"Hm, I have no clue-no, I am beyond clueless. It might be a blunt hit to his head, but..."
The doctor inspected the back of the child's head once again, searching for any sign of an impact that could have caused the coma. However, he found nothing even after several examinations. Each time he tried to find a clue to understand the situation, he failed miserably. He was totally in the dark.
"Sir, Dad, tell me what happened again," the doctor said, looking at Sontra.
"We were heading south from Artza, but we encountered bandits on the road heading here. We barely managed to escape by entering the outskirts of Drodh Forest," Sontra said in a dry, raspy voice.
"We found Marvin there, being attacked by beasts," he continued.
"...And the child?"
"He was fine at first, but he passed out when that strange light burst out."
"Light..." the doctor muttered.
It was the same story. He had heard the explanation several times already, and all he could deduce was that the strange light was responsible for the child's condition. Truthfully, when he first heard it, he was skeptical, thinking Sontra was making things up to hide something.
However, after asking around, he found that more than enough people had seen the strange light Sontra described. Other than Marvin, hunters on patrol had also seen it, and he had heard the same account from passing merchants.
"Doctor, I felt dizzy when that light burst out. Maybe it was because he was still a child, so..." Marvin said hesitantly.
"...Give me a few days. If this was truly caused by that light, I may not be able to help."
"Can you tell me why? Doctor, if it's about money, I have it covered."
"No, it may be related to the Arcane. I can't help if that is the case. Worst of all, if that light was caused by that Beast, I'm afraid only the Capital's healers could help," the doctor said to Sontra helplessly.
The doctor then checked the child's vitals one last time before excusing himself. Marvin escorted him out as usual, thanking him for his tireless work over the past few days.
"Thank you very much, Doctor."
It had been five days since Sontra woke up in Erla. During that time, he had spent all his time in the house focusing on recovery. Apart from his right rib, he had healed considerably and could now move around without his wounds reopening. Nonetheless, his movements were still stiff and limited.
As for the child, he had not awakened even once, slumbering every hour of the day, showing no sign of life other than his breathing and pulse. Despite the doctor visiting every day, he could provide no explanation, let alone a cure.
"Sontra, do not worry too much. The doctor will surely find a way. He is more than capable."
"...Right. Worrying will not change anything."
"I...I wonder what that light was. Do you think it was really caused by that Beast?"
Marvin was a little shocked by Sontra's response. He was trying to cheer his friend up, but Sontra's reaction seemed colder than he had expected.
"Maybe. Those beasts that attacked us should not have been that far into the outskirts. They must have been terrified of something."
Truthfully, the reason Marvin had been brave enough to travel the road on the outskirts of the dreadful Drodh Forest was that beasts were rarely seen there, typically roaming only in their territory at the center of the forest.
"I hope the authorities have been alerted. It would not be good if someone else were injured," Sontra continued.
Sontra gazed at the staircase leading to the second floor. His eyes, sharp yet troubled, seemed able to penetrate all obstacles, directly observing his unconscious son.
Seeing the worry that could not be hidden in his friend's eyes, Marvin unconsciously patted Sontra on the back.
"I need to head out now. Could you watch the house for me?" Marvin said after a short pause.
"You are really working hard."
After talking to Marvin the day before, Sontra finally understood what business had brought Marvin to Erla Town.
The town was about to hold its annual celebration called the Erla Music Festival. It was the most important and sacred event in that small town.
From what Marvin had told him, the music festival had a custom requiring participants to wear attire made from special textiles only available in a region of Baltun, far to the south of the kingdom. Marvin, being a textile merchant, had taken on the job of trading these textiles with Erla Town and had been doing so for several years.
"No, it's something I have to do," said Marvin with a forced laugh.
"Is it alright if I help?"
"Help? Um, I don't want to be rude, but it's something that can be done alone... Please don't worry about me and just focus on your recovery," Marvin said apologetically.
"I won't get in the way. I just need some fresh air."
"Ah... but what about your son? What if he wakes up and no one is here?"
"It's fine. I will know right away if anything happens."
Marvin opened and closed his mouth, trying to find a response. He somewhat understood what Sontra meant, but he was still uneasy about leaving the child alone. However, after a moment of silence, he agreed to bring Sontra along.
