Reed wandered through the city alongside Penburn, the two of them eventually returning to Aloysius after a while. Upon finding the rest of the group at Aloysius's workshop, disrupting his work, he instructed them to convene at a place called the 'Scriptorium', which they all seemed familiar with.
Furnella and Rhewl accompanied Reed and Penburn, while Tainch departed to locate Maddis.
Reed remained in awe as he strolled through the expansive city, marveling at the multitude of buildings and the vast expanse of stone that surrounded him. As they walked, they passed by a large pond situated towards the back end of the city.
Along the pond's edge, Reed observed people seated, some with their significant others, some alone, and others accompanied by pets. It was a tranquil scene, a welcome respite after a period devoid of peace.
Continuing their journey, they eventually passed by the Thin Bazaar. Reed couldn't help but compare it to the one in Yoduhrn, noting how much smaller and shorter the latter had been in comparison.
"This city is impressive," Reed remarked to his companions.
"It's not that extraordinary, but given its location, I'll concede that much," Furnella replied dismissively.
"Now, now, Nella," Penburn interjected. "You can't deny the level of civilization here challenges the perceptions many have of Vastilence. It's... beautiful."
"I may not approve of the Kingdoms, but I can't deny that their cities surpass ours in scale," Furnella admitted reluctantly.
"True," Penburn agreed, "but we find contentment in our own way. They seem to endlessly strive for more."
Reed remained uncertain about what Penburn meant by his comments. He rarely delved into knowledge about the kingdom or what Penburn referred to as the kingdom devils.
Furnella nodded and strolled casually, her hands clasped behind her head. Rhewl walked beside them in silence, towering over everyone and observing their surroundings with a watchful eye.
After a while, Penburn guided them to a two-story building constructed from dark stone, supported by four sturdy pillars at the front. Carved into the stone above the entrance, Reed read the words 'Dromairian Scriptorium'.
"Why are we here, Penburn?" Reed asked.
"I think it's time to show you the heart of what Zemizel envisioned," Penburn replied with a smile, gesturing for Furnella and Tainch to join him.
As Reed followed, he couldn't help but notice the well-dressed individuals entering and exiting the structure. The group certainly stood out, he thought.
Inside the Scriptorium, Reed took in the sight of books lining the walls and filling shelves beneath the low ceiling. A staircase ascended from the center of the spacious room to a second floor. Despite the activity, the atmosphere was hushed, with only a few people quietly going about their tasks.
Upon entering, a woman dressed in an elegant green gown and with short, darker green hair approached Penburn with a warm smile, one hand resting casually on a book at her side. Silver jewelry adorned her hand and fingers, and she wore a pointed silver pendant around her neck.
"Ghunter!" she exclaimed softly to Penburn, her voice filled with surprise. "I didn't know you were coming."
"Ghunter?" Reed asked Penburn with a puzzled expression.
Penburn sighed lightly. "Ghunter Burn," he murmured. "It's a name I no longer use."
"You're okay with her calling you that?" Reed queried, somewhat incredulously.
"Hah hah hah!" Lilia chuckled softly, amused by Penburn's explanation for Reed.
"Reed, this is my sister, Lilia Burn."
Lilia's laughter subsided into a gentle smile as she extended her hand to shake Reed's.
She appeared younger than Reed, yet more composed and refined compared to her brother.
"Reed..." Lilia said softly as they shook hands, leaving the decision to disclose his full name up to him.
"Reed Riddance," Furnella chimed in, adding her own commentary. "Quite the name, isn't it, Lilia?"
"Riddance?" Lilia repeated, her tone earnest and inquisitive. "Why Riddance?"
Unlike Furnella's teasing tone, Lilia's expression remained serious and genuinely curious.
"It's a long story," Reed replied, feeling a slight discomfort and irritation at Furnella's interjection.
"Oh... Okay," Lilia responded simply, accepting his explanation about his name without further comment.
"It's good to see you, Lilia," Rhewl said with a smile Reed hadn't seen on him like that before. "How long has it been?"
"A while, but likewise Rhewl."
The greetings were over. Everyone could tell by Penburn's impatience.
"I assume you came here for the Concealment?" Lilia said to her brother as he nodded.
"What's the Concealment?" Reed asked.
"Follow me," Lilia said as she gestured to them, turning around and leading them around the Scriptorium, occasionally waving at a few patrons.
On the second level, there were fewer bookshelves and more narrow hallways. These hallways had red carpets underfoot and dim, candlelit wall sconces illuminating the dark walls. Farther back on this floor, dozens of identical doors lined the halls.
Lilia approached one of the many doors and gestured for Penburn to open it. Before he did, however, Rhewl, as tall as he was, reached upwards at a small strip of something from a thin slit on the ceiling, connecting both walls. He pulled it downwards and revealed a piece of art that looked exactly like the wall at the far end of the hall. It covered them and blocked the entire side they were on as they entered the room one by one, Lilia staying back and closing the door.
