The caravan still hadn't arrived. However, since I had two guides, it didn't matter.
Having tied the horse's reins to my saddle, I led my Skuns out onto the road and jumped into the saddle. The half-breeds followed me out.
- You know the way to the city, right? By the way, is it long?
Haalen, hiding something in his inside pocket, replied:
"Of course, highborn, that's part of why we're here. If you're in a hurry, we can get there in two hours, and if you're not too hasty, we'll be there by lunchtime."
I wave my hand invitingly in front of me. The half-breed nods reservedly and urges his horse on. I follow him. Esvi silently falls in behind me.
The horse carries me easily along the deserted road. Apparently, the healing spells I cast on him have had a positive effect on his well-being.
The road is surrounded by forest on both sides, sometimes closing off into a veritable tunnel. The rays of the rising sun only occasionally break through the foliage, darting toward me before plunging back to the ground.
We passed the clearing where the bandits had ambushed the caravan. The bodies were gone, and the only reminders of what had happened were pools of dried blood, imprinted with human bootprints and horse hooves. Judging by the fact that the half-breeds weren't the least bit bothered by the absence of bodies, the baron's men had taken them.
Having noted this, I began to think about what name to take for myself. At least temporarily: there was truth in the half-breed's words. But what if I don't remember it? What then? Should I live without a name?
When I started thinking about a name, I immediately remembered certain rules for composing them. For example, 'el' meant 'to give', and 'il' meant 'to take'. Therefore, to understand an elf's name, you had to start reading it from the end. For some reason, 'Ilthariel' immediately spun through my mind - 'giver-focus-life'. But that's too strong. Imagine me also 'giving life'? It's funny and sad at the same time. 'Ilrruil' would be better - it seems to mean 'life-taker'. I've killed too many.
Suddenly, the road turned sharply and brought us out onto a wide, cobbled and gravel road. A large detachment of armed horsemen was slowly moving along it. We stopped to let them pass. Had the Baron raised the alarm? That was good.
A snow-white knight in carved, raven armor led them. A large shield was strapped to his saddle on the left side, and a long two-handed sword in a scabbard on the right. Under his piercing gaze, I pulled my hood down even further. Interestingly, the half-breeds followed my example. It occurred to me that, judging by everything, it wasn't just the elves who disliked them, but the humans as well. At least, some of them.
The soldiers following the knight moved in a column in organized pairs. Their weapons were the same as those of their commander, differing only in their simplicity.
After waiting for them to pass, we turned and followed them, but more slowly, gradually falling behind them, which indirectly confirmed my assumption.
I urged the horse on slightly, and when he caught up with the half-breed, who turned around questioningly, I asked him:
- Haalen, is the baron a good person in general?
"Not bad," he shrugged and continued, "Better than most. Fairly honest and quite open. The townspeople love him. And he has unshakable authority among the soldiers."
When he fell silent, I continued my questioning:
- And what about the rest of you?
Haalen glanced at me sideways:
"The merchants and officials don't like him. Some even hate him fiercely. And there are those who envy him even beyond our barony."
- Hmm... - I thought: - Did I understand correctly that the baron might end up without support from within the kingdom?
The half-breed shook his head slightly:
"It's unlikely it will come to that. In any case, King Henry, as overlord, will not allow his kingdom to be devoured piecemeal. Besides, Istra is well fortified and the garrison is quite large..."
I interrupted him with a snort:
"During the Twilight War, the number of soldiers was absolutely irrelevant - a good human Archmage could reduce a thousand ordinary soldiers to rubble. After which he would retreat and, returning with full reserves, destroy another thousand. I won't even mention the Archmages - Tassekar the Ashbringer burned the Old Capital of the Tair Empire practically single-handedly. I, Haalen, saw with my own eyes how over a million ordinary citizens, merchants, and soldiers perished in the Firestorm..." I glanced at the half-breed from under my hood and said, "Don't tell me about the size of the garrison. The outcome of wars has always been decided by mages. So answer me: how many mages can Baron Tur and your kingdom field? And do you have Archmages?"
