The two moons rest high in the sky. This is my first time seeing them with my own eyes. While one followed a straight trajectory across the sky, the other was subtly slanted off course, both shining brilliantly in the starry night.

With my hood over my head, I continued down the dirt road. Much of the prior activities had ceased. Instead of a street filled with people and storefronts, there were only a handful left who were closing down their establishments.

Silverain once said that nighttime is usually the time to sleep, but I don't feel tired. Maybe this whole time, I always slept during the day. Well... That doesn't make much sense either because the sun was out for a while after I left the cave.

Huh... Weird.

The next minute, a pair of men paced by me. My eyes lit up when I saw their red uniforms. Follows of the Path of Ignis.

"Well, I guess that's it for today," one of them yawned. "Time to get some shut-eye."

"You think the others finally got that little twerp on our side?" the other asked.

"Eh, I doubt it. She seems very persistent. Even her mom didn't budge when we got our hands on her."

"Give it some time. She's just a little girl. One day, she'll understand that our offer is irresistible."

"Hah, you got that right, but I ain't waiting another few years to find out."

Judging by their words, they're not the same ones who came to the tavern earlier today. Still, I could tell they were talking about Blanc.

I stopped in my tracks, pondering. Why am I thinking about this so much? I don't know her at all, and yet, seeing her in that state... bothered me.

"Gosh, whatever..." I sighed. "It's none of my business anyway."

Suddenly, a flash of white rushed past me and into a narrow alleyway. It disappeared before I could even see it, but I knew exactly what it was.

"...Blanc...?" I whispered.

"You there!" one of them shouted.

I turned back to see another pair of Ignis Wayfarers running towards me. They stopped with their hands on their knees, panting and gasping for air.

Ah, I think I get it. She was running away from these guys. Not only have they belittled her and depreciated her value to mere gold coins, but they're now hunting her down. I'm sure there are many more transgressions that I don't know about, and just the idea of the unknown is getting to me.

That feeling... It's coming back.

"Have you seen a small girl running past here?" he asked.

"Hm... It's been a few minutes, but I think I saw her going that way."

I pointed at the road that led deeper into the village. For a while, I wandered around there, and it was almost as confusing as the cavern tunnels. With luck, they'll be searching for a while to no avail.

"Got it," he said. "Come on, let's go!"

When the two of them left, I leaned against a lamp post, tilting my head towards the sky to ponder. Only, I wasn't pondering. I'm just making it seem like I am so those men don't get suspicious and come back.

Once they were out of sight, I quickly made my way into the alleyway. It was dark. Not a single light source could be seen. Even the moonlight had trouble reaching many corners. Thankfully, my eyes are fully accustomed to the darkness.

With each step, I found myself no closer to Blanc. Maybe she ran further away. That certainly makes sense. I don't see a reason why she would stay here.

I turned around and readied myself to leave, but the sound of a small crunch caught my ears.

Slowly, I made my way around a corner and peeked over. There, Blanc was sitting on the ground with a small tray of leftover food. She was scarfing it down one after another as if she hadn't eaten for days.

After letting out a deep breath, I made myself known. As soon as she saw me, her body jolted, her head twisted, and finally, our eyes met. She looks... absolutely terrified.

"Your name is Blanc, right?" I asked.

Without an answer or a warning, she picked up as much food as she could and bolted away.

"Ah, w-wait..." I said, but she was already gone, and it wouldn't be appropriate for me to chase her. If I did that, I'd be no different from those Ignis Wayfarers.

I looked around for another few minutes, before eventually giving up. So much happened just now, but I'm still not tired. Regardless, I went back to the tavern, where Lina and Lenny were outside sweeping the front porch.

"Oh! Noir!" Lenny shouted, which was then followed by Lina saying the same thing.

"Hey," I greeted them.

"I was surprised when you left all of a sudden," Lina said. "Especially in front of those guys."

"I noticed quite a bit of them when I was walking around today. Are they normally patrolling this village?"

