Legends and History

1

“T-Thank you… everybody!”

Allen bowed in front of a stunned crowd of tavern goers, face red and smiling from ear to ear. After mulling it over the past week, the awkward guy who struggled to speak finally decided to sing in public. Sure, half of the people that go to that tavern were drunk and everyone fully expected a bard to serenade them, but for the next three nights the usual singer was busy preparing for their part in the festival. Nobody expected a guild mercenary, a warrior at that, to get up on stage, pick up a guitar and sing them a heartfelt song they’ve never heard before.

The tavern went from a stunned silence to a cacophony of cheers and clapping. Cries of “More! More!” were thrown about, while a few generous patrons tossed silver coins at his feet. There may have even been a lady or two who swooned at the sight of him.

Jennifer slowly turned to face me, mouth agape. “Did you know he had the voice of an angel?”

I munched on a couple of meat skewers, then downed half a pint of brown ale with satisfaction. “I did,” I said. “More like I knew he liked to sing, but this was the first time I actually heard him.”

“No way… that was my favorite song too!” Jennifer said.

“I know right? I wasn’t expecting an eighties classic.”

“It’s from the early nineties, dumbass.”

“Oh, was it? Sorry grandma.”

“Haha.”

I laughed, then chewed on a couple more skewers. With more egging from the crowd, Allen decided to sing another song. This time it was my turn to be wowed. The military-man-slash-medical-student decided to sing a recent love song Ilyana liked. I knew because when the artist came to our city to do a live concert, she wouldn’t stop talking about it. I remembered wanting to go with her… but my stupid posturing got in the way. I didn’t want to look like I wanted to go to a female-centric concert in front of my guy friends. I regretted it then, and I… really regretted it now. Just like that, my mood soured. I drank the rest of my ale, then asked a passing barmaid for another.

“Hey, our money isn’t exactly unlimited, you know,” Jessica said. “You’d think the arbiter would cover us the full two months, but the rooms alone took most of what we had initially.”

“That’s why we need to keep taking jobs from the guild,” I replied. “On top of getting to know Yorutei inside and out, we get money. A little bit of fame too.”

In the past week Allen and I did two more hunts, easier ones this time, while me and Jennifer helped out at a farm. Turns out, gemstones weren’t just good for fighting. In fact, it was mostly used to help with everyday life. I hear Jennifer’s fire and light magic were particularly useful at the factory.

“I suppose…” Jennifer sighed.

I raised an eyebrow from behind my mug. “How’s your intel gathering going?”

“The protectorate team that’s visiting the village is pretty rock solid,” Jennifer explained. “Guildmaster Yin is the one doing the actual negotiation. And then they have Tori, the foxgirl you worked with before? There’s Sheria, the River Singer. Lance of the heavens, Lakas. Yun of the three mighty bows. Sachi and Soran from the aegis brigade.”

I whistled. “I barely know them, but those are all big shots from the guild.”

“Yep. That’s the point. Did you know Lakas was sent here all the way from the eastern branch? The guildmaster apparently recruited him a year ago.”

“Interesting. Speaking of, have you met the guildmaster yet? I hear about him all the time, but he’s never there.”

Jennifer shrugged. “Meifan said he’s always busy travelling and doing research.”

“Did she say on what?”

“Presumably its about the Everdark. He really wants to make this negotiation work so he’s covering every ground possible.”

“Right… I might’ve heard Hesina say something about that actually.”

The guild wasn’t simply planning to expand to the village of Yunha, but to be rid of the cursed forest itself. It wasn’t a new idea according to guild members I talked to, which made a lot of sense. If a blight like that existed on earth, all sorts of organizations or even countries would be up and arms to get rid of it. Or exploit it if it had useful resources. Heck, opening new trade routes would be a good enough reason.

But big as the protectorate was, not everybody was on board. Whatever the guildmaster was planning probably cost money, not to mention risk. It was probably why he was said to mostly keep to his loyal circle nowadays.

