The midnight sun still shone in the night sky, its brightness increased as the day was getting more and more closer to an end. The streets of the port city of Marina had lost their afternoon concurrence, the multitude had greatly dissipated. Whilst the enchanter was grateful about it, as there were less people that looked at him with disgust, he would’ve liked to observe the populace.

The city felt as normal as any other from his period, which was another way to say timeless. The wooden houses were taller overall than the ones of his time, but that was a minor difference. He had thought the Enchanter’s Guild works would have had more influence in the world, but his wishes weren’t entirely fulfilled.

The guild seemed to manage themselves pretty well when I left them a few decades ago before the whole void fiasco. Nido walked outside the commercial district, following his owns steps back to the city gates. And this branch, while small, is also doing alright. Maybe this is a problem of the city, rather than the guild. I should see if the situation is the same in other places.

While he had disconnected from the Enchanter’s Guild, as his founder, he wouldn’t like to see the institution fall into decadence. Unlike the Adventurer’s Guild, which worked as a makeshift militia mainly centered into monster hunting, the Enchanter’s Guild was stablished as place of innovation and progress. The intentions behind this progress weren’t purely altruistic, but more like a byproduct of the research into the field of enchanting.

Well, that is the reason I started this whole ordeal in the first place, that someone could surpass me. That enchanting reached a new level. He sighed. But it doesn’t look like it. I hope I’m wrong.

Temperature began to decrease gradually, to levels expected from a true night. Which led the enchanter to think that the midnight sun was actually a real star rather than an illusion. I need to look the sea at night one of these days, this surely must have an effect on the tides.

Nido thought of every outcome the midnight sun could have, and how it did actually work with his knowledge of astronomy. The most obvious one was the change in median global temperature. Though he had to end his half-assed calculations as he arrived at his destination.

“Damascus Inn, this must be the right place.” He could hear music coming from inside besides the typical tavern cacophony, which meant this place was a step above the common inn.

The enchanter opened the door and was overwhelmed by the quantity of people in the place. Saying it was full was an understatement, this place was bursting. Unlike any other inns, the place didn’t reek with smoke and the odor of coal from torches, because it was lightened by enchanter lights. The tangerine lighting gave a cozy hue to the inn.

Most people ignored the newcomer, either focusing on their foods and conversations, or the music coming from a miniature stage. The musician in question was a woman who wore green clothes and played the lute with practiced mastery.

The tavern wench made a motion to Nido to tell him to wait for a moment. He had no problem doing so as the current situation on the tavern didn’t gave a lot of wiggle room.

He used the waiting time to inspect the bard more detailed. Nido didn’t recognize the song, but that wasn’t anything surprising. Whilst he did have musical knowledge, songs were created each day. And even before he went to the null plane, he had spent decades locked inside his tower. Time which a myriad of new plays were composed.

The woman in green looked young, but the impossibly old enchanter thought otherwise. She wasn’t human. The main clue was her unnoticeable pointy ears, but he had travelled for years and lived with tens of different races to know the subtle differences between each other. The woman was a half-elf, most probably a quarter-elf judging by the lack of ears.

The lifespan of quarter-elf wasn’t that different from full humans, maybe a decade more. The mitigated aging process was the most noticeable fact from the curious combination of races. So, the bard before him wasn’t twenty, but more alike thirty or even forty.

“Sorry for that, we are currently experiencing overcrowding issues.” The wench apologized to Nido. Until she saw that he lacked shoes and gave him the stinky eye. What is wrong with people? I just don’t have shoes; I haven’t killed a dog with my bear hands in front of the whole town or something.

“Are you by any chance miss Damasco?” The enchanter kept his cool either way.

“Yes, that be me. Why do you ask?”

“I came here from you sister’s directions.” Nido explained. “I’m a new affiliate of the Enchanter’s Guild and Matilda told me here you could assist me.”

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“You are an enchanter?” He inspected him head to feet, clearly doubting him.

“Yes?” He had expected to use the same trick with the guard, to make her mistake the intertwined legendary ring from a Enchanter’s Signet. “Why should I be? I have the Enchanter class and the title if you worry about that.”

“No, no. Don’t worry, I was teasing you.” She explained. “I already evaluated you. I can see you form part of the Enchanter’s Guild and are a mage slash enchanter.”

How can she know that? Is this about the Evaluate Matilda talked about before? She can see my classes… Thankfully she can’t see my racial class or the Voidborn perk is working correctly. I also need to investigate about that.

“So, you want to rent a room or something?” Her tone was amicable, but not totally on point for talking to an acquaintance of her sister.

“About that… I currently have no money or material possessions for that matter. Matilda said that you could… give me a place to sleep.” The inn master looked at Nido with a penetrating gaze. “She also said if you could give me something to eat, but that isn’t really needed, I just need a ceiling on top of my head.”

