Chapter 3
The server’s eyes widened as she asked,
“Who are you?”
With such a question directed at a guest, it was clear there were hardly any outsiders in this place. Alice swallowed a laugh.
“I’m a traveler, here to stay for a day. Do you have any vacant rooms?”
“…Is this really a trip?”
The server glanced nervously at Alice’s bag. Ah, perhaps she thought Alice had come alone to lay siege to the place.
Normally, Alice would have shot back a snappy reply or simply ignored her, but there was no need to amplify suspicion in an unfamiliar town. A lie mixed with just enough truth slipped out.
“I’m a staff member from Canery University. I’ve come for research purposes related to the local area’s structure. I’ll be joining my companions tomorrow.”
She shook the old notebook and the compass she had received as a graduation gift from her trunk.
The server examined the word “Academy” on the notebook cover and the metal clasp with a serious expression, nodding as if she understood.
After the server hurriedly cleaned a room for her, Alice unpacked her things and went downstairs, where she found more guests than before in the dining area. It must be nearing mealtime.
Perhaps rumors had spread that an interesting newcomer had arrived. Even in changing times, a woman traveling alone would naturally attract attention.
‘Let them gawk until they’re bored.’
Alice was used to being the center of attention. It was perfectly fine for an unspecified crowd to chatter about her as if evaluating livestock right in front of them; she was truly, truly accustomed to it—those eyes, those gazes, those voices—how tiresome! She felt numb to it all now…
“Where are you from?”
A glass she hadn’t ordered was thrust toward her.
Across from her, a friendly-looking middle-aged man smiled broadly.
“What university did you say you came from?”
“Ah, yes. From Canery University… But this is—”
“It’s not alcohol. Drink up comfortably.”
“Thank you. But the cost—”
“Forget it! Why would I charge for something like this? I heard you came from far away, so it’s on the house.”
The glass contained lemonade. Without further hesitation, Alice tilted the glass and quickly emptied it with her dry, tense lips.
“Phew…”
“Oh dear, it seems the journey was tough. Canery University is the capital’s municipal university, right?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Wow, someone from such a prestigious place has come to visit!”
The man’s eyes sparkled with interest.
“What are you investigating here? Land? Are you planning to build something? Or is there talk of some minerals?”
“Not that kind of thing.”
The glimmer of excitement in his eyes dimmed slightly, but he didn’t leave his seat immediately.
“Whatever it is, feel free to ask if you’re curious. Just so you know…”
The man lowered his voice and put on a serious expression.
“This restaurant isn’t good. Especially the bread; you should eat it somewhere else.”
“…Haha, thank you.”
“If you need workers, come to the tavern at eleven o’clock. The goods are in the main street shopping area. When looking for horses or carriages, you might have seen it on your way here; there’s a public stable that used to be a relay station…”
He was really a kind person. Alice tried to show her gratitude with a smile. Her lips, which hadn’t smiled in a long time, twisted awkwardly.
“But really, what are you here to find?”
Alice hesitated slightly and mixed truth with lies again.
“Herbs. I’m doing research in pharmacology.”
“Oh, herbs.”
“I heard a rumor that some interesting herbs were discovered around here…”
It was time to get to the point.
Okay, take a deep breath.
No matter how many layers of sugar you put on it, the bitterness of medicine remains.
“…Do you happen to know a village called ‘Reki’?”
“No!”
This was already the third time the man had interrupted Alice.
But she couldn’t get angry; he was trembling like an aspen leaf as he stood up.
“Sir?”
“There’s no such place!”
“Sir.”
“I don’t know where you heard that, but forget it. It’s nonsense, really nonsense!”
“…..”
“A village is nothing without its people!”
“Yes?”
Her questioning tone received no answer. The man jumped up and left the restaurant in a hurry.
Silence enveloped the area instantly. Alice looked around; the curious gazes that had been boring into her moments ago were now fleeing toward the windows, walls, and plates.
Except for one unfortunate server who couldn’t escape his fate.
He sighed and approached her.
“Excuse me, what did you come here to find out?”
“I heard rumors about herbs that only grow along the coast in this area. The nearest village is said to be ‘Reki.’”
“Does a university really act on such nonsense?”
“Anyone would send someone to verify whether it’s true or not. People like me can’t refuse that.”
“Ha…”
“Is there really a village?”
The server let out a deep sigh.
“Should I say it exists or doesn’t exist?”
“If there are residents and a place to live, isn’t it a village?”
“What if it suddenly appeared ten years ago?”
“Ten years?”
This was an unexpected premise. That would barely qualify as a campsite or an illegal occupation.
The server continued.
“That place used to be a quarantine station. It’s called a quarantine station, but it was really just a place where infected prisoners or the sick were left to die. It was closed down decades ago, but no one goes there because it’s considered cursed land.”
“…”
“Even if you don’t believe in curses, there’s no reason to go there. It’s hard to farm with the sea breeze, and the coastline is terrible for fishing. But about ten years ago… suddenly, some strange folks gathered there.”
“Suddenly? Was there no other reason?”
“Why do you keep asking? You sound like someone who really wants to go there.”
Alice was taken aback by how naturally he treated Reki as a ‘place you shouldn’t go.’ She replied defensively,
“I need to check it out at least once. If I can’t enter, I have to report the reason to the university…”
“Yes, yes. You need an excuse? Right. That’s the most important thing in the world.”
The server turned sharply, his expression unreadable but his voice mixed with annoyance and fear.
“If you’re curious, just go alone. Don’t bother hiring someone from the village to guide you!”
