NOVEL NEXT Chapter 22.1
"Our carriage was stolen," Katarina announced.
Simon looked up at her. He paused mid-chew, about to force down a piece of stale cardboard masquerading as vendor stall meat. Starting to think supporting small businesses isn't worth an unholy war being waged against my taste buds.
The transmigrator took a moment to swallow and set his half-eaten breakfast aside, relishing the distraction – even if it had apparently been at the cost of their carriage. "Stolen?" He'd figured that Katarina hadn't come bearing good tidings, considering how she'd stormed towards his corner of the inn lobby, but still. "When?"
"As we slept this morning," she grumbled. "Just spoke to the man in charge of caravan storage. The very man, I might add, whom we paid daily to prevent this exact scenario from occurring. Didn't stop someone from infiltrating the premises and absconding with what was ours."
"How, though? I've got the Navigation Crystal stored inside my Inventory. The carriage can't travel without it."
"Which means the rogue brought their own Navigation Crystal, installed it into our carriage, then drove away like a bandit in the night."
Katarina adopted a humorless grin. "I did warn you that a truly industrious thief would not be deterred."
Simon fell silent, deciding how to feel about this development. A good chunk of their supplies had been stashed in that caravan – everything they couldn't fit within Inventory. The carriage itself, of course, was also prohibitively expensive. If he and Kat had been a legitimate merchant pair, this disaster could've financially ruined them for the rest of their days.
At the same time, even if they never saw the carriage or its stockpile again...did it honestly matter? They had plenty of supplies left in Inventory. Heck, they'd even managed to loot the bandits' hideout before it completely burnt down, essentially recouping their losses in advance.
However...
"Only one thing to do." Simon clapped his hands on his knees and stood up, an air of purpose about him. "Let's track down the thief."
Katarina lifted an eyebrow. "If you can. They're probably miles to the nearest city by now."
Simon shook his head. "Almost all of our food and rations were stored inside Inventory." He glanced at his unfinished breakfast, contemplated taking it with him, then thought better of it. "Unless the carriage thief brought their own provisions for a long journey, traveling outside the city would be a death sentence. It's more likely that they went to sell it at Caelryn's black markets."
She hesitated. "I suppose."
"You disagree with my reasoning?"
"No. It's just not the response I expected. While I am vexed at losing my first and only carriage, you've told me on numerous occasions that material objects are of little concern to our mission."
"Doesn't mean I'm willing to let people steal my belongings without reprisal."
Katarina frowned. "Are you aiming to Harvest the thief? If you need another target from which to gain EXP, I've got better miscreants in mind than a petty burglar who you might end up finding wholly sympathetic. What if they stole our caravan to...I don't know, feed the empty bellies of their ten starving siblings?"
"Sounds interesting." Simon grinned. "Where's your sense of adventure? Doesn't the prospect of going on a side quest make your heart stir with anticipation?"
"Going on a what?" Katarina narrowed her eyes at him. "You're acting very peculiar today. What's–"
"Kat." He breathed out a deep sigh. "We need a break."
She froze. "As in..."
"A break. A day off. Twenty-four hours where we aren't risking our lives and pushing ourselves to the absolute limit."
Simon put on a tired smile. "Help me look for a simple carriage thief. It'll be a nice change of pace from...everything."
From Armand Calloway, the bandit group, Uriel, and Henry. Simon could tell that the events of the last few days had taken a toll on Katarina. Shades from her past kept popping up to haunt her; little wonder that her emotional bandwidth was running precariously thin.
The effect was only worsened by the noxious aura of dread that permeated Caelryn like a thick fog. No one here could ever feel entirely safe. Proof of that was evident in the dark circles under Kat's eyes. She'd barely slept, and she seemed twitchier by the hour, as if residing in this city was dredging old paranoias up to the surface.
Not that she would ever admit it aloud – which is why it fell to Simon to suggest a brief respite. The time loss was unfortunate, but maintaining the mental upkeep of your teammates was a necessary facet of any long-term alliance.
And while this break was largely for her sake...he could use a day to clear his head as well.
Heroic Valor had seen to that.
Everything was fine before yesterday. Until then, Heroic Valor had been playing ball in Caelryn, giving him EXP where EXP was due, keeping its peanut-gallery comments to a minimum. The Trait approved of how he'd dispensed justice against Armand Calloway and the bandit group.
Yet it just had to specify that he hadn't earned bonus EXP for how he dealt with Henry. To judge the transmigrator – again – merely for addressing a complicated situation in the best way he could.
Should I have let Henry run free? Simon had demanded of Heroic Valor last night. Sent him back onto the streets with innocent blood still dripping from his dagger? Or what, forced a reconciliation between him and the daughter of the man he murdered? You should know that such halfhearted mercy is bound to fail.
