The Elder offered no response, departing with only the sound of his hand tightening around the lantern handle.
Sontra did not follow him downstairs. Through the half-open door, he watched the light cast upon the hallway, growing dimmer and dimmer along with the receding footsteps. Soon, he was left in complete darkness.
Then, the noise began from downstairs: loud, stomping footsteps and the grating sound of furniture being dragged across the floor. As if he had been waiting for it, Sontra walked out of the room a few moments later.
Quietly closing the door behind him, he glanced into his dark room before starting down the hallway. Yet, just as he reached the top of the staircase, a light slowly emerged from below, accompanied by the sound of labored breathing.
Looking down, Sontra saw Marvin holding a fancy-looking candle holder.
"Is something the matter?"
"N-no... I... ha..."
Marvin tried to answer, but his gasping breath got in the way. He raised a hand as he leaned against the railing, a polite gesture asking Sontra to wait while he recovered. His dusty hands and clothes suggested he had been helping the hunters before coming up.
"Ha... please excuse my lack of decorum."
Finally composed, Marvin climbed the last few steps and offered Sontra a gleeful smile.
"It's fine. But did something happen?"
Sontra hadn't noticed anything amiss, but the anxious expression Marvin had quickly hidden was concerning.
"N-no! I was just worried... It's just that you didn't come down with the Elder..."
"I see."
"What about you? Is everything fine?" Marvin asked hesitantly.
"Everything is fine. I just didn't want to get in their way."
As Sontra spoke, he gazed downstairs.
"Hold it properly, damn it!"
"It slipped because you're too short, you twig!"
While it had been fairly peaceful at first, the house had quickly become as chaotic as a night market. The hunters yelled and cursed at each other with every breath; listening closely, their sentences contained more profanity than anything else.
"Haha... please don't mind them. They're just a bit... lively."
Marvin let out a relieved smile, seeing that nothing serious had transpired between Sontra and the Elder. Nonetheless, he seemed distracted. Though they faced each other, Sontra noticed Marvin's eyes darting repeatedly toward the hallway behind him.
Turning, Sontra followed his gaze.
"...I apologize. I will pay for the repairs."
Sontra realized Marvin was looking attentively at the damaged wall. Naturally, he had no excuse, nor did he dare make one after damaging another's property. While he lacked the expertise to fix it himself, he knew the least he could do was pay.
"Please, don't give it a second thought. I heard someone tried to set this house on fire. A few holes in the wall are nothing," Marvin said softly as he made his way down the hallway.
"And the two of you are uninjured. That's the most important part," he continued.
Standing before the broken wall, Marvin's eyes widened as he saw the other hole. Yet, his shock quickly faded as he focused on the damage directly in front of him.
"But this is impressive...," Marvin whispered.
He seemed strangely engrossed as he ran a hand along the shattered edges. The wall was less than a thumb's width thick and by no means impossible to break. However, the sheer scale of the damage reminded him why most people chose to avoid Arcanists.
"The one who did this... no, never mind."
"..."
"Sontra, do you think I should go to town? It should be sufficient to just move the textiles, shouldn't it?"
Earlier, Marvin had seemed resolved to move temporarily into town. Yet something had clearly caused him to reconsider. The reason was not insignificant, as his eyes were now filled with doubt.
"It's best if you go. It's safer."
"...What about you? Are you sure you want to stay behind?"
"Only if you allow it."
"Of course... if that is your wish."
Marvin had no problem with Sontra staying in his house. He understood Sontra's concern for his son's safety, and he felt so indebted to him that denying this small favor would have felt shameful.
"You should go and rest. There's not much left to load, so the hunters and I can manage."
"I will, but I need to meet someone first."
Downstairs, the hunters were still hard at work. They handled the belongings with extreme care, carefully navigating corners and walls to avoid damaging the items they carried.
Peeking into the guest room, Marvin saw that only two of the green boxes remained, with hunters already preparing to carry them out. He was aware that the Elder's primary motive for moving was the safety of these boxes, so it was no surprise the hunters prioritized them.
"Excuse me, Mr. Merchant."
"Ah, my apologies."
Pressing himself against the wall, Marvin let the hunter behind him pass. He glanced at the chest in the hunter's hands before looking toward his own room, where several people had already begun carrying out his things.
"Tch, why is my head spinning?"
"Oi, move it."
"I know, damn it."
"Heh, I heard that's what happens when poor people smell wealth."
Casually shoving his friend aside, the hunter at the back stepped into the room without a second thought. The rest followed suit, ignoring their companion, who was massaging his temples by the doorframe.
"You should watch over them."
Marvin flinched as a voice whispered close to his ear. Looking to his side, he saw Sontra also gazing toward his room.
"I will be outside," Sontra continued.
