Hour Empty Child

Vol. 8 Chapter 4 The Mystery of the Hut Part 2

Hinota explained, trying to calm down her comrades with a hand gesture. Kudo understood Hinota's intent, and he tried to, but the shaking wouldn't go away. He knew that if he opened this, he will see something that he will regret seeing.

However, like Hinota said, it's part of the mission. Even if he doesn't want to, he can't just deny the quest he's given. It will go against his adventurer's code.

Swallowing his fear, Kudo turned the knob, getting everyone on guard. The hinges squeak as the door is slowly opened, revealing the inner room. Kudo steps inside first, with everyone else following afterward.

Their heavy footsteps filled the silence in the room, seeing the living room of the hut. The living room was a mess—the shelves behind the wooden counter with a single entrance on the right was broken into pieces. Several pieces of broken wood could be seen here and there on the floor as well.

Smudges of unknown substances stained the walls, and a broken wooden chair could be seen on the left side of them.

"What happened here...?" Mizuri looked around, seeing the ingredients on the floor from the apparent struggle. "Uggh, it stinks in here..."

She held her nose tightly with her fingers, blocking the incredible stench that lingered in the air. Everyone else did the same thing, not able to withstand the rotting smell that is coming from somewhere.

"Looks like there was a fight here," Hinota pointed out what she thought was obvious. "But what's so bad about this, Kudo?"

Hinota turned to Kudo as he walked forward to the center of the room, looking around to see anything grim or scary that has happened here all the while trying to ignore the unbearable rotting stench that assaulted his nose.

"...No idea. Sometimes, the Sixth Sense can be weird, I guess..." Kudo rubbed the back of his head, his cheeks blushing from the embarrassing fruitless fear.

"Well, it's nothing bad, at least. But there's no sign of Sherald anywhere here."

"Do you think he got into a fight with someone?" Raika pointed out, still trembling from Kudo's warning with her arms close to her chest.

"Considering that everyone in town apparently doesn't like him, that's a given. Sherald acts like a fool, everyone gets mad at him, then he apparently escapes into this place. Then, someone who really wanted to get him, found this place and then finds him to do the deed... Or at least that's how I think it went."

Hinota made an assumption based on the image of the room in her mind and considering the possible outcomes. Hinota investigated further by stepping across the room, eyeing on the smudges on the walls and the broken pieces of wood on the floor.

Hinota then told her party members to start looking around in specific places for any type of clues.

"Kudo, go check behind the counter—see if anything's there."

"Got it."

Kudo nodded and did as Hinota told. He moved towards the counter where there was a small door to enter to the other side. Kudo then grabbed the wooden door on the top and pushed it forward, letting himself through the entrance.

After Kudo checked around the broken shelves, he looked below—and widened his eyes.

"AAAAH!"

Kudo jumped back, hitting the wall behind him which shocked everyone else in the room.

"Kudo?! What happened?!"

Hinota asked after seeing Kudo himself being shocked. That doesn't usually happen unless something grotesque occurred.