[Most likely,] it had replied.
Then what's the goddamn problem?
[That if it wasn't for how his death might affect Kat, you would've instantly written him off. Didn't even want to *consider* alternatives.]
Simon scoffed. Waste of time. I have far more pressing matters to attend to than babysitting a killer's redemption arc.
[So you defaulted to burning him alive. Without hesitation. Gleefully.]
Heroic Valor metaphysical eyes had stared at him sadly. [That's why you'll never understand. The problem isn't the choices you've made, or erring on the darker side of a moral gray – the problem is *you*, Simon. Your mentality. Its coldness. Yes, you've produced results in Valtia. Saved lives, made a difference...]
The Trait averted its gaze, as if it couldn't bear to look any longer. [Yet this cannot last. Your atrophied heart will lead you astray one day. Until you recognize that, the problem will always be y–]
Simon pushed the memory away, his smile growing brittle. "So. Side quest?"
To his surprise, Katarina ended up agreeing almost immediately. She was even more worn down than he'd realized.
--
For a typical resident of Caelryn City, tracking down the carriage thief would've been borderline impossible.
Valtia didn't have camera systems, DNA evidence, fingerprint records, or any of the modern conveniences that aided with detective work. There was just eyewitness testimony – and good luck getting people to open up about what they'd seen without opening your pocketbook first.
Simon rendered all of that irrelevant. Every errant scratch, every suspicious marking was but one 'Identify' away from becoming a clue of vital importance.
Katarina couldn't read his Identify descriptions, so he kept her in the loop by describing his findings in elaborate detail. It was akin to narrating an audiobook...with some creative liberties taken.
Name: Roadside Indentation
Description: A shallow groove in the street of Caelryn City's lower district. Matches your carriage's top-left wheel. Indicates that the thief drove this way.
"We're on the right track," Simon said, gesturing dramatically towards the mark on the road. "Shouldn't be long now. Step-by-step we go, our quarry drawing nearer with each filthy, crime-ridden street that passes by. They think they've escaped us, eluded the hunter's net – but this trap was already sprung the moment they chose us as a target. There's no delaying the inevitable; not when the sins of the past are weighing them down like manacles forged in guilt."
Katarina glanced at the plain, unremarkable indentation. "...That's what Identify said?"
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
"Word for word."
She fought against the smirk playing on her lips. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
"It's my day off. Would be inefficient if I didn't enjoy myself."
Simon tilted his head, motioning for her to follow. "Ideally, I'd like to go stand at the edge of a dangerously-high rooftop, brooding and monologuing about corruption as I gaze down at a wretched, forsaken city...but I'd also like to have all this handled by dinner, so let's not tarry."
Katarina didn't seem to have the faintest idea what he was referring to, but that didn't stop the tension in her posture from receding – if only by a hair. Enthusiasm begets enthusiasm. Soon enough, she was contributing her own bits to Simon's rambling, loudly wondering if the thief would be willing to 'beg forgiveness on his hands and knees'.
It was actually disappointing when their hunt yielded success after just two hours of searching.
As it turned out, their carriage had been pawned to a black market dealer within a sketchy back-alley of Caelryn's lower district. According to the merchant who'd purchased it, a desperate-looking man – roughly in his early thirties – had sold him the caravan at first light. The thief took the offered money and ran, scarcely haggling at all, prioritizing haste over a potentially more lucrative payout.
The merchant also refused to return the carriage to Simon and Katarina. He made a fair argument, stating that he had no proof they were the true owners...and that even if they were, carriages weren't cheap, and he'd paid a hefty sum for his latest piece of inventory. The most he could spare them was a discount.
Simon waived it in favor of more information regarding the thief. While they would need a carriage for when they eventually left Caelryn City, that wasn't happening anytime soon, and money was of no object when he could just shake down bandits for coin.
On that note, a small trio of robbers tried to mug them on their way out of the black markets. Three youths at Estimated Levels 3, 4, and 6.
An encounter barely worth noting – though it was amusing when Katarina interrupted the one-sided beatdown to lecture the youths on choosing proper marks. She sounded genuinely concerned that they would bite off more than they could chew someday.
"Examine your prospective targets carefully," she'd told them, like a teacher scolding unruly students. "If someone appears inattentive, they might simply be a fool...but they also might be so overflowing with mana that you're beneath their notice. I alone could have bested the three of you, and my companion here is stronger still. Were we less tolerant of mistakes, you'd be lying dead on the streets, and none would care to mourn your recklessness."
Sin Scry confirmed that the trio hadn't committed any worse sins than petty thievery, so Simon let them go with bruised pride and a valuable lesson. Kat didn't seem surprised with his decision. She knew him well-enough to infer who he'd consider a valid option for Harvesting.
