The giant gates of Orario loomed like a fortress. The grayish-white walls appeared impenetrable, surrounding the labyrinth city with absolute arrogance. In its center, the Tower of Babel pierced the evening sky, casting a giant shadow that sheltered the cobblestone streets packed with the hustle and bustle of humans, demi-humans, and the creaking wheels of cargo carts.
Passing through the Guild checkpoint at the entrance gate was a mentally testing experience for the group of newcomers.
Hedin Selland stood with perfectly upright posture on the edge of the main road. His thin-rimmed glasses reflected the twilight glow. His neatly styled straight golden hair did not waver in the slightest against the wind of the crowd. With the elegance of an aristocrat, the magic wand in his hand occasionally tapped the stone floor, indicating his impatience.
Behind him, Hogni Ragnar, the former King of the Dark Elves, walked hunched over with his body trembling slightly. His messy silver hair was used to cover part of his face. His pair of green eyes darted nervously, avoiding eye contact with anyone.
"T-too many people..." muttered Hogni, clutching the edge of his own sleeve. "I'm not used to this crowd. Their stares... it feels like thousands of needles piercing my skin. Can we take a quieter path?"
"Straighten your back, Hogni," reprimanded Hedin sharply without turning his head. "You are making us look like lost vagrants. Remember a little of your pride, even if you have thrown away your crown."
"I-I'm sorry!" Hogni immediately froze, though his shoulders remained tense.
Meanwhile, the two elf girls on the other side of the group looked overwhelmed seeing the sight unfolding before them. Although on their journey here they had stopped at several villages and port cities, the grandeur of Orario felt entirely in a different dimension.
Vena, the Dark Elf, widened her red eyes staring at the giant white pillar in the center of the city.
"Sis Dina, look at that tower!" exclaimed Vena, her tone filled with awe. "The scale of this city is truly nonsensical. And look, there are so many races here trading peacefully. Those elephant-masked guards seem to patrol and maintain order very strictly."
However, Vena's wild instincts slowly caught a dissonance. She narrowed her eyes. "But... something is strange. Behind this peace on the surface, pay attention to the gazes of some adventurers in the corners of the streets. Their hands never leave the hilts of their weapons, as if wary of an invisible enemy in the shadows."
Dina nodded slowly. Her green eyes radiated awe at the buildings around her, but her arms were slightly crossed. "This truly is the center of the world, Vena. The peace of this city does seem to be tightly controlled on the surface. But you are right... there is a tension neatly hidden behind this hustle and bustle. As if this city is holding its breath from a threat moving underground."
"A sharp observation," praised Hedin faintly, adjusting his glasses and glancing at the two of them. "The peace of this city might be strictly guarded on the surface, but there are clearly dark Evilus factions creeping beneath it. Although we destroyed the fleet that attacked our homeland, criminal groups like that surely have nests in a city this big. Our main goal is to find Lord Barbatos's headquarters as quickly as possible, before we get dragged into a shadow conflict that is none of our business."
However, before Hedin had a chance to ask directions from a street guard, Dina raised her right hand. The Anemo-Calyx emitted a warm emerald-green glow, pulsing in rhythm with her heartbeat.
Suddenly, a cool gust of wind swirled around Dina's feet, sweeping the street dust, then gently darted toward a path leading to the western sector. The wind did not blow following the laws of nature; the wind felt alive, guiding them in a certain direction.
Hedin narrowed his coral eyes behind his glasses. His logic as a mage told him that manipulating natural elements with this kind of precision usually required the use of massive Mind and the recitation of complex magic formulas. However, this guiding wind formed without any magic whatsoever. This was purely the will of the element itself.
"Direct guidance without traces of Arcanum or magic," murmured Hedin softly, his tone implying an admiration he hid well. He gripped his magic wand tighter. "Very well. Lead the way, Dina."
Guided by the mystical wind, the four elves stepped through the crowds of Orario. They left the noisy main road, entering the Mid-Western Sector where the streets were narrower and the atmosphere was much quieter. The buildings in this area looked older, with fading paint and stone walls overgrown with moss.
Along the way, Dina and Vena whispered to each other again, their curiosity about the true form of the god who saved them peaking.
"Considering this wind feels so warm and protective, I don't think Lord Barbatos is a scary, fierce figure," whispered Dina, letting the cool wind blow the ends of her blonde hair.
"But don't forget his terrifying intellect, Sis," replied Vena, her red eyes flashing with anticipation. "He is a god who can outsmart the world system. I bet He is a majestic figure. Perhaps a tall, large man who radiates absolute charm, with an elegant cloak and a sharp, calculating gaze!"
Hogni, hearing that, swallowed hard, his imagination running wild again. "A-a thinker from the darkness who stares at us down to the bottom of our souls..."
Their steps finally halted at the end of a quiet cobblestone street. The guiding wind that brought them slowly faded, melting back into the open air right in front of an old, rusty iron gate.
The four elves fell silent, staring at the sight before them.
Previously, when Lord Barbatos's light form spoke to them on that night of liberation, the entity had mentioned that his current headquarters was merely "an abandoned church".
Before them indeed stood an old church building and its stone walls were covered by vines. However, in the vast empty lot right behind the church, a massive construction project was underway.
While they were still transfixed, the strains of music slowly filled the air. The sound of lyre plucking that was very clear, melodious, and full of the melody of freedom wafted from the direction of a woodpile near a tent.
Sitting cross-legged on top of a large wooden crate, was a petite young man. He wore a white top with a green corset, a short leaf-colored cape, and knee-length shorts. His dark hair, tied in twin braids, emitted an emerald-green glow at the tips. The young man closed his eyes, plucking a wooden lyre named Der Frühling in his hands with a cheerful smile, while a half-empty bottle of red wine lay beside him.
