The first thing I did in the morning was check my panel.

  First…

  [Soul Contamination] - Your soul shall be corroded in 1020 days.

  I glanced at my ill-gotten time keeper, as I usually did upon waking up.

  In this world, a month was exactly 28 days, with an extra 21-day month in the winter.

  The winters also lasted longer than the other seasons, and the year started at the 1st month of spring, which was Sprout (March).

  The date I arrived at was the 28th of July - or rather of Glimmer - and today was the 2nd of Gust (just like the name of Thomas's horse), which would be September on Earth.

  Regardless of all that, I went on to the important section.

  【Skills】:

  [Charge Thrust] - Lv3 (28/100)

  |__ [Charge] Lv2 (74/100)

  |__ [Thrust] Lv2 (67/100)

  [Arc Slash] - Lv1 (91/100)

  My [Arc Slash] was making great progress, nearly reaching the next level, and the same could be said for [Charge Thrust].

  Between my constant training and the deadly goblin battle, my progression on this front was moving at an excellent pace.

  Finally, as a matter of habit, I skimmed over my Traits, Abilities and Attribu-

  I opened the Traits page again, to ensure nothing changed, and returned to the previous page.

  【Attributes】:

  Strength: 13

  Agility: 13

  Endurance: 13

  Intelligence: 14

  Awareness: 19

  Charisma: 9

  I wasn't imagining things - both Endurance and Agility increased by 1. And without any new Traits causing them to increase.

  ‘This- wait, is this really that strange?’

  While I was shocked for a moment, I remembered that actually, for most of last month, I've been training relentlessly, sometimes pushing my body to the absolute limit.

  ‘If I lift weights, my muscles get stronger. If I run a lot, my cardio improves. If this worked on Earth, why wouldn't this be the case here?’

  As for why both stats increased simultaneously, I could only presume they just happened to both be on the cusp of reaching that unknown threshold. After all, many things in the body are interconnected. Perhaps Strength, too, would soon go up.

  ‘I suppose it's true what they're saying – hard work never betrays.’

  This increase no longer seemed like a mysterious gift – it was instead my own achievement, which lifted my spirits.

  “Are you ready to depart?”

  As I was dressing up, I heard Thomas's voice outside my door.

  “Give me a minute, then I'll be good to go.”

  I really wanted to sleep a bit longer, or, at least, get a proper breakfast. However, I knew such luxuries required time I didn't have, as our journey today would be slighter longer than usual.

  At best, maybe I could grab something if I saw an open bakery on the way to the gate – nothing else would be open this early in the morning, as the weak sunrays only just began encroaching on the gray sky.

  After I was finished, we exited the inn, leaving the keys with the sleepy woman at the reception counter, and making our way to the nearby stable.

  Just as we approached, a young kid was refilling the horses’ water.

  “Good sirs! Please, your horses are this way.”

  Happy to have encountered us at this hour, he quickly led us to our horses.

  “Do you wish for me to-”

  “No need. We'll handle the saddles.”

  “As you wish- Ah! Thank you, good sir!”

  Nimbly catching the silver coin tossed by Thomas, the boy brought our horses’ equipment, and placed it on a nearby wooden bench, while unlocking the gate.

  Thomas hastily got to work, and before I knew it, the horses were ready to go.

  “You sure know how to tack up a horse.”

  “Heh. Once you’ve had enough journeys on horseback, especially long missions in the wilderness, stuff like this will become second nature.”

  “Does every deputy travel this much?”

  “...Some do. But I wasn't always a deputy, you know. Back in the army, some of the missions lasted months.”

  The deputy’s gaze momentarily shifted to the past.

  “We once scouted the endless plains for a secret cultist hideout – only to later realize it was right near where we started! And they likely noticed us back then, because by the time we found it, it was long empty.”

  The deputy chuckled with a hint of bitterness.

  “That was not a fun way to end that mission. But that was also an invaluable lesson.”

  “What lesson? That you need to pay proper attention even at the start?”

  “...that, too. But the main lesson is – sometimes, you get lucky and find your target right under your nose. And sometimes, you waste a whole month only to find an ice-cold trail. And, unlike in this story, the latter isn't always your fault.”

  His face wore a profound expression, eyes shifting towards the distant mountains.

  “Sometimes, you get dealt a shit hand. And that's part of life too, ain't it?”

  I found myself agreeing with those words, perhaps on a more fundamental level than I myself realized. However, I didn't have anything to say in return, so we silently rode towards the town gate.