“You know,” I said, playing with my skewer stick, “if we can get on the guildmaster’s good side, he might share his research and make our mission easier for us.”

Jennifer put down her ale and sighed. “I did try to get us in on it. At the very least, I was hoping we’d be part of the negotiating team as extra muscle like we planned.”

“And?”

“Meifan thought I was joking and laughed at my face.” Jennifer narrowed her eyes at me. “Although she said you might not be a bad choice. Considering you showed off last time you were with Tori.”

I blinked at her several times.

“I heard how big and powerful you were. I can’t believe you already put the moves on the foxgirl.”

I almost spat my ale. Was that… no, it couldn’t be jealousy in her voice that I heard, could it? Why?

I saw Jennifer frowning, as if she too was surprised by her reaction. She shook her head. “Anyway. No dice. Meifan said no matter how strong you are, the guildmaster wouldn’t want anything to ruin his plan.”

“So, we’re going to the festival like local tourists then,” I said.

Jennifer nodded. “We’re sticking to my original plan. It’s good that we’re slowly gaining recognition. People that will go to the festival will recognize us.”

“Meaning we won’t have any problem snooping around or acting like we just want to help the guild.”

“Right. The tricky part is when we get to the village. We have a week to find out where the ‘treasured gemstone’ is and device a plan to… you know.”

I looked around us. Obviously, we wouldn’t be speaking this candidly if we were in anybody’s earshot, but it wouldn’t hurt to check. Allen was still entertaining the crowd. How many songs was that now? Five? Guy went from ‘no, I can’t do it, it’s too embarrassing’ to really bringing it. I supposed he already had experience putting his songs out there on the internet. I really need to check it out when we get back.

“Then again, if the negotiations go by super smoothly, then we’d have to adapt to that too.” Jennifer rubbed her chin and started to think. “That could mean we have less days to work with, but also less guild members to worry about…”

“You know you’re really good at doing this,” I said. “The past two weeks you’ve been the one getting all the information we needed. I’m starting to see why fate brought you here.”

Jennifer blushed. “Well, you know…”

“Were you studying to be a journalist or something?”

“Huh? No, I’m studying fashion design.”

“Makes sense, being a model and all.”

Jennifer grumbled. “It’s the other way around. I was a student before I got scouted in Shibuya while shopping for clothes.”

“Oh, yeah, I know the place.”

Jennifer sighed, then took a swig of her ale. “I told myself I’d focus all my effort on this fashion career I’m trying to pursue. But then, well, I had bills to pay. Thought I’d get a regular part time job at a restaurant or something, then the model thing came up and the money wasn’t too bad.”

“I see. I mean it makes sense since you’re so beautiful.”

Jennifer’s eyes went wide.

Wait.

Did I just say that?

“I mean, um, so why Japan? You’re… Australian, right? Is there a reason in particular you wanted to study overseas?”

That was way too forward of me. What the hell?

“There’s this fashion designer from Japan I really admire,” Jennifer said. “But also I…”

“Also?”

Jennifer looked me in the eyes, face flushed. We stared at each other for some time feeling really… weird.

In truth, this wasn’t the first time this happened.

The first time was literally on our first day in this world when we were looking for an inn to stay at. When the innkeeper asked us for rooms, we just casually decided we were staying in the same one, while Allen had his own. Funny, right? It wasn’t as funny when we got inside our rooms and sat next to each other in bed. We were both surprised and laughed it off, as if we were both in on the joke. But it was awkward. Very, very awkward. I ran to Allen’s room and said, “Hey! Why didn’t you stop us! Obviously, I’m rooming with you, bro! It was a joke!” Allen wasn’t super open with us back then as he was now, but he seriously thought Jennifer and I had a thing going on.

The second time was when we were on a job for the guild. We were completely in sync working together, laughing at each other’s jokes, chatting nonstop. Everyone at the farm thought we were married.

And now… this again. Seriously, something was happening between the two of us.

“Say, Ryota…” Jennifer started. “Are you having… memories… about me?”

“Huh?” I blinked. “What memories?”

