Jonn controlled Windy’s reins, forcing the animal to slow down and Ice to calm his movements.

The white wolf beside the mounted man silently thanked his master for the rest. Keeping pace with Windy wasn’t easy for him. Ice was fast, possibly faster than Windy, capable of reaching impressive speeds quickly. But his [Stamina] was nowhere near Windy’s.

Finally able to breathe easier after a long run since early morning, Ice’s eyes rested on the horizon, seeing colors again after days of only darkness.

Jonn nearly halted Windy as he observed, for the first time, a landscape with more than just varying forms of darkness. A few kilometers ahead lay the most beautiful sight he had ever seen.

Colorful peaks with pulsating greenery and flowery areas were visible even from afar, marking well-wooded hills and mountains full of life and possibilities.

Jonn watched silently, imagining exploring a forest, the possibility of encountering exotic animals and plants. A sense of mystery filled his mind, stimulating a primal desire to hunt and gather resources during a brief passage through the surrounding forest.

Yet part of him thought of the village, wanting it for himself, wanting forests and woods in his own territory.

Is this what the Barren Hills of Deepshadow looked like before the war?

He wondered as Windy moved slowly, her grace evident in her eerily similar repeated movements.

On the horizon, Jonn and his two animals could also make out a grayish area with colored dots and unnatural shapes.

“Littlewood,” Jonn whispered, identifying the first town in Eldoria for those traveling via the South West Royal Road.

Jonn had been in Eldoria for some time. But given the advancing dead lands of the Barren Hills of Deepshadow, it was difficult to tell where the region’s neighbors began and this desert terrain ended.

Littlewood was at least two days’ ride into Eldoria, even for someone traveling on a fast horse like Windy.

Eyes focused on the unnatural area ahead, Jonn ordered Windy to run, his mind racing to start his plans in the area.

First, I must analyze the local situation. I’ll determine the exact number of local mages and assess the situation three weeks after Asher and the others left town. I’ll reevaluate my actions once I have a more realistic idea of my targets.

He ran for a few more minutes until, nearing the main entrance to the city surrounded by a 3-meter-high wall, he ordered Ice to wait on the south side of the adjacent forest. Jonn emphasized his beast should not take any risks and find a good hiding place.

Soon he arrived close enough to see the guards outside the entrance, where a large wooden and iron gate stood open, revealing the cobbled street leading into Littlewood.

A dozen guards stood at the entrance, four on either side of the open gate, each holding large spears and wearing leather armor. The others watched people coming and going, with two giving recommendations to newcomers.

Despite the continent’s dire situation, with human populations dwindling monthly, there was constant movement between states and cities. As Jonn reached Littlewood’s entrance, four other groups—three lone riders and one carriage—arrived just before him.

Those ahead passed through quickly, giving Jonn his turn to ride ahead of the Riverash Family guards.

“Your first time here?” One guard signaled for Jonn to stop, eyeing the white-haired boy’s youthful face.

Jonn halted Windy completely, ignoring interested glances at his horse.

Windy stood almost 30 centimeters taller than any other horse nearby. Her coat was clear and even, while her mane shone in the daylight. Her muscles were bulging, and she didn’t look hungry like most animals in Valorian these days.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

The spear in the newcomer’s hands also showed his resourcefulness, drawing the guards’ attention.

Despite it being his first time there, Jonn remained composed. “Yes, is there a problem, sir?” he asked, meeting the man’s gaze.

Jonn wasn’t worried about being recognized as a mage. Unless a mage used mana in {Spells} or to strengthen their body, probing inner mana was difficult. Only an advanced mage could achieve that, but rumors suggested no such mages remained in Valorian.

The risk was this group of guards having a magical tool to sense what Jonn was. But he saw they had no such thing, or their reaction would have been entirely different.

The guard smiled and said, “Well, no problem, but there are details you should know. First, there’s a one silver fee to enter the city. That’s non-negotiable. Second, the city may have different rules than you’re used to. Be cautious. The city’s going through strange times.”

