In the city of Orford, there is no alcohol. The food supply is not sufficient to produce such a luxury item, and the miraculous effects of this drink are too strong for the impulsive orcs, so even outside merchants are not allowed to bring wine into the city. This is a huge regret for the thieves. Given their current high spirits, they originally wanted wine to celebrate, but in the end, they could only continue eating the thick, porridge-like food.
However, they would be heading back to the Empire with the goods early tomorrow morning, where there was no shortage of wine and meat. Just imagining the gold coins about to be in their hands made the originally unappetizing food taste as exquisite as apple juice stewed with lamb.
As a result of this successful operation, Asa was hailed as the great hero. After all, he was a seasoned criminal who had experienced grand scenes and even seduced a noble's lover—his demeanor was indeed impressive. If it weren't for his calm words and attitude that had reassured everyone at a crucial moment yesterday, they wouldn't have just recovered the goods; it was likely everyone would have ended up as fodder for the animal market. Even now, after they had brought the goods back, he had gone to speak with several officials, saying many things. Many thieves thought he was negotiating for a chance to receive a little more loot, but from the expression on his face when he returned, it seemed things hadn't gone well.
Asa completely ignored the thieves' exuberant mood, brushed them off with a few words, and returned to his room after finishing his meal.
He spent the entire afternoon trying to inquire about those middle-aged men, and after a series of roundabout questions, he finally learned that both mayor Theodorus, the ruler of Orford, and General Grutt lived together in the city's residence.
From the tone of mayor Theodorus, it was clear he knew what that book was. Naturally, it was not an option to simply reach out and take it, as that would almost be admitting to being part of the Necromancer's Guild. No matter who you were, people had no mercy for the Necromancer's Guild.
As for his current identity as a professional thief, suddenly producing a letter of appointment from the bishop and duke would first raise suspicions of forgery. If a few thieves were caught and interrogated, they would easily discover that he had also obtained the insignia of a high-ranking envoy—clear evidence against him.
After thinking it over, Asa decided that the best way to resolve the issue was to use his expertise: to steal the book and leave tomorrow. He suddenly felt that perhaps he really was cut out to be a thief. No matter the situation, he always handled matters with violence or theft.
"Going back tomorrow, huh?" Elaine was sitting by the bed, flipping through her notes in the lamplight. The lamp oil was rendered from the fat of the fierce bulls captured in the Lizard Marsh, and the red flame burned brightly. She seemed distracted, flipping the notes back and forth, occasionally staring into the light. "Do we really have to go back?"
"Yeah," Asa replied, sitting in the corner where a pile of hay served as his bed. He needed to rest well, as he would be stealing the book later that night. He had a unique method of sleeping he had developed in the wilderness; as long as he thought about when he wanted to wake up, he could easily fall asleep.
"Is it really possible to sleep there?" Elaine looked at Asa sitting there and suddenly asked. The fire from the bull fat cast a warm glow on her face.
"Yeah," Asa leaned against the hay, preparing to close his eyes. Werewolves had night vision far beyond that of humans. Although the city's security was good, there were still werewolves patrolling the streets at night. This posed the greatest obstacle to his plan to steal the book, requiring him to be fully alert.
Elaine stared at Asa, her hazy eyes reflecting the flickering flame. She said, "Although I know I must go back, I actually don't want to."
Asa closed his eyes and asked, "Why?" Timing was crucial; the workshops in the city were still open, but the other orcs had already gone to rest. It was necessary to blend into the sounds of the workshops to avoid detection; it was impossible to move silently in complete silence, as some werewolves could hear a person's breathing from a hundred meters away.
Elaine turned to look at the oil lamp, taking a deep breath as if gathering a lot of strength, then softly said, "I have to get married when I go back."
Asa's eyes flew open, and he stared blankly at Elaine. He suddenly remembered that she indeed had a fiancé in the capital. A wave of melancholy washed over him, sweeping away all his thoughts.
Even though it had only been a brief span from evening to night, he found himself sleepless for the first time in his life.
She was going back to get married.
But thinking carefully, wasn't that something he had known all along? And this didn't seem to have anything to do with him. This was her business as a noblewoman, and he couldn't find any reason to involve himself.
No matter how lovely feelings you might have with other people, they are just occasional companions on your life journey; and in the end, everyone has their own path to follow. This was something an old adventurer in the village had once told him, and he had always found it quite reasonable. Besides, he had already decided which path he wanted to take.
He had already made amends for the things he owed her, and once this matter was resolved, he would set off on his own to travel the world. She remained a noblewoman, after all, with responsibilities befitting her status.
This reasoning was perfectly logical; even the wisest philosopher couldn't provide a higher-level explanation. Yet, deep in his heart, Asa still felt a lingering melancholy.
The dry seasonal wind from the Wilderness Highlands blew towards him, mixed with the smell of charred wood and iron. The sounds of hammering became clearer. Ahead were the streets lined with workshops, where craftsmen and beastman apprentices were hard at work. Asa suddenly thought of his hometown and, filled with nostalgia, began to miss the meals his father used to prepare when he occasionally returned home. For the first time, he felt that living alone with all freedom wasn't necessarily the best thing.
But this wasn't the time for such thoughts. Crossing this street of workshops would lead directly to the city hall, where mayor Theodorus and General Grutt resided nearby. Asa had already gathered enough information that afternoon. He steeled himself, reminding himself that now was not the time for daydreaming.