“You know, like our fake lives in this world. How our bodies just know how to do things… and stuff...”

“Oh, that… wait, you mean memories about you specifically?”

“Yes.”

“Well, I know we’re supposed to be working together before we came to this town. We all knew each other for some time.”

“Did Allen tell you he had memories of a woman he once loved in this world?”

“He had that kind of backstory?”

“Sure did.”

“What’s the point of that?”

“I don’t know, ask the arbiter.”

I crossed my arms and thought about it. “Well… I know I care a lot about you two. We’re all long-time friends, supposedly. I had a master who mentored me in being a Dark Knight and…” I looked at Jennifer. Dammit, she looked so pretty blushing and frowning at the same time.

“Well, I have memories of you,” Jennifer said, poking my chest with her index finger. “Memories of being intimate with you. Very intimate… memories…”

I stood up from my seat in shock. Realizing I did this, I looked around, then slowly sat back down.

“You do?”

“Yes! It’s weird!” Jennifer grabbed her mug, then finished her drink. “Why would the arbiter need to give us this stupid backstory? Is this supposed to encourage us to work harder for our mission?”

I was at a loss for words. I couldn’t process this information properly.

“Wait, so—we’re like, lovers in our fake story or something?”

“I think so, yeah… you sure it’s not ringing any bells?”

“Well, I sometimes feel something… funny… when I look at you.”

A part of me assumed it was because Jennifer’s hair was almost the same hair color as Ilyana’s and that occasionally reminded me of her, especially when she let her hair down. They also had that same spunk when they really wanted something done.

Was I mixing my feelings between the real me and the fake me?

Jennifer sighed theatrically. “I knew it. Why the hell would the arbiter do this to us?”

In my mind, I imagined the arbiter smiling down at us in that unnerving way that she does, her big, golden eyes acting like some kind of hypnosis.

“I’m sorry, Jennifer, but I… I already like someone.”

“What the hell, man?” Jennifer practically jumped at me with those words. “You make it sound like I wanted this! I don’t actually care! Wait, like someone? You mean you’re not with someone?”

“N-Not yet!” I stammered. “What about you?”

“I’m single…”

We both sighed in relief.

Then caught ourselves doing it.

“This is going to be a problem, isn’t it?” I said.

Dammit. I really wished she hadn’t brought this up. Now, I’d be more conscious about it for the rest of our mission. And maybe, just maybe, I’d remember some of those memories too.

2

Three days had passed, and Jennifer and I tried our darndest to not look each other straight in the eyes. We still talked, exchanged information, planned our heist, but we chose to be… farther apart than usual.

Allen noticed it, of course, and thought we got into a fight or something.

And so, five more days passed.

Allen swung his axe straight into the gerkin’s mouth. The horned rat with glowing eyes flew backwards, spinning over until it skidded to a stop.

Several other gerkins—about six of the damned things—hissed at us, prowling along the rocky field. They were probably the size of a wild boar back on earth, and I would’ve assumed them as such if not for the rat-like tails they got whipping about.

“It’s just a bit early for them to spread their infestation up here,” Tori explained. “But if we don’t take care of them soon, they’ll multiply faster than you can blink!”

“They don’t happen to spread disease, do they?” I said, readying my blades and summoning my strength.

“Not that I know of,” Tori said. “Why? Do you know something?”

I laughed slightly. “Just a thought,” I said. “I could use the boost.”

Tori casted the usual wind spell, accelerating my moves. “They might not bring any sickness, but they will run out Yorutei’s food supply if we let them be. The monsters always find their way past the lanterns and into people’s houses.”

Now that sounds more like what rats would do.

I dashed into the range of two gerkins and slashed them with my blades in quick succession. Tori shot a third gerkin with lightning, while Allen swung his axe into a fourth.

Allen screamed in a high-pitched voice. One of the gerkins jumped at his back. He swung his axe wildly. “Get it off, get it off! Ryota! Tori!”

I circled around Allen, but then the other remaining gerkin jumped at me in turn.

