After everyone in the guild hall left, I waited a bit more. The young woman in her twenties who worked here was washing the dishes and also cleaning the empty tables. She had curly, wheat-brown, long hair with a floral, red bandana tied to her head. She wore a black waist apron and cleaned her wet hands on it from time to time. She worked skillfully and with ease, as if she had been in this field for many years.
Other than her, only guild advisor Autumn Maplewood was left here. She was a woman in her mid-twenties. Brown, braided hair. Wearing a white high-collared blouse and a black waistcoat, it was the perfect working attire, with a contrast of white and black. And her metal-framed glasses seemed too big for her face. Yet it only highlighted her overall charm. She was young enough for the position of guild advisor. But not anywhere less worthy of that. There was an elevated wooden floor—a small office space—just for her on one side of the hall. She sat at a long table and went through a set of documents, rubbing her eyes underneath her glasses from time to time. Drinking the glass full of water before me, I put a copper coin on the table and got up from my seat. Walking to where Autumn was, I sat on the high stool before the table, facing her. She put the documents in her hands away, and at the same time, the tavern keeper went and locked the entrance on my back and disappeared into a door on the side of the kitchen. I revealed my face under the hood, pulled out a document from under my cloak, and handed it to Autumn before me.
She stopped observing my face and said, "It's been long, Digit." Then immediately went on and glanced at the contents of the document. A trace of surprise filled her expression as her eyes widened and stayed like that for a while, going from left to right on each line that was written there. "Is this true?" She asked, and I nodded. It contained the information of the missing member of the information guild that was assigned to follow the three young, to-be adventurers.
"Should we request everyone in the area?" I asked as if making a suggestion, but my heart raced, thinking about the contents of the documents myself. It also contained the unknown situation of the three kids and more details on the recent rumors surrounding Misty Grove. I never really cared about the kids, but the scale of the matter involved more than the people mentioned in the document. So I thought it was enough of a reason for the guild to worry and accept my suggestion.
But Autumn didn't reply to me immediately and hurriedly pulled out a few sets of documents from one of the drawers and went through them, flipping page by page. "We still don’t know the entirety of the situation, and gathering all of them will take time. I will personally send a request to the few silver ranks." She said, composing herself.
I thought for a moment before speaking. "As part of our information network, an ex-rank is staying in one of the inns nearby. I thought of contacting him." This was just me informing her of what I intended to do, even if she refused.
"And who might that be?" She asked, clasping her hands.
"Lark Holloway." I said, and she sighed, stamping a seal of approval and signing it. I put the document back inside my cloak and covered my face under the hood again. Going over to the small door, the tavern keeper went through, and I too exited the hall. It was already dark, with no sign of street lights. Even then, I took a few alleys and walked for about fifteen minutes. But just when I was about to reach the inn, where I stayed, my route was blocked by a female figure in one of the alleyways. I directed Aura to my eyes to get a clear view of the silhouette.
"What are you doing here?" I asked as I recognized the person before me.
She didn't reply but walked towards me in slow steps. A faint trace of a smile was revealed under the moonlight. "I have some information to give you." Her smile immediately disappeared, as if it were never there. She was the young woman, Shea. The tavern keeper in the guild. "I hope you can stop being wary of me." She said as her glistening eyes looked at my waist. Underneath my cloak, I unintentionally gripped my short sword.
"You can't expect me to do that in this situation." I said as I glanced at her both hands that she tucked inside the apron pockets.
As if thinking for a moment, she answered. "True. But anyway, my goal is to deliver this information to you. I would appreciate it if you didn't act on your instincts, Sir Digit." She came and stood right before me. As I was shorter, I had to lift my head to look at her face, even though she had an average human height. She pulled out both her arms at once. It made me alert. But they were empty—one of them was. She held a small piece of paper between her two fingers in one hand, dropping it carefully into my extended hand. The scene felt rather childish to me. "Open it after I leave." As she said that, she turned around and started walking as if her job were done.
But I had many questions. Who was she? Why was she working as a waiter? A spy? Did she harbor any malicious intentions? Many that I wanted to be answered right here and now. But I asked the most important one. "Who ordered you to give me this?" Even though I didn't look at what was inside and could only make a half-hearted, wild guess based on my current situation, "Does Autumn know about you?" I asked.
She stopped in her place without turning to look at me. "I guess, a benefactor?" Saying that, she instantly disappeared like a breeze that was never there. Assassin. The thought came to mind, and I looked to the sky. Above the roofs of the buildings to my left and right, I could see gleaming daggers under the moonlight. There were three to four pairs of them. I couldn't make out the people who held those daggers, as they were covered in clothes that were darker than the night. But before I could look at who they were, they disappeared, along with the shining daggers, just like the young woman before.
