The Apothecary’s Resolve

Having bid farewell to the knight, Anto soon found himself within the city, Lindes still bustling with the clamor of its inhabitants. He swiftly made his way to the marketplace:

“Torien.”

He paused before a farmer. The man looked up at him.

“Isn’t this Little Anto? What brings you here? Looking to buy some lambs at the market? I’ll give you a good price.”

“I want to sell my flock,” said Anto, quite naturally. Torien was taken aback. He then spoke:

“Didn’t you say that once the roads were connected and trade routes established, the price of sheep would soar, allowing you to make a fortune? And your flock is excellent, practically the finest in the entire borderland. Good heavens, I tried to buy from you before, but you wouldn’t even give me the time of day. What’s wrong now? Did something happen? Do you need help?”

“Nothing,” Anto replied with a smile. “I’m just preparing for a long journey. I plan to venture south.”

“Heading south, are you? Well, it makes sense. There aren’t many opportunities in these northern border cities; young people always need to go out and see the world.” Torien finished with a sigh, then looked at him.

“What price are you looking for?”

“Four border silver per head. As you said yourself, these are the finest lambs in the borderland.” Anto gestured. Torien chuckled.

“Four silver is a bit high for this border region. How about this: three and a half silver per head, and I’ll take twenty of them. What do you say?”

“So, seventy silver for three years of my hard work?” Anto tilted his head. Torien replied, “After all, you only spent about twenty silver in total when you brought those lambs in. Now I’m offering three times that amount.”

“But prices have changed. Back then, twenty border silver could buy two church gold, but now, converted to continental currency, it’s only one and a half gold.”

“Alright, how about eighty silver? And your sheep pen, since you won’t be using it, give it to me; consider it part of the deal. The borderland truly isn’t a good place; let me at least leave you with a good memory as you depart.”

“Thank you then. That’s sixty continental silver, or six gold.” Torien handed six gold coins to Anto, who took them. Three years of diligent shepherding had earned him six gold coins—a sum that still evoked a sense of helplessness, yet it was an unavoidable reality. With this money, he resolved to acquire his travel gear in Lindes, then hand the books over to the impoverished priest before his departure. Lost in these thoughts, he walked to the side, pulling his small cart, and made his way, step by step, towards the dilapidated church in Lindes. As he approached, he seemed to hear some commotion ahead.

****

“Have you heard?”

“Yes, yes, it seems there was a big battle by the watchtower yesterday. Something seemed to have slipped through last night; I heard screams.”

“Oh, no, surely not! Could those dark creatures invade the city?”

“Don’t be afraid. We have the City Guard protecting us; there’s no need to worry about that.”

The crowd chattered amongst themselves, while he continued towards the dilapidated district, an area that comprised the city’s slums.

“Please, good sirs, have mercy! Please, save my child!”

Along this stretch of road, people of all kinds always lay sprawled. Homeless, they wandered the crumbling streets. Today, however, even more people filled the road, and a commotion was brewing ahead.

“What’s happening?” Anto approached. Upon seeing Anto, the people’s eyes and voices changed.

“Apothecary Anto! You’ve come at just the right time! Quickly, help us stop these guards!”

“What exactly is going on?”

“The city… something that shouldn’t be there has appeared beneath the city!” the young boy from before spoke up. “We saw it with our own eyes; creatures are pouring out of the sewers… The guards don’t believe us, but they really are down there!”

“Don’t block the way! We have more city defense duties to attend to!” The guards here were clearly growing impatient. Anto, at this moment, walked through the crowd and approached the guards, saying, “Sirs, you really should thoroughly inspect the sewers. These people aren’t coming out without reason.”

“And who are you?” The guard looked at the person with the handsome features before him, momentarily unable to discern their gender. Anto replied, “I am an apothecary from the village. If you force them back into the sewers now, you’re sending them to their deaths.”

“That… that’s none of your business! All city security forces have already been deployed to the main districts. As for the rest, let the Council’s adventurers handle it.”

“Are those adventurers even here now?”

“They… they’re all busy,” the guard stammered, Anto’s gaze fixed on him. “If, at a time like this, you’re unwilling to go down and do your duty, who do you expect to eliminate the hidden dangers for you? These defenseless women and children? Is this how you fulfill your oath to protect this city?”

“I… this is none of your concern! So what if we can’t do this? We can only rely on adventurers! Are we supposed to trust a priest?” the head guard roared. “If you have such a strong sense of justice, then go down there yourself, just like that fellow!”

“A priest… a priest went down?” Anto was momentarily stunned. He looked at the man before him and repeated himself.

“Did the priest… did he go down?”

“We couldn’t stop him,” the guard said. Anto gritted his teeth. Then he took a deep breath and turned to walk in the opposite direction.

“Hmph, I thought he was someone special, but it turns out he’s just…” the guard muttered. Just as he was about to leave, Anto blocked his path. Anto wore simple clothes, yet he showed no intention of backing down before the armored guard.

“What… what do you want?” The guard was stunned. Anto, the youth before him, had eyes filled only with determination.

“Do what you’re supposed to do. Since you know there’s danger down there, you absolutely cannot let those threats spread out from the sewers. Have your men gather more people and establish a defensive line here.”

“What good will that do? We alone can’t stop those things!”

“If you won’t stop them just because you think you can’t, then what are your armor and the sword at your hip for?” At this moment, the guard was rendered speechless by Anto. “Your oath compels you to protect everyone in this city, not to rely on those ‘adventurers’ who would abandon the city’s safety for a single objective.” Anto said, moving to the other side. He could sense an unusual aura emanating from the sewers, though it wasn’t particularly strong. The city itself hadn’t taken any significant measures because of it. Yet, such a hidden danger could ultimately escalate into the most tragic of events. As he sensed the aura, he also perceived a faint light, still persistent within the darkness.

“Father, hold on. I’m coming.”