I

The footprints stuck to the snow, leaving long trails. It runs with all its might. The wind blew him past, toward the other side of the mountain. When he thought he needed to go further, the inquisitor came to a steep descent.

He could see the northern world from the top of the mountain as well as the Middle Sea that separated the two worlds. Green plains with rocks adorn the northern world. A large river flows and splits into several smaller streams that lead to the sea. The streets of stone are invisible, showing how beautiful nature was without the work of humans. There was no one he saw. The inquisitor could feel the world he lived in was not filled with any destructive nature.

Nazeir carefully descended the steep snow mountain gorge. He held the ground and slowly descended while looking at the green and beautiful scenery of the world. On his right, there was still a long row of mountains, filled with green grass. The blue clouds added to the beauty of the northern world that was incomparable to what he saw in the south.

For hours, the inquisitor tried to reach the foot of the mountain quickly through a steep path. He saw the scene in front of him getting closer. When he stepped on the pebbles, he was legally in the northern world.

The inquisitor stretched his body. Seeing the sun shining brightly during the day. He walked alone, accompanied by the song of nature. Birds were seen sitting on the mossy rocks, watching the probe pass them by. This vast grassy and mossy rock plain was not filled with a single person at all. There was only the sound of birds chirping and the river rushing downstream.

Nazeir jumped over the small stream, up an unequal rock. On his right, he could see a waterfall coming down from the mountain. He paused for a moment. He looked at the scenery ahead, and to his right where the waterfall was. The inquisitor chose the latter and began walking on the boulders toward the waterfall in the distance. Although there was no forest to green his view, the grass and flowers that grow wildly provide a sense of calm in the hearts of investigators.

When he arrived, he immediately took off his clothes and immediately sat under the falling waterfall. He meditated under a waterfall, closing his eyes. Reaching into his feelings that were covered with a fog of anger and hatred, and found a sense of pleasure he had not felt for a long time. He had been enjoying this taste for a long time, a taste that was truly genuine. Not hindered or a mere cheerful smile.

Before long, he harboured that pleasure. A feeling came back. Fear, sadness and hate. The anger came to cover his heart again. The fire was burning, and he felt it. He hit the first rock he saw and cracked it. His voice bounced off the mountain cliff when he shouted into the sky. He could feel his body becoming exhausted. The inquisitor bent to the ground.

"Why do I still feel this way?" he asked himself. He plopped down and submerged half of his body. He did not move all day until the sun moved behind the earth.

He stood with his body soaking wet. The man immediately put on his clothes and tied his waist. Not knowing where he was going, he walked without a map. And only in one direction, namely the north.

Wandering in the dark was no problem for the man. He could feel the world around him, and with eyes that could see the darkness, everything was easy for him to see. He passed tens of kilometres, and his legs remained strong to walk on rough terrain. When he lost his way, he opened his torn map. He was confused about what happened to the paper, and can't remember when it was torn.

He dumped the paper on the ground and then grumbled as he continued. Without a clue, Nazeir finally stopped after walking a day in nature without seeing a path.

Nazeir sat in a meadow and looked out at the sea far ahead. He could hear the rush of water nearby, and the sound of the sea crashing against the boulders on land. He sat down and closed his eyes until the morning came. Time flies fast for him as he calms himself down.

The calm dissipated when he felt a tremor. He glanced to his right and saw the pebbles shake. A bright light was seen, and then a portal that looked dark came to open a way for who was behind it. Nazeir immediately took cover behind a large rock. He peeked from afar, seeing what was happening.

From there, two people with four soldiers were behind them. Nazeir could feel the hair on his arm facing the two people rise suddenly. Without hesitation, Nazeir knew who they were.

"Sorcerers," he muttered. "What are they doing here?"

The inquisitor saw the group of people walking towards the mountains. Nazeir was careful. He remained behind the rock as the group of people passed the inquisitor. He kept his eyes on them and their movements.

"The vibration was in the mountain. I hope you are strong enough to climb the mountain," said the sorcerer to his guards.

"What's different about this vibration, master?" said the guard soldier.

"Yes. It could be an avalanche."