"Why is the Assassination Guild involved in this?" I muttered to myself as another set of questions ran through my mind regarding Shea's identity and the premonition of the matter surrounding the disappearance of the three adventurers. Still a bit reluctant, I opened the symmetrically folded paper in my hand. With many creases, the thin, square paper had four names written on it. Three of them were in a single line—Drevin, Kiera, and Halia. I couldn't understand what it meant. I haven't heard or seen any of those names before. On the second line, there was a single name, which I immediately recognized. Kaiden—one of the missing three. But a jolt of shivers ran through my spine as I read the entire name. Kaiden Greene? "Greene?" The word unintentionally left my mouth like a short whisper. I knew he was from Millies Academy, but his full name was never mentioned in the guild documents. I could understand why, but it only complicated the current situation.
I once again read the three names above and tried to make a connection to Steward Desmond's son. It could be the real names of the Masked Three or one of their fake ones. And it could be entirely different people altogether who weren't related to whatever was going through my mind right now. Shea, these names, and Kaiden Greene. It only drove me to be more cautious about my situation. And this time, I seriously hoped they would be safe, if anything, and not die.
I hurried to my room in the inn and immediately wrote a few letters—orders containing a set of instructions—and sent them through messenger falcons. Other than finding the information on these three names, I needed to know why Kaiden Greene and his friends came this far from the academy for an adventurer license. And depending on whether he is dead or alive, it would no longer be a simple, urgent matter. Why? Why now, of all times? I thought again and again. These people. The forest. The monsters. Someone was behind it. A person who will benefit from all this. The preparator.
At that moment, someone knocked on the door. "Come in." I said, expecting them. A red-haired, curly woman entered the room. She was an alluring beauty, wearing black tights. Her figure was clearly visible, with curves suitable for a woman of this kind. Her cleavage was the one that bothered me the most, with nothing seemingly worn inside.
"Can't take your eyes off me; can you Digit?" Her voice was soothing. She came and sat on the reading table, facing me on the chair opposite it. Her long legs locked around my short body, and a perfume smell enveloped my nose. I could see what she was wearing under those translucent clothes. I tried to turn my head to the side, but her hand held me by my chin as she leaned forward. Her bright red lips contrasted with her white skin. She blew air on my face, and my short hair fluttered slightly. I unconsciously closed my eyes before opening them to see the woman before me. Her set of light blue eyes were locked with mine. I was so mesmerized, I could even look at her complete cleavage. But it was not the time for that.
"You're late, Sersa. Get off the table." I tried to keep my voice as calm as I could, unconsciously gulping down my saliva. She smiled before giving me a peck on my cheek, got off the table, and sat on the bed, crossing her legs. That very action was seductive in some way as my heartbeat increased, albeit slightly.
"You asked for me at a not-so-convenient time. Though I think I came fast enough, no?" She said, nonchalantly.
I sighed. "Don't joke, Sersa. You were residing on the floor below me. You know, how important this is?"
She just smiled and laid on her back. "It is always important, Digit. Always. So, tell me what it is." After that, I explained the overall situation and a few other details that I managed to piece together. They were mixed with a few possibilities, but almost nothing was certain at this point.
"And I want you to deliver this information to Lark Holloway. Be as brief as possible."
"He's here?" She asked, getting up. She seemed more interested in him than the information I gave her. Which bothered me a little. I nodded to her and told her the location. With some new-found vigor, she made her way to exit the room.
"Please don't make things complicated, Sersa. This is not the night to play around." I warned, as a few troublesome past events flashed in my head.
"Don't worry, Digit. Every night is meant for some great things." I felt I could see a smirk as she left. But I also thought it was my imagination. Right?
Yet it didn't take too long for that imagination to turn real. I waited for more than an hour and a half. She didn't return. Tapping my leg on the floor, I waited another thirty minutes. The candle light in the room flickered. The hot wax was melting and dripping along the edges. In the meantime, I received a few return messages, but none from Sersa. I read through all of them in detail and made a few mental notes. I held my head in my hand and sighed. Blowing out the candle, I drank a few glasses of water, got out of the inn, and went in the direction where Mister Lark stayed. It was only a few streets away. For me, this night was going to be longer than I expected.
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"Sp-Spare me… P-Please." Vivian begged me for mercy. She clasped both her hands, still trembling.
Ignoring that, I asked. "Do you know who we are?" To my question, she intensely shook her head, left and right. "Then, why did you try to kill us? Who ordered you?"