Inside the room was simply a wide wooden table surrounded by chairs. Four small windows covered by drapes, and a few small tables around the edges of the room.
"What is this?" Reed asked.
"A cover," Rhewl said, as they both watched Penburn approach one of the back small tables where the large single-piece carpet ended. He bent down and lifted the corner of the carpet, revealing a flat square outline.
Reed approached, watching what he was doing, but immediately Penburn reached for something in his pocket as he took out a small dagger and dug it through the thin line.
He pushed upwards a piece of the floor that had revealed a metal ladder stuck into the wall of the hole leading down a dimly lit space far below. Penburn climbed down as Rhewl followed, gesturing for Reed to do the same.
Furnella stayed back, closing the hole. Her footsteps could be scarcely heard above them before they faded out.
As Reed climbed down, which took a while, he was in a small stone room with the rest, and an iron door to the end not three strides away.
Penburn had already walked through the door as Rhewl waited for Reed. Inside the door was a room partially lit by the sconces that Penburn had now been lighting one by one.
Inside was a similar image of a table, except this table had been of stone rather than wood. The wall was stone and the floor of black wood. Chairs adorned the four walls of the place, a larger room than the one in the infirmary. And the one thing that caught Reed's attention had been the far end of the wall where Penburn had been after lighting the room.
Dozens of weapons of different sizes and shapes adorned the wall as they all surrounded a space in the middle of what seemed like a map. One Reed had not recognized.
"Reed," Penburn said. "What do you know of the Hidden World?"
Penburn was not his usual self. He wasn't at ease as he always had been. His eyes were of a darker hue, and his smile faded as he turned away from the map. Rhewl just stood and watched with a similar expression.
"I don't know what you mean," Reed said.
"Zemizel had a dream." Penburn started, turning back to the map. "He told me of it once and I laughed at his face. Do you know what Zemizel told me, Reed?"
Reed stood there in silence, waiting for something.
"He told me there was a place not bounded by kingdoms." Penburn paused a moment before continuing. "Zemizel once said that he knew of lands beyond the kingdom, and they were not devils nor corrupters. He wanted to pierce the chains that were the kingdoms and venture into the Hidden World."
"Lands beyond the kingdoms?" Reed repeated. He never thought of that before. The thought had not occurred to him. His focus was on the kingdoms themselves. He couldn't imagine that there was somewhere even further than them.
Penburn's voice carried a blend of frustration and determination as he spoke about the kingdoms of Mor'Nair, Sageryn, and Gavender, and their tight grip over Vastilence.
"They forbid anyone from leaving their desolate lands," Penburn continued, his tone solemn. "We are bound not by labor, nor by choice, but by their rule. They extinguished any hope of a middle ground, condemning Vastilence to decay. Once, Vastilence stood as the fourth great kingdom, until rebellion tore it apart centuries ago. You may not know much of Vastilence's history, but because of these kingdoms, the grass grows yellow instead of green, and the soil turns to dust rather than fertile earth. They have systematically erased the memory of the world beyond their borders from our collective consciousness. To venture near their borders is to face death. Zemizel understood this truth, and I scoffed at him until he showed me this."
Penburn opened his arms towards the large map before him. It depicted a small piece of land in one corner, considerably smaller than the one to the southwest. At the center sprawled a vast landmass stretching towards the bottom of the map. To the northwest of this central landmass lay clusters of islands, each marked by dots of varying shapes.
Penburn pointed towards the top right corner of the map.
"This is where we are, Reed," he explained.
In small lettering, Reed noticed the word 'Mozlyn'.
"It's so small," Reed remarked.
"Mozlyn is the continent where we're held captive by the kingdom devils," Penburn added solemnly.
Penburn then traced his finger southward to Stannith, situated southwest of Mozlyn, while the largest landmass at the center was labeled Penrithen.
"I don't know what to say," Reed muttered, feeling a wave of overwhelming realization wash over him. This revelation underscored his own insignificance, now more poignant than ever.
"My dreams have been reshaped. Not only do I seek to dismantle these false ideals imposed by the devils, but I also wish to bring Zemizel into the Hidden World."
"There are rumors of a cure that might work on Zemizel," Rhewl said to Reed, "except that knowledge is born in the kingdoms itself, Mor'Nair to be specific."
"You think you can bring Zemizel back to normal?" Reed asked.
"We do, and to get there is to find this antidote or whatever it is. Reed, there are so many things you don't understand. I envy you, I truly do."
"The antidote in Mor'Nair, the Hidden World, the dismantling of the kingdoms," Reed repeated, contemplating the weight of their mission, before locking eyes with Penburn. "Do you plan on succeeding?"
"We have to," Rhewl answered grimly. "Those devils will crumble before us, one way or another."
Rhewl's expression was shadowed, hinting at a long-held resolve.
"I see," Reed acknowledged quietly.
He now grasped the depth of their aspirations. Each of them had been profoundly impacted by the kingdoms, directly or indirectly.
"I see," Reed repeated in a whisper, his eyes filled with dark determination. "Discard one thing to get another."