"In our kingdom, there are," Haalen nodded. "Two. Renal the Creator and Sven the Light."
- Hm. Unfamiliar names... - I said thoughtfully.
Haalen shrugged.
- As far as I know, there is not a single magician left who lived through the Dark Ages.
- Hm? - I was surprised: - In my time, there were a dime a dozen mages older than two thousand years. And how many Masters were there?
- Six. Three at the Academy, and the rest scattered across the duchies.
I narrowed my eyes:
"So the baron doesn't even have a single Magister right now? So what magical support does he have?"
"There are currently two Archmages in Seaburn Castle—Evirn and Kessel—and their apprentices. Among other things, the Summoner Kaun practices in the city."
- Not enough. And how many students do they have?
- Evirn has two - Lau and Otira, you saw them recently...
I interrupted him, exclaiming:
- These two weaklings? I have more Earth Elemental power than both of them!
Haalen looked at me sideways, surprised and even a little reproachfully:
"Lightborn, you shouldn't compare yourself to others. You yourself said you're over two thousand years old, which means..." He paused meaningfully.
- Well... - I shrugged: - And this Kessel? And what is this 'Summoner'?
"Kessell has three. While Evirn has a strong Earth Element, Kessell and his students have an Air Element. The Summoner specializes in summoning demons and other creatures. Lord Kaun is a Summoner of the highest order: it's said that during his assessment, he managed to summon a Water Elemental."
I sighed:
- Water Elemental. At least something. But not much. What about Zarzan's mages?
The half-breed hunched over:
"I was there ten years ago and heard about four Archmages. Now they're saying they've got another one."
- In other words, if they hit you, they'll crush you. I wonder. What about the allies?
"There are no obvious friends among the Kingdoms. Rather, they are all enemies, waiting for their neighbors to weaken."
Something is thrashing around on the edge of my consciousness, giving me no peace. Some thought. A very dangerous one. It reeks of blood and fear. Here it is.
Turning to Haalen, I asked:
- By the way, how are the dark elves?
Haalen shrugged.
- They say they're having some troubles too. Apparently it's related to the Deep.
I echoed:
"The Depth... This is all very strange. For two thousand years, the throne of the Great Forest has been empty, and now suddenly the Princes are stirring. And the only ones who can sway them are the Dark Ones. But they, as you said, are out of the picture. Because of the Depth..."
I was lost in thought, going through my few recovered memories of the times when I had the chance to visit the territory of the dark elves, when Haalen asked me:
- And what was it like during the Twilight War?
At first I didn't even want to respond to this question, but then I thought that by telling the story, maybe I'll remember something else.
"Very bloody and dirty. A kingdom of hopelessness. Madness reigned everywhere. Those of the light elves who did not become like me went mad... They lost their sane attitude towards the world. For many, it was unbearable to kill in such numbers as the situation demanded... The Ruler gave the order to attack the capital of the dark ones, Alehethorn. By the time we reached it, a third of the army was gone. But the exchange was one for one. The dark ones also got their fill. We tried to lay siege to Alehethorn, but then we realized that the city needed to be enclosed not just in a flat ring of troops, but in a true sphere. We were overextended, and the dark ones cut off our supplies. We were now in danger of being surrounded. Moreover, the dark ones began to tear the thin film of our troops like paper. We were running out of strength. We were forced to retreat. The retreat almost turned into a rout. Less than a quarter of the troops who went there ever made it out of those damned caves. But the dark ones were smarter than us, and having learned from our mistakes, they didn't want to enter our Forests and sent their people. I snorted sadly. "After we destroyed their army, the Twilight War gradually began to fade away..."
I fell silent and added silently: The Twilight War had faded, but its end exacerbated internal conflicts. And then Aviléa was killed. I don't remember who did it. We arrived too late. Although... There were many interested parties.
"The village of Livarna. It's already a suburb of the city of Istra," the half-breed said.
Waking up from my heavy thoughts, I looked up.
It turned out that the road led us to a wide clearing that led to a wooden palisade, in front of which a deep ditch had even been dug. Above the wide, open gates, a large wooden tower had been built, manned by two guards.
