I did not expect Weral to walk away from the wagon or to leave Aison behind. Yet, I followed as told. After about 15 minutes of walking, leaning towards the south more and more as we gave a wide berth to the crater-like mine, Weral stopped.
"Is he following?" He asked curtly, and either between my bewilderment at it, or the situation itself, it took me a whole minute to understand the meaning of his words, especially as the usually jovial dwarf did not repeat himself.
"[Life Radar]" I activated the spell and examined the map-like effect. We had walked for nearly a kilometer, Weral being not slower than me, and only the terrain slowing us a bit. Thus, on the verge of my radius, I saw three blips, two slightly bigger but fainter, and the smaller but bright one of a human.
"It does not seem so." After informing Weral of the results, I considered everything and asked, "I thought that Aison was in the know about what we will be doing, so why leave him behind?"
"There are reasons, always." Weral's tone was heavy, grave even as he motioned me to follow again, now directly to the south. If my orientation skill wasn't failing me, it was as if we started moving towards the southernmost edge of the Kingdom's lands, where the mountains and the lake connected.
***
About twenty minutes later, as we left the signs of civilization behind and trekked into the short, somewhat dry grassland that extended from the mine area and up to the mountains ahead, Weral motioned for another stop.
The difference was that I did not wait for him to say anything and activated [Life Radar] myself.
"Nobody from behind, but there are a lot of presences on my radar now." Counting twenty-four blips that were not small animals or birds, I looked at Weral questioningly.
The reason for my doubt was the location, to call it somehow of the blips. Judging from their slightly dimmed signatures and that they were about Weral's or my own, I could only assume they were either above or below us. And with nothing around but a plain grassland with a few strewn rock outcroppings, there was only one explanation - all of them were underground.
"How many? And where?" Weral asked in place of giving any answer or explanation.
"Ten to the front, about three hundred steps. Thirteen to our left hand, about half a Primordial Step away, not far from that farthest pile of rocks." My own perception was in meters, so I took a few seconds to answer in a way that a local would understand, especially with the last blip, "And one to the far right, somewhat to the back. There are about a thousand steps between us, and it's moving away from us."
"Two dozen, huh? About right. Okay, let's wait." Weral nodded to some thought of his own before putting down the sack he had been carrying, and I was surprised to hear the sound of metal against metal. {Just what does he have in there?}
I did not have the chance to ask anything as Weral proceeded by taking a coin-like object from one of his belt pouches and throwing it on the ground. I did not get a glance at the item as it disappeared into the low, dry, slightly-yellow grass, but my [Mana Sense] caught on some change in the mana of the spot where it fell.
"A signal." Probably feeling that I would ask something, Weral briefly explained before reaching towards another pouch on his belt and taking out a scroll he passed to me without any other words.
As I examined the rolled paper in my hand, I quickly understood that it was a letter, and there was no doubt who would be the writer. It was sealed with a wax seal with the imprint of a coin and a barrel, and considering that Weral passed it to me just now, it would be a surprise for these to be the additional instructions Aison mentioned before.
---
To Lindar, from Zelindo, Branch Manager, Megvuroz.
As you read these lines, there are only two possibilities. The first one is that our Dwarven associate has managed to find a moment to pass it to you while Maester Aison isn't around. The other is that such a moment never happened, and you are reading this as the task's first part completion is near.
In any case, there should be no difference for you, as Craftmaster Weralgeal will take care of organizing everything until the moment of the transaction itself.
What does hold a difference is that the deal will not happen in Chubu because of several developments I was made aware of after arranging the trade. There will also be no false cargo for the return journey. Furthermore, you will receive several additional items not part of what we agreed to.
This additional cargo is to remain secret from everyone, even after your return, no matter who asks, even if it is me while anyone is nearby. You will become acquainted with how to dispose of it at some point after your return, for which I sincerely pray.
For the cargo that the wagon carries at the moment, as well as the wagon itself, dispose of them under the indications of the Sharagzian's Kingdom individual that will accompany you in place of Craftmaster Weralgeal after the genuine exchange concludes.