The enchantress’ sister sighed. “Alright, you can sleep in the back room. It isn’t a good place, but it will keep you warm for the night. As for the food…” She stopped for a moment and gave a quick look to the bursting tavern. “I guess I can spare a bowl of soup and a drink.”

“Thank you very much, it’s really appreciated.” Nido bowed down at her.

“Yes, yes. I heard your thanks. Sit wherever you can, I’ll come back in a moment.” The wench disappeared behind the counter, mumbling something about his sister along the way.

Nido surprisingly found a seat next to the stage on the tavern counter. The music, while simple, was almost divine to his ears after years of monotony. Or whatever time he had been in the null plane.

A full song went by before Matilda’s sister came back with a bowl of soup and a jar of beer.

“Here you have, enjoy it.” She commented as she went to take the orders from another client.

“I will!” Nido shouted, the conversations drowning his voice.

The soup wasn’t anything special, but it did warm him. His Tenet of Immortality prevented him from dying from hypothermia and starvation, but that didn’t mean he didn’t feel the cold or hunger. The enchanter could numb the pain with ease, but at the end of the day, it was better to have something in the stomach. The beer was a cheap, awful one. The kind you drink to get drunk and not for the flavor. Nido was more of a wine person, as he couldn’t get drunk. At least not easily.

After a pair of more plays, the bard went off the stage. It pained Nido a bit, as the musical presence had comforted his lacking heart. Too many things, and far too difficult to process had happened today.

Suddenly, the enchanter had a crazy idea. He would blame the alcohol for it, but he knew better than that. Basically, because it had no effect in his body. He approached the elven bard who was sitting alone in a table next to tavern’s stage.

“Good night, milady.” Nido sat at the other side of the table. “I couldn’t help myself, but to congratulate you for you sublime music.”

“You honor me, sir.” She bowed slightly. “Though I would prefer to be left alone for the time being, if you please.”

“Sure, I didn’t want to molest you. I just have a petition.” Nido told as he caressed his birch staff. “Could you lend me your lute for a play?”

“You don’t strike me as a Bard?” She asked, somewhat offended, which was expected. It was as asking a guard to give you his sword, one didn’t give their profession instruments just like that.

Another weird emphasis on words. This is clearly the Records’ doing. “I am not.” Nido replied. “I’m an Enchanter. Though I’m versed in musical arts.”

“Sorry, I can’t lend you my lute.” Her tone was neutral and sincere.

“It’s alright, I understand. You don’t have any safeguard that I work detune your lute, or even worse, break it. No bad feelings.” It was a shame his wish couldn’t be fulfilled, but he wouldn’t make a ruckus out of it. “Either way, you voice is precious. And your hands are magical.” Nido stood up.

“Wait!” The Bard called back for his attention. “You said you were and Enchanter, right?” Nido nodded at her. “If you enchant me an item that increases Dexterity, I would appreciate it. I want to touch more complicated works, but I lack the grace to do so. A couple of Dexterity would help me push that barrier.”

“Would that be resolved by leveling up?” Nido asked her. Considering how the Arcane Records registered Bard as a class, it was most likely it was a Profession one. And following the same logic as Enchanter, it should also give Dexterity as both jobs required a good sleight of hands. It was a convoluted guess, but he thought it was better to risk asking to obtain more information.

“I fear that’s not possible.” The half-elf told with a wry smile. “I’m currently at my cap, and the only option would be to level up my Combat class, but as you can see, I’m not a combatant.”

“I could improvise an item right now, but it wouldn’t be any good. If you are here tomorrow night, I can bring an item worth of your music.” He wouldn’t be satisfied with the ‘trash’ he had crafted a few hours prior.

“Well, here you’ll find me tomorrow.” She told. “I’m dying to see what you can bring me.” She added with a sweet smile.

“You’ll be surprised.” Ether enchanting didn’t seem common around here, meaning the quality of enchanted items was dubious at best.

The bard left the inn a few minutes later, and in a pair of hours, the place was totally deserted. People had either left or went upstairs to their rented rooms.

“Where can I sleep, then?” Nido asked Matilda’s sister after she had finished cleaning up the place.

“Right here.” She followed the wench to a room next to the kitchen. It was a storge room. “Wait a minute.” Nido did, and she came back with a blanket and a deflated pillow. “I know it’s not much, but every room is currently occupied.”

“No problem, whatsoever. This beats sleeping in an alleyway.” Truth be told, if his situation arrived at that point, he just wouldn’t sleep. He would walk around the sleeping city, as he didn’t need to sleep.

“Well, suit yourself.” The wench told. “See you, tomorrow.”

“See you, tomorrow.” Nido replied.

I have to do a lot of things tomorrow, but also, a lot of things to find back. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, the enchanter left himself to drift to the world of dreams.