The children, accompanied by the guards, entered a large tent where the office of the village chief was located, a fish-man with a patch over his right eye. That's right, a fish-man. The fish-man was dressed in a police uniform, complete with a hat. He had red eyes and a red beard. He got up from his chair after shooing his cat away from his legs. Then he tried to clear his throat: "Humans. How did you find our lands and, above all, how did you manage to cross?" The curious ones were thinking about what to answer, but they didn't quite understand what they had <crossed>. "... Stop...! You...! You have the anti-seal! The map! Where did you find it?! I-Impossible!" he exclaimed, astonished and disturbed at the same time. Then he finished his <maranzina>: "Guards, take them to the cell!" The two guards were ready to escort the humans when Jeff shot a threatening glance at the fish-man, who was taken aback. "Everyone stop!" he said, after noticing those familiar eyes. Quickly, he signaled the guards to come close to his ear so he could reveal the change of plans. The subordinates immediately acted, taking Kate, Charlotte, and Mark, who, frightened, offered no resistance, elsewhere. Soon after, a guard returned to the office very quickly to give the fish-man the map retrieved from Mark's pockets. The village chief decided to give Jeff more <space>. "Tell me, boy. This map... where did you find it?" asked the village chief. He did not answer, instead asking why it mattered so much to him where the map came from. Then, stammering, he also asked what an anti-seal was... "Boy, various objects can be anti-seals, like the map. They can neutralize our magnetic barrier, activated by the village bell. The barrier is all that has protected us for years. So, to ensure the safety of our species, it is my duty to destroy all anti-seals. Boy... Where... did you... get it...??!!" And after saying all this, he began to rummage violently through the drawer of the desk. Jeff honestly didn't know how to respond. "Listen... whoever you are, I don't care. If you don't tell me where you found this relic of the past, it will be your stupid friends who pay the price... and I won't even let you keep the receipt!"

<Chapter 14 will be revealed on 01/11/25>