"All right, come in."
After a low command granting him entry, the front door of the black house before Linsey let out a harsh, creaking groan.
The old, rusted hinges wailed mournfully.
The door looked sturdy, but its joints seemed ready to snap at any moment.
Once the entire door had opened a gap wide enough for someone to pass through, Linsey saw two people staring at him, one tall and one short.
The shorter one was naturally the child who had questioned him from above earlier.
The taller one seemed to be his older brother. He was thin, and his naturally tall frame made his entire body look unhealthy.
"Thank you very much."
Linsey nodded his thanks and quickly stepped inside. Behind him, the door creaked shut again.
"Hm?"
Linsey swept his gaze around.
The interior of this cluster of black buildings was surprisingly clean. There was not even a trace of the moldy, rancid stench common in the surrounding houses.
"Come with me." The tall, skinny man turned and led the way. At the same time, he told the child, "A Fang, stay up there and keep watch. Don't fall asleep in the middle of the night again."
"Hey!"
"Don't worry. Someone came by just now, and didn't I spot him right away?"
The child nodded.
He climbed the dry wooden ladder beside them to the second floor and returned to his peephole to stand guard.
Linsey followed the tall, skinny man through the building.
Before long, he heard the other man ask:
"Friend, who told you about us? How did you manage to find this place?"
Linsey had already used Air Touch to discern what the man had said. Now, having found his target, he spoke with calculated precision:
"I... I only heard that everyone here... is