"Perhaps... and something like that must have a cause. It's possible the Brindorian soldiers will come back."

"Through the mountains? That makes little sense."

As the men passed Nazeir, he changed positions. The inquisitor accidentally bumped into a small rock. The rock fell into a deep slit and made a loud echo.

"Shit," said Nazeir.

Everyone stopped and looked at the boulder where Nazeir was hiding. A sorcerer raised a hand, and all the soldiers stopped and held their spears.

"Everyone, scatter!" the sorcerer orders. "Keep your eyes on the rock."

All the soldiers kept their distance from each other and fixed their eyes on the rock where Nazeir was hiding. The two sorcerers nodded at each other, and the sorcerer leading the group allowed his sorcerer comrade to lead the soldiers. He walked first, approaching the boulder. His hand created a flash of lightning that emitted electricity to the ground. He was getting closer, and closer than ever. And he was in front of the boulder that the inquisitor used to hide.

The mage took a deep breath and jumped to see the inquisitor behind it. His eyes were wide open, his heart was beating fast. His breath was in and out, his face was confused. There was no one behind the boulder.

"What?" said the incomprehensible sorcerer. "The sound was coming from here, but-" he said to his friend when he saw something behind the rock. He lay on his stomach and tried to see what was in the boulder. As he lay down, he saw a picture. Not an ordinary picture, but a symbol. His bulging eyes immediately opened in panic.

"Oh my god, there's-!"

Nazeir behind another boulder snapped his fingers, and an explosion could be seen from the boulder where the mage and the symbol were. The soldiers panicked, seeing the fragments of the rock and the sorcerer's body thrown into the air. They stumbled as they moved away from the exploding rock.

"No!" shouted the sorcerer.

With anger that blinded the sorcerer, he threw fireballs at every boulder he saw. Nazeir could see the boulder explode as the fireball hit. As he peeked, the sorcerer pointed the fireball at him. Nazeir jumped and dodged away from the fireball. He was out in the open, and the sorcerer saw him. He didn't know what he had just seen when he looked at the inquisitor. What he caught in his head was a man in battle armour.

"You four, catch him!" the man orders.

The four soldiers were immediately on alert, wielding their long spears. They ran towards the inquisitor hoping to catch him. Instead, Nazeir did the opposite of what the soldiers expected. He strikes back.

Nazeir stormed a soldier. The man shouted for the inquisitor to stop running toward him. As the inquisitor approached, the soldier got anxious and thrust at the inquisitor. Nazeir, with his lightning reflex, stepped aside and held the man's spear. The soldier tried to pull back his spear but could not resist the much stronger Nazeir. The inquisitor broke the end of the spear with his knee guard. When the spear broke, he stole the soldier's spear and then pushed and made him fall backwards. Nazeir walked to the soldier who was lying on the ground and stepped on him on the head.

The rest of the soldiers started charging at Nazeir at the same time. The inquisitor threw the tip of the spear he was holding at one of the soldiers, hitting his leg. Two other soldiers came to face the inquisitor. Nazeir jumped away from one spear, and the other hit the inquisitor in his arm. He saw that his armour was scratched, his eyes fixed on the soldier who shivered when he saw his eyes that pierced through his soul.

Nazeir grabbed the soldier's spear and pulled it. The soldier held on to it and was kicked by Nazeir when he still wouldn't let go. The other soldier attacked Nazeir again, the man lost quickly to Nazeir. When he attacked Nazeir, the inquisitor deflected it with the spear he was holding. Then, the soldier was stabbed in the stomach and fell lying on the rock bloodied.

When he looked behind him, the soldier he kicked ran back with a sword in his hand. Nazeir stood motionless, and the soldier came and stabbed Nazeir in the stomach. The sword hit Nazeir's armour; the soldier who stabbed Nazeir smiled into the inquisitor's face. However, he sensed that something was wrong. The sword... didn't pierce the inquisitor's armour. Nazeir just stood there, unfazed by what the soldier was doing. The soldier kept thrusting back into the leather armour, yet it couldn't get through. However, he felt something even stronger was hidden behind the leather, then he realised what it was. The inquisitor dealt a blow to the soldier and ended with a slam of the head against a rough rock. Blood splattered on the stone.

