Unfettered - I
Dispute Fortress was enshrouded in a slender, persistent rain.
Proximity to the Celestial Path mountains, the continent's nexus of aether, brought myriad effects. The excessively active elements rendered the climate and geology of the Western lands profoundly… inhospitable.
Yet, the Western lands remained the most densely populated region of the empire. What compels so many mortals to settle in such a place, despite its vast expanses of land? Few understand this mystery, and even fewer ponder it. In the empire's cultural milieu, there is little room for humanistic scholars.
Marlina stood by the window, gazing at the incessant rain and the passersby moving through the downpour, lost in thought.
"Margarete," Ansel called from the doorway, "It's time to depart."
"... Ah, my apologies, Mr. Faust."