Editing Skill Tree Goddess:Volume1 Chapter2 (section)

===Part 5===

The Queen Size inns provided the exact same spirit of service in every one of their locations across the vast continent and he would likely just end up using Shirayuri’s Necessities Emporium for gear and consumable items. At that point, there wasn’t much need to thoroughly explore the village.

Yet as evening fell, Gilbezos Overridge was still wandering around the village.

“Looking for a good spot for a nap? I recommend the smooth lap of a goddess★ Try it just once and you’ll sleep like a baby for eight hours straight.”

“No, something is bothering me. The feel of this place is just…weird.”

He did sense the usual pre-battle jitters. It was oppressive. But something was missing.

The goddess sighed.

“One question, little boy. It was the high elves who struck first, wasn’t it?”

“Yes. One of the village’s kids was attacked while out in the forest.”

“Then why don’t I sense any desire for revenge?”

The boy fell silent. He took another look around the village and saw only smiles. The only discussions were about what to do with the reward for slaying the high elves or about swiping an elf bow since they were supposed to be of high quality.

The pleasant smell of cooking filled the air. The sounds of mugs filled to the brim with alcohol crashing together came from a restaurant. Maybe it was for the visiting adventurers, but young women in midriff-baring dancing outfits danced between the crowds of people. The shell bikinis and fluttering skirts were quite something.

Was anyone in mourning?

Was anyone too sad to eat?

Was anyone raising a war cry and swearing to avenge the killed child?

Not a single one. Was this why the place felt off?

“Everyone’s focused on the profit… They’re only talking about the money they’ll get if they defeat the high elves.”

“High elf slaves do fetch a decent price.”

“What are you talking about, Lady Seliphenia? The kingdom doesn’t have slaves. Are you stupid?”

“…”

…Uh. oh. A certain someone was pressing her fingers against the corners of her lips to force a smile! What could this mean!?

“Come here, little Gilbezos. Up you go. Oh, how fun★”’

“Gyahhhh! How embarrassing, you mean!”

“Now are you really sure there are no slaves? There are a lot of people with some, shall we say, unspeakable hobbies.”

“Wait a second. Put me down. I have a bad feeling about this.”

He happened to take a casual peek behind a row of shops on the main street(?) that wasn’t even 100 metora long.

“Oops.”

He spotted a boy of around 9 there. A year made lot of difference, so Gilbezos could tell.

The area back there appeared to be the boy’s secret base.

Gilbezos’s bad feeling was only growing. He wanted to discuss his feelings about the village with the goddess, but that wasn’t something to talk about in front of a 9-year-old child.

But what should he do now? This was awkward. As young as he looked, Gilbezos wasn’t exactly great at dealing with younger children.

“Hm, how about learning a merchant’s conversational skill? Magic isn’t the only form skills take. With the right combination of skills, you can become best friends with anyone in thirty seconds. Such good friends they will invest quite a lot of money in you.”

“…I’ll talk to him myself.”

Using skills to skip past a genuine human connection felt wrong somehow.

He walked up to the boy.

“I won’t ask what you’re doing.”

“…”

“But it’s getting dark, so you should head home. Could you tell me your name? That should make it easier to find your house.”

“Sismond.”

Gilbezos Overridge froze.

''What was that?

“Sismond Johnson.”

The boy’s voice was terribly dry. It was an empty and unresisting voice that made it sound like the slightest nudge would knock him over.

But this didn’t make any sense.

This was Gilbezos’s first time at this village, but he recognized that name. The guild job listing had given that as the name of ''the victim'' in the high elf attack.

A small child had left the village and gotten lost in the forest when a high elf attacked him. The job had reached the guild in order to prevent the successful attack from encouraging more monster attacks. So why was the boy in question alive and well in the village?

Sismond Johnson, the boy who had supposedly been attacked, was alive right here.

He said something more.

With his head lowered, his body trembling, and his voice weary.

“It’s all my fault…”