Chapter 56: The Visit A golden object traced a gleaming parabolic arc through the air and landed squarely in the bald merchant's arms.
"Take it! This is the commission you've earned!" Leilin withdrew his hand and strolled off casually.
"Many thanks for your generosity, my noble young master!" The bald man hurriedly bowed.
"Next, I need a butler and two clerks who can keep accounts. If you can find them, this other gold coin is yours!" Leilin tossed the gold coin in his hand once more.
"Let me think! Let me think!" The sight of yet another gold coin beckoning to him immediately perked the bald man up. He grew somewhat incoherent, scratching his bald head as he racked his brains: "That's right!!! Old Walker! Old Walker used to serve as a butler for a baron, and he's been going on and on about coming out of retirement to make money again!"
The bald merchant said.
"Excellent! Take me to him!" Leilin nodded in satisfaction.
Two days later, at dawn, the white mist had not yet fully dissipated, and a chill permeated the air.
Creaaak! The gates of Roland City swung open slowly, and a caravan of carriages emerged.
Over a dozen mercenaries clad in tattered leather armor, armed with iron spears, bows, and arrows, surrounded a large black carriage as it rolled out through the city gates.
At the head of the carriage, Feilun rode a chestnut-colored steed, while behind him a mercenary around twenty years old carried a red banner embroidered with a black eagle — the insignia of the Roland Eagle Mercenary Group.
Around the carriage, Gelin rode on horseback, having yielded the driver's seat to a white-haired old man who sat atop it. Despite the wind sending his hair flying in every direction, his clothes were arranged impeccably.
This was the butler Leilin had found — Old Walker. The baron he had previously served had gone bankrupt, leaving him unemployed. When the bald merchant came calling, the two hit it off immediately, and he joined Leilin's party.
The journey from Roland City to Polar Night City took only about seven days. The Roland Eagle truly lived up to Feilun's earlier boasts — they knew the route intimately and frequently managed to find places to stay overnight, sparing the group the misery of camping.
After seven days, the party arrived safely at Polar Night City.
Leilin pulled back the carriage curtain and gazed at the somber sky in the distance. Layers of dark clouds pressed together overhead, blocking out all sunlight as if rain were imminent.
The surrounding shrubs and grass were shrouded in a layer of dark shadow, giving them an eerie, menacing appearance.
"Feilun!" Leilin stepped out of the carriage. "Didn't you say there was widespread vegetation withering near Polar Night City? Which area is it?"
"Young Master!" Feilun pulled on the reins, slowing the horse to match the carriage's pace.
"Polar Night City is quite large — the area where the strange events occurred is only a tiny portion in the eastern part. We usually try to avoid it as much as possible, after all, humans naturally steer clear of danger…"
"Where is that forest?" Leilin leaned against the carriage door, as if admiring the distant scenery.
"The eastern part of Dark Night Forest, closer to the core region!" Feilin glanced at Leilin and lowered his voice. "Dark Night Forest is rich in all kinds of medicinal herbs, but ever since the withering incident occurred, Polar Night City's herb supply share dropped by a full thirty percent!"
"Is that so?" Leilin smiled faintly. Polar Night City was considered a major city within East Forest Province, and a significant portion of its economy relied on the medicinal trade. Now, with things like this, the city lord and the managers were probably wracked with anxiety.
"Dark Night Forest? I'll remember that." The forests in the duchy were also dangerous, but only for ordinary people. Leilin had already ventured through the Black Forest near the Academy, so he naturally had no concerns about the dangers within.
"Have any herb gatherers gone missing in the withering area?" Leilin suddenly asked.
"Herb gatherers? You mean the mercenaries, thieves, and adventurers?" Feilun shrugged. "The forest is full of dangers — it's perfectly normal for a few to die each day. Who can say for certain?"
As their conversation continued, the caravan gradually drew near to the walls of Polar Night City.
The walls were not very tall, but extremely thick — seemingly constructed from blocks of black granite stacked directly on top of one another. They looked incredibly solid.
The guards at the city gate clearly recognized Feilun. After collecting an entry fee and a carriage fee, they waved the group through.
"Find an inn and settle in first," Leilin ordered calmly.
……
Night had fallen. Leilin sent
He opened the window, and cold wind whooshed in. It was quite dark outside, with only a few points of dim yellow flame flickering in the distance.
Leilin shut the door, then drew a small blue crystal ball from the bundle he carried with him.
The crystal ball was tiny, but it radiated a strange, ethereal glow. Within its glass core, numerous golden specks of light drifted about ceaselessly, like fireflies.
"Activate!" Leilin uttered the incantation.
As the spell's syllables rang out, the specks of light inside the crystal ball began to ripple and shift, gradually coalescing into a peculiar symbol.
The symbol was sinuous and twisting, spinning in place until it transformed into the shape of an eye — its color shifting to a deep, vivid crimson.
Leilin's expression turned serious. He first aimed the symbol at his own face, projecting his somewhat gaunt features into the crystal ball.
