Chapter 1: Chapter 1 – The Remote Town

The sky had a crimson tint. The sun was about to hide beneath the horizon. The night was about to fall. A cold breeze bade the sun farewell.

In the main street of the town of Briele, a man was walking down the stone-paved road with a steady gait. He wore a thick brown robe to protect him from the chilly wind. The bottom half of his face was covered as well. He carried a sword wrapped in cloth on his waist. He had a strong built and tall frame which even his robe couldn't conceal.

Walking besides him was a black horse like beast, with a saddle and luggage on its back. It was evidently his mount. The two had been travelling non-stop for quite some time to reach this town.

The man looked at the buildings on the two sides of the street. They had a medieval feel to them, mixed with a few elements of modern design. He was visiting the remote town for official work, but the only thought on his mind at this moment was to indulge in warm food and delicious alcohol to get rid of his built-up fatigue. He asked around for a suitable inn.

During winter season, snowfall caused the only road that connected Briele with the nearest city to be closed. By this time, the worst of the winter had already passed. Still, it would take some time for spring to arrive and the weather was still on the colder side. It wasn't suitable for larger groups to travel yet. The streets appeared deserted, it would be a few days before merchants travel to the town again to trade. Thus the inns of the town didn't have many customers.

Briele itself was located right at the edge of the reigon called the God's Valley or the Divine Valley, and under its mysterious influence, didn't have extreme winters or summers. However, the soil around was not suitable for agriculture.

This didn't mean that it was an impoverished town. Rather, its location ensured that the flow of business was quite abundant. Quite a few products which were in demand in various human settlements originated in the God's Valley.

Thus Briele saw a large footfall of merchants and warriors every year, and had developed itself keeping them in focus. As a town dependent heavily on travelers, there were many inns, budget ones and lavish ones.

The man didn't hesitate to go with a high-end inn. He entered the cozy looking inn and let the staff there know his requirements. As it was the off season, even the best inns didn't charge much as they didn't want to lose any potential customers.

He took his ride to the inn's stable so it could rest up as well. The stable boy looked at the beast mount with admiration and a hint of dread. Even working at a large inn for several years now, he hadn't seen many beasts as imposing as this one. He realized that this customer definitely had deep pockets.

As the stable boy tried to feed it with the best animal feed that the inn had in stock, the beast growled in displeasure. Its aura caused the stable boy to nearly wet himself as he fell to the ground cowering.

“Be a good girl now Anna. Don't scare the poor boy. He doesn't know you are a great predator beast. I'll tell him and let him feed you some delicious meat.” The man coaxed the equine beast. He knew that this troublesome partner of his had a prideful personality and also was a glutton for meat. He threw some sugar-coated words at her and pat her until she was satisfied.

The stable boy realized it was a meat loving beast. He had taken care of some other meat eating mounts a few years ago and wasn't very surprised. Instead he got excited imagining the fee and tip he would be receiving.

The man didn't disappoint him as he gave him a few paper bills and asked him to feed the jet black beast some desolate beast meat. The boy looked at the paper bills in his hands with ecstacy.

Mar credits!!

There was no universal currency in the current era. Most people considered refined iron as a trading benchmark, since it was used in all kinds of manufacturing processes. However, it weighed too much to be convenient for trading. Thus, bartering was a common practice.

Some reigonal bigwigs had their own currencies with different valuations, but merchants were most confident in doing business with Mar credits. This was because they were issued by the Resurgent Army. All powers fully affiliated with the army and several partially affiliated ones used Mar credits as currency too.

The trust in Resurgent Army was due to two reasons - first, the army was reasonably fair in its dealings, and the second, if one day the army falls, there wouldn't be much hope for humanity's survival as well.

Mar credits were not easy to earn. They were available in various denominations and had a high valuation. The bills that the stable boy held barely added upto a single Mar credit, but the amount he would be left with after feeding the mount would survive his family a whole month.

Thus, bills in smaller denominations were needed for day to day transactions. Larger denominations were used in transactions between the army and big spenders like merchants and local powers.

After making sure Anna was settled well, he carried his bag to the room he had rented. It was a large bedroom with a private bathroom. As it was already dark, lanterns were lit to brighten up the room. After taking a hot shower, he changed his outfit. He wore a simple white shirt and dark colored pants. He checked his hair in the mirror, donned a coat and made his way to the inn's restaurant.