Finally, the inquisitor saw the sorcerer standing across from him. The two of them looked at each other a couple of metres away. The sorcerer with his magic in hand, and Nazeir with his sword.

"Who are you!?" asked the sorcerer in fear. His voice trembled.

"Your doom."

The sorcerer grew angrier and attacked Nazeir. He raised his hand and shot a fireball at Nazeir. The inquisitor jumped away from the fireball and saw that the sorcerer had already started shooting another fireball at him.

Nazeir raised his sword behind his head and threw it at the sorcerer.

The fireball was thrown at Nazeir. His sword and fireball clashed with each other. The sword pierced the fireball flying towards Nazeir. Nazeir rolled out of the way when the sorcerer was surprised to see a sword fly out of the fireball he threw. The sorcerer fell after a sword pierced his stomach.

Nazeir walked to the man who was dying on the stone plain. He stood and saw him trying to speak. Nazeir took hold of the sword grip and moved it, making the sorcerer scream in pain.

"You bastard," he said, his breath becoming unstable. "How can a sorcerer lose to an ordinary man?" he asked. Shortly after, he died of blood loss.

Nazeir left the bodies of the people. And when he left, a soldier who was still alive was seen trying to get up and running with one bleeding leg. Nazeir took a spear and walked over to the soldier. Approaching him, the inquisitor pushed the soldier down slowly. The person could look frightened.

"Which soldier are you?"

"W-w-what?" his voice trembled.

"Who is your king!?"

"I don't have a king," he replied, closing his eyes.

"Then who do you work with?"

"With the Sorcerer's guild!"

"Sorcerer's Guild?"

"Right," he cried.

"What exactly is this Sorcerer's Guild?" Nazeir pulled the man by the collar. "Who's the leader!?"

"They want to rebuild the sorcerer's order. Just like in the olden times. That's all I know!”

Nazeir held the man's open wound. He screamed in pain.

"Are you sure that's what you know!?"

"That’s all I know! I'm a soldier. We're just mercenaries getting paid by the guild."

"Good. Now. Listen to this last question."

"Yes?" his head entered his collar.

With the last question. Nazeir questions what was the basis for normal people to survive in the wild.

"Where can I find the nearest tavern?" his brows furrowed.

II

Nazeir jumped into his hot spring pool. The maid came and sat beside the inquisitor in his bathing pool. She brought a cloth to wash the inquisitor's body. She tied her hair up and glanced at the inquisitor. Nazeir, who was silent in thought, directed his sharp gaze at the woman.

Nazeir shifted his body forward from the edge of the pool, letting the woman sit directly behind him. The two of them soaked in the hot water, and the woman wrung the warm cloth and looked at the inquisitor's back. Her body was covered with wounds that the woman didn't recognize, some of which were like claws and up to a bite.

He swallowed his saliva, frightened by the wounds, afraid to hurt the inquisitor.

The inquisitor was in a shop that had a bath. He bought a room with a bathing pool and the service of a maid. The place was covered by tall bamboo and wood, ensuring that people can't see inside. Behind the hot pool was a small building, with rooms for the inquisitor and the woman.

The place was comfortable, not noisy and smokey. Maybe because he was in a small village in the middle of nowhere.

"You understand me?" Nazeir asked.

"I do," the woman replied.

"Sorry, my language is not very clear. But I try to speak as best as I can," said Nazeir. "Northern is not my first language."

The woman who was washing the inquisitor’s back stopped the movement of her hands.

"That's good! And... are you from the south?"

"Yes," Nazeir nodded.

The woman again washed Nazeir's body.

"I heard people in the south stopped worshipping the gods," she paused. "Is it true?"

"Some of it is true."

"Do you still worship the gods?"

"I worship, but not your gods."

"If people hear that, you will be excommunicated. Maybe expelled from this village."

Nazeir looked back. "Are you going to send me out?"

The woman froze. "No," she answered nervously.

"Thank you. I like people who understand the existence of respect for the beliefs of others."

