Tak.
"Loik, when will the festival take place again?"
"Next week? But I don't know; it's not for us to decide, after all."
Tak.
Standing atop a small mountain of cores, the two inspected them before tossing them down. Below, three miniature hills of cores had already formed, each assigned a different quality.
"It's for the spirit to decide?"
"Yeah."
Wearing an impressed expression, Sontra could not help but steal glances at Loik. His hand was moving so fast it became a blur. He was only using his right hand, yet he was at least twice as fast as Sontra.
"But Loik, what happened? That wasn't there this morning, was it?"
The moment they met, Sontra had noticed something different. Under Loik's sleeve, he could see blood-stained bandages. They hadn't been there the prior morning. At first, Sontra didn't pay much attention, thinking it normal for a hunter to get injured.
But upon careful observation, Sontra realized how limited the movement in Loik's left arm was. His left hand hung low the entire time, barely moving. Scratches should be normal, but for an Arcanist to suffer that kind of injury was a little concerning.
"This? I took care of some bandits after meeting you."
"Bandits?"
"Ah, but don't worry, they weren't from Drodh. Just a bunch of weak fools."
Worried that Sontra might be concerned they were the Drodh bandits, Loik quickly clarified that they were not from the same group.
"It must have been rough."
"But still, there have been too many bandits going around lately. Tch, those jobless scums. We haven't had many visitors these past few years because of them."
"They are the same, no matter where you go. It's truly a shame; they could easily land honest work if they directed their energy elsewhere."
"Now that you say it, maybe I could try hiring them as hunters or builders. We wouldn't worry about food or bandits if they worked with us, right?"
"You really care about the town. You will be a good Elder."
Tak.
Loik stopped moving. His hand, which had been ready to toss the core to its pile, dropped slowly to his side. He looked toward the distant forest with a strange expression. While his grin was still there, it felt as forced as it could be.
"...Care, huh?" Loik said, tossing away the green core in his hand.
"Sontra, what do you think of the town?" Loik continued.
"I think it is a nice town."
"..."
"What about you, Loik? What do you think of this town?"
Sontra had a strange feeling every time he talked about the town with Loik. While it was clear that Loik greatly treasured the town, Sontra felt that Loik's feelings were more complicated than that. Staring at the quiet man, Sontra waited, hoping to understand one of the things he was curious about.
"It is suffocating."
"Suffocating? How so?"
"Mister Loik!"
A short man galloping frantically towards them called out to Loik with a great sense of urgency. He skillfully avoided the scattered cores on the ground, arriving directly below the mound where Loik and Sontra stood.
"Sinar, what is going on?"
"M-Mister Loik! A deer, a blue-antlered deer!"
The hunter named Sinar reported that there had been a sighting of the legendary blue-antlered deer in the forest.
According to the eyewitness, they saw the deer heading into the central part of the forest while they were hunting as usual. The Elder, delighted by the news, ordered Loik to lead his men to hunt the deer immediately, believing it would be a great gift for the coming Music Festival.
"Go on. It's fine; I will handle the work here."
Noticing Loik's obvious distress, Sontra reassured him.
"Sorry for this. I will make it up to you somehow."
With that, Loik jumped down. He reluctantly mounted his horse before bolting in the direction of the forest. The hunter also galloped away, following closely behind.
'He kept quiet.'
From the short hunter's wording, Sontra could tell that Loik had not informed anyone about the deer. It was surprising, but after seeing the fuss it caused, Sontra understood Loik's intention.
"Oi, did you hear that?"
"I think so. Should we go help out?"
"...Come on, I'll get my son."
If the hunters in the plaza had tails, Sontra was sure they would be wiggling so much they might fly. As the news traveled, the plaza erupted in excitement. Hunters began to gather in small groups, each boasting and betting that they would be the one to bring the deer's head home.
"Excuse me, you are Mr. Sontra, right?"
Not even a minute after Loik left, another person approached Sontra. This person wore the usual white attire of Erla Town and had no distinguishing features.
"The Elder would like to talk with you, if that is alright."
"Sure."
Sontra was not surprised. He had already seen men scouting around even before Loik left.
Putting aside the work, he quietly followed the man.
Though the town had close to a hundred houses, it was strangely not that large. As if mimicking the layout of cities, the houses were built close to one another, clustering together tightly. Sontra had only been to the east and south sides of the town, and the man was now leading him to the north side.
There, he noticed that while the houses were still built close together, they were a bit fancier. They were bigger, and some were even built of stone. Instruments, laced with crystals and gold, were proudly displayed in front of the houses, each one unique.