  After confirming our identities, the guard stepped aside, letting us ride onward – to the north-east, towards Silverveil.

  ***

  The day went by in a flash.

  Back when this journey started, riding for hours on end would leave my body stiff and strained, but just one week was enough to greatly improve my riding skills. Perhaps this was the one thing I actually had a transferable talent for from Earth.

  In the distance, I could already see the massive stone walls – they stretched for over a dozen kilometers, surrounding the southwestern side of the city.

  Of course, this was just the view from this vantage point – in reality, they fully encircled the city, protecting it since ancient times.

  Outside the walls, I could see scattered houses, and large fields, currently unoccupied by any visible crops. To my right, in the east, I saw a small hill, with the faint remnants of some strange, slightly acidic smell carried by the winds from its direction.

  I could also make out a small gathering of tents, a few hundred meters away from the gate, and the road leading to it as well.

  From behind the walls, a few tower tops were visibly peeking. Behind them, occupying the base of a small hill, I saw the upper part of another set of walls, with what appeared to be the outline of a few luxurious mansions faintly visible atop said hill.

  “How’s the city?”

  “It’s.. pretty big.”

  In its full size, based on what I could see from here, it was as big as some of the modern cities on Earth, albeit the smaller ones.

  “Ha! That's one way to put it.”

  The deputy looked at it with unconcealed pride.

  “This is the seventh biggest city in the kingdom – Silverveil, home of the Silverton family for over three hundred years.”

  “Three hundred- isn't that when you had the war? The one that ravaged your old capital?”

  “Yes.. the 2nd War Of Valor, where our victory against Malaknia was snatched from the jaws of defeat. One of the people who snatched it was Theodor Silverton, the man who conquered this very city.”

  I could hear the respect in the deputy's voice.

  “He used to be a minor noble before the war, choosing the military path due to being a 3rd child, unlikely to become the family’s successor, and unwilling to even participate in the struggles for it. Instead, his military talent shone through, helping him rise to a high post even before the war.”

  Thomas’s eyes glanced at the magnificent walls.

  “By the time he re-captured this city, known as Flameveil back then, he was already one of the prominent military leaders of Valoria. After the war, he was granted dukedom, and the city became the center of his new domain – the Silverton province as you know it today.”

  “Sounds like he was a great man.”

  “Indeed. Although, in retrospective, saying this is par for the course. There wasn't anyone in the history of Valoria who was granted dukedom that wasn't a great man.”

  The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  “What of his family now? Back in town, I heard rumors about a succession war looming. Actually, they advised me to conclude my business swiftly and leave the city as soon as I could.”

  “...”

  Thomas's face grew darker.

  “I wish I could tell you those were baseless rumors… but to be frank, I could only echo the same advice.”

  “Are succession wars in Valoria always like this?”

  “...No. Such chaos is correlated to the family's influence and stability – greater rewards breed more desperate struggle, but greater stability keeps that struggle from surfacing above ground.”

  I could hear something in Thomas's voice. Something reminiscent of pity.

  “Unfortunately, the current patriarch, Lord Breston Silverton, was injured on the battlefield decades ago. Those injuries were severe enough to greatly shorten his lifespan – he's never returned to the battlefield since, and during the last decade, his health has been deteriorating further.”

  Thomas's voice came down to a whisper, despite there being nobody around us to listen in.

  “I’m certain the death of his wife, over two decades ago, played its part in hastening his demise. As did the untimely death of his youngest son four years ago – the son that his wife died giving birth to.”

  “That’s… terrible. Sounds like a real string of tragedies.”

  “Indeed. Although it happened over the course of thirty years.. and he's held up exceptionally well over most of them, given the circumstances.”

  “...”

  As the conversation naturally died down, we rode ahead.

  Halfway to the city, I noticed a very strange bird soar over the walls, slowly gliding in circles. Actually, it wasn’t a bird… a kite? But the shape was strange..

  ‘No way!..’

  “Hey, what's that?”

  Thomas followed my gaze with his eyes, before chuckling with amusement.

  “Ha! What do you think it is?”

  “It looks like some kind of kite, but it almost seems like there is a person attached to it…”

  “Indeed! But it's no simple kite, nor is that a simple person.”

  “?..”

  I watched the man(?) with the kite-like contraption, bigger than himself, attached to his back. After doing a few circles that spanned most of the southern wall, he moved over to the eastern one, now barely visible from time to time.

  “That arcane contraption is called a ‘Skypiercer’ – and while it may look like a simple glider, it is actually extremely complex, and requires a High Mage, typically a Wizard called Skywatcher, to operate.”

