Chapter 45: The City of Talen: Books, Merchants, and the Road Ahead

The grasses growing on the vast, open plains begin to lie down, following the direction of the wind.

I stand still, my mouth slightly open, gazing off into the distance, mesmerized by the movement of the wind that sweeps across the land like a wave.

The cool landscape, where the earth meets the sky without obstruction, fills me with a sense of liberation.

Whoosh—!

Nightmare, too, seemed to be feeling something similar, excitedly stomping its feet.

It moved as if driven by a strong desire to dash forward, wanting to feel the wind in its stride.

I, too, felt the urge to run, so I lightly snapped the reins.

“Let’s go!”

Hii-ing!

With a sharp whinny, Nightmare charged forward, its hooves striking the ground as it raced ahead.

There were no obstacles in the way, and there was no need to change direction.

Nightmare galloped faster than ever before.

Thud, thud, thud!

The heavy sound of its hooves quickly faded as we sped forward, and I occasionally caught glimpses of monsters hiding beneath the dense grass, but the encounters lasted only for an instant.

Nightmare dashed past them before they could even react.

As we continued running, a wind began to approach from behind.

The gust of wind seemed to cover a vast area, and the grasses on the ground began to shift.

The blades of grass, which had been lying flat, suddenly turned in unison, forming a green wave that began to follow us.

It felt as though the wind was about to catch us, but Nightmare increased its speed once again, widening the distance between itself and the pursuing wave.

We climbed a small hill, and as we reached the top, a new scene unfolded.

Windmills began to rotate in the breeze, their blades spinning in sync, all turning at the same speed toward the horizon.

“Wow…”

Nightmare didn’t slow down.

It kept running, passing through fields of nameless grasses and entering a vast expanse of farmland.

Plants ripened in the glow of the sunset, their golden grains swaying gently in the wind.

As we passed the farmland, we reached a field of flowers in full bloom.

The chaotic array of colors gave off a natural beauty, even in its disarray.

Beyond the flower fields, a large, imposing stone wall blocked the view.

Atop the wall, a massive windmill could be seen, suggesting a city powered by wind energy beyond it.

“Stop!”

As Nightmare slowed down, I approached the entrance of the city, where guards quickly blocked my path.

Each one drew their weapon, eyeing Nightmare suspiciously.

Given its large size, they must have mistaken it for a monster, a misunderstanding caused by its appearance, typical of the Highlan breed.

I stroked Nightmare’s mane lightly and chuckled.

“I’ve stopped.”

“Uh, um…”

“Is that… it?”

Not advancing any further, I halted, and the guards began whispering among themselves.

Their voices, though muted by the light breeze, still reached my ears clearly.

“Isn’t that a monster?”

“That little girl is riding a monster? That doesn’t make sense. That’s definitely a Highlan breed horse.”

“What’s Highlan?”

“You know, the kind of horse the lord always rides…”

“Oh, that big horse? But this one is even bigger…”

“Isn’t she smaller than me? Horses can be different sizes.”

“Hmm…”

After a long moment of whispering, the guards cleared their throats and returned their weapons to their sides.

Nightmare finally relaxed its tense muscles.

“Ahem… What’s your purpose here?”

“Just here for sightseeing.”

“Do you have any identification from another place?”

In response, I showed them the bronze badge issued by the Karma Empire.

The guard took a close look at it and nodded.

“This is a badge issued in the capital. Your identity checks out, but if you want to work as an adventurer here, you’ll need to get a new rank badge.”

“Can I enter then?”

“Just don’t cause any trouble. You’ll be expelled immediately if you do, especially with that horse…”

So, they were giving me permission to enter.

I nodded and, with Nightmare, proceeded into the city.

As soon as we entered, the first thing that caught my eye was, of course, a large windmill.

I marveled at the view while heading deeper into the city.

The city looked remarkably peaceful.

There was no sign of worry on the faces of the residents, and young boys and girls ran around holding little windmills, playing joyfully.

As I ventured further in, I saw a canal that ran across the heart of the city.

On the large bridge built over it, merchants were setting up stalls to sell goods, targeting tourists and adventurers alike.

Leading Nightmare, I walked toward the bridge.

Clink, clink, clink—

Stalls lined with windmills, small windmill figurines, and other souvenirs representing the town caught my eye, making the experience more enjoyable.

At that moment, a merchant running one of the stalls called out to me.

“Hey, miss.”

“Me?”

The merchant nodded in response to my question. I led Nightmare toward him.

The merchant was wearing a wide-brimmed hat that shielded his face from the sun.

“I haven’t seen a face like yours in Talen. Are you an adventurer?”

