Ophelia found herself seated at a sturdy wooden table in the modest yet warm interior of the village chief's house. The room was cozy, with walls crafted from thick timber logs and adorned with various handmade items—intricate wooden carvings of animals, braided grass decorations, and shelves lined with herbs drying in small bundles. A large fireplace on one side of the room crackled softly, casting a warm glow that filled the space with a flickering, golden light.
At the opposite end of the table sat the chief, a towering beastman with the unmistakable presence of a leader. His frame was massive, broad-shouldered, and covered in fur that was a deep, earthy brown. His face was solemn, the muzzle-like shape of his nose and the pointed ears reminiscent of a bear, giving him a formidable presence in the room. His eyes, amber and piercing, held a steady gaze as he studied Ophelia, his hands resting gently on the table with claws retracted.
Beside him sat his wife, a tall, graceful woman with delicate lynx-like features, her fur a soft silver that shimmered faintly in the firelight. Her eyes, a warm shade of green, were kind but observant as they flicked between Ophelia and her companions. She wore a simple yet elegant woven dress adorned with small patterns made from beads and feathers.
Ophelia sat across from them, composed, her back straight and her hands resting lightly on her lap. Alexandra stood at her right while Captain Edwin stood to her left, both resting one hand on the swords sheathed to their belts.
"So, what would you like with our humble village, Miss?" The chief spoke first, his low growling voice calmly bellowing through the air.
"You speak well," Ophelia lightly smiled.
"I appreciate your compliment, but let's get right to business, shall we? The villagers are already feeling the pressure of your formidable knights out there, and I would hate to ruin the already joyous day."
"Oh? Is there some kind of event today?" Ophelia leaned forward, her legs still crossed as her smile widened and her skill, [Golden Tongue], lightly penetrated the surrounding atmosphere.
However, the chief sat strong, replying, "If you keep asking such questions I will have to make you leave by force."
"It is alright, Chief. We mean no harm," Ophelia's [Golden Tongue] is now in full force.
There was a bit of a pause until he finally responded with, "Sigh… Alright, I understand."
"Zach!" The chieftess exclaimed before Ophelia turned to her.
"It is alright Chieftess. You can trust in your husband's, from what I can see, incredible decision-making skills. With a village like this, I have no doubt that he is quite the capable leader, so you should trust him, just this once."
She grits her teeth. "O-Okay, I understand," She soon retreated, causing the two knights standing beside Ophelia to lightly shiver at her utterly calm expression.
'Normally, this would take a couple of days, but with a skill like [Golden Tongue]... a feat like this can be accomplished in mere moments.' Ophelia thought to herself before proceeding with her interrogation.
"Let us pick up where we left off. What exactly is happening today for it to be so joyous and why?"
"Today and tomorrow is the fall festival." The chief replied. "We celebrate the days that our god, Derecho, descended upon our world and created us humble creatures."
"Interesting. Then, the next question. Are you all aware of the group of bandits called the Shadow Bandit Troupe?"
"Ah, yes we are aware, unfortunately," The Chieftess replied this time. "What business do you have asking such a question?"
"Oh? Are you aware? Tell me what encounters you have had with them."
"Just the occasional attack when we got too close to their territory. Besides that, there was nothing else…" The chieftess continued. "Why are you asking something like this? Are you here to take care of them? Because if you said you were, we would have happily complied."
"Well, then I would have been lying, Chieftess. You see, I am not very fond of lying so I will say this now," Ophelia's smile slowly grew. "We are only here for an investigation. I can not guarantee you that we will take care of them, as that will depend on our conclusion of the investigation. However, I can guarantee you that they will be taken care of in the future. Whether that be after our investigation or a week or month after our investigation. We can also guarantee your safety within all of this seeing as you are in their proximity."
"I-I see… thank you very much," The chieftess bowed her head before glancing at her husband who was gritting his teeth firmly.
"Chief?" Ophelia turned to the beastman across from her.
"Hmmm…" He stroked his thick bushy beard before cracking open his lips. "What you speak isn't the truth, but it isn't a lie at the same time. I'm sorry, but I cannot fully trust you yet," The chief responded.
[Golden Tongue] was a form of hypnosis, but a very niche one. It wasn't all-powerful like a witch's hypnosis. It was just a heavily strong influence that used already unstable thoughts against the victim. That is why planting ideas in the heads of victims was crucial when it came to this skill.
However, this didn't push Ophelia'ws plans back. She had already anticipated such a reaction.
"...I understand."
"Thank you very much."
"Then I will be taking my leave."
Ophelia strode confidently out of the chief's house, ready to explore the village on her own, but was immediately intercepted by her knights, who insisted she not go alone.
"My Lady, please," one knight implored, stepping forward. "Allow at least one of us to accompany you."
Ophelia's eyes narrowed in annoyance, but after a moment, she relented, nodding toward Alexandra. "Fine, Alex, you may come," she briefly sighed. But before they left, she had one last thing to say. "At night, we head north. I want to personally see the bandit troupe's base myself before we begin anything."
