Two figures walked at a steady pace along a dirt road bordering the Gray Sea Marsh.
The figure on the left was agile, their steps light. Long, black hair was held back by a simple leather cord. A mask covered their face, leaving only a pair of exceptionally beautiful eyes visible.
One-eyed Barrett, by contrast, was far more casual. He clapped Kael on the shoulder.
"Don't give me that look, Kael. I know this place is so remote it might as well be a corner of the world forgotten by the gods."
Kael didn't respond, merely scanning the desolate landscape around them.
"The domain is newly established, so Lord Velin is naturally a bit strapped for cash," Barrett said, defending the lord he was about to introduce. "But he's a good man, a true scholar, completely different from those swine we've seen posing as nobility. This place has potential, I promise you."
Kael finally stopped and pointed toward the horizon. Below a dark silhouette lay a checkerboard of green fields.