“…”
As if trying to erase the traces of blasphemous talk from his mouth, the server took a sip of brandy and spat it out.
A moment later, the restaurant regained a bit of its previous bustle, but all that commotion slid past Alice like oil on water.
‘It feels like being treated as a seasonal plague.’
Outsiders who occasionally came asking for information about “Reki” were like an infectious disease. Was the only prevention to avoid speaking to them altogether?
Alice fiddled with her empty lemonade glass and stood up. Enduring intentional indifference was more burdensome than bearing the weight of overt stares.
***
The map obtained from the government office did not indicate a village named ‘Reki.’ The only way to identify the exact location was through an old map buried in the library’s archives, which marked a ‘detention center.’
‘Indeed, this doesn’t seem like a place where a village could naturally occur.’
There were no decent forests or attractive water sources capable of sustaining farmland. Half of the area was surrounded by a coastline that seemed to have been deliberately disturbed by a toxic deity.
Still, being by the sea might allow for the development of fishing… However, that hope vanished upon reading an old report stating that a massive trading ship had once mistakenly entered these waters and was wrecked by the waves, with rescue efforts ultimately failing after much difficulty.
‘Well, if it were decent land, there would be no reason to establish a detention center.’
Does the village even exist?
Perhaps Nathan is trapped somewhere, unable to enter that village…
This ominous speculation momentarily blanked Alice’s mind, causing her not to notice the man standing in her way.
“Ah!”
Just before colliding, Alice’s foot stopped. It was truly fortunate; she almost ended up burying her nose in the chest of a man whose shirt was carelessly unbuttoned like a pirate’s.
Alice hurriedly apologized, placing her hand over her heart.
“I’m sorry.”
“…What a shame.”
“Pardon?”
“If we had collided, I would have asked you to buy me a beer.”
Damn. Though it’s wrong to judge based on appearances, he perfectly matched the prejudice I formed just by looking at his outfit. Alice retreated hastily, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
Alice raised her head slightly to see the other person’s face, but this time her expectations based on experience were off.
‘Why is he so tall?’
His face stood out among the hundreds of living or dead men Alice had seen.
Only after awkwardly tilting her head did she meet his dark eyes, which curved playfully.
“It’s hard to see my face, isn’t it? Where shall we sit?”
What nonsense is this?
Alice immediately lowered her head again, cursing as she collided with the man’s torso. His body filled her vision, resembling an ancient deity’s statue covered roughly in lead, exuding a vivid life force despite lacking color.
Does this man think of his shirt as just something to cover his back?
“No, excuse me.”
Alice tightly clutched her documents and turned abruptly. Based on past experiences, men like him might grab a woman’s arm if she ignored them, so it was best to create physical distance first.
However, the man held onto Alice in a different way.
“You’re looking for Reki, aren’t you?”
“…How did you know?”
“This lady has no conscience. You were chatting away in broad daylight at a restaurant, yet you thought that would be hidden like a secret diary under a bed?”
“What’s your business?”
Alice firmly shot back.
She had never come out well from getting entangled with such frivolous types; it was better to throw out politeness altogether.
Of course, the man showed no signs of being intimidated.
“You’re quite sharp, aren’t you? Well, it’s obvious. If I were to guide you to Reki, how much could you offer?”
Ah, as expected.
Alice had anticipated that the employee’s warning against seeking a guide would imply that there were indeed residents willing to take risks for money.
Swallowing a small cheer, she immediately inquired about the terms.
“By carriage or by horse?”
“Carriage is a bit expensive. About 30 gold for a one-way trip.”
“Ah…”
That amount equaled her monthly income. A look of undeniable shock spread across her face.
She quickly returned to an expressionless demeanor, but the man tilted his head as if amused. His gray hair, left to grow wild, spilled over the collar of his wrinkled shirt.
Oh, really. He’s a man I dislike on every level.
“Shall we try something cheaper? Can you ride a horse? As you can see, I’m quite large, so unfortunately, sharing a horse with a lady is not possible.”
“That’s not a problem! Just a moment. I have a lot of luggage, so I’d prefer to consider a carriage if possible.”
“Luggage, huh? What kind of things are you carrying?”
She held back the urge to snap back with “What business is it of yours?”
’30 gold is a lot of money, but it’s better than not being able to enter the village.’
Just as Alice pulled out her wallet to check how much deposit she had left, the man interrupted her.
“You’ll save 30 gold.”
Like a butterfly escaping, Alice’s wallet vanished from her hand.
“Uh…?”
The man sprinted away with her wallet in hand, quickly disappearing from view.
Standing there in shock for a moment, Alice then took off after him, albeit a beat too late.
“Thief! Hey!”
In the small library of a quiet town that no one visited, no one answered her call. Alice discarded the papers she was holding, tossed aside her handbag, and finally kicked off her shoes.
But the man who had been running away only grew more distant as she chased after him and soon vanished completely from sight.
Alice clenched her trembling arms tightly with both hands. Did you see how fast he was? No way I could catch up even if I ran faster. Just give up quickly. Focus on what I can do now.
Her strained rationality began to organize the current situation. Fortunately, she had already paid for her lodging at the inn.
From now on, she needed to put on her shoes, gather her bag, hold onto her documents, and file a theft report. Thankfully, she had a group to meet tomorrow. Once they joined her, the major problems would be resolved—
…No.
An insurmountable issue pushed Alice’s mind over the edge in an instant.
“Aubert…”
Her younger brother, Aubert’s will was inside her wallet.
