(Cael's Pov)
The next morning, we of course decided to detour from our route a little, and direct ourselves towards the village where she's most likely from. Lina had slept outside in her own tent, since she just wouldn't want to get too close to anyone, or I guess more than anything just didn't want to be near adults.
Honestly, given the circumstances it would be stupid to assume that she hadn't been abused in some sorts. Signs of poor treatment, and a deep fear around adults, especially males. Those signs are pretty obvious unfortunately.
Which is why, after she woke up, it was mom who talked her into actually getting into a carriage with us. It wasn't an easy feat for her either though, don't get me wrong. She was clearly distrusting of all of us, not necessarily just the male adults. But in the end, thankfully enough we managed to get her to come with us in our carriage, since besides the twins and myself, mom was the only other adult there.
Rune was on mom's lap, and I was sitting next to them. Her reaction towards me didn't seem to be too bad, but I was still a male after all. I decided to just give her the peace of mind, and let Nala sit next to her instead.
This is pretty awkward… but I guess it can't be helped, huh?
Rune was reading, mom had her arms around his stomach, with her chin resting on his head. They were both reading to some extent, or at least mom seemed to pay attention to the book from time to time. Lina was just sitting in her corner, looking around nervously and fidgeting, but that much was expected from her. Nala on the other hand, was surprisingly silent.
The girl is usually pretty chatty, not to mention how easygoing and extroverted she is. I honestly imagined her still trying to talk to Lina, regardless of the rejection of her attempts from yesterday night, but I guess that's not the case, huh? She still had some mandarins in her bag, and was currently almost done peeling one.
I guess even extroverts know when to keep their mouth shut, huh?
Not that this was necessarily a moment in need of silence, but I'd imagine that it's probably the better choice for the time being considering her previous failed attempt at speaking with her. However, it seems like that wasn't actually the case. Once she was done with peeling it, she split it in half. Nothing unusual there, after all she can't really swallow the whole thing.
What surprised me was what she did afterwards. Without even looking at her or turning around at all for that matter, she extended her arm towards Lina, holding one of the halves. Taken a little aback by it, she stared at Napa's hand.
"Here. Mandarins are my favorite, you know? They always make me happy when I eat them. But you're sad, I can share them with you. They will make you feel better."
"I…uhm…"
"Mh."
"I-i…"
"Hm."
"T-thank y…you."
"Hmph."
…Did we just witness a forced mandarin giveaway?
Lina was definitely not sure about it at first, but Nala's almost silent persistence besides her hums kinda just forced her to take it. I guess it makes sense in the end though, after all… she may be bossy, but she has a good heart. Seems like I was wrong about assuming she had given up, wasn't I?
I had a pretty good feeling about today. For starters, the weather seemed much more lenient than it was yesterday, since the sky had even cleared up, and it didn't seem to be going to snow again today. On top of that, after the first half of that Mandarin, Nala and Lina ended up sharing the whole rest of her bag until we arrived at the village.
The first thing I noticed was that there were no walls around it. I honestly don't really get why, but maybe it's really just subjective to the area? For example, near our village, especially in the forest, there were quite a few monsters. It made sense for us to need walls, also because besides our parents, Aldric and Lysanna, no one in it could really fight against any monsters.
The same could've been said for the town honestly, since there didn't seem to be anyone particularly strong in it. On our way here, we saw a few villages here and there, and also 2 towns, and pretty much all of them were surrounded. Did this mean that there were some strong people in here? At least strong enough to not need walls?
It's not like we necessarily needed them in our village, after all if Maia's estimation of dad's strength is accurate then he would be able to clear any monsters in the area with ease, but I'm assuming that they were there to begin with before they even settled there. So for this village to not have walls at all, there must be someone able to take down any nearby monsters, no?
There was really just one way to find out though, which is why for the time being, me, dad, mom and Lina decided to go first, while the rest remained at our carriages which were stationed around 100 meters away from the nearest house to us.
Mom was holding her hand since she seemed to be the one Lina was most comfortable around, while me and dad walked side by side, a few steps away from them to give her more space. From the look on her face as we approached, it seemed like she was happy…? Was that really it though? She was definitely smiling, but it was a pretty weak one for someone returning home after being stranded, isn't it?
Not to mention, she kinda looked even more uncomfortable now than when we found her.
"Old man…"
"Yeah, something is definitely going on here."
Mana communication was definitely useful, huh? But nonetheless, this was a pretty serious matter, so we both decided on keeping our guard up. Luckily or not for us, as we had finally arrived at the nearest house, there seemed to be someone outside already. It was a woman, seemingly in her late 20's, hanging some wet clothes.
It was pretty early after all. We woke up later than usual to let Lina rest, and even though it took us around 2 hours to get here, it was still only around 10 in the morning. People were doing their daily tasks, and that alone wasn't anything weird, however the unsettling part followed right afterwards.
