An Unexpected Guest. (Continued)

"That's what we made to defend against bandits."

"After most of the young men in the village left with Theresis, there were far fewer people left in the village who could fight... and those bandits have also set their sights on us."

"We've set up many obstacles around them to deal with them... but that only reduces their strength to a certain extent. When night falls, it's safer for everyone to stay together."

The old man continued speaking, putting down his pipe, rubbing his temples with his fingers, and sighing with a slight headache.

Maria, however, suddenly became wary.

The village's location... while not particularly important, is less than a week's journey from Kazdel Royal City.

Still near the main road.

Occasionally, warriors from the Babel would pass by.

How could robbers roam in a place like this?

Are they crazy?

"I don't know what happened... They only came out in the last few months. They're called robbers, but they don't seem to steal anything valuable. They just come to burn houses, smash things, and occasionally take a few people away."

The old man looked puzzled as he spoke.

His words sounded like he was trying to exonerate the bandits, but they actually reflected his genuine doubts.

It's important to understand that very few people become robbers—a shady profession—just for fun. What are their reasons for becoming robbers?

Isn't it all about getting rich through robbery?

But these bandits didn't steal anything; every time they came, they would burn and vandalize... and occasionally kidnap people to escape.

But they weren't capturing people to sell as slaves. According to observations, after a few days, those who had been captured would rejoin their ranks.

However, they will become eccentric and unable to listen to human speech.

As someone who values family above all else, the elderly man, Caster, had organized a group of people to try and bring him back.

Unfortunately, they didn't know what had happened to those people. They could still communicate normally, and their memories were fine, but they were acting crazy, shouting and yelling from time to time, attracting the robbers to approach.

Left with no other choice, the old man had to let these people leave.

As for the remaining people who had not yet been arrested, they were gathered together and placed under protective custody.

Maria frowned upon hearing this.

She sat to one side, her legs slightly crossed, her fingers rhythmically tapping the table.

The aura gradually became more acute and mysterious...

"What... do you know?"

The old man was somewhat surprised by Maria's reaction.

"... I can't give you a direct answer, but... the states you described reminded me of something."

Maria rubbed her temples.

When she first heard the old man talk about the bandits, she thought it was just some reckless Sarkaz mercenaries causing trouble.

But hearing the old man's strange appearance reminded Maria of something else.

Great Beast!

Or perhaps... those in Great Ones.

Only its involvement can explain why people who were perfectly fine before went insane a few days after being taken away by these bandits.

But there's a problem with this...

"When I came here last time, I didn't sense the presence of Great Beast... and it's the same now..."

With Maria's almost supernatural senses for Great Beast, there was nothing she couldn't detect.

The old woman's description was indeed very similar to what happened after the Great Beast appeared, but her perception wouldn't lie.

So...

What unexpected event occurred in the middle?

Maria frowned in thought, her eyes flickering.

After a moment, she shook her head slightly.

Do you have a place to rest here... I mean, a place to stay or something?

"Of course there is."

The old man nodded, not refusing.

In fact, due to the series of events that have occurred during this period, the population of their village has dwindled to a dangerous level. Even when people gather together, they can hardly fill the houses in the central area. If Maria needs a place to live, she can simply find one herself.

However, food supplies certainly cannot be guaranteed.

"That's enough."

Maria shook her head slightly.

With her abilities, it would be quite easy for her to investigate the background of a gang of robbers.

If the other party is indeed an organization related to Great Beast, Maria will not hesitate to eliminate them.

If not... then Maria will handle the situation accordingly.

These things won't take her too much time.

The Doctor, though not entirely clear on what Maria was doing, nodded in support of Maria choice...

After confirming her target, Maria didn't hesitate for long and turned to ask the old man.

Is there any pattern to their attacks?

Upon hearing the question, the old man frowned, closed his eyes, and pondered for a while before shaking his head.

"I'm not entirely sure, but I feel like I often see those people... They either attack us, or they attack caravans on the road or villages and towns further away."

"Their movements and objectives are quite vague... There was also someone who called himself the Babel who came to investigate something, but in the end, he left without finding anything."

The old man spoke with a hint of helplessness in his voice.

Maria wanted to ask something more, but suddenly a pair of ears popped out from the doorway.

Although its appearance cannot be seen, judging from the position of its protruding ears, it should be a child.

