The bustling streets were filled with people coming and going. Cries of street vendors, chatter, and the rumble of carriages echoed endlessly. Raine, however, seemed isolated in his own silent space. He subconsciously moved with the flow of the crowd while lost in thought.
From the information Sarah had unintentionally revealed earlier, it wasn’t hard to piece together a clear picture of the situation. Tensions in the direction of Lotte City were rapidly deteriorating. Minor skirmishes between the New Nobility and the Traditional Nobility were constantly escalating. The scent of gunpowder grew thicker, as if a single spark could detonate an all-out war.
Particularly noteworthy was the Northern Barbarian Race’s army, which stood on the same side as the Traditional Nobility. These Warriors from the Grim Kingdom had always been renowned for their ferocity and resilience. Their intervention undoubtedly caused a massive shift in the balance of Power between the two factions, adding an even more complex layer to this internal strife within the Solan Kingdom. They were by no means here merely to assist in the fight. Instead, they were like a pack of wolves that had caught the scent of prey, preparing to tear off a fat chunk of meat in this feast of power.
At this thought, a figure naturally surfaced in Raine’s mind. Kaelin.
Her burgundy hair, which was rare in the Solan Kingdom, her occasional displays of reserve and decency that were completely out of place for a Bottom-level Adventurer, and her unfamiliarity with woodland environments—all these signs pointed to one possibility. She most likely came from the Northern Territory, from the Grim Kingdom.
"The front lines are getting increasingly tense, and Kaelin is growing more anxious... Is there some kind of connection between the two?" Raine murmured inwardly.
Come to think of it, the timing of Kaelin’s appearance in Mottled Town was quite close to the time the Grim Army marched south. Could she be one of the personnel who came along with the main army? But if she was part of the entourage and highly likely a Northern Territory noble with significant status, her most pressing objective should naturally be related to the war. However, all her actions tightly revolved around a single core: finding a Caster capable of breaking the Ancient Magic Barrier deep within the Howling Cave.
"What exactly is hidden behind that Magic Barrier?" Raine asked himself the question that had constantly puzzled him.
Even if Kaelin’s ancestors were Human Race Alliance Army Warriors who participated in the Black Tide War five hundred years ago, whatever they left behind would mostly be souvenirs or personal belongings. How much impact could these things have on the current war that concerned the future landscape of the Solan Kingdom? He truly couldn’t find any inevitable connection between the two that would make it worth Kaelin risking everything on a single throw of the dice.
Raine shook his head, trying to untangle this mess. If Kaelin really came with the Grim Army, given the military’s resources and Energy, especially within the Northern Border Legion which possessed quite a few Professionals, finding a suitable Caster to break the barrier wouldn’t be a difficult task. Why would a young woman of likely extraordinary status be left to search desperately on her own, running around blindly in a small place like Mottled Town far from the main battlefield? Why would she push herself to the brink, even willing to lay her life on the line?
"Unless..." A thought flashed through Raine’s mind. "Her operation is a secret in itself, perhaps even running completely contrary to the Northern army’s objectives?"
This idea made Raine himself jump slightly in surprise. Was Kaelin executing a covert mission that she couldn’t even disclose to her own people? If so, what exactly was this hidden mission? And how did it tie into the current tense situation? His chaotic thoughts were like a tangled ball of yarn; the more he thought about it, the harder it was to make sense of anything.
Raine let out a soft breath, temporarily suppressing these conjectures and refocusing his attention on his surroundings.
Compared to usual, the atmosphere on the street was noticeably more tense. Even the air seemed permeated with a faint trace of anxiety. The Adventurers weaving through the streets gathered in small groups of three or five. Their voices were much lower than usual, and their faces lacked their typical carefree boldness, replaced instead by solemnity and worry. Even the shrewd merchants couldn’t help but huddle together and whisper among themselves in between soliciting customers.
"...Did you hear? Lotte City is under full martial law. You can go in, but no one is allowed out!"
"Tell me about it. A friend of mine just got back from near Lotte City yesterday and said he saw the Northern Barbarians’ Wolf Cavalry. Good heavens, I heard those mounts have glowing green eyes and are even more terrifying than Warg Mounts!"
"It’s the Wolf Cavalry from that... Fenglang Clan, right? I hear they’re the most barbaric of the barbarians!"
"Sigh, didn’t they come during that war ten years ago? A lot of Knights died and many villages were destroyed back then. It’s only been a few years of peace, hasn’t it?"
"It’s different this time. The little bit of respect His Majesty the King left behind is just about used up."
The intermittent discussions drifting into Raine’s ears confirmed his feelings.
Ten years ago, when Olein III had just ascended to the throne, a localized war broke out between the Traditional Nobility and the New Nobility. Although its scale was limited and didn’t spread to this area, it was said that forces from the Northern Grim Kingdom had intervened back then as well. At that time, however, the lingering prestige of the old King, Dragon Fall King Olein II, still remained. The Solan Royal Family retained a certain degree of deterrence, ultimately forcibly suppressing all parties and maintaining a superficial peace.
But now, ten years later, the old King’s influence had steadily thinned with the passage of time. The feeble Olein III couldn’t grasp the reins of royal Power, inevitably causing the dormant ambitions of all factions to erupt once more. This time, there was likely no Power left that could stop this sweeping storm.
"A storm is brewing..." Raine muttered inwardly.
Under this grand scheme, an individual’s Power seemed so insignificant. But he was just a Bottom-level Adventurer yearning to grow stronger and striving to gain a foothold in this world. The disputes among Kingdom nobles and the movements of the Northern army were, in the end, too far removed from him.
Raine collected his thoughts and quickened his pace. The familiar silhouette of the Return Inn had already appeared at the end of the street. His injuries were mostly healed, his equipment was fully prepared, and it was time to consider his next adventure. The Hunting Chapter only needed to record the information of two more Demons for him to obtain the next stage’s reward. This was what he should be considering the most right now.
With this in mind, he soon stepped through the inn’s doors.
As the brand-new wooden doors swung open, Raine, dressed in his completely new Leather Armor, instantly drew everyone’s attention. Lady Basha and Lian’s eyes lit up. The other Adventurers present mostly showed longing and envy. Sodden even stood on his tiptoes to pat him on the shoulder, wearing a look of appreciation that seemed to say, "That outfit looks really good on you."
For the entire afternoon after that, Raine sparred with Sodden in the inn’s courtyard. During their break, Sodden proposed that Raine bring him along on the next adventure, and Raine didn’t refuse. The Dwarf’s steady demeanor and ability to draw aggro had already been proven during the fierce battle with the Bear Goblins that night. Having a teammate so skilled at using a Great Shield by his side gave him quite a bit more confidence for adventuring.
It wasn’t until evening, just as the two were standing at the inn’s entrance discussing what quest to take tomorrow, that Kaelin’s slender figure—cast long by the setting sun—appeared at the end of the street. Following behind her was a silent figure in brown robes.