She noticed us, curiously glancing over. Nothing weird there, it's probably just unusual for people to drop by this village. But the part that made us uncomfortable was how quickly her expression changed when she saw Lina. Her pace paled up almost instantly, and the shock was so intense that she even fell to the ground. Covering her mouth with one hand while pointing towards her and screaming.
"Y-you! W-what are you doing back here!"
"T-this can't be happening, n-no! No! Noooo!"
Instinctively, mom picked her up, while me and dad raised our guards as a man came out of the house, probably after hearing his wife screaming like that.
"What's going on here?!"
However, he unfortunately had a similar reaction once he saw her.
"Y-you-?! H-how… how?!"
How infuriating. On top of it, Lina had started to cry while mom held her too. I honestly don't really care what their side of the story even is. There's really nothing a 5 year old kid could do for adults to have this reaction from seeing her. Something was definitely going on here.
"I see… it seems like you're not really that happy to see her, huh?"
Dad spoke.
"O-o-of course we aren't you idiot! Th-that child was supposed to be the sacrifice! What are we going to do now?! We're all doomed! Why did you bring her back?!"
"That's right! D-do you have any idea what this means for us?!"
You know… it's in moments like these. We may bunter with each other often, and have a slightly unconventional relationship, almost more like a pair of really good friends than one of a father and son. But it's in moments like these, that I really am reminded of it. Without another word, we both dashed towards them, unsheathing our swords. Stopping in front of one of them each, holding them close to their faces, we both spoke at the same time.
"We don't. So how about you start explaining already, instead of continuing to make her cry?"
In moments like these when our bodies are in complete synchronization, alongside our minds I get reminded of it. He really is my father.
"You… you bastards! W-what do you think you're doing?!"
Honestly, pointing our swords at them may not have been the most intelligent or friendly approach. But it seems like neither one of us was willing to let them keep going on with their nonsense. We weren't really planning on hurting them though, don't get me wrong. But that may have changed depending on what they said.
But luckily for them, before either me or dad could reply, we were interrupted by the sound of someone clapping their hands, as they approached.
"It seems like we've put quite the unsightly display for our guests, haven't we?"
"Chief-"
But he was interrupted by the same old man who had slowly walked in front of them. He was fairly short, bald and had a long white beard that reached down to the lower end of his neck. He was kinda like the picture example of a gnome, but somehow wasn't one. I guess he was also taller than what a dwarf or gnome would be though, even if not by much.
Both his hands were behind his back, and he seemed completely composed as he spoke.
"I apologize on their behalf. I shall explain everything to you, so why don't you firstly put down your swords? Our dear guests."
Well, it's not like we were looking for a fight either way. After sheathing our blades, the old man then began walking us all, mom and Lina included towards his own house.
"It is truly a beautiful day today, it would be a shame if we spent it in conflict, don't you think so?"
We ignored it, simply walking behind him. Honestly, I don't think any of us had any intention of engaging in small talk.
After getting to his house, an old lady who I assume was his wife began preparing a cup of tea for us while the chief sat us down at the table.
"From the looks of that young lady with golden eyes and silver whiteish hair, is it safe to assume that you guys are the Ashford family?"
"That's right. We were on our way to the capital… but we happened to need to detour a little. We found a little girl stranded in the snow after all."
"I see…"
"Old man, can you please just explain already? I don't mean to be rude, but as the one who went to rescue her, I'm not really that comfortable with seeing her terrified in her own village's chief's home."
"You young man must be the second eldest?"
"I am, but does it really matter now?"
"Haha, I guess you're right. It doesn't really matter. I won't waste much more of your time though, and I'll begin explaining."
But before beginning to actually explain, he glanced over at mom, who was holding Lina. It didn't take a genius to realize what the old man was implying. Mom looked at dad, who nodded.
"It's fine Isolde. Me and Cael will hear him out. Go back to our carriage with the little one for now, we'll look for her parents later."
"Alright… dear, sweetie, both of you be careful."
It seems like he was planning on taking mom and Lina out of the picture from the very beginning. After all, when the old lady was done with preparing the tea, she had only brought 3 cups.
"I have a few more chores to do, but please enjoy your stay."
"Thank you."
"Thanks."
And she excused herself almost immediately after, leaving the room with us alone inside.
"Are you finally going to spill the beans, old man?"
"Fret not. My lovely wife made such fragrant tea… it would be a waste if you didn't even take a sip out of it, don't you think so?"
There was no real reason for us to be afraid of it, and in all honesty the tea did definitely smell really good. It's very unlikely to be poisoned anyway. After all, if he was to try and take out the Commander's Lieutenant's family, then forget jail time, he would end up dead within a day at most. So with that in mind, we both took a sip.