The woman smiled shyly and returned to bathe the inquisitor's body. He took a dipper and wet his entire back.

"Are you still praying to your god?" Nazeir spoke up.

"Sometimes I pray to them. Sometimes I lose hope in the gods," the woman's hand movements slowed. "And lately, I feel like they're not listening to what I'm saying," the woman looked at the inquisitor. "What about you? Are you still praying to your god?"

"Just like you, miss. We are the same," Nazeir smirked. "This tavern owner, what's his name? Remind me again."

"Mr Danil?"

"What kind of person is he? From your perspective, Ada."

"Mister Nazeir," she laughed uncomfortably. "I don't seem to have the freedom to talk like that to my general."

"No one is listening to us, Ada. You can talk to me all you want," Nazeir held her leg, and she gulped in surprise. "Relax. I want to know about these northerners."

"The answer is confusing enough for me to answer easily."

"Please... we have time."

The woman calmed herself, letting out a worried breath.

"My life is full of debt to the Danil's family. At first, I was just a fisher. Life went on, as usual, with no problems. And that was enough for me, and not for my little sister. For the past three years, my sister held her secret very close. I didn't know at the time she turned out to be accidentally burning a house while playing with her teenage friends. And guess whose house it was?

When Mrs Danil found out what my sister did. I started collecting money to pay back their house. It might be hard to get it, but I can pay it back. And from there it all started to fall apart. My debts are rising again, and I have no home. For several years I lived in a hut, my sister and I were alone. And at that time, they came. The head of the village and the local government head came to take my sister.

They say I am not worthy of taking care of her and give her a decent life. She was the only one who left. At that time they said I had grown up. That's why I was separated from her. Having no money and a sister, this heart was broken. Lost, not knowing what to do, I finally went to her house.

I came to Danil's family and begged them to help me. They paid the debt I had. On the condition that I will serve him until the debt is gone. Which is ten years."

"How much do you owe Danil?"

"Five thousand gold pieces."

"Five thousand for the debt of the people in the village!?"

"Originally a few hundred, but they raised him because of my background having a brother who burned his house down."

"What do you mean? They are loan sharks, then?"

"If master wants to put it like that, then sure."

The sound of running water closed the silence.

"I had run away from all this if you didn't know, just a few days after working here. For about five months, I joined and lived like a nun. When a group of nuns came to this shop to stay overnight, I stole a dress that the nun was wearing."

"How?"

"When they went to the bath, I took one of their clothes. Then I put it on and went to the temple of the god Ukodottir, about five kilometres from here, and I lived there. Pretending to be a nun, helping and serving the people. And until now, I still remember some parts of the codex that the nuns had to read every morning. But in the end, I got caught."

"How did you get caught?"

"The nun I stole her clothes from. She came to visit the temple."

"Shit," Nazeir looked at the woman behind him. "Ten years to..."

The girl nodded sullenly. Nazeir shook his head dumbly.

"But everything will be fine from what I'll see," she tried to please herself again.

When the woman showered Nazeir one last time, she grabbed the man's shoulder.

"Turn around."

Nazeir stood up from the pool and turned around to face the woman. The woman was surprised to see there were other wounds on his front body, especially on his chest. She looked at Nazeir uncomfortably. She washed the inquisitor’s shoulders and descended to his crotch.

"You have a lot of wounds," she said, placing her index finger on Nazeir's body.

"Every wound has a story. Point to one and I'll tell you."

The woman pointed to a wound that looked deep.

"What's going on here?"

"Did you hear the creature called 'faceling'?"

She shook her head with a smile.

"Imagine you meet someone. But they never clean their long and sharp nails. Tall, thin, and of course... faceless."

Nazeir could feel the woman's heart beating a little faster and her body shaking. Nazeir grabbed her by the shoulder and made the woman jump a little when she tried to picture the description.

"I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. How about we talk about something else? How about… um… What's your name?"

"Aida or Ada"

"Nazeir. So, Ada. Do you know why I'm here in the north?"

"No, what are you doing here?"

"I'm looking for my friend."

