Sword Master In The Strange World

Chapter 4: Find Selene's house.

Today was no exception, and he had been looking forward to sensing the familiar sights and everyday scents. However, to his surprise, what appeared before him was still a tightly closed, cold shutter.

The medicine basket in his hand fell to the ground.

At this moment, a woman’s voice suddenly spoke up, “Back for another handout? I think you should change your target. The bakery’s owner is down with a cold today and isn’t opening.”

A cold? She’s down with a cold? That seemed illogical because he had been giving her medicine for days, and she had taken it. She had even told him that her health was improving thanks to his medicine. He could smell the medicine on her, which confirmed she had used it, not just reassuring him. So why... why was this happening again?

Just yesterday, she had been perfectly fine.

Jonas stood there, feeling as though a piece of him had been hollowed out, leaving him feeling disappointed, empty, and incredibly anxious.

The surrounding people continued to talk and gossip, mocking and taunting him, but he seemed to be deaf to it all. His ears were ringing, and it was as if he had lost his sense of everything around him, with only that cold, closed shutter in front of him.

He didn’t care what others were saying because they would eventually tire of it, and he had grown used to it. Jonas reached out to touch the shutter. The fingertips were where the most nerve endings were concentrated, and the coldness of the iron shutter traveled to his fingertips, then to his brain, jolting him awake.

Would Selene return safely this time? Was she truly suffering from a cold and not something else? Jonas hoped so, though in his heart, he felt a growing sense of unease, like the sea roaring against a fierce storm.

He stepped back a few paces until his back touched the wall, and then he sat down. Today, he had decided not to go home. He wouldn’t feel at ease if he wasn’t here, and even if he went home, he wouldn’t be able to sleep. So why not stay here and wait?

Jonas crouched down, the wind howling in his ears, and the snowflakes falling like sharp, icy shards, constantly striking his skin. Cold. It was a biting cold.

The passersby had become scarcer, and anyone who walked by would cast him a strange and disdainful look, then hurry away. They were all afraid of the cold, but Jonas wasn’t. He was only afraid for the safety of that girl.

Jonas sat there, from when the streets were still sparse with people to when they were completely deserted. As it got darker, the snowstorm intensified, like a monster wanting to engulf him. Yet he still sat there, resolute and determined, small but not weak, unyielding against anything that came his way.

Jonas continued like that until he fell into a light sleep, not knowing when it happened. However, he didn’t sleep deeply like a normal person; his sleep was light, like that of a cat. The slightest noise could wake him. And at that moment, the sound of someone’s footsteps awakened him.

Jonas opened his eyes and his hand instinctively gripped the guiding stick. He always slept defensively, ready to protect himself both at home and outside, but he adjusted his level of caution depending on where he was.

He was always in a posture ready for combat or defense at any moment. When a small sound stirred his mind, he opened his eyes, and all his senses became heightened, sharper than ever. But when he confirmed there was no danger around, Jonas’s vigilance gradually faded.

Based on the bird’s chirping and the sounds of people on the street, he estimated it was around five in the morning.

Five in the morning...

Normally, by this time, Selene would have awakened to prepare her goods.

If she hadn’t appeared by now, it meant she wouldn’t show up all day.

Jonas tried to move his limbs to stand up, but he realized his limbs had stiffened at some point. He was like a statue, and any sudden movement would shatter his frozen muscles.

Jonas chuckled bitterly, and he slowly moved his limbs. Eventually, the warmth in his body melted the stiffness in his muscles, and he stood up.

He approached Selene’s bakery, where the snow had piled up in front of the shop, resembling a small grave.

He crouched down and scooped up a handful of snow. Then he decided.

He had to do something, to go look for her instead of just sitting here and waiting. Miracles wouldn’t come twice if he only waited like this. There had been several mysterious disappearances of young women in the town recently, and he feared she might become the next victim. The authorities didn’t care about her life or death, but he did.

Then, Jonas reached into his chest pocket and retrieved a small piece of paper he had neatly folded. It was the paper with the address of her parents’ home in her hometown. When they used to talk, she had told him about her family and the place where she was born. So he had carefully written it down, just in case.

He had hoped he would never have to use that piece of paper, or at least use it for a better purpose. But now, this day had come.

Jonas touched each letter on the paper. His keen nerves on his fingertips allowed him to feel the letters. As he touched each one, memories flooded back: her smile, her voice, and every word she had uttered.

“Éternel Village, at the foot of Pleurer Mountain, next to the Vince River, to the west of this town.”

Jonas returned the paper to its original position and then walked away. Today, his itinerary had changed.

He left the town, and though he was on foot, he moved at a speed comparable to someone running, and he seemed tireless. He walked tirelessly like that, from when the sky was dimly lit in the morning until the sun rose high. Finally, he arrived in Éternel Village.

Éternel Village was bordered by a mountain on one side and a river on the other. Because the mountain shielded it from the winter winds and snowstorms, the atmosphere on the remaining side was incredibly mild, and pleasant.

The residents here were mostly engaged in farming and weaving, and life seemed very prosperous.

When Jonas arrived, it was the time when the villagers were preparing to take their goods to the town and nearby cities to sell, creating a bustling atmosphere.

Though Jonas knew Selene’s family was here, he didn’t know exactly where her house was. Just as he was about to find someone to ask, something suddenly hit him, causing him to fall to the ground.

It seemed to be a cargo cart, Jonas thought, and he prepared to stand up with little panic or surprise. At that moment, a panicked voice suddenly rang out:

“Oh, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.”

The voice appeared to belong to a middle-aged man, and he hurriedly rushed over to help Jonas up.

“Are you okay? I’m sorry, I paid little attention. Are you alright?” The man repeatedly asked Jonas if he was okay, then carefully examined his body. This action left Jonas astonished because no one in Splendide town had ever treated him this way before.

Now he seemed to understand why Selene was so warm; it might be due in part to her living environment and the surrounding people who were naturally kind-hearted.

Jonas replied, “I’m fine, really.”

The man, hearing Jonas’s response, seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. He then looked Jonas up and down before asking, “You don’t seem to be from around here. Are you from somewhere else?”

Jonas had originally intended to find someone to ask for directions, so if this man wanted to chat, it worked out perfectly.

“Yes, that’s right. I find Selene. Do you know... where her house is?”

Jonas was scared to share too much in case the man didn't trust him and wouldn't tell him where Selene was.

However, from the man’s attitude, Jonas sensed something unusual.

“Oh... Are you a friend of Selene?” The man lowered his voice.

“Yes, I’m her friend.”

At this point, the man let out a long, heavy sigh and continued, “You’ve probably heard her story before coming here. From here, you just need to go straight and then turn right at the end of the road. Selene’s house is next to the river, beside a wheat field.”

The man’s words felt like a heavy stone crashing down on Jonas’s head, leaving him dizzy. The world around him immediately darkened and collapsed.

“Her story”—what did that mean?

But Jonas didn’t have time to ask, nor did he have the luxury of asking. He quickly thanked the man and left.

Jonas swiftly walked to the end of the road and turned right as instructed. When he caught a whiff of the wheat fields, he also heard a piercing cry of intense sorrow.