Walking toward the gates hoping to make a decent first impression in this new town, I made my way down the hill and spotted someone half-asleep in a chair near the entrance. He had on a royal blue cloak with sky blue trim running down his arms, gold jewelry around his neck, and his cool-looking blue hair with white streaks through it.
He didn't look like he was on guard, but when I looked closer, I couldn't spot a single opening in his stance.
"What's your business here?" he said suddenly, one eye half-open as he stayed slouched in the chair. "If you're trying to get in, either cough up some coin or show me your Mercenary card."I jumped back instantly, caught off guard by the guy's sudden remark.
I stared at him a little longer just to make sure he was actually awake—didn't want to be the jerk who interrupts someone's precious nap.
Slowly, I started rummaging through my bag to find my card—I wasn't about to hand over my hard-earned money. But then he stood up so fast I almost dropped my backpack right on my foot.
"Drop the act," he said in this irritating tone, full of attitude. "I know your type. You're one of Pantheon's men."
In the blink of an eye, he summoned a long, slender staff out of thin air, aimed it right at my face, and told me to grab my sword.
Any sane person would've said he had the wrong guy and walked away—but of course, my dumb ass had other ideas.
"I beg your finest pardon, sir," I said, picking up my sword and tossing my bag to the side for now. "I don't give a shit who this 'Pantheon' is—but I'm way more interested in fighting you."
As he narrowed his eyes, I dropped into a fighting stance, ready to take a swing at his neck the second I saw an opening.
But then his staff vanished, and he raised his hands like he was surrendering. Caught off guard by how quickly things flipped, I stumbled over my words.
"Wa—what? You're not gonna fight me?!" I asked, genuinely disappointed. "Would you change your mind if I told you I was one of Pantheon's men?!"
He didn't even blink. Just sat back down in that same chair, bored as ever, and muttered,
"You're free to go. Not in my job description to kill someone just 'cause they ask for it. Now be off, would you?"
In disappointment, I walked over to my backpack, scooped it up in one smooth motion, slung it over my shoulders, and strolled through the gates like I owned the place. Confidence is a good mask for confusion, right? The guard didn't stop me, didn't even glance my way again. Either he was bluffing the whole time or just didn't care anymore. Either way, I wasn't about to look back.
Just as I started to relax, a voice cut through the air behind me.
"I've told you a million times—stop eavesdropping on my conversations."
A figure stepped out of the shadows, calm but clearly annoyed. Their cloak fluttered slightly as they moved into the light, revealing a unknown face—someone I didn't know in the slightest I wished to meet some new in the town, but not like this.
"I'll tell you what you want to know later," they said, eyes flicking toward the gate guard.
I blinked.
Well… that just raised so many more questions.
I didn't even think about questioning the shadowy figure. My instincts took over, and I bolted into the town without wasting another second. Questions could wait—right now, survival seemed smarter than curiosity.
Back at the gate, the tall woman who had stepped from the mage's shadow watched me disappear into the streets.
"Are you sure you want to let him go?" she asked, her voice calm but laced with concern. "He could bring chaos… even destruction to the town."
The mage didn't answer right away. Instead, he pulled out a slender pike, lit the end with a snap of his fingers, and took a slow drag, his eyes drifting toward the sky.
"Yes," he finally said, smoke curling from his lips.
The woman adjusted her glasses with a thoughtful push, her gaze sharpening.
"And did you see his arm?" she added, almost like she was trying to convince herself of what she'd seen. "That thing… looked like it could kill me."
The mage slowly lowered his gaze from the sky, stood up with deliberate calm, and asked in a quiet voice, "What do you think his name is?"
The woman stopped mid-step, clearly not expecting that. She turned around sharply, her eyes wide behind her glasses.
"You care more about his name right now?" she snapped, her voice rising in disbelief. "After what we just saw?"
He didn't flinch. Just gave a slow, firm nod, eyes narrowed with thought.
"It matters," he said simply, then his tone shifted, colder and more commanding. "Go back to the Duke. He probably needs you more than I do right now.