The woman put her feet behind Nazeir's body, tying the inquisitor's body with her.

"Who are you looking for?"

"Do you know where the An-Ru family's mansion is?"

"I might know. The An-Ru family might be famous in the north. However, the family was covered by a thick fog. There are only rumours going around, and that's all that we hear and we have never seen An-Ru in real life."

"You think the An-Ru family is still alive?"

"I don't know. Yes? Maybe?" the woman hesitated. "In all my life, I've never left the village. Maybe go to the neighbouring village, and that's all. I'm only here to raise money to find my sister who went to the city. Earning money in the village may be difficult, but it's the safest thing that I know. Whatever it is, to sell yourself to someone you don't know," the woman glanced at the inquisitor.

"What are you talking about!?"

"Am I doing something wrong?"

Nazeir was struck in the heart. He immediately released his body from the woman's leg lock.

"By the gods! I never asked you to..." Nazeir sighs. "I just want your service, Ada. Service, help. Got it?"

"You saw me naked. Isn't this what you want?"

"It's natural to see naked people while bathing. This is just natural, and you are my servant for one day."

"In my entire life I, have never heard the word service be used like this. Is this a culture shock? Then, what should I do now?"

Nazeir stood up from the pool, holding out his hand to help the woman up. The girl saw the man who was full of wounds on his body. She held Nazeir's hand and stood up; he was fixated on Nazeir's gaze.

"What you can do is sleep. Tomorrow morning, I will wake you up."

Ada looked up at the still bright sky. The sun was blinding her eyes.

"But night has not come, sir. Is there anything I can do while waiting for the night to come?"

"I need you to be full of energy tomorrow."

"What happens tomorrow?"

Nazeir just kept quiet and put on his clothes. The girl just gaped in a daze. Soon she came out of the pool and put her clothes back on.

III

Before the rooster crows in the morning, the pool of water can still be heard, its water flowing from the mountain to the bathhouse and towards the river. The man just sat quietly, contemplating. His head was down, his hand was holding his head. He rubbed his face and submerged his entire head in the pool. After he relaxed by the pool, Nazeir dried himself. He then immediately put on his armour.

The dagger he placed on his calf and back waist was tied with a belt. The woman was still asleep in her bed. Nazeir left her and the tavern, seeking some high ground outside. He climbed a building. Nazeir sat on the roof and waited for the sun to rise. He stared into the distance, thinking about where he was going next.

"Damn it, Tabot. Where are you? I should have taken the boat. Going through the mountains is..." Nazeir gripped his hand tightly, regretting what he had done. "An-Ru. Tabot An-Ru..." Nazeir was daydreaming for a long time until the sun woke up from their sleep. The rooster crowed; he immediately came down from the roof of the building.

He walked back to his room, already found Ada awake and looking confused.

"Master Nazeir. I thought you were gone."

"Come on, Aida. Get ready."

She was silent for a while, and Nazeir grabbed her shoulders, and then the girl got ready. She changed her clothes and tied her long hair up; a few strands of untied hair could be seen hanging down beside her eyes. She seemed a little rushed about Nazeir's presence. He could see her slightly frightened face.

"What do I need to prepare?

"Yourself. We're going. Wear something comfortable to move around."

Aida, who was moving quickly, immediately stopped and looked at the inquisitor.

"We are going?"

"Right. Come out quickly," he said as he walked out of the room.

Aida immediately refreshed her body quickly and wore a long-sleeved shirt that was rolled up and the same trousers made of white cloth.

When she came out, she saw the man talking to an old man and woman. Aida walked beside Nazeir when she saw the two pairs of faces looking depressed. The man's mouth seemed to want to speak.

"Come on, say what you want to say," said Nazeir with his arms crossed towards the people.

"What's the matter, Mr Daniel?" Ada asked the man in his mid-year who was reluctant.

"Aida..." said old man Danil. "I apologise for what I did."

"And me too," slipped old lady Danil.

"These past few years, we've made you work non-stop. It was our fault. Ukodottir would certainly be happy with people helping those who are in need. The helping god would surely smite us if we were to treat you like this."

Ada glanced at the smiling inquisitor.

