Reinhard gently stroked Anasha's hair, making her blink in surprise. "Your brother went missing three days ago, while this place has been under construction and barred off. So either he was turned away here or..."
"He sneaked in?" Anasha muttered, her voice carrying a mixture of realization and concern. "But why would he do that? Sure, I was curious, but I didn't mean he should ignore the guards!"
Reinhard chuckled softly. "That's the thing about big brothers, they do stupid things for their little siblings."
Marie gave Reinhard a curious and intrigued look while Joseph chuckled nervously. Anasha pouted as she crossed her arms. "That idiot brother of mine... But does that mean he sneaked in?"
Reinhard sighed. "Not sure yet. But we'll find out when we investigate it later."
Anasha furrowed her brows. "What do you... Are you guys going to-"
Marie quickly covered her mouth as they continued walking. "We are."
Anasha blinked as Marie removed her hand, then her eyes shone with excitement. "That's so cool! So later in the evening?"
Marie shook her head. "We plan to do it late tonight, but for now we can try other places."
Anasha's expression shifted to concern. "At night? But..."
Reinhard's eyes narrowed slightly. "Does something happen at night?"
"Not really," Anasha said, furrowing her brows. "But my parents and the guards mention that Phantasm Beasts enter the town at night, which is why it's important that residents stay inside."
Marie's eyes widened. "They do that? But Phantasm Beasts tend to stay in forests. They only attack on road paths and avoid civilization."
Anasha nodded seriously. "It isn't a big issue because the town guards have been able to scare them off, but it's scary and dangerous. That's why the curfew regulation was implemented."
Marie smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, we're very strong."
Anasha still looked concerned but nodded slowly and then her expression brightened. "Are you guys hungry? We can go to my parents' cafe to eat."
Marie's eyes lit up as she took Anasha's hand. "That's perfect! I was hoping to visit the cafes and stores in this place."
Anasha giggled as she led the way, with Marie humming contentedly as she followed along, while Reinhard and Joseph trailed behind.
After a bit of walking, they reached the cafe.
Reinhard noticed how the establishment occupied the ground floor of a building with large plate glass windows framed in polished brass. The storefront displayed hand-painted signs advertising daily specials, while gas lamps on either side of the entrance cast warm pools of light on the sidewalk.
It had a sign with the name, Autumn Cafe.
The moment they entered, the entire atmosphere of the cafe shifted. Patrons at various tables looked up from their meals and conversations, their faces immediately breaking into warm smiles upon seeing Anasha.
"Little Anasha!" Called out an elderly gentleman sitting near the window, raising his coffee cup in greeting. "Bringing us some new friends today?"
A woman at a corner table with her teenage daughter waved. "Good evening, sweetheart! How was your day?"
"Anasha, dear." Another patron called from near the counter. "Tell your mother her apple tart yesterday was absolutely divine."
The girl beamed and waved back at everyone, her face glowing with obvious affection for these people.
Anasha grinned before pointing at Reinhard, Marie and Joseph before saying. "Everyone, these are Inquisitors who are going to help find Ven!"
A collective murmur of approval rippled through the cafe as customers nodded approvingly at Reinhard, Marie, and Joseph. Several people called out thanks and blessings, while others made encouraging gestures.
Anasha skipped to the counter where a woman who bore a striking resemblance to her was arranging pastries in a glass display case. The woman had the same blue hair, though hers was pulled back in a practical style, and the same bright eyes that seemed to sparkle with warmth.
"Mom! These Inquisitors are willing to help look for Ven!" Anasha announced proudly.
The woman's eyes widened as she looked up at the three visitors, her hands clasping together in front of her chest. "You are? Thank you so much, no matter how much money you need, we're willing to pay."
Marie smiled warmly. "Instead of money, how about free food and some help when needed?"
The woman nodded eagerly. "Anything you need. Oh, where are my manners? I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Leafa, and my husband in the back is called Raphael."
Marie introduced herself, Reinhard, and Joseph before asking, "I'm curious… With how much the towns seem to love Anasha, I thought a lot more would be looking for her brother."
Leafa sighed heavily. "We were all doing that, but the mayor had to put a stop to it because all of us had stopped working and were searching everywhere for the first two days. The mayor assigned twenty guards to continue the search while telling us to focus on work... But every hour it becomes harder to concentrate."
"I am sorry." Marie says softly, leading Leafa to smile at her.
Joseph leaned forward. "Do you know when the last time was you saw Ven?"
"It was around seven in the evening, right here in the cafe, before he left. He never came home," Leafa's voice wavered slightly. "We thought he was staying at one of his friends' houses, but that wasn't true..."
Reinhard nodded firmly. "Don't worry. We'll find him."
Leafa smiled gratefully. "Thank you, all three of you."
"Mom, we came here to eat now," Anasha interjected. "Are there any free tables?"
Leafa laughed, her first genuine laugh since they'd arrived. "Your favorite seat is open. As always, no one sits there."
Anasha grinned and grabbed Reinhard's hand, leading him toward a table in the corner. The table itself was clearly well-used but lovingly maintained, its wooden surface polished smooth from years of family meals. As they settled into chairs around the table, Reinhard noticed crude but charming drawings carved into the wood surface.
There were smiley faces with different expressions.
"Did you do this?" Reinhard asked with a faint smile, tracing one of the faces with his finger.
Anasha puffed out her chest proudly. "Those are drawings of Mommy, Daddy, and my big brother. This is where we sit down to eat every night and morning."
Marie giggled. "It's cute and heartwarming. Maybe I should do that with my father sometime."
Anasha nodded enthusiastically. "You should!"
A waiter approached their table, it was a young man who obviously knew Anasha well, given how he ruffled her hair affectionately before taking their orders. They requested bread, roasted meat, water, corn, and mashed potatoes.
The waiter nodded his head after he finished writing down the order and then headed towards Leafa.
While they waited, Reinhard continued his questioning. "Was there any other place in town that you and your brother were curious about?"
Anasha furrowed her brows in concentration. "Well, we were curious if the underground tunnel was real or not."
Marie perked up with interest. "Was it built by the old residents?"
Anasha nodded. "Ven told me the old residents used the underground tunnels to escape when the town was destroyed. But my parents say it isn't real... I wonder if Ven tried to investigate by looking for an entrance."
Joseph furrowed his brows. "Maybe there was an entrance in the older section of town?"
Marie nodded thoughtfully. "It might be possible Ven found it and entered but got lost."
A worried expression crossed Anasha's face, but Reinhard gently stroked her hair and gave her a reassuring smile, which she returned.
Soon the waiter returned with their food, arranging steaming plates before them. The bread was crusty and warm while the roasted meat had been seasoned with herbs that filled the air with savory aromas.
The corn was sweet and tender, and the mashed potatoes were creamy with just a hint of butter.
As they ate, the cafe around them continued its evening rhythm. Other patrons stopped by their table periodically to check on Anasha, each person treating her like a beloved niece or granddaughter.
An old woman brought her a small sweet cake, while a merchant offered her a colorful ribbon for her hair. Reinhard smiled slightly at the care the people of Mensis had for the girl and raised his opinion of this town more.