Minutes later, Xavier and Stephan had finished eating their breakfast. Their manners slipped here and there while feasting; however, the Duke didn't seem to mind that much.
"Thank you for the meal!" Xavier and Stephan exclaimed in unison.
A hearty laugh escaped the Duke, "It's my pleasure, young ones, truly."
Gerald, the elderly butler, came back into the office and took the dirty dishes. He returned them to their original places on the cart and left swiftly.
"Allow us to discuss a few topics now, shall we?"
Both Xavier's and Stephan's expressions turned serious. Their posture immediately straightened, their backs stiff against the sofa.
"So, Gojo, I take it your story is the same as young Xavier's?"
"Yes, sir. We both woke up at a cliff edge on the outskirts of a mysterious forest with no recollection of how we got there. We also have no recollection of any events in our lives before waking up yesterday."
"If I may add..." Xavier spoke up soon after Stephan ended his statement.
"Of course, Xavier, go ahead."
"We were accompanied by a third person... He was around the same height as Stephan, with short black hair, brown eyes, and an outfit nearly identical to ours."
The Duke's eyes widened slightly. He stood up and walked over to his desk, grabbing glasses and bringing them to his eyes. He picked up a sheet of paper and inspected it closely.
"You two stay put. I believe my guards apprehended your companion early this morning, just outside the manor."
The Duke swiftly exited the office once more, leaving a housemaid to watch over the two young boys, making sure they caused no trouble.
Suddenly, a thought struck Xavier.
He muttered quietly, "System, open."
Stephan caught his words and tilted his head, peeking over Xavier's shoulder to see what he was doing inside the G.U.I.D.E system. Upon its opening, Xavier was instantaneously greeted with a notification pop-up.
[Beginner Quest, "Lost Travler," complete! Map feature unlocked. Loading Map feature now...]
Between two and three minutes later, the notification pop-up was replaced by a large, expansive map labeled "Ventus Plateau." Initially, Xavier thought that they were situated within the northern area of the region, at the Duke's Palace. But, as he examined the map further, he came across a landmark called the Duke's Manor in the southern region.
He quickly dismissed these thoughts due to an eye-catching feature within the province. There were floating islands scattered about, with a massive city called Trisque situated on one of the islands in the northeastern sector.
Glancing back at the area of the manor, he noticed directly below it was a large body of water. The Lake of the Wind Spirit. It had a very thin river bridging it from the ocean to and back.
East of the manor were the Grasslands of Uadas and the Steepening Hills. Beyond these were the Forgotten Coast and a titan of a magical forest, the Eldervale. Recalling a detail from earlier, the Duke had mentioned that the butler had found himself and Stephan in a place called the Eldervale. This allowed Xavier to finally deduce that they were currently in the southern region of the massive plateau.
Just east of the Eldervale were the Jade Palace, Dragonic Territory, and the Dragon's Watch.
His eyes moved back to the Eldervale and then north, landing on a massive grassy expanse called the Field of Serpents. East of the field was a place called the Warrior School, and west of the field was a large town going by the name of Mesios.
After Xavier finished studying the area south of the massive Ventus River, before he could continue to the north of it, the Duke returned to the office, Bruce standing by his side. There was also a guard clad in iron armor standing behind the arriving two. Xavier's and Stephan's eyes slightly widened. The Duke broke the silence.
"I can assume by your reaction that this is your friend."
The guard cleared his throat, "Duke, sir, are you sure that we should not apprehend all three of them? Their story is suspicious."
"I'm sure. Something tells me these boys are telling the truth. Mostly, at least. But everyone has their fair share of secrets, do they not? I have a feeling the secrets they are keeping will not harm my region, my people, or myself directly. In fact, I believe their secrets may benefit us in the future." The Duke smiled at the three boys, and the guard nodded and walked away.
The Duke lightly touched Bruce on the back, insisting he sit with his friends. Bruce anxiously waddled over and sat down to the right of Xavier. The three boys were now reunited here in the Duke's manor.
"Well, now that I've helped you three greatly, would you mind if I asked a favor from your trio?"
The boys looked at each other before looking back at the Duke. Xavier took a slight deep breath before a small smile came to his face.
"We'd be honored to accept your request, Duke Windstrom."
"Aha! Lovely. I'm delighted that you are keen on returning the favor."
When the Duke spoke these words, a dark shiver ran down the spines of the trio. Even with the kind, gentle smile on the Duke's face, the underlying tone those words carried was horrifying.
"It's a simple job, really. You see, one of my largest businesses is within the lumber trade. Because I own the Eldervale out to the west, I often sell the special wood that grows there. North of here, there is a town called Mesios. I would like you three to make an elderwood delivery for me."
Xavier's eyes slightly shifted back down to his system map. He had forgotten to close it when the Duke returned. He followed the north road from the manor, and the first landmark on the road was the town of Mesios that the Duke spoke of.
"The man you will be delivering the wood to lives just across the street from the town's blacksmith. When you get there, you can ask any townsfolk for directions. Xavier, Gojo, you should return to your rooms and dress yourself in proper clothing for the journey. Young Roswelle, I see that you are still equipped properly in the clothing department."
The three boys nodded and stood up, preparing to leave the room. Right when they were at the exit to the office...
"Ah! It almost slipped my mind. Silly me, silly me. Before you three leave, I have a few gifts that I would like to present you..."