Chapter 46: The Town (4)

“We’ve arrived.”

At the young man’s words, I cautiously looked around. Thick fog hung heavily in the air, and beyond it, only a few wooden buildings were faintly visible.

The gloomy atmosphere sent an unsettling feeling through me. This was not a place I wanted to step into if I could help it. Of course, the young man’s face only added to the eerie mood.

‘What about the compass?’

I asked with my eyes, and Lily carefully pulled out the compass.

The needle was still pointing somewhere deeper into the village.

‘So we haven’t reached it yet.’

According to Evan, the compass would start spinning wildly once we arrived at the designated location. If that were true, then the emperor’s hometown must be even further in.

Just the thought of it gave me a headache.

“Where can we stay for the night?”

At Evan’s question, the young man gestured for us to follow. The way he did it was unnerving, but at this point, turning back wasn’t an option.

“Just follow me.”

With one hand on his sword’s scabbard, Evan cautiously trailed behind him. Despite his obvious wariness, the young man showed no particular reaction—just an indifferent gaze.

To be that calm while leading a knight gripping his weapon… Was it boldness? Or was he just that strange?

“This is the place.”

When the young man finally stopped, what stood before us was an abandoned house. Scorch marks here and there suggested it had once been in a fire.

It looked like it could collapse at the slightest touch.

The interior was somewhat tidy, suggesting someone had maintained it, but that was the best that could be said.

I barely held back a sigh. Lily’s expression crumpled in clear disapproval, and even Evan frowned at the state of the place.

Turning to look at the young man, I found his expression just as indifferent as before.

“There’s nowhere else. Unless you’d rather go knocking on other doors and ask for a place to stay.”

He scratched his head as he spoke.

No matter how scarce the options were, who in their right mind would stay in such a creepy abandoned house?

And the fact that he actually intended to charge for this dump… It was laughable.

Seeing Lily’s expression, the young man seemed to realize we weren’t interested. He clicked his tongue and turned away.

“Well, if you don’t like it, that’s your choice. If you change your mind, come to my house.”

He had already started walking away when he suddenly paused and turned back.

“Oh, right. My house has a yellow roof. Don’t mix it up with the others.”

With that, he disappeared into the fog.

Watching his retreating figure, Evan clicked his tongue in annoyance. Lily had a similar look on her face.

“There’s something off about this place. Stay close to me.”

I nodded at his warning and moved a little closer. Lily also gave a firm nod, acknowledging his words.

She glanced at the compass again before pointing in a direction.

“So, this isn’t the place after all.”

Muttering under his breath, Evan took the lead, following where Lily pointed.

Unlike usual, he was on high alert, his voice lower and more serious than before.

As we walked through the village, where even the path ahead was barely visible, the thick forest gradually came back into view.

Beyond the trees, the fog obscured everything. That made it even harder to take a step forward.

Evan stopped in his tracks and turned around.

“You must be getting tired. Do you want to keep going?”

Now that he mentioned it, we had been walking for quite some time.

Lily was slightly out of breath, and I wasn’t in much better condition myself.

We had taken a few short breaks along the way, but it wasn’t enough to recover fully.

Even though that house was practically a ruin, it was still better than collapsing in the middle of the forest.

“It would be safer to rest in that house than out here.”

Evan seemed to share the same thought.

But Lily frowned, clearly uneasy.

“That man… and this whole village…”

She hesitated before letting out a deep sigh.

“Wouldn’t the village actually be more dangerous?”

“…That’s a fair point.”

She wasn’t wrong. The young man’s demeanor was strange, and Evan had also sensed something odd earlier.

Not to mention, I had noticed something while walking through the village—the abandoned house was located almost exactly in the center of it.

That couldn’t be a coincidence.

It had to mean something.

Seeing my expression, Evan seemed to come to the same conclusion and nodded.

“Alright. Let’s keep going.”

There was still some time before nightfall.

If it really came down to it, we could always return later.

Evan drew his sword and lightly slashed a tree.

As we moved forward, he continued marking trees along the way.

Was he making a trail so we wouldn’t get lost?

That was actually a smart move. If we needed to, we could follow these marks back to the village.

How long had we been walking, following the compass’s direction?

Before we knew it, we arrived at an open plain.

