Outside, the Elder was waiting, his hunched back leaning against the wall. He held his body up weakly with his cane.
"What did Hatta tell you?"
"He said it was nothing to worry about. It's just his age catching up to him."
"Is that so?" the Elder muttered under his breath.
"So, what is your answer? I have several men ready to help you move," the Elder continued.
Sontra stayed silent. He stared deeply into the Elder's eyes as he contemplated a response.
"I will stay at Marvin's place."
"Mm, may I ask why?"
"Since the festival is just around the corner, I do not want to trouble the townsfolk with more work."
"And? That's not all, is it?"
"...With the circulating rumors, I believe it will be better for us to stay where we are."
"Sigh, that's a shame, but I understand where you are coming from. Just remember to be careful outside. As for the rumors, we will take care of them."
The Elder pushed himself off the wall and walked to a window at the side. From it, he could see the Erla Forest and the barely noticeable people preparing the festival site.
"Elder, I appreciate your concern. But there's no need to trouble yourself. Just as they are carried by the wind, given time, they will scatter with it."
"You may go."
Sontra glanced briefly at the Elder, who was still staring out at the forest. The worry on the Elder's face, which had been well-hidden before, was now laid bare for Sontra to see.
Giving a slight bow, he excused himself.
Truthfully, Sontra had been expecting to discuss other pressing matters, for instance, the incident in the town the previous day. He wanted to know what had happened, or at the very least, the child's motive.
However, looking at the Elder, who also did not seem to favor holding a further conversation, he could only decide to get the information elsewhere.
Shut.
"What did the Elder say?"
"Nothing much. He offered again for me to move to town, saying it will get dangerous in the future."
Still waiting in front of the pond, Loik was also gazing at the forest.
"Anything else?"
"Nothing."
"That old man...," Loik sighed.
The whispering crowd in front of the house made Loik retract his gaze from the forest. Looking at them staring and pointing at the young man beside him, Loik seemed to wonder where they found such bravery.
"Let's go. There's someone we need to meet."
Not waiting for a reply, Loik stood up and walked down the street.
Startled, the crowd hurriedly scattered as he approached. But Loik paid them no mind, treating them like a passing wind. He walked calmly, his hand still resting on the hilt of his sword, which swayed with each step.
Sontra's eyes settled on the broad back of the man before him, contemplating for a moment. He would have preferred to head back to Marvin's house, but the foreign, serious expression he had seen earlier made it clear the situation was severe.
The Loik he knew was either carefree or worried, as if created with only two emotional states. Yet, this grave expression suited the man wholly. It was strange but not out of place, concerning, yet also intriguing.
After a couple of seconds, he made up his mind and followed the figure already pulling away.
With no definite answers about the attack or the rumors, he believed it wouldn't hurt to follow. Sontra hoped the person they were going to meet would give him some clues, and hopefully, some explanations.
But mostly, he wanted to know what the man before him was thinking.
"Loik, who are we going to meet?" Sontra asked when they were alone.
"Maybe."
"Maybe?"
"..."
"..."
"Do you know what happened to the doctor?" Loik asked abruptly.
"Not exactly. He only told me his age had caught up with him," Sontra recalled. In a matter-of-fact tone, he continued, "But there's more to it, isn't there? Do you mind telling me what happened?"
Sontra was curious. While he could guess from the townsfolk's whispers, he knew confirmation would be better.
Loik, his expression troubled, walked silently for a few steps before speaking.
"...Last night. Where were you last night?"
Stopping in his tracks, Loik turned halfway. He gazed into the morning sky, where thin, rolling clouds stretched like a net, catching even the faintest sunlight.
"I was looking after the child."
"Is that so?"
Loik paused for several breaths before continuing.
"The doctor... he was attacked last night."
"..."
Loik's sharp gaze locked straight onto Sontra.
"Someone saw a tall man with black hair pacing around the doctor's house before it happened. They said the man was holding a flute."
Sontra was not too surprised. Thanks to his 'eavesdropping' on the townsfolk, he already knew something had happened. From their looks and the wording of the accusation, he could tell he was the main suspect.
"I am not accusing you. The hunters the Elder stationed around Marvin's house confirmed you did not leave last night."
"... And the doctor even invited you to town, so it must have been someone else," Loik continued.
Loik did not hesitate to imply he had overheard Sontra's conversations with the doctor.
Nevertheless, Sontra was not displeased. Just as he could clearly hear the townsfolk's whispers, he understood that some things simply couldn't be helped.
"The flute they saw... was it the same kind the child used?"
"I don't know. Do you have it with you? I couldn't find it in the plaza yesterday."
"No, it turned to dust."
"...Right, a few people saw that."
Freeing his hand from the sword hilt, he stretched it high in the air.
"Arghhh!"
He bellowed as the bones in his body popped one after another. Unlike his body's stiffness, which was scared away by the groan, his troubled mind seemed to remain. He let out an unnecessarily long sigh and massaged his temples right after.
"Any ideas who that person might be?"
"No, but we are going to meet someone who might know."
"Loik, there's no need to be so tense. I'm certain we will find him soon."
