Chapter 34: The Vanishing Town and the Bard’s Song

“Qing Yu, are you alright?”

Even after Qing Yu insisted repeatedly that his body had sustained no harm following the surge of energy that had coursed through him, Aldoran decided to halt their search for the day, opting instead to take him to an open restaurant for a much-needed respite.

“I’m fine, Aldoran.”

Qing Yu deliberately swayed, demonstrating to Aldoran that his body was perfectly sound. “Truly, I’m alright.”

“We should still observe you,” Aldoran replied, settling into the seat opposite Qing Yu.

Just then, the white-haired Landlady brought over several plates of stir-fried dishes, placing them on their table.

“Thank you.”

Aldoran offered a slight nod of acknowledgment.

“Oh, it’s nothing, nothing at all. Serving our guests is simply what we do,” the Landlady chuckled, wiping her hands on her apron, her facial wrinkles deepening with her broad smile.

“Thank you,” Qing Yu echoed, a shy smile gracing his lips.

At this, the Landlady’s smile widened even further, her face beaming.

“What a truly charming child, almost as if he’s stepped right out of a storybook!”

Qing Yu scratched his head, unsure how to respond.

“He seems a bit shy, just like my son,” the Landlady said cheerfully, taking a seat beside Qing Yu.

Aldoran surveyed the room.

The restaurant was unusually quiet, devoid of any other patrons besides herself and Qing Yu.

Noticing Aldoran’s gaze, the Landlady also cast a glance around, her smile fading slightly before she lowered her head with a soft sigh.

She clasped her hands together, gently rubbing them against her apron.

“You two aren’t from around here, are you?”

“No, we’re from Alampa!” Qing Yu quickly responded, his shyness momentarily forgotten.

“I see,” the Landlady murmured, nodding slightly.

Her eyes then dropped, and she pondered in silence for a few seconds, her grip tightening on her long-unwashed, grease-stained apron.

“No wonder. If you ask me, it would be best for you both to leave this town as soon as possible.”

Aldoran gave a slight nod, then clasped her hands into fists, resting her chin upon them as she looked at the Landlady.

“Might you know something more, Landlady?”

The Landlady simply shook her head, glancing first at Aldoran, then at Qing Yu.

“You see, for the past month or so, our town has been plagued by a series of strange disappearances,” she explained.

At this, the Landlady quickly scanned her surroundings, then leaned in slightly, lowering her voice. “And what’s more, it’s rumored that all these disappearances are connected to a mysterious white fog.”

“White fog…” Aldoran repeated, her head bowed in contemplation.

The Landlady then turned her attention to Qing Yu, who was chewing on a steamed bun, nodding as he swallowed.

‘White fog,’ he recalled.

‘The newspapers mentioned it too—a white fog of unknown origin that had suddenly enveloped this quiet little town one day.’

“Ah, it’s said that this white fog always appears the day before people disappear.

Anyone who sees that fog is destined to vanish, and so far, no one has been spared.”

“But how does that fog even appear?” Qing Yu asked, his mouth still full, his gaze fixed on the Landlady with evident curiosity.

‘The mist appeared and vanished without a trace, its patterns utterly inscrutable.’

The Landlady spread her hands, a look of helplessness on her face. “You wouldn’t believe it.

Because of this, the Knight Order stationed in town has been investigating from dawn till dusk, practically turning the entire place upside down.

Every day, you’d see knights interviewing passersby on the street.”

The Landlady pursed her lips, gesturing outside. “Look, that’s where the Knight Order’s summoning array used to be.”

Qing Yu looked over.

The ground was remarkably smooth, showing no signs of disturbance apart from a few scattered pieces of litter and dust.

‘Well, it is magic, after all. It makes sense that it wouldn’t leave any traces.’

“So, did they discover anything?” Qing Yu inquired, his eyes alight with obvious anticipation.

The Landlady looked at Qing Yu’s sparkling eyes, appearing somewhat taken aback.

‘This child is so strange. Shouldn’t he be afraid after hearing such unsettling things?’

“The Knight Commander and his men searched for a long time, but they found no clues.

They didn’t discover any traces of high-level magic being used in any homes, which ruled out the possibility of the mist being man-made.”

“It’s safe to say that, apart from those who vanished, no one truly knows what the mist is like, nor when it first appeared.

From the descriptions we’ve gathered, there’s nothing to distinguish it from ordinary fog.”

“And what’s more,” the Landlady continued, a profound sense of helplessness now evident in her eyes.

A flicker of fear crossed her gaze, and a hue of despair began to spread from deep within them.

“Every single member of the Knight Order vanished mysteriously within just one week of beginning their investigation.

The reports at the time stated that no traces were left behind at their encampment; everything was neatly arranged, their weapons and armor were perfectly intact, and there was even hot food in the pots, with the fires still burning.”

“There wasn’t a single sign of anything amiss.”

Aldoran, who had been deep in thought, now looked up at the Landlady. “Please, continue.”

