The cold winds of autumn had already arrived in the Gordon Kingdom from the north. The sky was a clear, brilliant blue, and looking west from Emerald Wind City, golden waves of wheat gently rose and fell beneath the autumn breeze.
The farmers bent over their work in the fields. Though this year had brought a bountiful harvest, there was no joy on their faces. Instead, they would occasionally look up toward the rolling peaks of the Ili Hills to the east.
Who knew when the enemies of the Archibald Kingdom and the Paro Federation would arrive here? The nobles and knights of the territory had all followed Prince Gerald to resist the enemy invasion.
When would this war end?
Over the past half year, ordinary people in the surrounding regions had been constantly worried that the flames of war would spread to their hometowns.
No one even had the heart to prepare for the autumn festival offering thanks to the Earth Mother Goddess for the harvest.
Emerald Wind City, Mercenary Guild.
The first floor of a Mercenary Guild was generally its main hall, where mercenaries chose and accepted commissions while also exchanging information with one another.
As a result, the first floors of most Mercenary Guilds were arranged like taverns. Mercenaries liked to gather here to drink and chat, relaxing the nerves that had remained taut throughout their missions.
The red tongues of flame in the hall's fireplace continuously licked at the already blackened walls, dispelling some of the chill in the room and keeping the mercenaries who got drunk and started stripping to dance from catching cold.
In one corner of the hall, Li Si sat quietly.
On the table before him was the Gordon Kingdom's most famous rye beer. The rich golden liquor flowing through the crystal-clear