Chương 335: Chapter 334 - A familiar Tone

Lucid walked along the gray stone pathway that ran through the central district of Tyriana. He adjusted the leather strap of his travel pack across his chest. The starlight carriage was parked safely behind the outer defense perimeter, and his crew had temporarily scattered into the town to prepare for their final push toward the capital of Vex. Lucid preferred to move on foot whenever he needed to clear his thoughts. The physical act of walking grounded his mind after long hours inside enclosed transport vehicles.

He passed a low stone building with arched wooden doorways. He recognized the structure immediately. It was the public scroll library where he had spent hours reading during his first visit to this region. The exterior walls showed fresh plaster repairs over old cracks from past skirmishes. Next to the library, several new wooden stalls had opened along the main street. Merchants displayed bundles of dried medicinal herbs, iron utility tools, and rolls of coarse wool fabric.

The town was expanding its trade routes quickly, recovering from the recent political upheaval that had shaken the border territory. A group of demi-human residents stood near a vegetable stall on his left. A fox-eared woman and a tall badger-kin worker stopped their conversation when Lucid walked past. They raised their hands to point directly at his head. Whispers spread quickly through the crowd of shoppers. Lucid heard faint fragments of their chatter echoing off the stone walls as they gestured toward him.

Lucid stopped his movement for a brief second. He looked down at his dark woolen trousers and his leather boots. He checked his sleeves to see if dirt covered his garments. Everything appeared clean and properly adjusted. He raised his right hand to touch his jawline. His fingers encountered the familiar cold, swirling vapor that perpetually covered his facial features. A thick cloud of gray fog obscured his eyes, nose, and mouth from public view.

'They are not looking at your clothing,' Alice observed in his mind. Her voice sounded clear and sharp inside his thoughts.

'Your face is quite hard to miss in a crowd of normal citizens.' Lucid let out a low cackle from beneath the dense fog. He dropped his hand back to his side and resumed his steady pace down the street. He did not mind the extra attention, though he found the constant pointing somewhat tedious.

'Look at those two wolf-kin workers by the timber cart,' Alice noted as she scanned the surroundings through his perception.

'Demi-humans in Tyriana seem much more settled than the ones we encountered near the outer military camps. They run legitimate businesses here and interact freely with human merchants.'

'This town sits directly on a major commercial intersection,' Lucid mentally responded.

'People here care more about profit and trade stability than ancient ancestral rivalries.'

'Speaking of local businesses,' Alice continued in a light, teasing voice that vibrated softly in his mind.

'What about that innkeeper woman from your previous visit? Are you not going to visit her before we leave for the capital?' Lucid froze in his tracks. A sudden surge of surprise hit his chest, breaking his calm demeanor.

"Rebecca?!" Lucid shouted out loud before he could stop himself. Several passing townspeople jumped in surprise at his sudden loud outburst. A nearby fruit vendor dropped an apple onto the dirt and stared at him with wide, nervous eyes. Lucid quickly cleared his throat and lowered his posture to regain his composure. He let out a soft cackle to mask his embarrassment, rubbing the back of his neck with a gloved hand.

'She brings back memories, does she not?' Alice asked. Her tone carried a sarcastic edge that made Lucid shake his head slightly. Lucid stood uncertainly on the cobblestone walkway. He looked around at the curious faces staring at him from every direction. The local citizens whispered behind their raised hands, gesturing toward his foggy countenance and his strange behavior. He took a slow breath of the chilly morning air to settle his nerves.

"It is what it is," Lucid muttered in a quiet voice. He realized why the townspeople were staring at him so intensely today. News of the dramatic conflict involving the regional governor and the local military academy had spread throughout the entire district. People had heard reports about a young traveler whose face was completely obscured by gray fog, a individual who had played a central role in disrupting the governor's plans.

They were not merely looking at an odd stranger; they were recognizing the boy with the fog face who had altered the balance of power in Tyriana. Lucid turned away from the commercial market and adjusted his path toward the residential estate district. The noble mansion where his party had arranged their temporary headquarters sat on an elevated hill overlooking the eastern valley. The paved road sloped gently upward, lined with trimmed stone walls and decorative iron lampposts.

