Strange Village 2

"We've arrived! So, are you satisfied with this place?" asked the Village Chief, watching Ren's reaction.

Ren nodded slightly. The house in front of him looked simple — not too big, but not too small either. The building still stood firm, clean, and well-maintained.

"But may I take a look inside first?" Ren asked.

"Of course, please," the Village Chief answered with a wide smile.

Ren opened the door and stepped in. The interior was just as simple. A wooden dining table with several chairs filled the main room, a fairly large fireplace sat at one side, and a small but tidy kitchen completed the scene.

He carefully inspected each room, making sure there was a proper bed and a functional bathroom. Satisfied, he returned outside, where the Village Chief was still waiting — with the same unchanging smile.

Weird...

The thought crossed Ren's mind as he glanced at the chief, who kept smiling.

"So? Are you satisfied with the interior as well?" the chief asked again.

"Yes, I'm very satisfied. Thank you for providing me a place to rest," Ren replied with a smile of his own. For a brief moment, he caught a strange glint in the chief's eyes — almost like contempt or disdain — but it quickly vanished behind the friendly expression.

"Well then, I'll take my leave! If you need anything, just ask any of the villagers," said the chief, waving as he turned to leave.

"Huh? Why not just report directly to you? Wouldn't that be easier?" Ren suddenly asked, a bit curious.

The chief paused, then turned back with the same wide smile. "That's because I have many important matters to attend to. I'll be very busy for the next few days and won't be home often," he answered, with a tone that somehow made Ren even more suspicious.

After that, the chief finally left, leaving Ren frowning slightly as he watched him walk away, before sighing and relaxing again.

Well... no need to overthink it. Whatever the problem is, I can handle it with my strength.

Reassuring himself, Ren stepped back inside the house and decided to take a bath. Even though his new body almost never sweated or smelled, his Japanese habit of daily bathing still stuck with him — bath time was a must.

After finishing, he changed into new clothes he bought from the [Mall]: a long black cloak reaching his ankles, over a white collared shirt combined with a deep red V-neck sweater and a neatly tied blue tie. Gray pants and black-and-white sneakers completed his look.

The final result… closely resembled a Hogwarts uniform from Harry Potter, though with a few personal modifications to suit his taste.

Looking at himself in the mirror he bought from [Mall], Ren nodded with satisfaction. "Well, I do look extremely handsome!" he commented narcissistically, while casually mewing in front of the mirror.

To be fair, he truly was handsome. Ever since evolving his body, not only had his strength increased, but his appearance had been continuously optimized as well.

As a result, after more than a dozen hours since his evolution, his looks had drastically changed into that of a young man capable of captivating women from all ages — whether young or old!

Satisfied with his reflection, Ren ruffled his hair back into its usual messy style, and stepped out of the house, eager to explore the village.

His sudden appearance outside immediately caught the villagers off guard. They stared at him with a mixture of surprise and unease, especially due to his new outfit — since none of them remembered seeing him carry any bags or luggage when he first arrived at the village.

Where did he even get those clothes?

The villagers quietly wondered. None of the vacant houses used for temporary lodging should have clothing of such quality.

Feeling both confused and curious, they still chose to hold back their questions. They feared that directly asking might make Ren suspicious or overly cautious toward them.

Of course, Ren fully noticed the gazes fixed upon him. Smirking in amusement, he almost wanted to laugh as he watched the villagers staring at him like curious children peeking at a mysterious gift — eager to know what's inside, yet too scared to open it.

As he continued exploring the village, something immediately struck Ren as very odd.

"There's no place to eat here?" he mumbled in confusion, finding not a single restaurant or tavern in sight.

Logically, there should at least be one dining place or tavern in any village, especially for visiting travelers who would need food after long and exhausting journeys.

But strangely, that logic didn't seem to apply here, making this village even more suspicious in Ren's eyes.

Driven by curiosity, Ren approached one of the villagers. "Hey, can I ask? Why isn't there any restaurant or tavern in this village?"

The villager's face froze for a brief moment, but he quickly recovered and answered with an odd smile on his face. "That is because no one in our village is skilled enough at cooking."

"Really? Not a single person? Not even the women or housewives?" Ren pressed further. The villager simply nodded in response.

"Strange… I find it hard to believe that not even one person here can cook well enough to open at least a small food stall," Ren said, touching his chin thoughtfully. Yet the villager remained silent, simply smiling back at him.

Growing irritated, Ren clicked his tongue. "Tch, forget it. I'm not hungry anyway." He then walked away and continued exploring the village.

However, the moment Ren disappeared from his view, the villager's smile vanished, his face turning deathly solemn. His eyes stared deeply in Ren's direction before quickly hurrying off somewhere else.

Unbeknownst to him, his reaction had not gone unnoticed. From afar, Ren was watching everything through his clairvoyance spell, witnessing it all in real time.

"Haha… interesting! This village keeps getting more and more intriguing!" Ren smirked in amusement, his anticipation steadily rising.

"I hope whatever you're planning for me will be entertaining. Please… don't disappoint me."