Hesitant for a second, she looked in one direction, before looking at me again and spoke. "W-We were given a commission to assassinate your group."
"All of us? Is it the Assassination guild?" I asked, raising a brow.
"Only that man." She pointed in the direction of King Theoren, who was still standing on the stairs with a stern look. "It was a personal request from an unknown man."
"Yet you don't know who we are. And you didn't bother to ask your target details, either?" She shook her head, in a trace of embarrassment that was filled with fear. "How much did they promise to pay you?"
"A-A thousand gold… each." She couldn't keep an eye contact as she stuttered those words. I then went on and asked a few more questions inquiring more of the details. But as expected she didn't know. And she wasn't lying either. I could tell. Leaving her on the floor, I went to the two and explained the situation. Except Tristan, the king didn't mind this meagre attempt of killing him at all.
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"Those bastards! Whoever they are!" Sir Tristan exclaimed in anger, punching his fist into his other hand.
"One thing that bothers me is, the perpetrator behind this knew we would be making a stop in this city and especially this inn. Also our identities for that matter. Yet he only sent these low-level thugs to kill me? That seems rather unlikely… or intentional." King Theoren said, keeping his hand under his chin. "Desmond, who else knew that we were going to stay here? I thought I told you to tell no one."
Not surprised by his question, I thought for a moment. Recollecting the interactions between me and others for the past month, I looked at Sir Tristan, who was blankly staring at me, and shifted my gaze back to the king. "No one else knows. Not the princes or their wives. Even Lady Rosalind doesn't know of your absence yet. And I don't think the royal guards under Sir Tristan would say any of this under his authority." I looked at him, and he nodded in agreement. Saying that, I closed my eyes and instantly spread my Mana sense into the surroundings. Images of the buildings, inns, city paths, people, and every other little detail included, rushed into my brain. As my Mana sense reached the city gates, I expanded it more, even surveying the outside of the city. I opened my eyes, looking in a specific direction. "Sir Tristan, two miles away, there is a black-robed man running in that direction." I pointed.
Without a second thought, he nodded as a thick purple Aura enveloped his entire body. He blurred, and the next moment, there was a big hole on the wooden wall, the size of a bear, in the direction Sir Tristan went. Within ten more minutes, we all could see the huge man, glowing in purple, return. The inn shook as he landed on the wooden floor. He held a short man, covered in black robes, with only his eyes visible. And from what we could see, he had already passed out. Sir Tristan threw him on the floor, beside Vivian. From the sudden force, he woke, and his eyes immediately looked for a way to escape. But a glare from Sir Tristan behind me made him shudder as his expression turned to that of despair.
"Tell me, why did you run?" I asked, looking at his attire one more time. Contrary to his bland, secretive clothing, he wore a chain with a finger-sized, silver cross hanging from it. I held it in my hand, observing its shape, weight, and more. "Do you believe in God?" His expression remained the same. "Which one?" He didn't reply. I plucked his thin chain, and without looking at him, I turned the cross symbol using both my hands. It clicked and opened, like a coffin. Inside that small space, there was a piece of paper. I shook it as it dropped into one of my hands and carefully opened it. It was a vertical slip, neatly folded into many layers, symmetrically. It unfolded into a small piece of square paper with something written on it.
"What does it say?" The king asked from behind me. He could see my actions but not the things written on the slip. So he took a few steps on the bloodied floor toward me.
I let out an unconscious sneer and handed the slip to the king for both him and Sir Tristan to see. My gaze was now entirely focused on the short man before me. "I know it doesn't belong to you. Who gave you that?" I asked, but before he could reply, Vivian beside him opened her mouth.
"It was the man who commissioned us. He said, showing it to the head church, Pope Augustin of Snowspell, would earn us ten thousand more gold." I sighed and chuckled internally. This roundabout way made me want to see the person behind it myself.
"Why didn't you visit the church first then? Surely, you are brainless enough to think for money and work for money first." I asked.
Vivian could only bitterly gulp down her anger as she answered. "We thought to, at first. But he said if we try to attempt that without completing the commission, he will know. It was obvious, so we didn't try either."
Thinking momentarily, I asked. "Can any of you two recognize your contractor? Think twice before you answer." Both of them thought for a moment, and in the meantime, I glanced at both of them and swung my hand, and several slices of air burst out of my hand, cutting the short man's head into several pieces. Blood spurted out like a fountain, splashing over Vivian's face. Her mouth opened wide in shock; she hurriedly breathed hard and tried to say something.
