Chapter 158 – Chapter 5: Vanishing Footsteps – 1
It seemed that I wasn’t the only one who felt that Tail Dawn looked different from what she remembered. Because Marie, who was following her in the shadows, had the same puzzled look on her face.
Only Ruyev, who was walking ahead, maintained a resolute expression.
“This… What happened?”
Taildon was always full of energy whether the sun was up or not.
Now the place has turned into a shabby city.
Even though I’m just walking on the outskirts, I see empty roads. There was no light from the streetlights erected in every major alley, and even in the noisy bars at night, there was only stuffy silence.
It was a place where people who had been drinking all night were clamoring, and even patrolling soldiers joined in to play dice. The scenery I face now feels like entering a cemetery.
However, it was different from our village, which had completely disappeared.
People could be seen walking around somewhere, and laundry hanging everywhere meant that people lived here.
“Everyone went on a campaign.”
Ruyev explained simply.
It is said that Lord Kinthorpe, the lord of Taildon, personally formed a large expeditionary force and headed to Deseo about two months ago.
“I don’t know the detailed reason. It seems that the lord was dissatisfied with the king of Deseo.”
“That’s right. “I started a rebellion.”
Before I fell, I remembered the letters that Lord Kinthorpe had shown me.
[Usurpation of the throne]
Sir Kintoff was someone who had sensed unusual movements taking place in Deseo for a long time and had been preparing step by step.
If the careful old man was able to move it himself… Something must have happened in Deseo.
“But… It has nothing to do with us.”
It didn’t matter to me anymore what the nobles were planning or whether the royal authority was falling.
The reason we came down to Taildon was to achieve only one goal.
When I raise my head, the moon is shining brightly.
We have never been to Taildon this late in the day. No. Except for once, when Tia led us to a Thanksgiving festival.
Sabak. Sabak.
As I approached the entrance to the city, I saw a familiar store.
Aunt Lily’s pastry shop.
This is the store where we always bought ginger biscuits.
By now it was no longer open for business, but luckily I could see the light coming from the lamp through the window.
Swoosh-.
Luyev pulled his hood over his head. Taking that as a signal, Marie and I put on our hoods and followed after her.
Lower your body and look around. It felt very uncomfortable because the city wasn’t noisy, but at least for now it was a good situation for us because there was no one walking around.
Ruyev walked up to the pastry shop and knocked lightly.
Knock.
After a while. Aunt Lily’s sleepy voice was heard from inside.
“Huh? It’s closed now – come next time.”
Knock.
But Ruev paid no heed and knocked on the door again.
Eventually, the lady got up from her seat.
“Hmm-what’s going on at this hour?”
With a slight grumbling sound, the latch clicked open.
The woman who was about to open the door and come out was startled and took a step back when she saw the large young man standing in front of the door.
“Oh my!”
“Please forgive my rudeness in the middle of the night. Lady.”
The frightened woman was startled again when she heard her characteristic low voice.
“For a moment… Is it really Ruyev?”
“Yes.”
“Oh my god!”
When the woman screamed loudly, Luyev shook his head with an expression asking her to be quiet.
“Can I come inside for a moment?”
“Yeah, yeah. Come in!”
“Hello.”
When Marie and I showed up later, Aunt Lily was on the verge of blacking out.
She couldn’t continue her words, looking as if she had seen a ghost.
“Ritz… ? Number of animals… ? Ah…”
To the people of Taledon, I was already dead. There were rumors that Luev and Marie had also run away, so perhaps Aunt Lily thought she would never see us again.
But the children of Brisden were alive and well. He suddenly appeared here without any news.
The shock was by no means small.
The woman covered her mouth and began to sob.
“Ritz… Was he alive? ? I… “You’re probably dreaming, right?”
“…”
What on earth should I say? Where should she answer that she went wrong?
Unfortunately, I wasn’t ready to give her aunt a clear answer.
The reason why we visited the snack shop ‘first’ in Taildon, rather than anywhere else… It was because Aunt Lily was the only person she could trust in the current situation.
“… I think the story will be long. Lady.”
We hurried into the store to avoid other people.
This place where we played and picked snacks when we were young has now become a refuge where we can hide ourselves, even if only for a moment.
For the woman who was still confused, I briefly explained what had happened. Not everything was explained. The villagers were mistaken because it looked like I had died from an illness, and they made up a suitably dramatized story that Ruyev had saved me.
The woman who heard the whole story wiped away her tears.
“I’m so, so glad to see you guys again. I am… I thought you were all dead or scattered…”
Ruyev answered.
“We know it too. In fact, that’s why I deliberately tried not to show myself. You know. Lord Kinthorpe…”
“That’s right. I saw them dragging people from Brisden. We welcomed it without even knowing what it was… But when I saw all the people being imprisoned, I realized something strange was happening in your village.”
This was the reason why I had to hide my face as much as possible in Taildon. If news that we were alive spread throughout the city, great chaos could have occurred.
Fortunately, that was unlikely now, but if Lord Kynthorpe were in this city, he would certainly have ordered me to be brought to him.
