The old mayor sat across from them with his blanket drawn over his knees, looking too frail to be the chief of such a twisted town. Yet his eyes remained clear, hopeful, even.
Aren leaned forward after clearing his throat. "Then I'll ask directly."
Miu glanced at him, already sensing what he was about to ask while Stella remained quiet, but she was leaning in just enough to pay close attention.
"Why is this village harboring Ghouls?"
Yet the old man reacted strangely. Aren hadn't managed to catch anything resembling guilt or doubt on his face, not even the tiniest bit.
No, the only word that could describe his expression right now…was confusion.
His white brows pulled together. For a second, he looked less like a mayor being interrogated and more like a local trying to understand what the tourists were saying.
"Ghouls?" he repeated.
Aren's eyes narrowed. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. I'm not going to elaborate."
