After resting for a few hours, Lux traveled to the Town of Bradford in the middle of the night.
It didn't really matter whether he traveled during the day or night, because either way, he could clearly see everything.
However, after getting some proper rest, the Half-Elf pondered why Guthram insisted that he traveled to the Town of Bradford. He had expected that he would be given some kind of quest in order to get a Recommendation Letter, but the Guildmaster gave him none.
But in return, the Guildmaster of the Adventurer's Guild made sure that Lux would only choose the Town of Bradford as his next destination.
'Is there something going on in Bradford Town?' Lux mused.
Using the Elysium Compendium, the Half-Elf mapped out the shortest route to reach his destination. Due to Jed's enhanced movement speed after becoming a Thunder Warg King, Lux arrived at the outskirts of Bradford Town just before sunrise.
Upon arrival, instead of being happy, a grim expression formed on the Half-Elf's face. The outskirts were littered with the dead bodies of Rat Monsters, as well as Humans.
A single glance was enough to tell him that something was terribly wrong, so he immediately summoned Diablo to prepare for any unexpected surprises.
,m "These bodies haven't been dead for long, Master," Diablo commented. "At most, they have been dead for two to three hours."
The Death Knight, whose strength had increased after absorbing the power of the dead, paid close attention to the surroundings, just in case a monster appeared out of nowhere and attacked the Half-Elf who was riding by his side.
"Diablo, wear this cloak," Lux ordered as he tossed a cloak to his Named Creature. "Also, dismount from Airon. I want you to ride one of the Wargs for the time being. I don't know what's going on, but it will be best if you're not seen as a monster. The Humans we'll encounter along the way might take you for an enemy, and we don't want to be attacked by them.."
(A/N: Airon is the name of Diablo's Nightmare Horse.)
Diablo obeyed and donned the cloak on his body, covering his face completely.
The stench of blood was getting thicker, which caused the frown on Lux's face to deepen. After ten minutes, they finally reached the entrance of Bradford Town, which was shut tightly.
"Halt!" A man holding a crossbow on top of the town's walls aimed his weapon towards the Half-Elf. "What are you doing here in Bradford? State your business!"
There were other men holding crossbows in their hands, and all of them were pointing it at him and Diablo with bloodshot eyes.
Lux raised both of his hands to show that he meant no harm in order to pacify the anxious looking guards who were aiming at them with their crossbows. His gesture reduced the tension in the air, preventing the guards from accidentally shooting him due to their nerves being stretched to the limit.
"My name is Lux, and I have come to Bradford Town to pass a letter that came from the Guildmaster of the Adventurer's Guild in Aeston Town, Sir Guthram. He said that I should personally hand the letter to his friend, Sir Boris, who is the Guildmaster of the Adventurer's Guild in this town."
The men lowered the crossbows in their hand, but they were still giving Lux suspicious glances.
"Someone tell the Guildmaster that someone is looking for him," the man who seemed to be the captain of the defenders ordered one of his subordinates.
The subordinate left in a hurry, causing Lux to heave a sigh of relief.
Just by looking at the defenders on the walls, he could tell that he came at a very bad time. But after careful consideration, he realized that he might have been sent here by Guthram on purpose precisely because it was a very bad time, which made the Half-Elf silently curse the sly fox who set him up.
'Isn't this the same as giving me a quest?' Lux scratched his head. 'Why must he make things complicated?'
Several minutes later, a man with sharp features, who seemed to be in his early forties, appeared on top of the town walls and gazed down on the Half-Elf with a frown.
"I am Boris," Boris stated. "You said that you have been sent by Guthram to deliver a letter to me?"
Lux nodded. "Yes. Sir Guthram told me to bring the letter here after I asked him for a Recommendation Letter in order to create a Guild."
The Half-Elf decided to state his real purpose for coming in order to make Boris understand that he wasn't an enemy. He thought by doing so, the Guildmaster would lower his guard and tell everyone to let him go inside the city.