… Because I still haven’t repaid my debt to him.
Aunt Lily asked with a worried face.
“Well then… “Is Tia okay too?”
“…”
It felt like her heart was dropping.
The moment you hear the name ‘Tia’ from someone else’s mouth. I clenched my fists due to an unknown impulse.
When I was unable to speak due to choking, Ruyev answered on my behalf.
“We came to ask that too. But it seems like the lady doesn’t know Tia’s whereabouts.”
“The last time I saw Tia was last winter. About four months ago. She had a very sad face, so I comforted her by giving her the remaining snacks… But the next day, wouldn’t there be a strange rumor going around that Tia was Ritsu’s murderer? I said Tia would never be that type of kid… It wasn’t true after all… Ah… Poor Tia. Oh my gosh…”
Ruev soothed Aunt Lily in a quiet voice.
“You don’t have to worry too much, ma’am. Tia is definitely alive somewhere.”
“That’s right… Because Tia is brave and smart. Huh. “She will be safe.”
We already knew. That Tia is in Gordburg.
The problem was that there was no preparation at all to cross there.
It takes two days by horse-drawn carriage from Teildon to Gordburg. It was a city quite far away.
Ruev and I thought about walking if possible, but it was almost impossible to cross the golden meadow with Marie, who was weak.
We don’t have much money left, and we don’t know how to get a carriage to go to Gordburg.
So, despite my shame, I decided that I needed the help of Aunt Lily, the kindest and most reputable woman in Taildon.
She thought that Aunt Lily would never refuse our request… It was my clever calculation.
“Madam. “I need help.”
I asked with clenched teeth.
“I won’t cause you any trouble, so just one room for a short stay… “Can you provide it?”
Aunt Lily calmed down her emotions and stood up.
“Then. “If you need anything, just tell me.”
So we headed to an inn.
The innkeeper looked very suspicious when he saw two young men and a girl come in late at night wearing her hood, but when Aunt Lily told her that she was ‘her guest’, she immediately put aside her suspicions and went to her room.
Even though it was hard and cold, the lady wrapped her snacks in a bundle and handed them to me, telling me to eat them at least. She even gave him some money to use in times of emergency.
Aunt Lily’s warm kindness brought tears to her eyes. At the same time, she felt infinitely guilty for taking advantage of such a good person.
“Sorry. I feel like it’s causing too much trouble…”
“You’re welcome! I am very happy now! Furthermore, I’m so happy that you guys are alive… “My heart, which had been hurting all winter, has completely healed.”
The lady held my hand tightly.
“Tomorrow… Are you leaving?”
“I think so.”
“Wherever you go, don’t get hurt. Safe and sound. Everyone must… Come back again. With Tia.”
“… Yes. “I will definitely come back.”
I don’t know if I can keep all of those promises.
I firmly promised to do so.
“Thank you… Lady.”
Aunt Lily patted our heads once in a while without saying anything and went downstairs.
When she saw her back walking alone down the dark night road. Suddenly, the story that her aunt ‘had a son’ came to mind.
* * *
The next morning.
There wasn’t much time given to us to relax. It would be nice if we could shake things off like this and leave for Gordburg right away. There were a few things to check before that.
“We can’t all walk around together.”
Ruyev and I were in a situation where we couldn’t be seen by people. However, if I went around with my hood pressed down like I did last night, I could have aroused even more suspicion.
If two men were walking around like that, and I wasn’t alone, it wouldn’t be surprising if I got stabbed somewhere.
Ruyev frowned and argued.
“Does that mean you’re going to send Marie away alone?”
“Of course it won’t work, right?”
Just walking around Taildon, which is much larger than Brisden, would be a huge strain on the body, and it was questionable whether Marie would be able to navigate it on her own.
Just when I was thinking about whether I should find another way.
Marie, who had been quiet, suddenly opened her mouth.
“I will do it.”
“What?”
Ruyev spoke in an indifferent voice.
“What are you talking about? “You’re helping us by just being quiet.”
“But…”
“Done. Where are you going with that weak body? Do you know the road? “I haven’t even been to Taildon often.”
“I know the way. “Oppa.”
Marie got up from her seat and pointed out her window. And she spoke clearly, as if she was seeing something there.
“If you go out to the left, you will find the contact office. If you go towards the sunrise, you will reach the market. Opposite the market is the port. Meanwhile, a trading post. “I’m looking for a carriage to Gordburg, so I can go to the trading post, right?”
“… ?!”
We opened our mouths at the same time.
It was so surprising.
I was just learning the path of Taildon by relying on experience. So, if someone asked where something was, it was difficult to give an easy answer. I guess it’s just an explanation that if you turn the corner on this street and go straight, you’ll come across a market.
However, Marie was giving the exact direction and location as if she was looking at a map of Taildon from above.
Ruyev, embarrassed, asked with disbelieving eyes.
“You… How on earth… ?”
Marie responded by wriggling her hands.
“Tia taught me. Places I haven’t been to… So that I can picture it in my head.”