She turned away without a word, not offering even a glance of remorse toward the mage, and with a swift motion, slipped back into the shadows like she was never there to begin with. Her departure was so silent, so seamless, it almost felt like she'd dissolved into the wind. The mage didn't chase after her. He simply stood there, staring ahead, lost in whatever quiet storm was brewing in his head.
Meanwhile, I had finally put some distance between myself and those strange figures. After weaving through trees, stumbling down dirt paths, and sprinting past confused travelers, I reached the one place I had been aiming for—Tersina.
The city stood tall before me, its old stone walls glowing faintly in the setting sun. Spires poked through the sky like jagged teeth, and the streets hummed with life. Despite how exhausted I was, just seeing it filled me with this weird sense of... hope? Maybe even excitement.
"I'm finally here… after all this time," I muttered, voice shaky from all the running. My chest heaved, my legs trembling under the weight of my gear. But I didn't stop for long.
I caught my breath, straightened up, and smirked.
"Alright then… time to find that companion of mine."
I remembered what Val had told me in the piece of paper —"You'll find my apprentice the same way you found me." But honestly, I wasn't sure if Val realized I'd found him by completely dumb luck. Like, literally tripping-over-a-tree-root kind of luck. There had been no divine signs, no fancy detection magic, just me getting lost and accidentally stumbling into him while trying to get back to the inn.
So yeah, not exactly a reliable method.
Still, I took a deep breath and looked around, trying to feel something—anything—that might lead me to this so-called apprentice. Maybe a shift in the air, a strange noise, someone glaring at me suspiciously from the shadows?
Nothing.
As expected, this mystical "gut feeling" strategy wasn't exactly proving effective. The streets of Tersina were buzzing with life—vendors shouting over each other, kids weaving through crowds, and guards patrolling lazily with that half-bored expression only city guards seem to perfect. If Val's apprentice was here, they were either really well hidden or just blending in like a master.
I sighed, adjusted the strap on my backpack, and muttered, "Alright, guess we're doing this the hard way."
I spent the better part of the afternoon peeking into every single dark alley I could find, half-expecting some hooded figure to dramatically reveal themselves as Val's apprentice. To absolutely no one's surprise—not even mine—I found nothing but stray cats, trash bins, and a guy snoring against a barrel.
Still, I kept pushing on, because hey—if I can't find the person, I might as well be able to say I tried. That counts for something, right?
Eventually, desperation crept in. I started asking the locals if they knew anyone named "Valkadis." Most of them either stared blankly or gave a subtle, disapproving shake of the head like I'd just asked about a banned religion. One old man even spat on the ground. So yeah—solid lead there.
As daylight began to slip behind the rooftops, I realized I had absolutely nothing to show for my efforts. No apprentice, no clues, not even a decent snack break.
With a heavy sigh, I decided to call it for the day. Rest up, regroup, and figure things out tomorrow.
Who knows—maybe it'll take days. Or maybe they'll just fall out of the sky and land on me. At this point, I wouldn't rule anything out.
Just when I was about to lose all hope, a faint light shimmered from the corner of a nearby alley—the same kind of glow I saw when I first met Val.
Without a moment's hesitation, I sprinted toward it, pouring every last drop of strength into my legs, and hurled myself into the dark alley without thinking twice.
I expected to find someone waiting inside… but there was nothing. No figures. No shadows. Just a spotless, dustless space that looked more like a showroom than a back alley. The walls even shimmered a little. Creepy.
Still out of breath, I called out.
"Hellooo?! Anyone there, or is everyone here just dead?!"
THUD.
A human-shaped meteor dropped from the sky and landed squarely on my back, knocking the air out of my lungs and nearly snapping my spine.
"HAHA!" the man roared above me, clearly unfazed. "Greetings, peasant! I am Kelgar Ironpick, better known as Kel, the glorious apprentice of the legendary dwarf—Valkadis!"
I groaned under his weight, already regretting everything.
Of course. Of course this was how I found him. The universe loves messing with me. I always stumble into the most random crap—and no, I still do not like it.