They finally reached the entrance to the village. An archway that resembled a torri, made of timber and stone, soared before them. It looked old and unmaintained.
There was no fence around the village, affording residents in the outskirts access to the surrounding woods, which proved their earlier premise that the villagers felt safe on this side.
But where were the villagers? Why was it eerily quiet? They were certain this village wasn't abandoned because they'd seen smoke looming above the houses.
Then, they realized the villagers must be hiding from them, perhaps thinking they were bandits or an invading army.
"Konnichiwa!" Ryo greeted as they trod the stone walkway that led to what looked like a courtyard. The village wasn't big, only about 1500 shakus across, and the courtyard wasn't far from the entrance.
Behind it was the entirety of the settlement, with minka houses scattered on either side and a machiya building at the far end, which looked like the town hall.
"Konnichiwa! Ryo echoed. Suddenly, they heard a loud sliding and thumping sound, similar to a window closing swiftly. Someone must have been peeking out.
"We come in peace. We're not here to cause trouble," Ryo shouted for everyone to hear.
They were standing in the courtyard, some laying down their backpack and finding a place to sit, when a door opened, and an old man came out.
Ryo bowed down to show respect. The others followed suit. The old man who could pass as forty approached them warily.
"What brings you here?" he asked.
"We are tradesmen looking for work. We travel from town to town and people hire us. We're wondering if we could be of service to your village," Ryo responded.
The old man paused for thought.
"What kind of work do you do?" the old man asked, now more relaxed.
As their conversation continued, more windows and doors started to open. The villagers finally realized their guests weren't dangerous. The boys responded with bows in every direction.
"Please forgive our weariness. We don't get visitors very often, and we've heard of the chaos down the mountain," the old man, who introduced himself as Hozumi and the village chieftain, explained.
"We fully understand Hozumi-san. This isn't the first time we'd been met this way," Ryo acknowledged.
"By the way, we need a place to stay. Do you have a lodging here? Of course, we will pay rent for the time we'll be here," Ryo inquired.
"Let's see. We don't have inns in the village because we're not expecting any visitors, but I can offer you a room beside the town hall that no one uses. You don't have to pay. But I hope you're not picky," Hozumi replied.
"Oh no, we're not picky. That would be wonderful. Thank you for your kindness," Ryo delightedly accepted the offer.
They continued their conversation as they crossed the village, with curious residents cautiously poking their heads out, some bravely exiting their homes to get a closer look at their visitors.
YOU ARE READING
Saving Touma
Mystery / ThrillerWhen the past and the future collide, chaos follows. Lives from different worlds intertwine and dance in a perpetual loop. The victim? An innocent child whose future would remain uncertain and cost many lives to retrieve. The key to all of this is a...