A patch of vibrant green grass, oddly out of place in the midst of the dense forest.

It was suspicious, but the compass still pointed beyond the plains.

“Are you alright?”

“…We have to go.”

That was my only answer to Evan’s question. Lily nodded vigorously in agreement.

“Stay cautious.”

With those words, he pressed forward once more.

Lily and I followed behind, watching as Evan cut through the grass with his sword. His grip on the hilt was firm, his steps slow and deliberate. Lily also scanned her surroundings carefully as she walked.

‘…A cabin?’

A small wooden cabin came into view. Unlike the houses in the village, it wasn’t very large.

A faint light flickered beyond the window, and thin smoke curled up from the chimney.

Unlike that eerie abandoned house, this place seemed warm and cozy.

Evan silently approached the door. After returning his sword to its scabbard, he cautiously knocked.

Knock, knock.

There was no response.

The sky was growing darker, yet the dim light inside the cabin remained. That alone raised questions.

Frowning slightly, Evan knocked again.

“Is anyone there?”

Knock, knock.

This time, there was movement from within.

Moments later, the door swung open, revealing an old woman.

Her wary eyes darted around, scanning the surroundings before she motioned for us to step inside.

The moment we entered, she shut and locked the door behind us.

Her hurried actions only deepened my curiosity.

“You must be outsiders.”

“Yes.”

Leaning on her cane, the old woman let out a deep sigh before sinking into a chair.

“Sit wherever you like. I’d offer you something, but I don’t have much.”

“No, we’re just grateful you let us in.”

It was certainly better than staying in that abandoned house.

With that thought, I took a seat on a wooden chair.

The old woman studied us for a moment before speaking in a calm voice.

“What brings outsiders all the way here?”

At her question, Lily hesitated and glanced at me nervously.

The compass in her hand was spinning wildly now, as if its job was done.

That meant this house was the emperor’s hometown.

When I turned back to the old woman, her sharp gaze was fixed on me.

‘She won’t fall for lies.’

She had hesitated before answering Evan’s knock.

She had locked the door the moment we stepped inside.

Someone that cautious wouldn’t be easily deceived.

If anything, lying might make things worse.

With that thought in mind, I slowly opened my mouth.

“The emperor’s hometown.”

At my words, the old woman’s expression stiffened slightly.

“We came to this village looking for it.”

Lily gasped and clamped a hand over her mouth. Evan, too, looked startled, his lips parting slightly in shock.

The old woman observed us carefully before placing her cane on the table.

After a moment of silence, she let out a soft chuckle.

“You’re quite the honest one.”

“L-Lady Adele!”

Lily had crept behind me, whispering urgently into my ear. Evan stared at me, his expression torn between disbelief and frustration.

His trembling gaze alone spoke volumes about his emotions.

“It’s fine, it’s fine,” the old woman reassured us with a warm smile.

“If you were really imperial spies, you wouldn’t be acting like this.”

Her words made Lily hesitate before she reluctantly took a seat beside me.

Evan let out a long sigh before finally speaking.

“Lady Adele, please consult with us before making such decisions in the future.”

“I’m sorry. I’ll be more careful next time.”

Hearing my apology, he nodded and moved closer.

“So, why are you searching for the emperor’s hometown?”

“We want to know the imperial family’s deepest secret.”

At my words, the old woman exhaled sharply.

“That’s quite the bold statement.”

She chuckled, shaking her head as if reminiscing about her younger days.

After a brief pause, she finally spoke.

“I was the one who raised that child when he was young. So yes, you could say this is his hometown.”

That child…

She must be referring to the emperor.

So we really had come to the right place.

“But there’s not much I can tell you. I was never part of the royal family.”

I stiffened.

Only those of royal blood could reveal the imperial family’s secrets.

Even after coming all this way, the same restriction was blocking our path.

It was frustrating.

Noticing my expression, the old woman shook her head before speaking again.

“There is… one thing I can tell you.”

“What is it?”

She hesitated for a moment before finally parting her lips.

At the same time, a thin stream of blood trickled from her eyes.

A different kind of restriction?

Despite the blood running down her cheek, she showed no intention of stopping.

“That child… is not the emperor.”

– – The End of The Chapter – –

 

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