Gassediaz and the Fortress City

Gassediaz and the Fortress City

The road ahead was peaceful and tranquil. The caravan traveled along dirt paths through the fields, occasionally fording streams and passing farmhouses. Whenever they came across a larger homestead, Mr. Arle would have the caravan stop and go with the drivers to buy eggs and homemade cheese from the farmers.

Rorschach and Mr. Arle maintained a distant but cordial relationship. After that, Mr. Arle never again allowed Rorschach to keep watch, claiming that he needed better rest.

"Parsnip seeds, dill seeds." Whenever they stopped to rest, Tasia gathered herbs everywhere, then crushed and dried them in the bottom of a pot.

Hill felt that Tasia had absolutely no awareness of being watched. "What are you messing around with?!"

"Don't be so nervous! Don't you think eating rabbit all the time gets tiresome?"

Once they were far from the forested hills, there were no wild boars or fawns to hunt. Hill could only hunt while the group was resting, and with so little time, most of her catches were bland rabbits. Rabbit meat was utterly plain; whatever flavor went into the stew was what it tasted like.

"I'm researching magic that can attract wild birds." It turned out Tasia intended to change the target of her Fairy Trap spell.

It was now late autumn on the continent, with winter just beginning. Grain and fruit had ripened, and the birds had grown fat as well. Flocks of wild ducks and geese occasionally flew overhead, seemingly birds migrating south.

"It worked!" Unlike before, Tasia tossed the Powdered Medicine into the campfire. A cloud of smoke immediately rose up, and she cast her magic, sending the smoke shooting straight into the sky.

"Quack! Quack!" Wild ducks really did come. They flew over from the distant riverbank, circling around the column of smoke and spiraling downward.

"Quick! Take down the fat ones!"

It really worked. There was no need to raise a crossbow; Hill's makeshift slingshot, made from boar sinew and branches, came in handy. One shot, one duck. The other ducks did not notice their dwindling numbers at all. Instead, their quacking grew louder and louder.

The flock was nearly on the ground. Gauging the distance, Rorschach cast Mage Hand and directly scooped one down.

Rorschach held the duck in his hand. It was quite plump, with snow-white belly feathers, brownish-gray feathers on its back, and a mottled pattern all over.

The mallard tilted its head and stared at him with one large eye for a while. Then it crouched down and flapped its wings, stretched out its neck, and bit down on Rorschach's sleeve.

Rorschach sensed the damn duck's intentions and shoved the little creature away.

The duck refused to give up. It circled Rorschach, quacking, then cocked its head and spotted an unlucky grasshopper. As an autumn insect, it was fat from eating grass seeds, and the duck immediately clamped it in its hard beak.

Then the duck waddled over and presented the unfortunate grasshopper to Rorschach.

You little beast sure know how to flatter someone. Rorschach tore off the grasshopper's barbed legs and hard-palated head, then tossed it to the duck, which swallowed it in one bite. "Everyone, it seems this creature has taken a liking to me. Why don't I keep it as a pet?"

Clap... clap, clap, clap clap clap.

No one knew who started applauding. As the smoke dispersed, the applause startled the ducks still in the sky awake, and they fled away with loud quacks. The only one left alive was the duck feasting beside Rorschach's feet.

Rorschach borrowed a pair of scissors and clipped its flight feathers. Then he gave it a name that left everyone baffled:

Gassediaz.

At last, the caravan reached the edge of the Empire. The fortress city of Andorilla had at its core a heavily fortified citadel of thick stone walls and towers. Several watchtowers and arrow towers connected to the fortress walls overlooked the surrounding lands. The entire structure was pentagonal, perched atop a bare rocky hill and surrounded by the homes and shops of the city's residents.

The Empire and the Holy Kingdom had enjoyed peace for many years. The moat originally dug here had long since been swallowed up by civilian homes, while three rings of walls had been built around the city: heavy fortress-like stone walls, then brick walls, and finally a low earthen wall on the outermost perimeter.

When the caravan arrived, they found many rough cloth tents set up outside the city, with crowds bustling back and forth. A long line had formed at the gate into the city.

"Why are there so many people?" As they joined the line, everyone looked around. Every tent had small vendors' stalls. Not only were there stalls outside the city, but looking through the gate tunnel, there were stalls inside as well. It was a vast and bustling marketplace.

Entering Andorilla through the north gate was simple. All they needed were Imperial identification and a caravan pass. But leaving southward counted as departing the Empire, and all customs duties and carriage taxes were collected at once.

Since the entry inspections were fairly simple, the line moved quickly.

"Is it a market? Do the stalls outside pay less tax?" Tasia poked her head out of the carriage, looked around, and guessed.

Mr. Arle thought for a moment. "The southern Empire and the Holy Kingdom have a custom of holding carnivals around this time. We must have happened to arrive on a festival day."

"A festival at this time? Did it evolve from the birthday of the god of agriculture and livestock?" Rorschach searched through his knowledge of mythology and folklore. It was his turn to enter the city, so he dismounted and showed the guard his Mage Emblem and adventurer's silver badge.

"Perhaps. Those gods have all fallen silent. Who remembers so clearly anymore? Now it's our carnival, the Harvest Festival. Welcome to Andorilla, Mage. Happy festival!"

"Thank you."

Tasia came after Rorschach. She produced identification from Limburg and the emblem of the Tower of the Forest. The guard seemed unable to recognize the latter.

After entering the city, the group did not immediately join the festivities. They first registered their journey at the Adventurers' Guild, submitted an application to the Imperial authorities here for permission to leave the country, and found an inn to arrange their lodging.

"Even if we've greased some palms, the application won't be approved until tomorrow or possibly the day after. Would you all rather rest first, or join the festivities? Let me make this clear first: Andorilla is a large, chaotic city, and it's carnival time. We can't get separated. If we leave the inn, it's best to go together."

"I'm going to the Mage Guild."

"I'll lie down at the inn for a while. It's been ages since I slept in a soft bed!"

"Then aside from Mage Rorschach, we'll rest at the inn first. How about attending the festival tonight?"

Tasia clapped her hands happily. Seeing everyone else's lukewarm reaction, she asked in confusion, "Don't you want to experience a city's customs?"

Mr. Arle had Tasia and Hill share a room, on the grounds that Hill had put in effort during the hunting. Hill reluctantly agreed, leaving the nearly penniless Tasia moved to tears.

Walking from the inn onto the street, Rorschach felt that the so-called Harvest Festival was just an enormous market day. Everyone passing by was either shopping or on their way to shop, and the stores were packed with goods. One shop was especially eye-catching, its storefront stacked with colorful painted tin Wine Cups depicting myths and landscapes.

Rorschach now held a map provided by the Adventurers' Guild. For reasons of city defense, vast sections of the map were left blank or marked as restricted areas, but many restaurants and taverns were labeled.

"They must have taken advertising money..."

Using the map, Rorschach found the local branch of the Mage Guild—a five-story red brick-and-timber building modeled after a Mage Tower.

It was only an imitation because a Magic Tower was where mages and apprentices studied and lived. Here, in addition to the guild hall on the first floor, there were stalls selling discounted scrolls and potions, as well as a sign offering "Free Divination." People came and went, and the sounds of haggling filled the air. The guild's branch headquarters in the Imperial Capital was solemn and grand, but this place had an overly commercial atmosphere.

"Why does this feel so unreliable..." Rorschach looked at the "Free Divination" sign with some concern.