Chapter 100: The City of the Distant Wind
I watched a golden glint trace an arc through the air before landing precisely in Torkes’ palm.
The coin spun several times across his fingers before finally coming to a stop.
— Take it.
—It’s the commission you’ve earned.
The moment he heard my words, the merchant’s eyes practically lit up.
He held the coin as though it were a treasure.
— Thank you very much for your trust, most honorable Young Master!
Without wasting any time.
While he was still admiring the coin, I took another one from my pouch and spun it between my fingers.
The golden reflection immediately caught his attention.
— I have another job for you.
He practically straightened his back.
— Anything within my power, Young Master!
I slowly rocked the coin between my fingers.
— I need an experienced housekeeper...
I paused for a moment.
—...and two people capable of managing accounts, records, contracts, and expenses.
I continued spinning the coin.
— If you can find them for me...
I tossed the coin.
It traced an arc through the air.
Torkes caught it almost instinctively.
—...this one will be yours as well.
For several seconds, he remained completely still.
Then he began pacing back and forth.
— Let me think...
He ran a hand over his completely bald head.
— Come on...
— Think...
— Think...
He began muttering names that were almost impossible to understand.
— No...
— That one died...
— That one ran away...
— That one’s wife stole from their employers...
Suddenly, his eyes widened.
He clapped his hands together.
— I know!
He pointed at me.
— Old Dormato!
I tilted my head slightly.
— Dormato?
— Yes!
His enthusiasm grew with every word.
— He served as the butler and steward of an old baron for decades.
He organized the servants, managed the estates, recorded taxes, supervised the harvests, conducted inventories...
Torkes smiled.
— Unfortunately, the baron went bankrupt a few months ago.
The debts consumed everything.
The estate was sold.
The servants were dismissed.
Since then, the old man has been searching for a new master to serve.
I crossed my arms.
He sounded exactly like the kind of person I needed.
Someone experienced.
Accustomed to administration.
And above all...
Old enough not to dream of heroic adventures.
— Very well.
— Take me to him.
Torkes practically grinned from ear to ear.
— It will be my pleasure, Young Master!
...
...
...
Two days later.
The morning was still blanketed by a thick fog.
Tiny droplets of drizzle hung in the cold air, leaving a damp layer over the rooftops of the City of Danom.
Creeeeak...
The enormous wooden gates slowly began to open.
The heavy groan of the hinges echoed across the city walls.
Our black carriage was the first to leave that morning.
Its wheels rolled calmly along the muddy road.
Around it marched a dozen mercenaries.
Their armor wasn’t beautiful.
Some pieces had been patched.
Others bore deep sword scars.
But every suit showed years of use.
Lances.
Swords.
Axes.
Bows.
Each man carried the weaponry he was most accustomed to using.
At the front rode Larsy.
Mounted on a handsome brown horse, he maintained a firm posture while constantly watching the road ahead.
Behind him rode a young mercenary carrying a blue banner.
Embroidered upon the cloth was the figure of a falcon.
The insignia of the Danom Falcons.
I looked out through the carriage window.
Kant rode near the left wheel.
Tinod followed on the opposite side.
As for the coachman’s seat, it had been occupied by someone else.
Dormato.
The old man held the reins with complete composure.
Even with the wind thoroughly disheveling his white hair, his clothes remained impeccably neat.
Not even a single crease was out of place.
That alone said a great deal about his personality.
After getting to know the old man over those two days, I quickly understood why a baron had kept him for decades.
He was organized to an extreme.
Punctual.
Discreet.
He never raised his voice.
In addition, I had also managed to hire two people to handle the financial records exclusively.
A former scribe named Halen and a young accountant named Miria.
Neither of them possessed any special talent.
But both wrote quickly, performed calculations with ease, and thoroughly understood commercial recordkeeping.
The following days passed with surprising tranquility.
Larsy truly hadn’t exaggerated.
The Danom Falcons knew that route as though they had been born on it.
They always found an inn before nightfall.
They knew which bridges to avoid.
Which taverns served decent food.
Which roads were infested with bandits.
Throughout the entire journey, I hardly needed to give any orders.
Everything functioned on its own.
It was... comfortable.
...
...
...
Seven days later.
We finally arrived at the City of Distant Wind.
I slowly lifted the carriage curtain.
