Whatever is going on outside.

Looking back behind me, I saw nothing more than what was previously there. I stayed silent, cautiously watching and waiting for something, before I heard noises again. At last, I was able to trace them from the window to what was outside the hat, making it clear there was in fact nothing to be worried over.

I let out a sigh, annoyed at myself for getting paranoid over nothing. Still, the motto of better safe than sorry was always the best in my opinion. If there had been something in this hat that was dangerous, it would have been better to be prepared than not.

With that self-lecture on safety out of the way, I decided to investigate what was happening out there. I walked over to the barrier to see what was going on outside. From how everything looked, it seemed that the noise was simply her walking back through the door.

The interior of the tavern was the same as I had seen through the window. Everyone looked up again questioningly at Natalia, but no one said a word. In the end, the only one to further acknowledge her at first was the barkeep, who gave a slight nod while looking directly at wherever the hat's vision came from.

Natalia gave a nervous wave back, before she started to walk towards the hallway to the rooms. As she was about halfway through the room, Grutrod finally spoke. "So, what was it?"

Natalia jumped slightly at his statement, "W-what was what?" I facepalmed, 'We are going to need to work on your acting skills, Natalia. I can't make use of someone who can't pass off the least of an unsuspicious aura.'

Grutrod raised an eyebrow, "Whatever it was yee ran out in a rush for."

Natalia stood stunned for a moment before she snapped herself out of it, "Oh, ah, yes. That's right... There ah, wasn't anything." I rested my face in both of my hands, pressing into my forehead with my fingers, 'Teaching you to be good at this is going to be so much work.'

Grutrod let out a sigh and shook his head, "Aright then, I suppose I don't have a reason te doubt yah-"

At this, Silvia slammed the table and stood up. "You know what? No! after today, I'm not going to let not having a reason to doubt stop me." She turned to Natalia, an furious expression on her face. "What was out there, huh? What was it that made you rush outside so quickly, and why are you hiding it?"

Natalia took a step back from her, "I-I don't understand what's wrong. Why are you acting so suspicious of me?"

Silvia started walking up to her, "Why aren't you answering, huh? What is it, are you hiding that you were talking to your boyfriend, that priest bastard?"

Oliver got up from his chair, and Silvia stopped both walking and talking. She stared at him for a few moments, but before she could start speaking, he did. "I understand you don't want me to leave, but this behavior is unacceptable." He looked at her with an almost disappointed expression, "Acting like this is doing you no favors in changing my mind."

She stuttered as she tried to speak to him, "I- Wait- Please, Oliver-"

Before she could finish, Oliver held up his hand. "I am going to the opening of the church, and whatever first service or such is held, that shall not be up for debate."

Silvia was on the brink of tears, "But you know those kinds of people, they have silver tongues! And the ones with magic are even less trustworthy! How can you be sure he won't put some charm on you?"

Oliver let out a sigh, "Because I need to have faith in something. If things stay like they are now, people like us will continue being treated like we were by the Normns. Matthew and his god represent a great change, and I want to help it."

Silvia tried to rebuke his statement, her voice displaying how torn she was inside. "But he has been working with the Normns! How can you believe that he is going to do something that will benefit us? He isn't like us!"

Oliver shook his head in apparent sadness, "Silvia, I don't have blind faith in this. I see this as the most likely chance for change, but I am not certain of what that change shall bring. I just know that it will almost certainly be worse if I am not there for it. So, I will be there, so I can make sure this change brings as much good for me, you, and everyone else as I can."

He stared longingly at her for a few moments, before closing his eyes with a pained expression and leaving. Silvia cried out after him, but he didn't stop. After that, she simply fell to her knees, sobbing. Me and Natalia both seemed to just stand there awkwardly, not quite knowing how to react to the scene we had both witnessed.

After a while, Silvia's sobs quieted down. I saw her fists close into balls as she swiftly stood up again and glared at Natalia. "I don't understand what you can see in that bastard. WHAT IS SO GOOD ABOUT HIM?"

Natalia cowered under Silvia's verbal ****, until a voice interrupted the moment. "Miss Silvia, if you are going to continue to harass my customers, I must ask you to either retire to your room, or leave." Both women turned to see the bartender, wearing the most serious expression I had ever seen on him. The thing that sealed the severity of his words, was the fact that he had fully stopped drying out the mug he was holding, something I had never witnessed, and by their expressions, neither had anyone else.

Silvia gritted her teeth for a few moments, before storming out the front. Natalia looked between the door and the barkeep a few times, and lastly to Grutrod.

Grutrod let out a large sigh as he stood up, "I suppose I should follow and make sure she's alright. You keep safe lassie." He gave Natalia a nod as he walked out the front after Silvia. Natalia stood there for a few moments, bewildered by the events that just transpired.

I myself had to blink a few times after that, taking in the whole situation that had just occurred.