Chapter 133:

Chapter 133: Chapter 133:

Chapter 133:

"...?"

His gaze shifted toward the pile of wood he had just moved, and after staring at it for a moment, he slowly walked back and crouched down to examine the area more closely.

There was something unusual about one of the pieces of wood, or rather, something that had become caught between two broken planks and was barely visible beneath the dirt.

Osborne reached out and carefully pulled the object free, brushing away the dirt that had gathered on its surface before holding it up for a closer look.

It was a torn piece of fabric.

The cloth was dirty and slightly worn, with one end ripped apart as though someone had pulled on it with considerable force, and although there wasn’t enough material for him to identify its original purpose, the quality of the fabric and the faint design woven into it suggested that it might have belonged to a woman.

Osborne turned the cloth over in his hand, carefully examining its edges as he tried to determine whether it had been left behind by accident or whether it had simply become caught in the pile of wood while someone was moving it.

’Could she have left this behind during her abduction?’

The thought immediately caught his attention, and as he stared at the torn fabric, he began piecing together a possible explanation for how the woman had disappeared.

If the woman had been taken from the house through the hidden passage, then the people responsible must have brought her through this alley before moving her somewhere else, and considering that she might have resisted while being carried away, it wouldn’t have been strange for her to leave something behind during the struggle.

Perhaps she had managed to grab onto the wooden planks while trying to escape, only for a piece of her clothing to tear when the kidnappers dragged her away, leaving behind the very clue he was now holding in his hand.

Of course, there was no guarantee that his guess was correct, since the fabric could have belonged to someone else who had passed through the alley at some point, but he wasn’t going to dismiss the possibility without looking into it first.

After all, this was the first actual clue he had discovered since beginning his investigation, and even if it turned out to be useless, it was still better than returning to the farm empty-handed.

Osborne let out a helpless breath, finding it somewhat amusing that he had been on the verge of abandoning the entire investigation just moments ago, only to discover something that might finally lead him in the right direction.

’Looks like I almost gave up too early.’

He shook his head at his own impatience.

Osborne closed his eyes and focused his attention on the cloth, carefully sorting through the different smells that clung to its surface.

At first, the scent was mixed with the smell of dirt, wood, and the unpleasant odour of the alley, making it difficult to distinguish anything useful, but after concentrating for a little longer, he began to pick out a faint trace that was different from the others.

It was subtle, almost as though it had been washed away by the passage of time, yet his enhanced senses allowed him to detect it clearly enough to recognise that it belonged to a person.

Osborne continued focusing on the scent, carefully memorising its unique smell before slowly opening his eyes.

An eager glint flashed through them as the corners of his lips rose slightly, and the disappointment that had filled him moments earlier disappeared without a trace.

---

Osborne jumped off a carriage on the outskirts of town, landing on the roadside before turning around to watch the driver move away.

He had paid for the journey after following the scent he had picked up from the torn piece of fabric, and although the carriage had taken him quite a distance from town, he still wasn’t certain how far he would have to travel before reaching his destination.

The scent had led him toward this area, where the road gradually gave way to a stretch of wilderness covered in thick trees and bushes, and after checking the fabric one last time, Osborne finally turned his attention toward the forest ahead.

’So, this is where the trail leads.’

He took a deep breath, allowing his enhanced sense of smell to guide him as he stepped away from the road and entered the forest, carefully moving between the trees while keeping track of the faint scent that lingered in the air.

The deeper he went, the more the sounds of the road faded behind him, eventually being replaced by the rustling of leaves and the occasional calls of birds that had made their homes among the branches.

Osborne continued walking without stopping, occasionally pausing to check the direction of the scent before adjusting his path, since he didn’t want to waste time wandering through the forest when he could simply follow the trail left behind by the missing woman.

Fortunately, his enhanced senses were proving more useful than he had expected, as the scent remained clear enough for him to follow even when the wind blew through the trees and carried other smells across his path.

Though his journey was slow due to him trying his best to avoid confrontations with beasts.

---

Later on...

’Looks like I’m getting closer.’

Osborne’s expression brightened slightly when he noticed that the scent had grown stronger.

At the same time, he felt a bit tired from walking for so long, leading him to wonder whether the woman had been taken to a completely different town altogether.

However, Osborne wasn’t going to jump to conclusions just yet, like last time.

He continued following the scent, moving past several large trees and stepping over exposed roots as the forest grew denser around him, while the fading sunlight gradually changed the colour of the surroundings.

Osborne bent his knees slightly before leaping onto a nearby tree branch, using the strength of his altered body to propel himself upward, and after reaching the branch, he immediately pushed off again toward a higher one.