Birds gathered around him, whistling along to the bard's melody.
The last note was plucked. The young man opened his eyes—a pair of brilliant green eyes clearer than any jewel. He turned toward the gate, saw the four elves standing petrified, then waved his hand cheerfully.
He jumped down from the crate, jogging toward them with steps as light as a feather, not at all radiating the oppressive Divine Aura or aura of domination that Vena had imagined all this time.
"Oh! The wind told me that guests from afar had arrived, but I didn't expect you to get here this fast!" greeted the young man cheerfully, his laugh sounding like bells. "Welcome to the Barbatos Familia headquarters! Well, at least its project area for now."
Absolute silence enveloped the four elves.
Vena tilted her head, her eyes blinking repeatedly. "Wait... The god who outsmarted the world system and made the god in the Far East be sent back to Tenkai... is this teenage boy who looks like a bard and likes to drink wine?!"
However, before Vena could speak further, Dina suddenly stepped forward. Her green eyes welled with tears. She felt an absolute resonance from the Anemo-Calyx in her hand with the existence of the young man before her. The cool wind surrounding Venti felt exactly the same as the warm wind that shattered her steel chains on that night of despair.
Dina dropped to both her knees on the rocky ground. Tears of gratitude flowed down her cheeks, wetting her face which was now full of peace.
"This wind... this warmth," sobbed Dina softly, bowing her head deeply to touch the ground. "You truly saved us from hell that night. Thank you... thank you so much, Lord Barbatos."
Seeing her sister crying full of respect, Vena instantly snapped out of it. She swallowed all her doubts, immediately joining to kneel beside Dina, bowing her head reverently. Majesty does not always radiate a conquering aura that oppresses the soul; sometimes it comes in the form of a cool breeze bringing freedom.
Hedin Selland stood frozen. He stared intently at Venti, trying to use his fighter instincts to feel the pressure from the young man. However, when he looked into Venti's green eyes, Hedin did not feel a suffocating Divine Aura.
He felt a peaceful emptiness. A sky that was boundless, bottomless, and edgeless. That absolute emptiness somehow felt far more beyond reason.
A drop of cold sweat ran down Hedin's temple. With a very elegant movement, he knelt on one knee, resting his magic wand on the ground. The terrified Hogni immediately followed suit, kneeling tremblingly beside Hedin.
"I am Hedin Selland," said Hedin, his voice filled with absolute devotion. "We came across the ocean. We beg, allow our swords and magic to become wings for your will."
Venti smiled gently. His cheerful smile earlier turned into a curve radiating thousands of years of wisdom. He stepped forward, holding out both his hands casually to signal for them to rise.
"Ahahaha! Did my wisp form back then look so scary to you that you're this stiff?" Venti laughed freely, placing a hand on his hip. "I told you, I am a peace-loving bard! First rule here: no one needs to kneel to me. Just call me Venti."
Venti turned around, pointing toward the church and the busy workers across the yard.
"That church is indeed going to be totally renovated," explained Venti, stepping to guide them toward a giant camping tent. "I have drawn and given my own architectural blueprints to the Goibniu Familia, and they are now working on what will become our headquarters. So for the time being, we will all stay in this camping tent. Come on in, it's spacious enough inside to accommodate all of you, really!"
The four elves followed Venti's steps into the tent. Unlike its simple-looking exterior, the inside of the tent was arranged very neatly and warmly, with several wooden cots and a round table in the middle.
"It is an honor for us to take shelter wherever you are, Lord Venti," replied Dina, wiping her tears while smiling sincerely.
"By the way, Lord Venti," Vena stepped forward, now looking much more relaxed after seeing the friendly nature of her new god. "Where is Lady Aria? On the battlefield, she protected us all from the rain of arrows. I really want to thank her!"
"Ah, she's out for a bit," answered Venti casually, placing his lyre on the table. "She went to the square near the Tower of Babel to buy some groceries and daily supplies. She should be home soon."
Hearing that, Hedin and Hogni looked at each other. To them, Aria was a power anomaly who could withstand a full fleet without blinking. Knowing an existence that strong was shopping for vegetables in the Orario market felt very surreal and unexpected.
Venti then clapped both his hands, breaking their reverie. The clapping sound was light, yet somehow made the air inside the tent instantly feel denser and vibrate with holy anticipation.
"Well, let's put aside the matter of dinner for now," Venti's green eyes looked at the four of them alternately. His cheerful smile now radiated the authority of a true god. "You have made up your minds to cross the fierce ocean to serve me, right? Isn't this the right time to make it official?"
Hedin held his breath. The hand gripping his magic wand sweated slightly. Dina and Vena looked at each other with wide eyes, realizing what was going to happen next.
"Lord Venti... you mean..." Dina murmured softly, her voice trembling with emotion.
Venti reached into a small pouch at his waist, taking out a clean, small silver needle. In this lower world, the granting of Falna was a sacred ritual where a god used their blood to unlock the seal of potential and read the pages of their follower's soul.
"Get ready, Hedin, Hogni, Dina, and Vena," said Venti, his voice now echoing with a frequency that touched the recesses of their souls. "Release the remaining burdens of your past. Bare your backs. Today, I will carve the Falna and officially make you a part of the Barbatos family."
Hedin's heart beat fast. He could not imagine how the Falna—Orario's absolute power hierarchy system—would react when united with the elemental anomalies residing in their chests.
One thing was certain: this second, their fate would be rewritten by the god of wind.
------------------------------
"Like my work? Catch up to Chapter 66 over on my Patreon!"
P - Gem_Blanks
Thank you so much for your support — you make all of this worthwhile.)