We followed the direction Elder Dravik had pointed us toward and soon arrived at the house he had mentioned. It stood quietly between two other wooden structures, its presence almost easy to overlook at first glance. Compared to the others, it was smaller and far simpler than I had expected.
There was no yard, no open space around it, just a modest wooden structure with plain walls and a single door. No decorations, no signs of anything unusual.
I paused for a moment, studying it carefully.
For someone like Sham, who was well known among his peers and clearly strong, the simplicity of his home felt unexpected. I had imagined something larger, something that reflected his reputation. Instead, this house felt quiet and unassuming.
Still, I stepped forward and knocked on the door.
The sound echoed softly against the wooden walls.
We waited.
The evening air remained still, and no response came from inside.
I knocked again, a little louder this time, my knuckles striking the wooden door with more force. The sound echoed briefly before fading into the stillness of the evening, but once again, there was no response. The house remained completely silent.
I stepped back and glanced at Charlie. "I think he is also not here. Where did all the people go today?" I asked, a hint of confusion creeping into my voice. Charlie looked toward the door for a moment and then back at me, but he did not have an answer.
For a brief moment, we both stood there in silence, as if expecting someone to suddenly appear. When nothing happened, we turned to leave, already thinking about what to do next. Just then, the sound of footsteps approached from the side.
Sham appeared from the side path, walking at an easy, unhurried pace as if nothing in the world demanded his attention. His posture was relaxed, his expression calm, and he carried himself with the same casual confidence I had come to recognize. Without hesitation, he stepped toward the door of his house.
Only then did he notice us standing there.
He slowed slightly and turned his head, his brows drawing together in mild confusion as his gaze settled on us. "Skra-what doing here?" he asked.
A quiet sense of relief washed over me.
After going from one place to another without finding anyone, finally seeing him felt like a small victory.
"Sham, good to see you, my friend," I said, unable to hide the enthusiasm in my voice.
Sham blinked, clearly taken aback by my tone. His expression shifted as he studied me more closely, his eyes narrowing slightly as if trying to figure out what I was really after.
"Skra-what you want?" he asked.
I kept my smile and went straight to the point. "Sham, do you know where I can get meat?"
He tilted his head, repeating the word as if weighing it. "Meat?"
I nodded.
A faint frown formed on his face as he thought it over. "Skra-get meat everyday. Why want more?"
Before I could respond, Charlie spoke calmly from beside me. "The meat we had is already eaten."
Sham seemed to accept the explanation without any suspicion. He gave a small shrug, as if the matter was simple.
"Skra-get from butcher," he said. "But not get more if no exchange."
I understood immediately. Just like the outside world currency, if we wanted something here, we had to offer something of equal value in return.
Before I could think of what we might trade, Sham added casually, as if it were no trouble at all, "Skra-can give meat."
My expression brightened at once.
"Thank you, Sham," I said, genuinely relieved.
But before I could say anything else, he raised a hand slightly and interrupted me. "Uh… I not want. Skra-duel me again."
I stared at him for a moment, processing his words. Of course. Even now, that was what mattered most to him. A faint, amused thought crossed my mind as I looked at him. This guy really is obsessed with duels. I let out a small breath and nodded slowly.
"Alright."
Sham gave a satisfied nod, as if the condition had been settled exactly the way he wanted. Without another word, he turned and stepped inside his house. A moment later, he returned carrying a portion of meat, which he handed over to us without hesitation.
"Thanks, Sham," I said.
He simply nodded again, already seeming content with the agreement.
We thanked him once more before taking our leave and stepping back onto the quiet path.
By the time we began walking home, the sun had completely set. Darkness had settled over the village, softened by the warm glow of scattered lanterns hanging outside the houses. Their light flickered gently against the wooden walls, casting long, shifting shadows along the narrow paths.
The night air had grown cooler, carrying a faint chill that brushed against my skin. Most of the village had quieted down, with only occasional voices drifting from a distance.
Charlie and I walked steadily through the dimly lit paths, the piece of meat secured in our hands, our footsteps the only consistent sound as we made our way back home.
Before long, we reached our house. The familiar wooden structure stood quiet beneath the night sky, the great tree rising through it like a silent guardian. I pushed the door open and stepped inside, expecting to see the same calm scene we had left behind.
Instead, I stopped abruptly.
The space beside the great tree was empty.
Camose was gone.
For a brief moment, my thoughts stalled completely, unable to process what I was seeing. The broken shell still lay where we had left it, but the small, curled figure that had been resting beside it was nowhere in sight.
A sharp unease rose in my chest.
"Charlie," I called out, my voice tightening as I scanned the room again, hoping I had simply missed it.
He reacted instantly, hurrying toward the adjoining room while I swept my gaze across the main hall. My eyes moved rapidly, checking every corner, every shadow, every narrow space where the tiny snake might have slipped into.
There was nothing, no movement and no sign of it anywhere, and a tight pressure began to form in my chest.
Charlie returned moments later, his steps quick but controlled. "Young master, it is not here."
I drew in a slow breath and clenched my jaw, forcing myself to stay composed despite the rising unease.
"Do you think it went outside?" Charlie asked.
The thought struck me sharply, sending a jolt through my chest. I shook my head almost immediately. "No… if the people here see it, they will definitely kill it. They do not know it is mine."
A sudden urgency took hold of me, pushing aside any hesitation.
"Charlie, come. We need to find it quickly."
Without wasting another moment, we both turned toward the door, ready to head out and search before it was too late.
Just as I stepped forward, something caught my attention and drifted down into my line of sight.
A leaf.
It floated gently through the air, swaying slightly as it descended before settling near my feet. The movement was soft, almost out of place in the tense stillness of the moment.
I paused... a quiet realization stirred at the edge of my thoughts.
Slowly, I lifted my head.
The great tree stood at the center of the house, its thick trunk rising through the wooden floor and continuing upward through the opening in the roof. My gaze followed it instinctively, traveling along the rough bark until it reached the lower branches that spread across the interior.
I searched each one carefully... then I found it.
Perched on one of the smaller branches within the room was a tiny, coiled figure.
Camose.
Its pale, translucent body was wrapped comfortably around the branch, as if it had claimed the spot as its own. Its small head rested slightly forward, angled downward as it looked at me. Those same calm golden eyes met mine, steady and untroubled, as though it had never been lost at all.