At 11:05 pm, two fine horses entered the registration station at the east gate of Brighton City. Dismounting, Dodge finally took a deep breath and pulled the silence herb out of Arthur's mouth. "What is this thing? Why does holding it make you unable to make a sound, only think?" Arthur asked, looking at the brown herb in Dodge's hand, which resembled a foxtail.
Dodge instructed Josh to go to the main gate for registration, while he tapped Arthur's head with the silence herb. Dodge couldn't understand why, upon their first meeting, he thought Arthur was a quiet kid. In the five hours it took to travel from Ford Town to Hiss River on the eastern side of Brighton City, Arthur had inquired about everything from Brighton City's stores to Dodge's childhood friends, even offering marriage advice for Dodge's neighbor's daughter. It wasn't until Dodge found a silence herb by the Hiss River that things quieted down.
Dodge hadn't had a moment's peace since he left Ford Town, regretting ever receiving Old Ford's telegram and taking on this mission.
Arthur's understanding of basic common sense in civilized society was as blank as a sheet of paper. After five hours of intense instruction, he had a preliminary grasp of Brighton City's daily life. At this moment, Arthur deeply felt how dull and simple his previous life had been. He could only imagine how wonderful it would be if his parents and he lived together in such a big city. But the sweet fantasy was soon shattered by the memory of the villagers' cries and the black-robed man's furious shouts that night. Lowering his head, Arthur followed Josh and Dodge, who had completed the registration, into Brighton City.
Under the earth's moonlight, Brighton City appeared serene. The three- or four-story buildings around him dazzled Arthur's eyes. Occasionally, a few patrolling enforcers passed by with long-barreled weapons slung over their shoulders, neither bows nor crossbows. Dodge exchanged nods with them and, seeing Arthur's curiosity, took the rare step of explaining: "That is a new weapon jointly invented by humans and dwarves. It's called a gun."
"A gun? Does it connect with elements?" Arthur had already asked Dodge about how humans communicated with elements, but Dodge had always refused to reveal anything on this topic, saying Arthur would learn about it in school.
"You could say that, but it's more than that. This firearm can connect with more than just fire." Just then, a carriage drawn by two black horses, its lanterns burning oil, appeared around the corner. Dodge signaled for Josh to take the two horses back to the Enforcer's Hall, while he hailed the carriage. This late-night public carriage determined its fare by distance.
"To the Etzikri Charity House." Dodge removed his feathered hat, placing it in the carriage corner, and gestured for Arthur to sit inside instead of at the coachman's seat where he was curiously eyeing the setup.
"Tonight, as previously agreed, I'll take you to a welfare institution and get you settled there. If you have any questions, there will be people there to explain them to you."
"A welfare institution, for kids like me who've lost their homes," Arthur recalled Dodge's explanation on this point. He struggled to accept that he'd now be living in a place that wasn't his home. Dodge wanted to say something comforting but didn't know how, so he looked out the window in silence. Arthur also gazed outside, watching unfamiliar cobbled streets, strange buildings, and stairs pass by. He couldn't make sense of what lay ahead.
Under the dim yellow moonlight, Brighton City lay wrapped in mist. Just as Arthur was drifting off to sleep, the carriage stopped, and the bell on the coach jingled a few times.
Arthur opened his drowsy eyes and followed Dodge out of the carriage. Before him stood a three-story, white-trimmed building with a small yard in front. The mailbox by the door bore the nameplate for the Etzikri Charity.
"This is the place." Dodge tucked his feathered hat under his left arm and walked up to the door. Arthur looked back at the carriage retreating into the distance, clutched his bundle tightly, and followed.
"Mrs. Lily." Dodge politely knocked on the white door. After about five minutes, hurried footsteps could be heard from inside. The door opened, revealing a small elderly woman with white curls, a petite pair of reading glasses, and a large apron. She looked up and adjusted her glasses to examine Dodge.
"Captain Dodge! Is something the matter this late?" Mrs. Lily's tone had an upbeat ring that conveyed a youthful spirit, not matching her age. Arthur thought to himself, This is a cheerful lady.
"As you can see, dear madam, this child lost his family in an accident. On behalf of the Enforcers, I hope to entrust him to your care," Dodge explained with a slight bow, explaining the late-night visit.
"Oh ... this, this is terrible," Mrs. Lily exclaimed, covering her mouth in shock as she looked at Arthur.
"Quickly, bring him inside." Mrs. Lily stepped aside to let Arthur and Dodge in, then quickly shut the door. "Captain Dodge, would you like something to drink? How about some tea? But quietly—the children are sleeping." She motioned for silence.
"No need, madam," Dodge lowered his voice. "I still need to return to finish some paperwork. I'll come by tomorrow to help Arthur complete some required matters."
"Of course, of course. May peace prevail," Mrs. Lily murmured, hurrying to see Dodge to the door.
She's a kind lady, Arthur added to his mental notes about Mrs. Lily. Dodge expressed his gratitude to her at the door and informed Arthur that he'd return tomorrow before leaving. Mrs. Lily crouched down by Arthur, "Arthur, that's your name, right? I heard Captain Dodge calling you that just now."
"Yes, madam," Arthur replied, a bit reserved, feeling less relaxed than he did around Dodge, mainly because Dodge's penguin-like uniform amused him.
"Call me Mrs. Lily, as everyone does. It's very late, so you should rest for tonight. Tomorrow, I'll tidy up your room and introduce you to some new friends, alright?" Mrs. Lily's smile grew warmer with every word, putting Arthur at ease. "Thank you, Mrs. Lily," he said with a deep bow, already feeling like she belonged in the same place in his heart as Old Ford.
Following Mrs. Lily up to the third floor, Arthur was shown into a small room. Inside was a small bunk bed, a narrow skylight opposite the door casting moonlight on Arthur. Under the window sat a small desk, and next to it stood a wooden wardrobe. Most notably, a dark-haired boy of about ten was sitting on the top bunk, looking at Arthur and Mrs. Lily.
"Sorry to wake you, George." Mrs. Lily apologized softly, quickly leading Arthur to the lower bunk. George leaned over the bed, peering down but was gently nudged back by Mrs. Lily, "I've told you many times, George—that's dangerous."
George mumbled a few words to Mrs. Lily, his gaze back on Arthur as he extended his hand from the bed and introduced himself. "Pleased to share a room with you. I'm George Cavendish." "Same here. Nice to meet you, I'm Arthur...," Arthur hesitated, ultimately not saying Hebrew; on the way, Dodge had specifically advised him not to mention Hebrew's name after entering Brighton City.
"It's late; good children should be sleeping now." Mrs. Lily quietly exited, closing the door softly and saying goodnight from the hallway. Arthur replied with a quiet goodnight before climbing into bed.
"Arthur, I'll tell you a lot tomorrow. Right now, I'm a bit tired," George murmured. Having been sleeping soundly, the sudden opening of the door had annoyed him. "Alright, George," Arthur replied, laying down on the bed. Exhausted from the day's journey, he soon fell into a deep sleep, dreaming of Joe and Jane walking hand in hand with him through a wheat field.
But the two children were unaware that outside the small skylight, a purple-skinned elf stood on the rooftop, observing Arthur on the lower bunk.
"So, he's the one? The highest-level classified mission." Livlan's pointed ears twitched. She pushed her delicate gold-framed glasses, "Not really my concern. Hopefully, we'll cross paths again. I have a feeling I'll have quite a bit of connection with this child." With that, the purple-skinned elf turned and disappeared into the misty night.