“Neigh!..”
“Sorry, sorry.”
I gently rubbed Stormcloud’s mane, who almost seemed insulted to have our short reunion - after over 2 days - quickly end up with him going to a different stable.
“I promise we’ll have our time together. Some day…”
I even bought an apple on the way to the 1st stable - found in one of the extremely rare stalls, the owner of which chose to capitalize on the lack of competition - to bribe my way into his good graces, but the ploy was only partially successful.
Leaving the stables - the ones I’ve already been to once, located near the midway point between Bern’s tavern and the Guild - with a tingle of guilt, I suddenly heard a particular cry.
“Newspapers! Free newspapers!”
The one shouting was a young slum kid, judging by his worn apparel (and faint smell).
“What truly happened on the night of the tragic attack? Read for free!”
This wasn’t the first time I saw a newspaper boy in the city, but the few I did see were in Eastern.
Apparently, the practice was forbidden in Northern, and the only places one could find such papers were the few newspaper stalls here and there.
‘This could be useful.’
‘Nah. You may not know this, but those things are usually a complete waste of time.’
And of course, I never actually bothered to pick one up, even though some older newspapers were seemingly handed out for free.
As for Sebastian, he didn’t even know the word. The only reason I recognized it was because it was composed of the Post-Imperial words ‘news’ and ‘brochure.’, and I obviously knew the concept from Earth.
‘This will be faster than your usual method.’
Haa…
‘Fine.’
He was right on that account.
Most of my knowledge of current events (and some basic city-related stuff) came from overhearing occasional conversations over my travels, where specific words caught my attention. With my senses, it wasn’t hard to eavesdrop on large portions of such conversations, even from a hundred meters away.
However, right now, the streets were mostly empty, and most of the hushed conversations, be they filled with fear, tension or loss, were focused on yesterday’s events.
“Thank you, sir!”
Throwing the boy a single silver coin, I picked up a small brochure.
The paper was obviously of the lowest quality – moreover, the page size was at most one quarter of regular Earth newspapers, and the number of pages was less than a dozen. Obviously, no low-quality ink was wasted on pictures, beside the cover page, and the last two pages, dedicated to (obviously paid) advertisements.
As for the cover illustration - a pretty abstract one, at that - it depicted the city walls, with Central’s hill visible in between, vines encroaching on all sides, with Wizards and Warriors (or similar Path-bearers) defending against the thorny assault, titled “Terrible Attack Valiantly Repelled By Silverveil’s Heroic Defenders!”.
‘Let’s see if there’s really anything useful here.’
Well, the contents were largely as expected. However, there were a few points I noted, and having nothing else to do on my walk, I’ve skimmed through most of it.
‘The city got hit quite hard.’
The number of dead and missing was nearing a thousand, and considering this was published less than 12 hours after the attack, it might have even crossed that threshold by now. The number of injured was over ten times that.
‘Seems like the infrastructure survived, though. At least, to the extent they’re willing to tell us.’
There was word of one factory who’d be temporarily closed for repairs, and a few who’d be delaying their production, yet none of it was major. In Eastern, there would be some delays with the caravans, and the very press house publishing this paper was apparently attacked, too, yet their defense was solid.
‘They even mentioned the water facility.’
Of course, there were no real details regarding what went inside, nor was there a mention of how close the Elder Druidess - or her avatar - was to breaking through to the central chamber. That is, if that really was the case – it’s not like I knew that part, either.
‘Ah, right, today was supposed to be a memorial day. Guess that’s what the “joint” memorial tomorrow means.’
And, finally…
‘An award ceremony next week? Well, whatever. I’ll probably receive a minor medal – if they decide to bother, that is. Not that I care – the reward is what actually matters.’
Tossing the small booklet on a nearby bench, perhaps for some bored patrolmen to pick up, I continued on to my destination.
The street leading up to the tavern, as well as the spotless white building itself, were the same as when I last saw them.
All in all, this was a side street, basically a longer route from a large intersection to the northwestern inner gate. There wasn’t anything worth attacking here.