"I hope so... And I'm not tense; I'm actually more relieved than ever."
"That is good to hear, I guess?"
"Yea, thank you for not being the culprit."
"No, thank you for not sending my head flying right away," Sontra chuckled.
They walked quite far, reaching the west side of town. Although both could have ridden their horses, they chose not to.
This was on Loik's advice.
When he suggested, or rather, instructed, that they leave their horses at the Elder's place, Sontra did not question it, let alone argue. He fully understood that a local's advice should always be taken to heart. After all, he was just a guest who knew very little about the town.
Regardless, he understood the intention upon witnessing the sight before him.
The west side was the polar opposite of the north in every sense. Run-down houses crowded the street, each looking barely standing. Broken doors hung loosely, large gaping holes pierced the roofs, and in some cases, pieces of cloth served as door replacements. The people, wearing tattered clothes full of patches, walked about with tired and unwelcoming eyes.
Contrary to the colorful, instrument-decorated other side, the houses here were plain, and not a single instrument could be seen outside. Nevertheless, they could still hear melodies being played from some of the roofs.
They continued walking down the street, ignoring the watchful eyes of the residents.
"We are here."
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Right after Loik knocked, they heard frantic footsteps running to greet them.
"M-Mr. Loik, i-it's nice to see you again."
A man who looked to be in his mid-30s politely greeted them. He kept bowing and hurling pleasantries at Loik. Sontra observed the average-looking man. He looked tired, with dark circles around his eyes that perfectly complemented his ghastly pale face. His limbs trembled slightly, and fear was evident in his eyes.
"Good morning. Sorry to disturb you again. This is Sontra; he will be helping with the investigation."
"Pleased to meet you."
"R-right, of course. Please come in. Your presence honors this humble abode...," the man said, stuttering over his words.
The man guided the two inside. Not even a few steps in, the two Arcanists exchanged a short glance.
"You two must be tired. Would you like some tea? I can brew some if you'd prefer..."
"Sorry, but we have to refuse. We just want to ask your son a few questions, if you don't mind."
The man looked greatly troubled. He wanted to say something but couldn't find the courage. He wanted to shoo them away, to curse them for brazenly accusing his son. However, standing before him were two Arcanists, and he was grateful they hadn't just dragged his son away, that they were human enough to be reasoned with.
He had managed to buy time the previous day with lies and a shred of dignity, hoping the situation would calm down. Yet, his efforts seemed to have been futile. He knew he couldn't do it again.
With a heavy heart, he led the two men to a room.
"He... he hasn't gone out or eaten anything since yesterday."
"..."
"Lucas, please come out. The Elder's son wants to talk with you. You promised yesterday, right, son?"
"..."
"Son, don't make this more difficult. There's nothing to be afraid of. I know you've done nothing wrong."
"..."
"... Mr. Loik, please wait a moment."
Bang. Bang. Bang.
"Lucas, I am not going to repeat myself," the man said, banging on the door.
The two young men exchanged a glance once more. Loik subtly nodded to Sontra before approaching the distressed father.
"Mister, it's fine. I may have been too harsh on your son yesterday. He must have been scared."
Seeing Loik get closer, the man became frightened. He unconsciously shielded the door with his body, afraid the Elder's son was going to take his son away.
"W-wai-"
"Sontra, we have finished our business here. You can head back first," Loik said calmly.
"I understand," Sontra replied, unbothered.
"Mister, may I have a few minutes of your time?" Loik asked the confused man.
"Wh-what do you mean, Mr. Loik?"
"Your son needs space. There's no need to force him if he doesn't wish to talk."
Initially, when Loik mentioned they had 'finished their business,' the man thought it meant they had concluded their discussion and were going to use force. Yet, the two were already turning away in resignation.
"S-sure, but..."
The man looked at Loik in confusion. Truthfully, he hadn't expected the Elder's son to be so tolerant, especially after visiting the house two days in a row and getting nothing. As he wondered if he had misjudged Loik, he saw the other young man had already left.
"It's fine. Forcing a child to talk isn't my thing. We will come again when he is ready."
Creak.
Shutting the barely-held door behind him, Sontra let out a soft sigh. He looked down the road, where the houses looked even more desolate. He had heard that the farther one traveled down the west street, the more dangerous it became. Without a word, he turned and walked back the way he came.
'...He left?'
Several houses away, two eyes peeked out from behind broken crates. They had been observing silently since the two men entered. It hadn't even been a few minutes, but one had already left, which greatly puzzled the watcher.
'Hm?'
As his mind wandered for an explanation, he lost focus for a second. He squinted, trying to find the tall man's silhouette. Just moments ago, he had seen the man's back receding into the distance. However, he now failed to find even a shadow.
"Did he run? Arcan-"
"Good morning, kid."
"!"
'How?!'
The kid unconsciously grabbed a handful of sand and hurled it at the tall man with all his might.
Pfft.
The sand scattered across the man's face and into his eyes. However, the man did not scream in pain or even blink. He just stood there, staring right back at the boy.
'CURSE, CURSE, CURSE!'
Without any hesitation, the kid shot off into the distance.