The Landlady nodded, then resumed her tale. “It’s said that the first to discover the knights’ disappearance was a bard, apparently from the Horus tribe?

She claimed she was going to the Knight Order’s encampment to visit Ms. Roalsa.”

A flicker of light crossed Qing Yu’s eyes. “Wait, what did you say? Which tribe?”

Without waiting for the Landlady to continue, he immediately raised a hand to interrupt her.

“The Horus tribe. Why? Is something wrong?” The Landlady appeared somewhat puzzled, as she had always been unfamiliar with different racial cultures; the only race she truly understood was humanity.

“No, nothing is wrong.

Could you please tell us more about that bard from the Horus tribe?” Aldoran interjected.

“She only seemed to arrive about two weeks ago, and it’s said her singing voice is incredibly beautiful, and she’s very skilled at playing instruments.”

The Landlady looked up, carefully recalling information about the bard. “I was fortunate enough to hear her sing once.”

“Honestly, her singing voice is truly captivating, and her instrument playing is exceptionally skillful.

Forgive me, I can’t quite describe the feeling, but I can say with absolute certainty that no one in this town sings more beautifully than her.

Even across the entire country, it would be difficult to find someone who sings better.”

“However, there is one regret: I couldn’t understand the lyrics she sang.”

Aldoran immediately pressed on, “Are there any other clues?”

“I was standing on the outskirts of the crowd that day, so I didn’t see much more, but there’s one thing,” the Landlady said, clapping her hands as if a thought had just struck her. “I heard that the poet’s hair color was absolutely stunning, so beautiful, like—”

“The color of cherry blossoms.”

‘The color of cherry blossoms?’

Aldoran swiftly exchanged glances with Qing Yu, then both turned to the Landlady. “Could you elaborate a little more, please?”

The Landlady shrugged. “I apologize, but it’s said that her face was hidden by a hood, so everyone could only see the color of her hair, never her face.”

Hearing this, Aldoran realized that further questions would yield no more information, so she had no choice but to redirect the conversation back to the mist.

“Then, regarding Ms. Roalsa, whom you mentioned, could you tell us more about her?” Qing Yu asked opportunely.

“Ah, Ms. Roalsa, she was truly a good person,” the Landlady said, a hint of nostalgia in her voice.

“Ever since she became the Knight Commander of this town three years ago, she diligently served the townsfolk, always working hard.

You would often see her helping others; she was a rare and wonderful individual.”

“And you two wouldn’t know, but Ms. Roalsa was also a rare beauty.

Any young man who saw her would secretly lose their heart to her.

Beautiful, elegant, and wealthy—no one could dislike such a person.”

As she spoke, the corners of the Landlady’s eyes glistened slightly with unshed tears.

“What’s more, she had a lover at home who was lame, and their affection for each other was well-known throughout the entire town.

They had even become engaged, planning to marry on the last day of this very month…”

“But now…” The Landlady shook her head, sighing mournfully. “Ah, such a good person.

Anyone who hears her story can’t help but feel sorrow…”

“Please accept our condolences,” Qing Yu offered, unsure how else to comfort her, gently patting the Landlady’s shoulder. “This is truly a great pity…”

“Oh dear—”

After another sigh, the Landlady’s gaze returned to Aldoran and Qing Yu. “So, I beg you both, heed my advice: don’t stay in this town any longer.

If you can leave, do so quickly.

Everyone in town is disappearing; just yesterday, another three hundred people vanished…”

“If that’s the case, why don’t people simply flee?” Qing Yu asked, looking at the Landlady.

The Landlady’s eyes remained tearful. “Those who wanted to leave surely did so long ago.

For people like us, with little money and poor health, we can only remain in town, hoping desperately that we never see that mist.

Though it’s true some have gone to Sturgell to seek help, we don’t know if we’ll survive until rescue arrives…”

Seeing the old woman’s sorrowful and helpless expression, Qing Yu felt a pang of pity.

Involuntarily, he reached out and took Aldoran’s wrist. “Aldoran…”

Aldoran gently patted Qing Yu’s hand. “Rest assured.”

“Ah, well, once you two have finished your meal, please leave town quickly.

This meal is on me.

Just go,” the Landlady urged, sighing deeply. “Please, don’t end up like Ms. Roalsa…”

“Please don’t worry, the town will be fine,” Aldoran stated, rising to her feet.

From seemingly nowhere, she produced two gold coins and placed them on the table. “And you will be fine too.”

“You two, this is…” The Landlady glanced at the gold coins, then looked at Aldoran in shock. “What is this for?”

“Consider it a small token of our appreciation, a thank you for the information you’ve provided us.”

As she spoke, Aldoran took Qing Yu’s hand and began to walk towards the exit.

“Guests!”

Aldoran waved a dismissive hand. “Please keep it; it might be useful to you.”

Then, as the Landlady’s calls faded behind them, Aldoran and Qing Yu gradually walked away into the distance…