The Elusive Sorcerer

Chapter 124

Havanuheta Province; one of the five Provinces in Norn and the one left behind by the other four, ruled by a man known for his rigid demeanor in public, even though he was actually infamous for his cunning when dealing with people, especially when meeting other nobles across the vast territory of Norn.

Havanuheta, despite lagging behind the other three, was still considered fairly equal to GreyHeaven, which lay in the northern region of the Kingdom of Norn.

For reasons unknown, or perhaps because of Mergane Tialoani's influence over the kingdom, his territory had been aligned with regions known for technological advancement such as; stations built across various cities, steam trains, steam-powered elevators, airships, cannons, steamships, gatling guns within the military, and the widespread use of electricity throughout GreyHeaven, even though the province itself was known as the largest supplier of gas and coal in both the Kingdom of Norn and Chynoria.

The eleven major cities known throughout Havanuheta; including its neglected territories, had several churches devoted to the Nine Sacred standing along the main streets; and although each church followed different holy teachings, the two main gods worshipped by nearly all of Havanuheta's people were still; Auneron, guardian of order, bringer of fortune, and light of wisdom, and Yarandrela, the loving mother believed to protect lost souls, known as the mother of all mothers.

However, there were cities whose citizens followed the teachings of Goddess Nagreitta, goddess of the night, hidden fate, and unspoken secrets; the cities of Semilir, Vukan, and Greysia, where the unique custom of placing small altars of offering could often be found in the corners of homes, illuminated by black candles burning throughout the night.

As for the other six gods and goddesses, they held immense influence over the creatures of their creation, watching from far beyond mortal sight above without interfering with their creations.

Goddess Camilla; goddess of the moon, beauty, and the healer of the earth from the chaos caused by human greed, became the primary goddess worshipped across all of Vinohoshi.

Her cathedral towers were immensely magnificent, befitting a Goddess whose authority over the earth was so vast, and the cathedral bells would always ring whenever the moon revealed its beauty, serving as a sign of Her power.

However, the heretical sect known as Finiscya; worshipped Goddess Camilla excessively, justifying every means necessary to carry out rituals that violated the norms of human law and constantly committed madness against both fellow humans and the earth they lived upon.

Goddess Larenta; Goddess of wind, the storm of all storms, and courage. Although hymns praised the Goddess's bravery, in truth Goddess Larenta possessed a shy personality, completely unlike the title "she" carried.

Her cathedral stood in overwhelming grandeur, entirely undamaged despite relentless winds crashing endlessly against the structure.

The holy Goddess of all living beings, stabilizer of the seasons, and serenity, worshipped by half the lifeforms that existed across the southern continent of Najasma.

God Talassa; god of the seas, oceans, and the mysterious depths beneath the waters. His existence was older than the reach of light itself, and mysterious even to the other gods, goddesses, and His followers.

Slightly terrifying, yet also the giver of life within the seas for the people living on the small islands scattered amidst the oceans near great continents such as Chynoria, Najasma, and the southeastern continent of Hieve.

Although His main cathedral was built in regions frequently struck by earthquakes or even floods, the great churches still stood firm, and every Monday the followers and priests sang praises to God Talassa for granting them life from the vast oceans and seas stretching endlessly beyond sight.

Goddess Fagissa: Goddess of love, fertility, and mysterious magic. Warm on the outside, yet Her magical rituals were strange, often giving subtle signs whenever "she" felt amazed by the creatures of Her creation.

Her cathedral differed from those of the other gods, not magnificent, but resembling an abandoned structure located within the vast lands of the Karanda continent. Its silver-golden bells rang every hour, symbolizing love, fertility, and the meaning of life for humanity itself, even though the cathedral resembled a haunted house more than what people would call a sacred place.

God Rasomon: the two-faced god symbolizing the transition between the doors of the past and future. The continent of Phynonia regarded God Rasomon as one of the most mysterious figures among the other seven.

The most mysterious god, indifferent and cunning, who possessed forbidden sections within His cathedral or church that no one was allowed to enter, including priests and even the Pope himself, and if someone violated that prohibition, no one ever learned what happened to them, causing followers to fear bringing their small children there for the very same reason.

God Naerass: god of dreams, illusions, peaceful death, and fate. Calm, terrifying, yet the moment someone spoke His name, it was certain that person was revealing a great secret they had hidden alone for far too long.

Followers and priests whispered whenever they spoke His name. A god most respected by the other eight, and one worshipped by nearly all humans living within the world of His creation.

His cathedral itself felt like a monument of grandeur, layered with gold, green emeralds, and pure copper, symbolizing that nothing could rival the magnificence of His authority. No other cathedral resembled it, and priests alongside followers sang hymns praising His immense power for granting worthy deaths, peace, and beautiful fates.

The nine gods and goddesses each possessed unique teachings used within everyday life.

One of them was the teaching of Goddess Nagreitta; bent fingers symbolizing humanity's fragility in body, deeds, and speech, making the gesture a symbol of promises and honesty.

