He stared at them dazed and let out a big sigh, then he walked out of the guild, limping, and some of the people in the streets were scared and backed away from him, and the child said, "Mom, is that mister sick? He looks like a ghost."

The mother of the child pulled him close and said to not come near the man. Morse once again let out a big sigh as he walked down the street, heading back to his home.

Just like any normal day, Della was woken up by the sunlight passing by the window. She got up and headed down to help Ramy with her chores. She was still hesitant and timid about talking with Ramy's parents and with Ramy herself, with no exception, but she gathered her courage and tried interacting with them, even just a little.

Solana handed her a bunch of potatoes, which she stared at intently because she didn't know what to do with them.Balder found her behavior cute and funny at the same time. He laughed loudly, and Solana hit him with a stick on the head. She then approaches Della and teaches her how to peel the potato in front of her.

Della was in awe as she saw the potatoes being peeled. It was her first time seeing something out of the ordinary, because when she and her aunt were living together, the tool that they used for peeling something was a knife, not like the wooden peeler that Solana used. After that, Solana handed the wooden peeler back to her, and Solana supervised her to avoid getting injured.

Her face was serious and focused on the potato she was holding, as if she had gone into battle. Ramy and Balder were holding their laughter to not disturb her. She gulped and started peeling the potato slowly and perfectly for about three minutes. When she was done, she looked at the peeled potato in her hand and felt something was strange. She looked at the one in Solana's hand and compared it with herself. When she realized that the one in her hand was smaller than Solana's, she felt sad and sighed in disappointment.

Solana patted her head and smiled gently. Then she said, "You did a good job. Not like when Ramy was little, she peeled the potato and nothing was left."

Ramy shouted in surprise, "What? Did I do that? That's so embarrassing."

"You see, yours is better than hers when she was little." Solana said comfortingly, patting her head.

She felt warm and cozy with Solana's touch and voice, and unknowingly smiled, her eyes glittering like the sunshine in the morning. Ramy and her parents found her beautiful and also put them in a good mood. After all that, in an hour and a half, they opened the inn's door and started the day.

*The Village Guild*

Roswald, who was buried in the mountain of papers, woke up in an unfamiliar room, refreshed. His hair and clothes were disheveled, exuding a seductive disposition in the air. He knocks on the door two times and comes in, seeing Roswald dazed as if in a portrait with his hair brushed off by the wind. He got shivers and was petrified. Then he said, "You're awake. What are you thinking so deeply about?"

He comes to his senses. He looks away from the window and asks, "What time is it? How long have I been asleep?"

"You've been asleep for about four hours, and it's two in the afternoon." Geld responds, sitting on the couch.

"What about the interrogation of the prisoners?"

"Mario should be here at any time to discuss it. You should get out of bed and clean yourself up. I'll be going ahead."

"By the way, where am I?"

"What? Oh, this is the guest lounge. Get ready right away. I will be waiting in the office." Geld said, and walked out of the room.

Roswald got up from bed and walked into the bathroom to clean himself up and put on his clothes, then headed out to the office. He comes in without knocking, alerting the four people inside.

 "You're here. You should have knocked before coming in. We thought that you were someone else."  He didn't say anything and sat down in silence. Geld let out a sigh as he was ignored, then discussed the matter at hand.

What Mario found in interrogating the prisoners they had on hand was that the four mercenaries were just hired for the job of transporting the goods that they were given. They didn't know the purpose of the client. They found it strange but didn't question it since the only thing they were given was money.

Mario didn't get anything from their confession because the four of them didn't know the person they were affiliated with. The only thing they described was that person having a tattoo of a scorpion on his hand and wearing a black robe that a magician or a sage would wear. One of the mercenary brothers also said that there were three of them and that they had been going in and out of the village at night without notice.

Mario also asks why they kidnapped the child, and the answer from the four was that they didn't know the reason why they would kidnap the child, and all that they heard was that the man was planning to sell the child at a high price to some noble in the capital city. Mario also asks them how they found the child. The two respond that the client saw her on the streets and was taken by the child's beauty. Anything from that information was all gibberish as the four mercenary brothers had no further knowledge of the client's whereabouts and objective.

Roswald, hearing that Della was about to be sold, the cup in his arm broke to pieces and, as a result, his arm bled. Sheena knocks on the door and their discussion is stopped. "Guild master, can you come down a minute? There is an issue downstairs."

"What is it this time?"

"That, sir, someone is causing a scene downstairs, saying that they want to have a meeting with you."

"Who is it?"

"That is something you should see for yourself, sir."

"Alright, tell the one who is causing a scene to come up here in the office and tell me his purpose."