"I-I haven't seen his face, as he was covered in a cloak, but I can recognize his voice. It was like a woman. Low pitched. I couldn't see properly as it was dark and raining on that day, but his body stature was not much bigger. Average to below. Smaller than me at least." She tried to hurriedly make out as many details as she could remember. Fear works wonders.
"Say, when did you meet this man, and where?" The king asked while standing behind me.
Vivian's eyes slowly moved up as she stuttered again. "A-A month ago. In Lumin."
"Celebrate Vivian. You earned yourself a life. From the king himself." Her face paled completely as I said that. Ignorance. I let out a sigh, stood up, and looked at the king and Sir Tristan behind me. They were forming their own conclusions on the matter. At least King Theoren was.
"What do you think, Desmond? Who and why is the question, and I feel the second one is already answered?" King Theoren said, looking at me for my opinion. I once again recalled the words written on the piece of paper I found inside the church cross. Ashborne Winters is not the legitimate son of Viscount Nathan Winters. The words written surprised all of us. It was too good of timing to think of it as nothing. The man in question was directing our actions. He knew what was happening and planned what should happen. Something that would directly or indirectly benefit him. It was too broad of a subject to make baseless assumptions.
After thinking for a while, I spoke. "We should visit the church. We would surely know the 'who' behind it or..." I looked at Vivian, who was still in a daze of disbelief. "She could help us find him. A man who wants the downfall of Viscount Nathan will surely attend the banquet in a few weeks. He would want to see the conclusion to his little plan. The chances are high." Sir Torian and King Theoren both nodded in agreement.
"Let's rest, Desmond. Bring me something to eat first. If possible, that crab dish we talked about in the carriage." He gulped down his saliva. Nodding, I looked at the state of the inn. It was… unsanitary. But the King had already moved to the stairs and disappeared into the floors above. It looked like there was no guest in this inn to begin with. None came out with this much commotion. I regretted paying extra to book a room beforehand.
Sir Tristan and I walked out of the inn, only to find a group of royal guards blocking the people and other city guards from entering inside. Sir Tristan instructed one of them something, and I took another sweep of the surroundings before returning inside. I ordered Vivian to use one of the rooms and not even think about running. She couldn't even nod. Like a lifeless doll, she just listened and did what she was told. Such a sorry state for a woman. I thought, and the night passed just like that.
Early in the morning, we all came out of the inn, and many people were on the streets, looking at the sorry state of this building. But we didn't mind that. We were already fully covered in robes and in the carriage, so we quickly made our way out of Goldenvale City. Except there was another person inside the carriage, along with the king and Sir Tristan. She sat beside me, taking as little of a space as possible. Not even daring to breathe loudly. I glanced at Vivian, amused, but said nothing. We had to change our route once again due to the current circumstances. I fiddled with the cross in my pocket as I looked outside the window. A sudden breeze turned into a heavy gust and swept past us in an instant. I instinctively became alert, as did Sir Tristan, who was about to jump out.
We both immediately came outside and looked at the clear blue sky in the distance. "Steward Desmond. Is that what I think it is?" I could hear caution in Sir Tristan's words.
"What is it?" King Theoren asked curiously. He didn't know, but he could tell it was something serious, looking at both of our expressions.
"I fear it is true, Sir Tristan." I said. A shiver ran down my spine as my eyes were fixed on the long, distant sky, in the same direction we were going. "That was a… dragon." Hearing me spell out those words in a slow voice only confirmed our suspicions. Even the king didn't speak. None of us could. Why was a dragon here?
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After I saw both Miss Luna and Halia enter the first and second tunnel entrances, hesitantly I took the third tunnel. Even though I felt I should be at the side of Miss Luna, I followed her wishes. This tunnel felt long as I started to walk. I didn't know if the other two were also similar. I directed Aura to my eyes, to see the path clearly, but there was no end. At least that's what it looked like.
The tunnel became narrower at some places and wide at others. It was too uneven. I pondered over such an existence in Misty Grove. Even if it was said to be part of a ghost dungeon, it felt eerie for some reason. As if I was walking right into the stomach of a long python. A few more minutes later, I heard a loud explosion behind me. I felt it was just my imagination but the tunnel shook a little while the sound echoed. I regretted it again. Not being at the side of the Miss when I should have been. I thought to turn back and return but complying to her orders, I could only return after I explored more of this endless, rocky tunnel.
Tightening my fist, I increased my pace. A few minutes later, I found myself before another cave with five more tunnel entrances. My eyes burst in radiance with Aura and the image before me enlarged for me to see it more clearly but there was nothing I could see as usual. I chose the fifth tunnel and started walking and a few more minutes later, I found myself before another eight tunnels. I could only laugh at the absurdity before me. This time, all the tunnel entrances were attached onto the wall before me, from top to bottom.