My gaze immediately met the sky.
Dark clouds completely covered the horizon.
Dense layers of clouds concealed almost all of the sunlight.
The atmosphere felt heavy.
Melancholic.
As though a storm were simply waiting for the right moment to break.
Even the nearby shrubs seemed darker.
The shadows made everything strangely silent.
I opened the carriage door.
— Larsy.
He immediately guided his horse closer.
— Young Master?
I rested one arm against the doorframe.
— You mentioned earlier that the vegetation had begun to die.
Where exactly did that happen?
Larsy slowed his horse to match the pace of our carriage.
— The City of Distant Wind is enormous.
—The affected area occupies only a small region on the eastern side.
—Normally, everyone avoids passing through there.
—No one likes to meddle with events they can’t explain.
I nodded slowly.
— And where is that forest?
— The eastern part of the Forest of Distant Wind.
It practically borders the city.
Larsy glanced around discreetly before lowering his voice a little.
— Before that phenomenon...
—Most of the city’s medicinal herbs came from there.
—Now...
—Production has fallen by nearly a third.
My interest immediately increased.
That was hardly a natural phenomenon.
— Understood.
—I’ll remember that place.
To ordinary people, forests represented danger.
To me...
They represented opportunity.
If there was some kind of magical anomaly in that region...
I intended to uncover it.
After a few minutes, I asked another question.
— Has anyone investigated it?
Larsy shrugged.
— Investigators?
—Adventurers.
—Hunters.
—Mercenaries.
—Curious bandits.
—All kinds of people have gone in there.
He took a deep breath.
— Some came back.
—Others simply disappeared.
—But...
—Forests usually kill people anyway.
—So no one can truly say whether it was really the phenomenon’s fault.
I mentally stored every piece of information.
As we talked, the city finally came into view before us.
The City of Distant Wind.
Its walls were not particularly tall.
However...
Their thickness was impressive.
Enormous blocks of granite had been stacked together to form an exceptionally solid defense.
It was obvious that this city had survived many sieges.
The guards recognized Larsy almost immediately.
After paying the entrance fee, the gates were opened.
We entered.
I quickly observed the streets.
Wider.
Busier.
Much larger than Danom.
I smiled faintly.
I had finally arrived.
— Let’s find an inn.
I ordered calmly.
...
...
...
When night fell, I sent Jane out.
I remained alone inside the room.
I stood up.
I slowly opened the window.
A current of icy wind immediately swept inside.
Outside...
The city remained shrouded in darkness.
Very few lights were still burning.
Then I walked over to my backpack.
I carefully took out a small blue crystalline rune.
It was only slightly larger than the palm of my hand.
Inside the crystal, dozens of tiny golden specks floated continuously, resembling fireflies trapped inside glass.
I held it before me.
— Activate.
The arrays engraved within it immediately began to rotate.
Luminous lines slowly rearranged themselves.
A few seconds later, they formed a symbol.
A strange golden eye.
I took a deep breath.
I pointed the crystal toward my face.
My reflection appeared inside that magical eye.
I began speaking clearly.
— Calendar of Light.
—Year one thousand and thirty-two.
—Month of Burning Snow.
—Day of Lovers.
I paused briefly.
— Today I arrived at the City of Distant Wind.
—I am currently staying at an inn located within the city.
I slowly turned the crystal toward the window.
I recorded the room.
Then the street.
Finally, the nighttime scenery.
I continued.
— The information currently available indicates that the area affected by the anomaly is located in the eastern region of the Forest of Distant Wind.
At this time, there is no official confirmation of deaths directly related to the phenomenon.
Tomorrow I will begin an investigation to gather further information.
I turned the crystal back toward my face.
My expression remained calm.
— Record made by Level Two Acolyte George Gil.
—Disciple of Master Totil, Level One Mage Engineer of Arcangrove Tower.
When I finished, I slowly ran my fingers across the surface of the rune.
Chime...
Chime...
The sound resembled that of a small church bell.
The golden eye blinked one last time.
Then it disappeared.
The arrays returned to their original state.
I carefully stored the crystal back inside my backpack.
That rune had been issued by Arcangrove Tower.
Its purpose was simple.
To record evidence.
Images.
Voices.
Important events.
When the mission was complete, all I had to do was return it to the Tower.
...
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