Having taken the lift back up to the surface, the group noticed it was already night. The moon shone brightly on the fresh snow, casting a pale glow over the tower. They decided to make camp for the night, knowing the journey to Mourne town would take about half a day. They would set out at first light.
Niss helped Trevor lay out bedrolls for the three of them while Siarra started making a fire.
"I hope Gerard made it to town before dark. I would be worried if he had to camp halfway by himself," Siarra voiced her concern, flames flickering over the sticks she had gathered.
Niss reached up to a wood beam that had failed its purpose years ago, bringing it over to Siarra. "Gerard will be okay. His father served mine for more than twenty years; they are both strong-willed people. My father entrusted his life to him many times," Niss reassured, placing the wood on the fire and kneeling beside Siarra, offering her a reassuring smile. Despite his sadness over Gia's death, he knew he could only remain firm in his goals. Silently hoping Gerard would find the strength to move past this tragedy as well.
'I'm sorry Gia, I want Gerard to be strong too, I want him at the top with me. I hope you understand.' Niss softly offered his words to the dark sky, before heading back in the tower and going to sleep.
Morning came swiftly, and the group, exhausted, had slept soundly in the tower. As planned, they set out at first light, heading towards Mourne town and their futures. While traveling, Niss inspected his kama. The exquisite looking weapon appeared far superior to an F-rank artifact, but upon practicing with it and feeling the magic emanating from it, he was certain it was, at most, a D-rank weapon.
'Why so weak again, Why.'
The annoyed and dark voice of a woman echoed deep in Niss's mind. He had heard something similar in the dungeon but was too preoccupied to give it much thought.
'It disgusts me just thinking that I have to stoop to this level to finally be free.'
The woman's voice echoed again. Niss looked around but he knew better, the voice was transmitted directly into his mind. And it hurt like hell.
'Uhhhgg.. who are you?' Niss tried to think the words back towards the voice he had heard.
'Hello?'
'Okay, well, I have no idea what you're talking about. Why don't you just leave me alone?' Niss attempted to send a message, his was head pounding but he wasn't sure if anything was getting through. A strange feeling washed over him, he wasn't much of a daydreamer, and this was a new sensation. A painful sensation too, regardless of his efforts he received no response and shrugged it off as the headache faded when she stopped speaking. Deciding he had plenty of time to sort things out once they made it into town.
As if summoned by his thoughts, Niss snapped out of his daze, seeing the first glimpse of Mourne town ahead of them.
"O-oh! I can't wait to get to the guild. I want to see what I can get to help me improve!" Siarra practically skipped past Niss, her excitement radiating.
The town was large, nestled between two peaks of the surrounding mountains. Its menacingly tall stone walls were easily extracted from the mighty mountains of the region. The buildings, visible from a distance, were also made of stone, and one particularly tall structure stood out, reaching what appeared to be about seven stories high.
The road led directly towards the main gate, a massive metal portcullis hanging above the opening, ready to drop and protect the town at any moment. Two guards stood on either side of the gate. At the moment, they were questioning a frail old man, woefully underdressed for the weather, attempting to lead his carriage through the gate. The guards scrutinized him.
Niss and his group had approached, within earshot, and continued up the road.
"Hohoho, old man, you can't just waltz in here with all that merchandise and not have a permit from the traders guild. How am I to know if these goods are legitimate? You could have stolen all this and are planning to pawn it! You look the type!" The classic trashy guard laughed heartily, glancing towards the other guard on duty with him.
'He must be on some sort of power trip,' Niss thought, sighing inwardly. He was no stranger to people abusing their power. His father, a poor noble with a small territory, was often picked on by the more powerful in their kingdom. Although his father was commendable and took it all on the chin, Niss had witnessed such behavior before it was not uncommon in this world where power is everything.
"N-no worries, sir! I have my permit right here," the old man began rummaging through his bag.
Suddenly, the guard smacked the bag out of his hands. "What are you reaching for!? You trying to get killed or what!?"
The old man stood, shocked, saying nothing.
"Now... since you gave the guardsmen of this town quite the scare with your hasty actions, you will have to pay an entrance fee in addition to showing your permit."
The old man sighed deeply, complying with the guard. He slowly picked up his bag, retrieved his permit, and a decent-sized purse of coins, handing it over. The guard snatched the pouch, motioning for him to enter the town.
Niss's group, having witnessed most of the interaction, maintained straight faces and each held up the small silver badge indicating they were adventurers and didn't need to pay fees to enter.
The guard's eyes widened as he realized his mistake. He had pulled this stunt in front of a group of mages, and their indifferent attitude sent a chill down his spine as they passed by.
"WAIT! Please don't report me to the guild! I am sorry! I will find that man and return his money! I can't lose standing with the guild! they will strip me of my duties, and my family will starve!"
Niss stared at him with cold, calculating eyes. "There is no room for scum like you in this kingdom. Sell yourself into slavery if you don't want your family to starve."
The short and stalky guard stared at the group walking confidently into Mourne town and that was when he knew he fucked up.
....
The kingdom of Landia comprises several territories. Niss's family governed a relatively small territory located just south of North Landia, the northernmost region where the party currently is. Unfortunately, Niss's territory, Rivenwood, lacked direct access to Landia's northern border. To reach any border of the kingdom, Rivenwood had to navigate through other territories, contributing to its economic struggles.
Despite this disadvantage, Rivenwood had the advantage of its proximity to the capital city of Landia, Aqualith. Situated southwest of Rivenwood, Aqualith was part of Regalia, the largest and most significant territory in Landia, serving as the residence of the royal family.
...