COI C12
Enders Bridge, a foundation of ruins where the bridge stand firm and tilted. Many buildings stand erect on it without any signs of falling. Men walk through the days of horrid and spoils of the relentless days of random attacks by the rune isles' madness. Monsters feed through magic and kept crawling by the Enders Bridge fire towers, shines reached throughout of the Rune Isles east. Dungeons saw, Monsters wander, and Soil rot. These Isles of ruin never ceased to fear where the metal and ores sink below to scavenged, and these ores reached to the storage.
"The city of isekai had increased the wages for their demands of ores. Its beyond man whoever gather this amount"
"The enders guilds would become a mining company if isekai city kept buying it for the next few months"
"They should have brought their men here, if they need this absurd amount, they should be bringing the manpower"
"Bah! The expedition did them worse and they are still afraid to get here"
Talks turned to rumors about what happened, and the men are now realizing that there are some Isekai City's adventures passing by and interrupt them.
"Hey! What did you say about our city?"
The men saw the adventures with a recognizable symbol that they are from the city guild.
"I just want to know why your people can't bring a workforce to gather your ores here"
"Did you forget that this city kept under siege from time to time?"
"That's right, and the Enders guilds are there to fight. We got sieged all of the time because all of our man power are used up"
The adventurers watch over the city and can't believe it but it is true. The city only lacks food and heavily abundant of scavenged ores and scrap metal, and from below of the city where the monsters fostered where it can overwhelm them in numbers.
"Those monsters are skinny as always when it reached to the city"
"It is strange to see such monsters become desperate to came here to scavenge our kills"
"Even their meat is as poisonous to us even purified"
Raker Mawns watch below of the city seeing ironic cause and effects. Cannibalistic monsters that are willing to eat anything from the rotten dead, and these monsters itself produce so much toxins that is hard for them to throw away when its scent attracted more of them.
"Let's head back, the scavenging is over. Let's do it again next week"
The chokepoint of the bridge where there is a functional drawbridge, fully built by the founders. Leaving the land creatures had no problem to kill among themselves, the flying one is the threat where the pylons are scaring them away. Somewhere along the bridge where the guild called Raker Mawn stands. Daygen reads the letter by Haw Edan requesting materials needed to make, he grins a bit seeing the rest of the report.
"Poor Haw, He should learn more about them. These 16 years olds are not mature until they reached 20s"
He continue to read about the description what Haw wrote.
"Potion power core, Elk's staff, Ivory Plating, Elk spirit, Absolute cure ointment, Savior Brooch, and Beast scent. Hmm, so they named Hawldred as Hounder Elks and by few terms regarding those two elks"
Juela bothered him as she entered his office.
"More words spread about Haw in the halls, is there no chance of privacy about him?"
"What do you think who kept pestering his message"
"Mostly the women here, do you know why?"
"Try asking them, I'd be busy on his request. Hope you get along"
Juela went out where her curious proceeds by their espionage only to Haw.
Daygen pulls out a ledger for any connections he had throughout the years with the materials needed.
"Legendary items? Seems like the gobins are truly are the master craftgobs. He should have told those younglings about those craft guilds in gobins territory. They are willing to trade anything in regards to mana"
He paused a bit, and realized something else. By only in fade thought. He sarcastically remembered
"Right? the east coast in Mountaiwall"
Daygen pulls out a few papers to write a letter to the other guilds in Enders Bridge in craftmanship.
"Let's see I could find one before this mining situation is getting better"
"Elves met his students, and they acted oddly especially to the girls"
"I knew I shouldn't give you Haw's reports. We're already hated the city, but the children"
"HEY! Be quiet! My head churns by the sound of scavenged metals"
"They demand too much ores, what are they trying to build with it"
Raker Mawns are in a trivial argument, where the females were annoyed about the demands of ores and the men fend off the monsters due to the noise attracted from the scavenging.
"Don't try to add Haw's reports to the circle. Just go to the city and see it for yourself"
The argument ensues inside the guild, where many members rather sleep on the stairs where most rooms are fully occupied. They are not supposed to be here and mostly rest outside in their camps in rune isles. Yet the sounds of scavenged metals didn't wake them up but the monsters attracted to it, forced and no choices, there is nothing they can do but to fall back. The guild's building is big and tall of a tower, because of no enclosed walls. They can hear through the echoes of their arguments. They never would have thought this could happen when the demands of ore are coming from Isekai City.
"There are other rooms to argue, but you chose to argue here"
"Enough! I heard one of you read Haw's reports"
Juela reached them through her shouts, she is still in the higher floors walking down as she heard them.
