Deepwinter had settled over Pinglin Town, peaceful and quiet.
The party's arrival at dusk alarmed the town's authorities. The mayor, whose name Annan could no longer remember, was the man he had once envied at a banquet. Now he respectfully, anxiously explained that he had nothing to do with Palha's accusations.
"Who's Palha?"
"The young man who falsely accused you..."
Annan recalled his time in the Dungeon. He had paid the matter no attention after getting out, but he imagined things had not ended well for this "Palha" or Black Ironless...
Memories flooded through him like water through a broken dam. And all of it had happened only five or six months ago.
Back then, he had been racking his brains over the dozens of Silver Coins needed for an aptitude test and a way to save Tasia. Now...
"Lord Annan... Lord Annan?"
Annan shook himself out of his memories. "I haven't given it another thought... Don't worry about me. I'm just here to visit Mr. Victor."
"Of course."
The mayor envied old Victor's luck. There were a hundred "top hundred Mage Apprentices of the Rikaner Kingdom," and they were still only Mage Apprentices. But there were just twelve Kings of the North, and their standing was exalted. Still, the mayor vividly remembered the tangled situation in Breeze City not long ago.
If he did nothing, he could do nothing wrong.
Night had fallen, though it was only five o'clock. When Annan reached the Library, Mr. Victor was slowly tidying the shelves.
"Sign the visitor register."
The old man's face was sour. Annan had no idea who had upset him. As he leaned over the desk to sign in, he suddenly remembered something important. "Mr. Victor, I invented something in Breeze City. It's called Magic Film..."
As Annan spoke, he