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Odilia’s small act of defiance was swiftly suppressed.

Unable to withstand the pressure from Rise, Odilia decided to comply with her words.

Of course, she had pride, which sometimes threatened to burst forth, but… that kind of anger quickly faded upon witnessing the vacant look in Rise’s eyes and the strange madness radiating from her.

One might question where her usual temperament had gone, but Odilia was acutely aware that Rise’s behavior was not merely a matter of being hot-headed or unable to control her anger; she had crossed into the realm of madness, and that understanding compelled Odilia to obediently follow her words.

Madness has a certain direction to it, but she knew all too well that when provoked, it could leap in any unforeseen manner—it was a terrifying thing.

Entangling herself with those who exhibited such madness had never ended well in her life. The worst nightmare, which had firmly taken root in her mind, was closely entwined with such madness, and privately, her dealings with individuals marked by that madness had often gone awry.

In truth, what Odilia was currently experiencing was also a result of being tangled up with someone who harbored madness.

“Odii—!!! How could you do this to me?!”

“I told you!!! I wanted to be your good luck charm!!! So how can you treat me like this? How can you say such things to me? Odii, immediately take back what you said and sit in front of me! Or else—! Or else—!!!”

…Right.

That woman, her temperament unpredictable and exceedingly filthy.

Wasn’t it because of her that Odilia found herself in this predicament?

If it weren’t for Gabriella, Odilia wouldn’t have had any reason to engage in charades or whatever else this was. She would never have gotten involved with that strangely outrageous woman from Japan, nor would she have had to suffer through Gabriella’s incessant nagging. And she certainly wouldn’t be acting out in a bizarre way reminiscent of a child freshly entered into elementary school, tossing aside any semblance of dignity.

With a small sigh, Odilia began to rehearse the act as requested by Rise.

“Right. If I can get back at that woman, it wouldn’t be too bad, would it…”

She thought, leaning closer to self-rationalization.

* * *

While Odilia practiced, the sabotage happening on the farm came to a halt.

It was only natural.

To save their effort for the highlight, the usual acts of sabotage had to pause for the time being.

Additionally, since the farm owner had fled outdoors, even if sabotage continued, it would hold little significance.

Thus, the farm was normalized.

At least on the surface.

And this normalization… turned out to be a good thing for them.

There were reasons why it was easier to dismiss the farm owner’s claims as absurd, but the biggest benefit was the fading of emotions and memories.

As time passed, emotions dulled, and memories became obscured.

Though one might call it nostalgia—it’s important to think about how nostalgia is born when emotions are weathered, memories prettified, and other things fill in the gaps. The meaning of this peaceful time was clear.

Yes.

Like many others, the farm owner too began to dull the emotions and memories stirred by the sabotage.

Fear dulled into something bearable.

Anger morphed into a form that pushed him to act.

Memories twisted in odd ways, transforming into something different from reality.

Thus, the experience of ‘having to run away from the farm out of fear’ began to shift into ‘maybe it wouldn’t hurt to check back once more.’

The courage that bloomed late began to fill his mind, making the pride he should possess as a macho man conquer his fears. Thus, the foolish actions of a person who hadn’t learned from the past would arise far too easily.

It wasn’t strange.

At the same time, it was predictable.

And thus, what was bound to happen came to pass.

Far too easily, in fact.

“Did I really have some kind of drug…?! No, could it be that some strange drug was planted in my house or fields, and I was affected by it…?”

The farm owner, who had fled outside, sent someone to check the CCTV.

It wasn’t a difficult task.

Sending people who worked at the farm posed risks of lawsuits and would cost a lot, but there were plentiful folks working there who weren’t receiving proper protection under American law—people he could easily exploit.

The farm owner had illegal immigrants patrol the farm, setting up CCTV and camcorders all over.

Naturally, they complied with the farm owner’s orders without question.

Some were eager to pocket the small change the owner offered, while others felt they had no choice but to move, fearing they might get fired for not doing what they were told. There were also those who completely disbelieved the farm owner.