"We heard it. Can you explain why?"
The Raker Mawn who wished to sleep or rest on the steps of the stairs kept their distance to the walking lane as they cornered themselves in each end of the stairs. They're forced to sleep and heard them speak
"I apologized . . ."
"Then SHUT UP!"
Loud of misinterpretation grew by the members, and she continue and ignore their comments.
"The personalities of these students are getting worse. Messages by Ironno who he trained the students turned rebel and bullied one of their own as their test subject"
"For a 16years old and have the power of all traits and strength. They overwhelmingly destroy parts of the forest"
Juela listens them clearly, as where the others almost concern by it as they sleep.
"Since when did it happened?"
"It was yesterday and this letter was written on the same day"
"How did they managed to deliver it here so quickly?"
"The adventurers from Isekai City has some messaging network or something and quickly bring it here. I forgot that the quest Haw made is needed to be acknowledge by the city guild"
"Ok I'll stop there. Now about the forest"
Juela finally reached down to the floor where the members argue. Most of them are women and some men are there to rest their heads on the tables.
"The forest is exposed by the full Alga's light in a short time, and reports about the city that a lockdown was executed"
"That's a bit . . ."
"For them, I think it is recommendable. Mentioning about the forest when the rise of root bites' nests"
"Are they not prepared the pests of this world?"
"That's their choice, Root bites are always overpopulated because of the forest and its size of the tree roots"
One of the members, a man, snuck into the conversation about Haw again.
"Edan will have a problem here, according to his reports about the destruction of the forest. Two of it are in different actions. First is the harvest and second is the purge, and I want to ask more about this matter"
"Myrrkei!? How did you get here?"
"This guild always echoes when you argue here. Tirelessly, reaching here is quite a journey"
Myrrkei looks tired but his sense of exploration knows about the forest's restoration.
"Especially it continues to adapt where those people lived"
The women turn back to Juela
"Juela, this is what we know about the report and it's only about their interactions"
"I have no concern about him, but the people who wished to read his reports"
"Your visits to the city last time made other members curious especially the change of plans. Did you forget about that Juela?"
Myrrkei defends her with logical sense
"Mostly politics, I have explored inside the city one night and given all expression by their people. I have to say, freedom and peace have their own merits"
Myrrkei stops here and began to leave.
"That's all I needed to say, I'll be taking my rest somewhere"
Juela intentionally lose the subject about Haw, and focusing on more important matters. After a few more talks with the members and decides to leave and went back to Daygen. Daygen sees her
"Did you know about the espionage?"
"Yeah, but the situation is greater"
"Is it the ores?"
"No, it is about the forest"
Daygen reaches a different paper than what he is holding now and showed it to her.
"Then are you interested in a scouting mission near Isekai City?"
Juela read it with her own eyes in confusion
"No payment? Is this a kind of joke?"
"Keep reading"
She continues and saw a note.
"Ruined men, your ruined ones we have come across had engaged during their hunts. If your reports made it within the week, then you know what I meant. Please lend us your men to explore the new domain of the barren forest. I will not include the purge trees deeper within the forest from the north, my people had already in closed watched for the time. You know our ways ruined. Favors are more valuable than items. Sincerely Mylnoie"
Juela realizes the connections, Haw did it but no knowledge of it. This new phenomenon of what the Isekai can do, and nature feeds their mana secretly.
"Not interested?"
"In the other way around, did our guild recovers any form of information from the ruins?"
Juela's sash scrolls move where her hidden key ring is.
"You're still free to access it, and say my regards to the archivists"
Juela takes her leave and Daygen returned back to his papers, the one he keeps holding before Juela came in.
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"Myrrkei (human) and U'ecin (human), they are the only two who wanted to enter the forest"
He later read their personal records and information.
"Myrrkei, the explorer, who lacks any equipment to fight. He only excels to escape any threats"
"U'ecin, an excavator, who has many completed jobs of harvesting ores. He is a bandits and raiders exterminator, his sole reason to do any excavating jobs because it attracts what he is truly be doing, looting"
"Ah yes, Ironno's companion, U'ecin. Will he ever get a kill during the city lockdown?"
He closed his ledger and continue doing his work. After a brief of time, the two members venture out from the guild where their employer came in. A hired employer from Isekai City comes forth who was employed by the Eldesune.
"The rat man and Cin, are you ready to leave?"
They just nodded and head out first as the employer follows them as he hates how they respond.