"So, we both apologise. And we consider all your debt erased as a gift. Please," Danil took a bag containing gold pieces and gave it to the woman.

There was amazement at the gift of the two people, and of course to Nazeir, who was beside him.

"Mr Danil. This- this is too much. This-"

"Take it, Aida. This is my payback for you."

"If you don't take it, we don't know what Ukodottir will do to us."

Aida, who hesitated, finally accepted the money and nodded.

"Thank you, I'll keep this money."

"No. We thank you."

Nazeir freed his crossed arms and walked out. The woman chased after the inquisitor who just walked outside by himself without speaking.

"Where are we going?"

"I'm just asking you to walk to the front of the shop, just to invite you to talk to Danil's family," he explained. "You're free now. Use the money for something or other stuff. The important thing is that you don't work there with them now. Of course, Ukodottir will be happy."

"But I don't have a home."

"Then buy a house. That’s enough to buy a large piece of land here. The rest, I'll let you choose."

Aida was silent for a while and watched the inquisitor walk back.

"How about I come with you, master Nazeir."

Nazeir stopped walking.

"You don't know the northern world. Maybe I can say the same as you because I've never ventured out of the village. But I know the local customs."

"And what is the use of the local customs of these northerners?" Nazeir looked in doubt.

Aida is silent.

"Right. You'd better stay here."

"Surely you can't leave me here?" Aida kept the inquisitor from walking. "I want to get out of this place! I want to see wider things in this world."

"No."

The woman crouched down and dragged the ground to stop the inquisitor from walking. However, it was in vain. Aida saw the person drift away and walked towards the north. She was confused about what to say to persuade him and finally called the inquisitor.

"I know where An-Ru's house is!"

Nazeir stopped again for the last time.

IV

Both of them walked in the middle of a wide, deserted street. The woman walked beside the inquisitor. The vast plains of grass were the only thing the two of them saw. They didn't speak the whole time. The inquisitor kept his mouth shut.

They had travelled a dozen kilometres and not a single sign of human life could be seen. While walking, Ada fell onto the gravel road. The inquisitor immediately examined the woman.

"What happened?" Nazeir asked.

"My ankle," Ada said, groaning in pain.

Nazeir grabbed the woman's ankle, and when she held it, she screamed in pain.

"You can't walk," said Nazeir.

"Yes, I can."

Ada tried to force her sprained leg to stand up. When she was half-standing, she fell again, and the inquisitor caught her. Her breath was getting weary; the inquisitor came to his senses. He picked up Aida and carried her right onto his back.

"You should have told me to rest."

"Sorry, sir. I didn't want to slow you down."

Nazeir carried Ada and continued walking in the desert.

"Whose master's friend are we going to meet?"

"I feel old being called master. And the people we are going to meet were more than friends. I could almost call them family."

"A reunion?"

"Yes. Reunion."

"You must be close."

"Closer than you think. It's rare for me to have someone close to them."

"Is this a small reunion?"

" A massive reunion. You'll see when you show me where they are."

"Really? We have about a couple of days to get there."

"Carry you for a couple of days?"

"If mast- I mean Nazeir-" she corrected his words. "If you don't mind. If you mind, I'll be back walking on the road."

"No, don’t. We need to get there fast."

Mid-afternoon went fast. The two of them spoke pleasantly while passing the time.

"Mister Nazeir, are you afraid of the deep sea?"

"I don't go down that rabbit hole. What is it?"

"Imagine you are swimming in the sea. Our bodies are above the water, facing out the blue. But when we direct our eyes downwards. We see something darkening when it is deep, and then the fear of seeing the depth comes. The fear of what we don't know."

"Yes... I know what lies deep in the sea."

"Is that true?" said Aida. "And what is it?"

"Do you know Taniwha?"

"No. And I honestly don't want to know what it is."

"Come on, you really have to hear this."

"No!" the woman covered her ears.

"They're big like sharks. But much bigger, I've seen one-"

The woman kept her ears tight and echoed continuously as the inquisitor recounted her experience. When Nazeir stopped talking, he tapped her on the back. Aida immediately shut up and opened her ears.