There were four guards standing on them, frowning and warily letting through a detachment of soldiers riding in front of us.
When we approached, one of them asked loudly:
- Who are you and where are you going?
The half-breed replied:
"We serve Baron Thor. I am Haalen. This is Esvi..." The half-breed turned to me questioningly and spread his arms expressively. "This is an elf from the Great Forest..."
I decided to help him and took off my hood, saying:
- Ilrruil.
The guard nodded:
- Well, good... I've heard about you, Haalen. Go ahead.
As we drove further, I asked:
- What, they won't search you? And what about your weapons?
"We're a border barony," Haalen shrugged and continued, "We're allowed to carry weapons. Besides, no one would even think of taking them from the elves. The baron's detachment of half-breeds is generally considered something of a special force, like scouts and rangers. There aren't many of us, and the baron values us. Besides, many of us are born with a fairly strong magical gift, and, for example, Tari, the girl you rescued in the caravan, is now heading to the capital for training."
The village was quite large. A stone road ran through its center and led to the high stone walls, already visible on the horizon. There were many people. And besides the numerous passersby, a veritable caravan of wagons with drivers and guards stood at one of the inns.
I suddenly sensed something a little off to the side. A feeling of something close, familiar. When I turned in that direction, I saw a light elf talking warily with a soldier. He was dressed in the practical attire of a hunter-raider—a leather jacket, over which were light leather armor and a cloak of dark, dark green fabric. His weapons intrigued me more—a sheath on his back, resembling a longbow, and a thick quiver of arrows. On his belt, I also noticed a short, curved sword in an intricately decorated scabbard and two long daggers.
I suppressed the fleeting thought of going out to chat—I never knew how the first person I met would react to me. Besides, I still couldn't remember my real name or what had happened these past two thousand years. Maybe I was some kind of wanted criminal? What could they be looking for me for? Even the circumstances of Aviléa's death.
Princess... Why did this happen? And who killed your mother, the all-powerful and beautiful Lady Irullel?
I glanced at my ring. I'd like to take it off, but I'm afraid I'll lose it. I need to find a chain, put the signet on it, and hang it around my neck. For now, I've been wearing it with the stone facing inward. But that's not right...
Hmm. And here are more elves - a whole trio of them were cheerfully talking about something, standing on the side of the road.
I internally probed their magical potential. Nothing special—not much mana, represented only by Life. Much weaker than me. Furthermore, they lacked any trace of that raging cocktail that churned within me, like hot lava yearning to burst forth from a volcano.
By the way, this is quite a riddle. I've put it off until later, but it needs to be explained somehow. To hell with the Elements. We'll manage. And there's nothing wrong with that. Elves sometimes have children with one or two Elements. True, I was born without any, but Elements—that's not so bad. The question is: how could a Light Elf have Death and Darkness as part of his magical gifts? And in such quantities?
My memory told me I'd only seen such a huge clot on dark elven priestesses. And very ancient and experienced ones at that...
Besides all this, I don't (at least not yet) know how to use all these facets of my gift. Yes, I can defend myself against the spells of these Forces and Elements, but it's one thing to see a Blademaster dance with his opponent and quite another to imitate that dance. Although, of course, I could experiment, but certainly not on the battlefield...
While I was lost in my thoughts, we drove through the village and came out on the other side through almost the same gates.
From here it was only about half a kilometer to the city wall.
The fortifications were impressive. Clearly the work of magicians. The crenellated walls were over fifty meters high. Massive towers with narrow loopholes jutted out from them. And near the tall wooden, iron-bound gates stood two barbican towers, connected to the main wall by protected walkways. A narrow moat ran in front of the walls.
On the one hand, the fortifications were very formidable and would have been extremely difficult to take with a regular army. However, spells can do anything: they can both create and destroy. Mages of all Elements and Forces are especially adept at killing.
For example, even back then, two thousand years ago, I could have easily breached this wall and broken down the gates. As I once did. True, back then, no enemy mages interfered. Now, I think the extent of my magical gift will allow me to overlook many of the conventionalities.
