The Curse of Being Disconnected from the Grid (1)
1402 Words
I'm not in the mood to go back to the capital; so right now, I'm taking my time exploring places near Pum Quoc.
To be honest, I haven't explored much of Dinggiff Prefecture.
And yes, I've returned the extra Mana Potions to Aloysius Gasparog the red-masked mage before the four of us that successfully conquered the clockwork beanstalk disbanded for good.
I've also given four bottles of Downer-Proof tablets I've acquired at the alumni homecoming to both Louis Joachim Cou'thegvac the farmer and quest starter and the three other adventurers as memorabilia, also before parting ways.
So then... it's another instance of a post-quest break.
I've already seen enough of Pum Quoc, so I decide to shoulder on to the nearest possible town.
I head east, to the Crying Mountains.
These waterfalls are breathtaking, especially with the fact that the water flowing through them comes from low-lying lands and miraculously climb up the mountains' several channels by some natural force.
My natural instinct is to take a dip there; but right now, I'm in no mood for a bath.
And strangely enough, these waterfalls trigger another memory I share with Belle.
Belle invited me to watch the night sky in Littleland River, one of the rivers that flow towards the capital.
It was a clear-skied night, with no clouds to get in the way of the view of the stars and more.
So I immediately said yes to her offer.
With a simple white blanket to rest our weary bodies on in the grassy riverbank, plus some snacks on hand, we viewed both the waters and the sky, which some say lead to a vast ocean of stars.
They both emanate a pretty nighttime blend of blue and black.
Apparently, there's a specific shade of blue called midnight blue that matches the color of this moment we were having, even though it was not yet actually midnight.
Apparently, the reason she invited me to watch the stars was that an astronomer friend of hers told her that a phenomenon was happening that night.
The phenomenon is called a conjunction, where two or more celestial bodies such as huge stars or even planets appear close to each other in the sky.
What we saw was two of the brightest planets apparently getting close to Amitabhilia's only moon, Varguil.
These two planets are called Brkic and Ismic, named after a man and a woman who, in spite of their different ethnic and religious backgrounds, truly loved each other.
When civil war broke out in what the land that is now known as the neighboring Republic of Sardentha three hundred years ago, the couple attempted to escape the fighting, but they were shot dead by unknown archers.
The bridge where they both died was infamous for being a dangerous spot to walk on due to the abundance of sniper archers, and thus nobody attempted to claim their bodies for seven days.
They were buried together when the war ended a month later, and an astronomer later named two planets he discovered in their honor.
“It's beautiful, isn't it?”
Belle remarked as she ate some homemade chip-fries that were sprinkled with basil.
I answered as I reached for the fries and snacked on them...
“Definitely.”
“I wonder if... our names can be inscribed on stars... or even planets like these?”
“Who knows? As long as we do something of significant value, we can be immortalized. After all, to be forgotten is a fate worse than death. Even His Highness thinks the same way.”
“Yeah. It's one of the many tenets the fairy handed down to the adventurer, the founder of our glorious kingdom.”
The name of the founder, which should definitely not be forgotten in history books and beyond, is Norbert Reganot Blumstein.
Strange, isn't it?
This body of water I'm viewing right now... segues into a daydream documenting a talk about the stars.
Now to check the map of Dinggiff Prefecture I bought for myself...
East-northeast of the Crying Mountains, there's a town called Walibalt.
I just need to get through Taghayakht Arborvale, a place full of various types of trees.
It is currently being converted into a garden by the enterprising people of Walibalt.
Alright. I'm pushing further east.
Two hours' worth of walking later (with periodic breaks in between)...
I'm now at Walibalt.
I can hear swords swinging and hammers clanging on steel.
From what I basically know about this town, Walibalt is a town founded by a blacksmith who's also a practitioner of sword-oriented martial arts.
The smith-warrior's techniques form the basis of Lebenswasserheim-style sword fighting, which emphasizes on defense, counterattacks, and adaptability to unarmed combat.
Literally every house in this town is either a blacksmith's abode or a mini-training hall for the blade arts.
And then...
I see a familiar face not that far from where I currently stand.
The brunette hair...
The armored breastplate and skirt...
The dual swords...
It's Luningning Amistoso, one of the three adventurers whom I was with during the clockwork beanstalk quest not too long ago.
“Hello again, Walter! Thanks for your gift, by the way. And... I never expected you to come to the town I'm proud to be born in!”
“Yeah. But seeing your combat style, I knew you would fit in here. Say, are you currently in a quest?”
“Nope. I'm just... you know... chilling out.”
“Just like me.”
“Well, you can visit my house if you'd like. It's over there, by the third intersection to the right.”
“Won't your parents object to this?”
“Them? Well, visitors are always welcome here, as long as their intentions are pure and they are also well-versed in combat and are willing to improve their skills.”
“Great. My limbs are almost getting sore from all that walking, anyway. Can't always rely on Teleportation Feathers.”
“Yeah. Sometimes you have to rough it. So then... let's go, Walter!”
Luningning's house is like a typical house in the kingdom, with the requisite living room, kitchen, dining room, bedrooms, and bathrooms.
But in this town of blacksmiths and blade-wielders, each house has either an additional mini smithy or training room.
After she introduces her parents to me...
“I'll be preparing food for us both while mom and dad are currently training as usual. You can sit in the sofa in the living room if you like.”
“Sure. Thanks, Luningning.”
As she proceeds to the kitchen and I sit in the comfortable couch as instructed...
I am in awe of the many swords and other bladed weapons on display at this house.
One is a pitch-black sword with gray edges and once belonged to a black-clothed swordsman.
Another is a katana that is said to house demons and was used by a blue-flamed exorcist.
Yet another is a long dagger that silences whoever touches its sharp edges and once belonged to a famed thief.
And yet another is a blade structured like a box cutter and has a unique grip, and was once in the hands of a titan slayer.
Another one is a sword with a decorative scabbard, said to have been the heirloom of an aristocratic family.
There's also a sword that is otherwise insignificant other than the fact that it once belonged to a “blank”, or a young man who washed up ashore with no memory of his past.
The sword to complete this humble display is a drill-shaped rapier, once wielded by a famed student of a military academy.
There's an oscillating motorized fan that serves as a source of clean air to keep this house cool, especially when the training action gets a little too hot.
It's one of the many magical appliances powered by the sparkgrid.
I'm having a relaxing time here in this simple yet posh house of hers...
...until the oscillating fan stops moving.
The motor powering the fan no longer moves, and the fan blades gradually slow down before they completely halt.
Wait, what is happening?!
Even Luningning is startled by this development.
From where she stands, the sparkgrid-powered stove no longer produces any heat required for her dish to be cooked thoroughly.
Her face now wears the mask of frustration.
Does this mean...
...we're having a blackout?!
- Writer