"A Recommendation Letter?" Guthram crossed his arms over his chest. "Are you just making an excuse so we will let you enter the town? Boy, I didn't become the Guildmaster of the Adventurer's Guild because I am stupid. Do you really think that we will allow you to enter with that Monster beside you?"
The guards gasped before shifting their gaze towards the robed figure that was mounted on the Warg beside Lux. All of them once again raised their crossbows and aimed their bolts in Diablo's direction.
"Wait! Don't shoot!" Lux shouted. "He is my Summon. I am a Necromancer! I saw several dead bodies along the way and decided to summon my servant to be my escort on the journey."
"Necromancer? So young and already playing with the dead," one of the men holding a crossbow in his hand commented.
"Do you think he is in cahoots with those monsters that are attacking our town?"
"It's possible. Maybe he wanted to destroy our defenses from within so we will be overwhelmed on their next attack."
"Hiss… these dark practitioners cannot be trusted. He may have already raised an army of the dead and is waiting for the right moment to strike us!"
Boris eyed Lux with a serious expression, while the guards around him debated whether they should shoot the robed figure or not.
"If you don't want me to enter the town, that's fine," Lux shouted at the guards who were inching their fingers at the trigger of their crossbows. "It's not like I came here to help you guys defend this town or anything. Don't get the wrong idea, okay?"
The Half-Elf then shifted his gaze towards Boris who still hadn't said anything since he declared his purpose for coming.
"Here is Sir Guthram's letter," Lux said. "Will someone take it, or should I just leave it on the ground?"
All the guards glanced at Boris, waiting for his instructions.
"Fine, let him in," Boris ordered. "But don't make any stupid moves. If you summon Undead Monsters inside the town, we will treat you as our enemy."
Lux nodded his head and unsummoned Diablo. Since a compromise had been reached, he decided that he should just recall his Death Knight. This way, the trigger-happy guards would have no reason to shoot him with their crossbows.
As soon as the red-headed teenager entered the town, the gate behind him closed with a heavy thud.
'This is worse than I thought,' Lux mused as he gazed at the town that looked like it had barely survived a bandit attack.
Many houses were destroyed or burnt, and the ground had several dark stains, which the Half-Elf believed to be blood that had already dried up.
While Lux was assessing the situation around him, Boris had come down from the town walls and walked in his direction. He was followed by four more adventurers and, judging by their posture, Lux knew that all of them were at least of the Initiate Rank.
"The letter?" Boris asked.
Lux didn't even bother to reply and simply handed the sealed scroll to the Guildmaster, whose sharp features reminded him of a bird of prey.
Boris broke the seal and read the contents of the letter with a calm expression on his face. When he was done, he glanced at Lux and gave him a pitiful gaze.
"You got the short end of the stick, Boy," Boris said. "Sorry for doubting you earlier."
The Guildmaster of the Adventurer's Guild handed the letter back to Lux and told him to read it.
Boris had known Guthram for a long time, and understood that his friend would not hesitate to lend his help to him. Since he had sent someone to deliver a letter to him and didn't come in person, it just meant that the situation in Aeston Town, where Guthram was stationed, was slowly starting to deteriorate as well.
Curious about the contents of the letter, the red-headed teenager read it carefully to ensure that he wouldn't miss anything.
—---------
Dear Boris,
I have received your letter asking for aid, but I am unable to leave Aeston Town at this time. We have also received reports that the Goblins in our area are behaving erratically, and it is quite possible that we could be facing the same problem you are facing right now.
But don't worry. There will always be someone trying to gain favors from me. If I meet such an individual, I will send him to you right away. Treat it as my way of helping you.
Hoping to see you again, your dear colleague, Guthram.
P.S
Before you die, can you pay the two thousand gold coins you owe me? I'd hate it if I have to collect your loan from your family members.
—---------
The Half-Elf scratched his head after reading the letter.
"I already had a feeling that this was the case," Lux commented. "So Sir Boris, can you tell me what is going on here? Maybe I can offer you some assistance."
Since he was already there, then he might as well see what was going on. Perhaps by helping Boris a bit, he would get a Letter of Recommendation which would bring him one step closer to his goal to take the Trial of Leadership.
