Gromma, who is a traveler, looks around a little as if to emphasize that he is a traveler, and heads for the town of Hulek.
Eira watched him from the street on the outskirts of town.
(Groma, come back safe and sound. ......)
Eira had a bad premonition and was anxious to get back.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
(Looks more like a village than a town. ......)
Groma commented as he walked from the street to the town of Fleck. Of course, he did not say it out loud, but in his mind.
The town was surrounded by wheat fields and vegetable fields, and the residential area at the end of the fields was only fenced off by a wooden fence.
It does not look like a town in the least, if not a tranquil rural landscape .......
In the Groma sense, a village is a place where primary industry flourishes and a town is a place where secondary and tertiary industry flourishes.
In this sense, the town of Hulek has too much primary industry.
(Well, that is not important at this point. (Well, that's not important at this point. The problem is yet to come.)
Walking along the wide road between wheat fields and vegetable fields, Groma now stands at the entrance of the town of Hulek.
He enters the town pretending to be a traveler who has just wandered in.
(It's just a normal town. ...... There doesn't seem to be anything strange about it.)
) Groma himself, however, has not seen many towns.
He grew up in the western duchy, and since he spends most of his time studying, he is probably a bit of a "naive" in the general sense of the word.
Even so, he was aware that he was better than Eira, and above all, he was proud that he could not allow Eira to play such a dangerous role.
As Gromma walked down the street leading into town, he was approached by a voice.
"Oh, are you a traveler?
"Oh, hello."
It was a farmer in a straw hat. He was carrying a hoe on his shoulder, as if he was on his way to the fields.
"Yes. I'm staying in the town of Ula'u, and I just wandered in here.
"Well, you are a curious man. A village in the middle of nowhere...... no, it's a town, though..."
"No, no, I like to take it easy in those parts of the country."
I see. Well, have it your way.
With these words, the farmer-like man walked away toward the fields.
Groma is relieved to see that the people here do not seem to be exclusive.
When he stepped into the town, he noticed that it was more lively and crowded than he had expected.
(Oh, there are more people than I expected. ......)
(Oh, there are more people than I expected. ......) There are many people coming and going in the town, and it should be lively, but Groma couldn't help but feel a little strange.
(Something is wrong? (Is there something wrong with ......, or is it unnatural ......?)
Unsure of the nature of his discomfort, Groma walked around the town.
Suddenly, he realized what the strange feeling was.
"It's a hat. ......!"
?"
"Oh, ......!"
I shouted out by accident. Several residents looked at Groma, and he panicked and kept his mouth shut.
(Everyone is wearing hats. (Everyone is wearing hats, even though the sun is not that strong. (Not even the farmers, but children and old people too. ......)
Straw hats, hunting hats, piqué hats, midi-fold hats, knit hats, and many other kinds of hats, but anyway, everyone on the street is wearing a hat.
In addition, you cannot hear any conversation.
The town is silent.
The thought that the residents could at least talk to each other a little bit sent a chill down Groma's spine.
(What the hell is going on here? ......)
He thought about it, but no answer came to his mind.
(What the hell is going on? ) He thought and thought, but he did not have an answer, but he was sure that something unusual was happening in this town.
(This is too much. I'd better go back and report it.)
He turned on his heel and was about to turn around,
I was about to turn around on my heel and head back when I heard a voice saying, "Oh, my dear traveler, are you already back?
I heard a voice saying, "Oh, my dear traveler, are you already back?
?
I looked toward the voice and saw that it was the farmer from before. He had a wan smile on his face.
For a moment, Gromma tensed up, but then he answered in as natural a manner as possible.
"Yes, I don't have much time, I'm going home today.
"I see."
The farmer kept a wan smile on his face,
"I hope you can go home.
He mumbled to himself.
* * * *
"...... slow."
Eira muttered irritably in the shadowy recesses of the rocks where she was hiding.
She had never been good at waiting around, and now that it was still two hours before the appointed time of 3:00 p.m., she couldn't wait any longer.
She was getting thirsty and hungry.
(But going back to the town of Ulaanu was not the same thing, and if I infiltrated the town, there would be no one to report to in case of emergency. ...... Oh, I should have brought one of the golems...)
I had no idea that it would come to this.
Eira and Groma are both researchers, and this kind of activity is out of their field.
(Oh, give me a break ...... for two more hours ...... Gromma, come back soon!)
)...a cry in my heart.
As if in response, a voice came from overhead.
"...... I found it!"
Eira looked up to see a woman with a deep hat peeking out. .......
* * * *
And then the three of them disappeared.
* * * *
5:30 p.m.
The three never returned.
It will be a little while before Groma's is read. .......