  “...”

  I couldn't help but gaze at it with amazement.

  “Every city has at least two Skywatchers. Of course, it's also possible to send flying constructs above the walls, which is most often the case, but those patrols double as training for those mages. If you watch the walls all day, you'd usually see each of them once or twice per week.”

  “...”

  The sight was truly captivating – at least until the Skywatcher completed his eastern wall route, likely flying north and no longer returning to view.

  Just as the sun was about to touch the horizon, we finally made it to the city's southern gate.

  “Halt!”

  Unlike Pine Peak, the guards stationed at the gate were cold and curt.

  After verifying Thomas's credentials, their attitude softened, although not by much.

  “May I have the reason for your visit, deputy?”

  The one speaking was an older man, wearing a slightly different uniform than the rest of the guards, with a calm deep voice, and an unmistakable air of authority around him.

  “I’m here on official duty.”

  “Is this regarding the goblin incursion? If so, we have already received your your report, and appropriate measures-”

  The deputy shook his head, and the guard halted his speech.

  “Different mission.”

  “That’s strange. Something involving a deputy would usually warrant an early notice…”

  As the guard captain(?) looking at Thomas with growing suspension, the latter produced a sealed letter from a thin leather case in his backpack.

  After looking at the seal for a second or two, the guard's eyes opened in understanding.

  “I’m sorry for the delay, then. You are free to enter the city.”

  Thomas waved his hand dismissively.

  “It’s fine. A guard must do his duty.”

  “Thank you for your consideration, sir. Welcome to Silverveil.”

  ***

  Unlike the smaller towns, even as night approached, the city streets were bustling with life.

  Moments after we entered the city, the oil lamps, sparsely positioned along the main street, suddenly ignited in unison.

  “Ha! Perfect timing.”

  The deputy couldn't help but chuckle, looking at my surprised face.

  “Never been to a big city, I take it?”

  “...it's like this in every city?”

  “Most of them. Every city has a branch of the Wizard’s Guild, and most have at least one arcane workshop. Maintaining those contraptions may be too expensive for a small town like ours, but for a city - the central city of this province, at that - such expenses are like a bucket in a lake.”

  “Sounds like cities are rich. And expensive.”

  “Not as much as it may seem. It also highly depends on the district. Compared to our town, life in the Northern District is extremely expensive, true. But look at the slums of this district, and even Pine Harbor won’t appear that cheap in comparison.”

  “This is a slums district?”

  The surrounding buildings all looked quite respectable. Although, on second look, nearly every building had a sign near the entrance, indicating some kind of shop or business.

  “The Southern District mainly houses commerce, storage, and production facilities. Its eastern half is residential, but most residents are the workers in said workshops, factories and warehouses.”

  “There are even factories here?”

  “Of course! This city is the center of commerce, administration and production for the whole district. Factory machinery is complex, extremely expensive, and require frequent maintenance; Factory production capabilities are massive, and require both ample logistical and storage capacity; Factories require a lot of manpower, and and most importantly – the equipment is far too expensive to have it stationed in some backwater town, where they can be sabotaged, or, by the crown, even stolen somehow!”

  “I see…”

  So, it seemed that despite the initial impression I got from Pine Harbor, the country itself was at the industrial level. However, such an industry was concerned in a few big cities.

  “So, what's next?”

  With our journey finally complete, the obvious question arose.

  “I will deliver my report to the Ministry. I believe you will be summoned in two or three days.”

  “So I just wait until then.”

  “Yes. Do you have a place to stay?”

  Thomas’s tone suggested he had something to offer, or at least recommend, but…

  “I already have a place in mind.”

  “I see. If it's on the way, I can escort you there. Otherwise, I'll be taking Cupcake right here.”

  “It’s… in this district, somewhere. It's called the Rusty Ring Inn.”

  “Hmm.. never heard of it. But we are at the westmost edge of the district, so it must be farther east. The Ministry headquarters are in the Northern, so we'll have to part ways here.”

  I simply nodded, swiftly hopping off of Cupcake. All of my belongings were on me, anyway.

  Petting the gentle horse's neck one last time, I extended the reins to Thomas, who was still on horseback.

  “Goodbye, Sebastian. The chief asked me to make sure the interrogation is conducted properly, and according to protocol. As such, I might see you again then – but I might also be forced to leave earlier.”

  “Thanks a lot, deputy Thomas. I'll see in a few days, then.”

