"The sky is getting dark, why are you still wearing sunglasses?" Mira adjusted them with her hand but didn't take them off.
Rhode also put on a pair: "Better safe than sorry when you're out. Remember to remind me to buy two pairs of plain glasses when we go back."
"Oh, it's for protection. I thought you liked seeing me in glasses."
"Well, I could like that too."
Girls in glasses are great.
Just in case, Rhode left two groups of Stone Beetles near the village pretending to be stones on standby.
Then he summoned a River Crab, and he and Mira quickly rode it to the crime scene mentioned by the village chief.
The village chief's description was not very accurate, so after arriving, Rhode had to release Shadow Wolves to sniff for the scent of blood, which helped them uncover some dried bloodstains that had been buried.
Almost half a month had passed, and with people coming and going along this road, the scene from the time of the crime was long gone.
However, there were neatly cut bushes and wild grass on the roadside.
The fallen leaves and small branches had long disappeared, but deep cuts could be felt on the ground beside it.
Mira squatted down to study for a while: "Either the perpetrator was highly skilled with sword techniques, or they mastered very powerful Wind Magic."
Nothing else could be deduced beyond that.
Rhode walked around the area, unable to find any more useful traces.
After so much time had passed, footprints, hoofprints, wheel marks, or magic traces had all disappeared.
The smells in the air were also too mixed to discern anything.
Rhode shook his head: "If we really want to investigate, we'll have to go to town the day after tomorrow and ask around."
With no other options, the two had to return the way they came.
By the time they returned to the village, it was already dark. Neither of them took off their sunglasses, but the village chief didn't ask, knowing that there were quite a few oddballs among mages.
"Thank you for your hard work, may I ask..."
Rhode shook his head: "There are too few useful clues, we'll just have to be more cautious tomorrow."
Mira reassured him, "Don't worry, we'll protect the village's safety."
"Yes, thank you." Jasper led the two to the house from last time, "My wife will be back soon to prepare dinner, please wait a moment."
"No need, we ate along the way back, just need some rest."
Rhode declined the village chief's kindness, intending to observe more to figure out what felt off about the village chief before feeling comfortable to eat and drink.
At night, the two took turns taking baths.
A single man and woman sharing a room, no, an engaged couple sharing a room, even sleeping in the same bed.
Looking at Mira in her pajamas, Rhode didn't dare to do anything.
It wasn't about fearing an accident, but about worrying that if he did touch her, they'd be interrupted by something happening.
Such an occurrence would certainly bring some frustration at best and a potentially long-lasting psychological shadow affecting happiness at worst.
They agreed that one of them would stay awake at all times, one for the first half of the night, the other for the latter.
Mira judged that Rhode wouldn't misbehave, so happily used him as a body pillow, snuggling for a comfortable position before closing her eyes to sleep.
As a result, Rhode was sure he wouldn't be able to sleep tonight.
He gazed lifelessly at the pitch-black ceiling, shifting his attention to patrolling the River Crab to distract himself.
A waning moon hung in the night sky, its gentle light providing a fair view.
One River Crab made two laps around the village's wall without finding anything unusual.
Another River Crab quietly walked through the village's streets and alleys, with most homes having already turned off their lights and only a few with lights still on.
If not for the task at hand, simply coming out for a scenic tour in such a small village might also have its unique charm.
Rhode felt someone's face nudge against his chest, it was Mira moving her face closer in her sleep. This was too much; after the task's end, she'd surely pay for this.
The next morning, Mira hugged her pillow tighter, her small hands feeling around before realizing something felt different, which prompted her to open her eyes.
Oh, she had been hugging Rhode all night.
Oops, she seemed to have overslept!
Mira sat up suddenly, seeing Rhode's big sleepy-looking eyes.
"Awake?" Rhode also sat up, smiling at her messy hair.
Someone who stayed up all night tends to feel exceptionally spirited the next day.
Mira asked with a hint of blame, "Why didn't you wake me last night?"
"You were sleeping so soundly, I couldn't bear to wake you."
It was tiring, but not exhausting.
Rhode stretched, getting a hug and a peck on the cheek from Mira.
The two shared a moment of affection, then got ready and headed out together.
Young folks, pulling an all-nighter wasn't a big deal, like staying up for New Year's Eve, doing it before the Harvest Festival was also reasonable.
The River Crabs, having worked for nearly a whole day and night, were sent back to the Summoner's Rift to rest, with Beaked Birds taking over today's watch duty.
They had a great number, flew high and saw far, their only downside being they couldn't share vision with Rhode. But it was fine, as they just needed to sound the alarm if anything happened.
The Shadow Wolves were too well-known, so Rhode didn't take them along.
The village was livelier today, every household decorating their homes for celebration.
Unlike in the city, decorations here consisted of bright-colored agricultural products like strings of red peppers, yellow corn, purple eggplants hung at doors or under eaves, instead of bunting or balloons.
At first glance, Rhode even wondered if he'd come to a northeastern village, with those delightful strings of corn cobs.