I could have struck from the Astral with impunity. There might have been problems with the summoner, though: he might summon another demon. Or even more than one.
A short line of carts and wagons stood at the gates. They were carrying everything into town: skeins of some kind of coarse cloth, grain, flour, live animals, and birds that looked like chickens.
Without stopping, we rode past them further and found ourselves in the shadow of a towering gatehouse. Here I saw a group of guards in polished armor, halberds in hand, intently examining yet another cart. Meanwhile, a man dressed in ordinary clothes, clutching a wad of scribbled paper, was questioning the driver.
Seeing us, a bearded guard in a pointed helmet stepped out onto the road in front of us and raised his palm in a stopping gesture:
- Stop! Who are you?
"Haalen and Esvi," my companion replied.
- Oh! I didn't recognize him. - the guard chuckled. - You half-breeds always wrap yourself in cloaks so tightly that you don't even recognize him. - He nodded gloomily. - Good. Did you hear? There was a massacre last night. Forty of our men were brought in dead during the night.
Haalen nodded:
- Yes, I know. We were there.
The guard perked up:
"Is it really like they say? Did the bandits really kill our people first, and then the elves killed them?"
The half-breed glanced at me and quietly said:
"Yes, that's how it was. One elf single-handedly shot down all the bandits, and left the leader and a couple of others for the baron. He himself went back into the forest."
The guard whistled and said almost gratefully:
- At least someone knows something, otherwise they are either keeping their mouths shut or are telling tall tales. - He glanced at me: - And who is this?
- Ilrruil, - I smiled, - From the Great Forest.
- What? - the guard glanced vaguely at me and my horses and waved his hand: - Okay. Proceed.
When he moved aside, we moved on and drove through the gate.
Beyond them lay a rather neat, large town with two- and three-story stone houses, closely packed together and with porches opening onto a wide, stone-paved street. The roofs of the houses were covered with clay tiles.
Overall, the city made a good impression. Compared to what I remembered, it was fairly clean and, to my elven nose, not particularly stinky.
As we slowly walked down the street, Haalen turned to me and asked:
- Where to next?
Are you concerned about me? Actually, I don't mind for now.
"I need a place to stay. In Istra there's..." He hesitated a bit. "...um...a neighborhood where the elves live? I also need to buy some small items that only our people can trade."
The half-breed shrugged:
"There's a small park area in the city, near which many half-breeds and even pure-bloods live. There are shops and stalls there. Besides, Istra has one of the largest transshipment markets in our kingdom, where you can buy weapons and other items, both related and ordinary, among other things. And since we border the Great Forest, naturally, you can find a lot of things at the market."
I chuckle:
- Good. If you've decided to take on the responsibilities of my escort, then lead the way.
Haalen glanced at me and said:
- Follow me.
I moved my horse after him.
My senses told me there were many elves and half-breeds around. Obeying him, I turned my head and saw representatives of our people everywhere.
Here's one, smiling politely, talking to a fruit vendor. Here are two, clad in light armor and with bows slung over their backs, hurrying past us. Here are two more elves, a man and a woman, dressed in soft green civilian clothes, leisurely walking down the street in the same direction as us.
But the feeling told me about another 'eternal' in the house on the second floor. And another. And another...
A border town. That's how it should be. If it were any different, I'd be surprised.
There were far fewer half-breeds. In fact, during the journey, I only sensed a few faint signals, well off to the side. And even then, I wasn't entirely sure about them.
Meanwhile, we turned onto a narrow street and, having driven along it, actually came to a small, very well-kept park area, shaped like a square.
The park was bordered on all sides by a road. It was designed so that on one side of the street there was a forest, and on the other, houses. Furthermore, the architecture of these buildings was very different from ordinary human homes. Elves clearly had a hand in their construction.
The most important difference was that their walls were covered with ivy or even grapes.
Near one of the houses with a wide open gate on the side, Haalen stopped.
Through the gate one could see a large courtyard and a stable in which horses were neighing.
