The Bard and the Imbued

3rd District Plaza, Capital City of the Iron Kingdom. Early morning on the 17th day of the second season of the year 5145.

There was a bustling crowd in the plaza as usual. The 3rd District to the 6th is where middle-class citizens live. The 1st and 2nd Districts are for the nobles and aristocrats while the 7th District is what many call the outskirts. Stores and services surround the plaza and is considered one of the busiest areas in the capital city. Currently, sitting on the edge of a fountain, a handsome young man held a musical instrument with his eyes closed.

He has long blonde hair that faintly shone under the sunlight. The wind breezed through his hair, encaptivating nearby people.

This man is conspicuous in his appearance. However, his most distinct feature is neither his handsome face nor his blonde hair but the pair of colorful blade-like ears atop his also-not-so-regular pointy ears. Those upper ears appear like the iridescent carapace wings of a beetle, just longer.

The citizens of the 3rd District are familiar with this man. He is from the Elvenkind and calls himself a wandering bard that visited the Iron Kingdom on his journey.

It has been a few weeks now since this man is here. He had been singing in that same location since.

After his upper pair of ears tingled for the last time, the elf opened his crystal green eyes and looked at the expectant crowd. He revealed a bright smile.

"Oh my! Oh my! I didn't know I have accumulated so many fans!"

Immediately, a merchant with a big belly laughed and rebuked.

"What a way to call the people who are here to make fun of you!"

"Bah! You really know how to ruin my fun, fatty! Why don't you go back selling your stupid coats!"

"S-stupid!?"

Seeing he struck a nerve, the elf lifted his chin and the smug smile returned on his face. Before the big-bellied merchant could retort, the elf said to the crowd surrounding him.

"Come! Listen, everyone! This song came from the sprites- the dormant spirits! I feel this song is both thrilling and intriguing! So, come and support this humble bard of yours with cennies!"

"Hmph!"

Although the merchant seemed to have enmity against the elf, he was the first to step forward and drop a few coins on the upside-down hat in front of the bard.

"Hehe! I knew you are my fan!"

"Tsk, I just know that you won't start without receiving pity cennies."

The merchant snubbed the elf and returned to his original position. Some of the crowd laughed at their interaction and placed cennies on the hat as well.

They were interested in the song of an elf. Elves are pretty rare in a kingdom of humans.

Seeing his hat half-full of cennies, the elf giggled and then strung the guitar. Beautiful tunes escaped from every pluck of the strings. As the strings reverberated, mysterious translucent orbs of different colors appear around him.

Not just children, but even adults, had their eyes glitter from seeing the magical sprites appear right before their eyes.

Then, the elf opened his mouth and came out a voice that was destructively out of tune.

"OOhhHHhh!

One of the seven,

Taints the ashen crown~!"

"Gahaha" the merchant lightly laughed hearing the elf's tone-deaf voice. But, the elf ignored this and continued singing.

"The throne uneven,

By the bloodthirsty hound~

The tower while blind,

Have its eyes set on the ground~

Distracted by the bleeding,

By the masked boogeyman~"

The elf's play became fast and fierce.

"Dried and distraught, he faced the stars and prayed, not for forgiveness, but for strength--- and received an empty chest~ Dried and drowned, he had gone mad and lost the eyes he had~

Cornered by a bastard, tied by one of the seven! His blood dried and by the heaven, he was denied!"

Then, the elf's play returned to being somber.

"OOhhHHhh... deceived yet deserved,

forsaken by the sun,

that is just for the unnerved,

another victim of the boogeyman~"

After the elf's song, the crowd went silent before turning to each other and asking what they thought of it. Since the song came from the sprites- albeit the elf's singing was terrible- it holds a special meaning, hidden behind the words.

However, in the end, no one knew what the song meant. But, they did hear one recurring character in the elf's songs- the boogeyman.

This is the third time the elf mentioned the legend of the boogeyman in his songs.

"What do they mean...?" the merchant frowned and pondered before looking at the elf with solemn eyes.

The elf returned the look and condescendingly smiled as if he was looking at an idiot, "Heh..."

"What? Do you know what they mean?"

The elf's smile went wider and didn't answer.

"You don't have any idea, do you?" the merchant's eyelids drop.

The elf's smile twitched as he began to sweat, "O-of course, I do. I'm a Messenger Elf. One of a kind! There are only a few of us who can communicate with the sprites. Now, with my performance done, I shall now-"

"Mister!"

Before the elf could escape, a young girl raised her hand and ran to the elf. She brought with her a giant backpack that was filled to the brim, making others question how a seemingly nine-year-old girl is able to run with that weight on her back.

