Batom sat on a thick tree stump—possibly an elm or beech, both common in the Golan-Elsen area. His feet were planted on the intertwined roots, and he couldn't help but sneeze. The seasoned mercenary rubbed his nose, then looked up in disbelief. Content originally comes from NoveI(F)ire.net
This was an abandoned logging site on the outskirts of Brags. Sparse tree stumps dotted the outskirts of the forest, but most of the lumber came from upstream along the Yu Song River, where people processed the logs that had drifted down. The corner of a lumber mill was hidden behind a nearby pine forest; from this direction, only a part of the building was visible.
The time was nearing the first moonrise, the initial tide of magic power. It was the phase called 'Sleep of All Things' by the Matatania people—during which travel mages could only cast cards of 'blue,' 'black,' 'grey,' 'green,' and 'white.' They usually set up defenses and lay counterattack traps during this period.
As the silver crescent moon appeared above the pines, Brand saw the last few birds fluttering through the shadowy forest before everything fell silent, save for the occasional call of a distant night owl.
Brags City was far to the north. From the edge of the forest, one could see a dazzling array of lights along the greyish northern hills, like a net of sparkling pearls woven from fallen stars on the dark ground.
Brand was not unfamiliar with this place; as a child, he practiced swordsmanship here with his grandfather each morning. To another soul, this location would become a thieves' guild hideout about seven years later—when the Regent Princess cracked down on illegal merchants, the underground auction market in the city temporarily relocated here.
However, that was many days away, leaving a sepia-toned feeling in memory, like an old photograph. Brand felt a bit dazed, unable to tell whether those were past or future memories.
Antitina stood restlessly in the night, wearing a beautiful moon-white dress. She had never been to the outskirts of Brags this late before. Even as a noblewoman's daughter, she rarely joined young ladies' outings.
Antitina always thought of herself as a bit reclusive but also proudly believed it was because she had more insight than those other shallow young ladies.
She stared at the silver moon above the pines. The darkness of the forest made her nervous but also vaguely curious—it was as if the adventurer's romanticism and the thrill of the unknown had taken root in her heart, making her want to stay with these people.
This life was new and full of unknowns for her.
But the lady pushed aside her girlish sentiments, took a deep breath to steady herself, and responded to Batom, "I think if Test isn't testing us, then the All Things Return to One is planning something, and they need us to draw the nobles' attention. Of course, I think it's more likely that both are true."
"Perfect, Lord. We better not get involved with those devils in human skin," Batom said loudly from the stump. "Now that the noble-skinned menace isn't here, he can't threaten any of us. Didn't you say you wanted to go to Jandener, Lord? Let's go together! Far away, let's see what he can do about it."
Hearing Batom, Antitina looked at Brand. She just learned today that Brand's true identity wasn't just a high-ranking member of the recently renowned mercenary group but the mastermind behind it, adding to his mystery in her eyes.
What solidified her resolve even more was discovering that Viscount Test, who had been secretly searching for her, was part of the All Things Return to One organization. In Elune, along the Abyss Sea coast, this group was notorious, so much so that hearing the name almost made her turn pale.
Despite wondering if Brand might lie to her, this young Knight seemed to have no reason to.