“Welcome to the.. Silver Trout Tavern.”
It took the tavern keeper - Strandyr, if I remembered correctly - a moment to recognize me, yet when he did, his face stiffened ever-so-slightly, perhaps due to our not-so-cozy conversation last time.
Yet, perhaps after seeing my bandaged, splint-encased forearms, his expression turned neutral yet again.
I took a quick look around – unsurprisingly, between the recent attack and it still being morning, not a single patron came into view.
“How’s Bern? Did anything.. happen to his party?”
I had confidence in their ability to handle the chaos, yet, two of them were still 1st level Path-bearers, and none of them had reached the Elevated realm yet. If one of them was unlucky enough to be caught in the attack, while separated from their team, their safety wasn’t a foregone conclusion.
“They..”
It seemed like Strandyr was about to answer, but then, catching himself, his expression stiffened yet again.
“Why are you here?”
“A certain dwarf came looking for me a few days back. Ornor’s the name.”
He looked at me for a few seconds, suspicion evident in his eyes.
“Do we really have to do this again?”
“...Haaa. Fine. You know where to go.”
Judging by his exasperated sigh, this last day must have been quite brutal for the middle-aged half-elf. However, it was definitely not my place to ask him for details.
“Thank you.”
With a short nod, I walked past him, and up the stairs.
Tap, tap, tap.
At my curt knock, the steps inside, pacing back and forth, abruptly halted.
A few seconds later…
“Sebastian?”
Bern was clearly expecting someone else.
“Can I come in?”
“...of course.”
After a moment, the large black-haired man stepped aside.
“Oi, lad!”
“Hey there, Ornor.”
In response to Ornor’s energetic greeting, I tried to return a friendly smile, yet my lips dropped even before they could complete the upward motion.
“Tough night, eh?”
“That.. that's one way to put it.”
I threw a look around.
“Is everything alright?”
I could find no trace of the other party members.
“Hilda’s was at the Sun Temple. Helped with the defense, stayed the night. She should be returning here soon enough.”
I didn't miss the subtle oddity in the look Bern gave me when mentioning the temple.
‘Whatever.’
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I didn't care enough to think about that.
“Well, I heard Ornar was looking for me. Here I am.”
For a few seconds, the two men exchanged glances. I couldn't discern what they meant, but I had a feeling I'd know soon enough.
“Those.. problems you mentioned earlier.”
It was Bern who spoke, prompting me to turn my head, as he closed the door, before slowly walking to one of the chairs.
“Their name wouldn't be the Crimson Shadows, by chance?”
I raised my eyebrow. Not that I couldn't keep a straight face, but given how much they knew, it felt pointless.
“Relax. We only found out recently.”
“That’s fine and all, but why would you care?”
I decided to take the blunt approach.
“The Shadows are my problem. And with your own worries being that obvious, I doubt you called me here to help me resolve it.”
Bern chuckled.
“Well, I wouldn't use the word ‘resolve’... However, your doubts in this matter are unfounded.”
I gave him a discerning look.
“Why?”
“Our worries are the shadows.”
This time, my eyebrow rose before I could even think of stopping it.
“What do you mean by that?”
“It’s exactly as it sounds. Our objective is their leader.”
It took me a few seconds to find the words to respond.
“Their… leader?”
“Yes. He calls himself Scar.”
“That’s not.. he's an Elevated Path-bearer, isn't he?”
“Presumably level 6 or 7. Maybe 8, by now. Martial Path, probably a Rare one that incorporates toxins.”
“And you know that they have more than one Path-bearer of that level? Like the Druid?”
“There’s also a High Sorcerer nicknamed Ember, and two more officers who might break past the threshold – if we don't act soon.”
“That’s.. do you know how many members they have, too?”
“Twe- no, eleven core members, with Zod gone, four or five subservient gangs of considerable power, and over two dozen smaller gangs, most of which don't even have a single Path-bearer.”
“...”
Honestly, I was impressed by the quantity of intel he possessed. But…
“Knowing all that, you're still going after the Shadows?”
