The day before Manfred and Vivian reached Graystone, they found themselves stranded on the main road.
Due to several days of continuous rain, a significant amount of rocks and debris had fallen down from the mountain, blocking the road. At the moment, this was the only road passable.
The local authorities had already started clearing the way, but it would take time. Manfred left a few of his men behind to assist with the cleanup while the rest of the group made their way to a nearby village to rest.
Manfred had already sent word ahead to the villagers, arranging for any vacant houses to accommodate them temporarily.
Vivian, curious about the village built against the mountainside, decided to explore.
After settling in, she wandered around the village while Manfred stayed behind to handle urgent matters after receiving a letter.
Kemp accompanied Vivian on her walk.
Kemp pointed toward a river not far away and said to Vivian, "Ms. Martin, there's a river over there. It looks like a lot of villagers are washing clothes by the shore."
Vivian followed his gaze and indeed spotted a winding river ahead. "Let's go take a look."
"Yes, Ms. Martin."
Kemp walked beside her, his sharp eyes scanning the surroundings. The chances of encountering bandits were slim, but his duty was to protect her at all costs.
As they neared the river, they overheard the villagers chatting as they did their laundry.
"I heard Sean's eldest daughter is marrying a blacksmith from Graystone. They said he's skilled, runs a good business, and even owns a big house in town with several maids. That girl is really lucky."
"She sure is. A good match like that is hard to come by. But Sean's eldest daughter is beautiful too. They say the blacksmith fell for her at first sight."
"By the way, Mabel, isn't your brother a deputy general in the Holland troop? I even heard rumors you were supposed to marry Mr. Atkinson in Vlario. What brings you to a quiet, remote village like ours?"
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