coobybook Chapter 341 Lakeview Village (Part 3)
Chapter 341 Lakeview Village (Part 3)
Chapter 341 Lakeview Village (Part )
"The wronged goddess?" Conan asked the villager curiously. "Uncle, can you tell me more about this matter?"
The villager who mentioned this incident said with a bitter face: "Oh, you people, why don't you go anywhere else to travel? Why do you have to come here..."
It seems that the villagers mistook Conan and his friends for a tour group, but this made it easier for them to collect intelligence.
"Forget it, I'll just tell you this. After you hear it, don't go to that damn place called Lakeview Village."
The villager uncle began to tell the story of the past: "Once upon a time, Lakeview Village was just a dilapidated fishing village. The villagers could hardly catch any fish when they went out to sea, and all the villagers were very poor."
"The mine next door belongs to Count Baril, and everyone knows he's a mean old man. So, although the villagers' lives aren't good, they haven't reached the point where they have to work in the mines."
"However, the sea conditions are getting worse and worse, and huge winds and waves are beginning to threaten the safety of the villagers, making it increasingly difficult for them to make a living."
"Just when the villagers were thinking of finding other ways to make a living, a kind couple found a baby girl floating down the river. They adopted her."
"After that, the villagers' harvests at sea became abundant. Everyone returned home with a full load, and even some rare deep-sea fish that were difficult to catch with fishing nets appeared in the nets."
"The villagers believed that the baby girl was a goddess sent by the sea god to save them, so they worshipped her. But when the girl grew up, the villagers discovered that she was mute and could not speak."
"No one paid much attention to this at the time. Some even believed that the goddess's voice could only convey God's will, and that she naturally couldn't speak."
Conan's eyes widened. "This is superstition, isn't it? Perhaps the ocean currents changed during that time, allowing the villagers to return with a full load. This so-called goddess may not have such power."
Judy agreed: "If the goddess was just an ordinary, abandoned baby, then when the villagers discovered that the gift had disappeared, the girl..."
"That's why we say this goddess is innocent," the villager continued. "People from our neighboring village noticed something was amiss a long time ago, but the people in Lakeview Village insisted we were jealous of their goddess and wouldn't listen."
"So, when disaster struck, the goddess was completely useless. That year, schools of fish died en masse and rotted on the shore. The villagers couldn't catch any fish, and plague broke out in the village."
"The villagers naturally prayed to the goddess to protect them from the disaster, but the goddess couldn't even speak, so how could she help these villagers?"
"The villagers, having lost their patience, believed that the goddess had betrayed the sea god, so the sea god had brought down a disaster. Only by sacrificing the guilty goddess to the sea god could the disaster be quelled."
"So, the poor goddess had nails driven through her feet. The villagers tied heavy iron anchors to her feet, trapped her in a fishing net, and threw her into the sea."
Akai Shuichi frowned: "When something like this happens, the local police don't care?"
"Hey, who here dares to take care of such things? I don't know how many miners died in the Glittering Gold Grotto next door and no one buried them. Even with the Baril family in power, no one cares."
"But I heard that old Baril died, his little granddaughter became the head of the family, and the Glittering Gold Grotto was sealed. I guess our lives will be better from now on. But those people in Lakeview Village are in a terrible situation."
Conan came forward and said, "Uncle, you mentioned the goddess in Lakeview Village before. Is this related to the hard life of the villagers in Lakeview Village?"
"Of course. When the goddess was first sacrificed, the plague did subside, but now it's back again. The people of Lakeview Village lie on the beach praying every day, hoping that the goddess won't curse them again."
"curse?"
"Yes, everyone in Lakeview Village has contracted a strange disease. Fish scales grow on their faces and bodies, and eventually their skin ulcerates and they die by the sea like a rotting fish! And only the people in Lakeview Village have this disease. Other villages near the sea are not affected at all."
"If you ask me, it might be some kind of skin infection. I've already told you all this, so you better think carefully and never go to that place."
The villager uncle left in a hurry, leaving the FBI and Conan in deep thought.
"Mr. Akai, this so-called legend and curse seem to have reasonable explanations." Cameron spoke from the side.
"Indeed, abundant fish catches could be caused by changes in ocean currents, dead fish could be caused by toxic pollution from mines, and the curse could be caused by an infectious disease."
"As for how the plague subsided at that time, it was most likely during the sacrifice. The villagers used torches, wine and other items to clean up the source of the plague." Conan analyzed.
Judy called a few FBI agents and said, "Don't reveal your identity during this operation. Don't use your guns unless absolutely necessary. After all, these are just ordinary villagers."
"Also, the signal here is not good, remember to turn on the intercom and keep in touch at any time."
After several FBI agents nodded, they decisively split up and went to conduct on-site inspections.
"Let's pretend to be hiking tourists and go to the Lakeview Village together," Judy suggested.
"Considering that there may be infectious diseases there, it's best to prepare some disinfectant spray." Cameron stuffed some alcohol spray into his backpack.
After packing their luggage, they set off. The road leading to Lakeview Village was a bit eerie. Conan also noticed a strange snake poking its head out of the bushes here.
When they entered the village, they met a couple.
The middle-aged man looked at Conan and his group in surprise: "Marjorie, are there outsiders coming to our village?"
"I can see it, Eugene!" the middle-aged woman retorted to the man, then stepped forward and smiled. "Are you guys here at Lakeview Village? We used to be a tourist destination. We have bonfire parties, night trips to the sea, and..."
"That's all in the past, Marjorie!" Eugene said, grabbing Marjorie and laughing. "I'm sorry, those tourist attractions don't exist in Lakeview Village now."
"Our village is not peaceful right now. If you want to camp, please go somewhere else."
Conan used his baby voice at this time: "Uncle, actually I am here to do my practical research report, so I came to the village with my family to investigate. Can you let us go into the village to take a look?"
"This..." Eugene hesitated for a moment before finally agreeing. "Okay, but there are a lot of sacrificial activities going on in the village right now, so just remember not to mess around."
The group walked into Lakeview Village smoothly. The scene before them was very depressed, and there was no sign that this village had once been prosperous.
Some dilapidated fishing boats were abandoned on the beach, and a large wooden boat that looked like it had not been used for a long time was docked on the shore.
Conan suddenly felt a strong sense of déjà vu: "Strange, this place... I seem to have been here before?"
Judy looked at Conan in confusion: "Been here? But this is our first time here."
"Maybe I dreamed about it." Conan scratched his head. He always felt that there was a strange female voice laughing in his ear.