…

The kitchen seemed to be cooking some delicious local dishes as was evident from the smell wafting in the restaurant. The man approached a girl in late teenage who has working for the inn.

“Can you help me out miss?”

“...Ah, yes. You can call me Kate. You are the guest who arrived this evening right? How may I help you?”

The girl called Kate had helped him choose a room when he arrived at the inn, but as he had been travel-worn and had his face covered, she couldn't immediately associate the handsome man standing in front of her with the previous him.

Six feet tall, dark hair, square jaw, a deep voice, broad shoulders, neat facial hair, his body seemed to exude masculinity and a youthful aura. He had a polite smile and a clear gaze.

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Kate looked very excited to be of any help to him. Gazing at the customer in front of herself, she understood what the phrase 'created by a master craftsman' meant.

“Are there any seats with a good view available?”

“There are! The seats on first floor balcony have a nice view of the night street. They are also suitable for having dinner and drinking wine. I'll guide you there.”

She led the man to the seating on first floor. Satisfied with the arrangement, he took his seat and ordered some local specialties to eat.

Seeing him order the local specialties, Kate realized, “It's not your first time visiting this town right?”

“I traveled here once a few years ago as well.”

“I knew it! In that case, you must know of our famous fruit wine right? I recommend you to have a serving of it with these dishes. The fruits picked each year differ slightly. As a result, the wine is unique each year. What remains same is that since its made from fruits that grow in the Divine Valley, it is very beneficial for the body when taken in small quantities.

Normal people can't drink a lot of it but Warriors can get more benefits by consuming it in larger amounts regularly over a long time. The benefits exponentially decrease over time though as body develops increased resistance each time. The wine will go well with the desolate beast meat dishes you have ordered.”

'Hmm... Briele's fruit wine might not be very beneficial to me, but it is said to have an exquisite taste. And we're talking about authentic Briele's wine. The wine they serve in the town is different from the one they sell to merchants in larger quantities. Those merchants often mix it with cheaper alcohol as well. I missed out on it the last time I visited, it would be a shame to not try it out.'

The best of Briele's fruit wine was produced comparatively in a lower quantity. It was not sold to merchants in bulk but only served at various installments in smaller amounts. This was done to promote tourism to the town.

He took out a paper bill and handed it to the peppy girl, “Very well I'll take your recommendation, but make sure you get me the best stock available.”

“Sure, you can count on me!”

After saying so, Kate hurried to the kitchen to get the dishes and alcohol ready. The man took in the scene of town from the balcony. His mind was full of thoughts about the town of Briele and their wine.

'Sure enough, finding ways to earn money is what humans are best at. Right next to God's valley on one side, and on the other side, the threat of mutant beasts. Well, the mutant beasts are quite far from here. Still, who would expect this place to be so peaceful. Is this what peace at the centre of storm is?'

The God's Valley was a forbidden land lurking with ancient horrors. Still, the reigon's special characteristics made its vicinity a "safe zone".

The man turned his face towards the sky. The night had fallen. The night sky was clear of clouds and was dotted with stars. Accompanying the stars were 2 "moons". One was white and the other blue.

The man glanced at the white moon first and then fixed his gaze on the blue one. The white one appeared crescent shaped, while the blue one was a full circle. As he looked at the latter, his body experienced a soothing sensation. A few breaths later, the soothing sensation was replaced by a chill, as if his body temperature had fallen a few degrees.

He wasn't alone in feeling so. Every creature in this world would feel the same when they looked at the blue moon. Although it didn’t cause harm to one's body, the discomfort it caused was not something you get used to.

'Transcending Mortality and Attaining Divinity. Leaving an eternal mark on the origin of world. Even in death, influencing the material world.'

'The New Moon Raus, I wonder what is your story?'

While the man let his thoughts wander, a little commotion was occurring on the ground floor of the restaurant, which was moving towards the first floor. That was when, a middle aged man followed by a few soldiers approached the table where he was seated.

The middle aged man leading them was wearing clothes that were superior to the ones that the regular people of the town wore in appearance as well as material. It could be inferred that he came from a position of power.

However, his current demeanor lacked any arrogance. He stopped at an appropriate distance and raised his right fist to his chest as did the soldiers following him. Together they greeted the man gazing at the night sky...

““Welcome to Briele, Commander Leo!””

 

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