Whenever my armor hissed with trails of smoke, monsters tend to ignore me or not notice where I am, but that didn’t seem to be a hundred percent certain. If I moved too much or too slow or literally get in their field of view, they’d still see me.

Tori was quick to assist me with a lightning shot at the gerkin’s tail. I followed it up with a quick thrust from my blade.

“Arrrgh!” Allen let out a punch with his free hand and managed to hit the gerkin. It fell backwards, scrambled on its feet, then hissed.

I was quick to strike it with a downward thrust to the back.

I heard two more strikes of lightning behind me—likely for the first two gerkins I attacked—and then the fight was over.

Allen and I breathed heavily as we looked at each other. The medical student still teared up whenever we fought monsters and he remained stationary most of the time, but he definitely improved from the first time we ventured out of town.

I suppose I could say the same for myself. Instead of overthinking what I needed to do, I just acted like I was an action movie hero and my body like my stunt double. For the most part.

There were still times I made a fool of myself. “I didn’t know you were a comedian, Ryota,” Hakan said to me on our second hunt together. “Why flap your swords like a bird? Or is it to summon some secret power we haven’t seen yet?”

I did it because it looked cool! In my head at least…

“I wish there are monsters like these back in our world,” Allen said, to my surprise.

“Really? Why?”

“I think… it gives me a good reason to fight…”

“Huh.”

“I… I mean bad people exist. Soldiers are generally tasked with fighting bad guys… at least that’s how it’s supposed to be. But even then, people are people. Even if they’re bad, I don’t think I could, you know… pull the trigger. Just the thought of hurting another person makes me sick.”

That sounded like it came from a personal experience.

“I get it, man,” I said as I sheathed my weapons. “I probably wouldn’t even be able to lift these swords if we were back home. Fake memories or otherwise.”

“Maybe that’s why… Maybe that’s why fate and the arbiter needed us.” Allen turned to look at Tori who was inspecting the dead carcass of the monsters. “Instead of you know… the highly capable people who already live here.”

Interesting. I haven’t really thought about it that way, but Allen made a very good point. We were detached enough from this world that we could act in ways locals probably wouldn’t. Whatever treasure we’re meant to steal in the Everdark village was probably important enough that people from Yorutei wouldn’t dare touch it. Heck, the guild was trying to strengthen relations with Yunha if anything else. But us otherworlders? Not only were we ignorant, we were operating on the notion that our actions could save the universe. The curse of the Everdark was a messy thing to deal with, but we had the bigger picture. Or at least fate and the arbiter did.

Maybe that was why Eddy’s world was destroyed when he failed.

“Alright, gentlemen, rest is over!” Tori yelled. “We need to hunt at least three more packs before the day ends.”

“Three!?” Allen said.

“Yes, three. Sachi and Hesina’s teams are taking care of other infestations. We already got the fewest monsters to deal with, so move your asses!”

Allen and I both sighed and continued with our hunt.

3

Jen walked past the vibrant marketplace at the western edge of Yorutei. Tons of imported silks and embroideries from western Yves were on display here, catering mainly to the more affluent residents. It wasn’t so much as bustling, as it was sophisticated. People in kimonos and expensive fur coats walked the streets, usually with an attendant or two trailing a few steps behind them.

They’re not exactly kimonos, Jen thought, trying to decipher the local fashion.

The bright, often flower-patterned dresses were long and held together by a ribbon around the stomach, but they were also paired with bulbous pants and jackets cut just below the chest. And the inspiration wasn’t simply Japanese. There were other East Asian, Indian and Eastern European influences on the clothes people wore. And yet none of the locals here ever visited earth or were influenced by them. When Jen asked what they were called the locals simply referred to them as ‘clothes’ or ‘dresses’. She was sure it had a proper name, but certain words simply translated automatically thanks to the arbiter’s magic.

Most words did at least. Yorutei, shinza, or people’s names in general stayed foreign. The name ‘Everdark’ was apparently coined by a larger country to the east that also bordered the cursed forest, and somehow it translated to English. Was there a rule to which words translated and which words didn’t?

