Chapter 138: The City Where Black Rain Falls Part 3

Fortunately, we were able to reach the bridge just before sunset thanks to Storm running at full speed. Behind us lay the green grassy path we had traveled so far.

It was good that we arrived in Dihid not too late, but it wasn't entirely a good thing. The surroundings were already dark before sunset and the rain was becoming heavier.

The river flowed violently as if it were about to overflow at any moment. It was hard to tell if it was because of the darkness around us or if the river had actually turned black due to the "black rain". We carefully crossed the bridge.

"Ayla, sneak in at night."

If the city had a sinister atmosphere just like the owner and his wife said, they wouldn't accept a conspicuous beast like Ayla. Unfortunately, there was no choice but to sneak in.

-Kuun!

Ayla darted into the darkness.

When we crossed the bridge, we encountered the Dihid guards, one of whom looked extremely exhausted. He was so preoccupied with adjusting the cover to keep his torch from going out that he didn't pay any attention to us. We waited briefly until he was satisfied with his adjustments.

-Swoosh…

The rain was pouring heavily. I opened my palm to check the color of the accumulating rainwater. Just like the farmhouse owner had said, the rainwater was jet black. However, apart from the color, there was nothing unusual about it. My skin wasn't harmed and there was no sense of toxicity. I wondered if it was because of my [Poison Resistance] passive skill that I couldn't feel anything, so I used my [Natural Purification] skill on the pooled rainwater, but it remained black.

Strange.

This meant that the "black rain" did not contain any poison or disease. Could it be that this "black rain" was just part of a prolonged rainy season? Or perhaps…

Was there something else hidden behind it?

"Are you mercenaries?"

The guard asked in a hoarse voice. I took out my mercenary badge from my pocket and showed it to him. Lloyd also presented his badge, and the guard gave them a brief glance before nodding toward the carriage.

"Who is inside the carriage?"

"My nephew."

"Hmm."

The guard approached the carriage and peered inside. Inside were El and Legion. To the guard's eyes, it would appear to be a young boy and a black cat. Nothing suspicious.

"Bringing a kid along in this situation… what are you thinking…"

The guard grumbled to himself and then waved his hand dismissively. This meant that we could go in. I nodded my head slightly in acknowledgment and proceeded into Dihid.

The rain was getting heavier.

Following the directions given by the farmhouse owner, we headed to the marketplace to find his acquaintance Paul. The rain-soaked streets were devoid of people, eerily quiet, and gave off the atmosphere of a deserted and desolate city.

"I think this is the place."

"That must be the sign."

The map the owner and his wife had drawn for us wasn't very accurate, so we wandered a bit before Lloyd spotted the sign. It was an old sign with a chicken on it that creaked as if it would fall off at any moment due to the heavy rain. I dismounted and knocked on the door.

-Thump, thump, thump.

No one answered.

-Thump, thump, thump, thump.

After knocking a few more times, I heard movement from inside. I patiently waited for the person to respond. After a while, there was a clank and a small hatch on the door opened. A man who was barely visible through the small opening shouted gruffly.

"We're not accepting customers. Can't you see the sign?"

At the man's words, I looked down and saw a notice or warning of some kind attached to the door. "No customers allowed." No customers allowed at an inn and restaurant? Wasn't that an absurd sign? Unlike me who was dumbfounded, the man looked confident.

"…Here, take this. It's a letter from Mr. Rupert."

"Rupert?"

"Yes, Mr. Rupert from the farm across the river."

The man eyed me with suspicion but eventually accepted the letter I handed him through the small window. He immediately tore it open and began reading. The letter, which began with "Dear Paul," detailed how much the farm couple appreciated our help and how eager they were to assist us in return.

The man who was called Paul looked at me sheepishly, and I gave him a silent smile. Soon, the small window closed.

Since he's an old friend of the couple, he can't just turn us away.

-Creak.

Sure enough, the tightly closed door opened as expected.

"Damn it, out-of-town fellows at a time like this… If it weren't for Rupert's request, I wouldn't have let you in."

"Thank you, Paul. Where should we put the horse and carriage?"

"Follow me."

Following Paul's guidance, we safely stored the horse and carriage and returned to the inn. Like most old inns, the interior was worn but exuded a cozy atmosphere.

