Several strange and hidden forces of fate were entwined together, some of them immensely powerful.
Ruger stood in the empty room, savoring his time alone. Looking at the two scrolls on the battered little table before him and enjoying the quiet of the Old Lunse Potion Shop, he recalled what Aunt Jenny had said in an offhand manner while serving him food during their lavish dinner together.
Among the strange or hidden forces of fate that could be connected to him, including those that were immensely powerful, the first thing that came to mind was the inexplicable curse acting upon the origin of the kobolds' bloodline. Whether in terms of the span of time involved, its bizarre nature, or the source of the curse, it deserved to be called powerful. That strange curse lay there like a lock, ruthlessly barring the kobolds' growth and advancement.
Beyond that, he thought of Ka Liu—the so-called Half-Man. That fellow's identity was mysterious, and becoming entangled with him would surely leave traces upon those so-called forces of fate.
Ruger stopped humming his random tune, let out an inexplicable sigh, picked up the scrolls on the table, and turned to walk out.
There were many things to do, and many things to think about.
But Ruger did none of them.
He went straight back to the dining table, waved his hand to store the remaining three dishes in the Abyss Bedroom space, then opened the Spatial Gate and followed it inside.
I should have Big Silly Hum take out the black-and-white python meat and roast it, Ruger thought.
Ruger strode forward. As the Spatial Gate closed behind him, it seemed to shut all the problems and distractions outside, separating all the matters awaiting his attention—and that irritating sound of rain—from him.
Yet what greeted him