After Xia Nan told the two members of Blackwood Squad his guess, the air in the private room instantly fell into dead silence.
They were all experienced Adventurers. Even if they had never personally gone through such incidents, they had at least heard of them.
Because of that, they knew perfectly well how terrible—and how extremely dangerous—it would be if something truly existed that could silently influence people's minds and alter their cognition without anyone noticing.
They had great faith in Xia Nan's strength and character, and knew he would not speak without reason.
Margaret and Solding barely even considered the possibility that he was deliberately deceiving them. They immediately began thinking of countermeasures.
"If it really is as you guessed, and the Pastel Gemstone in Horako's possession has some special charming effect..."
"Then I think there is one thing we must confirm first."
Margaret folded her arms across her chest, the gesture showing a defensive stance, her expression grave.
"The three of us... have we already been affected by the gemstone?"
The female Swordsman's reminder made Xia Nan's heart tighten.
She was right to consider it.
If things had already developed to the worst-case scenario, and even they, as Professionals, had already had their minds and wills controlled by the gemstone, then matters would be troublesome.
After all, in a certain sense, the two members of Blackwood Squad had indeed made the decision to stay in town with Horako and investigate the gemstone's source. Xia Nan had also not chosen to leave immediately after arriving in Ram Horn Town, but had instead leisurely prepared the supplies he might need for his coming long journey.
If one really had to put it that way, the behavior of all three of them in Ram Horn Town could be included within the