As the twilight hours descended upon the city of Nordland, located within the Sika Empire, two uninvited visitors appeared in the squalid slums beyond its borders.
The man at the forefront of their group appeared to be in his early thirties. He was garbed in a form-fitting leather cuirass and wore a long sword at his waist. His mane of lustrous, golden hair flowed down his back, a stark contrast to the dilapidated and putrid slums that surrounded him, and it was no surprise that he immediately drew the malevolent gazes of many.
Starving mobs and thieves skulked in the shadows, their piercing eyes raking over the two men like sharp knives.
But as soon as they saw the Holy See emblem emblazoned upon the men's garments, these prying targets swiftly retreated.
In the Sika Empire, while some may not recognize the flag of the empire, none are unaware of the Holy See emblem...
For it is the symbol of the messengers of the gods!
Save for those garbed in sacerdotal vestments, only hunters bear the emblem on their apparel! Rumor has it that each hunter has been divinely favored, endowed with preternatural abilities, thus no one desires to rouse such a target.
Observing the fading shadows lurking in the darkness, Andrei sneered with disdain, but the putrid stench emanating from the dilapidated thoroughfares soon had him furrowing his brow.
"As Archbishop Anthruk opined, these wizards are like vermin, taking refuge in these dank and odorous alcoves," Andrei gazed upon the stains and excrement left in the shadowy corners of the streets, unable to prevent himself from covering his nostrils in disgust.
"We should exercise caution, Andrei, for we are not dealing with any commonplace foes this time," the man leading the way couldn't help but remark, reminding Andrei of his ostentatious demeanor.
A few days prior, a great event transpired within Duke Nordland's domain. A wizard named Kelu attempted to deceive the Duke's second daughter, but fortunately, the garrison soldiers discovered the plot in time, averting the Duke's youngest daughter from being ensorcelled by the fiend.
The brutality of that attack remains fresh in memory.
In an effort to apprehend the presumptuous wizard, Duke Nordland dispatched two battalions of soldiers in pursuit, suffering heavy losses despite their efforts. Without the timely arrival of the Archbishop, the Duke's reputation may have been irrevocably tarnished.
Their target this time was the wizard's apprentice.
"Fear not, Brenny," Andrei chuckled. "We are only dealing with a wizard apprentice who has dabbled in magic for a mere few months. These individuals are generally only versed in a trick or two, and I assure you, a farmer wielding a hoe would pose a greater challenge. "
Since joining the hunter team over half a year ago, Andrei has participated in several expeditions to capture wizards.
Initially, Andrei was filled with trepidation at the prospect of facing the malevolent wizards of legend, said to be summoned by the devil himself.
However, upon actual confrontation, Andrei found that these wizards were not as formidable as he had imagined, posing little threat in the grand scheme of things. Their magical abilities were limited, and some were even less reliable than crossbows and long swords.
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As for the poorly trained apprentices, they were nothing short of worthless. Distracted, they were unable to utilize magic in battle and were easily overpowered.
To Andrei's delight, the bounty for capturing these wizards was quite substantial. Duke Nordland was particularly generous, offering a full six Sika gold coins for the capture of a single apprentice, enough to indulge himseld for a considerable amount of time.
Brenny cast a sidelong glance at Andrei, remaining silent but his wary heart not dissipating.
In his experience, those hunters who blindly trust intelligence often do not have long lifespans...
The slums outside Duke Nordland's domain were not particularly expansive, and their population was scarce. Utilizing his position as a hunter, Andrei easily obtained the target's hiding place from a homeless man through a bit of intimidation.
The building was difficult to classify as a house. Its walls, built of red brick, were pockmarked and covered in verdant vines, and the door seemed ready to crumble with the slightest push.
The target was within sight, yet neither of the men present had any immediate inclination to act.
Brenny knocked on the door but was met with silence.
Andrei glared at his partner and inwardly cursed before striding forward and pressing his hand against the door. His calloused fingers pushed, but the seemingly fragile door did not budge, clearly being barred by something on the other side.
Andrei's anger flared as he delivered a forceful kick to the door.
The tumultuous crash echoed through the room as the door shattered, revealing the interior.
The cramped space was disheveled and cluttered, with mounds of trash littering the corners.
A candle flickered on the wooden table, likely jostled by the violent force of the door's destruction. The weak flame trembled for a moment before winking out.
The room, which had been relatively well-lit, was suddenly plunged into dimness, with only a faint glimmer filtering through the open windows. The tattered blanket on the bed was just barely visible, dragged across the floor and extending towards the window.
Brenny, who had followed in, surveyed the room and quickly noticed the fallen piece of parchment.
Andrei, who had entered first, also saw it and crouched down to pick up the creased note. After reading its contents, his face became grave.
"Dammit, it seems we arrived too late, this kid has already gone to meet up with other apprentices!" Andrei growled, piecing together the events from the state of the room.
The objective of their pursuit, the fledgling wizard, received advance warning of their impending arrival and had not had the opportunity to straighten up before fleeing in advance.
However, based on the still-lit candle and the residual heat emanating from the bed, it appears that the subject of their pursuit has not gone far.
With this in mind, Andrei became eager to set off immediately, as failing to capture the wizard would mean the loss of six sika gold coins.
Once the target reunites with other wizard apprentices, it will be difficult to capture them. Of course, Andrei is more concerned that other bounty hunters may capture the target first.
"Wait..."
Just as Andrei was eager to pursue the target through the window, Brenny stopped him, pointing at the desk in suspicion.
Andrei turned to look and saw, in addition to the extinguished candle, a scattering of copper coins and papers bearing strange characters and patterns on the desk.
After a moment's contemplation, Andrei quickly grasped the meaning behind his companion's gesture. If the wizard apprentice had received advance warning and fled, they would not have left behind easily portable coins, let alone "valuable" magic manuscripts.
Andrei, who had hunted wizards before, was well aware that most practitioners of magic would rather meet their demise than relinquish their so-called research notes.
In other words, it was highly probable that the other party was still concealed within this room...
Andrei sneered, the drag marks on the carpet, the open window, and the discarded notes all indicated that the other party had fled.
It was clear that the wizard apprentice had pulled off a clever ruse, attempting to mislead them to another location, or possibly setting a trap that Andrei almost fell for.
At this moment, Lynn, who was hiding in the shadows, was sweating profusely, and his nervousness only grew in this mortal crisis as his spirit expanded and magic power radiated in all directions.
To a certain extent, it could even influence the flow of air, extinguishing the candlelight, and he was able to remain silent when inhaling, thanks to which he managed to evade the two hunters.
Brenny, ignoring Andrei's antics, scanned the room before turning his gaze to the dark red cabinet standing by the window.
The cabinet was only as tall as Brenny's shoulder, covered in dust, and situated close to the open window. It blended into the background of this dilapidated and drafty hut, but was spacious enough to house a curled-up adult man...