「Afternoon」
Leech sat in his study, sipping a cup of strong tea.
A young maidservant had found a wild chrysanthemum on a mountain in Porcupine Territory. She had happily picked it and tucked it behind her ear, but the Baron had spotted her. And so, the already half-withered flower now found itself steeping in his tea.
On his desk sat a plate with a slice of fresh cream cake. The general recipe had come from Baron Leech's own description; the specific method of preparation had been left for the chef to figure out.
The unadorned cake was the perfect treat for a leisurely afternoon. A hint of rosewater added a subtle, almost imperceptible aroma that enriched the cake's flavor.
He was flipping through a book titled *Son of the Ranger: Kern Clark Moner*. Apparently, once the scholar from Iron Stone City learned his customer was a nobleman, he had thrown in a collection of tales compiled by Minstrels. The book contained no academic knowledge, only folklore from around the world—folklore passed down through Minstrels' songs, at that. It was up to the reader to separate fact from fiction.
The story chronicled the adventures of the Son of the Ranger, Kern Clark Moner, in a place called Giant's Foot. From Leech's perspective as a reader, however, the author was likely a Minstrel merely claiming to be the Son of a Ranger.
He wrote of encountering a wild boar in a valley with crystals growing on its back.
"...I bet it can't even lie down to sleep. But those crystals were truly beautiful. At that moment, I thought to myself that I'd give anything to have just one of those crystals from the boar's back. Clearly, I wasn't the only one. My friend, Bigfoot, charged forward. He's a warrior from one of the tribes in the Giant's Foot mountains—once crushed a stag's skull with his bare hands. He raised his iron fist to smash the boar. Oh! Bigfoot went down. The boar sent him flying, his blood staining the forest floor. I fled in a blind panic. Give anything? To hell with that! I didn't want to die. I just ran and ran, my heart pounding in my ears. An invisible rope tightened around my neck, choking the air from my lungs. It's always like that when I'm running for my life. But I couldn't stop. I kept running forward until I couldn't hear any footsteps behind me anymore. I was safe.
Later, in a city, I saw one of the crystals for sale—stained with my friend's blood. The price was a mere 180 Silver Moons. I didn't spare it a second glance. Whether the cost was a life or 180 Silver Moons, I couldn't stomach either."
He was already a third of the way through the book, and it hadn't taken him long at all.
'If the "Son of the Ranger" wasn't lying,' Leech thought, 'they must be magical materials.'
This man either had adventure in his blood, or a talent for telling tall tales.
But as Leech read the next story, he sat up straight.
The Son of the Ranger's stories were episodic; one page had no connection to the next.
"I tagged along with a merchant caravan. When the conflicts in Giant's Foot began, they were eager to bring Longswords and chainmail to the various tribes. They must have come from the north—most likely East Gorge, or perhaps the Enze Plateau. It couldn't have been the ice-bound Northern Territory, though. That bunch of big furry bears in wolf pelts would surely melt if they touched the southern sun, haha. Once a war starts, it's impossible to stop, especially among tribes warring amongst themselves. But perhaps they'll never know that the northern nobles sent more than just friendship. My guess is the cunning nobles want them to kill each other off, then seize the chance to unify the Lu Leiyi Continent."
'Unify Lu Leiyi?'
The current year was 255 of the Yuan Era. The Golden Bear Clan, who now ruled the continent, had only come to power within the last century. The history before that was mere legend. A new clan like the Porcupine Clan knew nothing of what came before; historical memory was the domain of the nobility. However, it was certain that Year One marked the unification of the continent. This meant the events recorded in the book were at least 255 years old.
He continued to read.
"We were setting up our tents for the night when Old Jor, who'd had too much to drink, went off to take a piss. He was always pouring ale down his throat. Just as we were making fun of him, Old Jor came running back in a panic, his trousers still undone. He'd found a cavern, probably a cache for one of the Giant's Foot tribes. Those tribesmen are like rats, always hiding things all over the place. Everyone was drunk, and I could tell by their bloodshot eyes they were planning to loot the place. Merchant caravans often turn into bandits once they leave the cities. I joined them. Although I'm not interested in robbery, I was curious about what was inside the cavern. After all, the blood of a Ranger flows through my veins."
'The blood of a Ranger? Just a good excuse for robbery.'
"We ventured deep into the cavern, our torches lighting the way. But we were soon attacked. By the Four Gods, what were those things? They were all shriveled and gave off a foul stench. Their claws and feet were thick, yet their bodies were as nimble as monkeys. One of them tore Fat Horn's body to shreds with a single swipe. We killed a few, swinging our swords, but more and more of the monsters swarmed out. We screamed and fled. Since I had been hiding at the very back, I was the first one out when we ran. I was terrified, hearing the sounds of men falling one after another behind me."
Leech thought of the female monsters in the second cavern he had discovered.
"I got out and found some nearby tribesmen to ask for help. They were furious, thinking their own people had been attacked. I kept my mouth shut and didn't tell them the truth. They entered the cave holding torches. Those savage things are afraid of light? Haha, they're dead meat! We learned from the tribesmen that the monsters in the caverns are called Earth-dwellers. Legend has it they were elves from long, long ago, before recorded history, who fled underground to escape some disaster. Elves? They look like *that*? I think I'm going to puke."
"We fought our way into the depths of the cave and trapped them with the firelight. After we killed them all, we found Old Jor. The guy was still breathing, but his arms and legs had been twisted and broken! The tribesmen said the Earth-dwellers are all female. They occasionally come to the surface to abduct men. Any man they catch has his limbs broken. Poor Old Jor… but he survived, didn't he? Compared to the others, he was lucky."
Leech recalled Jamie's ultimate fate and was secretly grateful for his own quick reflexes.
"I noticed the tribesmen collecting a strange herb in the cavern. They said that the power of the Fountain of Life exists where the Earth-dwellers live, nurturing certain unique herbs. The Fountain of Life?"
"Later, Old Jor and I returned to the north. The tribe that helped us was wiped out, too. War is just that cruel."
Having finished the book, Leech closed it. At first, he had only been suspicious, but now he was one hundred percent certain: the female monsters in the cavern were the "Earth-dwellers."