The twins looked at each other with muzzled expressions. It kind of feels like I just asked a taboo question.

"Come inside," Lina said.

They led me into the empty tavern. Looks like this place is getting ready to close as well. Clean mugs were lined up on the counter, and wet plates were left to dry on a rack.

"Lenny, lock the door and shut the window," Lina said.

"On it," he replied.

I sat down with Lina at a nearby table while Lenny made his rounds. When he finished, he sat down with us.

"Hah. Where do we even start...?" Lina sighed. "Well... I guess we'll start with Madam Claire."

"I saw a statue of her near the center of the village," I recalled. "Who is she?"

"Madam Claire was the shining star of our village," Lenny said. "All she ever wished for was the wellbeing of all who set foot within our walls—the kind and beautiful Wayfarer of the Path of Lux."

"The Path of Lux..."

"Yeah," Lina said with a smile of longing. "For years, she was our guardian angel. With her powers of Lux, she watched over our village, healed all ailments, and was the beacon of our peace and happiness."

"What happened to her?"

"She was murdered," a deep voice muttered from behind.

I looked around to see a tall, bearded man leaning against a doorframe near the kitchen.

"M-mister Heath!" Lenny exclaimed. "This isn't what it—"

Heath held up his hand, prompting Lenny is stop talking.

While making his way around the bar counter, he continued. "Two years ago, a group of men showed up. They claimed to be priests devoted to the Path of Ignis. 'Crimsheart Church,' they called themselves. As she does with all of her guests, Madam Claire welcomed them. They said they were simple missionaries, but little by little, we villagers began to notice some... issues."

"Such as the way they assert their dominance?" I asked.

"One of many, unfortunately. At first, Madam Claire ignored their malfeasance, saying they just needed some time to adjust to our ways. That wasn't the case at all. As you know, Wayfarers of the Path of Lux are 'pure' by nature. No matter what, they always believe in the good of this hellish world. Those kinds of people are hard to come by, making them the rarest Wayfarers next to those of the Path of Tenebris."

"Then... The reason true they were here..."

"You guessed it. As if causing a ruckus in our peaceful village wasn't enough, the priests sought after Madam Claire's powers. Of course, she kindly refused them, so they resorted to the worst kind of 'persuasion.' They kidnapped her, imprisoned her, and tortured her... until she eventually passed away."

Lina and Lenny's expressions turned sour while Heath let out a prolonged, regretful sigh. Whoever this person was, it sounds like she was a wonderful person. They must've cared for her greatly, but that leaves one last question.

"Then how come nothing was done about it?" I asked.

"...Meaning?" Heath grumbled.

"Ah... That must've sounded accusatory. I apologize. What I meant was... The church took Madam Claire from you, didn't they? That's why I'm wondering why they're still here, continuing their acts."

"It's not as easy as it sounds. Those guys are Wayfarers of Ignis. With their power of fire at the behest of Ney Anki, the Logos of Ignis, we normal folks can never stand a chance."

I couldn't say anything more. Just how powerful are the Wayfarers that the villagers would rather continue living under their subjugation? If they don't like it, then shouldn't they fight? It doesn't make sense to me.

"Alright. It's about time we douse the torches," Heath said. "You got a place to stay tonight?"

"Yeah. I found a nice spot beneath a tree earlier," I replied.

I turn over to see the twins looking at me weirdly.

"Seriously...?" Lenny mumbled.

"Is there something wrong?" I asked.

"Heck, yeah," Lina sighed. "That's how you get robbed."

Heath let out a faint chuckle. "Lenny, show our guest to one of the rooms upstairs."

"Got it," he said with a salute. "Come on, Noir."

Despite my reluctance, he heavily insisted that I sleep here for the night. I eventually gave in and stood up.

"One more thing, son," Heath said, prompting me to turn around. "You've heard our story, and you have your opinions. I get that, but you're just a traveler who's passing by. It's best if you don't get involved. Those Wayfarers are dangerous."

Without giving him a response, I nodded my head and followed Lenny to the second floor.