Go!
Must go!
Leave immediately, right now!
No matter how "interesting" the night-town before him flourished, it couldn't stop Ronald from turning around and walking away at this very moment.
Follow the main road not too far ahead and leave this damned place as quickly as possible!
Ronald remembered very clearly that when he had first awakened, he was wearing pajamas, and the candle on his desk had already burned down some, not to mention the time spent exploring the mansion; it must be deep into the night by now.
At this time point—
Throughout the entire history of the West, there could not be found any festival capable of illuminating an entire town during a night of thunderstorms!
This was a remote town so small that it didn't even have factory chimneys belching smoke.
Considering the vicious cycle under the crushing effect of the economy, one could imagine what the living standards of the ordinary residents were like.
Such a deep night!
The entire town simultaneously lighting an enormous number of candles, along with this eerie brightness...
Absolutely an incomprehensible, strange anomaly!
At best, some malevolent force had taken control of the town, and they were now conducting activities that were anything but 'friendly' towards himself, the local noble;
At worst, there was something wrong with the entire town. Including every grass and tree, every insect and flower, even every person!
Referring to the disappearance of the maid in the mansion and the fact that he had obtained this body...
"Heh."
What was the decision just now?
Continue to explore?
Don't make me laugh!
Ronald wasn't some naive youth brainwashed by Western superhero movies who still dared to rush headlong into things of this scale with reckless abandon.
If he had relevant information and understood the cause and process, then he could consider it.
But now, fumbling in the dark only knowing that something abnormal was afoot.
What was he to do?
When faced with the 'maid' just now, he might have seemed calm on the surface, but the mental strain from the frequent psychological skirmishes was definitely not small.
And now that they're throwing all this high-intensity chaos at him...
Fine, if you don't play by the rules, coming up with all kinds of ghostly stuff,
Then don't blame me for running away directly!
Though escaping might be shameful, sometimes it truly works!
Holding a lantern he had grabbed at random, Ronald pushed open the door of the mansion and fled in the direction away from the town.
He had some knowledge of wilderness survival, enough to last him for a while.
"Hm?"
He had only walked a few steps when Ronald noticed something peculiar about himself.
Around him was the sound of hurried and dense raindrops.
But there was no sensation of raindrops striking the rain gear he wore!
He extended his hands in front of him, in the glow of the lantern light.
Ronald made a startling discovery.
Although the curtain of rain around him continued to fall, the raindrops that were about to reach, or rather, come into contact with his body, would automatically slide away to the side!
It wasn't just Ronald himself.
Even his clothes were thus spared from being drenched by the rain.
"The Rain Mist Divine Hammer?"
This was the most reasonable explanation.
Just like the illusion earlier had shielded the house from the rain, after obtaining this stone tablet, it also demonstrated the benefit it could bring.
—To walk in the rain without an umbrella.
Continuing the practice he had discovered when he found the hidden tablet, Ronald proceeded while simultaneously trying to manipulate the Rain Mist Divine Hammer.
No need for any complicated incantations, no need for any casting materials or hand gestures.
As long as the Rain Mist Divine Hammer was in his hands, whether it was hidden or not.
With a thought, the ability to automatically avoid rainwater could be activated or deactivated.
Centered on himself, he could control it freely within a twenty-meter radius.
However, this ability was only capable of preventing the harm of rainwater; the notion of controlling rainwater for combat was utterly impossible.
"Pretty good."
Ronald nodded in satisfaction, quite pleased with the rain avoidance ability.
————
Braving the heavy rain, a young man hurried along the main road at the edge of the forest, his hand protecting a lantern.
Without moonlight in the rainy night, this light slowly progressed through the gaps in the rain.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Ronald used the light to observe the surroundings.
The road he was on cut between farmland and forest, serving as the main artery connecting the town to the outside world.
The farmland was filled with wheat-like crops that gradually disappeared a distance from the town.
The trees not far from the road, primarily broad-leaved plants with wide leaves, frequently had their yellowing leaves beaten down by the raindrops, carpeting the ground in patches of color.
If this place were similar to Earth, or rather, the ground beneath his feet was also a "planet," then he was most likely within the distinct seasonal zone of the temperate belt, and the time would be mid-autumn.
The fall of broadleaf plant leaves usually occurred in the temperate winter or during hot and dry periods. Combining the ambient temperature with the chill in the air he breathed made this clear.
"Let's keep moving..."
Aware of his circumstances, Ronald continued his journey through the rainy night.
Perhaps something in the universe was protecting him, or maybe his luck was simply that good.
After moving forward about four kilometers, he found wheel tracks on the muddy road to the left.
It was a thunderstorm!
Such weather always favored perpetrators of various crimes because the heavy rain would wash away almost ninety percent of any traces left on the ground, leaving those tracking evidence with nothing.
There were only two possibilities for wheel tracks to remain in such weather:
One, a convoy had passed by recently, and the rain had not yet had time to erase the marks.
Two, the cargo trucks were loaded so heavily that the tracks were deep enough not to be washed away.
Ronald didn't even need to bend down for a closer look to understand the second scenario was the case.
The reason was simple.
In this era of social upheaval, those who chose to be traveling merchants were not adventurous young people, but rather old traders accustomed to this industry, even on the verge of retirement, and thus unwilling to change.
On a thunderous rainy night, which experienced merchant would take the risk of traveling in the rain?
This had to be due to the extreme weight of the cargo, leaving behind tracks; the fresh yellow leaves occasionally covering some tracks also indicated that they hadn't left too long ago.
Catch up with them.
Not far ahead, a convoy had stopped due to the rain!
As for their reception...
That was something to consider only after catching up to them.
With the decision made, Ronald immediately quickened his pace and resolutely continued following the tracks on the ground.
The still obvious wheel marks grew clearer as he advanced, further solidifying his speculation.
At the same time, the rain, which had originally avoided Ronald, began to tap on his rain gear.
He had voluntarily shut off his new ability—
A quarter of an hour later, at the forest's edge enshrouded by dark brown rain, the wheel tracks veered off and disappeared beside the road. Not too far from the main road, a convoy sat quietly on a clearing, as if it too had succumbed to the rain-soaked night.
Even from a distance, Ronald could see the fire protected by canvas, with two or three Nightwatchmen overlooking the surroundings, some even hanging cups over the fire to boil water.
Although the night's opening wasn't impressive, the subsequent developments were quite acceptable.
A few 'humans' responsible for guarding the makeshift caravan was precisely what he was searching for.
Without any hesitation, Ronald left the main road and walked towards the convoy.
What gave him such confidence was the composition of the convoy he observed.
There were only four horse-drawn carts in the camp, each with different shapes and types of cargo, and even the Nightwatchmen's attire was segmented, showcasing clear differences in dress habits.
Thus, the conclusion came naturally:
This was a temporarily assembled caravan, with members who were not fixed partners.
In such transient teams, where people restrained each other in small 'societies,' it was unlikely for anyone to harbor malice towards him. The mutual checks and balances amongst themselves were his best umbrella of protection.
It was just to his liking—