Seikichi Yoshimatsu was an old man whom Maisie had felt comfortable around. It was the most comfortable she had felt since arriving in Eldoria. Something about the polite, hospitable old man reminded her of her own grandfather. Of course, during her leaves, he would stuff her and make sure she was well-rested just before she had to leave for war again. A sudden, painful ache attacked her heart, and she bit her lip to suppress the painful feelings threatening to spill over. Her eyes began to burn, so for no one to see her state, she pulled down more of her hood and looked down.

Kalthona, however, was perceptive. She noticed Maisie's state but decided to allow the elf to process her emotions on her own. After some time, Seikichi slid open the door and walked back into the large, empty space they were sitting in. His home was warmly lit from the firepit lit up, with a pot of stew hanging over it, cooking. Hide and Kalthona were snuggled up, the latter keeping the young man warm. Bonney was at the far end of the room, leaning on the wall, presumably asleep. Opposite Hide and Kalhona sat Lyon and Maisie, and the tension bouncing off the two seemed to increase as each second went by.

"So, are you adventurers?" The old man asked, sitting on his knees as he poured bowls of stew, handing it to them. They all thanked him and began digging in. Maisie sighed in happiness, finally being able to eat something warm after trekking through the blizzard.

"Yes, we are." Hide answered, pushing his bowl forward for some more stew.

'Damn, he's done already?!' Kalthona was surprised. Seikichi took Hide's bowl and filled it up.

"Are you on a job?" The old man then asked. The group nodded. Seikichi then hesitated to speak up again but found the courage to do so, not before looking around the room and the windows. Maisie noticed this behaviour.

'Is someone out there?' As if he were reading her mind, Lyon focused on the mana around them, and nothing strange was present.

"Hey old man, you got liquor?" Hide asked, placing his bowl down with a wide grin. Kalthona jabbed him in the side, causing him to hurl over in pain.

"The fuck was that for?" He croaked out, holding his side.

"Your manners were missing." She replied, glaring at him.

"Sorry, old man, may I have some liquor?" He rephrased his words, still in pain. Seikichi laughed, then grabbed the bottle of sake by his side. He handed it over to the red-eyed man, who downed it without a second thought.

"You must be from Asatama." The old man voiced.

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"Yeah," Hide replied, wiping his mouth from the liquid residue. "What gave it away?"

"Your accent and blunt attitude," Seikichi replied, laughing. Hide shrugged.

"Fair enough." A silence befell them before Seikichi asked what he wanted to ask.

"Do you have time and space to take on another job?" He asked, looking at the group almost timidly. Kalthona looked at Lyon, who looked at Hide, who looked at Maisie.

"I think we have space to do so," Kalthona said, placing her thumbs up. It was like the weight on the old man's shoulder lifted, leaving him relaxed. After so many rejections from adventurer guilds, his efforts were finally being heard.

"I don't have much to offer in terms of payment." He told them.

"That doesn't matter," Hide reassured him. "So, what does the job entail?." Seikichi sank further down on his knees, appearing much smaller.

"Lifting a curse." He said it, his voice quieter than before. "The village has been cursed by the daughter of the previous nanushi of this place." A sudden feeling of unease coated their bodies, and the group didn't feel as relaxed as they were before.

"It explains the feeling of dread that was exuding from the place. The village is practically coated in a dark mist." Bonney spoke up from her corner. The red-haired woman then stood, taking long, calculated strides towards the group. "The curse is filled with justifiable rage, however."

"I thought so too. She was only fifteen when the village decided to hunt her down and execute her along with her little brother." Maisie's hurt sunk.

'A child.'

"Why, may I ask?" Kalthona spoke up; her face was void of any expression.

"After the Nanushi was killed for tax fraud and conspiring with enemy villages, his remaining family was killed just in case they sought out revenge." A thick, tension-filled silence coated the atmosphere. Maisie was beginning to see the cracks in this world more and more. Her prayers for her soul to return to a peaceful place were clearly not heard. Instead, she was dropped into another world filled with injustices and chaos. Maybe she should stick a knife in her neck and try again.

"Just before she was beheaded, she cursed the village with everlasting poverty and said that their daughters would suffer just as she suffered. That curse held true. People have been going hungry, with businesses closing every week because of insufficient funds. And when a girl turns fifteen, her parents will take a loan from loan shark gangs in neighbouring villages and then sell their daughters as a method of paying them back." Seikichi finished his explanation, taking a deep breath afterwards.

Hide looked down. 'This place is fucked,' he thought, biting his lips. The young man then looked up. "Has no one tried to help the situation?" He asked. Seikichi shrugged.

"There are talks of some girls saying that a mysterious figure has been helping them escape, but as far as lifting the curse goes, there is not a shaman strong enough to do so."

"Can you do it, Bonney?" Lyon asked, staring at her intensely.

"If I'm taken to her burial site, I'll be able to communicate with her soul and get to the root of the problem. After her remains shall be burned to lift the curse."

"You're able to do that?!" Seikichi asked, surprised.

"Anyone who practices voodoo can," Bonney replied curtly. "Now, do you mind taking us to her burial site?"

"That might be a problem."

"Wait, why?"

"The child's remains were thrown in the river."

"Of course they were!" The group exclaimed, sarcasm dripping in sarcasm.