"What is it?"

"Look."

Nazeir and Aida passed a troop of five soldiers carrying spears. And in front of them, someone was leading a small army. As they passed the soldier walking, Nazeir growled.

"Have you seen them, Ada?"

"Yeah, a few days before you came. I saw about two to three groups of soldiers coming and going from the tavern. Some were rude to me."

"Do you know what they were doing?"

"One person is talking about a Brindorian attacking a mine in Grobern."

"Mining, you say? Was he talking about any other mines?"

"Drunk people talk a lot. If I'm not mistaken, there's another mine he said. Kuln, maybe? Keln? I forgot."

Nazeir felt the hairs on his neck rise as he passed the troop leader. He recalled the experience. About a kilometre after passing them, Nazeir encountered another group of soldiers. Then he encountered several more groups of small troops. He sensed that something dangerous was coming.

They walked for two days. Nazeir didn't stop at all, and she fell asleep on his back. They stopped when the woman wanted to have some privacy, then resumed walking. The woman ate and drank in the inquisitor's arms while pointing the way.

When night came, Nazeir and Ada were exploring in the bushes. Ada fell asleep in the inquisitor's arms and Nazeir just wandered off by himself. As he passed through the branches of a tree, a branch slapped Ada in the face and woke her up.

"Ow! What's that?"

"Are you awake?"

"Y-yes?"

"Good. Because now I don't know where we are, and the sun is going down in two hours. We have little time, Aida."

"Ok, did you do what I told you to do?"

"Yes."

"Then, keep going straight."

"I've been walking straight for half an hour, and we haven't met them yet."

Nazeir stomped his foot on a leaf. He heard a voice in his ear. A sound that sounded like wood moving swiftly towards him. Nazeir stepped out of the trap and fell with Ada, losing his balance. The woman fell on top of the inquisitor, who was lying face first. The woman panicked and immediately crawled away from Nazeir.

He groaned softly with his face pressed into the ground. Ada rolled it over and looked at the inquisitor.

"Are you all right-"

Nazeir pulled the woman's body closer to him. There was a scream, and an arrow crossed the woman's head. The inquisitor saw the arrow fly and looked in the direction it was coming from. Deep in the thick bushes, he saw a soldier wielding an arrow. From behind, Nazeir was jumped by someone who then strangled him from behind. He slammed the man forward who he overpowered and rushed to another soldier with a spear.

"Stop! Don't-" he said with the tip of the spear in Nazeir's face.

When he saw Nazeir's face, his body shook, knowing who he was. He pulled his spear away from the inquisitor and swallowed his saliva.

"General!?"

"General?" out of nowhere, dozens of soldiers came out of the bushes around him and walked over to the inquisitor.

"We've been waiting for you for a few days ago."

"Is it true?" Nazeir stood up and lifted Ada into his arms, who was clueless about what was happening. "Then where are the others?

"Over here," the soldier walked over to lead the inquisitor. "Groups two and three stay here. The others follow me with the general."

"Yes, sir!"

Nazeir and several soldiers walked towards a large building in the distance. When they came out of the thicket of trees, the inquisitor finally came to the mansion.

An-Ru's mansion was left behind and dirty. Outside the house that was once been big and majestic, it was filled with a large campground. Nazeir and the other soldiers walk there. Aida, who was in Nazeir's arms, was mesmerised by many people at one campsite.

"There must be thousands of people there."

Nazeir stopped, greeted by Tabot and Jurko.

"Because there are thousands of people here," said Tabot. "Welcome to the mansion of An-Ru. I am your host, Tabot An-Ru."

"And also our extended family. The march of thousands. I hope you like our big family," Jurko greeted Ada.

The woman could only remain silent and look at Tabot, who was standing in front of her.

"What's wrong with your leg, my child?"

"I sprained my leg."

Tabot glanced at the inquisitor.

"How about you take her to a tent? Let the doctors help her."

"Sure, Tabot," Nazeir nodded and took her.

V

Jurko, Tabot, and Nazeir were in a large tent. This place was filled with a large table and chairs surrounding it. Nazeir spoke to the two, recounting his journey.