"If you're fine with it, could you help me load the textiles onto the caravan?"
"Of course."
Sontra looked at the large space beside the front door. Dozens of green boxes were stacked high on top of each other. The boxes were considerably large, standing as tall as an average adult's thigh. Every day, Marvin needed to transport some of them to the forest east of the town.
Carrying the boxes one at a time, they brought them outside, where three caravans were already stationed. Outside, Sontra could see dozens of colorful houses scattered at quite a distance from them.
As Marvin's house sat atop a hill, Sontra could see the whole town of Erla and the busy townsfolk running around. The people appeared as small as grains, their movements evidently hectic, most likely preparing for the festival.
"Beautiful, right? I built this house here just to enjoy this sight..."
Marvin breathed a sigh of amazement, his eyes fully captivated by the view of the town. The seemingly endless, hypnotizing music never bored him, not even once. Although his house was situated outside the town's wall, setting him apart from the community, he truly believed it was a fair trade-off.
After they had loaded exactly ten of the green boxes of textiles into the caravan, Marvin finally said that was sufficient for the day. To Marvin's surprise, Sontra, who had been severely injured just days before, managed to carry the boxes without any trouble.
Truthfully, Marvin had prepared to load the boxes as fast as he could to ensure Sontra wouldn't have to do much. However, that seemed to have been unnecessary.
While he understood that Sontra was no ordinary man, he could not help but admire his tenacity.
"Marvin, is there a reason you need to move them in batches? Why not all at once?"
"Ah, I would love to do that too, but it's the custom of the festival."
"The custom?"
"Yes, it is said that every textile must be woven into the festive attire within a day of entering the forest," Marvin said as he fastened the ropes around the boxes.
"If it remains unfinished by day's end, that piece is to be thrown away. Ten boxes is their limit; bringing more would just be a waste," he continued.
"What an interesting custom," Sontra said, his eyes fixed on the forest.
Having finished preparing the caravan, Marvin took the reins and Sontra sat beside him. Marvin could not help but confirm with Sontra once again if it was truly fine to leave the child alone, to which Sontra readily agreed. If he had not seen Sontra carrying on while his guts were spilling out, he might have mistaken him for a neglectful father.
With final confirmation, the two left for the forest.
To transport the textiles to the forest, they first needed to pass through the town. Descending the hill was not too troublesome; it was not steep nor slippery, and the path was well-maintained. After only a few minutes, they arrived in front of the town's gate.
Surrounding the town was a wooden wall, taller than an average adult and around a finger's width thick. As the town stood between Drodh Forest to the north and Erla Forest to the east, they were forced to maintain minimal defenses to minimize attacks from beasts.
"Mr. Merchant, you are here!"
Greeting them was a short man with a sturdy build. A sword was strapped to his side and two daggers were tied to his chest. The man happily welcomed them, urging them to enter without any questions. Although he eyed Sontra for a couple of seconds, he did not seem particularly curious about the newcomer.
Being in the town for the first time, Sontra could not help but appreciate its beauty. It was as beautiful up close as it had looked from above. The houses were made of wood in vibrant colors. The streets were filled with flowers, and each house had an instrument decorating its front. White stones were embedded into the streets, creating a path that appeared to glow as they reflected the sunlight.
The song that had been repeating continuously sounded even more ethereal up close. Sontra could feel his insides vibrating and the back of his head tingling as they moved closer to the town center. However, he found it strange that he could not see a single person playing any instruments. His eyes wandered around, searching to see if he had missed anything.
"Is something wrong?"
"No, it's just the music. Where is it coming from?"
"Haha, you really are sharp."
Marvin laughed as he also looked around. With his eyes full of fascination, he pointed at one of the houses-or, specifically, at its roof.
"They come from the roofs. The houses sing as long as there is wind."
"...But how does the music keep going? It never once stopped during the past few days."
"Normally they do stop when there is no wind, but this time of year is special. It's also related to the music festival."
"Marvin!!"
A loud voice roared from their side, disrupting their conversation.
From the town center, a tanned, rough-looking man was waving at Marvin. The man wore a ponytail with trimmed sides. His short mustache and goatee were drenched in sweat as he sat atop a horse, trotting calmly toward them.
"The son of the Elder?"
"Did the doctor tell you? Please be careful; he is also an Arcanist."