From a while ago, I felt I was walking on a slanted surface. I could feel my steps grew faster and easier, even though I maintained the same pace. As if I was going deeper underground. I was also sweating through my armour. And the air surrounding me felt heavy for some reason. But when I used my senses to check again, I found nothing odd. It only made me more alert.
Lifting my head, I looked at the uppermost tunnel entrance and leaped into it. It felt like two hours had already passed, and I decided this would be the last stretch of my exploration. With that intent, I took a step forward, but my foot kicked something on the ground, and a metal clink sound rang out. Not too surprised, I went and picked up that object. It was a small lantern. It was broken, and a burning smell lingered around it. Some of the oil in it spread to my hands. A little murky and greasy. I inspected the place where it lay before I kicked it. The broken pieces of glass from the lantern were not here—or only a small piece was present. I took a brief glance behind and in front of the tunnel. There was nothing other than that.
I decided to resume what I was doing and go deeper into the tunnel. But when I took another step, my eyes widened. Before I could even feel the lack of footing underneath me and react, I was already falling. Out of nowhere, a hole suddenly opened in the ground beneath me. I immediately unsheathed my sword and impaled it into the side wall. My body weight still dragged me down, but a few meters of falling finally killed my momentum. I looked above, maintaining my calm. The hole was already covered up as if it were never there. I looked down, and I could see a slight trace of light. As I covered my legs in Aura, I pulled out the sword and fell to the ground with a heavy thud. The ground below me depressed, leaving behind my shoe prints. But, unknown to me, I stepped on something. Pieces of glass from the lantern. Now, crushed into powder. Looking at the ceiling of the tunnel, I sighed internally and put my slightly chipped sword back.
I still couldn't believe what happened, but leaving that, there was a junction with four more tunnels in all directions. I couldn't help but wonder whether this dungeon used to be a labyrinth. I hesitated to continue forward. I feared I wouldn't be able to find the way back. But suddenly, I felt the presence of someone—something from one of the tunnels. It instinctively made me pull out my sword. Gulping down saliva that stayed still in my mouth, I took steady steps with my sword pointing forward. A faint—an echo rang continuously in my ears. I heightened my senses, but it was—a murmur—s—inarticulate. As if people—monsters—were shouting. Were they screaming? Even though I had gripped my Aura-covered sword tightly, I felt unease—fear.
Just then, a murky, rotten stench rushed into my nose. I covered it with my hand, but the odor was thick enough that I could taste it back in my throat. Water welled up in my eyes, and I threw up and fell to my knees. The stomach acid burned my throat even more, but I couldn't stop myself. For a second, I thought I felt dizzy and numb, but when I checked my hands, they were dipped in some thick, muddy substance, which was the source of the smell. It also has a metallic scent of blood attached to it. And the path forward was painted with it all.
I couldn't explain my own emotions. The fear I felt was overcome with disgust. But I steeled myself and spit to the side. In this narrow tunnel, even if I were to try and fight someone or something, I wouldn't be able to do so properly. I also didn't forget to look back from time to time. It felt like something would pounce on me or the tunnel entrance would close up like the hole before. I knew from the substance on the floor that it was from a monster called Quagmire. A marsh-inhabitant monster. But it only confirmed Digit's speculations about monsters in Misty Grove. Which wasn't a good sign by any means. What Digit found was the corpse of a half-eaten kobold. And now a Quagmire. Moreover, just the scent of the Quagmire's remains was enough for me to pass out. Which was nothing to scoff at.
I took a long breath from my mouth. Holding my heart in my hands, I dared to walk in that direction. There was a faint light at some distance. My heart shook as the exit grew near, and I could now vividly make out the sounds of monsters. Screeching ceaselessly. And when I did reach the other end, a sight I couldn't fathom made me forget to breathe for a moment. My eyes widened with dread as I gasped for air. An unexplainable disaster looming underneath the belly of this forest flooded my vision. Death. The word loomed in my head. I gripped the edge of the tunnel tighter as my frozen eyes barely managed to shift to one particular figure among the massacres that were happening. He was almost naked, on the ground, covered in gore and blood. Unrecognisable. A calm, deadpan expression, with half-closed eyes painted over his small face. Spilled intestines and monster carcasses covered him. He was bathing in the pool of blood, for that matter. But he didn't seem to care, as if lost in thought. The slow shock hit me from the inside. Ignoring everything else that was present there, I screamed with every speck of air in my lungs. "Young master, Ashhhhh!"