Chapter 127: Act 59 – Bruglas’s Last Night (Part 1)
Regardless.
The sunset in Erluin has ultimately laid the groundwork for its internal turmoil. King Obergo VII gradually found himself increasingly frail with age and was eager to clear the way for the new king’s ascension, finally unable to restrain himself from taking action—his primary concern had always been the two defiant duchies to the south of the kingdom.
Especially since Brendel understood that the current monarch, Obergo VII, had only taken the throne at the age of ninety-three, this king, who would not meet a good end, had grand ambitions in his youth, aspiring to emulate his grandfather, Anson XI—that was a time when the militia and guard regulations were just being established, and Erluin experienced one of its strongest central powers in the latter period.
However, the world does not bend to one’s will. As Obergo VII entered middle age, he witnessed the arrogance of local nobles—the young Duke Anlek even forced his father, Obergo VI, to change the defense regulations—these memories left a profound impression on this king’s mind.
But he lacked the benevolent yet formidable approach that Anson XI possessed. Moreover, during Anson XI’s reign, Erluin had no internal troubles or external threats, and the royal family could control the local legions, which was not comparable to the current precarious times.
In the chilly night outside Bruglas, the wind began to rise.
The wind blew from the direction of the sea, passing along the northern ridges of the Karanjar mountains through the hills and mountains of Rendener, bringing with it the scents of forests and rivers from this long journey, deeply penetrating everyone’s lungs at the edge of these woods.
Romaine stood barefoot in the water with her skirt lifted, unable to help but raise her head, squinting her eyes as the wind grazed her smooth forehead.
“The smell of the wind here is exactly like in Buche, Brendel!” she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, unable to hide her surprise.
Antinna also took a breath, but then started coughing.
Brendel glanced at her, then looked up just in time to see the wind carrying a dark cloud from the west, obscuring a vast expanse of stars.
It seemed to foreshadow a dark and lightless future for this country.
Brendel did not feel heavy-hearted; instead, a thrill surged through every nerve ending in his body. For him, this impending chaos was also an opportunity. He pondered whether he could participate in this history, slowly altering what felt as heavy and cold as engraved stone through the efforts of a single individual.
This was not a fantasy but a signal urging him to take action. Brendel seemed to pick up a warning scent in the air; he turned back, a faint flush of excitement still on his fair face, and asked, “Did we get the money?”
Lohn, though confused as to why a simple message could leave Brendel dazed, found it increasingly difficult to see through this young man. He had witnessed Brendel’s strength firsthand at the auction house when he took down that formidable spirit servant—such prowess was not typical among ordinary people, and in retrospect, it could only be attributed to being the heir of that old fellow.
He couldn’t help but take another look at Brendel before replying sincerely, “The money is secured, Brendel. I moved it to a safe location as per your instructions.”
“Did the auction house compensate?”
Lohn was startled and quickly nodded.
Brendel knew that behind Bruglas’s underground trading associations were prominent local nobles; it was a well-known secret. Therefore, he did not worry about unnecessary losses; to these people, reputation and face were far more important than a little money.
“How much do we have in total?” Brendel asked.
Lohn raised his hand to indicate a number. After deducting what they had spent, there were still 250,000 Tor.
After looking, Brendel raised his head and happened to see Merchant Miss approaching while holding her shoes.
He glanced again at Balthom and Antinna sitting nearby, replying, “That’s good. This way, we can wrap up what we needed to do in Bruglas.” But in fact, there were several details still to refine in Brendel’s plan, such as a task to acquire a basic skill manual from the noble library, and an assignment to find a golden liquor in the “Star Cross” inn that would permanently increase one’s strength level by one.
Unfortunately, those tasks could not be completed in a day or two, and Brendel estimated that in the game, it took him about a month or even longer to finish them; it would only be slower here.
As a player aiming for perfection, he should strive to secure every benefit, but the rapidly changing situation in Bruglas and the shadow of the Everything Returns Society lurking within made him realize that it was not suitable to stay here for too long.
Once the warning arose, Brendel reacted swiftly.
He had already decided to leave this place, heading east or south, delving into the mountains of Rendener, or crossing the Tosankad Forest, following the northern ridges of the Karanjar mountains in search of his treasure.
“Where are we going?” Balthom, who had initially shouted to leave this troublesome place, suddenly seemed somewhat reluctant at this moment. Although he was a mercenary, he had only ventured as far as Karasu—according to Brendel, they might have to traverse Rendener to reach the shores of the Star Sea, where they would see a towering mountain described in the poet’s songs—along that route, they would also have to venture into the wilderness.
According to legend, crossing the Tosankad Forest beneath the great mountain or along the silver beach heading east leads to an endless desert. The Sue people have long inhabited this area, and in their tales, there are other nations to the east of the desert: for example, the most famous legend—the Land of Pearls, the Nation of Jiufeng.
“We’ll split into two groups. Balthom, you take Lohn back to the camp, and have Retao gather everyone to a place called Gris. To get there, you’ll need to hire a guide; the safest recent route is the main road to the north of Rendener. Officially, as long as you display the mercenary banner, you won’t attract any trouble.” Brendel contemplated for a moment and replied.
