At the tail end of the serene autumn, time continued its relentless march, ushering in winter.
The skies over Ves-Dinas were shrouded in ashen clouds, and the chilly autumn breeze had transformed into a wind laced with the crisp bite of winter. The reddish leaves had nearly all fallen, so wherever one walked around the city, the crunch of dry foliage and its scent filled the air.
The high stone walls of Ves-Dinas provided some shelter from the early winter's cold gusts, yet they offered no protection to the soldiers standing guard atop them, who huddled against the wind.
Throughout the streets, people bundled in thick cloaks and hats bustled about in preparation for the deepening chill, their footsteps mingling with the sounds of wandering merchants hawking winter garments and firewood, all accompanied by the rustle of fallen leaves.
Inside a small tavern, the aroma of pumpkin and potato soup simmering over a wood-burning stove wafted through the alleyways, while at a street corner, a mage from a group of adventurers fresh from a quest conjured a small flame to warm frost-nipped hands.
Before the city gates, white breaths puffed into the air as merchants and carriage drivers chatted in line, bustling with activity, while incoming wagons underwent inspections.
At the harbor, where ships of various shapes lay anchored, sailors on merchant vessels loaded with the last of autumn's harvest hurried about, preparing to set sail for the Cobalt Archipelago.
On the docks, fishermen mended nets while sheltering from the cold, and a breeze carried a mingled scent of exotic spices and fruits.
The harbor waves rippled under the winter wind, hinting at an approaching blizzard from the distant sea.
Amid the crowded gathering spots, elegant elves with pointed ears and translucent skin disembarked from a newly arrived ship.
The lighthouse had already begun to shine its light, and white-feathered seagulls braved the rough winds over the sea, descending from the sky to warm themselves in patches where sunlight occasionally pierced through the dark clouds.
*****
In the forest near Ves-Dinas, the trees had shed all their leaves, exposing bare branches ready to face the winter's icy blasts.
The forest air was colder than that of the city or fields, stinging the nose with every breath.
"Ugh... ugh... Face stings dar."
"The magic regenerated it, but the scarred area will sting for a while."
Nia, wrapped in thick fur clothing and a winter hood, walked along while cupping both hands over the mouth.
"Ixtarn isn't this cold, right?"
Gravel, walking beside Nia, lowered the head to look at Nia and spoke.
Rewinding time a few days earlier, an urgent messenger's voice echoed through the hall of the Ves-Dinas Adventurers' Guild.
The message alerted the adventurers that a large goblin horde had occupied the path through the Ghost Spider Forest, urging them to depart immediately and exterminate the goblins. Gravel and Nia accepted the quest and headed east from Ves-Dinas.
The guild receptionist informed Gravel and Nia that even now, small groups of goblins continued to swarm in, swelling their numbers, and that other adventurers would follow soon, so they should join forces to handle the goblin extermination. Gravel and Nia hurried out of Ves-Dinas.
Upon arriving at a small village near the Ghost Spider Forest, Gravel and Nia saw numerous wagons stationed throughout the village and the grim faces of merchants stranded by the goblin horde.
One merchant lamented that the detour around the forest had turned to mud from recent heavy rains, and it wouldn't be passable for wagons until deeper winter hardened the ground.
There were also adventurers escorting the wagons. When Gravel arrived and inquired about the situation, they shook their heads, saying the goblin numbers far exceeded the guild's reports, and adding just two more wouldn't suffice to handle them.
Despite the adventurers' warnings, Nia and Gravel proceeded into the Ghost Spider Forest.
And then they encountered the goblin horde. Even from afar, Nia's ears caught the goblins' cackling laughter.
"Karka doesn't need to step in."
Nia spoke while showing Gravel a gaze filled with determination, then stepped forward.
At those words from Nia, Gravel—who had been curious about the results of the training with Iris—nodded and stopped in place, watching Nia's back as the figure advanced.
Nia walked alone toward the goblins. A few goblins spotted the approaching Nia, but deeming the small Droko unworthy of concern, they soon turned away, engrossed in rummaging through pilfered bundles from passing merchants.
Nia first drew a pouch of smoke-emitting powder from the belt and tied it securely to a torch. As the distance closed, the goblins drew weapons and glared at the approaching small Droko.
At the right range, Nia hurled the torch into the midst of the goblin horde, where thick gray smoke began to billow. Unlike an ordinary torch, it trailed massive plumes of smoke, and upon landing, the pouch erupted into even denser clouds, obscuring vision.
The goblins panicked in the sudden smoke, shouting and milling about in place. Nia seized the moment and charged forward in an instant.