So, the farm owner was able to monitor the farm from a distance—

to reassure himself that nothing was happening, that the farm was peaceful.

Only then did the farm owner return to the farm.

Though his demeanor was in stark contrast to his claims of being a macho man, a figure of bravado… at least he felt self-assured.

Knowing full well that entering a place he knew to be dangerous wasn’t courage, but stupidity; he figured he was simply someone who hadn’t studied enough.

So the farm owner returned home, relieved to find nothing had happened since his return.

And that moment when he sat with the conviction that what he’d seen was a mere mirage or a temporary incident, he resumed operations of the farm and café. Meanwhile, he sought people to scientifically and rationally analyze what he had experienced.

To validate the simply irritating words Odilia, the great witch, had uttered.

To investigate the woods that had always left him feeling uneasy.

And to confirm if there was any chance he had indeed been on some hallucinogen or exposed to any chemical substance.

Thus, the farm owner began to utilize his connections and spend his money to hire people.

First, he sent illegal immigrants to the fields he had previously sold.

Needless to say, he didn’t mention the dangers there.

Otherwise, he’d have to provide hazard pay, and what if someone, like a coward, threw a fit refusing to go there? Additionally, that area was legally owned by someone else, so if he sent staff or went himself, it could lead to troubles—thus, it was best to send the most convenient, dismissible illegal immigrants.

And to the woods, which always made him feel uneasy, he deployed American employees.

He told them they needed to understand what was there while contemplating clearing the woods.

For the most part, the employees didn’t strongly resist his commands.

They knew the farm owner was always dissatisfied with the woods.

He even assigned a few hunters in case any beasts emerged, thinking they’d face no major dangers.

If the hunters came with guns that could likely take down a bear, that would surely inspire courage in anyone.

Additionally, the employees he dispatched were accustomed to the outdoors, and they took pride in the fact that they were macho individuals.

Lastly, to investigate if the farm had been contaminated by any chemical substances or drugs, he brought in a person.

It was a retired police officer who mostly dealt with drug cases.

He had reportedly decided to put an end to his previous role due to financial concerns, but was set to join the Pinkerton Government Services, a well-paying job.

When he retired, he brought along a retired police dog, famously adept at sniffing out drugs.

He was the perfect fit for the farm owner.

With a drug detection dog, plus police expertise in drugs, they would surely find something as they casually took a stroll around the farm, right?

Plus, the payment was extremely appealing to him.

It seemed that he would provide his services cheaply as a side gig before joining Pinkerton.

For the farm owner, it was indeed a stroke of luck, an unexpected boon.

So the farm owner sent out his men—

and soon, he would hear back about their investigation.

“Hmm? The police dog and the guy found nothing strange? If we want to conduct a more thorough investigation, we should close the farm and hire more people for a large-scale sweep… Tsk. It’s easy to say that. How much would that cost…?”

The first to report back to him was the man with the police dog.

He mentioned having checked the route arranged by the owner, but found nothing.

At least, nothing regarding drugs.

Hearing his report, the farm owner showed a displeased expression but soon nodded at the reality that it would cost both time and money to find a more definitive answer, so he accepted that much.

Next, the report came from the illegal immigrants.

They had secretly observed the places the farm owner had previously sold.

“…It was a bit strange there.”

“It seemed like the crops were in the right place but had a feeling like they had been pulled and replanted? The soil felt moist and not dry, and it seemed like it had been turned over once.”

“It smelled. The smell of the soil underground.”

“The crops planted there looked in good condition. Do you manage them differently?”

“I noticed some scratched marks. There were a few damaged crops, but not many.”

Their report seemed a little suspicious.

But it was merely a degree of suspicion; it wasn’t overtly odd.

The farm owner thought of their report as slightly dubious and moved on from it.

No, he had no choice but to.

“Come on, we saw fairies?!”

…Those who had returned from the woods spouted bizarre claims.

 

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