After a simple rest and enjoying a good meal, Ed prepared to start gathering some intelligence from the locals.
However, before he and Bailis could actually set out, an unexpected person suddenly came looking for them.
“You are?”
The man dressed as a guard gave a slight bow.
“I am Light, the personal guard of Town Mayor Silean. I have come specifically to invite the two of you to the Town Mayor’s residence. His Honor…”
The man who called himself the personal guard hesitated for a moment and lowered his voice a little further.
“…has run into some troublesome matters and hopes to receive your assistance.”
What trouble could require the help of two outsiders who just arrived?
Ed thought for a brief moment and concluded that the only likely reason was that the corpses of those demon wolves had caught the attention of Loren Town’s mayor.
“What kind of trouble is so serious that it requires the help of two newcomers like us?” Bailis hid behind him and grumbled softly. “Does that guy named Silean not know that we’re busy too?”
“It just shows how bad the situation in Loren Town really is,” Ed replied in a low voice as well.
“Even the corpses of a few demon wolves are enough to draw the mayor’s attention. Still, this might be a good opportunity. We can get more accurate information directly from the town mayor instead of having to sort through what the townspeople tell us.”
“Oh…”
Bailis nodded, looking like she only half understood.
“Have the two of you finished discussing?” the guard asked with a polite smile.
“Mm…”
Ed pondered for a moment.
They definitely had to go.
This was a great chance to learn about the current state of Loren Town.
The question was whether he should bring Bailis along or leave her at the inn by herself.
The boy quietly glanced sideways at the girl.
The silver-haired witch seemed aware of how sensitive her identity was.
Whenever there were outsiders around, she kept her hood pulled very low, leaving only her nose and mouth visible.
In most cases, no one could recognize her from just half her face.
…It should be relatively safe.
But if something unexpected really happened…
Ed suddenly felt someone gently tugging at the hem of his clothes.
His train of thought interrupted, he turned his head instinctively.
“You go ahead,” Bailis said. She curled one hand over her mouth and spoke in an extremely soft voice.
“I’ll wait for you at the inn. If my identity gets discovered, we won’t be able to stay in this town anymore.”
“I still want to eat a few more days of the town’s food,” she added in a mutter.
“Even if the cooking isn’t as good as Mom’s, it’s still pretty tasty. At least a hundred times better than grilled fish.”
She really did seem to have been tormented quite badly by the food they had during their days in the cave.
Her voice carried thick resentment and grievance. The way she complained made her seem like nothing more than an ordinary girl, not some bloodthirsty, evil witch.
A thought suddenly popped into Ed’s mind and quickly grew out of control.
“Bailis,” he said in a serious tone.
“Hm?” The girl tilted her head and responded with a nasal sound.
“Have you ever thought about one day being able to shed that title and walk openly under everyone’s gaze?”
Ed asked, keeping his voice low.
“Without anyone hunting you or cursing you — just like a normal girl.”
“Of course I’ve dreamed of living that kind of life,” the girl answered immediately. She looked at the boy in confusion.
“But why are you suddenly bringing this up?”
The answer was obvious.
“Because staying cooped up in dark, cramped rooms forever won’t let you live the life you want.”
Ed smiled.
He turned toward the guard who was standing at a distance. “We’ll both go. Lead the way.”
“Very well.”
The smile on the guard’s face grew more pronounced.
He took the lead and began walking toward the tallest building in town.
“Please follow me, the two of you.”
The girl tugged hard at Ed’s clothes again — she seemed to have grown quite accustomed to this action, whether to express dissatisfaction or make suggestions.
“Hey! You didn’t forget about me…”
Ed suddenly grabbed her wrist.
The silver-haired, crimson-eyed little witch let out a surprised “Eh!”
“What… what are you suddenly doing!”
“Relax, nothing will happen.”
The corners of the boy’s mouth lifted.
His smile and the warmth of his palm were exactly the same — warm, even burning hot.
The witch looked at the boy’s face. A suspicious blush suddenly appeared on her small face.
“B-but…” she stammered, unable to form a complete sentence. In the end, she could only lower her head.
“F-fine…” The girl’s soft voice sounded only between the two of them. “I… I trust you.”
Loren Town was not very large.
After walking for a few minutes under the guard’s lead, Ed and Bailis arrived in front of the Town Mayor’s residence.
The guard then brought them to a room that appeared to be a reception parlor.
“His Honor should be resting at the moment. Please wait here for a short while. I will go and inform him to come personally.”
The guard bowed and turned to leave the room.
“He’s sleeping at this hour? He sure knows how to enjoy himself,” Bailis grumbled once the guard had walked far enough away.
“Maybe he’s so busy that he fell asleep from exhaustion,” Ed replied.
He briefly used his mana to sense the surroundings.
There were no trigger-type magic traps inside the room or at the doorway.
The area outside sounded very quiet as well, not like it was hiding a large group of soldiers.
Therefore, the town mayor named Silean most likely genuinely wanted their help.
“By the way…”
Bailis lowered her voice.
“They wouldn’t have found out… about that, and be planning to surround and kill me with a bunch of people, right?”
“They won’t,” Ed said as he sat down on the sofa. He waved at the girl, signaling her to sit too.
“The mayor here is probably already overwhelmed with his own problems. He doesn’t have the time or energy to secretly investigate you.”
The girl sat down beside him with a worried expression, her fingers anxiously gripping the leather of the sofa.
“But what if? What if he really did find out? What if he’s really short on money? What if he…”
“Even then, it won’t be a problem,” Ed said with certainty.
“How could it possibly not be a problem…”
The girl raised her hand somewhat irritably and punched Ed’s shoulder.
But the boy simply lifted the hilt of the sword hanging at his waist.
“Because if what you’re worried about actually happens, I will escape with you.”
He looked into those crimson eyes with complete seriousness, watching surprise and a deep, heartfelt disbelief flash through them.
“I said I would take you to Mitia with me. I keep my promises. I never go back on my word.”
The girl froze.
She stared blankly at the boy’s face.
There was nothing on it but sincerity.
Bailis slowly turned her face away and clenched her fists tightly.
A strange, powerful emotion surged inside her like a flood.
“I…”
But before the flood in her heart could completely break through the dam, two sets of footsteps — one after the other — sounded from outside the room.
Like a suddenly raised embankment, they held the surging waters firmly in place.
“What’s wrong?”
Bailis inhaled, then exhaled. She repeated this three times.
“It’s nothing.”
When she spoke again, her voice sounded normal.
“The town mayor is about to arrive. We should stand up to welcome him.”
Ed turned his gaze toward the doorway.
There stood the guard from earlier, and behind him was a man who looked to be under thirty years old.
The man wore a large coat whose hem extended below his knees, accented with dark gold trim that gave him a somewhat noble appearance.
However, that impression instantly vanished the moment Ed saw the man’s messy, tousled brown hair and the noticeable dark circles under his eyes.
“Who is this?” Ed stood up and looked toward the guard with a puzzled gaze.
The guard seemed slightly embarrassed by his lord’s disheveled appearance.
After clearing his throat twice, he explained:
“His Honor was resting just now. As soon as he heard that the two of you had come to visit, he rushed over immediately without even having time to tidy up his appearance. Please don’t…”
“Light! What are you dawdling for? Let me do it!”
The person standing behind the guard pushed forward impatiently, successfully stepping in front of him.
Seeing Ed and Bailis standing inside the room, a tired smile appeared on his face.
He placed his right hand over his chest and stood up straight.
“Sorry for keeping you waiting. I am the Town Mayor of Loren Town, Silean Carl.”