“Yes.”

“I thought so. I have something that might be useful to someone like you. How about taking a look?”

He gestured toward his stall. It seemed like he had simply called out to attract customers.

I glanced at the items laid out on his stall as he spoke.

Every time my gaze landed on something, the merchant eagerly began to explain its details.

“As you can see, I have many adventure books for sale.

As an adventurer, you must know how exciting it is to explore the unknown, unravel the mysteries of the world, and go on daring quests.”

“Are these adventure books based on real stories?”

“Of course! What would be the point otherwise? Now, how about this one?”

The merchant nodded enthusiastically, quickly switching topics.

He pointed to an old book at the corner of the stall.

“When dark clouds start to gather in the vast sky, one being comes to mind—a figure draped in lightning, emerging from the stormy skies… Ancient people called it…”

“Thunderbird?”

“Oh, you already know that story? Then how about this one… the story of Kashpa, the evil dragon sleeping in the snowy mountains, said to bring endless winter.”

“Is this the story of a real dragon?”

“Of course! All the books I sell are based on real stories.”

I couldn’t help but laugh softly at his enthusiasm.

It wasn’t a mocking laugh, but one of genuine amusement, and the merchant chuckled along with me.

As our laughter scattered on the breeze, I nodded and reached out my hand.

“That sounds interesting. I’ll take one.”

“A wise choice!”

With a grin, the merchant took the book and began wrapping it in paper.

Then, he started recommending the next one.

“Now, how about this? The tale of the fiery avatar who once set the world ablaze! It’s about Kalvain, whose tracks have vanished with time…”

“Do you have anything else?”

“Hmm, not to your liking? Then how about this one: The story of the elves who fled to the end of the world.

They say they could fly through the sky, using the wind as their companion, their movements almost like that of spirits…”

“One of those, please.”

The merchant, feeling good about making a sale of his old books, continued to smile.

His laughter, though it might have seemed silly at first, appeared genuinely joyful, and I felt a warmth in it.

I tucked the book he handed me into my bag.

The price was 3 silver. While it felt a bit expensive for an old, worn-out book, I was in a good mood, so I paid without haggling.

“Safe travels! Welcome to Talen, and I wish you the best of luck on your adventure!”

As a parting gesture, the merchant gave me a simple windmill made from reeds.

It looked crude, but when the wind blew, it spun with a refreshing sound, much like the city’s grand windmills.

I found a reasonably priced inn and made my way straight to my room.

I had come to read the storybook I had bought earlier.

The innkeeper brought my meal to my room, so I was able to eat while reading.

[To the End of the World, Beyond the Wall of Storms]

That was the title printed on the worn cover of the book.

I took a bite of the soft bread while flipping through the pages.

To the End of the World, Beyond the Wall of Storms

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Elven Culture and Language

1. On the Elven Language, Campra
2. The Spirit that Lives with Them Forever
   Chapter 2: The Great Forest Ablaze
3. The Black Mage Who Made a Pact with Demons
4. The Battle Between Spirits and Demons
5. The Captured Souls of Elves
   Chapter 3: The Wall of Storms
6. Toward the End of the World
7. The Last Refuge of the Elves
8. The Storm Wall that Separated the World
   Chapter 4: The Vanished Elves
9. The Spirits Left Behind
10. The World Tree and Its Seeds
11. The Demon’s Magic Tome

The more I turned the pages, the more the smell of the old book spread around the room.

As time passed and the sun set, the dark night crept in.

I lit a small candle and bowed my head in front of the book.

The first story, as indicated by the table of contents, was about the vanished culture of the Elves and their language, Campra.

This was where I learned the meaning of “Galad.”

1. On the Elven Language, Campra

This knowledge has faded from the collective memory of all.

The long passage of time has carried the elven songs away with the wind, and when the grand Great Forest disappeared, the world began to forget the Elves and their language, Campra.

However, some humans who inherited their knowledge remained, and in this book, they have preserved vital information that must not be forgotten.

The term Galad referred to the elegance and strength of trees and was also a title given to the guardians who protected the Elven race.

Those who carried this name would never leave the World Tree’s side, even in death.

Their souls, worn over time, would slowly fade, losing their identity until they disappeared completely.

Eres, on the other hand, signified the diversity of the wind and the freedom it represented…

The more pages I turned, the sleepier I became.

Reading by the light of a single candle in a small room was tiring, especially for a young girl like me.

I closed the thick book and rubbed my tired eyes.

A deep yawn escaped me, marking the end of the day.

I placed the book on the table and climbed into bed, as I always did—looking forward to tomorrow, ready to sleep.