  As we finished our short farewells, the deputy grabbed Cupcake’s reins, swiftly tying them to the back of his saddle, preparing to move ahead.

  “And one last thing – be careful around the city. Especially at night, and doubly so in Southern. You aren’t in Pine Harbor anymore.”

  With those ominous parting words, the man - and two horses - with whom I've spent a quarter of my days in this world walked away, disappearing behind a nearby corner.

  Over the next few seconds, I simply stood where I was.

  ‘I really should have bought a map.’

  While this wasn't some medieval era, it was clear that devices like pocket GPS were not a thing, either.

  ‘Oh well… here we go.’

  “Excuse me, sir...”

  After asking two passerbies, who had no idea the inn even existed, I finally got lucky.

  “Oh, the Rusty Ring? It's farther to the east, right between the commercial and warehouse areas. Also a bit to the south, now that I think about it. You need to continue down this street, until you see…”

  I listened to the instructions very carefully, even going as far as repeating it to him to confirm I got everything right, and scribbling down the main points in my hand journal.

  Earnestly thanking the kind man, I began moving down the street, following the instructions.

  ‘Turn right when you see the yellow pot sign with three stars… there!’

  As the streets got narrower, and the vistas less distinct, I realized just how important some of the things I was taking for granted on Earth were.

  I nearly lost my way a few times, but managed to reach the next landmark after looking around for a bit.

  ‘And here, I should turn- no, was I supposed to take the third turn right, or turn right after three alleys?’

  I stood at the corner of a dark long alley. The next turn was a few hundred meters away, part of a big intersection.

  As I looked farther up the alley, on the other side, I saw…

  ‘Isn’t that the inn?’

  Right in front of the alley, across from me, I could see a building that matched the inn's description. At least, I saw a dark-brown sign which seemed to have a circle engraved on it, and the wooden building behind it had a light-brown hue.

  ‘This alley is a bit sketchy, but.. that seems to be the place, and the halfling vouched for it. If the way to get there was through a dangerous alley, he would say so, right?’

  Besides, the things I got through were much worse – the last thing that would scare me was a dark alleyway.

  As I reached the middle of the alley, I realized cliches were cliche for a reason.

  squeaaak

  A wooden door opened behind me. Turning around, I saw two rough-looking men slowly walk out, their eyes fixated on me.

  This door belonged to the long building to my right, its walls surprisingly clean compared to those of the other buildings comprising this alley.

  The other side of the building, farther ahead, also had a door - with my senses, I already picked up the rushing footsteps from inside, before that door opened as well, letting out three more ruffians.

  All of them were wearing thin white shirts and black leather jackets with matching black pants.

  Most of them had abstract tattoo’s, and all of them wore different sorts of metal chains as decorations – some worn around their necks, some hanging from their belts.

  Another common accessory was the large metal badge, in the shape of a dog's head, adorning the left chest area of their leather jackets.

  “Well well well… what have we here?”

  The largest of them, a muscular bold man standing among the three presumed gang members, curled his lips in an ugly smirk.

  “A sole adventurer, loitering behind our home? Passing through our beloved alley?”

  The man's companions chuckled at his overly-dramatic voice.

  “Going to that inn over there, I wager. Fancy our alley, do you? Trying to take a shortcut without paying the road toll?”

  Sounds of foul laughter could be heard from both sides, as the men began approaching-

  With a single motion, I drew my sword, turning my back against the wall, trying to keep an eye on both groups.

  Two of them reacted faster than the others, drawing their shortswords just a heartbeat later. Two of them stood in confusion, taking a few seconds longer. The leader just stared at me with icy eyes. At the very least, their smiles were gone, and their advance was halted.

  “Oi, brat. You ain't from the city, are ya?”

  “What’s it to you?”

  “Because if you were from the city, you'd know how badly you just fucked up.”

  His tone lost all traces of amusement, turning low and threatening.

  “You think just because you could afford some patchwork armor and a nice looking twohander, you get to walk on our turf, scot free? Do you know who we are, boy?”

  He pointed at his badge, shaped as a dog’s head, making a dramatic pause.

  “The Back Alley Bitches?”

  At my reply, the five men froze, and deathly silence descended upon the alley.

  “Ha. Ha ha! Ahahahaha!”

  The big man's laughter echoed in the narrow, filthy passage.

  “That was a good one… I'll make sure they tell that at your funeral.”

  The big man took out the massive two handed hammer hanging behind his back.

  “Boys! Let’s welcome this whelp to Silverveil. Mad Dog style!”

  “Awoooo!!!”