Ashen Metalworks
“Okay, boy. Here is the rundown. We officially crossed the border of the Kingdom of Cobalt two days ago. It was mostly on foot, so we did a good job reaching the Kingdom of Stricks. Now, it will take us approximately two months to get to Dains by foot, passing by at least a dozen kingdoms on our way, however, we have to be weary because not all of those kingdoms are good.” I said, looking at my travel companion for confirmation.
As usual, he just looked at me and started giggling. Had he not been so small and weak, I would have surely left him alone a long time ago.
“Yes, yes, I got it. You can laugh. Now, how about you try talking?” I said, looking at him smugly. He simply started giggling again.
I wanted to cut my ears off, just listening to this boy, but I held on and picked his basket back up.
“So like I was saying, it would be a waste to do it this way. So, we shall get a carriage once we formally enter Strick’s border. A passing merchant or group of adventurers may allow us to hitch a ride if we ask. Any issues with the plan?” I said, looking at him. I heard no sounds at all.
“Good. Let’s get moving then.” I said and started making my way to the extremely tall border walls of Stricks. According to the people of Stricks, the walls have never been damaged and they were there before the kingdom itself formed.
Once we got reasonably close, they became partially visible. The walls easily towered over the tallest trees several times over. Marvels of a lost age, and yet they look like they had just been built.
But that’s not at all. The air you get from simply looking at them is unrivaled. They were indeed the daunting sight everyone makes them out to be. In fact, I doubt my kingdom could even take this fortress-like kingdom down unless we somehow managed to sneak inside.
I looked over at the boy and he was staring at them as well.
“Did you know, these walls were here before the kingdom itself was built inside of it? In fact, these walls were once called the ‘Walls of the stricken’ since no kingdom that has attacked this one, has ever been able to take it down. That’s how it got the name ‘Stricks’. Pretty unnerving, isn’t it?” I said, looking at the silent figure lying in the basket.
He remained focused on the looming sight, even as I was speaking.
“Contrary to what you might be prompted to think, the people inside are friendly when it comes to visitors, so all we have to do is be on our best behavior. If you understand that much at least, keep your mouth shut and I will do all of the talking. I can handle it by myself.” I said, and he was focused on me. He then proceeded to giggle, as if making fun of me once again. I strapped his basket to my back, and under the cloak I had. I am in no mood to deal with him right now.
I ignored him and continued on. The faster I get this sorry excuse for a mission over, the better. I’m babysitting a damn child. I mean, can you fucking believe it?
Me, out of everyone in the damn Southern Region! What sort of shitty luck is this?
Next time I see that geezer Gabe, I will skin him alive. Just thinking about how I could punish him gets my heart pounding. I felt energized and continued at a faster pace until I finally reached the capital’s gates.
“Halt! Introduce yourself, and present your purpose.” Said two female guards in unison. Their swords were tied to their sides, and their hands were lightly resting on the hilts.
“I am a traveler, Ash, and I’m here to look for a ride to get me home, to the Kingdom of Dains,” I said, slightly lying.
“A traveler with two swords? You look like you could make it there on your own.” Said the taller guard, inching closer to me and placing her entire hand on the handle of her sword.
“I could, but it would be extremely dangerous and the faster I get there, the better,” I said, trying to appear as harmless as possible.
“Denied. We have no proof that you are truly peaceful. If you still wish to persist, then we will have no choice but to-”
Just then, loud giggles interrupted us, and I quickly released the basket so they wouldn’t get the wrong picture.
“This is my grandson, Tristan. He was just playing around back there. Please excuse him.” I said, and he started moving his hands around and making weird sounds, all excited when he looked at the woman.
“Oh. You weren’t traveling alone! Then those weapons were probably meant to protect the two of you. Out of curiosity, where did you two come from?” Asked the tall guard. I took the opportunity that presented itself before me.
“From Cobalt! A great war just occurred there between Cobalt and Golddew. We nearly got caught up in it.” I said, and the tall guard just shook her head as if she understood everything.
“Golddew. Nothing good ever comes out of that hell hole on earth. No one there is good, and they only care about wars, wars, and more wars.” She said, insulting me indirectly.
However, I didn’t care at the moment as I shook my head in agreement with her statement.
“Well, I’m glad you made it out safely, both of you. Now, please keep weapon usage to a minimum. The people here are kind, so you and your grandchild will be safe. Enjoy the rest of your day and may you get home safely.” Said the short one of the two. I nodded and picked the basket up as they waved at the child, then we finally entered the bustling walls, where we were inspected thoroughly before being allowed entry.
I looked over my belongings and hid anything remotely evil-looking, and then I picked the boy up. He was looking at me, smiling, as if he was saying ‘I saved your ass out there. You should thank me.’
“You got lucky, that’s all,” I replied and ignored him as I made my way to the Adventurers Guild.
“I forgot to inform you. We have a slight change of plans. We will go with Adventurers, not merchants. I would like to still have some money left with me once I reach Dains.” I said and didn’t listen for a reply on his end.
The area near the end of the gates was devoid of people, and I recall that the capital stretches out for miles on end. I have never been here before, but I have heard that it was quite a popular kingdom, but in reality, I believe it might just be overrated.
However, once we crossed the wall and finally entered the capital, I saw it.
Now I understand why this kingdom was so popular. Everything made sense.
At the very center of the capital, a column-like building towered over everything, save for the walls. It was covered in vines, yet so beautifully clean that it was hard to tell its age.