Jonn knew about the entrance fee and appreciated the guard’s recommendation. He paid and tipped the guard five bronzes.

The shaven-haired man, with a slightly different symbol on his armor, thanked him, seeing that being informative had paid off.

“Hehe, thanks for that, young master.”

“By the way, are there good places for travelers in this city?”

“I’d recommend Emerald Pastures. It’s good and not expensive. But someone as noble as the young master might prefer something more refined, like the Olive Atoll. Both are in the center, easy to find.”

Jonn thanked him and moved on, riding slowly into Littlewood, analyzing the town. For him, this wasn’t just a place to carry out plans. It served as inspiration.

His village wouldn’t remain a village much longer. Jonn was certain. He desired to turn his home into a city, exploit agriculture’s full potential, and transform his people into a force capable of defending against exploiters and the greedy, like the groups currently at work in Lost Treasures.

A 10-minute walk from the town entrance to Littlewood’s center took Jonn and Windy almost 20 minutes, as they observed residential and commercial buildings.

Littlewood wasn’t large, with only a few dozen streets. But the properties weren’t small. Even the small houses on Jonn’s initial route were at least twice the size of those in the village. Further into the town center, he saw larger properties, some as big as the entire walled area of the village.

One high-roofed building with a large entrance caught the white-haired boy’s eye, drawing him to the fruit, vegetables, and other foodstuffs on sale, with floating price signs between compartments.

Despite widespread hunger across Valorian, food was for sale. However, supplies were limited. Even with weekly shipments to stores like the one he saw, food ran out quickly. One would either pay dearly for good food or not so high prices for spoiled food.

Watching from afar, Jonn noticed the guards around the food store, noting another peculiarity of the local situation.

Moving on and seeing another heavily guarded place, he understood it was another food seller.

“Sigh! This town reflects the continent’s misery,” he muttered, seeing overweight people leaving the egg and meat store while starving, extremely thin individuals worked on the outskirts, their lives visibly ebbing away.

It was a sad sight, reminiscent of the village not long ago.

But Jonn didn’t entertain thoughts of helping those people. He walked on, observing the area, seeing small streetlamps along similar rectangular stone sidewalks, the movement of horses, people, and carriages, but also sensing the town’s problems.

Littlewood stank. A rotten smell accentuated itself in certain parts of the city, even though the streets appeared clean.

People on the streets, even miserable workers, didn’t seem dirty, but this was clearly a town that had grown without plan or care.

The city’s buildings formed a monster of parts with different qualities and origins. Some areas were beautiful, with gardens and lampposts that clearly lit the night with oil. Other areas had fire marks on the ground, mud houses, and unpaved parts where rain surely created mud. The town’s lighting must have been patchy at best. Outside the city center, one would rely on torches or bonfires for illumination.

But Jonn understood why the poorest accepted living there. Inside the city, attacks from animals or beasts were unlikely. There was law and order, although circumventing local rules was certainly possible. At least, if one avoided the powerful people, they could rely on laws for others of the same social rank. Job opportunities also existed.

The job situation in Littlewood wasn’t good. But one wouldn’t starve for lack of options. If accepted, one could work in nearby mines or agricultural fields.

Jonn saw workers with mining or farming tools during his reconnaissance of Littlewood.

Other opportunities existed too. In a remote corner of town, Jonn encountered a strange place where women nearly attacked him, wanting to talk privately…

After a few minutes, Jonn understood and sighed in pity for those poor women. He didn’t judge them, though. A person had to survive. Sometimes that meant unpleasant choices!

Almost two hours after arriving, he had confirmed everything he’d heard from Arnald and Asher’s group by the time he reached his intended inn.

In his hands was a necklace similar to those he’d let his fellow villagers bring to Littlewood, something that in his hands could reveal much more than in the hands of humans without mana.

He still needed to hear the latest local gossip and news to learn important points that could affect his plans. But in his first few hours there, he knew exactly how many mages he might have to deal with in this town!

Seven mages, huh? That’s a bit more than Asher’s group managed to ascertain earlier.