In the depths of autumn, the world was steeped in decay. Withered leaves drifted down in a rustling cascade, littering the path of four hurried travelers, while the bare branches of trees clawed at the sky.
This was a frontier town in Baharuth, perched on the edge of Re-Estize's territory.
The two nations were sworn enemies, but since most of the fighting raged on the northern plains, life here remained relatively calm. Over the past three years, the Baharuth's higher-ups had abandoned their usual war-hungry posturing, issuing strict orders to avoid conflict with Re-Estize and even pulling the knight garrison back to the capital. The town's defenses had grown lax as a result.
The Last Defender of the Way adventuring party barely had to flash their credentials at the border shack before they were waved through to cross into Re-Estize.
They were stocking up on dried rations that could last, camping gear, and drawing clean well water for the long trek ahead.
Teleportation circles? Forget it. Even a carriage was too much to hope for. This backwater had no paved roads leading straight to Re-Estize's cities.
The war might be over, but the two nations were still at each other's throats on paper, and border routes were few and far between. Only profit-chasing merchants, driving mule carts through muddy trails, bothered to stop in this town now and then.
For adventurers who called the open road home, crossing into the neighboring country meant hoofing it on foot.
For Barrett, well water was a poor substitute for proper drinking water, but a frontier dump like this wasn't exactly brimming with magically distilled reserves. He grimaced, hauled up a bucket from the well, and filled his leather waterskin with a shrug.
Sean's shoulder was healing fast, and as the designated invalid, he was off the hook for chores. He tagged along with Stella, wandering through the town's short market street.
Maybe because the town still had some trickle of trade with Re-Estize, a few of the tools and trinkets for sale had the distinct flair of the kingdom's southern regions. Sean and Stella, born and raised in Baharuth, were fascinated, lingering at vendors' stalls for ages.
Barrett took charge of gathering supplies, refusing to let EeDechi get involved. EeDechi was happy to kick back, slipping off on her own to hunt down shops selling goji berries and dried red dates. According to her, she was running low on ingredients for her "health preservation" brews.
Stella still couldn't wrap her head around it. How did EeDechi, with zero alchemy know-how, decide that steeping a few common ingredients in boiling water would whip up a life-extending potion? Still, their orichalcum-rank team leader must have her reasons, right? Stella figured she'd try brewing some herself sometime.
The cleric girl in her white cotton robe, Stella, held Ureirika's hand in her left and Sean held Kuuderika's in his right as they strolled side by side through the market. From a distance, they spotted Barrett's tall, burly frame arguing heatedly with a scrawny old man crouched on the ground.
"Why the hell is your borago officinalis so damn expensive? This tiny bundle for one gold coin? Let me tell you, two months ago in Trellami, I got a bundle twice as big as your pathetic sprigs for just ten coppers!" Barrett, longsword hanging at his hip, loomed over the crouching old man, his tone sharp and accusing.
In front of the old man was a tattered yellow straw mat, strewn with strips of dried mutton, a big bundle of dried nettles, a few bags of mystery herbs, and a couple of borago officinalis bunches.
Boragis nocturnalis, known as 'courage grass,' dulled pain and calmed the nerves.
Adventurers with even a scrap of herbal know-how loved to dry and grind it into powder, keeping a tin stashed in their packs. Barrett was dead set on getting some.
The old man selling it was ancient, his hair nearly gone except for a few wispy white strands fluttering in the breeze, like fine threads glued to his scalp.
He craned his neck, his cloudy yellow eyes glaring up at Barrett, utterly unfazed by the height and posture gap. "Hah! Two months ago? Let me tell you, last month the final borago officinalis on Furl Mountain withered away. Season's over, got it? These are the last few sprigs I grew myself. Buy 'em or buzz off!"
"You think you're the only one selling this shitty grass? I'll find it at another vendor, no problem!" Barrett snarled, but his voice betrayed a flicker of doubt.
"Oh, go on then, scamper off and buy it somewhere else. Stop blocking my light." The old man waved a hand, like he was shooing a pesky fly.
"You greedy old bastard… why don't you just rob people? Bet you were a damn good bandit in your youth!" Barrett's bluster hid his unease.
He'd scoured the town's tiny market for ages, and this stubborn old coot was the only one selling borago officinalis. Otherwise, Barrett wouldn't have wasted his breath arguing with him.
"What's all the noise?" From around the corner, EeDechi strolled up, one hand cradling a magical thermos, the other tucked behind her back, her posture proud and belly slightly forward.
She took a sip of her goji berry tea, speaking slowly. "Barrett, use your words. No need to pick on an old man. If the folks have issues, talk it out."
"Captain, take a look! This measly bundle of borago officinalis, and he's charging one gold coin! Is that even reasonable?"
"Is that expensive?" EeDechi blinked. "I just bought six mila of red dates for four gold coins. The shopkeeper said they're premium dates from the empire's west. He even boiled water to brew me some tea."
Oh, for the love of— Barrett palmed his forehead, feeling like his earlier haggling was utterly pointless.