It's definitely pretty high in quality… It's a great cup of tea.
That didn't mean that we had no reason to be doubtful though. Floral teas are known for their calming effects. Was he trying to get us to be more lenient on him? Or maybe try to have us let our guard down?
"It seems that you're both enjoying it. I am very pleased by that."
"…"
"…"
"Well then… I'll now begin to explain. The reason why those 2 were so terrified from seeing the little girl, and why she was gone to begin with."
"It must've been 10 years since then… It was a peaceful day as usual. Our village had always been very successful when it came to our agriculture. That also included raising animals to feed ourselves. However, it all changed one day."
"There's an old legend around here. One so old that it even outdated me in age. There's a forest nearby, which I'm sure you've passed around on your way. It must be close to where you found the little one, correct?"
"That's right."
"The legend says that once upon a long time ago, that forest used to be the hideout of 2 escapees. They were 2 nobles, of which families were at hard conflict towards each other, yet the 2 young people fell in love. Deciding to forsake their own families, they ran away, and ended up finding refuge in that forest."
"The two had a hard time adapting at first. After all, they were nobles raised with nothing but the best from the moment of their birth. They never had the need to work particularly hard in their life. However, in order to survive by the side of each other, they learnt to adapt. Using the wood from dead trees they'd make a shelter. They'd hunt for food, and even cultivate whatever they could."
"It was a harsh journey, but after 5 years from their escape, they had managed to be able to live comfortably, mostly isolated from the outside world. It was around that time then, that the young lady got pregnant. They were filled to the brim with nothing but joy and hope from it, and with his help, even after a harsh pregnancy, a healthy baby girl was born."
"They devoted themselves fully to raising her, giving her all that they had. The only times they'd leave the forest was to go and buy resources they couldn't get in the forest themselves. It seemed that everything was going just fine for the young couple… until one day, everything had turned to dust."
"It turned out that out of rage from their sudden disappearance, their families had put bounties on them. Both of them thought that it was a disgrace for those 2 to run together, so they wanted them gone for good. Which is why, one night, a group of bandits who had found them outside the forest in one of their shopping sprees, followed them home."
"They tried to fight it off, but they were still just regular humans in the end. The group that was after them had a few adventurers among themselves, so it was a one sided battle. It is said that they had first taken out the father, then the daughter, and finally the mother."
"However, the mother's spirit, probably driven mad by the sudden overturn of her peaceful life, and the unjust fate that her husband and child had met, became a cursed spirit. Taking over the whole forest, and also killing almost all of the men that were after them. It was that one sole survivor that was able to tell the tale."
"…"
"That's a pretty tragic story… but how does that relate to our current situation?"
"Yes, I'll get there right away. I'm almost done after all. So please listen carefully."
We nodded.
"After the last man had managed to run away, it's said that she cursed the entire forest. Frustrated by the loss of her loved ones, especially her own child, she couldn't bear the sight of any children within her forest anymore. If any were to enter the forest, a curse would fall on them and their family, alongside anyone close to them."
"That's why, we've always instructed our children to never get near the forest… but 10 years ago, one child happened to get lost while stupidly leaving the village with a few friends of his, resulting in the whole village getting cursed."
"Our land became infertile. Our animals would get sick and die no matter the breed, or circumstances, and not even magic could fix either of those problems. The woman's spirit would curse away the children and anyone nearby their family, in hope of making them lose everything, the same way she did."
"There is only one way for the curse to be more lenient on us however. And that was to sacrifice one of our children every winter, because that was the season in which she lost her own child. That little girl happened to be this year's. In exchange for a sacrifice, the village would be granted fertility for the rest of the year, until the next winter to come. But now that the sacrifice is back here… we won't be able to make any produce this year, or raise any animals."
"I see…"
"So that's why…"
Given that this was a world where magic existed, it wouldn't be unbelievable for curses to do as well. The circumstances seem to align as well, as much as I hate to admit it. It wouldn't be completely unrealistic to genuinely believe what he said, and it may just be the better option… but I had a terrible feeling in my gut. Something was off. For starters, how are the sacrifices even made? Wouldn't someone need to bring her there? Yet she was alone.
Second of all, her reactions don't line up with the alibi. Lina is more uncomfortable around adult males than women. If her trauma was due to this supposed spirit, that would make no sense. After all, it was the wife who became cursed, not the husband.
The story had its fair share of credibility, but it was still not fully convincing. Looking at dad's expression which was calculating but at the same time neutral, I think he also thought the same.
"We'll go find her parents for the time being. Thanks for the tea, Chief. Let's go, Cael."
"No problem. Feel free to enjoy your time in our village. We'll make sure that nothing like earlier will happen again."