"So, they went to the mountain border to listen to you make the snow slide down?"

"I don't think it's because of that. Earlier, the woman in the tent told me that soldiers were patrolling the mountains while passing through her village."

"Are they soldiers of the Talmyran?"

"I don't know. She doesn't know. What I know is that there will be guards on the mountain frontier. And they're there to guard the mines."

Jurko strolled around in thought, placing his hand on his chin.

"Okay, let's see the bright side. They take soldiers to the border and not to the mines."

"But they are guarding deep in the mountains to guard the mines?" said Tabot. "What are they planning?"

"Perhaps waiting for the Brindorian soldiers to attack? Surely they were on standby after you went with them, Tabot."

"I doubt that," Tabot thought. "I've spoken to the leader of the Brindorian raid into the sorcerer's mines here. It may be land that belongs to the sorcerers, but the kingdom of Talmyra legally owns it. They only lend the land to sorcerers."

"They're ready, Jurko. I saw them. They're gathering a large army group right at the foot of the eastern mountain," Nazeir commented.

Tabot leaned on the table and clenched his fists.

"Damn!" Tabot hit the table. "If they attack Talmyra with us here, and manage to take control of some parts of the northern world. We might tear the balance of power between the two worlds."

The three were silent, glancing at each other without a way out.

"Then what are we going to do?"

"Like what we do, what is the purpose of life of an inquisitor?" Jurko was silent for a second, his eyes moving around the room. "Kill," he answered his own question. The veteran inquisitor drew his sword, wielding it like a pointing device. "Nazeir will take troops to the mine in Keln. Meanwhile, Tabot and I will look for another mine."

"They're in Grobern," said Nazeir.

"How do you know?"

"That girl told me."

"That girl? Do you believe her?" Tabot rested his hand on his waist.

"After she brought me to you? Yes."

Jurko looked at the Tabot. The veteran inquisitor just shrugged his shoulders.

"Okay," Tabot sighed.

"Good," Jurko sheathed his sword again. "We're leaving Grobern as soon as possible. Tabot, you'd better get some sleep."

"Fine, you don't have to remind me of t

"Good. Anything more to add?" Jurko glanced at the two.

"Yes. There are." Nazeir took out a paper and gave it to Tabot.

"What's this?"

"An acquaintance of mine said what is in the paper could help us. Now or in the future."

Tabot who looked dismissive casually turned to a serious and fixated look. Nazeir and Jurko just looked at the scientist who was reading the paper carefully.

When he stopped talking, he glanced at Nazeir.

"This is pure diamond!" Tabot stood up and faced the inquisitor. "How did your friend get it?"

"If these trees could talk, Tabot."

"Impossible," Tabot gasped. "But..."

"Looks like we need a break. Reading the paper can be continued tomorrow, Tabot."

"No. I-need-to-read it now!" Tabot answered while looking at the contents of the paper. "Go back to your tents! I need to be alone," Tabot kicked them out of the tent.

Jurko and Tabot did not dare to argue and left the tent. Nazeir walked out of the tent before Jurko. When he took a few steps out, he felt someone behind him. He turned around.

Aida walked clumsily out of hiding behind the tent where they were.

"Can't sleep?"

Aida shook her head.

"You must. Tomorrow we will go," said the inquisitor quickly.

"Wait, we're not splitting up?" Aida froze.

"Of course not," Nazeir glanced at the woman's feet. "I can't leave people with feet like that here. And look at the good part, you'll see the world with us. It's been a long journey."

The woman smiled and was grateful in her heart. When Nazeir turned back walking, he heard the woman's mouth move as if to speak. The inquisitor turned and looked at the woman. His eyebrows were raised as he waited for her to speak.

"Why are you helping me? We only met one day. And you and your friends have given me service that I shouldn't deserve. Especially if you're a southerner," she kept her face down and hands back. "I heard the lips that talked about how bad you southerners are. However, after meeting you in person. This soul feels fonder of you than my people. Why is everything like this? Why did you come to help?"

"First. Because you asked. Two. Because I have to."