While Zhao Si and the others were studying the problem with the food in their room, Blaidd? was still standing outside in the rain.
Village chief Yage asked politely, "Would you like to have something to eat with us?"
Blaidd? waved a hand to decline. Yage had no choice but to return alone to his own half of the room, leaving Blaidd? out in the rain by himself. At last, Blaidd? could be alone.
Ever since entering the village, he had felt something was strange. He felt that their party was being watched. It was a warrior's intuition, with no concrete evidence. And the village chief had kept following him, which made it seem even stranger. He did not understand why this man named Yage, besides helping them tether their horses and put away their luggage, also had to stand in the rain with him, barely ever leaving his side. Unless there was something he had to do, such as delivering food.
At that moment, he stood alone, leaning against the doorframe with half his body exposed to the rain. He could hear raindrops striking his armor, and occasionally a child crying or a dog barking.
But the feeling of being watched had not gone away. He turned his head slightly, looking toward the places that struck him as strange. The other houses were pitch-black inside, with no sign of anyone lighting a fire to cook. It was as though the villagers had all become motionless after returning home.
Even now, he could not understand why the people here had prayed to the Two Fingers, or why they needed help. Was it really just to solve a crime and see justice done?
As the rain grew heavier, the mist did not thin. Instead, it seemed to be growing thicker, reducing