"Yes, guild master, right away."

All five of them were silent in the room. Sheena then knocks on the door once again and comes in together with the person who is causing a scene downstairs. "Sheena, you said someone is causing a scene downstairs and it's this child?"

"Yes, guild master, it's this child right here who is causing a scene."

"Are you the guild master?" the child asked in a straight-forward manner.

"That's right, kid, I'm the guild master of this place. What's the issue that's brought you here and causing a commotion downstairs?"

"Are you my father?"

"Yes, I'm your what?!" Geld was shocked to hear the word "father" from the child's mouth.

Morse looked at him with remorse and said, "We didn't know that you would abandon a child."

"What? It's a misunderstanding, kid. I'm not your father. I'm this guild's guild master, and I've never had a woman in my life. What is the real reason you're here?"

"That, sorry *cries* You look like my father, so I thought you were my father. He said he was going into the forest to find some herbs, but it's been almost a week since he didn't come home, and my mother is worried sick at home. That, that's why I... "

"I see now, kid, you want to post a quest. Am I right?"

"Yes, mister, but I don't have the money for that." The child said, depressed.

"Kid, what's your name?" Geld said, with a determined look on his face.

"I'm Nick, and I'm nine years old." The child said, sobbing.

"I didn't ask for your age, but well. So you want to put up a request in search of your father, wasn't it?"

"Yes,"

"I can allow you to post a request with the money you have in your hand, but about the reward, let's see. I hear your father is a smith. He created swords and other stuff. How about you get permission from your mother to get three swords to put in the reward?"

"Sword? I have some at home. I'll get it right away. Thank you, mister." Nick said while wiping the tears off his face and running hurriedly to his home, coming back in about an hour and putting in a request with the receptionist for help.

After that, the five of them continued where they left off. They recall the incident not too long ago and connect it with the case in front of them. All of the events, including the time and location of the black-robed person with a tattoo entering and exiting the village, were linked to the time the woman in the village was discovered dead by the fountain the next morning, her body dismembered and blood scattered in the water like red juice.

It was at night that the discussion ended, with all the revisions and precautions they must take in order to protect the village from further danger. The five of them then go out of their way to do what they need to do. Roswald walks down an empty street. The air is filled with silence and calm as danger lurks in the dark, empty alley.

On the sixth day, the sun's light passing through the window frame blinds her eyes. The wind passes through a small hole above the room. The two were woken up by the sound of the bird knocking on the window. Their bodies were so tired out that they couldn't bring themselves to rise from the bed. They closed their eyes and fell asleep once again, and by the time they woke up, the day had almost gone by. Della was hungry and on the verge of collapsing, but she couldn't bring herself to walk because hunger took her body's strength.

Roswald heard her stomach making loud noises. He gets up, walks out of the room, and comes back with food in his hand. He arranged the small table that was never used. He put the tray on the table and the two of them ate it in awkwardness with each other. After filling up their stomachs, the two headed down, and Della helped with serving customers with little hesitation, as it was her daily routine in the inn. He was so surprised by her actions that he kept looking in every direction she'd walk

"Are you surprise that she's serving customers?" Balder asked, smiling brightly as he can be and feel proud.

"When did she start…." He questioned back hesitantly.

"Hm, it was three days ago while you were away for quite a long time. She asks my wife if she could learn or have something to do but didn't go smoothly with the other, so her and Ramy are serving customer. Can't you see that she's still struggling bringing the tray?" Balder said with delight.

"I see,"

"Are you headed to the guild again and leaving the child?"

"Not today, tomorrow will be going to the forest, I don't know when I will be back again. It's great that she's doing fine here, I'll be able to leave with ease." He said while looking at Della.

"Hey, what are going to do with her once things are done, are you going to adopt her and become family?" Balder asked, curiously.

"I don't know yet, I may have to leave this village and start my travel again."

"Are you leaving the child here? If you're not going to take her then can I? Me and my wife adopt her in my family? Ramy also want that…. We didn't asks her yet but I doubt that she will agree, she seems to want you by her side."

"You can if you want to adopt her but how can you say that she wants to stake with me?"

"Well, you can see it in her eyes when she's with you, they are filled with admiration and affection."

"You're imagining things."

"That can't be…. You'll know when the time comes….. right a week ago some noble come in the inn making a ruckus."

"What happened?"

"Well, my daughter and she almost got taken. It looks like they barge in to take revenge."

"If they come again call me. I'll take care of them... I'll be sleeping upstairs, don't bother to wake me up for dinner." Roswald said as he sit up from his seat and walks away from the counter table.

To be continue...