Kabas Town lay peaceful beneath the twilight. The setting sun washed its distinctive blue rooftops in orange, making them beautiful to behold.
At that moment, a twelve-person archaeological team had gathered around a table in the town's only tavern to discuss their work.
"Mr. Wallace, are you sure this town is worth investigating?
"We've spent all day looking around and found nothing but a few songs that sound old!
"It's an ordinary town, as ordinary as they come. Its history only goes back a few hundred years."
A middle-aged man with thinning hair but plenty of energy took a drink of rough ale and complained to the young man seated at the head of the table.
The young man was only twenty-one or twenty-two. His blond hair was neatly combed back, his features handsome. His suit was expensive, and his accessories had been chosen with care. One glance was enough to tell that he was no ordinary person.
His name was Jishengke Wallace. He was a history graduate of Stoen University, as well as the organizer and financier of this expedition.
The middle-aged man complaining to him was Professor Mosal Xiya Chui, an associate professor in the history department.
"Don't be impatient, Professor Mosal... You've heard the songs here too. Perhaps this town's secrets lie in the night," Mr. Wallace replied with a smile. His every movement was elegant, drawing a few extra glances from the two women on the team.
Neither woman was very old. One was a junior cleric of the Church of Evernight named Smin, around eighteen or nineteen. Archaeological teams often encountered strange things, so bringing a member of the clergy was perfectly normal and surprised no one.
The other was even younger. She still had a little baby fat in her cheeks, though her features