reason why you came to see His Highness today?"

Barrett's words relieved Andel's excitement a lot.

He sniffed, casually wiped the tears on his face, and choked up: "You, you are right, Lord Bouvier..."

Jarvan IV cast an approving look at Barrett and retracted his hand, "Tell them what happened next, try to be as detailed as possible."

“When I came home that night, I found the house dark and Natalie and our daughter Jean were not home. At the time, I thought they might have wandered a little further away, but I didn’t take it seriously.

“But as time passed, it was almost late at night and they still hadn’t come back. I was worried about them and hurried to the fields to look for them.

"Our farmland is not big. I searched seven or eight times but couldn't find any trace of them. I even went to other people's farmland..."

Andel looked lost and lost, "At that time, I was still comforting myself, maybe they had gone home from another way, and we just missed each other, until I found a pendant in the farmland."

He took out a candle-shaped pendant carved from marble from his coat pocket.

This is the symbol of the Illuminator, the only officially recognized sect in Demacia.

The Illuminators have saved many people and therefore enjoy a high reputation throughout Demacia.

Many people who have been rescued by them will carve themselves a "candle" pendant representing their identity to pray for peace.

"This is the Order of the Illuminator..." Barrett's eyes widened, he was very familiar with this.

His lover Lestara was once an Illuminator, and the Bouvier family were also firm supporters of the Illuminati sect.

"That's right."

Andel sniffed, "Our Hengfeng Village has received relief from the Illuminator, and most people in the village have similar pendants...

"But this pendant was given to Natalie personally by me at my wedding ceremony. When Qin was born, she handed the pendant to Qin."

Jarvan IV raised his eyebrows and said in surprise: "It turns out that this is what you wanted to show me before Arbor came in."

In fact, he didn't even finish listening to Andel's story. At the critical moment, he was interrupted by Albuquerque, who came to report on the situation of the prisoners of war.

"Yes, Your Highness." Andel took back the pendant and vowed: "Although many people in our village have it, I carved it with my own hands, and I cannot admit my mistake."

"What about the follow-up? You told me before that an evil mage was responsible, but after hearing this, I found no trace of the mage's involvement."

"It must have been done by a mage, I'm sure, Your Highness the Prince!" Andel's red eyes widened and he couldn't help but raise his voice twice, "At that time, I heard Natalie and Qin calling to me!"

"Did you hear the voices of your wife and daughter?" At this time, Li Lin, who had remained silent, finally couldn't help asking.

"Yes, but their voices are very strange... It's as if someone is pinching their necks and forcing them to call me. It's hoarse and low, accompanied by the howling of countless crows. It gives me a creepy feeling."

For some reason, a look of horror appeared on Andel's face.

“I was very angry at the time and without thinking much about it, I immediately picked up a stone on the side of the road and quietly walked towards the direction where Natalie and Qin’s voices came from.

"But when I left the farmland and walked deeper into the forest to a clearing, a scarecrow holding a lantern stood in the distance... and the sound seemed to come from it."

Hearing this, Li Lin was stunned, "What?!"

"What's wrong?"

Jarvan IV, Shyvana, and Barret were all surprised by his excited reaction, and their eyes focused on him.

Li Lin ignored them, but took a few steps forward and stood in front of Andel, staring at him solemnly.

"You mean...scarecrow?"

"Scarecrow...yes, scarecrow!" The fear and anger in his eyes were even worse, and his mood was a bit hysterical. "That's a magical scarecrow! It's the dark witchcraft of the mage!"

"Calm down, Andel."

Jarvan IV couldn't help but frown. This man was hit so hard that his emotions collapsed.

But what Li Lin was thinking was different from Jarvan IV. A thought that frightened him emerged in his heart——

Fiddlesticks.

But shouldn't he lead the mages in Seras to riot and rebel, and fear would spread throughout Demacia?

At this point in time, even in the original world line, it has been 7 years since Silas escaped from trouble...

what is happening?

Is it possible that the fear caused by this chaos on the border will attract this leader of the ten ancient demons?

But wasn't the fear caused by the previous explosion in Zaun more serious than this, and it didn't necessarily attract this fear demon?

In addition, if it was really Fiddlesticks, why could this man escape from it?

Li Lin was puzzled.

But the next second, a song he had heard on Earth suddenly appeared in his mind.

It was a ballad about Fiddlesticks, and it happened to be a duet between a mother and her daughter, which made him suddenly understand.

It wasn't fear that summoned Fiddlesticks, but this ballad, the "hymn" to Fiddlesticks that had been circulating in Demacia for hundreds of years, that summoned it...

Although Fiddlesticks' name is not mentioned throughout the song, since Natalie knows this long-forgotten song, she must have mentioned Fiddlesticks' name, no matter which one it is.

Other demons will reveal their weaknesses when their names are called, but the ten ancient demons are different.

Regardless of whether their true name is called, they will surely follow the caller's voice.

In addition, the recent chaos on the Demacia border has already caused fear, so calling Fiddlesticks couldn't be easier.

While Li Lin was thinking, Ander continued: "Just when I was about to check on the scarecrow, someone in the village saw me leaving the village in a hurry. They were afraid that something might happen to me, so they came to see me.

"The village chief called my name, and I turned around to answer. When I turned around again, the scarecrow had disappeared... Because of this, I was sure that this must be the work of the mage!

"They kidnapped my Natalie and Qin and wanted to use them to make some evil sacrifices!" Andel burst into tears again. "Your Highness, Lord Bouvier, you must help me find my wife and daughter!"

Before Jarvan IV could respond, Li Lin stopped him: "Your Highness, can I have a private chat with you?"

"Can."

He confessed to Barrett, then took Li Lin to another room adjacent to the combat conference room and closed the door.

"When Andel mentioned the Scarecrow, you were very excited. What happened?" Jarvan IV was very confused. "Do you know what's hidden?"

"Your Highness, I don't recommend that you go to Hengfeng Village." Li Lin said bluntly.

"Why?"

"Devil, what they encountered was a demon...the head of the ten ancient demons, the incarnation of the fear of all living creatures."