Inside Chubu, under no basis engage in any but the required interaction with the local guild's personnel, especially not with the Manager or his family.
Praying for your safe return and good luck,
Zelindo.
And Lindar, while I would like to avoid imposing my vision on how you should act in Chubu, I request that you try to avoid getting deeply involved in [Hounds] matters. They are people of the King, not the Kingdom, and they will not hesitate to involve and leave anyone who isn't one of theirs.
---
I would not say that I wasn't surprised by the letter's contents or the sudden changes. Still, it wasn't like it was my place to say how it should be or that I was aware of everything that happened behind all of this business.
The last part of the letter indicated some issue with the local guild, so after briefly dwelling on the implications of such, I decided to follow what Zelindo asked me to, only. Avoid contact but the formal greeting on arrival.
But, what did worry me was the postscript, {People of the King, not the Kingdom, huh?}
***
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"I regret you're in the dark, but we learned of some things only the night before we left." After ascertaining I finished reading the letter and looked at him, Weral spoke again.
"I am just following orders for this one, so I don't really hold anything against the changes. Additional items are a bit surprising, especially as my [Storage] is limited, but I hope there will be no problems and I will not have to throw out my clothes or something." Honestly, I did not enjoy it, but it was a fact that I wasn't the one calling the shots. As for the last part, meant as a half-joke, it was mostly to continue concealing [Inventory].
"Mmm, don't worry, there are not many, and they aren't large. Even if you throw out something, we will arrange a replacement pair of trousers if needed." Weral responded well to the joke, but I could not shake off the feeling that his smile was a bit forced.
Before I could consider why he appeared stressed, the reason revealed by him, or better said, by his follow-up words, "I would like to avoid it, but we can not share some secrets with outsiders. So, please take the cargo out. And then allow me to put a pair of [Mage-Sealing Bracelets] on you, as well as a [Helmet of Sense Denial]."
"Keep your secrets. No hair off my back." I shrugged and then intoned. "[Storage]"
Forty barrels of spices and ten magically sealed crates with enchanted items materialized from thin air, and I neatly placed them near us.
That was the authentic cargo from the guild. But now, I doubt that. After all, spices are valuable, but they don't feel accurate for such a covert swap. As for enchanted items, can I believe that Dwarves have no way to make them?
Maybe I should have checked them before, or maybe not..? Well, I didn't, so to hell with it.
*CLANG* The bracelets that Weral mentioned and took out of his sack as I unloaded the cargo turned out more like handcuffs, and while there were no chains in between, the heavy, rough iron with a few strange rune-like markings looked more like a prisoner thing than anything.
When he placed them on my wrists, I found myself shivering. Not from the cold or anything like that, but as if a part of myself suddenly disappeared.
The helmet was more like a bucket without any openings. Made from the same coarse iron and with similar markings, Weral produced it from the sack and asked me to slightly bent myself to place it on.
I am unsure if it activated with a delay or Weral did something, but for a few moments, I felt nothing different from before, and then, nothing..? I heard nothing, smelled nothing. Hell, I did not see any light either! And that's with the helmet being near twice the width of my head.
Afflictions: Slowed Mana Regeneration, Spiritual, Active.
Frozen Mana Circulation, Magic, Active.
Rune Magic Touch, Magic, Resisted - Half. Effects: Magic-Denial Enchantment: No mana circulation.
Partial Sense Deprivation: Touch.
Complete Sense Deprivation: Sight, hearing, taste, smell.
Well, my [Status Screen] required no mana or command words, so it wasn't hard to cheat and look at the consequence of having them on me. Not that knowing helped with the shivering or the feeling that something was lacking. Speaking of the shaking, I wonder if that is the Rune Magic Touch thing? And what does it mean it was half resisted? Better said, why half?
_______
Feeling that every moment I passed in such a state was far longer than in reality, I decided to concentrate on something, and I chose to do so on the feelings and senses I still retained. I could still feel the wind blowing and other 'normal' sensations from my torso and lower. At some point, I even felt how the ground trembled.
