Chapter 3: Tracing the Path

"Can you elaborate?" Ryan asked, his brow furrowed. Butte, as a master witch hunter, might not match the dedicated intelligence operatives of the kingdom, but his years of battling Chaos and capturing cultists had honed his counter-surveillance skills. Ryan's pursuit had been fraught with difficulties.

But no matter how elusive Butte was, he was still a man who needed rest and sustenance. The wilds of this world were far more perilous than those of Earth, and with Ryan relentlessly on his trail, Butte would have had little time to replenish his supplies.

"Therefore, Butte must replenish his food and supplies, which means he must visit human settlements," Ryan reasoned.

"This gentleman was peculiar; he spoke only a few words from beginning to end, just enough to request a room and ask us to purchase some liquor and dry food for him... Given he offered a gold dinar, we obliged, particularly since he specifically requested three pounds of beef, which took us considerable effort to procure. You must understand, knight, finding beef at this time of year is no small feat," complained the innkeeper.

A gold dinar was enough to sustain a family for three to four months. Ryan nodded, understanding that food prices varied with the season. In spring and summer, a pheasant might sell for just a few copper coins, but in the dead of winter, a live pheasant could fetch two silver dinars, equivalent to two hundred copper coins.

Among meats, beef was the most valuable because cattle were considered property and important labor resources in this world, making beef much more expensive than chicken, duck, or mutton.

"However expensive, a gold dinar could buy thirty pounds of beef, so the innkeeper managed to procure several packs of cooked beef and dry food for the mysterious man, who left the inn before dawn the next day."

"There's no way he could have left through the city gates; they don't open until after sunrise. Did he mention where he was headed?" The young knight's frustration grew; his elusive quarry was proving unexpectedly difficult, and Ryan was still unsure if the master witch hunter had truly succumbed to Chaos.

No matter Butte's state, Ryan was resolved to eliminate him, especially given Butte's history of killing several witch hunters, including a master.

"Anything tainted by Chaos must either be purified or eradicated!"

After speaking with the innkeeper, Ryan nodded as the sky began to lighten. He decided to check the town, since if the innkeeper's information was accurate, Butte was only about two days ahead—a gap Ryan was unlikely to close.

Given the circumstances, Ryan thought it best to wait in town for the woman from the Garon Council to arrive and open a portal directly to Butte's next likely location.

As daylight broke and the snow continued to fall, Ryan headed for the inn's door. The innkeeper, seeing that the knight was neither arrogant nor abusive, felt a growing fondness for him and suggested, "Sir Knight, with the wind and snow as it is, you might be better off resting inside!"

"The day has already brightened; am I to wait until it darkens again to play hide and seek outside?" Ryan responded with a slight smile, his black hair sprinkled with snow, his blue eyes twinkling. He shook his head and departed.

"Black hair? Blue eyes? A young kingdom knight?" The innkeeper realized, recalling the story of "The Hammer" Ryan, a hero of Nord, sung by the minstrel the previous night, who also had black hair and blue eyes.

Stepping outside, Ryan braved the snowy streets, his face stung by the biting wind and driving snow. The harsh winter conditions were complicating his mission; only those who had experienced a Nord winter knew its severity. Most people, whether nobles, merchants, mercenaries, or peasants, stayed indoors, enjoying the warmth of their hearths.

However, there were always a few, like hunters or fishermen, who ventured out, hoping to make a small fortune during the season.

Houses in Nord were longhouses, constructed from wood and thatch extending from the roof down to the ground. As Ryan passed by, the closed doors and large stacks of firewood marked each home.

With his years of travel, Ryan knew that hospitable people were rare, as many had paid dearly for their openness.

With his golden war hammer in hand and considering the complications he'd faced, Ryan decided to openly display the badge of the White Wolf Knight on his chest to ensure his intentions were clear.

As expected, the town's initially suspicious residents softened their stance upon seeing Ryan's badge, replacing hostility with reverence and admiration. Spotting a man about thirty years old doing carpentry at his doorstep, Ryan approached and inquired, "Hello, could you tell me where the town's blacksmith is located?"

"Ah! Sir Knight!" The man looked up, quickly recognizing Ryan as a knight

 and eagerly responded, "The blacksmith's shop is at the next intersection, turn right, a few shops down."

"Thank you, and... is there a church here?" Ryan continued.

"Sir means the Church of Life? There's only the Church of Life in Wulan Town. If you're looking for the Church of Justice or the Magic Church, you'd have to travel about eighty miles to Grunstadt, where there are many churches. Every ten days, the lord arranges a guarded caravan from the town square for those traveling to Grunstadt; the next caravan leaves in seven days... Any other questions, sir?" The man's reply was detailed, prompting Ryan to ask further, "How many priests and paladins does the Church of Life here have?"