To the end of the city where they enter Kinteinnou region, there are wreckage of ships floating along like a road to the region. Barely anything to be a town for residences like those people enjoy walking and stomping on metals. Neither was scavenged nor repaired, it was set there by the difficulty to improvised. An entire fleet becomes the pathway from Rune Isles to Kinteinou, nothing more to amaze but what inside by these ships.
"It feels like a squatter here, why didn't they rebuild the bridge?"
"There once a battle here where the people of the west invade through this passage. This is the outcome and it was lucky enough to sacrifice some parts of the landmark"
The employer saw only the wreckage and only a few inhabitants on each ruin, mostly they are street vendors or small storages for the ores.
"A vendor? Is there anything to sell in these isles?"
"Check it for yourself, you'd be surprised from what is it"
The employer checks one of the vendors and saw rather surprising.
"These are broken legendary weapons"
"Legendary? None of us can even use it due to its ancient worn downed appearance"
"What did it needs?"
The vendor answered him
"It needs a hero's power or some sort of way to unlock it’s requirements"
The employer checks one by one of the items for anything of value.
Suddenly, another isekai citizen appeared wandering about the vendor. This woman overheard their discussion, especially they called it legendary. She stood behind them until a few familiar items she sees. The vendor noticed her
“Oh hello there, do you have something what you see here?”
The employer focuses on the item that he thought to be familiar but the taint and rust had ruined its image. As for the woman at the back
“If these really are those weapons, then it’s probably a hero’s weapon”
Myrrkei responded to her
“That’s what it’s called?”
“Probably, it is because it looks ok beside getting dirt all over”
The vendor agreed
“Yes, but I managed to sold off some of it who can use it”
"Then that's one should be the legendary weapons; leviathan, Bolrog, Spartan, or something, anyway did you managed to unlock it?"
She asks the employer as he held it and respond
"Do you know anything about it?"
"Barely, I'm a researcher who recently got here. It told about heroes are fighting evil"
U'ecin pat the employer at the back to telling him to move on.
"Oh yeah, sorry but we have to leave"
"Wait a minute, where you guys headed?"
Myrrkei answered
"On a quest investigating about those swarm limpers"
She stops a bit in fear and annoyance by those insects, but her determination puts her through.
"Then could I tag along"
"We can, and it will be your own responsibility to protect yourself"
The employer gets nervous and tries to persuade her.
"If you didn't know, the rat, this mission is dangerous"
U'ecin interferes calmly
"Like?"
"I didn't even explain yet. Miss, the elves ask me personally to collect anyone in the enders at least one by the guild name, Raker Mawn, and do you know it specialized for"
"Raker Mawn!! Those guys who actually beat the two swordswomen of Saint Heroes"
The employer just nod and ask the other two.
"Then can you explain what you guys can do?"
Myrrkei stays silent and U'ecin seen him acted like this before. He is certain that Myrrkei told them what he knows. Through U'ecin's thought
"The man acted in a whim, Myrrkei, can teach very well if you understand him. Years of him by exploring which he discovered many unidentified that he rather doing it, alone"
then he responds to the employer
"The Collection of old descendants since the Enders Bridge founded. All classes to function in a city, battle, and the wilderness. This mission requires only to investigate, and what this mission requires. Also, none of them can't describe me like this one"
The employer and the researcher where not too keen to understand what U'ecin is talking about. The employer only knows about his role
"I'll only guess of this guy to be an explorer"
"Why would he blabbers out missions and that? Did he do something with it?"
The employer places his hands on his face for such idiocy he had to pull through, and the two Raker Mawn members have nothing better to explain, but further the confusion.
"Anyhow, how dangerous would it be?"
Myrrkei answered her question with a straight detail.
"We're investigating a forest that can manifest itself into a dungeon, while being rained down by swarms"
"A mission like that, it shouldn't be two people can handle it"
and the employer agrees
"She's right, you need more than two members to actually investigate an unknown dungeon"
The two might know more about this work, and the two of them seem didn't bothered by it. U'ecin complied
"True, and I expect there is more would be joining"
The researcher pulls out her own notes and check her plans
"Say, can I join your mission. I'm not getting paid of course, I just want to know more about your guild's practices, and hearing you about a collection of descendants before, and stuff from previous members got me wondering"
The employer kept resisting her idea
"I told you, it's too dangerous to join them"
Myrrkei pulls out a card and give it to her
"Then how about joining. It is more interesting, especially we have a library stored years since the city's foundation. You might find other guilds connected to each other"
"Hey! it's kind of fast to recruit a researcher"
The researcher quickly takes the invitation as the employer complained.
"I'll take it, but is it there any validation?"