Nia gripped the two-handed sword '180 Gold Coins' and plunged into the smoke, swiftly slashing through the goblins. The thick smoke settled heavily on the ground, still blinding the goblins, while Nia darted nimbly within it, exploiting their vulnerabilities and cutting them down.
From within the smoke came only the screams of goblins felled by Nia's blade and the dull thuds of bodies hitting the ground.
But hiding in the smoke was short-lived; a wind began to disperse the blanket of fog.
The goblins yelled, swinging crude axes and rusty swords with squinted eyes as they searched for Nia. When they finally spotted the figure, it was a red-scaled Droko crouched low, twisting the body with the tail to swing the sword, grinning at them.
A continuous spinning assault. Nia's '180 Gold Coins' sliced through the goblins' waists, sweeping away those around.
And as the lingering smoke fully cleared, they saw that many goblins had already fallen to Nia's strikes.
Terror spread rapidly among the goblins. Shrieking in fear, they found their weapons heavy and cumbersome, tossing them aside and fleeing.
The goblins bolted solely to preserve their own lives, heedless of comrades. Toward those fleeing goblins, Nia focused the mind to manifest a red magic circle.
Like the legacy of the great red dragon Katadar, a red magic circle gleamed before Nia's mouth.
"Ignis Globus Grandis!!!"
With the incantation, a massive orb of flame launched toward the escaping goblins.
The fleeing goblins were engulfed by the fireball and collapsed, and Nia also fell to the ground, clutching the face.
Gravel had taught the fire spell, and Nia cast it with confidence, but the magic circle's position was ill-chosen. Moreover, the fireball's size exceeded Nia's expectations, scorching the face and neck with its heat.
Seeing this, Gravel rushed over and cast healing magic on Nia. Then, Nia and Gravel returned to the village to report that the goblins blocking the forest path had been cleared.
Expressing gratitude, the merchants said they must hurry to save time, then drove their wagons toward the Ghost Spider Forest.
One of the brothers running the village tavern approached, offering a large jar of Faroum as a gift, claiming it contained a secret seasoning perfected over years, but Nia vehemently refused in disgust, and Gravel gently declined as well, explaining that as guild-commissioned adventurers, they couldn't accept additional rewards. Afterward, the two set out to return to Ves-Dinas.
"So... firing fire magic from the mouth is too much..."
"Keee... Still want to use it."
Nia spoke, showing Gravel an unwavering, sparkling gaze of solid resolve.
"Hmm... Let's find a way to protect the face from the fire's heat when casting magic from the mouth."
"Got it."
Thus, carrying the new challenge of Nia's unique spell-casting method, the two headed back to Ves-Dinas.
*****
The library of Ves-Dinas. In the early morning hours, after a night spent sharing the warmth of feathers, the chirping of birds broke the quiet dawn.
As had become routine, Gravel pushed open the massive doors of Ves-Dinas library.
Despite their immense size and thickness, the doors swung open smoothly with little effort, greeting the face with the dry early winter air mingled with the scent of books.
The spacious hall Gravel entered featured high ceilings and endless rows of stacked bookshelves.
"Ah, Gravel! You're early again today."
The librarian at the entrance smiled in greeting. As always, the arms held books freshly dusted.
"Hello, Maia. The weather's turned quite cold."
Gravel replied with a warm smile while removing the hood.
After exchanging greetings with Librarian Maia, Gravel walked toward the inner sections of the library. Various librarians bustled about in different areas. Some waved in greeting upon catching Gravel's eye.
"Good morning, Gravel."
A familiar voice approached with a greeting.
"Hello, Leah. Everyone seems especially busy today?" Gravel asked.
"Around this time, book preservation work is in full swing. Would you like to see it, if you're interested?"
Following Head Librarian Leah's guidance, Gravel headed to a workshop set up in the library's depths. There, librarians were engaged in book conservation. One librarian carefully applied a transparent liquid to the covers and spines of books with a small brush.
"This oil is from the fruit of the Doop tree. It softens the leather covers and prevents cracking."
Leah explained to Gravel while examining a few books the librarian had just finished.
Another librarian used a flat metal tool to gently press thick volumes.
"In winter, the dry air increases the risk of old books' spines cracking. So, we apply Doop tree fruit oil and press them like this to maintain their shape."
"All this work is to protect the knowledge stored in the library."
Gravel said in admiration, observing the librarians' meticulous efforts.
"That's right. The knowledge here is precious. We librarians strive to preserve it eternally in this library, if possible."
After the brief tour of the librarians' preservation workshop, Gravel walked toward the records archive in a corner of the library's second floor.