One-Eyed Monster

Chapter 34: Chapter 34 Unexpected!

After three to four hours of a bumpy ride, three relatively large steam cars finally arrived at Guru Village at the base of Guru Mountain just before noon.

Limping Aliusan had paced back and forth at the entrance of Guru Village countless times. The long wait made him feel the sorry ache of his crippled leg once more. When he saw the three massive machines ROARING to a halt by the roadside, he was completely dumbfounded.

These steam cars were quite rare in any part of the Kayne Realm. Despite being covered with dust from the unpleasant journey, they were still treated with the respect befitting their rarity.

Most eyes in Guru Village were drawn to these three metal behemoths. A group of audacious children even circled the thundering machines, and for several Gudu Times, even Aliusan, a leader from Black Mountain, found his attention captivated along with everyone else. However, the spectacle didn’t last long, as the bearded elder who emerged from one of the vehicles sent the children scattering.

Rostellum stepped down from the first steam car, feeling dizzy from the bumpy trip. He still didn’t have a clear plan for what to do next.

Aliusan quickly put on a fawning smile. He had intended to take the elder’s horse by the reins and settle it comfortably, but now he found there was no opportunity to do so. Other than a servile smile plastered on his face, he could find no other way to express his humble position.

However, Elder Rostellum did not notice Aliusan’s awkward gestures, as he was busy opening the door of the second steam car and bowing respectfully to the person inside.

Aliusan saw two fair-skinned young men step out from the second steam car; they didn’t seem to be important figures. The stout, middle-aged man, who was visibly suppressing his disgust, was apparently a higher-ranking official than Elder Rostellum and someone not to be offended. As for the tall man with a bandaged arm and a face longer than a horse’s, he was clearly a force to be reckoned with. Whether this force was allied with someone of higher rank than Elder Rostellum or represented another power entirely was unknown.

As for the guards and witches who stepped out of the third steam car, Aliusan didn’t bother trying to figure out their status. His priority was to explain the perplexing situation to Elder Rostellum in order to preserve his hard-earned standing.

Life was unpredictable. Elder Rostellum didn’t give Aliusan much chance to flatter him; he turned his head and asked directly, ”Where is the person?” Clearly, the Mail Bird System transmitted messages so quickly that the superiors cared more about the outcome than the process.

The positive development of a conversation often depends on its beginning, but Aliusan had no control over this start. Reality had diverged too far from his assumptions. Now, not only had he failed to organize his words, but he also hadn’t thought of any way to respond to unexpected events. Rostellum’s question caught Aliusan completely off guard, forcing him to answer briefly, ”At... at the Lubin Tavern...” He stammered, at a loss for words, his heart in turmoil.

Such unexpected events are the norm in this world, Aliusan lamented, realizing his naivety. Nothing ever goes exactly as planned; there are always unforeseen circumstances. How am I going to report these incidents to Elder Rostellum?

Mayor Babasha was also taken by surprise. He had assumed Guru Village, like the bumpy road they had traveled, would be dilapidated and utterly uncivilized. Yet, the moment he stepped out of the car, he suddenly found that the road at the foot of Guru Mountain had been widened and was uniformly paved with stone slabs.

Moreover, along both sides of the road leading up the mountain, taverns, inns, grocery stores, blacksmith shops, pawnshops, and even some Gold Rooms were scattered here and there. This hardly looked like a village; it more closely resembled the burgeoning commercial center of a new county seat.

This somewhat prosperous scene alleviated some of Mayor Babasha’s earlier concerns. He stroked his beard and nodded approvingly at Rostellum, ”Hohoho, you old rascal, well done!”

Elder Rostellum paid no mind to this compliment. His status in Guru Village was far higher than Mayor Babasha’s. To exaggerate slightly, his standing in Guru Village was even higher than Governor Rostov’s. Every villager here was deeply grateful to Elder Rostellum, their admiration bordering on fanaticism. They were just short of erecting a stone statue in his honor.

Rostellum was naturally intimately familiar with every corner of Guru Village—it was his important money bag, and he constantly monitored its size and weight.

