Gate of Tyelven City.
The luxurious horse-drawn carriage they were riding in slowed, its wheels creaking softly on the packed dirt road as it approached the main gate of Tyelven. The air outside was hot and dry, filled with dust kicked up by the coastal wind. Fyar peeked out the window, seeing a long line of vehicles and pedestrians in front of them. There were merchants’ carts laden with goods and adventurers in worn leather armor.
The gate itself was a magnificent structure made of cream-colored sandstone blocks, carved with reliefs of horses. A giant horseshoe arch served as the main entrance, flanked by two sturdy, square guard towers. They spent at least thirty minutes in the noisy queue, amidst chatter in various languages and the smell of sweat and dust.
Finally, it was their turn. A few guards in light armor signaled for their carriage to stop.
Zaefal, acting as the driver, calmly handed over Lady Illya’s travel documents, which bore an official noble seal, along with three fake adventurer cards for her "guards." A heavily bearded guard took the documents. His sharp eyes inspected every detail on the cards, then occasionally glanced at the carriage, which was made of polished mahogany with gold trim.
The guard’s eyes narrowed when he saw the high levels on Zaefal’s and Rasie’s cards. He then leaned in to look inside the carriage, seeing Illya sitting gracefully. The guard gave Zaefal a short nod.
"Purpose of your visit?" he asked, his voice flat and hoarse.
"Lady Illya is exploring investment opportunities in Tyelven," Zaefal answered calmly.
The guard observed them once more, his gaze pausing for a moment on Fyar and Rasie inside. He then turned to his colleague and gave a subtle nod before looking back at Zaefal. "Seventy gold coins."
Zaefal nodded slightly, picking up a thick leather pouch that was prepared beside him. A soft clinking sound was heard as he handed it over. After feeling the weight of the pouch, the guard signaled to his colleague to open the way. "Welcome to Tyelven."
The carriage moved forward through the gate. After they were a considerable distance away, the gate guard turned to his colleague. "Report to Martis."
Once inside, the atmosphere changed completely. The air was warmer and more humid, carrying the scent of salt from the sea, exotic spices, and grilled fish. The sight before them was a dense port city. The buildings were made of sturdy cream-colored stone, with simple archways for the doors of shops. The wider streets were now filled with pedestrians. Humans were the majority, but there were also some Elves with elegant, pointed ears and heavily bearded Dwarves walking about. Their clothing was varied: long, colorful robes, turbans wrapped around their heads, and practical tunics with intricate embroidery.
The carriage stopped at a busy intersection. Here, the road split in two: one leading to a more prosperous district, and the other to an area that looked more squalid and crowded.
Fyar, carrying only a single shoulder bag, let out a long sigh. He smiled at Rasie and Illya. "Take care of yourself, Illya. Take care of yourself, Rasie."
Illya stared at Fyar for a few seconds. She then moved forward and hugged him tightly. Fyar could feel the warmth of the girl’s body and the faint scent of lilies from her hair. "You take care too, Fyar," Illya whispered right into his ear. "Please, don’t be reckless. Don’t die. Most importantly, don’t die okay?? dont die!."
Fyar gently patted Illya’s back. "I understand illya."
After releasing the hug, Fyar looked at Rasie. "I’m heading out now."
The red-haired woman was silent for a moment. She let out a long sigh, a wry smile formed on her lips.
"Good luck, purple hair."
Fyar gave a slight nod and exited the carriage. He looked up at Zaefal, who was sitting in the driver’s seat. "We’ll meet in three weeks."
"Be careful, Fyar," Zaefal said softly, his face serious. "Contact me via if there’s any trouble...don’t do anything stupid"
Fyar laughed lightly then nodded. "I understand, I won’t do anything stupid.. "
His figure, clad in a long black coat, immediately turned and disappeared into the crowd of people moving toward the denser districts. The luxurious carriage then turned, taking the wider road toward the city center.