"One priest and three paladins, sir. The priest is kind, often providing us with free treatments and sending us baked goods and apple cider on holidays," the man paused his carpentry to add, "He also frequently offers healing and casts spells for adventurers, so many here follow the Dawnbringer or the Earth Mother."

"Thank you very much!"

"No need for thanks, sir. May fortune accompany you."

Heading towards the Church of Life, Ryan found it to be a modest building, with white walls and a wooden door. The church wasn't large, and the quality of its guardians—a fair indicator of a church's strength—was unimpressive. These guards seemed barely more than regular soldiers, and Ryan felt confident he could overpower them if necessary.

Inside, the church was a neat courtyard, not large but well-equipped for its purposes. The Dawnbringer and Earth Mother, a married couple among the deities, were closely linked because the sun's light brought life to the earth. These deities were of a neutral good alignment, and the Church of Life was popular across the continent for aiding the poor and healing the sick. It regularly organized activities like crop improvement and land reclamation and taught people how to live better. Most tenant farmers and sharecroppers on the continent followed these deities, and the Church of Life was considered one of the three major churches alongside the Church of Justice and the Magic Church.

Despite its significant influence among the commonfolk, Ryan was indifferent to their doctrine of selfless benevolence, hence his stronger affiliation with the Church of Justice, while his relationship with the Church of Life was more formal.

As for the Magic Church, its immense power was a necessity, given that spellcasters needed to access the Weave, controlled by the Goddess of Magic. Thus, all spellcasters theoretically required the Goddess's permission to use the Weave.

"The divine belongs to the divine, the mortal to the mortals," Ryan murmured to himself, tightening his cloak as he entered the Church of Life. The paladins at the door, recognizing his knight's badge, did not hinder his entry but instead said, "Sir Knight, may I help you with something?"

"Just looking around, visiting, and maybe picking up some supplies," Ryan indicated he had no specific business, and the paladin, seeing no reason to object, continued, "The priest is inside, should you need anything just speak directly."

"Understood."

Inside, the courtyard was alive with children playing, their joyful noises filling the air. A female priest in her thirties watched over them, smiling at the scene. However, upon hearing footsteps from the entrance, she turned and, spotting Ryan, paused slightly, "A knight, sir? How can I assist you?"

This priest had nearly white blonde hair and laugh lines around her eyes, with an ordinary appearance and a hooked nose, but her warm demeanor greatly softened her less favorable features.

"Are these children here for baptism?" Ryan asked, neither humbly nor arrogantly.

"These are children of hunters and soldiers, taken in by the church," the priest shook her head, her expression dimming slightly. "After losing their fathers, their mothers are too busy to care for them during the day, so they spend their time here under my supervision."

"A daycare, then?" Ryan chuckled, inadvertently using his native language for the word 'daycare.'

"Daycare? Who is that? A friend of yours, sir?" The priest didn't catch the term but didn't pursue it, instead asking, "Sir Knight, what brings you to the Church of Life?"

"Well, I have a question. Four days ago, did a tall, thin man..." Ryan asked if the priest had sensed any Chaos energy approaching.

Priests, being clergy, had been sensitive to Chaos energy since the rise of Emperor Charlemagne in the ancient times of upheaval, who was crowned under the gods' blessing. The church had obligations to detect such energies, with daily prayers making priests particularly sensitive to Chaos.

"That... pales in comparison to the blood scent on you, sir. The blood scent you carry has drowned out all other traces. Did you fight a fierce battle before coming to this town?" the priest closed her eyes

 to sense more accurately, then detected the strong scent of blood on Ryan.

"Yes, I encountered a group of blood beasts in the wild before I arrived here yesterday," Ryan shrugged, his visit to the Church of Life turning fruitless, and frustratingly due to his own circumstances.

"Forget it. Can you make spell scrolls here?" he asked, seeing no valuable information forthcoming.

"Ah? What kind of scrolls do you need, sir? I'm only capable of second-level spells..." the priest hesitated.

"Not those. I mean the basic divine spells that every priest of the Church of Life must know. Can you make those scrolls?"

"Oh! I understand. I have many of those; five silver dinars each."

"I'll take two."

"Thank you for your patronage."

Exiting the Church of Life, Ryan's bracelet suddenly flashed. He found a secluded corner and pressed the gemstone: "Archbishop?"

"Ryan, there's a new development. According to a report from a paladin involved in the hunt, Butte was spotted near Mien Forest, about thirty miles from Wulan Town, likely hiding deep within the forest. Be cautious and do not act rashly," the authoritative voice warned.

"Mien Forest? Got it!"

This book will not strictly adhere to Warhammer's setting, partly because Warhammer's universe can overly constrain narrative possibilities, making it challenging to write, and partly to avoid potential copyright disputes and critiques from die-hard fans. Games Workshop takes its copyrights very seriously.