{What the..?} I asked myself as I felt my body lying on something, and while soft, I felt as if moving.

"Fuck whatever it is." Feeling my head hit against something hard, I groaned out a curse. Between the unexpected pain and the lack of ability to understand what was going on, I opened my eyes.

"Hmm?" I could more-or-less see a low ceiling above me, and as I concentrated on my hands, I found myself touching rough cloth.

{Just what the hell is going on?} I asked myself again but found no answers. The last thing I remember was placing my hand against the [Tr'axt Tree] bark after the blood-covered winged woman revealed herself to me. And from that moment on, I could not recall anything.

The logical course of action would be to get up and check where I was, but that only came after I checked my health and Mana with [Status Screen].

Health 80% Mana 0/46 Stamina 25% Afflictions: Weakened, Spiritual, Active.

Weakened, Physical, Active.

Weakened, Magical, Active.

Slowed Mana Regeneration, Spiritual, Active. Wounds and Injuries Body, Bloodloss, Medium.

"Well, fuck?" Talking to myself again. It wasn't a thing I was keen on, but I had found myself doing it often lately. As for the actual thoughts, they thankfully remained inside my head, {I am alive, but for Sepyre's sake, what the hell, depleted Mana? And all else?}

Strength

15 8/ ?

Body 25 13 / ? Agility 18 9 / ?

{Aha, so that's the meaning of weakened?}

"Fuck! What else can I say? Damned magic trees? Accursed spirits? Hah!" I did not think cursing or being sarcastic out loud was rational, but it turned out to be the right call here. After all, if not for that, the people outside the wooden box-like room would not have spoken up, and I could have spent a lot of time guessing.

I wonder if I even swore at the right things. After all, maybe it wasn't the spirit or the tree the reason for my condition?

"Lindar, you awoke?!" While the surprised and somewhat joyful tone wasn't usual for him, recognizing Aison's voice made me understand that I at least had completed my objective.

"Master Lindar, we are on the road, and you were in bad shape. Remain still for some time until we will stop for a rest." The one to speak up next was no one but Weral, and I understood that what I assumed to be an unknown place was anything but the wagon's [Guard Quarters]. Well, my eyes getting used to the darkness and starting to discern the objects inside the enclosed space helped a lot.

Weral's advice was sound, and I did not feel like jumping on my feet either, so I remained still, at least how still one could be when the wagon was constantly bouncing and shaking.

{The hell? What kind of road are we using?} Being used to the absolutely even, practically highway-like roads I have traveled on until now, I almost asked out loud, stopping myself at the last moment.

{I will learn everything when we stop. For now, I should concentrate on myself, not the wagon.} Considering that I should prioritize myself, I decided to do so while attempting to ignore anything but trying to recall the events before I awoke.

Yet, I had no luck remembering anything but touching the [Tr'axt Tree] after seeing the winged, clawed, and chained woman-like spirit. {That's strange. It can't be that I did not catch anything of what went on, can it?} But, the more I tried to recall what followed after touching the tree, the more I felt that there was nothing to remember. Nothing!

Many factors came to mind about being unable to remember even with [Perfect Memory]. And still, no matter what happened, if I had no way to remember, maybe I should not think about it.

{I am alive, even if weakened and lacking everything. But Aison and Weral are awake, and we are on the road.} As I assumed these two points as the basis for my line of thought, I came to the most logical reasoning of all, {Let's just fucking forget about everything and concentrate on recovery.}

Recovering meant resting, but the wagon's current route was as if prepared to counter any attempt to relax. The wagon constantly shook, and there was at least one bump or pit every damned meter, as nothing else could explain the sudden hops it was taking.

Still, I seemed to be in worse shape than I felt, as I did fall into slumber after going through all the curses, profanities, and similar I knew.

***

"Lindar, how do you feel?" I am unsure how much time we traveled for or how long I slept, but I was waked up by Aison's voice, accompanied by the opening of the wagon front's door, allowing some fresh air to enter into the [Guard Quarters].

"Honestly? Like shit." I answered with a delay caused by the check of my [Status]. While the same effects remained, I wasn't at 0 mana now, already having a whole point of it, and the weakening had somewhat receded as the numbers looked far better.

Health 85% Mana 1/46 Stamina 60% Strength

15 10/ ?

Body 25 17 / ? Agility 18 12 / ?