The building itself was quite large and had four floors, the fourth and final one being something like an attic. On the ground floor, judging by what I could see through the closed windows, was a dining room, where at that moment two elves and three humans were eating.
"This is an inn. The owners are Lord Eloril and his wife, Lady Ivinal. The staff are locals." Haalen paused for a moment and looked at me from under his hood. "The rooms here are quite expensive. Are you sure you want to stay at the inn and not in the castle? The Baron, I'm sure, won't refuse."
I bowed my head:
"I need to remember who I am. And I think the best way to do that is to talk to people of my own race... Thank you, but I need to find my way. Find myself."
Haalen exchanged glances with his comrade and said:
- Well then. Okay. We'll head to the castle then. If you need help, just ask. The Baron won't refuse you...
I smiled a little sadly:
- Don't forget to tell him my new name.
The half-breed nodded and, sitting in the saddle, made a slight farewell bow:
- Good luck to you, lightborn.
- You too, - I nodded.
They turned their horses and, looking back at me, obviously hoping that I would change my mind, turned onto the street from which we had arrived.
I jumped softly off my horse and, leading both my mounts, walked through the gate into the courtyard.
Quite spacious and clean. It's clear that elves are in charge here.
A man with a neat, short beard emerged from around the corner. He was dressed in slightly greasy work clothes. He was carrying freshly mown hay in a small wheelbarrow. Seeing me, he pulled the wheelbarrow closer.
Wiping his hands on his dirty apron, the man bowed and said:
- Greetings, Lightborn. What roads led you to this tenement house?
- I would like to stop here: I heard that other elves own it.
He bowed again and glanced at my horses:
- Should I call the manager?
"Yes," I nodded slightly.
The man bowed again and hurried around the corner. I pulled the horses after him.
It turned out that the building was shaped like a large L. Judging by everything, the short section facing the park contained the rooms, while the long section contained the stables. Thanks to this clever design, neither the smell of manure nor even the sound of horses' neighing reached where I stood.
A neatly dressed, short-haired man, middle-aged in my opinion, emerged from a small doorway. His luxurious, well-groomed mustache drooped, giving him a slightly sad appearance. The worker from earlier followed him.
The mustachioed man came closer and, bowing politely, said:
- I am the manager of this apartment building. My name is Bran. I was informed that you wish to stay with us?
"Yes," I nodded.
- Let's go inside. You can leave the horses here - Varn will take care of them.
I nodded:
- Okay. I'll just pick up my things.
Having unhooked the bags containing the trophies, money and my armor from the saddle, I grabbed them under my arms and followed the manager.
I liked the inside. The house was paneled with varnished wood. The building was simple, but at the same time, it felt like it belonged to our people.
In the hallway stood a dark wooden counter, on which lay a large, open journal with rows of neatly written notes. Next to it lay a magical stylus.
Movement on the stairs to the second floor caught my attention. A green-eyed fair elf stood there, leaning against the carved railing. She wore a beautiful pantsuit of light green fabric with leather inserts where, presumably, parts of light armor would have been attached. On her feet were soft, light-brown leather boots, just above the knee, with a low, thin heel. The only weapon she carried was a curved dagger in an intricately embroidered sheath. Her magical potential was relatively low compared to mine. However, two thousand years ago, she would have easily been considered a Class II magical power. And even given an 'auri.'
Hmm. I wonder how old she is?
The elf narrowed her eyes when she saw me.
The manager nodded respectfully to her (she didn't pay any attention to this at all, continuing to watch my movements intently) and went behind the counter.
"We have rooms for one silver coin per day on the fourth floor, two on the third, and three on the second. Meals are separate. If you take a room on the second or third floor, you don't have to pay extra for the food and downtime of your two horses," he said, taking a stylus from the stand.
I looked at the elf and met her eyes. She pulled back from the railing and swallowed loudly. I allowed myself a barely audible snort and said:
- Let's do it in three for two days.
The man nodded respectfully:
"Six silver coins. I'd like to point out that you're essentially paying for an overnight stay. Therefore, by the evening of the day after tomorrow, you must either pay the rest or leave."
