Nialan Town lay south of Dolais City. Known mainly for producing spices, it stood beside the vast Verdant Forest. The forest produced an important aromatic plant which, though scarce and prone to attracting ferocious beasts, was so valuable that many hunters still made their living gathering it.
Thanks to these two advantages, Nialan Town retained a certain prosperity despite being far from Dolais City.
Today was already the end of Greenleaf Season. The town was as peaceful and tranquil as ever. The morning breeze swept over gravel-paved roads, nesting crows chirped endlessly among the branches, and sunlight piercing the hazy morning mist awakened people's enthusiasm. Farmers headed to their fields, hunters packed their rucksacks, and children played and fought as usual. Everything seemed no different from any other day!
Yet today, Nialan Town, peaceful for decades, was about to welcome an uninvited guest...
At some point, a luxurious carriage had stopped on a hill outside the town. Its gilded frame was drawn by two tall horses. Anyone could tell at a glance from the carriage's extravagance that its owner was either wealthy or powerful!
The curious, bold boys and girls saw a figure in a mage robe step down from the carriage from afar. The young man possessed a bearing so imposing it made them hold their breath and tremble. The pale cyan mage robe he wore shimmered with a supple sheen that could never appear on their rough linen clothes. That dashing, overwhelmingly domineering image captured the hearts of every young girl in an instant.
But though the admiration in their eyes was plain to see, the girls still hurried away in terror after the boys who had already gone far ahead. Whether it was the profound golden runes upon his mage robe or the almost tangible sense of