After a brief conversation, Bartlett and the 'Vulgar Novel' adventuring party left the tavern. The barbarian glanced back at the sign hanging above the entrance, which had been carved into an oak board and painted bright gold. The words 'Fortune, Fortune!' swayed gently in the wind, making a soft and leisurely creaking sound.
He looked up at the sky and saw a flock of beggar birds fluttering their wings, busily flying in circles in the blue sky, searching for anything they could eat.
It's time to sow the seeds of the crops, Bartlett thought. If not careful, these fast-spreading and numerous beggar birds would steal all the food seeds sown in the ground.
Whether it's the best-tasting and most expensive Spell Wheat, the most tenacious and acclaimed 'Mage's Gift' Rye, or corn and soybeans, even the newly sprouted buds of spring are no match for their short and scarlet beaks.
However, this small red-beaked bird itself is the most common meat in Slumtown, where two of them can be bought for a single copper coin. These birds cannot be grilled, as there is very little meat on them. After grilling, besides the bones, there would be nothing left. The usual way to eat them is to deep-fry them until crispy, chewing the bird meat sticking to the bones along with the bones themselves, or adding some rutabaga to make a soup, which at least allows you to taste some meatiness.
Generally, besides the poor people in Slumtown, no one would eat these birds, which is the origin of their name.
"Today is a good day for adventure, isn't it?" Old Will puffed on his pipe and walked up to Bartlett, smiling and giving him a look, "Clear weather always makes people feel good."
"Today is indeed nice, but once we enter the Foggy Forest, there's no difference between sunny days and cloudy days," Bartlett said. "In there, the milky-white fog obscures the sky, and you won't be able to see more than ten steps ahead."
"I heard that the formation of the fog is due to an ancient mist dragon living deep in the forest?" Half-Elven Estelle tightened her weapon belt around her waist and casually asked, "And rumor has it that it's even a dragon that transformed itself into a lich."
The fog in the Foggy Forest never disperses throughout the year, and there are countless rumors about its formation. In addition to the ancient mist dragon's theory, some people insist that the forest conceals the corpse of a divine being that fell during the gods' battle with the Magic Empire, and that the undispersed fog is a manifestation of the divine power spreading unabated from the corpse.
"As an adventurer, I don't care about how the Foggy Forest was formed," Bartlett said. "I'm only concerned with what valuable things I can find there." Or lose.
"A very pragmatic approach," Old Will nodded in agreement.
"However, many rumors are not baseless, and if you know more, you may occasionally find unexpected surprises," Half-Elven Estelle said.
Ancient mist dragon and gods' corpses? No, they are too far from me. Even if they are real, what's the use? I can't touch them. Bartlett took a glance at Estelle, but said nothing. This always-smiling half-Elven seemed to enjoy arguing with others' opinions as if debate brought him joy. But Bartlett didn't like arguing.
"I sure hope those rumors aren't true," Old Will led the group toward Pig Bay. "A dragon lich transformed from an ancient giant dragon, ha! Even the high-ranking mages in the Magic Association would find it tricky, let alone us."
"Morris will tear everything apart, no matter what it is!" boasted the ogre from behind Bartlett.
Bartlett glanced back at him. The towering ogre was wrapped in fine steel armor mixed with Secret Silver and Demon Iron, making him look like a golem created by mages. The dwarf sat on the ogre's shoulder, propping his chin with one hand, his face sour as usual.
You can't tear apart fog, Bartlett thought. It will gently float in front of your weapon's blade, follow the traces you leave behind, playfully tumble, then heal. Everything is like it never happened, no matter how hard you try, no matter how many times you tear it apart.
Why does it sound so much like something a bard would say? Bartlett frowned at his somewhat poetic inner monologue.
Passing through Pig Bay, the group walked towards Mist Castle.
...