"What? Also, my name's Ailuin" the elf, Ailuin just finished packing his things when the little girl reached him.

"Can you tell me more about the boogeyman?"

She blocked his path.

"Hahaha, little girl. Aren't you scared of what you're asking?" Ailuin arrogantly waved his hair.

"Little? I'm not little." the girl frowned.

The crowd was about to disperse after Ailuin's short performance but when they saw the new arrival, they were intrigued.

"Hahaha, then I'm not handsome and elegant."

"I'm not playing around. I just want to ask some questions. By boogeyman, you're talking about the Duchy's Boogeyman, right?"

"My time is not free, little girl."

"Ah, elf!" the fat merchant suddenly called out, "You should show a little bit more respect to Miss Natasia here."

"Who?"

"She's the daughter of the Iron Kingdom's greatest Imbuer, Master Mandy!"

"An I-I-Imbuer!?"

Ailuin paled and shook. An Imbuer's standing is as high as a noble, sometimes even higher. They are specially protected by the royal family because of their rare ability to Imbue which is a key asset to any kingdom.

'What the hell is a daughter of an Imbuer doing here!? This is the 3rd District!'

In an instant, Ailuin forced a smile, changing his attitude.

"Ah, yes, Miss Natasia..."

Natasia sighed, "I don't really like using my mother's influence but since you now know..." she then gave him a card from one of her backpack's many pockets, "Come to our shop, Quevel's Imbueds, and talk to us there. The more information you'll give us, the more reward we'll compensate you. Your time is not free, right?"

"Hahaha..." Ailuin wondered why he was intimidated by a nine-year-old girl. However, by the mention of the word "reward", his eyes shone...

...

Quevel's Imbueds was a giant store situated in the 1st District where the residences of noble families are located.

Upon entering the shop, Ailuin salivated at the prices of the Imbueds he saw on the wall for displays.

Each Imbued has its description under its price and name. The cheapest was a knife that's already worth 15,000 cennies!

"A scam! 15,000 cennies could feed me full for half a year! W-what does it do?"

[- Swift Knife -

Slightly makes the user's strikes faster with the knife.]

"15,000 for a slightly faster swing of a knife! Definitely, a scam! Demigod Cennia will be angry at this!"

"Ehem!"

A cough took Ailuin's attention.

"Don't use the name of the Demigod of Fortune in vain, Mister Ailuin. You don't want the church to hear this, don't you?"

Turning around, he saw the little girl Natasia with an angry expression. Realizing she heard everything he said, he instinctively lowered his head and apologized.

"A-ah, I'm sorry..."

'Wait, isn't this girl too mature for her age? I feel like I'm talking to someone older!'

"Also, it seems that you don't have experience in combat at all. A soldier who has even a little combat experience will know how advantageous it is if their knife is slightly faster than their opponent's."

'Now, I'm being scolded...' Ailuin suddenly felt depressed for some reason.

"I'm an elf, elves don't really fight like humans do."

"Oh, yeah, I forgot! Elves mainly follow the Founder because of their attunement to elements and their sprites."

"That's right, but I'm just a Tier 1 Mage so, don't think of me so highly."

"What? When did I think of you as high?"

Natasia honestly lifted an eyebrow.

"Urgh..."

"But a Mage, huh... it's rare to meet one. I and my mother are Crafters, though... actually, my mother is since I'm not sixteen yet, far from it. We worship the Order and its Demigods." Natasia added then smiled, "Our first encounter is kind of unexpected, so I haven't formally introduced myself yet. I'm Natasia Quevel, nice to meet you."

'Oh, she's actually very polite...' Ailuin replied with an amicable introduction as well, "I'm Ailuin Waeskas, happy to be of service."

"Waeskas..." Natasia frowned, remembering something but then ignored it, "Alright, come in and I'll introduce you to my mother."

Hearing this, Ailuin gulped. He's about to meet a real Imbuer! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

With Natasia as the lead, they came upstairs and knocked on the first door of the hall.

"Come in."

Natasia then opened the door and Ailuin had his eyes first on an old woman reading a book. Seeing people enter her office, the old woman put the book down and asked with a domineering attitude, "Who's this?"

"He's the one I'm telling you, the one who could give us vital information for our trip to the duchy."

"An elf?"

"A Messenger Elf wandering as a bard! You know, the usual."

"Usual?" Ailuin couldn't help but helplessly glance at Natasia.

"A Messenger Elf? Natasia, come here." the old woman said which Natasia followed. When the little girl was within arm's reach, the old woman suddenly reached out and pinched her ear.

"Ah! That hurts!"