I put the bags of things on the floor and took out the money. After counting out the required amount, I placed it in front of him and picked up my bags again. The manager quickly wrote a few sentences in a book and, looking under the counter, pulled out a rather large key.
"Follow me," he called.
As we were climbing the stairs, I asked:
- What do you have about food?
The manager turned around:
Our dining room is large. Our prices aren't high—we cook exclusively for our guests. I'd like to warn you that the menu is small and only offers standard dishes. So, if you're craving something special, you'll need to let me or the chef know.
When we climbed the stairs, the elf was no longer on the second floor. A corridor ran to the right and left of us. On one side were doors, presumably leading to rooms, and on the other, wide windows overlooking the courtyard. Walking down the long corridor, the man stopped at one of the doors, inserted the key, and turned it. The lock opened almost silently. The manager stepped inside and politely waved his hand, beckoning me to follow.
The room was quite large – two rooms and a dormitory-sized bed. The furnishings weren't exactly luxurious, but they were quite decent. The windows faced the street and offered a view of the park. Overall, the room was clearly designed for a group – each room had a large bed and a sofa. Of course, it was a bit much for one person, but I liked it. The room also had a combined bathroom. It had a small toilet with an almost ordinary ceramic toilet and a large, cast-iron-looking bathtub.
- Not bad in principle. What about water?
Bran smiled:
Thanks to the owners, we have central water supply: there's a spring in the basement from which we pump water. However, if you need hot water, it's only available upon request.
In principle, I can wash in cold water too. It's not a problem. Quite the opposite, actually. Although, if the water is really freezing, then it's really better to order it.
- It's clear.
I put the bags on the floor.
The manager handed me the key and headed for the exit. Just as he was about to leave, he turned around:
- I'm sorry, I forgot to ask: what is your name?
- Ilrruil.
The man nodded and said politely:
"Master Ilrruil, if you need anything, please contact me, Bran. I spend most of my time downstairs, behind the counter."
Having closed the door, he left.
Turning the key in the lock, I took off my shoes and slipped my coat off my shoulders, tossing it onto the living room sofa. Grabbing my bags, I carried them into the room and laid them on the floor there. I needed to unpack them and figure out what to buy.
I had a feeling there were quite a few elves in the hotel. One of them walked past my door and, after a hesitant shuffle, moved on. That girl? It didn't matter, though.
I had quite a bit of money: over a hundred silver coins, one hundred and fifty copper coins, and two hundred and fifty-four gold coins. That's not counting the twelve elven gold coins I had on me initially.
Two thousand years ago, one gold coin was worth ten silver coins, and one silver coin was worth ten copper coins. The system was simple and balanced. I doubt anything has changed since then.
I needed to decide on the things I needed. First, a bowstring. Then arrowheads. I also needed to look at clothing, armor, elven-forged swords (to replace the trophy ones), a gold chain...
If you're lucky enough to spot some swords and daggers, you can sell your trophies. Even for a rock-bottom price...
Glancing wistfully at the bathroom door, I realized I needed to get shopping now: who knows what time the locals stay open. I took fifty gold coins from the bandits' plunder, my twelve coins, a hundred silver, and just ten copper coins. I stuffed all of these, except the gold, into various pockets inside my cloak. The vile metal went into a special empty pocket for especially important things (like reports or letters), which was located inside my henchman's jacket, opposite my heart.
I put the rest of the money and things under the bed.
I definitely didn't want to just leave my valuables behind. And to hell with the money. Easy come, easy go. Of course, relatively easy—I had to run around and kill. I'll get more. At worst, I'll hire myself out to the baron.
But if they steal my armor...
As I imagined this, I felt a dark, viscous wave of rage rise inside me.
I will kill until I find it.
However, there are certain techniques to prevent this. I wouldn't want to ruin my relationship with the baron by wiping out the local thieves' guild and leaving messages from their bodies in the town square.
For example, guard spells and... creations, like the wooden golem I made in the forest for my conversation with the baron.
First, I hung garlands of the former all over the room, not forgetting the windows. Then I attached the paralyzing ones to them. Unfortunately, such tricks don't last long—just two or three hours and they'll either self-destruct or simply disappear.
