They arrived at Alina's house, which was impeccably clean, with a few books neatly arranged on the shelf. The group entered, their faces grim, and sat quietly, lost in thought.
"Jeanne, you must leave the village immediately!" Grandfather urged, his eyes filled with worry. "You killed the Inspection Team members. Those beasts will never let you get away with it!"
"Leave today! We old folks will take the blame!" Grandmother chimed in.
"Absolutely not! If we're leaving, we're all going together. I have the strength to get us all out of here!" Talulah declared. She understood the elderly couple's intentions perfectly and knew the grim fate that awaited them.
"What nonsense are you spouting?! You killed members of the Inspection Team! If they can't find someone to answer for it, the entire village will suffer! We're old now, we don't have many years left..."
Grandfather's voice trembled slightly, choked with emotion. They truly couldn't bear to part with these three children. But they couldn't stand by and watch the Inspection Team drag them away either!
Just then, a knock came at the door. Jeanne opened it to find the Village Chief and several villagers standing outside, holding some items in their hands.
The Village Chief stepped inside, sat down awkwardly before them, and began, "Old Ivan, about this... we discussed it just now, and everyone agrees you and Alina can stay. We'll move out tomorrow, to a more distant place to hide."
"That's wonderful! Everyone..." Grandmother began, but the Village Chief cut her off with a gesture. He continued, "Jeanne and Talulah can't stay in the village. After all, you killed a noble, and people returning from outside today discovered several Black Bug corpses not far away! It's too dangerous!"
Everyone understood the Village Chief's words and sympathized with the village's predicament. Truth be told, the fact that they were even willing to let the old woman and Alina stay was already a great concession.
For them to leave was, logically speaking, the best outcome, and they readily agreed.
"This is a small token from all of us. Since your home has been destroyed, this is all we can offer."
To be honest, if they had been the same villagers from two years ago, they would have expelled the pair just like other villages. But Jeanne had truly helped them countless times in recent years!
The child's radiance had transformed many villagers, enabling the village to grow for the better.
"I understand, Uncle Village Chief. After you leave, head west. Perhaps a new opportunity awaits you there."
Jeanne offered them one final piece of guidance. She could sense that good changes awaited them if they traveled in that direction.
"Thank you, thank you, Jeanne. We're truly sorry we couldn't protect you both. This is all we can do..."
The Village Chief was deeply moved. He knew Jeanne sometimes possessed a gift akin to prophecy. She had once saved a villager using this ability, which was why they trusted her.
Before leaving, the Village Chief gave them some supplies that the villagers had brought—not much, just enough food for about a day and a few pieces of old clothing.
These villagers had all received help from them in the past, and seeing that this winter was relatively prosperous, they had decided to offer these tokens of gratitude.
Despite their repeated refusals, the villagers insisted on leaving some supplies behind. In truth, the family hadn't lost much; the cellar remained untouched, and all their truly important possessions had been hidden away.
Yet... the two elders couldn't help but feel a pang of reluctance. Seeing their distress, Jeanne reassured them, "Don't worry, Grandmother. Once we find a place to settle, we'll bring you over."
"Ah, you don't need to worry about us," Grandmother replied, her voice trembling slightly. "You should be thinking about how you'll manage! It's the coldest time of year! Going out now is so dangerous! You'll be eaten by Riftbeasts!"
Meanwhile, Grandfather sat nearby, puffing on his pipe. After a moment of contemplation, he said:
"You must be extra careful out there. Jeanne, keep an eye on Talulah—she tends to act impulsively, without thinking things through..."
Alina "..."
The day passed slowly in sorrow and silence. Other families in the village were also scrambling to find ways to leave. The village was no longer safe; the Inspection Team could arrive at any moment, and they had to flee immediately.
Late that night, Jeanne and Talulah were meticulously checking their belongings and the packed bundles from their home, determined not to leave anything behind.
"Speaking of which," Jeanne asked curiously, "I never saw you pack that bag of money. Where is it?" She remembered Talulah's long-cherished dreams and had always assumed the money was her starting capital.
"I left it for Alina and the others," Talulah replied, slinging her pack over her shoulder. "It's enough to support them for years. By then, we might even be able to bring them to where we'll be living."
"Let's go! We'll slip away under cover of darkness. I never liked farewell scenes anyway."
With that, the two turned back to gaze intently at the wooden cabin one last time before striding out of the village, heading straight into the desolate, frozen Icefield.
"There are a few more things I haven't told you..."
Talulah's voice was heavy, as if dreading the consequences of her next words.
"I... I'm actually an Infected."
"I know," Jeanne replied without hesitation, surprising Talulah. She hadn't expected Jeanne to have already figured out she was Infected.
"Come on, we share a room! Did you really think you could hide it from me? It's not just me—Grandmother and the others have known for ages."
Hearing Jeanne's exasperated tone, Talulah managed a faint smile.
"I thought I was doing a pretty good job hiding it... But there's something else. I recognize those guys. They're probably after me."
As they pressed onward, Talulah recounted her history with Kashchey, so engrossed in her story that neither noticed when a new figure joined their group.
"So, I'm sorry. I've dragged you into this conflict. They're probably doing this to get revenge on me. If it weren't for you, they would have slaughtered the entire village!"
After recounting her experiences, Talulah lowered her head, unable to meet Jeanne's gaze. She felt deeply guilty for dragging Jeanne into this, turning her into a Wanderer.
She's not even Infected, yet she's suffering this punishment. It's not fair!
"It's alright, this isn't your fault," Jeanne reassured her. "If I wanted revenge, I'd go after Duke Kashchey and his men."
"Little Talulah, don't carry so much guilt. This isn't your fault."
"Even so, if it weren't for me, you wouldn't be wandering in the wilderness...!" Talulah protested.
Suddenly, Talulah sensed something was off. Why were there three voices when only two people were speaking? She quickly looked up and saw a small deer girl with a satchel slung over its back, staring at her.
"Eh? ...Eeeh?"
Talulah's eyes widened in belated realization, as if she had witnessed something utterly unbelievable.