Regarding today’s scene, Rostellum was unsure whether to be excited or surprised. Most of the taverns at the foot of the mountain had placed two large, red-painted wooden boards by their doors, signaling they were out of wine. Some inns had also hung out ’No Vacancy’ signs. This booming business was unusual. While it might further inflate his money bag, this degree of activity still brought a faint sense of unease to Rostellum.

This unease stemmed from a politician’s sensitivity. Rostellum glanced at Aliusan beside him. The leader of Black Mountain was also behaving unusually today, his hesitations and stammering uncharacteristic of an underworld leader.

Aliusan seemed to sense Rostellum’s peculiar mood. He quickly dragged his lame leg to Elder Rostellum’s side and whispered, ”The problem lies with Lubin Tavern...”

”You mean that strange group of people? You can’t handle them either?” Elder Rostellum recalled the report from the Guru Village chief and several elders the previous night. At the time, he had focused mainly on the young man and paid little heed to the rest. However, he had still noted the information: a strange group had rented an entire tavern, and their purpose was not to hunt for treasure on the mountain.

”Those people are proficient in High Rank Alchemy. There’s nothing we can do. And I’ve just learned that they are currently clearing the mountain...” Aliusan had indeed just received this news; his men were being progressively driven down from the mountain.

Rostellum took a deep inward breath. His mind had been a mess these past two days, and he couldn’t immediately sort through the various issues. The primary reason was the devastating losses at his mansion the previous night; the pain was still raw. Consequently, he wasn’t even thinking about his political future. A large part of him actually wanted to see Lord Goding’s horse-like face grow even longer with dismay...

So he walked over to Goding, bowed deeply, and said, ”Lord Goding, the young man who calls himself an Adventurer is at Lubin Tavern. Perhaps you’d like to take a look?”

Aliusan didn’t know what Elder Rostellum was plotting. He saw the tall, formidable man—the one no one dared to provoke—hastily make his way towards Lubin Tavern with several people. Elder Rostellum, meanwhile, followed with his own men, maintaining a considerable distance.

”My Lord...” Aliusan began, intending to offer a well-meaning reminder, but was cut off by Elder Rostellum’s gesture.

The door of Lubin Tavern rattled violently as Goding’s men kicked it open. Bunan and Pifu, impatient, also rushed inside.

These reckless actions successfully drew the attention of the usually silent Treasure Hunters in the other taverns. Now, these bored individuals were craning their necks, surreptitiously watching the drama about to unfold.

”Young Master, we’ve come to get...” Before Pifu could finish his sentence, he was shoved out of the doorway by a short-haired person in a purple cloak.

And Goding’s two men who had kicked open the door were now on the ground inside the tavern, clutching their chests, unable to move. Beside them stood a tall, thin figure, also in a purple cloak.

”Are these the pests you were talking about?” Inside Lubin Tavern, Kuyi Tulan narrowed his eyes, looking at the large man opposite him.

”Hehe, no,” the large man chuckled.

”This tavern is not receiving any guests!” Two short-haired men in purple cloaks stepped out of the tavern and spoke coldly to Goding and his entourage.

Following behind Elder Rostellum, Aliusan dared not even breathe heavily. He had no spare arms or legs to lose. When Rostellum and Babasha saw the two purple cloaks, they couldn’t help but shudder inwardly.

The six-pointed star on the purple cloaks... That’s the emblem of the Imperial Alchemy Workshop! What purpose could they possibly have in this remote, impoverished place?

Seeing Goding’s face contorted with rage and on the verge of exploding, Rostellum and Babasha simultaneously rushed forward to ”dissuade” him. If they didn’t act immediately, and the Alchemists from the Imperial Alchemy Workshop unleashed their Alchemy, ten Godings wouldn’t be enough to handle the aftermath.

Rostellum had already cast aside any thought of enjoying Goding’s predicament. He threw himself at Goding’s legs as he was about to erupt in fury, ”My Lord, calm down! You mustn’t be impulsive!”

Babasha also clung to Goding’s waist, ”Lord Goding, we cannot afford to offend the Grand Wizards of the Imperial Alchemy Workshop! My Lord, you must consider the bigger picture!”

Only then did Goding realize what the six-pointed star on the purple cloak represented. He found himself completely bewildered, having momentarily forgotten even the symbol of the Imperial Alchemy Workshop!