18: Panda Village

                                    

                                          

(Kitsune Forest)
3:01 PM
The pouring rain stops, and the sky has cleared. Adeline has also arrived in a very wet outfit due to being in the rain for a long time. Rennard shows his concern for Adeline because Adeline looks tired. Adeline assures them that she is fine, and she explains that it is only normal to be tired after searching for a lost item.
A few minutes later, Vianne can be heard on the radio, notifying the team that the unstable mirage element in the forest is progressively reducing. Vianne believes that this is an excellent opportunity to track Haunele bacteria in the forest.
The three continued their search to identify regions with a high concentration of Haunele bacterias. They've found one of its lairs in an antiquated fox tree. Rennard clears the area and moves on to the next spot. The team successfully eradicated all places with high levels of Haunele bacterias after an hour of searching the forest.

Adeline informs Rennard that she can detect The Epidemic's footprint. Adeline couldn't explain it properly, but she indicated the footprint was traveling west of the woodland. On the ground, Rennard employs its Haunele tracking gadget.

The tracking device reveals that minimal traces of Haunele bacteria are traveling west, proving Adeline correct. Rennard is taken aback by Adeline's ability to detect bacteria. Regardless, they informed Vianne of their discoveries. Vianne permitted them to explore Nature Island as part of the mission.

Aria expresses a desire to explore the nature Island. Rennard agrees with Aria and expresses his desire to do so. Adeline informs them of a panda village in the far west. Adeline suspects that The Epidemic's footprint leads to that village.

Without further hesitation, the team follows the footprint of The Epidemic. The trio came across numerous obstacles, such as huge boulders, slopes, and rivers. Along the route, they faced monsters such as huge caterpillars and spiders. With the necessary equipment and weaponry, the three dealt with the creatures and continued their pursuit of the track.
...
(Panda Village)
4:26 PM
Aria: Whew... We've finally arrived here.
Rennard: That was a long walk.
Adeline: There are so many tall bamboos in this village.
Aria: Bamboos are Pandas' main food. Pandas are worshipped in this village.
Rennard: You know that too?
Aria: It was included in our geography class five years ago. Did they not teach them to you?
Rennard: Unfortunately not. Haha.
Adeline: Ugh. Anyways let's start investigating this village.
...
The three of them began to explore the village. The residents of the village greet them warmly. They discussed their culture and history with the locals. Rennard and Adeline are led to the elder's residence to meet with the village elder. Aria remained outside to continue her search for The Epidemic.

Aria heard some rustling outside the settlement. Aria's curiosity led her to investigate the rustling shrub. Aria took a few minutes to approach the bush. As Aria walks closer to the bush, Aria feels an intense amount of magic running through her body.

A burst of explosion can be heard outside the village, which leads Rennard and Adeline to suspect that something terrible has happened. Both of them went out in a rush to find Aria. Aria was discovered on the ground. Aria is unhurt, as the explosion has just blown her away. There is also a Panda Village resident near the bush.

This resident has dark brown hair and is a man. His eyes are brown with white pupils. He has tan-colored skin. He appears to be about the same age as Aria, Adeline, and Rennard. He appears to be a Panda Village resident based on his appearance. Tang Suit is the name given to the villagers' attire in Panda Village. The top outfit is red with long sleeves.

When the village elder arrived, he recognized the villager, who had also been affected by the blast. Fortunately, the resident was not injured. The villager was presented to the three by the village elder.

Remier is the name of the villager.  The village elder explained to them that Remier has been practicing various types of magic since he arrived in the village many years ago. Remier formally introduces himself and meets the three.

Remier's gaze is fixed on the three. Rennard was paralyzed by his glare. Rennard inquired as to why Remier was staring at them with an intimidating expression. The village elder apologized on behalf of Remier. He explains that Remier is a mystery. Remier may appear fearsome and frightening, but it is simply his appearance. Remier, according to the village elder, is a good person.

Remier expresses regret over his frightening appearance. Aria declines his apology, stating that there is nothing to apologize for in his appearance. Remier has an apathetic expression on his face as he glances at Aria. Remier's feelings and emotions are difficult to read.

Adeline looks at Remier, and she senses something different about Remier. Adeline can see invisible energy radiating around Remier. Remier looks at Adeline as if he knows what Adeline can see in him. Opposite to how Adeline would usually react, Adeline kept her stare at Remier and refused to let her fear react to the situation.