The imperial capital is essentially located in the central region of the Empire. To the east and north, a journey of about two months on horseback leads to the coastline; to the south and southwest, there is a federation made up of several smaller nations; and to the west lies the wild highlands inhabited by orcs.
To be precise, the wild highlands do not belong to any one nation, as no humans dare to settle there. Since ancient times, it has been a place occupied by various dangerous subhumans, including arcs in the jungles, lizardmen at the marshy edges, and various tribes of ogres scattered across the wilderness. It is said that in the deeper northern highlands, there are also massive, fierce, strange beasts and giant eagles.
Crossing the wild highlands to the west leads to other countries, where imperial trade caravans have historically engaged in commerce. Although merchants must hire large numbers of mercenaries, a small portion of the caravans end up as meals for the orcs. Over the past decade, the imperial army has launched extensive campaigns against the orcs, which effectively cleared the arcs in the highlands and allowed trade between the Empire and the west to gradually flourish. This also leaded to the establishment of some small towns at the edges of the highlands.
Bracada is one such town. Initially, it was just a few relay stations and inns, but as trade expanded, the population grew and it developed into a town. Asa's caravan was ambushed in this vicinity, and the place where the big-eared monsters demanded ransom was also nearby.
Asa traveled day and night from the capital and reached Bracada in just twenty days. It was here that he and Elaine had landed after escaping from the lizardmen's marshes six months ago.
This town, youthful yet somewhat rash and rough around the edges, was built hastily in recent years. Most buildings began as makeshift inns that quickly expanded due to good business. Even those that were initially planned to be larger lacked any finesse in decoration. The clientele consisted primarily of practical traveling merchants and daring warriors. As a result, the entire town appeared crude and poorly constructed, lacking any cultural charm or subtlety. However, it seemed that no one cared; the bustling crowds and noisy streets reflected the town's unique vitality.
The town centered around three main industries. First, there were the inns providing accommodations; second, the mercenary taverns where caravans could recruit bodyguards; and third, the brothels, which were the favored haunts of mercenaries and merchants alike. It was said that to facilitate management, local officials ordered that all inns, taverns, and brothels operate as a single entity. Thus, these three pillar industries merged, resulting in the town being filled with establishments that all shared the same rough exterior, and the interiors were a chaotic blend of merchants, prostitutes, and mercenaries. This became the unique and sole folk culture of this burgeoning place.
Asa went straight to the town hall. Upon seeing the local official, he presented the appointment letter given to him by the duke. Throughout his journey, he had discovered that this was the most effective way to communicate. Initially, he had exerted himself trying to explain to the relay station officials that he was a special envoy of the duke, but they had merely looked at him with skepticism until he revealed the document, at which point they hurriedly prepared horses and offered him food and drink.
The local official was still the same Lord Borugan who had once helped them. At just over twenty years old, his position as a local official demonstrated his considerable capability. He was a short, stocky man with a large head, resembling a toy doll that children might play with. His pancake-like face featured large, coarse facial features, with dark, large eyes that directly gazed at everything worth noticing without a trace of dullness. His hair was unkempt, resembling a bird's nest, as if no amount of grooming could tame it.
True to his rough appearance, he moved with agility, jumping up and down as he went about his tasks, resembling more of a bellhop in a low-end inn than a local official. He embodied the spirit of the city he managed—lacking in decorum but exuding vibrant efficiency.
Despite his seemingly foolish exterior, he still remembered Asa as the one who had drifted here with the duke's daughter six months prior. Upon seeing the duke's letter and learning Asa's purpose, he was taken aback and asked, "Is this about the injured duke's daughter from last time?"
"No, it's about her sister."
Lord Borugan exclaimed, "Oh!" He continued to dangle in his oversized chair, his broom-like eyebrows furrowing together. "Sir Envoy, I'm afraid we can't offer much assistance in this matter." His voice resembled a mix of a duck and a goose, difficult to listen to yet rising in pitch at important moments. "It seems that all the thieves in the world are gathering here. There have already been three or four incidents like this just this week." He appeared quite indignant, slamming his short hands on the desk, producing loud thuds. "The troops that were stationed here were all transferred two years ago due to the war in the south, and the local guard has begun recruiting new soldiers in large numbers, but it's still insufficient to maintain local order. I have reported to the court requesting reinforcements from the south. I suggest you wait until the reinforcements arrive."