There might be a hint there as to the nature of their mission, or what’s truly at stake, but really Jen simply wanted the name of the local clothing so she could give it credit when she took the idea back on earth!

Maybe that’s it, Jen wondered. If I bring back ideas home and call them their proper alien names, it might cause a problem.

But a problem with who? Otherworlders sent to earth?

That wouldn’t happen… would it?

Jen eyed the tower at the end of the street, shaped like a giant paintbrush with glass windows of varying colors. It was roughly eight stories tall, and unlike most buildings in Yorutei, that one didn’t particularly have the traditional Asian-esque rooftiles or magic infused lantern lights.

“That place is called Yan Tak,” Jen whispered under her breath. It wasn’t ‘tower’ or ‘building’ but Yan Tak.

Regardless, it was Jen’s destination for the day, a long overdue investigation she needed to do before they ran out of time.

When Jen entered the building, she immediately noticed how the tinted windows made the interior glow with ethereal colors. The wooden floors in particular looked rainbow-like.

“Welcome,” a voice called out. A short fellow with droopy eyes, brown hair and cat-like ears waved at her from the receptionist desk. “Good afternoon, madam! How might I help you?”

“Hello!” Jen said with a cheerful tone. She walked towards reception, admiring the numerous paintings they have on display. Most of it were variations of the Everdark forest, done in different styles and composition. “Hey, my name is Jennifer. I’m a member of the protectorate guild.”

“Ah.” The receptionist bowed. “It is an honor to make your acquaintance, Master Jennifer.”

“Jennifer’s fine.” Jen raised her bracers. “I’m a Sun Singer mercenary. I only moved to Yorutei more than three weeks ago with my companions, so I’m still pretty new around here.”

“Ah, how wonderful,” the receptionist said, narrowing his eyes ever so slightly at the sight of her glowing gemstones. “I take it you came here to learn about the Yunha?”

“Yes, I did!”

“Lovely, lovely. We do get plenty of visitors this time of year, though many content themselves by looking at Yan Tak from the outside.”

“It is a pretty striking architecture, but I think seeing what’s inside here is far more interesting.” Jennifer looked around at the reception hall. “And I have to say, I’m already impressed.”

“Thank you,” the man said. “It’s inspired by the colors of our village, though we don’t actually get sunlight over there! The windows here are more of an artistic touch.”

Fascinating.

Wait, did he say ‘our village’?

“Are you from Yunha yourself?” Jen asked, feeling her eyes widen.

“Why of course, madam,” the receptionist said with a polite chuckle. “Many of my people reside in this town, and we’re always thankful to the guild for helping cull any beasts that escape the Everdark.”

“I can’t even begin to imagine how your people deal with the fiends inside the forest.”

“A common curiosity from most travelers.” The receptionist nodded. “Our village is protected by special lanterns and skilled warriors trained to deal with the fiends. We have paintings on display on the third floor if you’d like to see them.”

“I do!” Jen said excitedly. “I wish I knew about this place sooner. You’re still open, right? How much do I pay for admission?”

The receptionist laughed softly. “Admission had always been free, madam. Yan Tak is the cultural exchange center between Yorutei and the people of Yunha, but in recent years this side of town developed into a place that mostly catered to the upper class of society. I’m afraid we’ve slowly become… part of the landscape décor, so to speak.”

Unsurprising, Jen thought. But if admission was free, then that meant less money to spend.

The receptionist guided Jen to a set of stairs and bid her a wonderful time. “The name’s Seljin, madam. Feel free to ask me or any of the staff members any question you may have.”

Perfect.

Jen had learned of this place for quite some time now but never found the opportunity to visit. Yorutei was massive. The innkeeper always said it was a matter of time before it was officially considered a city, but political issues with the capital were keeping it from being recognized. One thing Yorutei lacked though was a good means of transportation. There were boats in the eastern side of town but that was it. Even hitching a wagon ride took nearly all day just to get here. She couldn’t for the life of her imagine living in this place.

