"Raven," Erik greeted her as soon as he saw her again.
"Come on, let's go. We're done here."
Raven just nodded slightly. "Good. In that case, we shouldn't stay here too long. It's getting dark."
They all said their goodbyes, leaving the village accompanied by the watchful and curious stares of the villagers. The small group walked out, passing along the dirt road that stretched to the riverbank. Dusk was slowly being swallowed by the shadows of night; the last orange light in the sky faded, replaced by faintly twinkling stars.
The sound of crickets began to dominate, blending with the gentle murmur of the river flowing beside them. The light from the village oil lamps grew dimmer and dimmer, until only a small dot remained in the distance.
Riana walked in front, occasionally looking back to make sure Erik and Leon, who looked exhausted, were still following. William was busy looking for the path with the stones they had piled up earlier, making sure the way home was still clear. Meanwhile, Raven chose to walk at the back, his steps calm, almost silent, as if allowing himself to melt into the shadows of the night.
There was a moment of silence, until William turned his head and turned on the small flashlight he was holding. "Raven, you disappeared for a while. Where did you go? We had to look for you."
Raven glanced briefly at them, then replied flatly, "I just walked around for a bit. Checking on the village and the people..."
She paused for a moment, then added, "For some reason, I feel like something is... off."
Riana nodded slightly, as if she understood. "It's normal for you to feel that way. I myself find it a little difficult to talk to them because their dialect is different. I can still understand them, but I also feel that something is strange."
Erik chimed in, his expression hardening. "Me too. It feels as if they—"
"Are afraid of us, right?" Leon interrupted suddenly.
William, Erik, and Riana immediately turned to look at him. Meanwhile, Raven continued walking calmly, his gaze straight ahead as if unaffected.
"If the murim world you guys talk about is really full of massacres and bloody battles,"
Leon continued, glancing at Erik, "shouldn't ordinary people like them be defensive towards us? Not afraid like that."
Erik nodded slowly, though he still looked uncertain. "Well... you're not entirely wrong."
"So you mean—" Riana started to say, then stopped.
Leon continued, his voice lower.
"They are afraid of us. But more accurately... they are afraid of something else. It's as if they consider us to be part of the same kind."
"The same kind?" Riana frowned.
William and Erik also looked confused.
"If you have something to say, just say it clearly," Erik said softly.
"Don't make the situation even more confusing."
Leon sighed deeply.
"Hah... haven't you noticed from the beginning?"
He looked at each of their faces.
"Look at their expressions and attitudes since we arrived. From the way they welcomed us, from the atmosphere. They were tense even before we said anything."
"And when we gave them money and showed them kindness," he continued,
"their reaction changed immediately. Too quickly."
Leon shook his head slowly.
"If I were in their position in a world where lives can be lost so easily, I wouldn't just soften up to strangers. Especially not just because of money."
William spoke again, his tone now more serious. His gaze was fixed on Raven.
"Then… what exactly is that 'something else'?"
Riana spoke up too, her expression anxious.
"Are we going to be okay? It's still just a guess, but what Leon said... I feel it too. Especially since the village chief had previously boasted about how prosperous this village was and how friendly they were to outsiders."
"That's what makes it strange," Erik continued.
"Such words don't match the fear they showed us earlier."
Leon rubbed the back of his neck, his face tense.
"That's why we can't stay too long. We don't know what's really going on in this village."
Riana nodded in agreement. "I feel the same way. Our decision to only stay three days seems to be the right one."
Raven didn't add anything. His gaze remained fixed ahead, but his mind returned to his conversation with the village woman earlier about bandits, about oppression, about the shadow of an unorthodox sect behind the bandits.
Their journey along the riverbank continued. The night grew darker, the moon slowly rose, its pale light reflecting on the flowing water. The ripples of the river accompanied their steps, while the sounds of nocturnal animals occasionally echoed from the distance.
Leon furrowed his brow, then turned to Raven. "So, Raven. You had a chance to observe the village earlier, right? Do you think there was anything suspicious?"
Raven paused before answering, his eyes remaining calm.
"I didn't speak to them directly. But from their attitude and from what Leon said earlier, I can guess that this is another external threat that continues to haunt their village."
William looked at him curiously.
"A threat? You mean...?"
Raven glanced briefly at them, then nodded slightly.
"Bandits are the most likely possibility. A village that small wouldn't show such open fear to outsiders if they weren't under some kind of pressure."
He paused for a moment, choosing his words carefully.
"I also noticed that many of the villagers were thin and clearly malnourished. They even seemed too easily tempted by the bag of money we gave them. That's not the reaction of people who are well-fed."
He paused again, then continued in a flat tone.
"And again... considering that the first time we arrived, we were immediately chased by bandits, I dare to conclude that their settlement has been visited by those bandits. Moreover, the distance between their village and our cave is not too far. This area must be within their reach."
Riana frowned. "If that's true... was our decision to stay in that village the right one?"
Erik swallowed hard. "It sounds dangerous. But... if there really are bandits, shouldn't they have approached us by now?"
Leon shook his head, his voice firm. "Not necessarily. Considering that Raven previously informed us that the group of bandits chasing us had clashed with a foreign group, it's likely that they are currently busy fighting each other."
"Hm... that's true," said William, reinforcing Leon's words. "In that case, it's possible that the bandits' attention is not focused on this village for the time being."
That conclusion calmed the atmosphere a little. They breathed more easily, even though the tension had not completely disappeared.
Erik tried to lighten the mood. "The important thing is, we've got permission for three days. That's enough time to make our next plan."
Riana nodded in agreement. "Yes. Tomorrow we can bring the others here and set up a temporary camp. As long as we don't cause any problems with the village, that's fine."
Raven didn't respond. Silently, his mind was piecing together information about the village, their way of life, and the dangers that might lurk around them. He kept it all to himself.
For him, how his friends would deal with the villagers wasn't important. Raven's sole purpose was to gather as much knowledge as possible about Murim in this era and ensure he had a way to protect those truly close to him.