We took off our raincoats and were shown to our room. Whether the "No customers allowed" sign was genuine or not, there wasn't a single guest at the inn. It was as if we had rented the entire place. Well, at least it would be more comfortable than usual. I paid a week's worth of rent in advance. I paid a little more to gain Paul's favor.

"Are you mercenaries?"

"Yes, we are."

"Then you've come to the wrong place, by a long shot. There's no work for mercenaries in this town right now."

"Is that so? Come to think of it, the streets were completely empty."

Dihid was a city situated between the Barak Empire, Solen, and Lysette, with a bridge connecting a vast river, making it a bustling hub for mercenaries. Mercenaries meant money. Where mercenaries gathered, money followed, and where money gathered, people came. Dihid was one such place.

However, from the moment we arrived here, I didn't see any mercenaries, let alone any townspeople. Many buildings had no lights on, which gave the place an eerie and almost dead city feel.

"The mercenaries have disappeared since the rain started. You must know how superstitious they are. They say the 'black rain' brings bad luck. Damn it. It sure is unlucky. I've already lost two weeks of business because of it!"

Paul grumbled before slamming the table in frustration.

"Has it really been raining for two weeks straight?"

"Yeah. Actually, at first, it wasn't 'black rain'. It was just ordinary rain. A downpour. Yes, it was just a downpour. But after one night… the entire city was stained black!"

"…"

"Don't look at me like that. I don't know why this happened either. Of course, I don't. Even the temple couldn't figure out the reason, so this is just… baffling."

Since Dihid was a city by the river, the largest temple here would probably be the Temple of Donar, the god of rivers and seas. The Temple of Donar was quite influential, and if the priests there couldn't determine the cause, it was a serious matter.

Should I visit the temple first…

Paul looked very dejected. Not surprising, as his business was ruined and there was no telling when this would end. Tsk tsk. What a shame. To console him, I took out the last bottle of honey mead and offered him a drink.

"Don't worry too much. The temple and the lord won't just sit idle, will they?"

Gulping down the honey mead, Paul spoke in an even angrier voice.

"Don't even mention the lord. It's been over a month since he's shown himself. Maybe even longer!"

The lord hasn't shown himself?

At a time like this, it was incomprehensible that the lord wasn't taking care of the city. From what I knew, Dihid was…

Despite its various issues, it wasn't a corrupt city neglected by its lord.

What on earth was happening?

"Rats are swarming, the wells are rotting, and people are collapsing without knowing why. We can't do anything…"

Paul banged his head on the table and began to sob. Oh dear, he seemed to be going through a tough time. I looked at him with pity and then gave a slight nod to Lloyd and El to signal, "It seems the situation is serious." Lloyd seemed to understand and nodded his head gravely.

We left the remaining honey mead with Paul and went upstairs. Occasionally, we heard his drunken rambling, but it wasn't enough to bother us. More importantly…

"The situation is worse than I thought."

The situation in Dihid was the real problem. The city was in panic, the lord was absent, and the temple wasn't fulfilling its role.

"They say it's as if a plague is spreading through the city."

"Yes, but it's not because of the 'black rain'. When I checked, the black rain didn't contain any poison or disease."

"Then…"

"It seems like there must be another cause. The 'black rain' might just be a decoy to hide the real reason."

"What an elaborate ruse."

"What's being hidden could be an even more serious problem. We should be cautious for a while. Since they say there's a plague going around, let's all be mindful of hygiene and prepare our own meals."

"Understood."

"Yes!"

We could procure clean water and food from the [Dimensional Garden], so it wouldn't be a big problem. I had stocked plenty of various ingredients in the space ring. We could manage until we identified the cause of the plague.

– Thump, thump.

At that moment, there was a knock on the door.

"It's Ayla."

I got up and went downstairs. Fortunately, Paul was passed out while hugging a bottle. I carefully opened the door, and Ayla who was soaked from the black rain appeared.

– Creak…

However, something was off. Ayla hesitated as if gauging my reaction, then gently dropped what she was holding in her mouth. A black lump. I bent down to take a closer look at what Ayla had brought.

"..."

It was a crow.