As the altitude steadily decreased, the once thick clouds parted beneath my feet, revealing a city that unfolded before my eyes—a beautiful city! If my estimation is correct, this is my destination, the city of Martilin.

In the final step of this aerial journey—or perhaps as a way to commemorate it—I retrieved my flask and, without hesitation, drank the mixture of wine and water flavored with honey, my favorite wild honey. The destination was within reach; there was no need for further rationing. You see, along the way, I had sipped only sparingly to ensure I had enough water. What’s that? Why didn’t I purchase a larger flask? Well, this one is the largest I could find; any bigger, and I would have had to custom-order it, but I lack the patience for craftsmen who like to dawdle.

As I descended lower, I could see the people on the ground. They cried out in alarm and scattered, though this did make my landing a bit easier. Truth be told, I would have preferred them to stay and greet me—how grand it would have been to be welcomed by an honor guard! When I was a child, my dream was to become a court magician, always accompanied by an honor guard whenever I ventured out. But as time has shown, that dream has little chance of coming true. In today's world, what court lacks a magician? And even if they did, they wouldn’t choose a young one. Magicians are always seen as more powerful with age, and young lads are often dismissed as mere apprentices.

The dragon landed with a flutter of wings and a swirl of dust. Once it was fully on the ground, I dismounted with a flourish, executing a move so graceful that even I was thoroughly pleased with it—after all, I am a perfectionist, and few things satisfy me.

There wasn’t a soul around, but I could see the townsfolk peering out from their windows, their eyes fixed on me. Being the center of attention certainly feels good; I’m sure my elegant dismount didn’t go unnoticed.

The sound of the dragon grinding its teeth caught my attention. It glared at me with eyes full of malice, gnashing its teeth as if it might pounce and devour me at any moment. I could fully understand its hatred; after all, I had captured it and forced it to serve as my mount for this entire journey. Poor beast—six days of flying without a drop of water while I sat comfortably on its back, eating and drinking to my heart’s content. But then again, if someone else had caught it, they’d likely have killed it and turned it into dragon jerky. At least I spared its life.

The restraints fell away as I dismounted, freeing the dragon at last. It merely watched me, making no rash moves. Like all animals, it instinctively knew who was stronger, who was the predator, and who was the prey. With a mournful cry—one that only someone like me, who cares for animals, could understand—it spread its wings and took to the sky. Though I doubted it could comprehend the gesture, I waved it off—after all, we’d spent six days together, and in a way, that made us companions.

It was fifteen minutes after the dragon had flown away that people began to slowly reappear in the square. They gazed at me from a distance with a mix of fear and awe, as though I were some kind of monster. It seems I made quite a lasting first impression.

"South of Martilin... opposite the Grizzly... Tavern..." I took out the note from my bundle and began to carefully decipher its contents. I say decipher because the handwriting was so atrocious that I wondered if the person who wrote it had ever gone to school. If there were a mother of letters in this world, she would surely disown these twisted children. It took a great deal of effort, combining deduction with guesswork, to barely make out what was written. If it takes twenty minutes to understand just ten words, you might start feeling the urge to cut down the person who wrote them. No wonder the poor soul was stabbed ten times. Still, luck was on his side; before he died, he met me, and after promising a substantial reward, I agreed to deliver the bundle he had hidden to the address on the note. I had been too careless at the time—seeing the first five readable words, I set off immediately. In hindsight, I should have studied the note carefully while on the dragon's back, which would have saved me this headache.

Once again, laziness triumphed. I wasn’t going to waste more brainpower on this note. Since I understood part of it, I decided to head to the Grizzly Tavern first. Whatever happens next, I’ll deal with it later—just as I always do.

"So, this is the Grizzly Tavern?" I looked up at the sign. The name suited it well. Even without stepping inside, the nauseating smell wafting out made it clear what kind of clientele this place served. But it seemed I had no other choice; across the street lay only ruins—clearly, a building had been recently demolished. Despite wearing a fine new robe, I stepped inside.

"Handsome, what can I get you?" I had barely entered when a heavily made-up barmaid greeted me. Though the cheap perfume she wore—far more offensive to me than all the other odors in this establishment combined—made me a bit queasy, I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of happiness. It’s always flattering for a man to be called handsome by a woman, even more so when she adds "very" in front of it. Though I consider myself quite good-looking, the half-mask I wear usually keeps such compliments at bay.

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"Just bring me a drink, whatever you have." You have to buy something before asking questions, or else they won’t bother talking to you.