After resting for a few hours, Lux traveled to the Town of Bradford in the middle of the night.
It didn't really matter whether he traveled during the day or night, because either way, he could clearly see everything.
However, after getting some proper rest, the Half-Elf pondered why Guthram insisted that he traveled to the Town of Bradford. He had expected that he would be given some kind of quest in order to get a Recommendation Letter, but the Guildmaster gave him none.
But in return, the Guildmaster of the Adventurer's Guild made sure that Lux would only choose the Town of Bradford as his next destination.
'Is there something going on in Bradford Town?' Lux mused.
Using the Elysium Compendium, the Half-Elf mapped out the shortest route to reach his destination. Due to Jed's enhanced movement speed after becoming a Thunder Warg King, Lux arrived at the outskirts of Bradford Town just before sunrise.
Upon arrival, instead of being happy, a grim expression formed on the Half-Elf's face. The outskirts were littered with the dead bodies of Rat Monsters, as well as Humans.
A single glance was enough to tell him that something was terribly wrong, so he immediately summoned Diablo to prepare for any unexpected surprises.
,m "These bodies haven't been dead for long, Master," Diablo commented. "At most, they have been dead for two to three hours."
The Death Knight, whose strength had increased after absorbing the power of the dead, paid close attention to the surroundings, just in case a monster appeared out of nowhere and attacked the Half-Elf who was riding by his side.
"Diablo, wear this cloak," Lux ordered as he tossed a cloak to his Named Creature. "Also, dismount from Airon. I want you to ride one of the Wargs for the time being. I don't know what's going on, but it will be best if you're not seen as a monster. The Humans we'll encounter along the way might take you for an enemy, and we don't want to be attacked by them.."
(A/N: Airon is the name of Diablo's Nightmare Horse.)
Diablo obeyed and donned the cloak on his body, covering his face completely.
The stench of blood was getting thicker, which caused the frown on Lux's face to deepen. After ten minutes, they finally reached the entrance of Bradford Town, which was shut tightly.
"Halt!" A man holding a crossbow on top of the town's walls aimed his weapon towards the Half-Elf. "What are you doing here in Bradford? State your business!"
There were other men holding crossbows in their hands, and all of them were pointing it at him and Diablo with bloodshot eyes.
Lux raised both of his hands to show that he meant no harm in order to pacify the anxious looking guards who were aiming at them with their crossbows. His gesture reduced the tension in the air, preventing the guards from accidentally shooting him due to their nerves being stretched to the limit.
"My name is Lux, and I have come to Bradford Town to pass a letter that came from the Guildmaster of the Adventurer's Guild in Aeston Town, Sir Guthram. He said that I should personally hand the letter to his friend, Sir Boris, who is the Guildmaster of the Adventurer's Guild in this town."
The men lowered the crossbows in their hand, but they were still giving Lux suspicious glances.
"Someone tell the Guildmaster that someone is looking for him," the man who seemed to be the captain of the defenders ordered one of his subordinates.
The subordinate left in a hurry, causing Lux to heave a sigh of relief.
Just by looking at the defenders on the walls, he could tell that he came at a very bad time. But after careful consideration, he realized that he might have been sent here by Guthram on purpose precisely because it was a very bad time, which made the Half-Elf silently curse the sly fox who set him up.
'Isn't this the same as giving me a quest?' Lux scratched his head. 'Why must he make things complicated?'
Several minutes later, a man with sharp features, who seemed to be in his early forties, appeared on top of the town walls and gazed down on the Half-Elf with a frown.
"I am Boris," Boris stated. "You said that you have been sent by Guthram to deliver a letter to me?"
Lux nodded. "Yes. Sir Guthram told me to bring the letter here after I asked him for a Recommendation Letter in order to create a Guild."
The Half-Elf decided to state his real purpose for coming in order to make Boris understand that he wasn't an enemy. He thought by doing so, the Guildmaster would lower his guard and tell everyone to let him go inside the city.