Bern was strong, but by now, after I've seen more than one Path-bearer of similar and higher levels, I would estimate him to be a very strong level 3-4, or an average level 5 Slayer. In fact, in a fight between him and the Guild’s Slayer instructor, I'd give John a slight edge.
As for the rest of his party… Well, none of them was helpless, but fighting someone like Redclaw, as they were, I wouldn’t bet on them winning a 4v1, not without special preparation or grave losses. And when it came to the Shadows’ real numbers…
“We won't be fighting alone, of course.”
Bern's voice took me out of my thoughts.
“This isn’t some impulsive decision. We’ve been gathering allies, not just intelligence.”
“...”
I took a few seconds to think about his words.
From what I knew about the Silver Claymore, and their leader, they wouldn’t rush into a suicide mission, nor would they do something like this without a real chance of success. And yet…
“But, still, why? Why even do all this?”
It wasn’t that I doubted their willingness or ability, but I really couldn’t understand why they’d risk their lives to eliminate this deadly syndicate.
“I wouldn’t mind telling you that… but for now, let’s just say it’s not the Shadows I’m after – rather, it’s the one behind them.”
“...”
While the answer brought some clarity, it also outlined the sheer danger behind this endeavor.
I remember hearing from Pinpin – word on the street was the young syndicate had powerful backers. That fact alone meant going after them would be even more dangerous.
It’s not like I had any love for those guys, of course, but there was a difference between simply surviving their periodic schemes and actually trying to eliminate them.
“If I were to help you, what would be my role?”
I sort of had a hunch, already, which was further cemented as Bern momentarily averted his eyes. Still, I wanted to hear it.
“At the moment, the Shadows seem to be.. interested in you. And from everything we know, those aren’t the type of people to let go of grudges.”
“So, basically, you want me to be the bait?”
“I wouldn’t say bait.. ‘lure’ would be more accurate.”
“Same thing.”
“Regardless, if you’d agree, it’s not like you’d be delegated to the role of a damsel in distress.”
“Well, even if I were to agree…”
I thought back to yesterday.
“I’ve had some involvement with the Ministry. To be precise, last night, I went on a joint patrol with A- one of their members.”
I didn’t feel like recounting the whole story, so I decided to just summarize it.
“My point is, one of the Shadows was there. Witnessed it. A lure isn’t that attractive when you suspect it’s poisoned.”
For a moment, there was silence. I didn’t miss Bern’s eyes narrowing earlier, but, surprisingly, his next words had nothing to do with the Shadows.
“Did you tell the Ministry of your current.. predicament?”
“...no. Don’t think involving them would be a good idea.”
The relief on Bern’s face was palpable.
“That was a wise decision. Or, amazing instinct. Doing a few joint jobs with them is fine, but, for your sake, I hope you don’t get too deeply involved… Nor involve them in this matter.”
I gave him a questioning look.
“They might seem like the benevolent keepers of peace on the surface, and they do repay their debts. But remember this – their favors always come at a cost. And more often than not, you won’t be aware of that cost. Not until it’s too late.”
“Thanks for your worry, but I’ll be fine.”
I didn’t doubt his sincerity, yet, his excessive reaction to those words suggested he, too, was not without interest here.
Regardless, unlike the original Sebastian, I had plenty of second-hand experience from Earth, cautioning me from getting too close to those types of organizations.
“Anyway, I’m gonna need to think this through.”
Bern nodded.
“I understand. This is a big decision.”
“What’s your offer, by the way?”
I did appreciate his honesty, and I didn’t forget the favor, but I still wouldn’t equate its value to something like this – not even close.
“Didn’t Hilda tell you back then?”
“A few hundred gold?..”
I didn’t even try to hide the lack of enthusiasm in my voice.
“Is that.. too little for you?”
Bern raised his eyebrow.
“No, don’t get me wrong, two hundred gold isn’t negligible. But risking my life to this degree.. Honestly, it'd be hard to accept this for gold.”
“Ha! How the fledgling had grown!”
Ornor’s amused voice came from the sofa, reminding me he was still here.