Mist Castle serves as the only land gateway through the Cavis Mountains, leading in and out of the Mist Forest. Well…that description might not be entirely accurate. In a strict sense, it should be considered the only land gateway.
The towering Cavis Mountains stretches too far, forming a mysterious moon-shaped half-arc that tightly envelops the entire Mist Forest. Mist Forest is located at the westernmost part of the continent. Further west lies the boundless ocean.
Of course, if you're willing, you can head north from here by carriage or Teleportation Circle and arrive at the Frigia Islands and Seth Peninsula Kingdom located more than 4000 kilometers away. People usually call it the 'Frusia Kingdom'.
Setting sail southwards from Frusia Kingdom's Seth Peninsula along the coastline, you can enjoy the magnificent sea view and greet the rampaging pirates in passing. If your journey goes smoothly without encountering storms, and you don't lose your life to the pirates, you'll spot a beautiful island city-state situated atop a massive coral reef - Salan - after sailing for 3 to 5 days.
You can choose to take a slight detour and make a brief stop at Salan Island to taste the locally renowned delicacy called 'Crying Tongue.' To make the dish, transparent silverfish and pickled olives are stuffed into a salmon's belly, then pan-fried with a sprinkle of basil. The unforgettable taste is served atop celery and rutabaga.
Leaving Salan and continuing to sail along the coastline, after sailing south for another 2 to 4 days, you can directly land on the Mist Forest from the western side of the continent.
Alternatively, you can travel southwards from Pig Bay, passing through most of the Griffin Kingdom, and arrive at the southernmost Melldorph Harbor within the kingdom. In any case, as long as you have a ship, there are many places along the lengthy western coastline where you can come ashore.
However, on land, the only way to reach the Mist Forest is through Mist Castle. Unless you are a highly skilled mage, in which case, no mountains or rivers can stop you. Even the countless alternate planes of the multiverse are your travel destinations.
...
There are two gates at Mist Castle for entering and exiting the Mist Forest. One is located inside the fortress, inaccessible to adventurers as it serves as the base for the Golden Clover Knights who don't permit ordinary adventurers to enter. The other is a small door on the northern city wall, just wide enough for two people to pass through side by side. This small door becomes the passage for adventurers to enter and exit the Mist Forest.
This small door is nicknamed 'Toes Gap' by the adventurers. In comparison to the 30-meter high city wall, the door, less than three meters in height, seems truly minuscule, like a gap between a giant's toes. And the adventurers are like ants crawling in and out of that gap.
By the time Bartlett and his group arrived, more than 200 adventurers were already waiting outside 'Toes Gap.' In groups of various sizes, they chatted noisily or boasted about the possible rewards of their upcoming adventures. Some browsed the wanted ads posted along the city wall, while others pointed and whispered at the 'Vulgar Novel' party. After all, a fully armed, towering ogre would be eye-catching wherever it went.
Two nearby squads of knights from the Golden Clover Knights patrolled the area around the adventurers. Because it was merely a patrol mission, these knights didn't wear their heavier full plate armor but instead donned lighter, form-fitting chainmail draped with a gold-trimmed cotton coat, adorned with the emblem of the Golden Clover. They wore traditional griffin helmets of the Griffin Kingdom, with griffin wings extending from the sides of the helmet to the back, giving them a majestic appearance.
Bartlett had dealt with these knights before and knew that their standard armor was forged using a special technique. It provided much higher defense than conventional armor. Additionally, the Golden Clover Knights employed mages to enchant their armor, allowing it to resonate with one another during coordinated combat, thereby further increasing their already high defense.
However, Bartlett didn't believe that enclosing oneself in a sturdy iron can was a guarantee of safety. In his opinion, keen senses and agility should be the top priorities.
With some time left before the scheduled opening, Old Will was talking to a captain-ranked knight while the others from the 'Vulgar Novel' party browsed the wanted ads along the city wall.
After greeting several familiar adventurers, Bartlett headed towards the wanted ads as well.
...