The carriage stopped in front of a grand inn named "Outgal" in the "Stone Town" district. The building had a clean, white marble facade with tall pillars and elegant arched windows. The streets here were cleaner, and the people passing by wore clothes of the finest silk and cotton.
Rasie disembarked first. She scanned the surroundings with an admiring look. "Heeh... not bad," she muttered. She then strode into the lobby.
The inn’s lobby was vast. Its floors were made of polished, cream-colored marble that reflected the golden light from magnificent crystal chandeliers. A grand staircase with a carved banister curved gracefully to the upper floors. A few wealthy guests were talking in low voices in a corner.
Zaefal calmly helped the driver unload the luggage. Rasie approached the reception desk and tapped the bell on top of it.
"I need your best suite like best of it," Rasie said, her tone demanding. "Three bedrooms, and um..one private room. For... Lady Illya and her guards!. For one month!."
The receptionist, who had already noticed their luxurious carriage outside, immediately bowed respectfully. "Of course, Ma’am. We will prepare it right away. The total will be three hundred and sixty gold coins."
Rasie’s eyes widened slightly, but she quickly masked her surprise with a light cough as she handed over a heavy pouch of coins.
the fuck?... so expensive... what do the people who stay here even do for a living!!?, UGH... Good thing this mission is funded by the kingdom...
Illya entered last, walking through the lobby gracefully without a glance at her surroundings.
A few minutes later, they were in a luxurious suite on the top floor. The room was very spacious, with a high, vaulted ceiling and elegant dark wood furniture. A plush green velvet sofa was placed in front of a stone fireplace, and a thick, intricately patterned carpet covered most of the wooden floor.
"so this is what it feels like to be rich... not bad. not bad" Rasie said, throwing herself onto the sofa and stretching her arms out with an expression of awe.
From the large, arched window at the end of the room, they could see the view of Tyelven city. The orderly streets of "Stone Town," the rooftops of other grand buildings, and in the distance, the blue ocean sparkling under the sun. The scent of the sea and the faint sound of ships from the port reached their ears.
Zaefal stood near the window, unfolding a city map. Illya began to take her gowns out of her chest. After lazing about, the girl sat up straight and began to sharpen her sword with an oilcloth.
"So... we just wait now?" Rasie asked, her eyes turning to Zaefal.
"yeah...we just wait for now..they’ve surely reported our presence to Martis by now," Zaefal answered, his eyes still focused on the map in his hands.
"you know.... I kinda worried about the purple-haired doing," Rasie said, rubbing her sword with faster motions.
Zaefal’s eyes narrowed. "I am too, actually. he could die if he was careless...the risk he took was huge."
"But he was the one who insisted on this role, wasn’t he right? right zaefal?" Rasie said, pausing her sharpening for a moment to look at Zaefal.
Illya, who was taking out a gown, stopped her movements. "i-I think... he wanted to take the biggest risk so he wouldn’t have to put you two in danger," she said softly.
"yeah...you right ilya... but.. we have no choice but trust him," Zaefal said, finally folding the map.
At the same time, in the "Dark Town" district...
Fyar, now wearing a coarse cotton shirt and worn-out cargo pants, pushed open the door of a rundown tavern. The music stopped. Several people with unfriendly gazes turned toward him. The air inside was stuffy, smelling of spilled beer and smoke.
Fyar ignored them. He walked to the bar, ordered the cheapest drink, and then sat in the darkest chair in the corner.
in the end...I’m back again... trying to get rid of these habits since I came here. Trying to act like a normal person.... But it seems I can’t run from my true nature, heh, he thought, taking an occasional sip of his beer.
From there, his eyes began to observe everyone. He saw a few middle-aged men in dirty clothes. At another table, a group of younger men in scratched leather armor. Then, his eyes caught something new. One of the patrons sitting alone at the bar had green skin and long, pointed ears.
A goblin. This is the first time I’ve seen one, Fyar thought to himself.