“Hmm…”
For a few seconds, Bern’s face reflected deep contemplation.
“How far along your Path are you?”
“Level 1. Although, assuming reaching full mastery in my Path skills is the prerequisite to leveling up, I might be able to push to Level 3 soon.”
The black-eyed man let out an involuntary chuckle.
“Hold your horses there. Even if you managed to reach expertise, the road to Mastery isn’t as simple as you might think.”
“One of my Techniques is a quarter of the way to level 5. The other isn’t far behind.”
This time, Bern’s gaze was long and inquisitive, before he shook his head.
“Just what were you doing this last month…”
“A lot.”
This was the simplest summary I could think of.
“Well, there are a few things beyond gold that I can think of. You still need more Slayer-applicable Techniques, right?”
“Hmm…”
If this was a week ago, I might have readily agreed, but now, it wasn’t this simple.
Sure, for an actual Slayer, this might have been a very tempting offer, yet, based on everything I’ve learned about Paths so far, I had a suspicion that the type of Skills I needed would have to be different. Likely, they’d have something to do with the non-physical aspect of my Path.
“Regardless, even if it’s not Techniques, I might have a few other things to offer. You might not know this.. well, I’ll tell you later, but let’s just say I can pull a few favors in this city. Favors in high places.”
I nodded. Regardless, this was something I could further contemplate later.
“By the way, are you still staying in the Temple?”
I shook my head. The Sun Temple was no longer a safe haven I could count on.
“If you want, I can ask Strandyr to lend you the last free room up here. They’re rarely used, anyway, and now that the city is basically in lockdown, they’re probably going to remain free for the foreseeable future.”
“Lockdown?..”
This was something new.
“Well, not officially, but as far as we know, all outgoing caravans are delayed by at least a week, and the policy for incoming caravans and travellers will be to stop them at the gates.”
“This.. can the city even function like this?”
I didn’t really care for the city’s logistics, nor did I wonder where Bern got this information, but this simply sounded absurd for a city this size.
“Critical supplies will be let through. They’ve already started setting up the relay stations, by now. As far as I know, the travel restrictions mainly apply to regular citizens.”
I took a deep breath.
“Do you know how long?”
“Probably not too long. A month, maybe two.”
“That long…”
It’s not like I wanted to leave the city right away, yet, this could cause a non-negligable delay in my plans to continue to Valor’s End. And, if for somebody else this would be an annoyance, for me, a few weeks to a month would constitute a major setback.
“This will last until m– the current situation is resolved.”
“...you mean the succession?”
I could only think of one situation going on right now, even after the attack.
“Yes. You can even say that the timing of this attack was a direct consequence of the current instability. Something of this scale.. those things tend to be connected.”
I simply nodded my head. I didn’t doubt his words, but I also didn’t want to speculate about the political landscape of this unfamiliar city, which I’d hopefully be leaving before the month was up.
“Alright. And, I’ll accept your offer. The one about the lodgings – as long as it won’t cost me an arm and a leg, I’ll stay here, for now.”
“Don’t worry about the cost. As long as you buy a meal or two, uncle Stran won’t complain… too much.”
“Alright, then.”
As I was about to ask him to walk down with me and arrange my lodgings, I suddenly remembered something.
“By the way… Where’s Xin?”
At the mention of his name, a shadow of tension suddenly flickered across both Bern’s and Ornor’s face.
“He’s.. currently on a mission.”
“Is he alright?”
I didn’t really want to pry too much, but I couldn’t remain completely impartial, either.
“Tree lover’ll be fine. And if not, he’ll let us know.”
From Ornor’s voice, I could guess the situation was currently delicate, so I decided to drop the subject.
“Alright. Listen, Bern – if I’m staying here, can I drop my stuff right away?”
“Erm, sure. Why, you in a hurry?”
“Yes. Actually, I am.”
Just because training my swordsmanship would be impossible for the next day or two, didn’t mean I’d give up the precious little time I had.
It was time to resume my other type of training.
And, as such, it was time to visit Central once more.