U'ecin sarcastically sighs behind his back at her
"Only you are there for the rights but the pay is none existent and you have to loot during your missions"
"What kind of loots?"
"I don't know, Rune Isles' broken items"
Only that, she turns around and proceed heading to the guild. Where the three move on and the employer got skeptic
"Really? Like that, you just invite one of our citizens that quickly"
"There is no pay, would you mind get in a guild like that?"
The employer shuts up and forgets he even try to talk to them. Myrrkei speaks of her a bit that U'ecin should have
"She just wanted to be a researcher, right? Then she should have that kind of opportunity since the library would be a free gain for her"
Reaching to the gates of Kinteinou where all the carriages are in hold because of the lockdown, and more others returned and showered by dead root bites. All of them ride one of the carriages headed to their destination, hoping they are stop closer to the city.
In the guild, Juela heard news of a new member as a researcher.
"The card of society, how did she managed to convinced the minds of the guild"
The researcher came with the same she was after meeting the three.
"Let me introduce myself, I'm Tabitha Scire, I want to know more about this world"
The elder lady is the one who talk to her while the others heard them within the tower halls.
"Speak truthfully youngling, you were just recommended by the card of society. It tells us that you want to know something"
"Yes, I want to know more about the history even during the fall"
"Then why chose here?"
Tabitha opens up to them and her wishes, she is kind of naive where she going through that for the past days. Yet she repeats again
"I want to know what happened to the people who entered this world before us, and convinced my people to leave"
The statement was familiar feeling to be heard, the echoes of the tower reached Daygen and the other known members who witnessed Mayor's plea. The elder lady spoke an unfamiliar slang
"By the saints"
while Tabitha complies
"Please, let me join the guild. I don't believe staying here is a good idea after many books I read told many other worlders"
Daygen and the others from the higher floors let them be as they listen through it all.
After a long talk, where the members heard it all. Many didn't even know about the city except by those who joined Daygen, the 9 members who joined, and the two stayed in the city to recruit and train. A rumored member who saved the four citizens of Isekai, and the madness of those few members' hatred to the city. Only now to understand nothing as she spouts only in the terms of this researcher.
"I can do anything by cleaning and other stuff . . ."
"There's no need for that. Your reasons to convinced them will be worthwhile and the studies you will find here should be suffice"
The elder lady stops there and announced her rights
"The researcher of Isekai City . . ."
Tabitha flinched a bit and kept to herself
"I am not an official researcher but ok"
". . . you are here to gain the knowledge the history of the older other worlders. You will see the truth and the irony, and some worlds are actually as one"
She raised her hand and the hand she catches what was thrown from above. Someone threw a small piece as it lands on the palm of her hand and she shows it to her.
"Our members did their research on your people that might connect something from before"
Tabitha saw what she held and picks it up.
"Is a chip, wait, it is a memory chip from an old phone"
The members got it right from they expected, Tabitha explained it and later added more
"There's some logo on it and . . . OH MY!"
The shock surprises her and ask them.
"How did you get this?"
"It's from the descendants, once old tool lost its uses as its parts sway to death. You have the parts of our secrets, welcome to the guild"
Cheers echoed where only a handful cheer while the others slept throughout this sudden moment. Tabitha was in shock and to believe that she couldn't find any clues from other cities.
She asks the elder lady,
"Why didn't they have one in the other cities?"
Members from the other floors echoed down to her
"Because these are the heirlooms of the forefathers, it is too important to be sealed away from a race who originally lived here"
"That means, you're the people from another world too"
Answers from different voices as needed to answer her
"Even you have proof, nothing will changed about your people"
"The foundation is the only gateway back in a correct settings and time"
"Our dearest new member, you must understand that returning to your world must be done once"
"Or else the both worlds connected permanently. It should be teleported once and no traces"
Tabitha pulls out one of her pockets and realized something.
"No way, I forgot my device was destroyed"
"What are you going to do with your "device"?"
"I want to know that my people know about the foundation"
"Don't you try to speak of it to your people. These past changes made other city states being careful"
Tabitha understands that part, she was mock by it by the other people who wanted to stay and used their powers to prevent it.
"Like the east, where they abandoned the city to live their new life"
Tabitha shouldn't be surprise by this except some people are the descendants in the same world as her.
Juela reaches Tabitha with her sash scrolls and lie down her shoulder.
"Welcome to the guild, you've been spacing out a bit and the others let you be for the time"
"Oh, how long was I been out?"
"Out? you acted frozen"
Everyone acted their own way and the others kept themselves to sleep.
"So, are we not going to meet the guild master?"
"You are free heading to the guild master of what you need, but let me remind you something"
Her sash moves freely around Tabitha
"Yes?"