The captain got fleeced again! Premium dates from the empire's west in this backwater border town? As if! Even real premium dates were only two silvers per mila. Of course they brewed her tea—they were buttering up the perfect mark!
EeDechi, thermos in hand, crouched down to the old man's level, her tone warm. "Sir, if you've got any troubles, tell me. Our young comrade here's a bit hot-headed, might've come off harsh. Don't take it personally."
The old man shot her a glare. "What's with the fake nice act? What's the difference between you adventurers and bandits? You buying or not?"
Stung by the old man's jab, EeDechi stood up, sulking. Barrett shook his head, dug four gold coins from his pouch, and tossed them at the old man's feet. He snatched up four small bundles of borago officinalis from the stall and stormed off.
As he left, he threw out a parting shot: "If I were still a bandit, I'd make a point of robbing stingy old geezers like you!"
The old man didn't back down, gathering the rest of his herbs and spitting viciously on the ground.
The little spat was over quick, its bitterness fading like the warmth stolen by the autumn breeze from their necks. Barrett didn't waste another thought on the surly herb seller, moving on to finish gathering supplies.
By the next morning, everything they needed for the journey was ready: food, water, medicine, magic potions, vitality elixirs, all tucked neatly into Barrett's spatial ring.
The Last Defender of the Way adventuring party gave a quick nod to the weary sentinel at the town's gate and set off on their new journey.
The morning breeze, laced with the deep chill of autumn, slipped through cuffs and collars, forcing them to huddle tighter in their coats. Stella's soft chestnut hair was whipped into a mess by the wind, and she paused to tame the stray strands. Sean's shoulder was nearly healed, and he used both hands to help Stella pin her hair into a neat bun.
Leading the way, Barrett glanced back and noticed the blue butterfly hairpin in the cleric girl's hair, different from her usual style. "New hairpin from the town?" he asked, curious. "The design doesn't look like anything from the Baharuth."
Stella nodded, a faint blush creeping across her cheeks. "Yeah, a traveling merchant sold it to me. He said it's the same style as the Re-Estize Golden Princess's hairpiece."
Barrett shook his head inwardly. You're as easy to fool as the captain. He kept that thought to himself.
Nearby, EeDechi slapped her forehead. "Oh, right! I had a silver pendant I was gonna give you. It was a family heirloom from that old gentleman client last time. Shame I used it to chuck at a bird and it fell into the river."
"Uh… chuck at a bird…" Stella blinked, baffled by her captain's words. She and Sean were used to EeDechi tossing out bizarre phrases now and then, and they knew she never bothered explaining, so they didn't press.
The autumn fields exhaled a gentle breeze, their vast expanse shimmering with a liquid clarity. On the slopes and plains, withered trees and crops swayed softly in the wind.
The travelers crunched over dry grass, pressing onward.
…
"What the hell's going on?" In the fifth level of the Great Tomb of Nazarick, Ainz glowered at a glowing dot on the magical screen, his tone sharp with irritation.
The dot, in theory, marked EeDechi's location. But it hadn't moved since the day before yesterday. Yesterday, Ainz checked, and the dot was still frozen. Now, waking up today, he saw the damn thing hadn't budged an inch!
Did that mean EeDechi had been standing in one spot for days, not even shifting her ass?
"No way the tracking magic failed. This is a Legendary-grade Artifact, for crying out loud."
"Perhaps Sebas failed to trick EeDechi into wearing the tracking pendant," said a tall demon in a pinstripe suit and small round glasses, standing before Ainz.
Ainz shook his head. "Demiurge, I trust Sebas's skills. If he says EeDechi accepted the silver pendant tracker, then she definitely did."
Demiurge gave a slight bow. "Honored Lord Ainz, I too believe Sebas succeeded. The high-tier tracking magic on the pendant is nearly undetectable. Still, I sent a servant to investigate the glowing dot's location. It should return soon."
Moments later, a red devil with bat-like wings appeared, kneeling before Ainz, arms raised to its forehead. "Esteemed Supreme Overlord, I found this in the mud at the bottom of a river at the glowing dot's location. There were no humans in the river or its depths."
In the devil's raised palm gleamed a delicate silver pendant, speckled with mud and water droplets, clearly just pulled from the river.
Ainz glanced at the magical screen. The glowing dot had shifted to the Great Tomb of Nazarick, meaning the tracking magic was still active.
"Demiurge, what's your take?" Ainz's voice was low, secretly stunned by EeDechi's counter-detection skills.
This silver pendant was a trinket he'd scored in a gacha pull before crossing over, imbued with magic rivaling Super-Tier Magic—The Unseen Eye of Tracking.
Ainz had once gifted it to allied players to monitor others' movements. Yet EeDechi had somehow seen through it so easily. What a formidable woman.
Demiurge leaned forward, taking the pendant from the red devil's hand, his expression grave. "Lord Ainz, EeDechi is a troublesome figure. She sensed our intentions but chose not to show hostility, which suggests she's cunning and calculated.
"We must handle her with greater caution. Without knowing what forces back her, perhaps we should make contact, extend some goodwill."