One-Eyed Monster

The prison caravan carrying Dastan and Baharo trudged slowly forward, the creaking of its wheels speaking of a journey long unmade. Its movement was marked by a certain clumsiness, as if it were unfamiliar with the road.

These two prisoner wagons were treasured possessions of Elder Rostellum, the head of Gaga County. It was by pure chance that they were currently in Guru Village. By rights, they should have been at the Gaga County County Administrative Office. Their presence here seemed rather abnormal.

In reality, these wagons had been stationed at the foot of Guru Mountain for a long time. Elder Rostellum used them to intimidate the Treasure Hunters from outside. The wagons had successfully completed their mission of deterrence. In truth, they hadn’t actually hauled away many people; their primary purpose was to stand there, reminding those dreamers yearning for riches that this place was still under the jurisdiction of the Gaga County County Administrative Office.

If one were to count their experiences hauling people, one wagon could proudly say to the other: ”Back in the day, I hauled away Scholars who lingered in taverns endlessly plotting routes up the mountain. I’ve seen it all!”

The wagons hadn’t had a rich variety of experiences, and neither had Elder Rostellum. As the head of Gaga County, the highest-ranking Politician on Guru Mountain, he now faced an unprecedented situation, one that had been thrust upon him all at once.

Inside, Elder Rostellum wasn’t merely sinking like a stone; it was as if an egg had been dropped—CRACK!—shattering into a million pieces upon hitting the ground.

Mayor Babasha’s death hadn’t been properly dealt with when another thorny issue arose—one he found utterly unbelievable.

When he heard the news brought back by Aliusan’s Mail Bird, he almost fell off his chair.

The message said a monster had appeared on Guru Mountain and had already been captured by those Alchemists!

A monster!

What a joke! That was just a legend I fabricated. How could a real monster possibly appear here?!

The message must be mistaken. Impossible.

Initially, that’s what Elder Rostellum believed. At the time, he still clung to a sliver of hope, thinking that Aliusan’s subordinate, Musa—the one who went up the mountain—must have lost his mind and sent back false news.

However, Elder Rostellum’s hope didn’t last long. Soon after, people from the Alchemy Workshop came to him, requesting two wagons—any kind would do, as long as they could confine people inside.

Those fellows from the Alchemy Workshop had occupied the Lubin Tavern for a long time and were gradually becoming the masters there. Especially after quelling the conflict in front of the Non Intoxication Tavern that day, these people from the Alchemy Workshop had become the de facto rulers at the foot of the mountain, issuing orders to anyone they pleased.

Speaking of which, it was surprising that the robed Wizard had complied so readily. Elder Rostellum wondered what method the leader of the Alchemy Workshop had used.

However, Elder Rostellum didn’t have much time to dwell on these puzzles; he had to prepare the wagons for the Alchemy Workshop without delay.

”Did something happen on the mountain?” Elder Rostellum now regretted ever asking that question.

”’Lord Joela and the others have captured a very dangerous monster! They’re bringing it down the mountain now and absolutely need wagons; otherwise, they can’t transport it,’ the child from the Alchemy Workshop said, his face full of pride despite his naive appearance.”

This statement rattled Elder Rostellum. Logically, as a Politician, he shouldn’t react this way; a Politician should remain unperturbed by honor or disgrace, as calm as still water.

But that was easier said than done, especially at a time like this, with so many tangled threads.

Even though Elder Rostellum was panicking, there were still things he needed to do, especially now, with his Housekeeper Uli not by his side. (Damn it, where on earth has Uli disappeared to? Don’t tell me he was swallowed by the monster on Guru Mountain?!) He had to do everything himself.

The request for vehicles that could keep people locked in naturally made Rostellum think of these two prison wagons.

And so, these two prison wagons returned to their original purpose, rather than just being intimidating displays.

The prison wagons had found their calling, but Elder Rostellum had not. He had other matters to worry about. Although he had already reported Mayor Babasha’s death, he still felt apprehensive; after all, it was an event significant enough to be recorded in Gaga County’s Local Chronicle.

On reflection, every recent event on Guru Mountain was worthy of being recorded in Gaga County’s Local Chronicle.

This included Old Hamu, the village leader of Guru Village, taking all the elderly, women, and children of the village on a long journey.

It was Old Hamu’s departure that left Elder Rostellum in such a tight spot. Aside from Aliusan’s Black Mountain group, he had no one else he could call upon.

However, this Aliusan had proven quite capable, unknowingly helping him resolve several troublesome issues. For instance, he had serendipitously found two naive guides, which was a great help. At least Elder Rostellum could now account for himself to the Alchemy Workshop.

Presumably, some people from the Alchemy Workshop are following those two up the mountain now, but who ended up actually guiding them is anyone’s guess. At least he, Rostellum, had completed the task assigned by the Alchemy Workshop: he had found them two people familiar with Guru Mountain’s paths. Those two fools can describe every trail on Guru Mountain in detail.

Elder Rostellum’s thoughts wandered far. It couldn’t be helped; the recent events outnumbered all the official business he’d handled in an entire year. It was a miracle he hadn’t completely lost his composure.

And now, at this very moment, Elder Rostellum was in the Lubin Tavern, pouring wine for the leader of the Alchemy Workshop. This young man, whom the other Alchemists called ’Chief,’ made it a daily ritual to taste a few cups of cheap fruit wine, for reasons unknown to Rostellum.

”’County Head Rostellum, you seem to have something on your mind. Such an expression doesn’t befit a Politician,’ Kuyi Tulan from the Alchemy Workshop remarked, sipping his wine.”

”’You are right, sir. Things have been complicated lately. As a humble County Head, I haven’t seen much of the world and have likely made a fool of myself,’ Rostellum replied.”

”’We are all part of the Empire. If you face any difficulties, you can speak up. We should navigate these trying times together,’ Kuyi Tulan said faintly, stretching lazily.”

Ordinarily, Elder Rostellum would have been ecstatic. This was a sign of favor from the Imperial Alchemy Workshop in the Imperial Capital! Such verbal assurances from personnel from the Imperial Capital were only given to those they genuinely appreciated.

But now, Elder Rostellum felt no joy at all. He couldn’t articulate why, only that something felt profoundly strange.

In all his time in Gaga County, he had never heard of anyone actually seeing a monster. The monster was entirely his own fabrication, a tale spun to deceive those Treasure Hunters. Only a few elders in Guru Village knew this, and only those few.

Yet now, a monster had suddenly appeared. He couldn’t make sense of it at all.

Now, all he could do was wait quietly here in the Lubin Tavern.

Waiting for the prison wagon carrying the monster to slowly approach, waiting for the impending storm.

He was a Politician; he often instinctively perceived strange omens. The one he sensed this time was brief but profound, even more so than when Mayor Babasha had passed away or when the Dark Wizard had arrived.

The voice said: Welcome the monster. Welcome the storm.