"A Recommendation Letter?" Guthram crossed his arms over his chest. "Are you just making an excuse so we will let you enter the town? Boy, I didn't become the Guildmaster of the Adventurer's Guild because I am stupid. Do you really think that we will allow you to enter with that Monster beside you?"
The guards gasped before shifting their gaze towards the robed figure that was mounted on the Warg beside Lux. All of them once again raised their crossbows and aimed their bolts in Diablo's direction.
"Wait! Don't shoot!" Lux shouted. "He is my Summon. I am a Necromancer! I saw several dead bodies along the way and decided to summon my servant to be my escort on the journey."
"Necromancer? So young and already playing with the dead," one of the men holding a crossbow in his hand commented.
"Do you think he is in cahoots with those monsters that are attacking our town?"
"It's possible. Maybe he wanted to destroy our defenses from within so we will be overwhelmed on their next attack."
"Hiss… these dark practitioners cannot be trusted. He may have already raised an army of the dead and is waiting for the right moment to strike us!"
Boris eyed Lux with a serious expression, while the guards around him debated whether they should shoot the robed figure or not.
"If you don't want me to enter the town, that's fine," Lux shouted at the guards who were inching their fingers at the trigger of their crossbows. "It's not like I came here to help you guys defend this town or anything. Don't get the wrong idea, okay?"
The Half-Elf then shifted his gaze towards Boris who still hadn't said anything since he declared his purpose for coming.
"Here is Sir Guthram's letter," Lux said. "Will someone take it, or should I just leave it on the ground?"
All the guards glanced at Boris, waiting for his instructions.
"Fine, let him in," Boris ordered. "But don't make any stupid moves. If you summon Undead Monsters inside the town, we will treat you as our enemy."
Lux nodded his head and unsummoned Diablo. Since a compromise had been reached, he decided that he should just recall his Death Knight. This way, the trigger-happy guards would have no reason to shoot him with their crossbows.
As soon as the red-headed teenager entered the town, the gate behind him closed with a heavy thud.
'This is worse than I thought,' Lux mused as he gazed at the town that looked like it had barely survived a bandit attack.
Many houses were destroyed or burnt, and the ground had several dark stains, which the Half-Elf believed to be blood that had already dried up.
While Lux was assessing the situation around him, Boris had come down from the town walls and walked in his direction. He was followed by four more adventurers and, judging by their posture, Lux knew that all of them were at least of the Initiate Rank.
"The letter?" Boris asked.
Lux didn't even bother to reply and simply handed the sealed scroll to the Guildmaster, whose sharp features reminded him of a bird of prey.
Boris broke the seal and read the contents of the letter with a calm expression on his face. When he was done, he glanced at Lux and gave him a pitiful gaze.
"You got the short end of the stick, Boy," Boris said. "Sorry for doubting you earlier."
The Guildmaster of the Adventurer's Guild handed the letter back to Lux and told him to read it.
Boris had known Guthram for a long time, and understood that his friend would not hesitate to lend his help to him. Since he had sent someone to deliver a letter to him and didn't come in person, it just meant that the situation in Aeston Town, where Guthram was stationed, was slowly starting to deteriorate as well.
Curious about the contents of the letter, the red-headed teenager read it carefully to ensure that he wouldn't miss anything.
—---------
Dear Boris,
I have received your letter asking for aid, but I am unable to leave Aeston Town at this time. We have also received reports that the Goblins in our area are behaving erratically, and it is quite possible that we could be facing the same problem you are facing right now.
But don't worry. There will always be someone trying to gain favors from me. If I meet such an individual, I will send him to you right away. Treat it as my way of helping you.
Hoping to see you again, your dear colleague, Guthram.
P.S
Before you die, can you pay the two thousand gold coins you owe me? I'd hate it if I have to collect your loan from your family members.
—---------
The Half-Elf scratched his head after reading the letter.
"I already had a feeling that this was the case," Lux commented. "So Sir Boris, can you tell me what is going on here? Maybe I can offer you some assistance."
Since he was already there, then he might as well see what was going on. Perhaps by helping Boris a bit, he would get a Letter of Recommendation which would bring him one step closer to his goal to take the Trial of Leadership.
