Chapter 9: The Strange Village!

"Mr. Constantine, you must be tired. Enjoy your night."

Enjoy my night?

What does that mean?

Rod looked puzzled as the innkeeper, with a knowing smile, left the room.

Before long, there was a knock on the door.

"Mr. Constantine, may we come in?"

The door opened, and as Rod was cleaning his firearms, he looked up—and froze.

A voluptuous blonde woman walked in, carrying a tray. She wore a red dress with an extremely low neckline, her ample chest barely concealed, spilling out in full view.

If Rod remembered correctly, this woman had some connection with the innkeeper.

After setting down the food, the blonde didn't leave. Instead, she walked toward Rod with a seductive sway in her steps.

"Please, enjoy your dinner," she said with a sultry smile.

Hiss!

What's going on?

Things had suddenly taken a strange turn, evolving in a direction Rod hadn't anticipated. But sometimes, life is filled with unexpected scenery.

The blonde's golden hair fell loosely, and Rod, resting his head in his hands, quietly enjoyed the rare moment of relaxation.

Once everything calmed down, and the blonde was about to leave, a voice, like a nightmare, came from behind her.

"Don't leave yet. It's just getting started."

Her eyes widened in panic.

Youth really is something, the innkeeper thought to himself, peering through the door's crack as he passed by. Shaking his head, he walked away, apparently used to scenes like this.

"Mr. Demon Hunter, did you enjoy the hospitality last night?"

The next morning, as Rod came downstairs after freshening up, the innkeeper greeted him with a sly, amused look.

He stared at Rod in astonishment. After all, the entire second floor of the inn had been shaking well into the night. Even the well-experienced innkeeper found it hard to believe.

Impressed, he no longer doubted Rod's identity as a demon hunter. There was no question now—this man was truly exceptional.

"So, Mr. Constantine, what did you think of the village's hospitality?"

Rod, his expression calm as if he hadn't caught the innkeeper's innuendo, smoothly shifted the conversation.

"I'd like to know more about the village," he said.

"When did the werewolves first start appearing around here?"

The innkeeper's face darkened with a sigh.

"Everything started three years ago. Red Leaf Village used to be a baron's territory. But one day, three years ago, everything changed."

"In just a few days, seven or eight villagers disappeared. The lord sent knights into the forest to search for them, but none of them returned. Soon after, the baron's estate was attacked by beasts, and everyone, including the baron, was killed."

"This village was once very prosperous. Merchants passing through would stop to rest here. But ever since the werewolves appeared, the village has fallen into decline, growing more desolate by the day."

Rod listened to the innkeeper's sad recounting and furrowed his brow.

"Didn't anyone try to leave and settle somewhere else?"

"Some people did try to leave and seek help from outside, but none of them ever came back. Most likely, they became food for the werewolves," the innkeeper said, shaking his head. "Occasionally, lost travelers stumble into the village and bring news from the outside."

A village where people can come in but can't leave. Rod rubbed his chin, finding the situation more curious.

"What about the travelers who came into the village? Where are they now?"

"No one knows. Every time someone enters, they disappear shortly after."

After gathering some more information, Rod left the inn.

Without realizing it, he had wandered to the center of the village, outside a church.

Inside, the sound of devout prayers echoed, and Rod squinted slightly.

Based on what the innkeeper had told him, he had pieced together a few key points.

The werewolves started appearing three years ago.

After the werewolves appeared, outsiders entered the village, but they vanished soon after.

The werewolves hunted down villagers who tried to leave the village.

Most of the village's food and supplies came from the mayor.

The mayor was known as the village's best hunter, and no one knew how he acquired so many supplies. According to the mayor, the stockpile was meant to prevent famine, but this explanation had several flaws.

The methods the villagers used to combat werewolves came from the church priest—fire, holy water-soaked weapons, and silver were said to harm the creatures.

As for the elderly man Rod had met in the forest, none of the villagers seemed to know who he was.

In just a few pieces of information, many issues became apparent.

First of all, where did the mayor's supplies come from?

According to him, the supplies were stockpiled to prevent famine. But there were hundreds of people in the village, and for three years, they hadn't run out of provisions.