As he walked, Lucid reflected on his current situation and the companions who now accompanied him. His journey to Vex was no longer just a solitary task. He had gathered a formidable group along the way. Frederick brought military discipline and the official authority of a proto-knight. Valen provided unpredictable combat capabilities, high status, and substantial financial resources.

Ayame possessed tremendous physical power as an oni warrior, even if her silent presence often brought immense pressure to those around her. And Alice remained permanently linked to his conscious mind through the ancient pendant resting against his collarbone.

'You are thinking too much again,' Alice remarked internally.

'Your mental energy would be better spent reviewing our travel route through the northern mountain passes.' If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

'The route is already memorized,' Lucid replied in his mind.

'I am considering how our arrival in Vex will alter our party dynamic. Frederick expects a formal audience with the royal court to report his findings. Valen will likely look for the nearest luxury establishment or high-stakes gambling hall. Ayame will follow Frederick's orders until something disrupts her focus.'

'And what will you do once we step inside the capital walls?' Alice inquired with genuine curiosity.

'I will find the answers I came for regarding my origin and the nature of this fog,' Lucid thought firmly.

'Everything else is secondary.' The street widened into an open circular plaza situated directly below the mansion gates. The private residences in this area featured high slate roofs, stone balconies, and manicured front gardens filled with cold-hardy flowering shrubs. The air here smelled clean, free from the heavy grease, roasted meats, and livestock odors of the lower markets. As Lucid reached the edge of the paved plaza, a clear, beautiful sound drifted through the morning air.

The sweet, sharp notes of a violin echoed against the high stone walls surrounding the estate. The melody was played with extraordinary skill, jumping fluidly between rapid arpeggios and slow, resonant tones that commanded immediate attention. The music possessed a bright, energetic quality that contrasted sharply with the serious atmosphere of the noble district. Lucid stopped in his tracks and turned his head toward the source of the performance.

Under the broad shade of an ancient oak tree near the mansion's outer perimeter wall, three members of his crew were already gathered. Ayame sat quietly on a smooth stone bench in the shade. Her dark hair fell loosely around her shoulders, and her arms were crossed over her chest. She watched the street with a relaxed yet observant expression, her dark eyes tracking Lucid as he approached the square. Standing nearby were Frederick and Valen. They were not alone.

The two men stood in a loose circle around a short musician who was performing the complex violin piece with great physical flourish. The performer wore a bright blue tunic with silver embroidery along the cuffs, paired with a matching blue hat that sat tilted over his left ear. The musician swayed rhythmically as his bow glided across the instrument strings, producing a rich, melodic strain that filled the quiet square.

Alice spoke inside Lucid's mind, her voice dropping into a low, analytical register as she recognized the performer.

'Hey... is that not...' Alice began. Lucid stared at the performer in the blue tunic. His eyes narrowed beneath the swirling cloud of gray fog that covered his face.

"Indeed," Lucid muttered under his breath in a low, flat tone.

"That drunken..." He cut his own sentence short as he walked closer to the group under the tree. The musician finished his song with a sharp, dramatic stroke of the bow, holding the final high note until it faded cleanly into the morning breeze. He bowed deeply toward Frederick and Valen, sweeping his blue hat off his head in a theatrical flourish that nearly touched the dusty pavement. Valen clapped his hands together with genuine enthusiasm, letting out a bright laugh.

"That was quite the performance," Valen declared, tossing a small silver coin toward the musician.

"You have considerable talent for a street performer in a border town like Tyriana." The musician caught the coin effortlessly in mid-air, slipping it into his tunic pocket with a practiced motion. He replaced the blue hat onto his head, tilting it back to reveal a face flush with recent exertion and a faint outline of red around his nose. Frederick maintained a stiff, formal posture, his arms folded behind his back as he inspected the bard with a critical eye.

"Your musical technique is refined, but your appearance lacks proper order," Frederick remarked sternly.

"A royal performer in Vex would never present themselves with a rumpled tunic and unpolished boots." The musician puffed out his chest, waving his violin bow dismissively in the air.

