To call it a misconception would have been incorrect; there was indeed a slight warmth to Jimmy. Recalling what Yuder had mentioned before, Gakane quickly stepped forward and grasped Jimmy's cheeks.
"Ugh, what are you doing?"
After a moment, Gakane gave Yuder a subtle nod, casting a secretive glance. Signaling that Jimmy had yet to manifest his secondary gender.
"...It seems like you really do have a fever, just like Yuder said. Jimmy, you should've told us if you weren't feeling well."
"I didn't because I feel fine! Seriously, I'm okay. It's nothing. You're not going to send me back, are you?"
Jimmy shook his head vigorously, casting a pleading look at Yuder. However, Yuder remained unmoved.
Even if it was only a mild fever caused by exhaustion, it shouldn't be taken lightly. After all, Yuder was responsible for their party's well-being.
"Gakane. Take Jimmy and return to the castle."
"Me? But what about you...?"
Yuder, knowing Jimmy wouldn't go back willingly on his own, decided to send Gakane along. Gakane glanced back and forth between Yuder and Nahan, standing behind him.
"Are you sure it'll be okay with just the two of you?"
"If anything happens, I'm not the one who should be worried—they should be."
"That's probably true, but still..."
Gakane sighed, then after a moment shot a glare at Nahan before speaking again.
"Anyway, if you need me, just send up a fire signal towards the castle. Even if I'm physically there, I can send my shadow clone a considerable distance."
"Got it."
Yuder, recalling the view of the territory from the guest room window, nodded lightly. While it seemed unlikely Gakane would need to send his clone, taking precautions was never a bad idea.
"You two are about to share a room, but you're acting so stiff," Nahan remarked casually.
"Sharing? Who? With you?" Gakane sputtered in disbelief.
"There are only two rooms available, so someone will have to bunk with me, right?"
"..."
Gakane's eyelashes fluttered slightly, as if he hadn't considered that possibility.
"In that case... I'd rather—"
"Let's sort this out later. We need to move first," Yuder interrupted, raising his hand to cut off the unnecessary conversation.
"This is important, Yuder!"
"Jimmy's health is more important,"
"I'm really fine, brother. Please trust me!" Jimmy, looking downcast, jumped into the conversation without missing a beat..
"Jimmy."
After a brief glance at Nahan, Yuder crouched down and whispered into Jimmy's ear.
"I heard you've had this mild fever for a while. It might have worsened from overworking, so rest today."
"W-Who told you that?"
"The Commander."
The moment Kishiar's name was mentioned, Jimmy's stubbornness wavered. He seemed to sense something was wrong as well.
"I understand... I'll go."
"Rest well today, and if you're feeling perfectly fine tomorrow, I'll keep giving you tasks, even if you resist."
"...Really?"
At Yuder's words, Jimmy's head shot up. Yuder, seeing the boy's face brighten again, gave a firm nod.
"It would be a waste not to make use of the help I brought with me."
"Hehe. Fine! Then I'm heading straight to bed. I'm really sleepy, you know."
As Jimmy's mood lifted, Yuder gestured for Gakane to come closer.
"Even if there are no signs yet, if you think his secondary gender might manifest, lay him down in the bed and move to the next room. Then call me using your shadow clone."
"Got it. Anything else?"
"When you isolate him, lock the door to Jimmy's room. And..."
Yuder cast a glance towards Hartan Castle in the distance. By now, Zakail Hartan would likely be observing them.
"Keep an eye on Zakail Hartan's movements in the castle. If he makes any suspicious moves, alert me."
"So you want me to monitor that guy? Fine. I've been suspicious of him too."
Gakane seemed to have picked up on Zakail's odd behavior, just as Yuder had. Once Gakane and Jimmy returned to the castle, Yuder turned to Nahan.
"So, it's just the two of us now. What's your next move? Are you planning to keep searching for the villagers like before?"
"No."
He had already found everyone he needed to, but none of them had offered any useful information. Now, Yuder was considering a different approach.
"I'll look for someone who has no choice but to talk."
"A person with no choice but to talk?"
Nahan's eyes gleamed with interest.
"And who would that be?"
Instead of answering, Yuder pointed towards a group of people. Several villagers were busy cleaning up the remains of a burned-down blacksmith shop. Among them were several guards, sent to maintain order.
"Guards? They won't be much help, will they?"
"They should at least know where the house or grave of the person I'm looking for is."
In a small village like this, the guards acted like local handymen, taking on various tasks. Since they followed the Lord's orders, they were bound to have heard Zakail Hartan's request for cooperation, just like everyone else.
Yuder approached a young guard who was struggling to push a cart full of charred bricks down a deserted road. The guard, sensing someone nearby, glanced at Yuder before quickly looking away, as if trying to avoid eye contact. Regardless, Yuder had already chosen him as his target.
"I need to ask you something."
"Can't you see I'm busy? Move along."
The guard's voice sounded familiar. Yuder realized it was the same guard who had guided them to the castle the night before.
"We were given permission by Zakail Hartan himself to ask around—"
"What does that have to do with me?" the guard snapped, clearly irritated from his work.
"I've never heard anything like that, and I'm really busy right now. Go bother someone else."
"Understood," Yuder replied smoothly. "I just thought the guards would know, considering it's a direct order from the future Lord. But, if you don't... well, it's good to see the Hartan guards enjoying such a... relaxed atmosphere. Very impressive."
The young guard's eyes widened, clearly stung by Yuder's words.
"Ah. By the way, it's not a big deal, but may I know your name?"
"...Are you—are you threatening me?" The guard's eyebrows twitched in agitation.
"Of course not. I was just curious. Considering we had a connection last night, I thought Zakail might enjoy hearing about you."
"..."
The guard glanced around nervously. The villagers were too busy to pay him any attention. With a deep scowl, he set down the cart and spoke through gritted teeth.
"Damn it. What do you want to know?"
The fish had bitten. Yuder's lips curled into a cold smile as he gestured to a large tree nearby, big enough to hide them from view.
"It'll only take a moment. Follow me."
They moved behind the ancient tree, which had miraculously survived the recent fire.
"Do you know Devran?" Yuder asked in a low voice as soon as they were out of sight. The guard frowned, as if he'd expected that question.
"I know him... but I don't know much about what happened that day."
"That's fine. What kind of person was Devran?"
"What kind of person?"
"Since you grew up in the same village, I thought you might know him better than I do."
"He was just... a regular guy." The guard shifted uncomfortably, eyes darting to the ground.
"You seem about the same age. I assume you played together as kids?" Yuder asked, recalling Devran Hartude's age from his earlier investigation. For the first time, the guard's eyes flickered, as if he wanted to respond, but he clenched his jaw and said nothing.
"..."
"What was Devran's family like?" Yuder continued, not pressing for an answer but smoothly moving to the next question.
"He had just his father and a younger sister."
"Good. Can you tell me where Devran's house is?"
"That's…"
The guard hesitated, lifting his head. Yuder followed his gaze and spotted a ruined, charred building behind some other damaged homes. It was small, likely a modest dwelling before the fire had reduced it to rubble.
"That's it. Just so you know, there's nothing left. It all burned down."
"…I see."
Though the guard's words seemed intended to discourage him, Yuder wasn't deterred. He noted the location of the ruin before speaking again.
"Were Devran's family members inside when the house burned down?"
"They say so, so it must be true!"
"So, no separate graves were made for them?"
The guard fell silent again, jaw tight with anxiety. After a long pause, he finally muttered through clenched teeth, "How long are you going to question me? I told you I'm busy."
"Don't worry, this is the last question," Yuder said, his gaze steady.
"How are the bodies of convicts handled in Hartan?"