Shortly, they arrived before the Elder's house.
"Please go on ahead; the Elder has been waiting," the man said as he excused himself.
The house was no bigger than the others in the north, though it had remarkable features like green glass windows and a pond at the side. It was painted light blue, with a soft peach-colored roof.
"Young Sontra, you are here."
Answering the door, the Elder greeted him warmly.
"Elder, it is a pleasure to see you again."
"The pleasure is mine. Come on in; I have already prepared some tea."
Taking off his shoes, Sontra followed the Elder inside. The house was humbly decorated, with no extravagant furniture or unnecessary ornamentation. After a brief tour, they arrived at the room at the end of the hallway.
"Please, take a seat."
The room was not huge, about the same size as Marvin's guest room. However, apart from the table and chairs in the middle, several items caught Sontra's eye. There were daggers, cellos, flasks, and all kinds of objects, each emanating its own distinct energy. But what interested him most was a green tray lying on a table in front of him.
"Oh? Did you notice it? That's truly impressive, though perhaps expected for an Arcanist?"
"Please forgive my impertinence; it was not my intention to pry."
"Haha, there is no need to apologize. I was the one who put it there," the Elder said while gracefully pouring tea for them.
"This is a special tray. It was given by the Spirit of the Erla Forest and has been used to present the Gift for centuries," the Elder continued.
Hearing that, Sontra realized that, like everything else in the room, even the cup he was holding had a faint spiritual presence. Furthermore, it was the same presence he had felt in the forbidden area of the forest.
"Sontra, I am a little disheartened, you see. I heard from Loik this morning. Is it true that you refused my offer?"
"Elder, I apologize, but what you heard is correct. I believe this is what's best for the child."
"The child... I heard that you wish to stay somewhere undisturbed. I apologize; it appears my hasty decision upset you."
"..."
"But please do not be too displeased. They acted under my orders."
Sontra did not appear surprised. He picked up his cup and gracefully took a sip of the wonderful tea.
"Elder, may I know why you ordered such a thing?"
"...I had a vision. I saw a child fall in an... unfortunate accident. While it was nothing but a dream, I was afraid it might turn out to be true," the Elder said, picking up his own cup.
His wrinkly fingers caressed the rim of the cup. He was lost in thought, staring blankly at his reflection. He hadn't realized it, but he had gotten so old. And yet, just like before, he still could not fully understand the man in the reflection.
"...It pains me to see a person, especially a child, get hurt. It was not out of hostility, but merely an old man's worry."
"I apologize once again if it displeased you," the Elder continued after a short silence.
"I was not displeased, far from it. I was just concerned for my son's safety... But Elder, could you tell me what you saw in that dream?"
The Elder fell silent. His eyes were fixated on the teacup as he tried to recall the vision. It did not take too long. His expression disappointed. Long sigh escaped deep from his stomach.
"I am not too sure. It was too foggy."
"...It's fine, Elder. I understand now why you invited us to stay with you."
"I am a father myself. I know the silent love of a father fairly well."
The love the Elder spoke of seemed to pain him greatly. Sontra did not know the Elder's story, but he could see the genuine anguish in his eyes. It was fascinating, the pain that could stem from speaking of love. Perhaps it was because of the word 'silent' that came before 'love,' but Sontra was unsure.
"I have misunderstood your intention, Elder. I hope you can forgive me," Sontra apologized, his tone genuine.
"No, it was my fault to begin with. I should have informed you sooner."
Ting.
Just as the Elder finished speaking, one of the instruments in the room suddenly sounded.
Turning around, Sontra saw a bell jiggling lightly.
"Time truly envies us. Sontra, it seems our talk must end here."
"I see. Thank you for inviting me, Elder. I believe I understand you better now."
"...I'm glad to hear that."
"I will excuse myself, then."
Bowing slightly to the Elder, Sontra turned to leave.
"Wait."
"It might be too abrupt, but one of our hunters sighted an animal that has not been seen for almost a hundred years... I am going to visit the forest. Would you mind coming along with me?"
"I would love to. However, I promised Loik I would take care of sorting the cores while he was away."
"That's a shame," the Elder said disappointedly.
"But Sontra, my offer still stands. Feel free to come find me if you change your mind," the Elder smiled warmly.
"I understand. I will think it through."
Pushing his cup forward, the Elder stood up. He walked toward the bell that had rung earlier and flicked it with his ring finger. The bell quivered softly but made no sound. Suddenly, the Elder's eyes went wide, and he let out an 'ah' of realization.
"Right, I almost forgot. There is someone who might be able to help your son. He will be with the doctor this evening."