Chapter 2

Yan shot out of the portal several dozen meters above the ground. He screamed, and may even have cried, realizing that one more moment and he would smash into the ground and die.

But at the last second, the ground stopped rushing toward him, and he gently descended onto the green grass. The sun was shining, the sky was blue.

“Devils! I’m never setting foot in a portal again!” Yan cursed, getting onto all fours.

At that same moment, Sovt and the other two knights of the Blue Paths emerged from the portal after him. Unlike Wonderwalk, they landed on their feet rather than on their faces.

“Sorry, buddy, I thought you were familiar with interdimensional travel,” the knight said, offering Yan a hand.

Yan accepted the help and stood up, looking around. They were at the edge of some forest unfamiliar to him, in a world equally unknown. Not far away, a gray road ran off into rocky valleys. Apart from them, there wasn’t a soul around.

“So where are we?” Yan asked, taking a small leather cord from his trouser pocket and tying his hair into a short ponytail at the back of his head.

“The independent world of Tsagat,” Sovt replied, checking some kind of magical device.

His two companions, knights in helmets, nodded in confirmation.

“Got it…” Yan forced a smile. “And your subordinates? What, are they mute?”

“They’re adepts. Adepts are forbidden to speak during assignments.”

“Harsh,” Yan nodded knowingly. “So, you still haven’t told me what we’re doing here. Do you have any leads that this Zolotoros of yours might be hiding in this independent world?”

“Not exactly,” Sovt sighed. “But this independent world is famous for having the largest magical market among several hundred neighboring worlds. In the middle of its capital stands the Triverd Academy, and with it, the towers of the Ahu Library, where thousands of…”

“Stop, stop, stop. Let’s just skip the boring details and the hundreds of scientific terms, all right?” Yan interrupted him. “A world with a school of mages, a huge market, where you can learn practically anything about magic, right? So this Zolotoros of yours learned some secret magic from your world? Is that why he was declared a criminal?”

Sovt looked at the rogue. “Should I tell him the whole truth from the start, or… no? Probably…”

“Buddy, Sovt, either tell me everything as it is, or I simply won’t be able to work properly,” Yan interrupted his thoughts.

The knight looked at his companions again. Once again, they nodded.

“Well then, so be it,” the knight smiled faintly, taking a small step to the side and looking out over the endless grassy fields around them. “The problem is, Yan Wonderwalk, that we have no idea what exactly he did.”

“Huh?” Yan couldn’t believe his ears.

“Yeah, I had the exact same question when I heard the whole story firsthand. There’s a suspicion that he stole something. Or learned something. Or any other kind of ‘something.’ That’s not the point. The point is that he suddenly disappeared. Disappeared after reducing his entire office to ashes. And when mages of that level suddenly vanish for no reason, as if the ground had swallowed them, people always turn to us…” Sovt said, almost sadly. “Yeah… there were times when our order was asked to restore the balance of the universe. And now we’re just hunting hounds being led to the slaughter.”

For some reason, those words made Yan rein in his usual temperament a little.

After all, who if not him knew what it was to dream of the past and grieve over the present he found himself in.

Even if that present was beautiful in its own right.

“Hm, well, in that case, let’s find this Zolotoros of yours,” Yan smirked, stretching in the sunlight. “And ask him personally what exactly he did. And why he burned down his own office. By the way, if even you don’t know what’s going on, why did you call him a criminal back in Degemon’s tavern? Is that right?”

“Lady Illida called him that,” Sovt shrugged. “I’m only following orders. And following my duty.” He slung his helmet behind his back.

“True knights indeed,” Yan replied. “Well then, let’s not waste any time. I take it our path leads to the capital of this world, right?” Yan deliberately glanced at the two silent knights, and just as he expected, they nodded to him in unison.

Funny.

“Exactly,” Sovt said. “South along this road, but it’s a long way. We’ll definitely have to stop in some town or village along the way.”

“I’m always up for that,” Yan smiled. “Especially when someone else is paying.”