Chapter 155

Arenheit and Leandros, moving through the shadows of back alleys for fear of patrolling guards, finally reached the temple.

Indeed, there was nothing around the temple where one could hide.

A place wide open where everyone could see who entered and who left.

They observed for quite some time and only approached the temple after confirming that there was not a single guard, let alone a mouse, in sight.

"It's too quiet for heretics to have occupied and besieged it. Is this the temple that was said to be closed?"

"It's still closed now. Like the other shops."

The temple was white and clean.

Though neither he nor the original Arenheit had ever gone near a temple,

If heretics had really come here, the temple wouldn't be this clean.

Even in modern times, when one religion attacks another, there are frequent cases of damaging statues and writing blasphemous statements with marker spray.

In the medieval period, it would have been worse, not less.

"Is there really no information about the heretics of Valentine?"

"If I may be so bold, I have not acquired any."

Since people were hiding so well and not coming out, there was nothing they could do.

"Let's go back for now. If someone passes by while we're here too long, we'll be discovered immediately."

He wondered if the human-faced rats he had called in Gallo lived here too.

Though such faithful familiars were said to hide their bodies everywhere, seeing the village so completely empty was worrying.

Just as they were about to turn around, Leandros looked up at the temple once more as if something was suspicious.

"What's wrong?"

"I thought I smelled something."

"Smell?"

What kind of smell?

He inhaled as deeply as possible.

But there was no particular strand that was detected.

Leandros looked at him and shook his head.

"I apologize. It's not there now. I must have been mistaken."

"Were you tired?"

According to his setting, Leandros's senses were more acute than the average person's.

But for even him to have hallucinations.

Was it because he had carried him all night and couldn't even close his eyes? Should he have suggested they rest together earlier?

Leandros answered nonchalantly.

"It seems so."

"...I'm sorry. When we find a suitable place to rest, you should rest then."

He would end up overworking the protagonist at this rate.

Leandros replied obediently with a 'Yes,' and followed him diligently.

He suddenly asked one more thing as if he had just remembered.

"It seems our side's search is over. Wouldn't it be better to regroup with Lady Arnold and Verde?"

"Is that so? Then let's do that. Even if I can't lie in bed, I should be able to sit somewhere."

Having more people was good for keeping watch.

Without a shred of doubt, he turned his steps toward the rendezvous point where they had agreed to meet Amelia and Verde, bringing Leandros along.

* * *

"What have you been staring at all this time?"

Within the city of Valentine, not only were there large barns for livestock, but also small houses for pets like dogs and goats, scattered here and there.

Verde asked Amelia, who was bending over and staring intently into someone else's barn.

Amelia answered while peering through the gaps in the barn wall.

"I w-was wondering if there might be a p-part connected to the house inside. U-usually, it's easier to t-tear down the barn fence than to b-break down the front door..."

"No. Neither is easy, though?"

"Y-you're being weak."

"Don't you think you're the one being strong?"

Amelia eventually shook her head and moved her face away.

"There's n-nothing like that here either."

"Is there anything at all? It's so quiet."

"There w-were just a dog and a h-horse. Judging by their f-full bellies, they m-must be pregnant."

Ah, so that's why it was quiet.

Verde complained in a small voice to Amelia, who was still stuck right in front of the barn.

"Let's stop bothering innocent animals and go. Stop peering into other people's barns, please."

"We c-can't, just in case. We n-need to check everything we c-can check. More importantly, all the a-animals in the barns are pregnant."

"Well. Even if they want to breed them, they would do it within the city, right? Then the timing could overlap."

"A-animals born in the same m-month. It f-feels somewhat unpleasant."

"Farm animals are all the same, and their heat cycles are similar, so it can't be helped. That's not something to feel unpleasant about. Why are you making such a fuss?"

"It's n-not a fuss."

"If it's not a fuss, I don't know what it is? Let's just go quickly. Ugh, my legs are killing me."

Verde turned around with a tired tone, then involuntarily screamed 'Wak!'

Right in front of his feet, three or four small rats were wriggling, and they scurried away at his scream.

The notably plump, swollen bellies of the rats caught his eye.

No, why were there so many rats? Did rats also collectively become pregnant in sync?

Verde muttered glumly.

"I f-feel sick."

"...M-making a fuss again."

"No! I really feel sick! Rats aren't even livestock! What's up with that! Do female rats have a habit of gathering together?"

Though Verde complained while vigorously rubbing his goosebumped arms, Amelia's face was already cold.

"It's a f-fuss, isn't it?"

"I said it's not!"

Amelia turned away heartlessly and walked off.

Verde hurriedly followed her, but ever since seeing the rats, he strangely became increasingly aware of his surroundings.

Though there were no people and it was quiet, with nothing to pay attention to.