"Shadow Calendar, Year 1032, Month of the Bitter Winter, Day of the Crow's Cry." Leilin spoke slowly, his voice deliberate but perfectly clear.
"Today, I have arrived at Polar Night City. I am currently lodging at the Horfall Inn." Leilin rotated the crystal ball in a circle, capturing the surrounding environment onto the face of the symbol. He then moved to the window, recording the scenery not far beyond.
"Current intelligence: the Blighted Zone is located in the eastern portion of the Dark Night Forest. No casualties have been reported so far. I plan to head out again tomorrow to gather more information — perhaps there will be other findings."
"That is all! Second-rank Apprentice Leilin Farell!"
Once he had finished speaking, Leilin wiped his pale fingers across the surface of the crystal ball. Hee hee! Hee hee! A strange sound drifted out of the crystal ball, like the laughter of a small child. Then the eye symbol flashed once and dissolved, transforming back into countless golden motes of light drifting up and down within the crystal ball.
This crystal ball was the task voucher the Academy had entrusted to Leilin.
The crystal ball could record certain scenes and sounds, and what Leilin needed to do was capture key moments from the completion of his task into it. Only then could he bring it back to the Academy for verification.
Of course, control of the crystal ball remained firmly in Leilin's hands. As long as he did not activate it himself and no mana supplied the power, the crystal ball would not proactively record anything.
This was precisely the means by which Black Bone Forest Academy dared to send its apprentices out on long-term tasks without fear of being deceived.
"Judging from Feilun's description, the Blighted Zone doesn't seem all that dangerous. It's probably just some tree spirits or leech-like creatures — more than a Second-rank Apprentice can handle!"
Leilin mused quietly. "There's no need to rush. I have over two years! I'll send some mercenaries and the like to scout things out first..."
"The priority now is to get settled here, and besides... pay a visit to a certain 'friend'..." A mysterious smile appeared at the corner of Leilin's lips.
Though Polar Night City was rather remote, it sat close to several resource points for Wizards. Nearby there was even a Magic Stone mine that had already been tapped — depleted, of course — but it still attracted a fair number of roaming Wizards and minor families to the area. A small
Moreover, during Leilin's brief entry into the city today, the Chip had detected several apprentice-level energy fluctuations. It appeared that some Wizard Apprentices resided within the city.
This was perfectly normal. Many wanderers or retirees, after growing weary of the Wizard's life, would typically choose a remote city to settle down in under an assumed name.
Of course, due to lifespan, appearance, radiation, and other factors, they could not remain in any single location for too long. After a few years, they would inevitably move on.
"Anna!" Leilin called out loudly, his thoughts still wandering.
"Young Master! What are your orders?" Shortly after, Anna entered wearing a beautiful red dress, lifting the hem of her skirt to offer a slight curtsy, revealing her snow-white calves.
"Prepare a gift. I'm going to visit a guest tomorrow!"
"As for what gift to bring, go find Walker — he'll tell you!" Leilin yawned, speaking in a nonchalant tone.
After sending Anna away, looking somewhat disappointed, Leilin casually set up an energy particle alarm, then blew out the candle and drifted off to sleep.
Early the next morning, Leilin set out with Anna, who was carrying a handsome hat.
"So this is the gift Walker chose?" Leilin took the hat and found it was made of beast hide, smooth to the touch, with a single feather stuck into it.
"Housekeeper Walker said that in Polar Night City, a leather cap adorned with a night hawk's feather represents peace and goodwill — it's the ideal gift for a first-time visitor!" A look of unease and faint fear crossed Anna's face.
"Young… Young Master! The person you're going to visit — is he also a 'Lord'?" Anna's voice trembled slightly.
"Yes! He's also a Wizard Apprentice!" Leilin lowered his voice so that only he and Anna could hear.
The moment the words left his lips, he noticed the young woman's shoulders quivering. Leilin smiled. Anna had been sold from one owner to another before ending up as a slave to a Wizard — it seemed the experience had left deep scars.
"If you're frightened, you can go back first!" Leilin stepped forward and gently put his arm around Anna's slender waist.
"No! Anna wants to stay with Young Master!" Anna forced out a smile.
Leilin shook his head. "If you want to follow along, then follow."
The architecture of Polar Night City had a distinctly Gothic style, with pointed spires everywhere. The roads underfoot were paved with whole stone slabs, suggesting that the city's finances were quite prosperous.
Leilin and Anna arrived in the eastern part of the city, where the pedestrians were noticeably better dressed than elsewhere, and the buildings bore far more elaborate decorations.
"It looks like the east side of Polar Night City is the gathering place for minor nobles and scholars — the upper crust of society!"
Leilin glanced at the flower beds lining both sides of the street and the open-air fountains, then turned to Anna with a smile.
The two of them soon arrived before a small white Western-style building. The address plate on the gate read "59 Champs-Élysées Avenue."