Kaiser was the first to wake up that morning. He quickly shook Ariella and Cia awake, urging them to get ready before heading downstairs to grab some breakfast. As they descended the steps, he noticed something unusual—a gathering of people in the dining hall near the entrance, which is unnatural this early in the morning.

Unless something major happened that concerned the inn.

Among the crowd, he spotted familiar faces: Mr. Alfred, the old, hunched village chief, and several villagers standing alongside a few hunters. Maber and Miss Lina were also there, engaged in a serious discussion with the head of the hunters and the chief. Their expressions were tense, a stark contrast to the cheerful atmosphere of the previous night.

'What's with the commotion.'

Kaiser left the girls at a table and moved closer to see what was going on. Miss Lina noticed him approaching and gave him a small nod, stepping away from the group to offer a quick explanation. Her eyes, usually warm, now carried a hint of worry, which transferred to Kaiser as she informed him of the details.

Kaiser’s relaxed mood from moments ago turned somber. He gave Miss Lina a nod of thanks before she gently patted his shoulder, trying to reassure him.

“Just wait here, dear. I’ll bring breakfast soon,” she said, before disappearing into the kitchen.

Feeling uncomfortable around the other villagers that glanced at him, he returned to the table where Ariella and Cia were waiting. Ariella shot him a questioning look, though, Cia is the one that can speak.

“It’s unnaturally noisy today, Is there anything the matter?” The blind girl said, her voice tinged with concern.

Kaiser sighed, leaning back in his chair. “Yeah, quite a big deal, actually. Remember those drunkards from last night? Apparently, one of them didn’t return home. His wife thought he’d crashed somewhere else after drinking so much, but when he still didn’t show up this morning, people got worried. However, he wasn't found, the issue eventually reached the chief and organized a search party, but even the hunters couldn’t find him. Neither in the village nor the forest.”

Cia's brow furrowed, and she raised an eyebrow skeptically. “That's odd... Could it be a monster?”

Kaiser shuddered at the thought, feeling like they were living out one of those eerie tales told by the fireside, mostly about mysterious creatures. The only difference is that, they're experiencing it personally, not in words only.

“Maybe... Creatures like that massive snake I fought exist in this realm. It wouldn’t be surprising if some other monster was lurking nearby.”

He let out a long breath, rubbing his temples in frustration. “But why now? Why did this have to happen the very night we arrived?”

Kaiser couldn’t help but notice the wary glances from the villagers, their once-welcoming smiles replaced with suspicious glances. People were whispering among themselves, and it didn’t take long for him to realize the cause. It was only natural for them to be suspicious— Kaiser and his group had just arrived, and on the first night of their stay, someone went missing.

The timing was too coincidental for comfort.

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Cia nodded thoughtfully, offering her own theory. “Maybe all that blood from the butchering outside attracted it. The smell could’ve drawn in something hungry.”

“That makes sense,” Kaiser agreed. “However, judging by Mr. Alfred's character, the Hunters isn't ignorant. And I doubt this is their first time handling dead Beasts in such an open manner. The butchers are skilled in managing the blood and carcasses. So if a monster really did hot attracted, it’s probably something new that hasn’t been here before.”

Before they could delve further into the topic, Miss Lina returned with their breakfast: warm bread, hearty soup, and meat toppings. As they began eating, Kaiser kept one ear trained on the distant conversation happening among the villagers, using his beastly hearing to catch the details.

He overheard Maber being questioned by the hunters and villagers about the missing man, given that the inn was the last place the man was seen. Unfortunately, Maber seemed as clueless as everyone else, insisting he knew nothing beyond the fact that the man had left the inn in a drunken state.

Kaiser’s heart sank when he caught snippets of the villagers’ theories, including Cia’s earlier guess that some kind of monster might be involved. Without any concrete leads, the discussion seemed to spiral, with one wild idea feeding into the next. Distress and dread affected their mind, too. Because this issue involved all their safety, who knew when whatever abduct the man and likely killed him would stire again? Everyone is a potential victim.