And Larenta's unique teaching allowed people to go outside while violent windstorms raged, as a way of respecting the workings of nature and appreciating fellow creations.

Beyond all of that, there existed several great continents, each bearing names approved by the entire world and the supreme rulers of those continents; Chynoria (East), Najasma (South), BlackLand (Center), Phynonia (North), Hieve (Southeast), and Karanda (West).

Including the small islands scattered throughout the seas and oceans, and a mysterious uninhabited island because of a myth claiming that one of the figures among the nine myths resided there alongside monstrous creatures possessing overwhelming power.

That rumor spread across nearly every continent, and the island itself lay near the second largest continent, Karanda, in the west, where the citizens there, including sailors, were strictly forbidden from going, and the rumor had circulated for approximately five hundred years. An era known as the Fall of the Comet or the Tailed Star.

....

At the corner of Ladise, in Seal White, the three of them sparked discussions among the people on the street, including a horse rider who had witnessed the same incident.

Feeling that this was for everyone's sake, Arvrenda immediately stood up and approached the woman Aurora had bumped into earlier with a serious expression.

Once he arrived, he bowed deeply and spoke with sincere intentions and a polite voice:

"Please forgive us, Ma'am. I represent the woman who bumped into you earlier."

The woman glanced once more at Aurora, whose face was pale, almost bluish, and when she saw the look in Zeta's eyes as he lifted his friend's head, the anger in her chest slowly faded.

"Don't make a habit of this," the woman said, almost loudly. "If she's still sick, then don't go outside. Good thing she bumped into me, if she had..." She stopped as her gaze swept over the horse carriages passing through the middle of the street, along with the sharp stares of the people around them.

"It's fine. I'm leaving." The woman irritably adjusted the bag on her shoulder before walking away in her high heels.

Arvrenda quickly apologized to the surrounding people, and they stared at the woman before the crowd eventually dispersed.

Afterward, Arvrenda glanced at Zeta with a sorrowful look as he saw the pressure weighing heavily across his face after witnessing his friend's condition.

"Come on, let's take her back to Haven," Arvrenda said while adjusting his glasses.

Zeta gave a weak nod, his eyes glistening as if all life had drained from his face.

With Arvrenda's help, he carried Aurora's body onto his shoulder. Even though he had been told not to carry her himself, Zeta stubbornly insisted on doing so until they reached Haven.

The daytime there was heavily shrouded in fog after the snow that had fallen nonstop for several days was replaced by black smoke billowing from factories and forming clouds in the air, making the atmosphere feel hot as activities gradually returned to normal.

Even so, according to the newspapers and a weather expert's report, another snowstorm would descend after nightfall, creating the impression that daytime was merely a brief pause before the snow sought to surprise everyone again.

Upon arriving in Haven, inside the same hut. The group from the earlier gathering stood within the central room of the hut, discussing what could have caused Aurora to end up like this.

However, once again, even though Arvrenda was a doctor, he had absolutely no idea what the exact cause was. And because this issue was not the first among the many patients who had come to his clinic on Ahiston Street, it only deepened his desire to step into the supernatural world filled with mysteries beyond human logic.

"Mr. Fererra? Do you happen to have free time tonight?"

Arvrenda approached Fererra, who was standing in the corner of the hut's central room while speaking with Cathal Baleska.

"Sorry, Mr. Baleska," Arvrenda said guiltily. "I can't continue talking with you right now. But let me explain, I didn't mean to..."

The sentence never finished as Cathal Baleska interrupted him with an open heart, clearly understanding Arvrenda Guelhram's nature very well.

"I know, and I'm not the kind of person you're trying to say I am."

Cathal smiled broadly despite the deep emotions hidden behind his face, concealing burdens he had kept from all of them, including Fererra Ammense.

After expressing that intention, the three of them reflexively shifted their gazes toward the wide-open door, followed by several people entering.

Realizing they were the people who had given them temporary shelter in Haven, within this village, the three immediately approached them and explained the complicated situation they were currently facing.

"Did something happen to your friend?" a man who was the village chief asked while looking at the three of them curiously.

Fererra immediately stepped forward and answered respectfully, "Yes, Chief Hasten. And she's inside the room over there." His index finger immediately pointed toward a room on the left side of the central area illuminated by dim light.

At the corner of the room, in front of a long shelf filled with warm mats and simple foldable beds; Albert stood together with his two friends, Luke and Feyne. Evan, Zaharon, and Natasya watched quietly because they did not personally know Aurora Chevalya. Although they knew her name, they were not close to her, and their presence there was simply an act of sympathy and humanity toward the terrible incident that had befallen her.

Chief Hasten, together with three other men, immediately headed toward the room, trying to find out what had truly happened to the unfortunate woman.

Once they arrived, Aurora's pale face, almost bluish in color, appeared vividly beneath the dim lighting of the room. The four men also noticed Zeta sitting on an ordinary chair, asleep beside the bed where Aurora had collapsed, his wrinkled forehead resting upon both hands he used as a pillow.

The situation was beyond his understanding, and Chief Hasten glanced at the three men following him before asking for their opinions regarding Aurora's physical condition.