"That would be really helpful. Thanks again."
We quickly went back to our carriages, telling the story to the others as well. As expected though, we weren't the only suspicious ones. Granted that these people were nothing far from exceptional, I honestly don't think it would take a genius to see where the dots simply don't connect here.
In fact, not only were some dots which I had already noticed not connecting, Aldric had even pointed out another flaw in that story.
"If the curse is so feared and engraved within their day to day life, wouldn't they make the sacrifice sooner? If I had to do something to avoid a curse for the rest of the year, every year at the same period, I would do it as soon as I could, and lift the burden off my shoulders."
"That's also true. Not to mention that these past few days the weather had been noticeably bad. Why would they risk their precious sacrifice getting possibly damaged on her way? Why not send her as soon as winter began in December, and why was she alone…"
"There's too many unanswered questions, huh?"
Lina was currently with Nala, Lysanna and rune in one of the carriages. It was just me, our parents and Aldric currently discussing it.
"Should we just try and find her parents for now?"
"No, I don't think it's a good idea."
"I agree with mom. I don't think we should leave her alone inside the village for the time being. Even if it's her parents, they already gave her up as a sacrifice to begin with. We don't know how they may react to the sacrifice being rejected after all."
"I see… that's also true. But even then, is it really fine to keep her with us? Be it as it may that she seems more comfortable, aren't we kidnapping her at this point?"
"Have you grown weak, Bartholomew? To begin with, her parents gave her away as a sacrifice. They may as well have given out their parental rights."
"Even then-"
"Plus, don't forget about that little thing around your neck."
The seal, Huh? It's definitely true that with it we could get to the bottom of this a lot quicker, but honestly it's probably best to not use it unless it's absolutely necessary. Stories can get twisted really fast, especially if they're about a banished noble family. If we started abusing the Commander's seal, it would take little to no time for our reputation to go even lower than it already was.
"It's best if we keep this as a last resort. I get what you mean, but I'm sure you already know what I'm trying to say, Aldric."
"I was just reminding you. If things start getting too complicated or fishy, we can make it end quickly."
"Aren't you a little too eager to use this thing… I'm not buying you a new bow with it, by the way."
"That's not-"
"Yeah, yeah. Anyway, Cael, what do you think we should do now? You've been mostly quiet unlike usual, so I was wondering what my bratty little genius thinks."
He asked while ruffling up my hair.
"I'm not a genius…"
"But, I think we should probably observe the situation for now."
After all, if there really is more going on, and there's more people behind this, they're likely to try and get a hold of her again.
It would be too risky for them to randomly demand a new sacrifice, since from the story of that old man and those 2's reaction, it seems to be a one offer type thing. If the sacrifice is rejected, the curse will take effect. No buts, no ifs. If we assume there's someone behind this, they wouldn't have a coverup for it.
However, they could still try to take Lina once again. it would be a lot easier to cover that up as just a late approval or a change of heart from the curse after all.
"How about just laying low for today? If something is really going to happen, it'll happen at night, after all. We can keep our guard up just in case too tonight, and see if anything happens. ."
"Hmm…but Cael, what makes you think that they'd risk getting caught by taking action? After all, we're the ones holding on to Lina."
Aldric's question made sense. On the surface, we were fairly untouchable at the moment. But honestly, it wouldn't be impossible for them to try and publicly frame it as just an incident. Even if something did happen to us and Maia found out, since it would happen before our name gets cleared, she'd have a pretty hard time publicly. Any extreme actions from her could result in a bad scenario, like a civil war or whatever.
Unlike earlier with the tea, it's a lot more convenient to assume a larger group of people are behind this, so it would also get harder for her to comfortably pinpoint the single culprit who'd get punished. The reason why that logic reassured us with the old man's tea is because it's a lot easier to get rid of an old man who probably doesn't have much time left either way.
However, that's probably not why Aldric is asking. I'm sure all 3 of them are already aware that we aren't completely untouchable, or anything like that. The reason Aldric was confused is probably because…
"They have no idea how strong you guys actually are. To them, we are just some disgraced nobles on a journey to embarrass ourselves in court. Even if you guys were at a famous adventurers party and what not, that was before Maia was even born. Not to mention that I assume it's not even public knowledge that it was you. So putting it short… they most likely think that we're easy targets."
"Now that you mention it."
"Haha, I did also cover up my hair and eyes back in the day."
"Yeah, and Back then both me and Aldric had short hair too."
"See? So that's why, I think we should take it easy tonight, and just keep your guards up, but don't do anything unnecessary."
"Alright then. Anyone got any objections?"
"…"
"Seems like that's not the case. We'll go with that then."
And so with our newly agreed upon plan in mind, we spent the day just camping and relaxing among ourselves, waiting for the night to come.