"They opened up to you the most controversial information that you mustn't let your people know"
"You mean there are other descendants once lived in my world"
"Indeed, and these descendants won't hold back making your people as their enemies. They are already made the legacy out of it and become the Enders Bridge symbols of possibilities"
Tabitha gulp down her throat as she need to quench her throat. Juela uses her sashes to summoned a nice refreshing drink and says a familiar words
"Want a cola?"
Tabitha drank it and the taste is too perfect to recognize.
"It is cola"
"Then don't forget not to mention about them. Convinced your people the other way, this is an apocalyptic world"
Tabitha thought to herself that their people who are here and she wants to know
"Why didn't they leave too?".
Being an overpowered woman from another world, where people before her entered this world. From what this girl saying to her, she should be thinking the obvious. These people were fighting among each other, and the thought of them didn't further to save the world for how long. Assuming by her thoughts that the Enders Bridge founded for 80 or more years, then there should be a town filled this kind of people. She worries about it, why didn't they leave just like them as they have the opportunity. Yet she has the idea of the foundation.
"Ma'am? when did the foundation built?"
"Oh my, how bad is my intrusion. My name is Juela Ri-E'ash. Yet I remain serious"
Juela shows a calm expression as Tabitha felt it and her sight of seeing her made her anxious.
"The foundation was designed by the people before you. It took many generations to make the design and honored the wishes from the friends who outlived them. Your people now would be the luckiest to leave where the descendants no longer re-adapt back to their home world"
"I understand, like the cola you give me. Can you tell me about the year they knew?"
"I apologized, I don't know either, but it was made who knew how to"
Juela guides Tabitha to the floors of the guild and continue the conversation.
Tabitha thought she headed to the library, walking up the stairs were many members slept.
"The guild is sure is crowded"
"There's trouble outside of the city and they were forced to get inside"
They continue further and stops on the floor with the sign of residence.
"This is your room, Tabitha, the library only be used by the card had given you. This room requires magic and . . ."
"Juela? I am reluctant to use my power"
"Then use the card, there are many members are none magic users. You still have chances here"
Juela opens the rooms where hard to believe on Tabitha's eyes.
"The room is so spacious but the halls seem to look tight"
"There is a collection of magic rooms from the ruins. You can see the outside of the guild to be small but big in the inside, it is near identical by your magic devices like your city's advancement"
Tabitha looks outside of the room that is to be door to door in a small gap apart, and the inside is as spacious that she could ever see. Tabitha goes in and Juela takes her leave, without any thought of saying anything. Tabitha was left in a room with the table with her lunch. She looks at the only one window and saw light magic spreading inside the room. She is impressed by all this as she laid back on the couch.
She pulls herself out the couch and brings out her notes.
"Day 26, I lost tract since traveling from Agatheus. Goblin renegades broke my device put me at lost. Thanks to with some help from the locals where I reached Enders Bridge. Rumors and legends about humans who thrive here with a cause, and to my surprised that it is a full human city. Agatheus is truly an all-race city but causes me a lot trouble where other locals are aggressive to us who attacked the east coast. Getting in the city was easy and the finding to rest is near impossible because of its squatter lifestyle"
"This guild, Raker Mawn, has connection by the legends. Just like the people from Agatheus City said, once you know about them, the likely for me to get caught in between conflicts. Knowing that these descendants don't want any correlation from what they stated, and I am more eager to find out more as a member of Raker Mawn"
She stops there and added to her mind while she eats.
"The dangers of finding out that the descendants are here and Agatheus' warnings. Somethings tell me that getting involved in Horsin theories should not mess with, I only need to convinced them to leave"
Juela joins with the elder lady with the conversation they never thought to come by.
"Oh, young lady, it's your father's"
"Please madam, I would mourn rather to remember him"
The elder lady took a drink and pour tea on Juela's cup
"Yet the girl knows, your expectation will be mix though since an era can changed any living mortal"
"I don't need to bother by it and I still need to understand her city's way of life"
Juela picks up her drink as she took a bite with her lunch.
"I'll let you be, young lady, and please don't treat the Isekai City what you expected"
"Thank you for your concern, Madam"
The Enders Bridge, slowly slip away the information and legends follow through. The adventurers will know its tales and should not be blinded that they were the main causes, they thought what they know that these heroes are. They should know more about who are this evil, the ruins itself only show the fall of the civilizations and the region. Think harder, don't conclude too quickly. Many lives didn't respect history, especially the poorest quotes of philosophy ever tread. The city states are united, but the relations between people differs.