This path was scarcely frequented by others, so the sudden emergence of a stranger in such an attire was indeed a cause for astonishment.

Initially, Anjo intended to simply take a detour and depart. However, to his surprise, the figure crouched on the ground spoke, its voice husky and low:

"I've heard there's treasure in the mountains. I wonder if you're intrigued?"

The mention of "treasure" instinctively kindled a fleeting spark of excitement in Anjo's heart. Nevertheless, he was no fool; this situation seemed rather amiss from every perspective.

He decided to simply ignore it.

Then, the person on the ground continued, "What a pity. It appears the treasure will have to be left for the next passer - by."

Anjo remained undeterred and continued trudging forward.

Yet, after a few dozen paces, he came to a halt.

Although his rational mind cautioned him that this might all be a ruse, what if it were true? He couldn't bear the thought of someone else reaping the potential benefits.

Driven by avarice, Anjo retraced his steps and returned to the beggar on the ground.

"Clarify this. What exactly is this treasure you speak of? If you're attempting to make a mockery of me, I assure you my fist will find its way to your visage!"

As he spoke, he brandished his rough - hewn fist menacingly.

"Of course, it's genuine. You can obtain it with relative ease," the beggar on the ground replied.

"Very well. Now, tell me where it is. I'm pressed for time," Anjo exclaimed, feigning extreme impatience.

The beggar on the ground lifted the hand concealed beneath the garments and pointed towards the forest behind, saying, "The treasure lies within the hollow of a dead tree behind me. Hasten, then."

Anjo's eyes darted about. He surveyed the forest, then glanced at the beggar. Ultimately, overpowered by curiosity and temptation, he led his horse into the woods.

Before long, he indeed unearthed two silver coins within the hollow of a dead tree, a discovery that sent him into a paroxysm of elation.

However, two silver coins scarcely qualified as a treasure. Thus, he once again returned to the beggar and demanded, "Merely two silver coins! This can hardly be deemed a treasure!"

The beggar on the ground merely smiled faintly and said, "I never claimed there was but one treasure."

"There's more?!" Anjo exclaimed in delighted surprise.

The beggar then pointed to the opposite forest, stating, "Beneath a green stone over there, there lies more."

This time, Anjo hesitated scarcely at all before leading his horse in that direction.

On this occasion, he unearthed three silver coins.

Anjo had long ceased to care how outlandish and abnormal the situation was.

He refrained from pondering why the beggar, who knew the locations of the treasure, didn't retrieve it himself, nor did he consider the beggar's motives or what designs the latter might have on him.

In the eyes of one who had endured protracted poverty, money held paramount importance above all else!

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"Is there more? Is there more?!" Anjo queried, his voice charged with excitement.

This time, the beggar pointed to a relatively distant location, yet Anjo didn't hesitate and led his horse towards it without delay.

Time and again, Anjo's eyes blazed with a feverish intensity. The sensation of amassing money in such a manner was sheer bliss!

Even though he had to cover considerable distances in the subsequent instances, fatigue seemed a foreign concept to him.

"Is there more? Is there more?!"

By this point, Anjo's tone bordered on mania.

The beggar, as before, raised his hand and pointed, saying, "On the tallest tree of the opposite hilltop lies a gold coin."

At the mention of "gold coin," Anjo's eyes lit up with a fierce glint. Disregarding the soreness in his legs, he was on the verge of dashing in that direction.

However, the horse proved to be a hindrance. In the previous attempts, the need to lead the horse had also slowed Anjo's progress.

This time, without a moment's hesitation, he abandoned the horse and plunged headlong into the dense forest alone.

On the path, only the beggar and a gaunt horse remained.

After a little over ten minutes, the beggar on the ground suddenly rose to his feet, pushed aside the disheveled hair, revealing a countenance adorned with exquisitely chiseled features.

Pernas spat out the mud she had been holding in her mouth, approached the gaunt horse, mounted it with practiced ease, then, with a gentle nudge of her knees, set off at a brisk pace.

The reason for employing such a convoluted stratagem, rather than straightforwardly requesting Anjo's assistance with money, was two - fold. Firstly, possessing wealth can invite misfortune. Secondly, given Pernas' comely visage, it was inevitable that the man might harbor ulterior motives.

The most prudent course of action was to contrive a means to lead him away. This approach, which demanded neither exceptional oratorical skills nor outstanding acting prowess, was the most direct and efficacious.

Regrettably, Anjo was unaware that there was no gold coin on the distant hill. Pernas had neither the time nor the inclination to travel so far to prepare such a prize.

Moreover, it was scarcely worth the effort.

Seated astride the horse, Pernas reached into her bag and felt the three remaining gold coins. Recalling the exhilarating experience of outwitting the greedy commoner, the corners of her mouth involuntarily curled upwards.

The anxiety and trepidation that had hitherto accompanied her dissipated like the morning breeze that caressed her face.

At this moment, that obstinate individual was still struggling valiantly to ascend a large tree.

...

When Count Punk arrived at Hormit's secluded abode, it was already deserted.

Those familiar with Punk knew him to be a man of extreme parsimony, as well as one who was ruthless and unforgiving.

Consequently, following the incident, Hormit's loyal retainers, who had been stationed there, fled at the first opportunity.

This included the dark mage.

Despite the exalted status of mages and their scarcity as a resource, Punk would not spare Soth, the dark mage who had served as Hormit's protector.

Hormit's cadaver was left unattended, left to decompose and emit a fetid stench.

"Pernas——!"

Count Punk's enraged bellow reverberated throughout the entire residence.

He had already discerned the entire sequence of events. Lady Anya's daily lodging of complaints against the Punk family at the police station in the main city of West Bart spoke volumes.

...

Bayek.

After ascertaining to a reasonable degree that Pernas was relatively safe, Glen first escorted the utterly fatigued Lila back to her residence.

He, too, was in dire need of some rest.

However, scarcely had he returned home when he was accosted by the distraught elven maiden, who rushed towards him.

She seemed on the verge of seizing Glen's shoulders but managed to restrain herself.

"I sense that my mother's life force is waning! I must return!"

Surely not! Why does one problem follow another? Glen grimaced slightly.

Nonetheless, he nodded and replied, "I shall accompany you out of the city forthwith."

And so, he accompanied the elven maiden on a two - day - and - two - night journey.

Throughout this period, Glen remained vigilant, constantly monitoring Pernas' situation.

Under his astute guidance, the blond - haired maiden encountered no significant difficulties.

However, she found it arduous to reunite with her mother.

Count Punk had dispatched numerous assassins in pursuit of Pernas. The slightest oversight could prove fatal.

Although Glen was able to ensure her effective concealment, as the distance between them increased, the communication signal began to fluctuate erratically.

Just before the communication was severed, Glen instructed Pernas to seek refuge in a slum and refrain from any further action until his return after escorting the elf.

Glen and Gotaya parted ways at the outskirts of the Elven Forest.

Upon parting, Glen presented the elven maiden with a semi - finished Magical - Guide Telephone.

The fabrication of such a device was rather intricate and prone to failure. Thus, Glen had not had the opportunity to craft a second one until now and was compelled to utilize the original semi - finished model.

Glen postulated that the communication range between two such Magical - Guide Telephones could be substantially enhanced.

At present, he had no time to visit the forest elves' tribe. His priority was to return and effect the true rescue of the beleaguered noble maiden.