The next day, Allen and his friends left the village chief's house and were walking around the village.
　To see if there was anything that could lead to a rumor.

At least it's true that there was a rumor. And recently, we've heard the same rumors again. Then there must be some kind of cause ...... even if it is just a lie to get people's attention.
Well, yeah. It's too out of the blue to be an out of the blue idea, or at least something to get you started.

　According to the story, I first heard the rumor about a year ago.

　And the rumor is only that he was seen in the vicinity of a village.
　Then it's natural to think there's some trace of it in the vicinity.

　Incidentally, although I talked to other villagers, I couldn't find any particular clue, as expected.
　That's why I have been walking around the village to investigate.

The only thing that extends around the village is the grassland, though, or . Well, it's a nice place for a walk.
"Oh . . and then there's Hatake. I don't think there's anything else in the field. ...... Or rather, if you ask me to check the field, you won't let me check it for sure.
Well, the worst thing that can happen to you is to get kicked out of the village.

　You can do it if you want to, but it's definitely not worth it.
　You'll only end up pissing off the villagers anyway.

But if there's nothing to see, it's worth knowing.
"Well. I mean, it's still very likely that the cause is inside. Also, ......

　He didn't dare to speak beyond that, but it seemed that Beatrice didn't need to say anything.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it work.

　You will be able to find a lot more than just a few of the most popular items of clothing.
　It's a very good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.
　It's a fact that it was the most likely place.

　You will be able to see that Beatrice is also thinking about something when she sees that kind of Leeds, although I have some idea.
　You will be able to find out what you need to do to make your life easier.

　Yesterday, although Allen slept in a separate room from them, they should have been together.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about the particulars of the story: ...... but the way it looks, she didn't tell you.

　You will be able to find out what you need to know about it.
　I had to wait patiently for Leeds to talk to me.

　Anyway, this quest is also a change of pace for Leeds.
　To be precise, a change of pace is all that's needed: ......

　Thinking about this, Aren and his team went through the grassland.
　While looking around, they will immediately notice if anything is missing.
　Honestly, it's like they're pretending to look for something, but it's still better than doing nothing.

　But no matter how far we went, it was still just an endless grassy field.
　I walked around for an hour or so, but there wasn't a single change.

...... Shall we go back?
...... Yes, it is. It's probably the same if you walked any further, and it's not even in the vicinity. I think it's safe to assume that if we walked this far and there's nothing to see, we're irrelevant.

　It was more of a walk than an exploration, but ...... well, it was inevitable.
　It's also important to confirm, although it's more than half obvious from the beginning.
　I never thought of it as being just right to be able to relax.

　Reversing on the spot, Allen and his team began to return the way they had come.

...... That said, it was indeed a bit unexpected that there was really nothing here. I didn't think we'd even run into a demon.
...... Right. Even though they may have built a village in such a place, I couldn't find any trace of it. That means they haven't even been in the vicinity.
"A safe and quiet village, or is that the kind of place you want ...... Lord Allen to be?
"Hmm?　Hmm ...... Yeah, I guess you could say it's close, right?
"Huh?　I felt like I could live peacefully in that village. ...... Do you have any complaints?
One thing. It's the one thing I can't seem to overlook.
"Hmm. ...... Is there anything in that village that Mister Allen would go so far as to say?
Well, that's a secret.

　While talking about this, I returned to the village, where I changed directions and resumed my search.
　I realized that it would be pointless to walk at this rate, so I got on the carriage I had left with me, but in the end I did the same thing.
　The only difference is that I didn't walk on my own feet, so I looked around and chatted with him, making sure there was nothing there ...... and repeated that process three times.

　The sun has just begun to set, and the somber look on the faces of Aren's team as they return to the village is, in a sense, the result of their search.

"Aw, you guys. I guess I don't need to ask how it went with .......

　The woman who guided us to the chief's house when we first came to this village is the one who approached us.

　The cheerful smile seems to soothe our hearts, and Allen can't help but smile.

Yes, well, as you can see.
Well, I'm sorry to hear that. ....... So, what are you going to do?　Will you continue again tomorrow?
Hmmm ...... I'm not sure what to do with it, I guess.
I'm sure it's a nuisance to have to deal with the village chief again, so maybe I should just go home.
Oh, really?　That's too good to be true.
"What a waste, is it ......?



　It's true that if I went home like this, everything I've done, including the time I've spent here, would have been in vain, but that's not what he seemed to mean.
　It's a shame, or rather, it's a shame.

"Yeah. Tomorrow is just a seance. Well, it's only in a village like this, so I can't say it's worth staying to watch.
"Seance ......?

　It was the first time I had ever heard of it.
　She looks at Beatrice, but doesn't seem to know as she shakes her head.

"Oh, you don't know?　I was just thinking, "Well, that's unique to this place. I was surprised when I first heard about it and then I forgot all about it.
So, what is a seance?
Yeah. A seance is a festival where you can meet someone who is dead.
"See someone who has died, is it ......?

　At those words, Leeds reacted.
　The woman looked surprised for a moment, as if she was surprised that Leeds, who had been lying prone like a doll all this time, had spoken, but she quickly returned to her original cheerful smile.

Well, to be exact, it's just a festival as they say. Once a year, dead men come down to this world. It's called a seance because it's a festival to interact with them.
So, I see that ...... is not a real place to meet.
But how does that make it a waste of time?
Oh, it's true that you might not understand what I'm talking about. But the festival is a bit different. It's a social gathering, so the village is divided into two groups. The ones who will come down from the other side, and the ones who will be waiting for them. And they prepare for it, so it's pretty funny.

　According to the details, it seems to be a kind of imitation contest.
　If you don't know who the deceased is, you'll be booed if you don't recognize him/her, and if you do, there will be a lot of laughter.
　If you don't know who they are, they will boo you, and if they know, they will laugh at you.

So it's just a festival for the villagers to enjoy.
Maybe it was different at first. At least that's what it was like when I got here. Well, maybe that's what you guys are talking about.
What do you mean, "What do you mean?
"Didn't I say emulate the deceased?　I really try to imitate their outfits and such because ...... some of them don't even look like each other because of their body types and such. Occasionally, there are people in the village who secretly practice, and if you see them, you might be able to tell a story about someone near the village who looks like they went missing.
"Ummm ...... it could be ......, but it could be ......
It's just some old lady's idea. It's just an old lady's idea. Well, so, things might be a little confusing to you people who don't know the village, but I think you'll understand that it's fun. Watch it if you want.

　With that much said, the woman left.
　The remaining Allen and the others looked at each other.

"What do you think?
"Well, ...... it certainly wouldn't make any difference if I had one more day left when I got here, but ......
"...... Let's stay.

　It was Leeds, surprisingly, who came to the conclusion.
　It was surprising that he joined the conversation in the first place - and

Let's stay and see the festival. You have invited me to ...... and

　Maybe you'll meet someone who's really dead.
　Although he didn't say it, it was clear that Leeds was thinking this.

　Looking from Beatrice, Allen shrugged.
　If that was the case, there was no denying it.

　So, they decided to spend one more day in the village.