So, a crossed-out thing on [Status Screen], is like your real number or status? Should I assume that Estyr's title was something like temporarily revoked? Another thing for the endless list of stuff to ask someone, with the first question being, just who to ask?!

***

"Do you want to come out?" Hearing Aison being considerate was something new, but I ignored it at that moment. {Maybe they know more?}

"If I want or not isn't the right question. If I can, that would be it."

"Still feeling weak? No wonder. They said you overspent, everything!" Aison half-exclaimed before extending his hand toward me.

Aison's words rang a bell with what I had found out with [Status Screen], so after taking the hand and being nearly pulled out of the wagon's interior, I proceeded not to look around but ask what the hell happened.

_______

No matter how I would like to [Record] an entire conversation, the spell worked thought by thought and in real-time. So recording our conversation would mean reliving the nearly hour-long talk. Considering my lack of time with Chubu's darkened walls already in sight, I will keep to the main points. As I always do.

Aison was extremely throughout, probably feeling that he should update me as best he could. He even ignored Weral's several, actually numerous, interruptions.

The short version would be that the two of them woke up and were informed of the situation by a woman. Acting on her words, they found me and traveled to Bigradh. In the city, they only briefly stopped at the Guild's branch, only staying enough for me to be checked upon by a healer. From there, Aison and Weral departed towards Chubu, on the road to where we were currently on.

As for the not-short version, which was the one that took place, there was not a single point for me to question them about, with all events happening in a logical sequence.

Aison was obviously surprised to see not me but two women near the wagon. But Aletha acted as she should, and after confirming her identity and hearing her out, with the consequent result of finding the comatose me, they parted ways peacefully.

Aletha also informed them about the amount of time that had passed, namely a day since we met, so their decision to rush towards Bigradh was the proper one.

The stop at the Guild was a must as well. After all, I was carrying the actual goods, so they had to be aware of my condition before continuing.

And knowing that I would wake up by myself, as the healer said it would take from two to three days, they had no reason not to move toward Chubu. After all, Weral was under a schedule, even if I didn't know why he had to reach the city on an exact date, not earlier or later.

There was also an exchange of questions from both sides, but they were pretty obvious for the moment.

I asked about my condition, only to find that I was, in a word, drained. Or, to be exact, I lost all of my [Stamina] and [Mana] as well as half my blood.

Aison was interested in what I knew about Aletha and her mysterious, hooded, and not introduced companion. Well, I was aware of a few things but ended up speaking up just about what Aletha informed me, a name, Estyr.

Weral, on the other hand, asked me how I managed to deal with a spirit if I wasn't a trained mage. After some thought, I ended up answering that I talked to it. And as it responded to the common language, I agreed to a deal. Here, I could only lie. I felt it somehow wrong, with their worry visible even now, yet, if they weren't aware of what happened, maybe there was a reason behind it.

It wasn't like our talk didn't arouse a few questions in me, but none of them were for Aison or Weral. The questions were for Aletha, and until I saw her, I preferred to keep them for myself. Why did she obscure the matter about the [Tr'axt Tree]? And why did she move me?

I could more-or-less suppose the answer to both, [Tr'axt Trees] were precious, and the prize in question was enormous. As Estyr required the reward for some reason, Aletha chose to hide the matter and move me. Yet, until I ask her myself, I will not be sure.

_______

We left Megvuroz on the noon of the 2nd day, 4th week, Rasu. And while Aison had rushed us forwards during the first two days, we still reached Chubu at the time we had planned, the noon of the 7th day of the same week. We had won almost two days thanks to Aison's haste, and we lost even slightly above that between the day and half of the [Blossoming] and the night spent at Bigradh. Judging from the somewhat different horses, these of a darker hue, and the leading pair having white socks, we had changed them in Bigradh to keep up the speed.

While I sat on the coach seat and could observe the road now, I had spent half the travel between Bigradh and here sleeping, and even after the stop when I woke up, neither of my companions allowed me anything but go back to try and sleep more. Which, I should say, was some excellent thought of theirs!

I was recovered by now, mostly. Well, except for the slowed-down mana recovery, which was the reason behind my reduced Mana points, even though nearly a day had passed since my awakening.

Mana 32/46 Afflictions: Slowed Mana Regeneration, Spiritual, Active.

Note to self. It seems like several skills also increased, but I am unsure of the reasons for any except the spiritual ones. And while the increase isn't so grand, my nearly null knowledge in three Magic Schools advanced without me using magic. Just, why..?