"What do you all think? What exactly happened to that woman?"

The man wearing a bandana immediately answered in confusion, "This isn't ordinary fainting or physical exhaustion like usual..."

"Exactly," interrupted a man with deep brown eyes while staring seriously at Aurora. "This has something to do with the 'Oddities' people in Haven are always talking about."

The long brown-haired man with his hair tied behind his back responded to his friend's ridiculous statement in a firm tone;

"Idiot. Don't always connect things like this to supernatural nonsense like some little kid."

"What did you say?" The brown-eyed man naturally refused to accept being called an idiot.

Not wanting to get involved any further and unable to understand more because he felt this matter was related to the supernatural, Chief Hasten decided to leave the room and return to the three people standing and waiting for him on the right side of the room.

Chief Hasten shook his head with a hopeless expression and spoke in a low voice:

"Forgive me for not being able to help you all. It turns out this is far beyond the realm of herbal remedies I usually make to cure illnesses or restore strength and vitality."

Fererra felt uncomfortable, and in the end he replied with a fallen expression, "It's alright. Chief Hasten has already welcomed all of us kindly into Haven, and that alone has helped us enough before we decide what to do afterward."

Chief Hasten responded with a brief nod and a warm smile. Then he continued walking, followed by the other three men after noticing the beautiful evening light piercing through the hut.

Realizing night would soon arrive, he intended to inform the villagers not to go outside at night, and to organize patrols around the village so no one with ill intentions could enter and harm the residents.

When night finally came, the main group from the refugee camp gathering, Coordination 15, continued their daily activities within the village. Coincidentally or not, the hut where they all shared one roof stood near the post used by villagers for night patrols, and the security post sat directly across from the hut.

Cathal and Fererra sat together with Arvrenda on a wide bed-like platform made from tightly bound high-quality bamboo.

Zeta remained inside his room, feeling unwell. Natasya lazily lay across a cotton-blended bed, reflecting on her fate. Meanwhile, Zaharon and Evan discussed what they had done before eventually ending up there.

Meanwhile, on the wet ground beside the wide bed-like platform, Albert, Feyne, and Luke crouched together, chatting about their next destination.

"Luke," Albert said with a sigh. "I think I'll go to Makoli, because Anastasia and my aunt are there in the house my father bought a few years ago."

Their expressions appeared relaxed, as though they were prepared to follow whatever Albert wanted. Realizing this, Albert immediately stood up and quickly added:

"We're leaving tomorrow no matter how heavy the snow gets. I'll bring Forn Vinora there too."

Feyne glanced at Luke in surprise before bluntly asking, "Do you like that woman?"

Luke pressed a hand against his forehead, clearly not expecting Feyne to say something like that to Albert.

"Don't worry about what she said," Luke answered calmly. "I'll follow you wherever you want to go."

He felt that repaying the man by fulfilling his request for a decent life, such as food, beds, and clothes, was an idea he had considered for nearly five years since his first meeting with the man who planted the seed of life within his heart, one as deep and dark as an endless abyss.

Albert sighed, already very familiar with Feyne's open personality, unlike Luke's quiet and reserved nature, who carefully filtered his words before speaking to others.

After thinking for a moment, he ultimately decided that going to Makoli was the best choice because he wanted to quickly find a way to wake Forn from her coma and repay the debts that had haunted his thoughts all this time.

And... the atmosphere inside the hut gradually fell silent as the snowstorm and fierce winds raged outside, carrying piercing cold gusts that struck everyone's faces within the open space...

....

Meanwhile, in Belan Village, near the place where Aaron hid the stolen treasure, the four of them stayed overnight before preparing to leave Racon and continue their search.

At the corner of the house where they were taking shelter, Hana voiced the thoughts she had been keeping to herself all this time.

"Excuse me, Mr. Salilfai Lamena," Hana said, hesitant to continue when she saw Zavi's sour expression, as though he were struggling with his own thoughts.

Zavi gestured by lowering the bamboo hat on his head, encouraging Hana to continue.

Hana nodded happily, causing her friend to look at her in confusion before she finally spoke hesitantly.

"I... I actually didn't want to talk about this. But, Mr. Lamena is a famous assassin together with your cousin, right?" She glanced toward Aaron, who stood several meters away from Zavi while crouching in front of him. Then she continued, "Do you want to carry out more assassination attempts and death threats in the major cities of Vinohoshi or Ninesorals?"

"No," Zavi answered rather indifferently.

"What!?" Both of them were shocked to realize that the man they had admired all this time had repented.

Aaron immediately turned his head while still leaning against the wall toward the two of them, who seemed to be having an important conversation, because he could not hear clearly due to the snowstorm and violent winds raging outside.

He picked up the lantern, its orange glow shining before him, and quietly walked toward them to ask about the conversation.

However, he suddenly stopped after hearing Zavi's statement, which completely surprised him.

"It's better for you to go to them than for them to come to me with those unknown people."

The atmosphere immediately became silent as the three of them stared at Zavi, who lifted the brim of his bamboo hat with his thumb.

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