Then, someone in the crowd dared to question whether Kaiser’s group could be involved in the man's disappearance. For a brief moment, a chill ran down his spine. Suspicion toward outsiders was natural, but he hadn’t expected it so soon.

Maber quickly stepped in, defending them. "That’s nonsense! These kids never even left their room last night. I would’ve seen them if they did!"

Alfred chimed in as well, his voice steady and authoritative. “Why would a young man like him abduct a villager? And at this timing, of all things? There's nothing to gain either, it doesn't make sense. Furthermore, does he look like a monster?"

Silence fell on them as the solid reasoning sank in. Kaiser appeared to be a normal young man, albeit, his character is a bit unfriendly and shady. His a fine teenager that poses no harm.

The village chief nodded in agreement, and so did the majority of the crowd, their doubts beginning to dissipate.

Relieved, Kaiser relaxed a bit, grateful for Maber’s and Alfred’s righteous justification.

'It's so nice when people are reasonable. Saves me the trouble of doing it myself.' He thought, nonchalantly drinking a cup of water.

However, just as he thought things were calming down, another indignant voice from the group asked, "Wait a minute, then how about his companions? Their faces were always hidden, didn't they? One of them is even wearing a monster mask. Who knew if they're actually humans."

The question hung in the air, heavy with fear and uncertainty.

Meanwhile, Kaiser spat a mouthful of water he just drank. Ariella froze, who happened to be eavesdropping on their conversation too. Cia suppressed a chuckle, her lack of sight had enhanced her other senses beyond others. So she's likely listening, as well.

Caughting, Kai cursed under his breath. Knowing what's about to come isn't pretty thanks to whoever that genius was!

"I am right, just think about it, maybe the rookie has a humanoid monster as pets and was disguising them. That explains why his hiding them! Come on, you believe me Boss Alfred, right? right?"

'F*ck that bastard again, why didn't I kill that guy last night?'

Of course, he recognized that annoying tone brimming with arrogance. It was the spiky haired Brick!

Alfred didn't respond immediately, so did the others because Bricks words surprisingly make a bit of sense. Sure, the two ladies appeared to be humans donning hooded cloaks. However, is it really their preferred dressing fashion or for the purpose of shrouding something that shouldn't be seen. The latter was more likely, in all honesty. Kaiser's intentional covering isn't that hard to notice, really.

They wouldn't really pry on others secrets, if it didn't harm anyone.

Maber tried to keep his guests privacy. "Hey, come on now, you lots don't really think those girls are monsters. I knew... What's his name again? uh, Kaiser, yeah. That kid is a good lad, my wife said so, too. Let's not forget they're sent by the Warden."

However, the village chief shook his old head.

"This concerned the safety of the entire Village, Maber. I'm afraid I would have to disregard your inn reputation, their rights of secrecy and even Garba's words if it meant protecting my people... Alfred, I'll leave the rest to you."

Although, Bricks suggestions had holes for doubts, such as do humanoid monsters even exist in Green Land? If so, how did Kaiser manage to tame it? Do he feed them with humans? Then how did he cover the evidence? And many more. Though, the biggest question is if they're really humans or monsters. If they're truly humans, why hid their appearance?

There was much to consider. However, just as the village chief stated, the people's security are more important than visitors privacy. Alfred obeyed sternly, walking over to the group of three teenagers, prepared to break into a sprint if they suddenly attempted to scape or engaged in combat.

Strangely, the three didn't make any suspicious moves. Kaiser simply leaned on his chair, letting out a sigh.

'If only, whatever that thing was hadn't caused a mess last night. My plan would be perfect... And Brick, that as*hole, can't he keep his mouth shut?!'

What's done is done, Kaiser can only accept what's about to come.

Looking at the confused Ariella, donning a ugly mask meant to horrify kids. He smirked, not giving a care anymore.

"Scare the heck out of them, my goddess, I believe in you."

Ariella tilted her head, slightly. Wondering how to frighten anyone with her face.