Eridu is quite complex and feels unexpectedly rural. Scattered around the outer ring of the city are unplanned, messy residential buildings. They aren't slums, though. Despite their appearance, people take care of the streets, so they look better than you'd expect. The deeper areas still feel abandoned and mossy, probably because they're so obscured.
The Pathfinder Guild is located closer to the center of the city, alongside the Order's church. It's also near where merchants gather, selling all kinds of goods. Aside from those areas, there are quite a few empty plots of land scattered here and there.
At the very center lies the city lord's domain. To be honest, it looked very ominous. The massive manor was barely visible, tightly guarded, and completely sealed off from the rest of the city by multiple tall fences and walls. I wondered why.
Anyway, following the commission details, I arrived at the client's location, a rundown store in the deepest part of a dark alley. This was creepy as hell. I stood outside, knocking on the door anxiously.
-Knock—Knock
The door creaked open.
"...Huh? Who are you?"
"I'm Cain. Here to complete a delivery commission of yours. This is the commission, correct?"
The old man took the commission and scrutinised it closely. Grumbling something, he silently went back inside the store, vanishing into the darkness. After a while, he came back with a tightly sealed box.
"Here, take this to the requested location. Be careful with it. That's all."
"Alright."
I looked at the box in my arms. Whatever was inside of it, they really didn't want others to get it, huh?
"...It goes without saying, but trying to look inside is out of the question. And don't even ask."
"Sure. I am not liable for any illegal content contained within this, after all."
"It is not like that, kid. Anyway, just get it there safely."
I was indeed curious about what was so important about this box, but curiosity killed the cat. Better get this over with quickly.
Holding the box delicately, I moved through streets and alleys. Sceneries passing by: the bustling marketplaces, the stretching shops across the sidewalk, and the open, aged main road. People were all minding their own business, and there was no noise pollution or vehicles either.
It felt quite quiet here, honestly. Maybe because the day was ending, so people were just tired, like me.
Or maybe in some unknown corners, people were dying and screaming, but the city didn't care. What a dreadful thought. I really need some rest, don't I?
Also, the sigil's buffs were quite nice. It enhanced my overall physical strength, though it merely brought me to the bare minimum to survive in a world like this. It would be better not to get into unnecessary fights.
-Thwack!—thud
"So that's how you want to do it, huh?! Bastard, all you need to do is just cough up your money. Is it that hard to do?"
"P-please! I don't have any money! So just let me go, please!"
"Bastard, you also said that the last time! Do I need to punch them out of you? Huh?"
The thug-like guy said so bluntly, making the other guy lying on the floor panic. Talking about fights, what brilliant timing.
Personally, I would have just passed by and turned a blind eye to this if my destination hadn't been this exact place, yet I saw anything but a wide alley. Guess I would have to interject them then. I was confident I could run away if things turned south.
"Hey there."
"What? Don't you see I'm having business here? Just get lost."
"It'll be quick. Do you know someone named Lykos? I'm delivering some stuff to him."
"!"
His face changed immediately. Looking much more willing to talk now, he asked.
"For Lykos? Damn. Okay, wait a bit. I need to settle things with this guy—Hey! Get the hell back here!"
Taking advantage of his distraction, the other guy ran away quickly. That was some impressive survival instincts.
"...Damn it, he got away again. That bastard hadn't paid rent for months! It doesn't help that his landlord is a senile old woman. That bastard, I will beat the living shit out of him if I find him again."
This guy seemed to be more decent than I thought.
He sighed heavily, then turned to me slowly.
"Hate to show you that. Follow me, I'll lead you to our boss."
"Your boss is Lykos?"
"Yeah. It is probably not for him, though. Let's just get there first."
Trailing behind him, walking through tight alleyways and crumbling stairs, we arrived at what looked to be a bar. The location was horrible, as if the owner wanted no one to come here at all. Well, that probably was the intention.
He opened the door casually. The bar was barely lit up, accompanied by a sombre feel. A few others were here, and upon seeing my guide, they quietly continued whatever they were doing. This was like a gang hideout or something.
A towering man stood behind the bar counter. Is he supposed to be a bartender?
"Drakon, what is the problem? You got that slippery bastard yet?"
"No, he got away, but I found a delivery guy. Said the boss ordered something."
"Boss ordering something? Eirlys's order, no doubt. No way the boss gets something other than alcohol. He really should cut it down, seriously."
So this man with dull yellow hair was Drakon. Eirlys?
...Feel strangely familiar. Who is that?
"Who is Eirlys? Am I supposed to deliver this to that person?"
"She is, uh, a troublesome kid... You should see her for yourself, or not. Your commission can be considered completed anyway. It's best not to see that eccentric girl—"
"Damon. I'd appreciate it if you stopped portraying me as some unstable teenage girl."
Out of nowhere, interrupting the big man, someone appeared beside me. Sitting on one of the barstools, she wore what one would expect of a mage: a wide-brimmed hat—a mage's signature—and a dark robe.
Long white hair fell from beneath the brim in soft waves, framing her face and hiding her ears. A heavy fringe covered all but the faintest hint of her eyebrows, save for a longer bang on the left that swept beside her face. Though soft, every pointed end gave her hair a surprisingly sharp look.
Her pale eyelashes lowered. Her obsidian eyes examined me, and with a flick of her finger...
"!"
The box slipped from my arms and glided gently in her direction. I was taken aback.
"Hm? Never seen a mage before?"
She scanned me up and down. Her face remained impassive.
"You are not a resident here, aren't you? Who are you?"
"My name is Cain. I am—"
"Ssh. That's enough. You just arrived here, correct? And you are probably doing your first commission, too. Here, I got it confirmed. Go and return it."
Speechless. Can a mage read minds, too? No, then she wouldn't need to ask my name. How?
"...Don't look at me like that. It's obvious from the way you dress, no equipment at all, and everyone here fears the name 'Lykos'. Therefore, you must be a clueless newcomer from somewhere else."
"Then why did you use his name?"
"How inquisitive. His name has weight to it, so people won't try to foolishly touch my stuff. That's all."
After saying that, Eirlys just left the bar with the box. I still stood there, looking back on the conversation just now. Then, I asked Drakon.
"Is she one of your gang members?"
"Hell no. The boss seems to owe her something, so she treats our hideout like a warehouse to store and order stuff from god knows where. Her all-knowing attitude is really irritating, but the boss allowed it, so we can do nothing. Annoying kid."
Grumbling a bit more, Drakon walked away deep into the bar. I should leave now. There was no reason to overstay, and it was getting dark.
High Priestess Martha already gave me some money, so I probably wouldn't need to think too hard about livelihood for now.
The empty streets felt eerily quiet. Most of the street lamps had long since dimmed, leaving the night sky brilliantly clear.
It was the first time I'd ever seen so many stars.
Back home, the city's neon lights drowned them out. And before that...
I'd spent months beneath the dungeon, where there wasn't even a sky to look at.
...
So this was Terra's night.
I stood there for a while, silently taking it in.
There was no point thinking about home now.
Tomorrow...
Oh well, whatever, I'd worry about tomorrow when it came.
Tonight, I'd simply find a roof over my head.