I stood there, gaping at the unreal sight before. It was a living legend, no, it was what made living legends! The sort of place you would hear stories about. This was it.
A Labyrinth.
It was like the heart of this kingdom. I didn’t even know about its existence! I mean, even rumors about Labyrinths spread everywhere, yet I have never heard mention of one here!
I was at an utter loss for words as I simply stared at it.
“Move, old man.” Said some guard, as he pushed past me to lead some middle-aged man to the gate behind me.
“Are you seeing this, boy? Do you understand how unbelievable this sight is?” I said, and when I looked over at him, he looked like he was trying to sleep but at the same time forcing himself to stay up.
“Forget it,” I said, quickly getting over my amazement. Children have quite a sobering effect on you.
I sighed and followed the signs to the Adventurers Guild. Since there’s Labyrinth here, the chapter of the Adventurers Guild here must be quite large.
This was further supported by the number of adventurers I could spot, just on my walk through the market.
“Sir! Would you be interested in the legendary sword of-”
“No, thank you,” I said succinctly.
“Have some fresh cider here, old ma-”
“No thanks.”
“Pots here are some of the best in the Souther-”
“Not interested,” I said, and I moved away from the approaching crowd of salesmen and women, giving them ample room to attack the poor people who entered the town after me.
“Boy. These merchants are like flies drawn to shit. They can’t help but swarm around it.” I said, then I laughed at how accurate the analogy was. He made a weird face that basically said, ‘you just called yourself shit.’
“How clever of you,” I mumbled, and then turned away.
“Anyhow, remember that crowds like this one are often the most dangerous. Anyone can slip through unnoticed, and kill someone.” I said, and he seemed to be paying attention.
“Well, I’m glad you are interested now, but I don’t have much more to say on this topic. Now, we need to focus on locating the Adventurers Guild. It will most likely be some sort of large, and extravagantly decorated building thanks to the presence of that Labyrinth.” I said, sparing that otherworldly structure one more glance before moving forward.
I walked from vendor to vendor before finally receiving useful information, and thankfully, the one who gave it to me was polite enough to not ask for money or haggle as the rest did.
The Adventurers Guild building turned out to be the second-largest building in the kingdom, with the Castle obviously being first. It was also facing the Labyrinth’s entrance, so the directions there were obvious.
The only issue, however, was the unbelievably large amount of adventurers standing around when I tried to get closer. I circulated a little mana into my legs and jumped on top of the closest roof.
From there, I hopped from roof to roof without being seen, and eventually, I saw the entrance of the Labyrinth.
I hopped back down and made my way to the entrance of the Guild.
It was an astounding sight.
I have seen quite a few castles in my lifetime, but none of them compared to the Adventurer Guild before me. It was painted in the same colors as the Labyrinth, looking like its much shorter, and slightly fatter sibling. However, it was the most beautiful building of its size that I have ever seen. It was a clear, white building with golden pillars holding it up. The marks drawn on the walls were the exact same as those on the Labyrinth. I admired its beauty for a minute longer before finally making my way to its entrance.
I walked up the stairs and pulled on the heavy wooden doors, and everything just hit me at once.
The smells and sounds of a rundown bar, yet the refined air of a wealthy establishment.
“Ahh, I’m back,” I said contentedly. The closest people to me heard me, got up, and then slapped me on the back, laughing.
“This is certainly the Adventurers Guild,” I said with satisfaction. I let the doors close behind me as I made my way to the employee working at the only really desk in this bar-like room.
A young, blonde lady. Her hair was tied into a neat bun and she wore a kind smile and the adventurer uniform for women.
“Hello. My name is Christie, how may I be of service to you today?” She said.
“Hello, my name is Ashen. I am an A-rank adventurer.” I said as I brought out my ID. I only got the ID nearly a decade ago because my king ordered us to do so, but I never truly utilized it.
“Ahh! Welcome back, great adventurer! Since you are already a member, a high-ranking one at that, would you like free accommodations for the night? Only A-rank and above get those privileges. Or are you here to increase your rank?” She said, as she quickly inspected my ID.
“Neither, actually. I was wondering if any group here was going to make their journey further south, near Dains if possible.” I said, and she nodded, understanding.
“I can certainly look, but I would suggest that you don't get your hopes up. In a few hours, a large scale party of nearly 20,000 warriors will be attempting the Labyrinth of Knowledge.” She said.
“Labyrinth of Knowledge?”
“That is the official name given to the Labyrinth outside. It was inspected by one of the 12 domains, so you can be sure that it is genuine. They, however, could not tell what sort of vast treasures or monsters lay inside!” She said, getting all excited.
“A large-scale force tried a few years ago, but none of them ever returned. I believe it was around a thousand normal men and adventurers combined. This time, however, it’s going to be different. The men will be led by the army, so it will be 10,000 from our side and 10,000 from the army. We have high hopes for them.” She added, and I nodded.
“That sounds lovely. May it end well for both sides.” I said, and she nodded. Then, she pulled out a key and handed it to me.
“Room number is on the key. Once I have found a suitable group for you to join, I will inform you. There are workers everywhere here who can tend to your needs as long as you call on them. Please enjoy your stay here, Master Ashen! I hope you decide to hang around for a while, as real warriors are far and few between.” She said as she bowed once. I didn't quite understand what she meant, but I still nodded once more and then left with the child to our room.
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