The people present wisely kept quiet.

Clearly, in any of the three cultures, children would be considered a group receiving special treatment.

What they were talking about was still too early for a child.

After Maria and the old man exchanged a glance, the old man suddenly put on a smile.

"Look who's here? My little Tessi?"

"Um."

Upon hearing the old man call her name, the little girl dressed in plain white cautiously pushed open the door and curiously peeked out to look at the two people in the room.

Her eyes were bright, large like two gems, and she carried a beautifully crafted wooden violin in her hand. Her face was full of childlike innocence and curiosity.

It seemed as if they were completely unaffected by what happened in the village today.

Hello.

This little girl, Tessi, seemed very polite; upon seeing a stranger in the room, she still gave a stiff bow.

The Doctor next to her was still smiling, but Maria, maintaining proper etiquette, also took off her hat and held it to her chest, bowing to the girl.

Regardless of the other person's age, since a greeting has been given, she is obligated to return the greeting.

The Doctor standing nearby clearly didn't understand these things; she simply interpreted them as some kind of custom that had to be followed. However, she had no hat to remove, so she could only place her hand on her chest and follow suit by bowing.

After a long while, both of them finally raised their bodies.

The elderly man beside him then gave a gentle introduction.

"This is my granddaughter... Tessi, the only little musician around here."

The old man's gloomy expression eased somewhat when he introduced the little girl, and a warm smile appeared on his face.

But being called a little musician still made little Tessi blush.

She was both proud and shy, her eyes constantly darting between Maria and the others, as well as her grandfather. Her little face puffed out, and her ears curled up slightly, forming an "X".

This brought a knowing smile to the faces of both the Doctor and the old man.

Maria, however, blinked and looked at the old man beside her.

The old man was aware that the topics they were discussing were somewhat inappropriate for children, so he coughed twice and continued to speak gently.

"It's so late, aren't you asleep yet, my little Tessi?"

The old man deliberately extinguished his pipe, stepped forward, and picked up the little girl.

The little girl didn't resist these things; she just shook her head slightly after being picked up by the old man and said something in a somewhat sad tone.

"So many people are crying... Aunt Merlin, Uncle Peterson, and Boro... Everyone seems very sad, Grandpa, why is that?"

Little Tessi clearly had no idea what was happening in the village; she was simply observing everyone's changing moods based on her childlike instincts.

Because of Grandpa's instructions, all the children went to play on the side today with Uncle Ezio, so when they came back, they had no idea what had happened.

Even so, the scent of tears that permeated the air could not mask the keen senses of these children.

The Caster are a race that values family and is not aggressive. Once they are in the same family group, even if they are not related by blood, they can truly care for each other wholeheartedly.

"You'll understand when you grow up."

The old man smiled and shook his head, his face showing no trace of sadness, only gentle words like those of someone telling a fairy tale.

He was doing his best to melt away the girl's unease and resentment.

Clearly, the old man's method was very effective.

After a moment of doubt, Tessi nodded seriously.

If you can't understand something, then don't bother thinking about it.

Grandpa wouldn't lie to himself.

You'll definitely understand these things when you grow up...

But...

What can I do to make everyone happier?

Tessi asked, her small voice delicate but carrying a childlike tenderness and consideration.

She wanted to do something to cheer everyone up.

The old man standing to the side paused for a long while, then smiled helplessly.

"You don't need to do anything, my little Tessi... You're a child everyone loves. Just grow up well, and everyone will be happy."

"Waaah..."

When Grandpa brought up growing up again, Tessi hesitated. She wanted to help others as soon as possible, but... growing up is really slow.

"Is there any other way to grow up faster, Grandpa?"

The girl innocently asked the old man a question.

The old man simply smiled and ruffled the other person's hair.

"Go to bed early, eat well, and enjoy every day; then you'll grow up quickly..."

"Waaah... Grandpa, I'm eight years old."

Tessi shook his head slightly, his words tinged with dissatisfaction.

She just wanted to prove to the old man that she wasn't a child anymore.

The old man simply smiled.

He lowered his head, leaned close to the girl's ear, and whispered something to Tessi.

Finally, after being coaxed and tricked by the old man, Tessi reluctantly decided to go back to rest.

But before leaving, he couldn't help but take one last look at Maria and the Doctor before finally departing.