Editing Dantalian no Shoka:Volume2 Chapter1 (section)

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After temporarily leaving their baggage at Thalia’s house, Huey and Dalian began to wander around the village.

The sun had disappeared below the mountains, only a little light continued to stain the sky red. And on the path of the dark field, there was a farmer who had finished working. It was a man 
whose energetic face was tanned black by the sun.

“Good evening.”

Huey greeted this farmer who was carrying a hammer. Even though Huey and Dalian were dressed oddly, the farmer did not seem be on guard against them, he smiled widely at them.

“Yo, strangers. Are you the scholars that Thalia brought back?”

“Scholars?”

Huey asked, troubled. Even though Thalia had spoke with a few villagers when she took them to her house, but he had never thought that it would spark these rumours.

“Aren’t you scholars? Weren’t you here to find some book?”

“Oh, that’s true… Do you have any information that may be a lead for us?”

“No. The person who can read in this area, other than the people at the lord’s villa, is only Thalia. Although I seemed to learn for a bit when I was young, but I returned everything to my teacher a long time ago. Anyway no one comes here to sell newspapers.”

As the farmer said that, he laughed casually.

“But, you people are strange. Even if it is reading rare books, it can’t fill the stomach.”

Huey shrugged likely, nodding in agreement.

“Eh, that’s right… After all, it it’s something not nice to eat, then only the mountain goats would like it.”

Huey’s lame joke made the farmer laughed exaggeratedly.

“You’re interesting, just the kind of person I get along with. Talking about which, where are you going at this time of the day?”

“We wanted to go and check out the northern forest.”

Huey honestly stated their destination, it seemed that he had no need to hide this.

And in this kind of small village, whatever the strangers did would be noticed. So Huey and Dalian’s movements would be difficult to conceal from others.

“The villa of the lord… That’s right, you’re here to find books.”

The farmer nodded, unsurprised.

“But, it would be best if you stay put for tonight.”

“Why?”

“That villa usually is not lit up. Because the nights in these rural areas are dark, so Missy rests early. I heard that she came to these mountains, was also to let her body rest.”

“I see…”

“And if you approach the villa, there is a possibility that you will never return. After all, that is the castle of the Rose Princess.”

“Thalia also said something like that.”

A wisp of a wry smile appeared on Huey’s face, the farmer narrowed his eyes in agreement and said:

“I thought so. Are you going to stay in Thalia’s house? If you don’t mind, you can come over to my house, although there are no books, but there is wine.”

“Wine? Is it brewed by yourself?”

Huey asked, seeming to be surprised. After all, he had not seen a wine store in the village.

The farmer crossed his arms over his chest, an expression of deep thought appearing on his face as he struggled to recall.

“No, it seems to have been given by someone… Eh, who was it who gave it to me… Forget it. My house is on that hill, if you can still think of me later, then come over and spend some time at my house.”

“Thank you very much.”

Huey thanked him respectfully, the two bid farewell to each other and separated. Then Huey and Dalian continued to walk on the dark path in the field.

“But this village is a little odd.” After the farmer’s figure had disappeared from view, Huey whispered, “I do not think that this population is enough for them to depend on themselves, and we don’t see any signs of interaction with the outside world—it can be seen from the fact they do not know that the village at the bottom of the mountain is empty. Although it’s not enough to be odd, but it is puzzling.”

“It’s not only that.”

Dalian used a hard voice to whisper.

“Have you discovered it? Huey. There are no elderly people or children in this village.”

Huey looked in the direction where the farmer had departed as he understood.

From the state of the buildings, this village had been built some time ago, it could even be said that this village had quite a bit of history. But there wasn’t even an elderly person here, this was very strange. The farmers and Thalia who they had met on their way to the village, they had all been young strong youths.

“Is that so… So this was the odd point about the village.”

“According to the policeman in that town, the village at the bottom of the mountain were made up of old people. So why would a village this deep in the mountains have so many young people?”

Dalian seemed to ask Huey as she muttered.

“But, I can’t tell what the villagers are trying to hide, I don’t feel that they are guarded against us either… Although they seem to be curious about outsiders.”

Huey said with a doubtful face. But Dalian looked to the hill with an emotionless face.

“The princess of the castle of thorns?”

Looking at the clock tower in the evening sky, Huey whispered.

The villa that was covered with thorns, looked like it was already becoming one with the forest behind it. In this silence, it could made one feel chilly.