As he walked past the workshop street, Asa began to tread carefully. Ahead lay an eerie silence. The air of the Wilderness Highlands was exceptionally clean, and even on a moonless night, he could vaguely see the towering outline of the city hall thanks to the starlight. He crept quietly in that direction.
"But if she was about to get married, why had she come out? She had said she wanted to retrieve her backpack from the swamp, but that was clearly impossible. Did she want to come out and wander? Why did she come to find me? I like her? Did she like me too...?"
Suddenly, a strange smell enveloped Asa's body. It was a mix of urine and body odor, but the impact on his nose was a hundred times more intense—this was the unique stench of carnivorous animals.
This foul odor immediately awakened the deepest memories of blood and fear within Asa. When he was closest to death in the Lizard Marsh, this scent filled his nostrils.
Asa looked up and saw two glowing green eyes less than an arm's length away. The breath of a werewolf was blowing in his face, and he almost collided headfirst into the creature's embrace.
His legs completely lost control and instinctively propelled his body backward. But before he landed, he crashed into a furry body, and his hands were firmly gripped by a pair of massive claws. The stench intensified.
The arc behind him restrained his arms as a human would with a toddler learning to walk, allowing his feet to just barely touch the ground. He could feel the warm breath of the arc seeping from his ears down to his neck, slipping into his clothing. All traces of his previous fighting spirit vanished; he felt as if he could hear the bones in his hands shattering, and tension and fear instantly stiffened every muscle in his body, rendering him completely immobile.
The arc in front leaned in closer, nearly pressing its face against Asa's. He could smell the rancid stench of flesh and the remnants of its last meal.
The arc spoke, struggling to form human words due to the shape of its mouth. It slowly and awkwardly said, "Humans... should not... wander around... at night. Here... it is forbidden... to approach... at night." Asa caught a glimpse of sharp fangs flashing in and out of view with each word.
Asa strained to move his stiff neck and nodded. The two arcs then lifted him as if he were a child and placed him at the edge of the workshop street, pointing in the direction of the inn before turning and disappearing into the darkness.
Asa slowly made his way toward the inn, beads of cold sweat dripping down his cheeks, soaking through his shirt.
In the distance, the inn loomed ahead. He could simply walk back, go to bed as usual, and safely return with the other thieves tomorrow. As long as he reported the situation here accurately, Sandru wouldn't actually expect him to risk his life, and Bishop Ronis would surely nod kindly and say, "You've done your best." Indeed, who could steal a book in such an environment? They must have their own methods to retrieve it; it was no longer his concern.
Should he go back?
Suddenly, Asa turned toward a nearby building, using both hands and feet to climb up the uneven outer wall until he reached the roof. The roofs here were constructed of thick wooden beams, covered with planks and topped with a thick layer of hay, making it comfortable to walk on.
Looking up, he felt as if he were completely surrounded by the starry sky, devoid of any other sensation. In the thin air of the plateau, the largest stars looked as big as a fingertip, and countless smaller ones filled the sky, densely scattered everywhere, reaching the horizon. Beyond that lay an infinite expanse of beauty. Under this vast spectacle, Asa's heart settled completely, and he sat cross-legged.
He realized he had regressed.
He used to have the vigilance of a wildcat, capable of responding with tremendous force to the slightest danger, and the ferocity and fighting spirit of a wolf, always prepared to unleash his fangs and kill intent against any who dared to threaten him. But after the journey from Bracada to here, the strange, wonderful feeling of being with Elaine had gradually wrapped around his sharp sensitivity, dulling his fighting spirit. Even when he first arrived in this city and saw so many orcs, and then heard that they might not be able to obtain the goods, he had experienced some surprise and caution, but it did not pierce through the gentle atmosphere that enveloped him enough to make him tense. It was like tossing stones into a bucket of thick honey—no ripples formed.
Just now, knowing that she was going back to get married had left him distracted, completely unaware of the presence of the two arcs. If they had wanted to kill him, it would have been as easy as crushing a small chicken. He hadn't even summoned the will to resist.
Death. The concept returned clearly to his mind, driving away every thought that had been swirling there just moments before without leaving a trace.
Only when one truly faces 'death' can one understand that they own nothing in this world. Everything crumbles to dust in the face of this concept. All human language, wisdom, and everything compared to this terrifying reality are mere puppetry. Even the most beautiful emotions collapse under its power.
However, when one dares to confront 'death' directly, all the tiny, complex particles of thought and feeling will be washed away by the flood of the courage, leaving only the most pure and essential things behind. Thus, one can grow stronger.
This strength is akin to death itself.
Asa knew he had to retrieve the book. This was not a task or a responsibility; it was merely a way to re-acknowledge and reaffirm himself, to clearly understand that he was still alive, still existing in this world in his own way and manner, just as he always had.
Asa closed his eyes, straightened his back, placed his hands on his knees, and began to meditate.
Since hearing about the origins of this meditation technique from Bishop Ronis, he had not dared to practice it, but now he no longer cared about that in his quest to retrieve the book.
He quickly sank into the ocean of self-awareness, where he could see a radiant sun rising from his lower abdomen, melting his entire body with its powerful warmth. He felt as if he were merging with the starry sky above him, becoming boundless.