Not waiting for a reply, Sontra turned and walked out. Outside, a couple of the carts had been fully loaded, their contents secured with ropes. Marvin's caravans and horses had also been brought out from the stable.
To his side, he then saw two hunters struggling to carry a familiar piece of meat. Though it was only slightly larger than an adult's torso, it required their combined strength.
It was the meat Loik had given him.
Sontra did not stop them. Instead, he turned and fixed his gaze on another hunter. As if he could feel the weight of the stare, the hunter stopped working and looked back. The moment their eyes met, a clear disdain flashed across the hunter's face.
"Let's talk."
They were standing far apart, yet the hunter had no trouble hearing Sontra's quiet call. He stood still for a moment, looking around. His companions, who had been working nearby, had already quietly moved away.
He let out a sigh and walked over with heavy, reluctant steps.
"...Sir, how may I help you?"
"Sinar, do you know where Loik is?"
Sontra cut right to the chase. Something major had just happened, yet Loik was conspicuously absent. That did not sit well with him.
"Mister Loik is usually training at this hour. He stresses that he is not to be disturbed for anything less than an urgent matter," Sinar answered, avoiding eye contact.
"So, why is he not here?"
"I already told you... sir."
"I see. So, Loik does not consider this situation urgent?"
"It sounds to me that no one bothered to inform him because they, collectively, decided nothing urgent was happening," Sontra continued.
"..."
"Sinar, could you please relay a message to Loik for me?"
"I cannot do that."
The hunter looked reluctant, his eyes wavering.
"Please tell him I have a matter of utmost urgency to discuss. Feel free to use any excuse you see fit."
Sontra completely ignored the initial refusal. He knew that Sinar, who was close to Loik, must have sensed the strangeness of the situation himself.
"...I will."
Now that he had a reason to investigate, Sinar did not dawdle another second. Taking his horse, he bolted down the road, not even sparing a glance for the other curious hunters.
"Marvin."
"Y-yes!"
Marvin, who had been observing from a distance, strode to Sontra's side.
"Forgive me, I did not mean to eavesdrop..."
"Marvin, I forgot to ask, but what did Loik tell you earlier?" Sontra asked, brushing aside the apology.
"Ah, I... I did not manage to find him. There were people helping with the festival preparations on the outskirts, but Loik was not among them," Marvin said, his tone regretful.
"I waited, but I was summoned by the Elder. I am truly sorry," he continued.
"It's fine. Loik's absence is not your fault. It was not that important anyway."
"It wasn't?"
The two then watched the hunters empty the house, neither lifting a finger to help. While more hands usually make light work, that was not the case here. Sontra, whom the other hunters avoided like the plague, and Marvin, who was unsuited for heavy labor, would have only been in the way.
During that uneventful time, Marvin and Sontra chatted about the acquisition of the lotus. Unfortunately, Marvin had not yet secured a firm lead, but he believed he could within a day or two. He claimed to have contacted a trusted friend and was now awaiting a response.
Sontra was not disappointed; he knew acquiring the lotus was no easy feat. Sadly, their conversation was cut short as something alarming entered their vision: a horse galloping frantically toward them.
"What's going on?" Marvin asked with concern.
Heighh!
Sinar leaped from his horse before it had fully halted. His face was pale and tense as he rounded up his fellow hunters. They whispered and murmured among themselves, their agitation growing with each passing second.
Some shot hostile glances at Sontra, and Sinar himself looked ready to lunge at him, held back only by the firm hands of his companions.
Then, one of the hunters approached Marvin.
"Mr. Merchant, we need to leave. Now."
"Did something happen?"
Marvin looked at the two carts that were not yet fully loaded, yet the hunters were already hastily securing the cargo. Sweeping his gaze across the front yard, he saw everyone preparing for a swift departure.
"It's the Elder's order. We will finish the work here tomorrow morning, but we must leave now," the hunter said, his voice growing impatient.
Marvin was visibly concerned. His question had been sidestepped, which could only mean bad news. Nonetheless, he agreed and followed instructions. After a short, hurried farewell to Sontra, he was politely but firmly ushered into one of his caravans. Strangely, the moment the caravan's curtain closed, the hunters grew more frantic.
They showed none of the care for Marvin's belongings they had before, now throwing and piling items haphazardly. Even the horses were treated harshly, dragged and forcibly controlled if they resisted.
Like a passing squall, the group of hunters arrived and departed with abrupt urgency.
"..."
"Are you not going with your comrades?"
To his side, two hunters remained. Sontra had never spoken to one of them, but that was not the case for the other. The second hunter was, unsurprisingly, Sinar.
"The Elder is concerned for your safety, sir. We have been tasked with your protection."
"What a pleasant thing to hear."