"Hm, I still had no clue, no, I am beyond clueless. It might be a blunt hit on his head, but..."

  The doctor inspected the back of the kid's head once again. He was looking for any sign of the kid's head being struck, causing him to be in a state of coma. However, he still could not find anything even after looking for a few times. He had been trying to find anything that could help him understand what was happening, but he failed miserably each time. He was totally in the dark.

  "Sir dad, tell me what happened again," the doctor said as he looked at Sontra.

  "We were heading south from Artza, and we unfortunately encountered bandits on the road heading here. We barely managed to escape by entering the outskirt of the Drodh Forest, and that we found Marvin there, being attacked by Beasts. "

  "...And the kid?"

  "He was fine at first, but he passed out when that strange light burst out."

  "Light...," the doctor muttered

  It was the same story. He had heard the explanation several times already, and all he could deduce was that the child's condition was caused by that strange light. Truthfully, when he first heard the explanation, he was skeptical, thinking Sontra was making stuff up to hide something.

  However, after he asked around, he found that there were more than enough people that had seen the strange light Sontra was talking. Other than Marvin, those who claimed they had seen it were hunters that went out during the night of the accident, and there several merchants who passed by the Drodh Forest at the night of the accident.

  "Doctor, I felt dizziness when that light burst out. Maybe it was because he was still a kid, so...," Marvin said hesitantly.

  "...Give me a few days. If this was truly caused by that light, I may not be able to help. "

  "Doctor, may you tell me why? If it's about money, I-"

  "No, it may be related to Arcane. I can't help if that was the case. Worst, if that light was caused by that Beast, I afraid only the Phonenix Sisters could help," the doctor said to Sontra helplessly.

  The doctor then checked the vital of the kid for the last time before he excused himself. The two, Sontra and Marvin, escorted him out like usual, and thanked him for his tireless work for the past days.

  "Thank you very much, doctor."

  It had been two days since Sontra woke up in Erla. During that time, he had spent all his time in the house, focusing on recovering. Apart from his right rib, he had healed considerably, having the ability to move around without his wounds reopening or acting up.

  As for the kid, he had not awaken even once, slumbering every hour and minute of the day, showing no sign of life other than his breathing and pulse. Despite the doctor visiting everyday, he could not provide any explanation, let alone cure the kid's condition.

  "Sontra, do not worry too much. The doctor will surely find a way. He is more than capable."

  "...Right, worrying would not change anything."

  "I...I wonder what that light was. Do you think it was really caused by that Beast?"

  Marvin was a little shocked by the response of Sontra. He was trying to cheer his friend up, but the way Sontra responded seemed a little too cold than he expected.

  "Maybe. Those Beasts that attacked us, they should not be that far in the outskirt. They must have been terrified of something."

  Truthfully, the reason Marvin was brave enough to use the road in the outskirt of the dreadful, Drodh Forest was because the Beasts there had not once be seen on the outskirt, only roaming in their territory at the center of the forest.

  "I hope the authorities have been alerted about that. I will not be good of someone else were injured," Sontra continued.

  Sontra gazed at the staircase up to the second floor. His eyes sharp, though troubled, seemed to be able to penetrate all the obstacles, directly observing his unconscious child. Seeing the worry that could not be hidden under his friend's eyes, Marvin unconsciously patted Sontra on his back.

  "I need to head out now. Could you watch the house for me?," Marvin said after a few instances.

  "You are really working hard."

  After talking to Marvin the day before, Sontra finally knew what business Marvin had with the Erla Town. From what Marvin told him, the music festival has a custom where they need to wear an attire made of special textiles only available in a region of Baltun, a region far south of the kingdom. Marvin, being a textile merchant had been taking the job of trading the said textiles with the Erla town, and he had been doing so for several years already.

  "No, it is something that I had to do," said Marvin with a force laugh.

  "Is it fine if I help?"

  "Help? Um, please do not worry, it is something that can be done alone..."

  "I won't disturb you. It's just I need some air."

  "Ah...but what about your son? What if he woke up and no one was there?"

  "It's fine, I will know right away if anything were to happen."

