TL: Etude New ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄhapters are published on NoveIＦire.net
In September, the Northwestern Bay began to feel the onset of autumn. The mountains were slowly draped in shades of gold and orange, and farmers busily harvested their crops in the fields, preparing for the long winter ahead.
On a road in the territory of Count Alda, leading from south to north towards Lakeheart Town, a convoy was making its slow journey. This group was the first batch of craftsmen that Queller Foster had recruited for his good friend Paul, along with a trading group from his family. They had taken a ship from Horn Bay, avoiding the war-torn areas in the south of the Kingdom of Ordo, and landed on the west coast of the kingdom. From there, they headed north by land to the northwestern region of the kingdom.
Escorting the group was the Lichman Adventure Team, fully mobilized for this mission.
“How did I end up with such a useless son!” bellowed Marquis Foster, a member of the Horn Bay Alliance Council, in his mansion, his face a mix of sorrow and anger.
Standing beside him was his second son, Queller Foster, wearing an expression of grievance. Queller retorted, “Dad! It’s just a few days I sneaked out. Is it worth getting so angry about?”
Marquis Foster glared at his son and said, “We’ll settle the matter of your leaving without notice later. First, explain this foolish thing you’ve done!” He carefully waved a porcelain plate in front of Queller.
Queller, puzzled, replied, “It’s a gift from a friend. He asked me to promote it. He plans to sell it in the south. I know it’s valuable, so I brought it to you, an expert in business, to estimate its price. How is this foolish?”
Marquis Foster carefully placed the plate on the table, then slapped his son’s forehead, speaking in a tone of frustration, “How could the family’s business acumen vanish completely in you? You should have secured the exclusive rights to it right then and there!”
Realization dawned on Queller, “Oh… so that’s what you’re upset about.”
Seeing his son finally understand, the Marquis grew even angrier, berating him. “You’re utterly unlearned, only knowing how to wander about! Your brother was making deals at 15. And you, at twenty, have achieved nothing.”
Queller, indifferent as usual, let his father’s words go in one ear and out the other.
Tired from the scolding, Marquis Foster reached for his cup to wet his throat, but then remembered something more pressing than lecturing his son. “Quickly, take a trading group to the Northwestern Bay and secure the rights to this ‘porcelain’ and that new type of paper. These are promising commodities. Oh, and your Count friend needs shipbuilders, right? Start recruiting now. Get as many as he needs; pull some from our family shipyard if necessary.”
Queller casually agreed, “Alright, alright, Father, please calm down.”
Seeing his son’s unhurried demeanor, Marquis Foster exploded, “Go now!!!”
Queller complained, “Come on, I just got home. Can’t I rest for a few days?”
However, seeing his father about to throw the cup at his face, he quickly scampered off to carry out the task.
The members of the Lichman Adventure Team received their payment for the mission from the Adventurers’ Guild.
The team leader, Meru, was very pleased, holding a bag of money and suggesting, “This mission was a close call, but we made it through safely. Let’s go to a gourmet restaurant and have a big meal.”
The group agreed enthusiastically, searching for a gourmet restaurant on the bustling streets. Suddenly, there was commotion on the street, and pedestrians quickly moved to the sides, leaving the center of the street clear. The members of the adventure team also moved to the side of the road.
Dean, a member of the team, tugged at a passerby’s sleeve and asked, “Excuse me, we’re new here and unfamiliar with this place. What’s happening?”
The passerby turned and said, “A few days ago, the court captured a witch. She’s about to be burned at the stake!”
Dean was shocked and instinctively glanced at his companion, Ladi, who had turned deathly pale at the news.
The witch hunts, initiated by the Church, were the largest and most enduring campaigns of their kind. Dean knew that at the height of the hysteria, the city-state of Messiah alone had burned more than 400 people suspected of witchcraft in a single year. The prolonged witch hunts had caused numerous tragedies, and even the Church had to admit to and redress many cases of injustice and wrongful conviction.
For a time, a few scholars and nobles had boldly criticized the witch hunts, and with the rise of the Enlightened faction within the Church, the hunts had waned. But in recent years, they had resurged, ironically in the supposedly more enlightened southern countries.
As the prisoner’s wagon, escorted by Church knights, slowly passed through the street, people threw stones at it. The wagon held a disheveled woman, chained and with lifeless eyes visible only through her matted hair, indifferent to the stones that added new wounds to her already battered body.
The wagon continued towards the central square where the stake was ready, sealing the woman’s fate.
Ladi tugged at Meru’s sleeve and whispered, “Let’s go, Meru…”
Meru firmly grasped her hand and whispered back, “Don’t be afraid, we will always protect you.”
After witnessing such an event, the group lost their appetite and returned to their inn.
Upon entering the inn, they encountered a familiar figure.
“Brothers and sisters of the Lichman Adventure Team, long time no see! I’ve missed you all!” exclaimed Queller, hugging two of the male members of the team.
Meru, the team leader, replied with a resigned smile, “Hey, hey, hey! Lord Foster, we only parted for half a day!”
Queller laughed off the detail and then noticed their grim expressions, “What’s with the faces, as if you’ve just recovered from a serious illness?”
Meru asked, “What brings you to us, Queller? We’re about to leave this city.”
Queller snapped his fingers, “That’s why I hurried to find you. I have an urgent mission for you.”
“What mission?” they asked.
Queller pointed northward, “My father wants me to lead a trading group to the Northwestern Bay again. Would you be willing to escort us there? Name your price.”
Meru’s interest was piqued, not just for the money but also because she wanted to lead her team away from the south and the recent resurgence of witch hunts.
After a quick glance and mutual understanding with Dean and Kade, the other members, they agreed.
Meru responded, “Alright, Lord Queller. But just a few of us won’t be enough for a whole trading group. We’ll need to gather a few more team members before we can set off.”
Queller, delighted, said, “I need some time too, so it’s settled then!”