Jen walked around the second floor of the tower. It showcased paintings of the ancient city of Yunha, both in its time before the curse took over, as well as its current state. Depictions of the past were varied and inconsistent. Some of the structures looked similar to buildings here in Yorutei, while others looked like medieval castles with domed roofs, spiral-shaped buildings, houses with glass walls, or even tree-like towers made of stone. They were obviously artistic renditions based on historical records or parts of ancient ruins, but why were they so different from each other? Maybe Ryota would have a better opinion of it, but that doofus was only too busy playing hero with Allen. Not that it was a bad thing. Jen just wished he spent more time with her too.

Paintings depicting the village in its current state were far more interesting. It looked like a stone castle buried inside a mountain, overgrown by tens of thousands of trees with their roots and branches intersecting. There were a few windows and doorways, clearly marked by lanterns that glowed an iridescent white color. For a place that the sun could not reach, those were probably the only sources of light.

“Let’s see here…” Jen said as she looked at one of the inscriptions. “The province of Yunha was once part of the greater Lusian Empire. When the herald of heaven appeared, singing the song of Esecha, the people of Lusia ascended… leaving behind the land they once knew… taking with them all the treasures of the world… including the gift known as magic.”

That was… a string of words. Jen wasn’t sure she even understood what she read. But first things first, Yunha wasn’t an empire but simply a part of it. Interesting.

“Oh, here we go.” She read another inscription, this one beneath a painting of the Everdark, a dense, dark forest filled with shadowy creatures, eyes glowing crimson.

“Yunha took pity on those who could not ascend. He took one of the twenty gifts and left it for them. But the King, ever wise, saw such treachery. He removed Yunha from the Lusian charter and prevented their passage. In anger, he cursed Yunha with blight and darkness. It was swallowed by the land and the trees so it wouldn’t ascend, never to see the light of the heavens again.”

Jen exhaled loudly. What is up with these people? That was scary as shit. “So that was the origin of the curse, huh? At least the legend of it. I wonder what ascend meant… Were they whisked away by the herald guy?” It sounded almost like an alien abduction. Yeesh. Jen walked around to look at more paintings, but nothing else expanded on the story.

When she reached the third floor, she saw several things that better suited their mission. A map of the village was laid out on a wall. It showed a circular plaza in the middle, a path that led north towards a large open area for rituals and recreation, paths leading northeast and southwest were marked as ‘ to the upper canopies’, directly east and west had paths leading to housing areas, a path northwest led to temporary animal pens, a path southeast led to the garden, and a path directly south led to the administrative area. This was a lot to memorize, but it was practically like an asterisk with a circle in the middle.

I should commit this to memory, Jen thought. I wonder what the upper canopies are… they wouldn’t lead directly above the Everdark would they? Maybe it’s a good place to make our escape.

Seeing the map reignited so many feelings Jen had kept deep inside her. She focused on the administrative area and saw that several houses were indicated, including the place where the village chief lived. She should also make note of each one.

Obviously, there wasn’t anything indicating ‘treasure room’ or anything connected to any gemstone.

Wait a minute.

“Figured it out, Jenny?” a voice said. A memory. Not a fake one the arbiter placed on their heads, but a real one from her past life. She should know. It was her father’s voice. “I know you noticed the treasure mentioned in the legend.”

“Treasure…” Jen whispered under her breath. “What we’re looking for is a treasured gemstone…” She walked around and looked at other things on display. A wooden machine used for knitting, a well-worn spear, a miniature house that looked almost like Yan Tak, full of glass windows. According to the inscription, lantern light was abundant in the village, often with varying colors. Some even provided sustenance to plants. Interesting.

She noticed other tourists, a woman with her child, looking at a sculpture of Yunha guardsmen. They wore leather armor with boots that had spikes underneath, and wielded short spears with hooks. If this thing was painted accurately, their attire was entirely white in color.

“One of the twenty gifts…” she muttered. “From the legend. Yunha took pity on those who didn’t ascend, whatever that meant, and left them the gift.”