  Marvin opened and closed his mouth, trying to find words to respond. He somewhat understood what Sonra was trying to say, but he was still a little restless to leave the kid alone. However, after a moment of silent, he agreed to bring Sontra along, as he knew Sontra had his own ways.

  "If you are fine with it, could you help me load the textiles onto the caravan?"

  "Of course."

  Sontra looked at a big space beside the front door. There, tens of green boxes were stacked up high on top of each other. The boxes are considerably big, and stand as tall as average adults thigh. Everyday, Marvin needed to transport some of them to the forest at the east of the town.

  Carrying the boxes one at a time, they brought them outside, where there were already three caravans stationed. Outside, Sontra could see tens of colorful houses scattered around quite a distance a way from them. As the house of Marvin sat on top of a hill, Sontra could see the whole town of Erla and the busy townsfolk that were running around, most likely preparing for the festival.

  "Beautiful, right? I built this house here just to enjoy this sight..."

  Marvin breathe a sigh of amazement. His eyes were fully captivated by the sight of the Town. The music, seemingly endless and hypnotizing, never bore him, not even once. While his house was situated outside the town's wall, setting him apart from the rest of the community, he truly believed that it was a fair trade off.

  After the load exactly ten of the green boxes of textiles in the caravan, Marvin finally said that they were sufficient for the day. To Marvin's surprise, Sontra, the severely injured person just two days ago managed to carry more boxes than him. While he understood that Sontra was not an ordinary man, he could not help but admire his strength.

  "Marvin, is there a reason why you need to move them in batches?"

  "Ah, I would love to do so too, but it was the custom of the festival."

  "The custom?"

  "Yes, it is said that every textile must be woven into the festive attire within a day of entering the forest. If it remained unfinished by day's end, that unfinished piece was to be thrown away. Ten boxes is their limit, bringing more would just be a waste."

  "What an interesting custom," Sontra said as his eyes fixed on the forest.

  Finishing preparing the caravan, Marvin took the reins and Sontra sat on his side. Marvin could not help but confirmed with Sontra once again if it was truly fine to leave the kid alone, which Sontra readily said was totally fine. Having getting the final confirmation, the two left, heading to the forest.

  In order to transport the textiles to the forest, they first need to pass through the town. After only a few minutes, they arrived in front of the town's gate.

  Surrounding the town was a wooden gate, taller than an average adult and around a finger thick. As the town stood between the Drodh Forest in the north and the Erla Forest on the east, they were forced to instill the minimum defense as to minimized attacked from Beasts.

  "Mr. Mechant, you are here!"

  Greeting them was a short man with a sturdy build. Asword was strapped on his side and two daggers were tied on his chest. The man happily welcomed them, urging them to enter without any questions. While he did laid his eyes on Sontra for a couple of seconds, he did not seem to be particularly curious about the new person.

  Being in the town for the first time, Sontra could not help but appreciate its beauty. The town was as beautiful as it looked from above. The houses were made of woods of vibrant colors. The streets were filled with flowers and each house had an instrument decorating their front. White stones were embedded into the streets, creating a path that appeared to be glowing as they reflected the sunlight.

  The song that had been repeating continuously sounded more ethereal. Sontra could feel his insides vibrating and the back of his head tingles as they moved closer to the town center. However, Sontra found it strange that he could not see even one person playing any instruments. His eyes wondered around, trying to find if he had missed anything.

  "Sontra, is something wrong?"

  "No, it's just the music. Where are they coming from?'

  "Haha, you really are sharp."

  Marvin laughed as he looked around. With his eyes full of fascination, he pointed at one of the houses, or specifically, at the roof of the house.

  "They come from the roofs. The houses would sing as long as there is a wind."

  "...But how does the music keep going? It never once stopped during the past few days."

  "Normally they do stop once there is no wind, but this time of year is special. It was also related to the music festi-"

  "Marvin!!"

  At the town center, a tanned, rough-looking man was waving his hand at Marvin. The man was wearing a ponytail with trimmed sides. His short mustache and a goatee were drenched in sweats, as he sat on top of a horse, trotting calmly towards their direction.

  "The son of the Elder?"

  "Did the doctor tell you? Please be careful, he is also an Arcanist."