[Administer panel notice]
[The goddess of the forests prays for you.]
[The prayer granted you time-limited buff: Damage from magical and physical attacks is reduced by 30%. Vitality increased.]
A reinvigorating feeling filled Zephyr's body. He cocked an eyebrow at the sudden notification. "Arlette?"
Sherine waved away the notification before her. "I also got her buff."
Zephyr and Arlette parted on somewhat bad terms. Now she prayed for him as if she didn't want any harm to come his way.
'Did she fall for me while stalking me?'
He immediately dismissed the notion. He had nothing against her body, but he could never love a girl of her stature. She was smaller than his arm for god's sake.
"Hahahaha. What an interesting situation. Let's see how you deal with it."
"Father, stop stalking us like a creep."
"Sherine…"
"Pervert father," he laughed.
As the tower in the distance drew closer, the trees became scarcer and scarcer. He spotted a cobblestone road coming out of the forest. Glowing stones surrounded the road at an equal distance, as if someone deliberately put them there.
Sherine narrowed her eyes. "I can feel some divinity from those stones."
"Might be special stones."
He pushed the thought of stealing stones to the back of his mind, and continued to follow the path. Ahead, a majestic tower stood tall on the rocky hills overlooking the sea. Its gothic architecture was both imposing and beautiful; the sun shone off its black, jagged walls and highlighted its many small doors that led to untold secrets inside.
'I'll flip out if it's the home of some ugly bastard noble.'
The town was surrounded by an imposing wall of immense stones that rose to a formidable height, yet still not quite tall enough to hide the medieval houses tucked away inside. A wide bridge teeming with traffic spanned the vibrant river below, and on the nearer side of it, small huts dotted the landscape.
The town was in a good strategic position to fend off waves of fools. The fools couldn't swim, at least the weaker ones lacked intelligence. He wasn't sure about the high-level fools, as they might be capable of swimming.
"Let's go—"
"Move, you imbecile!" a loud voice came from behind him. "Do not block us."
Zephyr's brow twitched. Several horse-driven carriages sped on the road, ready to stomp Zephyr for standing in his way. The coachman of the leading carriage glared at him with fiery eyes.
'Avoid unnecessary trouble.'
He reminded himself and pulled Sherine to the side. The carriages raced past him. The last carriage was built better than the rest; this preferential treatment signaled the presence of an influential person. He had a hunch he'd get into trouble with this man. The idea remained stuck in his mind.
"They are stupid people," Sherine spat at their back, vengeance in her eyes. She'd have crushed the carriages if he didn't intervene. "I hate noisy people…"
"Probably high on power."
"Weaklings."
"..."
The pair continued down the road as the sun tried to scorch them. Sherine's sleeveless dress and Zephyr's light tunic were perfect for this warm day.
"What if they ask for identification papers?" Sherine raised a reasonable question. "Father prepared nothing for that situation."
"Let me handle that."
Lies, bribe, threat, impersonation — the simple methods should suffice. He doubted a town this small would have that tough of a security.
They had to cross one hurdle before entering the town. The numerous gazes from the townsfolk living in the shacks. The most prominent emotion here was what he used to feel for the healthy and able people — envy and its evil sibling jealousy.
Sherine tugged at his shirt. "A group is coming here."
Zephyr eyed the man talking to the carriage owners. The man waved his hand, and the door opened, letting the carriages pass. Soldiers in silver armor dragged carts out of the town, following the man wearing a fedora.
The approaching man wore black trousers and a multilayered cloak over his dark gray vest. He didn't have the bulky build of a knight, but thin like a scholar. He nevertheless had authority over soldiers as they followed his lead.
'He must be a sorcerer.'
Zephyr hadn't forgotten the world's description from Riven's realm panel. The world of Hydralae withstood the Brood Queen's assault because of the latent power of the sorcerers and witches.
"Is this your first time tasting the sweet air of Gallowind Town?" The man spoke in a weirdly cheerful voice. "One question, though. Why did you come out of the forest on foot?"
A frail young man with a scythe and a woman too beautiful to be treading into this backwater town. She remained silent behind the young man, peering around with a curious gleam in her blue eyes. The air of exoticism around her turned heads. The soldiers fumbled in their path, dropping sacks from the handcarts.
'Blue hair and blue eyes. A Ryukhan?'
The sorcerer of the Gallowind Town remained unaffected by her beauty. He couldn't wrap his head around the mysterious couple.