NAME (PREVIOUS) CURRENT/MAX Plants 14→16/100 Danger-Sense 50→51/100 Nature 5→6/100 Spirit 5→8/100 Afterlife 2→5/100 Spirit Sense 0→4/100 Earth (Magic School) 4→5/100 Life (Magic School) 2→5/100 Death (Magic School) 2→5/100

Yet another note to self, investigate what is [Spirit Sense] with someone aware of it. My description, coming from my understanding, [Status Screen], and Apostle boons, is very barebones, [Sense any changes in the surroundings caused by spirits, spiritual techniques, or similar. Rank increases distance.].

Anyway, let's go back to the stuff going on at the moment. We were about a kilometer from the walls, on what was called the [Chubu's Royal Tract]. It was different from the Kingdom's roads from before, as this one wasn't so clean or well-maintained. While built similarly, it was far older, some stone plates were cracked, and others were directly missing, which had been the reason behind my not-so-nice feelings when inside the wagon's interior.

Another difference I had to note was that I saw people moving on it and that each kilometer, or even less, there was a stone, cobblestone, or even dirt side road leading to villages in vision range.

I actually only saw two myself, but Aison was kind enough to explain that the land around Chubu was far more densely populated, as the two Barons that owned them, as well as Viscount Je'dacr of Chubu, did everything they could to keep the people from moving out, as they depended on the villages for both income and workforce.

*Knock* "Weral, we reached the fork towards [Blackwater]. Now what?" I had no idea what Aison asked about after he knocked on the wagon's wall, so I kept silent, hoping to find out what was going on. {Weren't we supposed to reach Chubu, and that's all?}

"Take the next fork, [Swallowed Mine], and go until we reach the mine proper." From inside, Weral answered just a moment later.

"Mhm, understood." Aison mumbled back and then turned towards me, "I am sorry 'bout that. Weral only told me about the meeting point in Bigradh, and from what he explained, he was supposed to do the same to you."

"So, the deal will happen outside the city." It wasn't hard to connect the secret meeting point to the information I had about the job, so this was stating the evident.

***

The so-called fork towards the mine turned out to be an overgrown, nearly imperceptible trail, with only an old, weathered wooden sign indicating that it was an actual road.

I saw no people around as we turned on it, and we met none as we traveled to the south-west, towards the enormous, far taller than anything I had seen, mountains in the distance. We actually went something like down and around the city, and half an hour in on the road, the walls were pretty much a distant blur.

After two hours of the slow-paced trip, because of the lack of an actual road, we approached something that resembled an enormous hole in the ground, with the mountains still a few clicks from the point. Signs of civilization were present, but all showed a lack of maintenance and abandonment.

A few wooden buildings, some already reduced to a few beams and planks, dotted the landscape, and now that I looked better, the hole wasn't a hole but a kind of mine. I could see the signs of several remnants of what should have been stairs, lifts, and so on.

"I think there was a silver vein down there? But it's closed for a dozen years at least though by now. Was it depleted?" Aison half-explained, half-questioned, although I could not be sure if the words were for me, as he did not direct them to me or turn to face me as he always did.

"The human's layer was devoured by your Kingdom, yes." Seemingly Weral overheard Aison's questions as he spoke up right after the latter stopped.

"Devoured? An interesting way to say it." Curious about the wording, I turned towards the wagon's wall at the same time as Aison, who had spoken, and found that Weral had opened it, and his head was now poking out.

"The upper layer, the one that your miners had access to, could have lasted longer. And it still has some silver remaining, even now. Yet, your Kingdom, or the nobles, were hungry for silver and ended hastening the process, which made a few of the tunnels be lost, and a good third of the layer sink." Weral pointed towards the crater-like hole and made a sweeping movement with his hand.

I had never heard Weral speaking in such a solemn tone as he did now, and I could only connect it to mining, as at least I was sure that Dwarves did mine, build tunnels, and the like.

The education information he shared about before mentioned several venerated occupations, and Craftmaster Miner or Minemaster was at the top.

***

After stopping near one of the still-standing, abandoned, squarish buildings that I dubbed miner dwellings, we went afoot.

"While I did enjoy your company, and the trip was a good one, I would ask you to stay here with the wagon." Weral half-bowed to Aison and, without waiting for him to say anything back, motioned to me, "Let's go."