"Yes, My Lady," All the knights gently bowed before Alexandra and Ophelia split off.
Alexandra's face lit up with a smile as she stepped into place beside Ophelia, who gave another almost reluctant sigh. Together, they strolled around the village, observing the simple yet vibrant life unfolding around them. The villagers went about their routines with a carefree air, children laughing as they chased each other, adults chatting while carrying baskets filled with autumnal harvests.
Just as she was rounding the last cabin, she suddenly felt a small impact against her leg. A young beastman boy, his short tail puffed out in surprise, had collided with her and fell backward, his wide, startled eyes looking up at her. The unexpected jolt made Ophelia stagger back a step, her brow creasing as she glanced down in irritation.
Alexandra immediately bent down, gently helping the boy to his feet. "Are you alright?" she asked with a warm smile, handing him the small paper airplane he'd dropped in the collision.
"Yeah! Sorry about that!" the boy exclaimed, his eyes bright with innocence as he looked up at them. His face broke into a grin, not a hint of fear in his expression. "Do you two wanna play with us? Me and my friends are making paper planes!"
Ophelia's voice was sharp as she replied, "No."
But the boy's hopeful gaze didn't falter. He looked up at her, undeterred, and asked again, "Please?"
"No," Ophelia replied firmly, folding her arms. "Maybe later, but not right now."
"Aw, come on! It'll be fun!" The boy practically danced on the spot, his enthusiasm unbroken despite Ophelia's stern tone.
Alexandra suppressed a giggle, watching the two of them go back and forth. There was something endearing about the boy's persistence and Ophelia's growing irritation.
"Please?" he asked one more time, a hopeful glint in his eyes.
"N.O." Ophelia enunciated.
"Seriously? You look so stuck up… old hag…"
"I will not fall for such provocations," Ophelia responded calmly, but Alexandra saw the vein bursting on her forehead.
Alexandra stepped in, finally chuckling softly. "Alright, we'll play with you and your friends," she said, her voice gentle. She shot a playful glance at Ophelia, whose annoyed expression melted ever so slightly, her arms dropping to her sides.
The boy beamed, practically bouncing as he ran off to tell his friends, shouting, "Guys! Guys! Guess what!? I got the visitors to come play with us!"
Before Ophelia could voice another complaint, Alexandra took her hand, a bright smile on her face as she tugged her forward. "Come on, My Lady. It might even be fun."
Ophelia couldn't help but let out a resigned sigh, but there was a faint, almost reluctant smile that soon cracked at the corner of her lips.
The group of children gathered eagerly in a small clearing, their laughter ringing through the air as they held crumpled paper planes, ready to see who could throw theirs the farthest. Ophelia, arms crossed and expression unreadable, stood just outside the circle, her reluctance clear in her tense posture. She watched as Alexandra, who seemed perfectly at ease, crouched beside a little girl and helped her smooth out the folds of her airplane, guiding her hands with a warm smile.
"Like this," Alexandra said softly, "now throw it as hard as you can!"
The girl let it fly, her giggle infectious as the plane soared into the air. It dipped and looped before landing a few feet away, and the children cheered. Alexandra glanced back at Ophelia, her eyes encouraging. "Come on, My Lady. It's just a game."
Ophelia narrowed her eyes, reluctant to join the fray. "This is… hardly appropriate."
"Oh, really?" Alexandra teased, holding up a freshly folded plane. "Then at least help me show these kids how it's done."
The kids gathered closer, curiosity bright in their eyes as they looked up at Ophelia. She hesitated, feeling the weight of their gazes, but after a sigh, she took the paper plane from Alexandra's hands. She examined it critically, smoothing out the folds with a slight frown before positioning it to throw.
"Just give it a try," Alexandra encouraged her tone light.
Ophelia drew her arm back and released the plane, which sailed higher and farther than the children's attempts. A round of delighted cheers erupted as it landed and although she didn't see why this was so entertaining, she couldn't ignore the way Alexandra beamed at her, her eyes full of encouragement and warmth.
The children crowded around, tugging at her sleeves and asking her to teach them, and though Ophelia resisted at first, Alexandra kept gently nudging her to join in. Before long, Ophelia was helping the children fold their planes, giving them rough advice.
"Make sure the edges are even," she instructed one boy in a serious tone, carefully pressing down a fold, "and the tip pointed if you want it to fly farther."
One child giggled, looking up at her with wide eyes. "Wow, you're really good at this, Lady Ophelia!"
"It is just a paper airp-" She cut off her words as soon she noticed just how bright and giggly the child was. "Sigh… I guess so."
They spent the next few moments laughing and throwing paper planes, Ophelia's reserved demeanor slowly slipping away as Alexandra's gentle presence coaxed her into the fun. The more they played, the lighter Ophelia's steps seemed, her laughter soft and delicate, befitting of a noble lady, but genuine as she guided the children's hands.
By the time the sun began to dip toward the horizon, Ophelia was fully immersed, her guard lowered in a way she hadn't allowed herself in a long time. Alexandra watched her quietly with a bit of pride, her heart warming at the sight of Ophelia letting herself simply be.