I can only guess if what I felt was correct. But if I had to say, the feeling was as if something nearby opened, like a tunnel. A current of air colder than the one on the grasslands reached me, and I felt how something or someone moved just past me.
There were a dozen similar sensations while I remained 'unaware' of what was happening, but concentrating on them allowed me to ignore my condition, even if they did not shed any light on the actual events happening around me.
Not that it's hard to speculate now that I have a chance.
The barrels and crates had to be moved somewhere, then replaced by the other stuff. Cargo hauling requires a lot of hands, and I scanned presences 'underground' before.
Thus, a tunnel seems probable. Probably a secret one as well, as we are on the Neverc Kingdom's lands.
In any case, someone had to come from somewhere. And after hauling the stuff into that somewhere, the Dwarves or else will wait for me to leave and move it or will be already moving it, probably underground, to its actual destination.
Logical enough, yeah.
_______
I ended up so engrossed in trying to see without seeing that when it ended, I could barely comprehend how much time had passed. A minute? An hour? More?
I actually did not feel tired, even though I remained standing all of this time, so my guess would go to something about half an hour, confirmed by Weral, as he pulled my hand and released me from the helmet as I bent forward.
"I apologize on behalf of the others, but we are under strict orders not to reveal anything to outsiders, even the ones that should be considered friends." Weral explained as he fiddled with the cuffs. Some strange manipulations later, including rubbing their edge and touching some of the runes, the [Mage Sealing Bracelets] opened, and he asked, "How do you feel?"
"Alive, I think?"
"Very calm for someone who spent over half an hour with neither mana nor senses!" The one to half-exclaim this was not Weral but another dwarf, who I could assume to be the one mentioned in Zelindo's letter.
Slightly taller than Weral and less bulky, this dwarf could pass as a low-statured man with no issue. With a head of light brown hair reaching the shoulders and an irregular short beard, he looked nothing like any of his race I could imagine.
Yet, how he stood, with both legs slightly bent, the massive jawline, and a few other details revealed that he was related to Weral's race.
Dressed in what could pass for a laborer's garb, a knee-length tunic over some leather pants and simple boots, he carried nothing on himself. As for his belt, it was a simple cloth sash with not a single pouch.
Still, I could not avoid noting that his clothes were too clean, I would say brand new, and he looked slightly disheveled as if he had just put them on.
NAME (AS SEEN BY ME) LEVEL (IF APPLIES) (ONLY ABOVE AVERAGE) Craftmaster, Sharagzian Kingdom. - Strength 19 Body 20 Agility 17 Willpower 17 Deceit 18 Danger-Sense 15 Labor 20 Crafting 13 Subterfuge 15 Camouflage 14 Close-Quarters 16 Quick 16 Assassin 22
Another Craftmaster, huh?
Yet, with such skills, I can only wonder what kind of craft he follows. Or maybe not? The [Assasin] skill is very explanatory, after all.
"Lindar, meet Craftmaster Yulmaeck Nightfoot. He will accompany you to Chubu and deal with everything related to your mock cargo." It was clear that Weral wanted to add something else, judging from the pause it took him to nod after the words about the cargo.
But he did not, and it was the other dwarf to conclude for Weral, "And to look after you until you leave the city." The obviously not-average dwarf half-bowed before adding, "Pleased to meet a human held in regard by Craftmaster Earthgrip, even if he has not shared the reasons for it."
"The pleasure is mine, Craftmaster." I half-bowed back.
"Call me Yuld, as that is how I go by in Chubu. A simple out-dwarf, so no titles or anything." Yulmaeck slightly chuckled before explaining, probably noticing my doubt, "An out-dwarf is one of our race that left the Kingdom and is unable to return for some reason."
"Understood."
"Then, with the introductions done, should we..?" Weral waited for a few breaths and asked while nodding towards an orderly pile of crates, boxes, and a few cloth sacks just a few meters behind me.
The exchange is done.
Now, let us see what Chubu has in store for me.