The Path of Ruin

Nobility within the empire was quite simple. At the top was the emperor, then dukes, counts, and finally barons.

Each metropolis was controlled by a duke and was their territory. What was considered the territory of the metropolises was divided into counties. And these counties in turn were divided into baronies.

Such a simple hierarchy prevailed in the imperial lands.

The lands that belonged to the Kingdom of Arcanoa, for example, now had the same hierarchy, with the king's brother Musthar V. Arcanoa at the top.

Most metropolises were different from each other in many ways, as they had previously belonged to different kingdoms. And another way they differed was in easily recognizable factors such as vegetation, atmosphere, and climate.

And the Barony of Halve... it was the greenest region Kael had ever seen.

No, not simply green... a strikingly bright green.

'Woah.'

Flowers, trees, bushes... everything. Everything was too green.

And that's why it was strange.

Because most of the world had moody colors. Gray skies, pale colors... dark tones caused by blood, mud, and more.

Here, though, it was different.

Hardly able to resist the beauty of the vegetation, Kael quickened his pace, moving slightly ahead of the cart, which was moving quietly. Then, he found the tallest tree he could find around and climbed up it, stood up, and looked around, not caring how exposed he was.

He could now see the town they were heading for. It was a town with walls, but they didn't reach up to the sky like in a metropolis. More like... they were simply there for protection.

In contrast, the town covered a much, much larger area than Greenveil Town. Compared to this, it was even funny to call Greenveil a town...

But that was not the main thing that caught Kael's attention. It was... the greenery that surrounded the town, once again.

No, not surrounding it... a greenery that seemed to literally become one with it. The walls were covered with vines, he could see the few tall buildings of the town and they were green too.

It was as if the town was home not to people but to the greenery itself.

'Barony of Halve, Plentar Town...'

His lips involuntarily curled upwards as he gazed mesmerized at the distant view of the town.

Their journey was finally over.

Now, they would deal with their main mission.

*******

Baroch and Kael joined the group after they had gotten some distance from the town. Their journey lasted six days, just as planned. And during those six days, Kael learned a lot about his group.

Scher, for example, was here to be very much the brains of the group. The guy was really smart, he certainly had the makings of a scholar. He was even knowledgeable about things that Kael thought were a bit out of the ordinary. They even had a little chat about plants at one point.

He couldn't say he didn't like the guy.

Pecera, the leader of the group, meanwhile, was a woman devoted to her duty. Even though she wasn't a bearer, she seemed strong. So much so that Kael wasn't sure if he could win when he faced her. She also now had a better view of Kael and Matthew. She had recognized their abilities to a certain extent.

Baroch was... what he was, a talented scout. Kael thought he could learn a few things just by observing him. He was also friendly, even if he was a bit awkward and sometimes seemed strange because he was always smiling.

And finally... Matthew.

Kael lowered his eyes slightly as he sat cross-legged on the carriage. Matthew was holding the horses' reins. His lips were straight, his eyes focused on the road. He had driven the horses on most of their journeys and was still doing so.

Kael had seen nothing problematic about him during these six days. He was almost ordinary... but Kael had not yet discarded his instincts. He didn't like something about him when he looked at him... he had an uneasy feeling. That's why he kept an eye on him.

Eventually, he took his eyes off Matthew, just as the carriage began to slow down. When he looked ahead... he realized that they were right in front of the gate to the town.

"Stop!"

The guards guarding the gate quickly approached the stalled carriage. Pecera stepped out of the carriage at that very moment.

"I am Pecera Panen, and also the leader of the team sent to solve the problem as a result of the letter of assistance sent by the baron to the Empire. This is our mission statement."

She handed a scroll to the guards, which she had been holding in her hand since she got out of the carriage, and then the checks were carried out.

While all the checks were being done, Kael turned his eyes to the vines that surrounded the walls. He looked at them for a moment, then squinted slightly.

'Huh...'

He studied the vines even more carefully, his senses detached from his surroundings and focused only on the ramparts.

Had he seen wrong... or had one of the vines moved?

Slowly, he turned off his senses. Seeing, hearing, smelling, feeling... everything. Then, he focused on one sense in particular... carefully. And he saw exactly what he expected.

His senses came back to him as his eyebrows rose slightly. Only one thing was going through his mind...

'Strange... and interesting.'

Just then, the carriage he was sitting on started moving again and his eyes left the vines. The gates of the town opened wide and he was greeted by a sight just as he had expected.

Greenery and buildings intertwined at the same time. The sides of the roads were lined with bushes and beautiful flowers, the houses were covered with vines that wrapped around the walls... and even the large mansion in the center of the town, presumably where the baron was staying, had its share of the green.

And yet, no one in the town seemed to be disturbed. They were all quite normal, going about their daily business and talking like normal people.

In this town... it was as if there were no problems at all.

And so, the group continued calmly and slowly through the streets towards the baron's mansion.

*******

The baron's mansion was rather plainer than most mansions Kael had seen in his life. Not only the mansion itself, but there also seemed to be fewer servants or knights for some reason... hence the feeling of simplicity.

'Maybe that's the way the baron likes it...'

That was the first thought that crossed Kael's mind. After all, this was the baron's mansion... it wouldn't be surprising if he had staffed it and designed it according to his preferences.

And with these thoughts in mind, the group of five finally arrived at the baron's room. They passed through the door opened by the servants, with Pecera and Scher at the front, Matthew just behind them, and Baroch and Kael at the back.

"Welcome."

Kael liked to briefly glance at the design when he first entered a place, but not this time. He didn't think there would be much to see anyway... it had to be simple, like the whole mansion.

So he turned his full focus on the man in his forties sitting at a table across the room.

Baron Holm Halve was a man who showed his age quite distinctly... perhaps even a little too much. Most of his brown hair was gray, and his body was slightly fat, but he did not look overweight. His brown eyes, like his hair, were a little... strange, as if they had trouble focusing. All this and the wrinkles on his face were enough to make him think he was in his late fifties if he didn't know his real age... but he had done his research.

The group walked inside, right in front of the baron. The door to the room closed behind them. So, the only people left inside were them, two servants, and a knight who was obviously the baron's personal bodyguard.

"I am relieved to see the Empire responding to my calls for help... but I would like to ask, how much do you know about the situation?"

Pecera took a quick step forward, quickly followed by Scher, but he deliberately stayed a little further behind Pecera.

"We know that there are people in the city who suddenly became insane for no reason. And that the adventurers or mercenaries can't solve the situation no matter what, and that they themselves have become insane."

Pecera paused for a moment, straightening her posture slightly, but not in a disrespectful way. She just looked more... confident.

"From the outside, our group may seem a bit... awkward and inappropriate for the situation, but don't worry. On behalf of myself and the other four members of my group, I assure you that I believe we can provide you with everything you need."

Baron Holm could only nod slightly. Then he let out a deep, really deep sigh and looked up at his knight, who was standing right next to his desk.

It was a little difficult to see his face because of his helmet, but Kael could see his dark red eyes quite clearly. His black hair was slightly visible through his helmet. He was a well-built man, It would have been obvious that he was a knight even if the armor wasn't there... that's exactly what he gave off.

But there was another detail about this man that caught Kael's attention.

And that was... that this man was a bearer.

No, a follower.

He could feel the man's eon even more clearly than Matthew's.

"Let me introduce my official personal knight... Amar Slord, who will tell you the important details of the situation and listen to your requests."

After these words, the baron's eyes narrowed as he stared at the table. Then... he continued, his tone calm until now, but this time with a tremor he could not hide.

"Just... please, help us. Forget the letter I sent to the Empire... If you can save this town and people... I am ready to give you anything you ask."