Everywhere Verde's eyes landed, there was something strange.

Rats with plump bellies and buttocks, lying in corners.

Cats with swollen bellies chasing such rats or licking themselves, staring intently at the two people passing by.

White, speckled bird eggs gleaming in nests perched in precariously dangerous places.

Somehow, he felt queasy and like he might vomit.

Walking amidst an indescribable uneasiness, Verde and Amelia suddenly heard the sound of a bell coming from nearby.

Ding-a-ling, ding-a-ling.

The two people, who had stopped at the clear, refreshing sound, spotted a black goat in the distance.

A single pitch-black goat stood in the middle of the road.

The goat, which had no horns, also had a swollen belly.

Amelia and Verde stood dumbfounded for a moment, encountering a goat out of nowhere.

"A goat?"

"I d-don't think there was a h-house that raised goats n-nearby."

"It must have been in a barn we haven't seen yet. Don't you think it escaped while the people were away?"

"J-judging by the bell on its n-neck, that seems to be the c-case. Someone must have b-been raising it."

Amelia bent down and extended her hand.

"C-come here. It's d-dangerous to wander alone."

While wild goats might not, if it had been raised at home, it would be familiar with humans.

As Amelia had predicted, the goat trotted over and placed its head against her hand.

At this nuzzling behavior, Amelia quickly smiled, causing dimples to form, and stroked and scratched the goat's head.

"You're s-so cute. Whose child are you? W-where did you come from to be w-wandering alone?"

"Is talking to animals that can't understand human language a characteristic of women?"

"C-could you keep that m-mouth shut for even an hour?"

Amelia looked around while petting the goat.

The goat's leash had come loose, and it might wander out of the village, so she wanted to safely put it back in a barn somewhere.

Just as she was about to pick up the goat, it let out an affectionate 'Meeeh' sound and suddenly distanced itself.

"Oh my."

Amelia blinked and approached the goat.

But the goat would move further away as Amelia took a few steps, and then move even further.

And when Amelia stopped walking, it would stop just within reach, wagging its short tail and looking at Amelia.

It was only natural that Amelia, slightly annoyed by the goat that seemed like it could be caught but wouldn't let itself be, was led in the direction the goat was guiding her.

As her steps gradually quickened, Verde, who was catching up, shouted.

"Wait a minute, miss over there! Don't leave me behind to go catch a goat! Hey! Where are you going!"

Verde turned sharply around the curved path following Amelia, who was chasing the goat, and was dumbfounded.

Normally, Amelia and the goat should have been engaged in a chase right ahead.

But there was nothing on the road.

No goat, no Amelia, not even the tinkling bell sound that had been on the goat's neck.

"Hello?"

Verde called out.

One step, two steps.

The street stretched on. He had just emerged from an alley and turned right.

Yet it was as quiet as if he had come to a different world.

"Hey?"

There was no answer.

Sweat began to seep into Verde's back.

Amelia had disappeared along with the suspicious goat.

As soon as this thought occurred to him, Verde reflexively ran aimlessly.

"Hey, miss! Miss! Amelia!"

What should he do? Where had she gone? Was this also related to some strange monster?

Verde, searching for Amelia, shouted as soon as he saw familiar figures in the distance.

"That lady has disappeared! She's disappeared!"

Clear bewilderment crossed the faces of Leandros and the young Duke.

The Duke asked Verde, who had stopped nearby and was catching his breath.

"What are you saying? Are you talking about Amelia? What do you mean she disappeared? Was she attacked?"

"I mean exactly what I said. She disappeared! She just turned around the corner and disappeared! She vanished suddenly, as if she had evaporated!"

"Why? What happened?"

The Duke approached and grabbed his arm.

Only the round brown eyes were distinct on the Duke's face, which was wrapped in bandages.

Where should he begin to explain this?

Yes, there was a reason Amelia had been running like that.

Verde extracted tangled words from his panicked mind.

"A goat. There was a goat on the road, and she was chasing it to put it back in a barn."

Verde almost screamed at that moment.

It was because Arenheit had firmly grasped his arm.

The Duke's voice hardened.

"-Are you sure it was a goat? Was it a black goat by any chance?"

"What? Y-yes, it was. How did you know? It even had a bell on its neck, so I thought it was definitely a goat raised by a city resident."

Verde stammered.

Arenheit silently looked at Leandros, who also nodded with a stern expression.

Arenheit's lips formed a straight line, neither smiling nor angry.

After a moment of silence, Arenheit extended his hand.

"Find my book among the luggage you're carrying. There's a place we need to go urgently."

As soon as Arenheit finished speaking, the snowman poked its head out of the luggage bag.

Verde didn't dare ask where they needed to go.

He simply handed over the red book from the bag with trembling hands.

Please, please.

Let there be no more strange occurrences.