“Gris? What kind of place is that?”
“It’s the kingdom’s easternmost port,” Brendel smiled, “The scenery there is nice, and the local girls are simple and warm-hearted. Balthom, who knows, you might meet a lovely lady there.”
Balthom’s face turned red, and he mumbled, “I’m just a wandering mercenary, Lord.”
“That was before. Now, you’re my retainer.” Brendel replied without a care.
The red-bearded mercenary promptly fell silent, yet his face still revealed a yearning expression. Although he had been somewhat reluctant before, he now seemed eager to try.
“And you, Lord Brendel?” he pondered and then asked.
“I have some personal matters to attend to—” Brendel recalled the Starlight Piercer he left at the auction house, regretting it deeply. However, that sword had gradually lost its aura of a minor artifact after reaching level twenty, so changing to another weapon had become inevitable.
In fact, he had made almost no progress in his equipment or power over the past month, which strayed far from his initial plan. Of course, all preparations in Bruglas were necessary; as the saying goes, sharpening the axe does not hinder the work of cutting wood. Brendel had indeed acted swiftly, yet he was still unsatisfied.
Especially after his encounter with Test, he increasingly felt the urgency to enhance his own strength. Therefore, he had prioritized this adventure in his mind.
His main goal remained the long-forgotten kingdom, but before that, he needed to verify those vague words that the White Knight Aibodun had told him.
Regarding the Lionheart Sword, Brendel dared not be careless.
But to get the Stone Sage to speak, he would need the Sage Tablet, and he no longer expected the tablet that would arrive in Bruglas in a few days. Not to mention that there wasn’t enough time, he couldn’t even find 500,000 Tor to afford it.
However, it was alright; since that was the case, he would first find a Sage Tablet. At the very least, he knew there were several ‘dungeons’ in the game where that item could be obtained. The nearest ones were the Mist Forest at the intersection of Rendener, Golan-Elsen, and Anlek, as well as the Ruins of the Holy Temple of the Dead and the Dragon Canyon.
These places were suitable for an adventure at his level; he just needed to prepare a bit. Originally, Brendel had realized he needed to enhance his own strength, making it a double benefit.
With Brendel mentioning personal matters, Balthom naturally dared not say more, especially since his thoughts had already flown to Gris. Brendel’s descriptions of that place stirred his curiosity; he had never seen the sea in his life.
Brendel turned back again and asked, “Romaine, what about you? What are your plans? Will you come with me or stay to handle the celebrations?”
Merchant Miss tilted her head and naturally responded, “Of course, I’m following Brendel.”
Yet the sparkle in her eyes clearly spoke—of course, it’s about adventure! Romaine was going to have an adventure!
“Aren’t you worried about losing money?” Brendel asked in surprise and couldn’t help but want to touch her forehead to check if she had a fever.
“Of course not,” Romaine swatted his hand away, proudly saying, “I’ve already arranged everything here. I entrusted it all to Sue; we just need to wait for the funds to come in.”
“Sue?” Brendel was momentarily taken aback, remembering the girl who shot him a cold glare, always wearing a stern face, making him feel as though he owed her a million Tor: “Isn’t she Retao’s daughter?”
“Yes,” Romaine nodded, “She came to find Freya, and I’m Freya’s best friend, so of course, I can ask Sue to help with a small task.”
“You really trust people that much—” Brendel couldn’t help but tap her forehead, a gesture that had become a habit for him recently.
Romaine immediately smiled like a little fox.
“Then I’ll stay too,” Antinna suddenly said from the side. “This is originally my responsibility.”
However, Brendel stopped and looked at her, replying, “You can’t stay.” He thought about Martha; now his most precious asset, combined with everything he owned, was likely Antinna and the future alchemy master Tam. He could not let either of them stay in the precarious Bruglas for safety’s sake; he had to take them away.
Tam had to bring along his heavy alchemical equipment, so he could only allow him to join Retao and the others. Based on the spirit of not putting all eggs in one basket, he had to ensure that Antinna went with him.
Additionally, having Romaine with him meant at least one more girl, making it easier to look after Antinna.
“Test is still here; you know his identity. The Everything Returns Society is no ordinary group; it’s too dangerous for you to stay here. You should come with me, and I’ll have Romaine take care of you.” He contemplated for a moment and replied.
“How can that be?” Antinna was startled. She felt a yearning for an adventurous life, but she knew she might not adapt to such a lifestyle. For a girl like her, adventure was likely just a beautiful imagination existing in dreams.
Some people always obey their impulsive thoughts, but the clear-headed Antinna was not one of them. Just as she was starting to hesitate, the future Merchant Miss shattered her reserve with a single phrase: “Of course you can, Antinna! Adventure is truly interesting.”
Antinna couldn’t help but glance at Brendel.
Brendel nodded, “No need to say more; everyone go prepare. We’ll split up in the city, I’ll go alone. I’m worried that guy Test will come looking for trouble again. Before the last star disappears at dawn, let’s meet at the eastern gate.”
Everyone nodded. (To be continued. For later developments, please log in for more chapters, support the author, and endorse legitimate reading!)