They're a vast web, visible only from the Astral Plane. At its center are coiled spells. Usually, they're stuffed with 'paralysis,' but you can insert anything, from 'fireball' and 'tumbleweed' to 'forest advance' and 'Darkness breach.' Yes, yes. During the 'Twilight War,' I even saw such a perversion... We barely escaped when it accidentally triggered.
This design is very effective. You could say the system of signal webs and the spells at its center is a trap, a mine. To make this design last longer, it could be powered by a storage device. And during the Twilight War, there were cases where the dark ones connected such spells directly to prisoners or wounded soldiers—a truly sophisticated trap: few of us could resist rushing to the aid of a wounded comrade without a second thought...
I smiled sadly, remembering a couple of similar cases, and went to the window.
It was a little past midday. The vines had draped themselves over the hotel's outer wall, making it quite climbable. While no one in their right mind would attempt such a climb during the day, it was certainly possible in the evening. Sure, there was a hint of magic about it—apparently the hotel owners were concerned about burglars—but it was only a signaling system. And not a particularly sophisticated one at that. With a little skill, it could easily be circumvented.
Maybe I should have gotten a room on the third floor? Oh well.
In my case, a storage device was just a dream. But I thought, as a backup, I could create a creature that would serve as a third layer of defense for my room. Something simple, but effective...
I dug through my memory. Usually, during the war, we used specially grown trapping bushes to guard the camp, which were a greatly simplified and pared-down version of the 'Wrath of the Forest.' We simply pumped several bushes with Life Mana so that they would catch and entangle anyone who came within their area of responsibility. It seemed like a simple trick, but how many lives it saved and how many enemy operations it disrupted.
Opening the window, I glanced at the passersby just a few meters below and placed my palm on the grape vine. I lightly stimulated it with mana, and it obediently began to grow in my direction. Thus, unnoticed by any outside observers, we brought it indoors and closed the window again. Of course, the branch was pinched, but for my purpose, that was quite sufficient. Now, discreetly, I guided this thin stem around the corner of the room and tucked it under the bed. And here, where it will be unnoticeable at first glance, I spurred it to sprout dozens of shoots, one of which led to the toilet and the water. Add more mana, and—the job is done.
Now any creature (including mice) will be caught in the net this bush will grow. Incidentally, I've pumped it with Life so much that it will be very vicious and fast. Like all Light Ones, I got a little carried away and almost made a carnivorous monster with stinging spears that the creature could fire, but I caught myself in time. It's one thing to catch a thief, and quite another to find the corpse of a maid or manager pinned to the ceiling when you return.
After putting on my shoes, I kicked the remaining money under the bed and pulled my coat back on. I slung my empty duffel bag over my left shoulder. Wrapping myself around myself, I mentally reviewed my shopping list and tucked my bow under my arm—I'll need to buy a case for it, and a quiver for my arrows wouldn't hurt either.
I step out into the hallway and notice a shadow flit across the stairs. This elf is clearly interested in me. I hope she doesn't climb into my room to satisfy her curiosity.
Having locked the door, I went down to the first floor.
The manager stood behind his counter and wrote something intently in his journal.
- Are you going to the city? - he raised his head.
- Yes, - I nod and continue: - I need to buy a lot of different little things.
The man nodded understandingly:
- You can hand over the key.
"Yes, of course." I put it on the counter and look at him directly: "Could you tell me where I can buy the best bowstring and arrowheads?"
Bran took the key and replied:
"Our inn is located on a shopping street lined with shops that stock almost everything the Council of Princes allows for sale. I think you'll easily find everything you need here. More specifically, just one house down the street is Mr. Virrel's shop. He's an agent for several renowned weaponsmiths in the Great Forest. I think you'll be able to buy what you need from him, and even place an order if something isn't in stock."
"Thank you," I nodded and placed a silver coin in front of him. "And one more thing. Please, don't let anyone enter my room without me."
"Okay," he said, quickly flicking the coin away.
I wrapped my coat tighter around myself and walked out through the front door onto the street.