By the time Vivienne stepped back into the house, Logan had finished up his tasks. He listened attentively as she briefed him on precautions.
"Let's head to the next place," Vivienne declared.
At her words, Logan nodded, and they proceeded to their next destination.
Upon entering, they were immediately greeted by a garden full of vegetables, reminiscent of what Vivienne had seen earlier. Was it merely a coincidence?
Before she could ponder further, she followed Logan inside. The villagers' poisoning wasn't severe; a few casual injections from Vivienne usually did the trick.
However, their primary goal was to verify the whereabouts of the missing women, so their search was thorough and time-consuming.
As Vivienne ascended the stairs for a closer inspection, someone insisted on accompanying her under the guise of showing her around, clearly keeping an eye on her instead.
She could feel the cold gaze of someone lurking in the shadows, watching her every move.
Intrigued by their scrutiny, she casually inspected her surroundings, eventually stopping by the sink. The moment she pulled out a silver needle, she sensed a sudden surge of hostility from a hidden observer.
Without panic, she dipped the needle into the water. Like before, it turned black after a short while.
"The water's contaminated. Avoid using it and inform the town mayor to purchase bottled water for emergencies," Vivienne advised, securing the needle before heading downstairs.
Passing the staircase, she caught the eye of the person hiding in the shadows. Before they could react, she had vanished from their sight, leaving them with a lingering sense of mockery.
Once Vivienne rejoined Logan, he promptly concluded his treatments.
Despite their morning efforts, they found no trace of the hidden individuals in the village, though the suspicious vegetable gardens in each household raised questions, especially since they were swiftly deterred from nearing them, as if something was being concealed.
Approaching noon, Vivienne and Logan accepted an invitation to dine with one of the families.
Surprisingly, despite an apparent lack of kitchenware, the food served was rich in flavor and aroma.
Logan exchanged a wary glance with Vivienne, reluctant to proceed without her approval, aware of his inability to detect certain toxins.
In front of everyone, Vivienne tested the food with her needle. After several minutes without any change in the needle's color, she reassured Logan.
"Master, it's safe to eat," she declared.
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