"From the moment I was born, I was destined to bring misfortune."
Vilste's dark alleyways stretched like tall, dilapidated branches towards the foggy sky.
"Urghh..."
"Did you know? Before coming here, I burnt down a forest. Well, parts of it. I wonder if those idiots tried to salvage the rest."
"Anyway, growing up, everyone I cared about seemed to suffer one way or another because of me. This unseen sticky curse, it seemed to never stop tormenting me."
"Please... spare me..."
"So, what do you think?" The hooded man who had been monologuing smiled. "If I stay with you this long, shouldn't my bad luck infect you as well? Please look forward to accidentally breaking your neck. It's a one in a lifetime experience, after all."
He pressed his foot on the other man's back, crushing him against the filthy ground.
"Ahhh!"
"That'll teach you a lesson about trying to steal from people, right?"
"...Yes! Yes sir, I've learned my lesson!"
"Well, then. Scuttle away, little thief." The hooded man mockingly said as he lifted his foot, only to kick the criminal on his side, sending him flying into the wall.
An eerie silence descended in the alleyway as the hooded man silently watched the thief run with all his might, stumbling into every obstacle on the way.
"What an idiot. I said people I care about." the man scoffed, pulling his hood down. "Does he really think I care about the likes of him?"
Gong... Gong...
The deep ring of a church bell made him raise his head.
Azur blue eyes shone brightly even under the absence of sun.
"Already two in the afternoon? Agh, I'll miss my meeting..! Perseis is going to kill me if I don't make it in time thrice in a row."
The man combed through his dark hair with his hands, then slipped the hood back on.
"Better hurry, then."
His mouth curled into an unnatural smile. Wide, and inhuman.
***
Port Demer, one of Vilste's numerous harbours, was nestled by a cozy gulf, bringing plentiful company: pirates, sailors, royal military, adventurers, and factory workers.
"There's a saying that if you're bored, you can just go to Port Demer and there will always be an entertaining fight happening somewhere."
The hooded man dodged another stray wooden plank from a fight between sailors and sighed.
"That doesn't mean there needs to be byproducts everywhere in the air..."
Shimmer. The sea's distant glint caught his eye. While the day was foggy, the sea still retained its unnatural blueish brilliance, appearing like a saturated landmark in the ashen grey world. Several grand ships were lined in an orderly fashion, each bearing Lurene's flag, white silk embroidered with the signature blue and gold royal emblem.
The man grimaced at the sight, and tugged his hood further down. He quickly made for a more shadowed part of the deck.
"Did you hear? Welxorth Academy has a new Dean!"
"Mate, she won't even have time to be Dean, I heard there's a shit ton of work, enough to fill an office with paperwork!"
"There's been nasty rumours of inter-teacher bullying too..."
"If it were me, I would've already resigned."
Stray gossip drifted into his ears as he rushed by, and, soon, he spotted his target: a lofty ship hanging around the dock's darkside. It was an area known for hosting pirate ships.
For some reason, the sides and the little of the deck he could spot of that particular ship were scrubbed squeaky clean. He could see multiple pirates mulling around and cleaning the ship at the order of another, likely the captain.
"Weird as always." the hooded man chuckled as he stepped on the wooden stairway leading to the deck.
A pirate approached him as soon as he stepped onto the deck. "You're back again."
His outfit differed clearly from the other pirates: apart from being strikingly clean and well-ironed, his white and puffy silk blouse was unbuttoned and he was accessorized with dozens of golden jewelry. Coupled with his red hair and deep sea green eyes, the pirate looked just short of being royalty.
Is this a prince or a pirate? I ask myself that every time I meet him.
"How cold... Good afternoon to you as well. I even made it on time today." the hooded man smiled slightly. "Perseis, how could you treat your number one customer like this?"
"... It's cleaning day."
"Everyday is cleaning day for you germaphobe." the hooded man muttered.
Perseis crossed his arms, golden jewelry clinking with every movement he took. "Do you want your stuff or not?"
"No, no, forget I said anything. Hey, listen, I even got you a tip today. Some stranger graciously offered me their money, so it's yours to keep."
"For some reason that doesn't sound right." Perseis frowned, but still accepted the pouch of coins given by the hooded man. In return the redhead pulled out a brown paper bag from empty space.
"Here."
"Many thanks." The hooded man said with a smile in his voice. "Well then, I won't keep you from cleaning any longer. May Fate bless your arrangements."
"May Fate bless your arrangements."
The two exchanged a gesture, and the hooded man turned to leave.
"Wait." Perseis called out. "Watch out for the papers."
***
"So ominous..." The man sighed, flopping in his bed. The leather case he had been carrying fell to the ground with a loud thud.
The inn room was barren, furnished with only a bed and a table.
"Thanks to him, I was paranoid all the way back. I even ordered for a servant to bring me today's newspapers alongside my dinner."
I'm mentally exhausted... this is the price of travelling incognito. Agh, I'm still not done with my day. I need to eat, and, and...
He threw an arm over his eyes, sighing again.
I need to get that thing and start my research. As expected, it's more convenient to stop in Vilste.
He was soon interrupted in his musings by the clear ringing of a bell.
"Leave it by the door." The man ordered.
He waited until there were no more shuffling sounds on the other side before painstakingly standing up and grabbing the meal and papers left in the hallway.
The man settled down at the worn down table, leisurely reaching for a newspaper and flipping through the pages. A flash of familiarity caught his attention as he turned the page, a strange sight unveiling.
Clang!
The spoon he had picked up clattered loudly against the table.
"..."
Ba-dum. Ba-dum. Ba-dum.
Despite his heart beating wildly and his hands shaking, the man's azure eyes remained calm. In fact, they held hints of laughter.
His eyes focused on the well-drawn portrait of a youthful elf.
It was the face of a fugitive, the former Elf Prince, Ilrune Elrieth.
The man-no, Ilrune laughed. At first, it was an easy chuckle, which turned into full-blown wide-teethed laughter lasting a long time.
He laughed, laughed, laughed, and laughed.
Laughed until his throat gave out and he started coughing.
"After all this time, they're finally coming for me? So this is how you want to play, my dear Brother."