"No need for that. I can handle this myself." Asa preferred to keep others out of it, remembering what Bishop Ronis had advised him about acting discreetly. He was notifying the local official primarily because he would need to extract a ransom from him if necessary.
Lord Borugan jumped down from his chair and told Asa, "You'd better not act rashly. Those big-eared monsters have suddenly become violent for some reason. Previously, they were just petty thieves. But lately, they've become more aggressive for no reason. If they encounter resistance, they might resort to violence, and people are often injured or killed. You're unfamiliar with the area, and if something goes wrong, I can't take responsibility."
Asa replied, "You don't need to worry about that. I just hope you can tell me about the recent situation."
"Hmm…" Lord Borugan began pacing back and forth, his broom-like eyebrows furrowing as if he were thinking hard. After a while, he suddenly ran to the door, glanced outside, closed it, and walked back to Asa. He barely reached Asa's chest in height and looked up at him, perhaps feeling intimidated. He pointed to a chair and said, "Sir Envoy, please take a seat."
Asa sat down in the chair, while Lord Borugan jumped onto the table, making him a bit taller than Asa. He looked down at Asa with his large, cow-like eyes and said, "Sir Envoy, to be honest, I felt an immediate connection when I saw you. You're not like those other officials sent from the capital, who are so unpleasant. It's clear you come from humble beginnings and have risen through your own efforts. So I believe your mind is much more open. That's why I want to quietly discuss something with you. I can't just go around spreading rumors, as I am the local official here, a caretaker for the people, and I can't make unfounded speculations. But this situation is indeed quite strange."
Lord Borugan leaned closer to Asa, his large mouth and upturned pig-like nostrils intimidatingly close. "You know, our laws don't specify whether the big-eared monsters count as citizens of the Empire, so we usually aren't very polite to them. Minor theft is one thing, but as soon as we hear they've committed a major crime, the army will immediately wipe out their villages, leaving no one alive. So those green-skinned fellows usually keep their heads down and don't act up. But now they've suddenly become so brazen…"
"Are you saying someone is backing them?"
"No, not someone." Lord Borugan's eyes widened even further, seemingly ready to pop out of their sockets in his eagerness to make his point. He leaned in closer, lowering his voice, although his duck-like tone couldn't help but remain loud. "In the past two months, strange rumors have started to spread. It's said that a large city is being built deep in the wild highlands, and it's a city for orcs. It's rumored that arcs, lizardmen, and ogres are gathering there, and the big-eared monsters plan to join this orc alliance. They've decided they no longer want to live in the corners of human society, so they've thrown caution to the wind, suddenly becoming bold enough to aim for a big score before leaving. By the way, I've also heard that they are transporting the stolen goods and money deep into the wilderness."
After finishing, he finally pulled his head back but suddenly sighed. "I know this news sounds ridiculous; even I find it hard to believe. It started as mere whispers, but now it seems like everyone is talking about it… Hey, why does your face look so grim?"
Asa coughed and adjusted his expression, casually saying, "There shouldn't be such a thing, right…"
"Doesn't matter it should or shouldn't, just think about what chaos it will cause if it is true. I've also reported these rumors up the chain, but there's been no response. When I personally spoke to the officials who came to inspect, they scolded me for having a loose screw. I don't have enough manpower here to send anyone deep into the wilderness to investigate, so I can only share this information with you. Once you take the duke's daughter back, discuss with the duke about possibly sending troops over…"
Suddenly, there was a rapid knock at the door, and someone outside shouted, "Lord Borugan, something terrible has happened! Another caravan has been robbed!"
Lord Borugan jumped off the table, cursing in the manner of common street ruffians. He opened the door, turned to Asa, and said, "I apologize, Sir Envoy. Please make yourself comfortable; I need to handle this now." Then he rushed out with the person from outside.
Asa sat there, dazed. The orc threat he had witnessed six months ago could very well be a reality. If the big-eared monsters had indeed transported the goods there, and if the book was unfortunately among them… he began to pray that Christine would like the book so much that she would carry it with her, keeping it safe inside her clothing even when she was captured.
No, it was just an inconspicuous book; who would think it was worth much? The big-eared monster wouldn't bother to specifically steal this book during the robbery. Perhaps it's still with someone from that caravan. As long as they go and bail out Christine, they can retrieve it. Thinking this way, Asa felt much more at ease.
But merely thinking wouldn't solve the problem. Asa decided to follow the map left by the big-eared monsters and head to the place where the ransom was to be delivered, to negotiate with them and see what the situation was really like.