"My good sir," the bard replied in a theatrical, slightly slurred voice.

"Art cannot be bound by strict military dress codes. The music demands freedom of expression, not polished leather and starched collars." Lucid stepped into the shadow of the oak tree, stopping a few feet away from Frederick.

"What are you doing here?" Lucid asked, addressing the musician directly. The bard turned around at the sound of Lucid's voice. He blinked several times, staring at the dense cloud of gray fog obscuring Lucid's head. A sudden expression of recognition washed over his face, followed by a wide, slightly foolish grin.

"Ah, the fog-faced traveler returns!" the bard exclaimed loudly, throwing his arms open wide.

"I knew I recognized the strange aura walking up the avenue. What a marvelous coincidence that we meet again under the fine skies of Tyriana."

'Coincidence is unlikely,' Alice remarked in Lucid's mind.

'He was probably looking for a generous crowd near the noble district.' Ayame shifted slightly on the stone bench, her dark eyes shifting from the bard to Lucid.

"He has been playing here for twenty minutes," Ayame stated in her quiet, even voice.

"Frederick tried to order him to move along, but Valen insisted on listening to the entire song." Valen shrugged his shoulders casually, offering a wide grin.

"Good music is rare on the road," Valen said softly.

"Besides, we still have time before the starlight carriage finishes its final mechanical checks. We might as well enjoy the local entertainment." Frederick turned his gaze toward Lucid, stepping forward to report on their travel preparations.

"The carriage driver has completed the inspection of the steering assembly and the mana distribution conduits," Frederick reported in his formal tone.

"The vehicle is fully fueled and ready for the long journey through the mountain passes. We can depart the moment you give the command." Lucid looked at the bard in the blue tunic, who was now carefully tuning one of the violin strings with a small wooden peg.

"Did you follow us from the lower district?" Lucid questioned the bard directly. The musician placed his hand over his heart, assuming an offended posture.

"Follow you? Perish the thought!" the bard declared dramatically.

"A true artist follows only the muse of inspiration and the subtle aroma of fine wine. It just so happens that my path aligns with yours. I heard rumors that a grand party of influential figures was preparing to depart for the capital city of Vex. As a humble chronicler of epic deeds, I felt it was my solemn duty to offer my musical services for your journey."

'He wants a free ride to the capital,' Alice pointed out dryly inside Lucid's thoughts.

'He knows traveling with a proto-knight and a fully armed squad is much safer than walking the trade roads alone.' Lucid let out another quiet cackle beneath his fog veil. He folded his arms across his chest and looked at the bard with a critical eye.

"We are not taking on extra passengers," Lucid stated flatly.

"The starlight carriage is already crowded with our equipment and crew." The bard gasped loudly, pressing his violin tightly against his chest as if he had been physically struck.

"Cruel travel master!" the bard cried out with exaggerated sorrow.

"Would you leave a brilliant artist to suffer in the dusty streets of a border outpost? I ask for very little! A small corner of the carriage floor, a crust of bread, and a splash of water! In return, I shall compose grand ballads immortalizing your heroic deeds across the continent!" Valen let out a hearty laugh, leaning against the trunk of the oak tree.

"He certainly has spirit," Valen remarked to Frederick.

"And his violin playing would certainly help pass the tedious hours during our trek through the mountain tunnels." Frederick frowned deeply, shaking his head in firm disapproval.

"We are on an official mission representing the interests of Vex," Frederick asserted sternly.

"We cannot allow unregistered civilians to commandeer military transport facilities simply because they can play a catchy tune on a stringed instrument." Ayame stood up slowly from the stone bench, her tall frame casting a long shadow across the grass. She looked down at the bard with her usual unreadable expression.

"He smells faintly of cheap ale," Ayame observed calmly, stating the plain fact without any emotion. The bard cleared his throat nervously, taking a small step back from the tall oni warrior.

"That is merely the bouquet of fine local hospitality," the bard defended himself quickly, adjusting his blue hat.

"A necessary component for stimulating creative genius." Lucid watched the interaction between his crew members and the eccentric musician.