The merchant's intel greatly quickened the pace of their hunt. Dramatic posturing aside, they really were closing on in the carriage thief. The tiny details analyzed by Identify became more fresh, more recent. They'd catch up to him by noon.
At least, that's what Simon had thought – until an unexpected discovery stopped him cold.
--
Simon's jaw dropped open. Not since the Ravenous Wanderer had he felt this much pure, unfiltered astonishment.
On his first night in Valtia, he'd come across a glowing Sanctuary Tree that probably saved his life. Its comforting yellow radiance warded off Fell creatures, and it had provided shelter from the Red-Eye Hunter before the Beast could inflict a premature end to his journey.
Now, in defiance of any notions of logic, thriving right in the middle of Caelryn City...was a Sanctuary Grove. Hundreds of glowing trees. Thousands. As big as a park, and as dense as a forest.
Even from a distance, their light washed over Simon like a warm hug. Soothing, reassuring, and a panacea to the worries of his soul. Its stark contrast with Caelryn's harsh atmosphere only heightened the effect. If there was any place in the city where a person could feel safe, it was here.
The sight was utterly breathtaking.
Although marginally spoiled by the contingent of soldiers guarding its entrance.
No less than thirty warriors had taken up position in front of the Sanctuary Grove. They sent nasty glares at anyone who inched too close or stared too long – prompting Katarina to drag Simon away before he drew unwanted attention.
"I..." The transmigrator opened and closed his mouth, at a loss for words. "How? Why?"
"Right," Katarina began, assuming her role as Official Exposition Dispenser. "What you've just seen are known as Sanctuary Trees. They ward off Fell–"
"I know what Sanctuary Trees are," Simon croaked. "Saw one before. Slept under it."
Her eyes widened. "Not sure what's stranger," she mumbled. "That you chanced upon a Sanctuary Tree out in the wastelands, or that you weren't affected by it. Heard 'your kind' can't stand them."
Simon paused to calm himself. "So." He exhaled. "Sanctuary Trees are rare."
"Extremely."
"Yet there's a Grove of them in Caelryn City."
"Correct."
He grimaced, sensing an impending explanation that was going to ruin his good vibes. "How?"
"Piers Helmund ordered its creation," Katarina said, with a shrug. "He frequents Caelryn often. After he's done sating his curiosity in the lower districts, the Duke's son apparently likes visiting this Grove of his. Just sits there and takes in the splendor."
"That doesn't answer the question. If Sanctuary Trees struggle to grow in the wild, then how can they flourish in a city?"
The Severed Isles didn't have naturally-occurring rainfall. To sustain a grove this dense and luxuriant, it would require an exorbitant number of Water Artifacts – plus whatever else made the Trees unique. If they were capable of deterring Fell Beasts, then he doubted you could just add some water and sunlight and call it a day.
Katarina looked wistfully at the Grove, her face faintly illuminated by its glow. "With royal support, anything is possible. I'd imagine some of the tithe collected from the Mana Harvesters goes towards preserving this marvel here."
Not towards cultivating Sanctuary Trees out in the wastelands. Not towards setting up at least a couple Trees in each town and village, helping safeguard people from Fell Beasts and Demons.
No. The land's mana went towards funding a personal vacation spot for Duke Helmund's heir apparent.
Then again, even if they had the resources to spread Sanctuary Trees, why bother? Safety grants autonomy. Making individual settlements more secure wouldn't help Piers or the Duke. If rural, isolated villages are in constant danger of Fell threats, they're likely to turn to the royal family in their hour of need.
This way, Duke Helmund consolidates power – and his darling baby boy gets to feel extra special.
Simon took another moment to try and calm himself. I wish I'd learned this tomorrow. It's not like I wasn't already planning to depose the Helmunds. Been working towards that end, making consistent progress.
Or...am I not doing enough? Should I be out hunting monsters for EXP, even now? Is it an unconscionable *waste* if my every waking moment isn't dedicated to gaining Levels and advancing goals?
This was supposed to be my day off.
A nagging itch started crawling on his shoulders, worming its way up–
"You said the carriage thief was close?"
Katarina pulled him further away from the Sanctuary Grove, walking him down a random street. "Let's keep pushing ahead. Wouldn't want to lose track of him."
She grinned. "What was it you mentioned before? 'That vile ne'er-do-well must be shown the error of their ways?' You know, I'd like to have a word with him myself. Could've chosen any carriage in storage to purloin, yet he scampered off with ours! I am owed an apology for his rudeness."
The grin was forced, and so was her attempt at distracting him. Simon still deeply appreciated the effort. He let himself smile as Kat babbled on and on, crowding out his thoughts by filling his ears with nonsense.
Carriage thief today. The rest...tomorrow.