“Could that be the gemstone you’re after?” her father said. “Must be real pretty, eh? Just like old times.”

Feeling irritated, Jen shook her head and walked to other parts of the exhibit.

“Come on, Jenny. You know you missed this. It’s why you’ve been snooping around town for the past three weeks.”

“Shut up,” she muttered.

Why of all times, did she think of her father? He was not part of her life anymore. Not for a very long time. So why?

She knew why.

It was precisely the reason ‘fate’ put her in this world to do this mission. It was why, like the voice of her father said, she’d been eager to snoop around the guild and the town for information, instead of running around like Ryota fighting monsters and flirting with foxgirls.

I’m only doing this so we can survive, Jen thought to herself. So I could get my reward and win the lottery like the others. So I could, you know, save the damn universe!

“If you say so.”

Still irritated, Jen came upon a painting of several guardsmen fighting off an Everdark fiend. It was different from the one Ryota and Allen have fought. It wasn’t a leopard with wings, but a spider-like monster with crab claws. She joined Allen on a hunt once, but the beasts outside of Yorutei were nothing compared to this nightmarish creature.

“I should practice using my magic more often,” Jen muttered. “It will definitely come in handy when the time comes.” Then she noticed something. She looked at other paintings, and while some of them had lanterns glowing, there wasn’t a single guardsman who used gemstones. “What did the legend say? The ascended took the world’s treasures… and magic?”

How odd. Did magic not work in the Everdark? That couldn’t be the case, as somebody would’ve mentioned it to her already. And lanterns worked there obviously. They even have special ones that ward off fiends, similar to the protection lanterns around the city.

Very curious.

Gemstones had to exist within the village. They were stealing one after all, something so important it was considered a treasure. Something passed down for generations.

Jen lifted her bracers to look at the gemstones she had. It was a rare set apparently, an heirloom passed down her family line according to her fake backstory.

“Interesting weapon you have there,” a voice said. A real one this time.

Jen almost jumped. She didn’t even sense the presence of the man standing next to her. He was tall and dark haired, with sunken eyes and a gentle expression. He wore a black kimono tucked neatly behind brown trousers and boots.

“I apologize if I startled you,” the man said. “It’s not every day we get gemstone singers visit this place.”

“Oh, um,” Jen looked around her. There were barely any visitors despite what the receptionist said, but maybe—“Oh! Could you be a member of the staff?”

“Something like that. My family runs this place, but I don’t actually work here.”

“That makes you a native of the Yunha village, then!”

“That would be so.”

This was perfect. She was planning to interrogate the receptionist after she was done snooping around this building, but this was even better.

“You like my magic bracers?” Jen asked. “Speaking of, I was curious, actually. None of the guardsmen in these paintings and sculptures seem to use magic. It looks unusual to an outsider like me.”

The man looked at the painting in front of them. “This is true. Magic is important in protecting the village, but its also considered sacred. People who wield them for power are considered… unclean.”

“Unclean?”

“It’s an important part of our culture to not use magic for fighting. There’s a long history why and it involves… very uncouth terms to describe those who try to wield them.”

“Oh…” Jen suddenly felt embarrassed and cautiously hid her bracers behind her back.

The man stared at her for a long time… then laughed. “Apologies, I couldn’t help myself.”

“Huh? Wait, so—”

“What I said was true, but they are all in the distant past! We don’t use magic for fighting, but nobody thinks anybody unclean for it.”

“Aha… haha… I see.” Jen almost thought she wouldn’t be allowed to enter the village. “Your village allows magic users to visit… right?”

“Many do! Again, I apologize for scaring you.”

“No. No, you didn’t.”

“I suppose you’re planning to visit during the festival?”

“I am. Me and my companions have travelled far for it.”

“I see, then perhaps we might meet again when you do.” The man bowed slightly. “Apologies for the late introduction. My name is Kazha-Din Yuna. I am one of the singers who will perform during the ritual ceremony of the festival.”

Oh, Jen thought. I might have actually hit a gold mine here.