A Mail From Fendleburton

I stood up and opened the door. Ador was the one who knocked on my door. He told me that he had been waiting for me to get up for the past hour.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Burghe; I was told to check in on you since you were last seen yesterday afternoon. Our desk did not notice you heading down the lounge, and our crew was concerned. Do you mind if I consult as to how you're doing?"

I can't tell him what occurred since it might befuddle him and cause him to spread the story to others. I just told him that I wasn't feeling well yesterday.

Although I'd been sleeping since the afternoon before, I was restless; perhaps it was because I'd become anxious with the knowledge I'd learned.

Ador and I went down to the reception area. He mentioned that a guard stopped by last evening to inquire regarding my whereabouts because the mayor was puzzled as to why I did not meet him for dinner.

I thanked Ador and went to the cafeteria for a cup of coffee.

After finishing the last of my coffee, I returned to my room and took a hot shower before starting my day.

As I was fixing my hair in front of the mirror, I think it is vital to act quickly in finding out where my family was, or else I might see something I do not want.

I put on my long sleeves and took my jacket from the chair. I went directly to the town hall and waited for the mayor in his office.

"Good morning, Elias. You arrived earlier than anticipated! Ha-ha!"

With an envelope in hand, the mayor went to his desk. It was imprinted with what appears to be a label from another town.

"Last night before dinner, I received a mail from the town of Fendleburton. As I recall, we had sent the Smyte a letter regarding to the Ordeal and this, by my hand is probably a reply from them. I was supposed to open it last night with you but you did not arrive."

I told him I wasn't feeling well the day before. He was persuaded and handed me the letter.

The letter was sent by The Smyte Corporation. We were disappointed because the reply was brief.

"Hello, Mr. Hullings.

We apologize for the inconvenience in responding to your inquiry. Our company does not want to disclose any relevant data regarding your concern. Kindly direct such queries to Fendleburton's town hall. Thank you, and pardon our brief answer. We've been dealing with an excessive number of messages recently.

- The Smyte Corp."

As I returned the letter to Mr. Hullings, I stood up and scratched my head. I politely informed the mayor that I'll be going to the blacksmith and then left. I considered asking Mr. Tyrile questions about the Smyte Corporation.

When I arrived at the blacksmith, there was no sign of Mr. Tyrile. His house had been locked.

Mr. Tyrile went to Fendleburton early in the morning, according to the locals. They gave me a letter which appeared to be his message for me.

I sat on his porch, opened the letter he had written for me, and read it.

"Hiya, boy. I received a letter from Fendleburton last night. The Smyte Corporation had invited me to an occasion they had scheduled for their loyal customers, which included me. The place is out of town. They informed me that such events would not be held inside town because outsiders can easily gain entry and hinder the town's safety. I'll be gone for a week, so there will be no work to be done. But I'll need some logs to replenish my materials. Could you please have them for me? Thank you ahead of time. I'd left the key to my house near the forge. Take the coin sack in my room and then use it to pay for the goods. They should be readily available on the market. You've been here before, lad! I don't need to jot down the address for you. Haha!

Your Excellent Boss,

Tyrile"

Because of Mr. Tyrile's cheerful demeanor, I smiled as I finished reading. He appears to be looking forward to the event.

I went to his house after picking up the keys by the forge. His house was neat, just like his storage and the shop where we usually work. His furniture is properly arranged, and his notes are properly stacked.

I took the coin sack from his room and went to the nearby market. It was crowded as usual. On the way, ladies waved at me and some approached to ask my name. I ignored them and went to the shop to pick up logs, which was my original plan.

I had the items delivered to Mr. Tyrile's house. I went to inform Mr. Hullings that the blacksmith was on his way to a Smyte Corporation event and that he would be gone for a week. He was astonished and started to wonder when the company had last created a venue.

"Oh, really? Hm. In all the years I've sat in this office, I've never received a mail about that company managing events. Allow them to be. They may have had a recent surge in sales. To them, money is money."

I told him that I had no idea big companies from other towns shipped commodities to their surrounding towns since I had never worked in the business field before.

"That's all there is to it. Business is business to them. Now, why don't you join me for lunch?", he replied

I gladly obliged as a gesture of respect. As we were eating, he questioned about what I discovered in the library the day before. As soon as I heard his question, I put down my fork.

I told him that I couldn't show him anything. It's too risky to let him know about the men the Smyte and I encountered.

He just nodded and continued to eat. I never imagined it would be so difficult for me to convey what I've learned.

After lunch, I went back to the inn to rest, and Canra was waiting for me outside my room.

"Sir Elias, please. I was concerned that you hadn't returned by the evening after going to your room yesterday afternoon. Ador notified me to the fact that you weren't feeling well. How do you feel today?"

The woman appeared far more concerned than my wife would normally be. I simply told her that I was feeling much better and that I was going to my room for a short nap because I didn't have any work to do.

She smiled, as I aided her worries. Surprisingly, she tried to embrace me, but I took a step back. She felt awkward and apologized before hurrying back to the lounge.

I walked into the room and sat on the couch right away contemplating on what to feel. I was flabbergasted as to why Canra had taken such action towards me.