The woman left, and I noticed numerous hostile glares directed my way. However, I remained unperturbed; after all, the robe I wore was both luxurious and elegant—envy was inevitable. Still, I was confident no one here would dare to provoke me. Surely, they could tell from my attire that I was a mage, and only a fool would antagonize a mage. Besides, the half-mask on my face often served as a deterrent—sometimes, a peculiar accessory can make people uncertain about you, and those who wish to confront you are usually the ones who believe they've figured you out.

As the hateful gazes grew in number, the woman returned with a glass of iced water. Before she could withdraw her hand, I seized her wrist and pulled her close, gazing into her eyes with what I believed to be my most captivating look. As expected, she let out a playful laugh and settled into my lap. In that instant, the number of hostile glares increased by at least tenfold.

Her easy acquiescence left me feeling oddly unsettled. I couldn’t tell if it was my genuine charm or the expensive robe I wore that influenced her decision. They say the path of a mage is one chosen by those prone to overthinking, and perhaps I am one such person. The flirtatious words I had intended to say vanished from my mind, replaced by the overwhelming scent of her cheap perfume, which stifled any further impulse. After a brief inner struggle, I decided to end this little episode.

"When was the building opposite this inn demolished?" I asked, immediately realizing my mistake. The surrounding patrons quickly averted their eyes, and the playful smile on the woman's face vanished as she stood up.

"Why do you ask?" Her expression had changed entirely, though my past experiences had long taught me that women are fickle creatures. Still, witnessing such a transformation, even one beyond the scope of magic, never failed to intrigue me.

"Someone asked me to deliver a package to the building opposite this inn, but now it's been demolished... Do you know where they’ve relocated?" I'm not one to lie outright, so when faced with a dilemma, I tend to speak half-truths. Some say that’s no different from lying, but I never heed such remarks.

"Demolished?" The woman’s smile turned mocking, derisive even. It was baffling—just a minute ago, she had been laughing in my lap, and now her expression had completely changed. But still, it was a smile.

"Of course, I know where they’ve moved! But it won’t come for free..." She extended a hand so close to my face that the pungent scent of her cheap perfume assaulted my nostrils once more.

I reached into my pocket, but before my fingers touched a single coin, I noticed the gazes of those around me—familiar gazes, the kind that self-proclaimed clever people give to someone they think a fool. So I withdrew my hand, empty.

I grasped the offending hand, twisting it sharply. Though a mage, I’m confident in my physical strength. Her wrist made a faint crack, though her scream quickly drowned it out.

"Ah..."

"Don’t take me for a fool!" I growled, my tone as venomous as hers. Though a man, I believed my expression changed as swiftly as hers. I slammed her onto the table, her cheek pressed against the grimy surface, and her right arm twisted behind her back. The sounds of people rising from their seats reached my ears, but a quick glance from me made them hesitate—none dared to make a further move.

"Now tell me, what’s really going on here?" I eased my grip slightly. It wasn’t that I cared about a few coins, but I couldn’t allow a woman to make a fool of me. After all, I’m a mage, and I take pride in that.

"Didn’t you see the notice when you entered the city? That place you call ‘demolished’ was the site of the necromancer’s first attack! Everyone there is in hell now! Ah… it hurts!"

I released her hand. It seems that laziness sometimes doesn’t pay off—had I walked into the city instead of riding in, I might have already known what happened here. Alas, I’m the kind who spares no effort to avoid even a short walk. Oh well, it doesn’t matter now; this task won’t yield any reward. I stood up, disheartened. The prospect of unpaid labor was utterly distasteful, and with nothing left to gain, there was no reason to remain in this dismal inn. I turned to leave.

"Wait, you haven’t paid..." the woman called out, rubbing her wrist. It seems there’s no shortage of people willing to cling to their money, even in dire situations.

I turned back, glaring at her with my most menacing look, but her desire for money clearly outweighed her fear of death—she met my gaze unflinchingly, her stare outmatching mine.

"Consider the package as payment for the drink," I muttered weakly, though I had only taken a sip. The package was useless to me now, and the hundred gold coins promised by that dead fool had become nothing more than an empty promise. With a speed that left no time for anyone to react, I exited the Grizzly Tavern. Once outside, I took three deep breaths of the fresh air—what a sweet relief!

"What to do next?" I mused over my boredom when fate intervened—a squad of soldiers rounded the corner and halted in front of me. The captain scrutinized my face with a look that irritated me, as if there were something peculiar about it. I swear, aside from the half-mask covering the lower left side of my face, there was nothing on it worth another man’s attention—I have no special interest in men.

"Sir, are you a mage?" His eyes remained fixed on my face.

"Indeed!" I replied curtly. Even a fool could tell from my attire. If he had been a beautiful woman, my response might have been more cordial, but there wasn’t a single woman among this squad of soldiers—not to mention a beautiful one. In fact, there wasn’t even a halfway decent-looking person among them—regardless of gender.