"Are you stupid!? What information can we get from a Messenger Elf!? Can you decipher the allegory pieces of the sprites!? Are you a scholar!?"

Ailuin had to agree with the old woman's words. One couldn't get anything from his songs as they are full of symbols that are open to countless interpretations. It's better to not think about them too much or apply them in real life.

"But- but! His songs are about the Duchy's Boogeyman!" Natasia pleaded for her mother to let go of her poor ear.

"The Duchy's Boogeyman is a myth! It's just another symbol of the sprites' message! For all we know, the Boogeyman might not even be a living creature!"

"Ah!" Natasia desperately thought of something that could save her from her mother's wrath, "No, Mister Ailuin is a Waeskas, maybe he could help us! He's also a Tier 1 Mage, so that's an addition to combat power, right!?"

Hearing this, the old woman stopped, saving Natasia's ear, "A Waeskas? The exiled elves of the Northern Blue Woods?"

"Ah..." Ailuin uncomfortably scratched his cheek when he heard his sad origin.

"So, you have nowhere to go, elf?"

"... y-yes, Master Mandy." Ailuin lowered his head.

Meanwhile, Natasia rolled her eyes away as she took steps away from her mother.

"Hmm..." after a thought, Master Mandy asked, "What do you think of the Iron Kingdom?"

"Huh?"

"I know it has nothing to do with you but, if you want, I could tell you something- a secret. Do you want to hear it?"

Both Natasia and Ailuin understood what Master Mandy was trying to say. If Ailuin learns about that secret, it means that he will get involved with it. However, that was what Master Mandy was trying to offer- involvement.

As an exiled, he desperately needed to be a part of something, even if superficial. The only reason he had yet to die from hunger was because of the cennies he gets from singing. However, it's not a permanent solution as the frequency of the sprites' messages varies. His musical talent in playing an instrument is only because of the sprites. If they don't have anything to say, he wouldn't be able to play. If he can't play, he will either beg for money or keep his pride and die out of hunger.

After some thought, though, Ailuin finally gave an answer.

"I'm sorry, but I know I would be of no help. I'll take my leave now."

Master Mandy nodded while Natasia was disappointed.

After Ailuin left, Master Mandy shook her head.

"It's unfortunate, we needed more manpower. Even if he's just a Tier 1 Mage."

"Why though? I still don't understand the whole reason for our trip to the duchy," Natasia said, confused.

"Oh, right, I haven't told you the complete story since I've been so busy and stressed out." Master Mandy massaged her temples before continuing, "It's almost been a year now since the Third Prince's disappearance, and since then, the King's pressure against the Rohde Family has been increasing significantly to the point that they were denied trading for their basic needs."

"I already know that... the King had gone crazy. Why does he hate his brother-in-law, the Duke, so much?"

Master Mandy shook her head, "It's not the Duke he hates, rather, it's the Duke's adopted son."

"So those rumors are true?"

"I don't know what rumors you're talking about, but the King not only hates that adopted son but also fears him!"

"Eh!? What did the adopted son do?"

"I don't know. However, last year, that adopted son received his Nobility Mark."

"Whoa..." Natasia was impressed that someone from the streets with no noble bloodline could get a Nobility Mark.

Even her mother was denied a Nobolity Mark regardless of her fame and contribution. Well, it's partly because the Great Sanctuary decides who gets a Nobility Mark, not the measly Iron Kingdom.

"And until now, with his Nobility Mark about to expire, he had yet to unlock the connection to Allknow."

"Had yet? Why would they give him a Nobility Mark a year before he turns sixteen?"

"You don't understand. No one knew when the adopted son's birthday is, but it has been years since his puberty, so they risked it."

"Wait, I'm still confused. So, what if he unlocks it or not? What would one Gift do anything? What is the King on about?"

"You're not the only one confused. But I'm told that the King not only hates the adopted son but also fears him. The King also believes the adopted son is the one responsible for the Third Prince's disappearance."

"Huh!? The King has officially gone mad! What can the adopted son do against the Third Prince and his escorts!?"

"Well, don't get so angry at me, Natasia, your mother is only telling you what she heard from the others!"

"Ah, sorry." Natasia flinched and took a step away, afraid that her mother would pinch her ear again.

Master Mandy then went silent before she continued, "I owe the duke my life. And as a core member of Guill, I have the responsibility to come to our leader's aid. The problem is that I can't find the other core members. I told you to try and look for them at the 3rd District but what you brought was an elf."

"Haha... haha... I'm not the kind of person to be good at searching. Since I couldn't find even one of them, I thought I should bring at least someone helpful."

"That elf... it's a shame, though."