Bourguis Inn, Late Afternoon.
Tak!
The horse-drawn carriage came to a halt at the corner of the street. Arshen, carrying a leather bag in his hand, stepped down with slight difficulty, wincing as he landed on the cobbled pavement.
Phew... finally here. Transportation in this era is truly unbearable. If I had stayed in that carriage any longer, I might have lost all feeling in my lower body.
He pulled out some money and reluctantly handed over the fare.
Damn... I should be the one getting compensation for my sore backside.
He walked toward the inn, still rubbing his aching lower back, his expression twisting in discomfort. Upon reaching the reception desk, he quickly requested his room key and extended his stay for another night. Once he had the key, he climbed the stairs and headed straight to his room.
Inside, he set his leather bag on the table and emptied its contents, revealing his remaining funds—34 pounds and 16 silver coins.
This should be enough to purchase some ritual supplies. The only thing left is to find the correct step formulation for a specific ritual.
While there were many different rituals, their base ingredients remained the same. The only variations lay in the required steps. Some rituals demanded extreme methods, such as blood sacrifices, or specific conditions like preserved beast blood, as seen in the Murderer Ritual. But no matter the ritual, the fundamental materials were always identical.
"First, I need to acquire essential oil—that's easy to find anywhere. Then, three grams of ground katilayu leaves, which might be difficult but should still be available in the spice market. Lastly, black-tail grass this will be the hardest to obtain. Unlike the other ingredients, black-tail grass is a rare plant that typically grows in open fields. But given that it's winter, it must be even scarcer now."
He let out a long sigh, removed his coat, and hung it on the rack near the door.
Tak...
"Hmm...?"
Something fell from his coat pocket. He picked it up and found that it was the silver pocket watch he had discovered a few days ago.
Throwing himself onto the bed to rest his weary body, he held the pocket watch up, inspecting it under the dim light.
I didn't give this much thought before, but now that I think about it, this might have some connection to that statue. Should I just get rid of it?
Clutching the silver watch tightly, he opened its cover, revealing the spinning hands beneath its glass—an ordinary-looking timepiece.
A smirk formed on his lips as he studied the watch, letting it dangle in his hand.
"Should I take it apart to see what's inside? Who knows, it might have some connection to mystical power, considering it likely came from that statue..."
Tossing and catching the watch absentmindedly, he continued examining it. Then, as he threw it up once more, a stray ray of sunlight reflected off the glass, creating a dazzling flash that momentarily blinded him.
"Huh..."
Startled, Arshen instinctively shielded his eyes with his right hand. As the watch fell back onto his chest, the mysterious glow suddenly vanished as if it had never been there.
Aahh..., What was that
He bolted upright, his expression filled with shock. Quickly opening his window to let in the fading sunlight, he raised the watch once more.
Under the golden rays of the setting sun, the pocket watch gleamed again.
Tiny silver specks flickered to life, forming delicate lines until they revealed an image—a veiled woman cradling a circular disk to her chest.
"Damn!!"
Recognizing the familiar image, Arshen reflexively threw the watch onto the floor and took a defensive step back, nearly knocking over the chair behind him.
"What the hell was that? Did I just imagine it?."
With suspicion clouding his mind, he slipped on his black gloves for caution and carefully retrieved the watch. But as he gazed at it, the mysterious silhouette had disappeared, as though it had never existed.
However, when he tilted it toward the setting sun once again, the veiled woman reappeared, like an illusion born from light.
"So this thing is something. I don't know if it's dangerous or not, but considering it bears her image..., this means it's connected to that person..."
To test its properties, he conducted several experiments to ensure the pocket watch's safety. He tried smashing it against the wall and dropping it from a height, but it remained perfectly intact, not even a single scratch marring its surface. More importantly, it continued functioning like a normal watch.
Letting out a breath of relief, though still wary, he looked down at the mysterious object in his hands.
"At least it doesn't seem harmful..." with hesitation he then continued, "for now."
---
December 25, 1051 - Bourguis Inn
"Good morning, Mrs. Dorothy. It seems quite busy today. Are you doing well?"
Arshen greeted Dorothy with a smile as she bustled around, clearly swamped with work.
The inn was far livelier than the previous night, even without counting, it was obvious there were more guests.
Dorothy looked up, noticing Arshen's approach, and chuckled. "Haha, good morning, Zodiac. You seem quite cheerful today."
Arshen stepped closer, his tone curious but hesitant. "With so many people here, is something interesting happening soon?"
Dorothy sighed, placing her hands on her hips. "It's because the Festival of the Night is approaching. Ah... since you're new here, do you know about the Zodiac Festival?"
Arshen raised an eyebrow. He had a hunch where this conversation was headed. Smirking, he responded, "Yeah, I know a bit from some acquaintances."
Dorothy blinked in mild surprise but quickly composed herself. She handed over a meal she had been preparing during their conversation. "In that case, I won't take up more of your time. I have more guests to attend to. Here's your breakfast."
"Thanks."
Taking the food, Arshen stepped aside, allowing the next guest in line to take his place. He found an empty table and began eating.
Hap...
As usual, the food wasn't bad, but he wished for something more substantial than just bread, soup, and beans.
I should check out some other eateries today.
...
The city was livelier than usual. White clouds hung in the crisp winter sky, but the temperature continued to drop, making the wind feel like icy needles against the skin.
Arshen stopped by a clothing store and bought thicker attire to keep warm—a leather coat, new leather shoes, a chain for his pocket watch, and a high-crowned hat to shield his head from the cold.
With his new attire, he now looked more refined and authoritative, like an experienced traveler. But on the downside, he had just spent 3 pounds and 12 silver on everything.
Tap...
His boots landed on the cobblestones of Greycloud Avenue. The street buzzed with life—merchants, factory workers, the clatter of hooves, and the distant hissing of steam engines. Smoke billowed from chimneys while carriages rumbled past.
A young newspaper vendor called out, "Big news at year's end! The famous Trisian Merchant Company is coming! Read all about it in The Daily Feather Times! Only 1 pearl for the latest updates!"
"The Trisian Merchant Company? Are they really coming?" murmured a curious gentleman to his partner.
"Young man, is there any news about the other caravans?" Arshen asked curiously.
"Yes, not only Trisian, there are various trading companies, and caravans coming. Find them all in the Daily Feather Times! Only 1 pearl!."
Arshen looked a little interested and took a pearl from his pocket to bought that newspaper.
He then quickly moved away from the crowd and started reading his newspaper.
Hmm... seems like they're hosting a grand auction this year. Let's see if any caravans carry what I need...
He flipped through the pages, scanning advertisements and lesser-known updates.
Huh... nothing yet. Maybe it's still too early.
Still, he felt satisfied—this newspaper provided valuable insights into the current state of the world.
Meanwhile, the sound of engines of progress roared, creating a rhythmic pulse in a world that never ceased to turn.
Arshen folded the newspaper he bought, then he went to a herb shop,
"Excuse me ma'am, I want to buy this essential oil and that katilayu leaf powder."
The The shop owner glance at arshen with a little suspicion, but he ignored it and smiled with a said.
"5 silver in all, is there anything else sir?" Arshen gave him the money and said.
"No, thank you."
If I said I would buy black-tail grass too, he might be suspicious, I'd better hold back, besides I'm sure he definitely won't have it.
He put all the ingredients into his leather bag, then he take a long breath and step forward.
Swosshh—
A cold wind blew, fluttering Arshen's brown coat as he walked, as if it was a sign that something bigger was waiting for him.