C3: Castle of Muri

Even from the woods where I have been resting, the castle of Muri is far.

Hours pass as I am on horseback, riding steadily through the long winding roads. I have no food with me. But I have ridden through harsh landscapes in critical conditions before.

Every time, I assure you, it is not a treat.

Along the way, I stop at a flowing river to drink my share of water with the horse. I feed it a few wild apples I had just picked up to ensure the horse has enough energy to survive the journey.

Nelly no longer rejects me.

By midday, dark clouds claim the sky. Not long after, a heavy rain descends on us.

We avoid the rain in a small house owned by an old gloomy villager who is friendlier than he looks.

"What are you looking for in Muri, young one?" he asks me in the house.

"A nice-looking princess to love, sir," I smile at the old man gleefully. He laughs.

The rain seizes around the time for lunch, and I gladly take the rice and the oats he offers for Nelly. The image of that young girl comes back to my mind. I wonder if the old man would treat me the same if he knew what I had done to the girl.

But – the deed was unavoidable. The girl wasn't as generous as this old man.

I wave at the old geezer with a smile as we leave the house right after lunch. He waves back, yelling "Come by some other time!" to me. Nelly neighs in response to the man's goodbye.

By sundown, I pull the strap to seize the horse.

We stand in a clear field with a long stretch of road.

Before us stands the magnificently tall castle of Muri. Sky-gripping towers that seem like pillars of blue and white hide the sinking sun behind them, casting a long shadow upon its city.

"We are finally here," I say to myself, whipping the horse again.

///

The city of Muri is covered with a wall even giants cannot climb over. The towers of the castle within it are even taller.

I stop my horse at the gates. Two guards stand before it.

Both of them wear silver armor with a pattern of blue lines etched into the metal. This is to prove that they both wield mana. And both of them were above 6 feet at least. This castle has standards when it comes to its protection. Hence why the castle of Muri only ever hired people who could wield mana into their guard.

They point their spears at my neck to greet me.

"Hm, traveler? Lift that cloak, will you? What is your business here in Muri?" The guards ask me.

I jump off the horse and lift my cloak, revealing my face to them.

"Just a traveling elf, sir. As you see, I've come to the city to see if I can sell some of my potions for some coins. All the while, I might just try to do a few quests available in the guilds here," I reply, lifting my cloak and revealing the potions strapped around my shirt in a leather belt.

He gazes down at them and steps back.

"You got the looks of an elven prince, rather than a wandering elf, my friend." The other guard proclaimed, striking his spear against the earth.

"They all say that, sir. But trust me – I am no special elf," I smile at them kindly.

"Hm, let him through, guys. No suspicious business here." The guard orders the one near the gate.

He stirs the massive metal wheel and makes the enormous gates open, just enough for me and my horse to squeeze through it.

The city is bustling with life. People from many races are there, walking around leisurely. The street lights charged with mana were flickering to life one by one just as I entered. The inns start to get noisy, and the windows of the lodgings burn with a bright orange as the torches inside them ignite.

I pat the side of Nelly's neck, gazing at the city. Every time I look down at the horse, it reminds me of that little girl.

I think for a while, still atop my horse, gazing at the streets.

"Nelly, I think I'll keep you. I need to remember this fucked up journey." I say to him. Nelly neighs.

I can tell, he loves me.

I put Nelly in a stable and pay the guy who keeps a check on the horse 1 silver coin to keep an eye on him for the night. Then, I walk along the streets with my hood drawn up so that I would not get unnecessary attraction from any of the ladies in the street.

As I walk, I cook up my plan to steal the heart of the princess in this castle.

'First, we have to know where I can meet the princess. After meeting her, I can make the woman fall in love with me any moment – but, then again, it depends on the personality too. Hm, I must make fast moves. I cannot stay any longer than a full moon here.'

Moments later, I come across a lively inn called the "Drunken Bees."

The night has only fallen moments before, and the inn is already bustling with people.

'It seems like a good place to meet a few people who know about the ins and outs of the castle,' I assume, entering the inn through the wooden doors.

The cackles of Orcs boom inside the bar, followed by the drunken laughs of dwarves. My ears are accustomed to these places. I spend almost every night of my life in the city inside a bar, getting drunk or behind the kitchen with a waitress.

Most of the tables in the inn are already occupied. Each table has a different group of people, some playing cards, some doing drinking competitions, some fondling the breasts of whores.

But the table I need right now isn't one filled with joy.

I turn to gaze at the dark corner of the inn where the lights from the torches hardly reach. Most people there are playing cards or chess. I narrow my eyes, only to spot a guy wearing a bucket hat.

His long nose and his thin beard are all I see; his eyes are covered. He's playing the cards with a goblin wearing a dark cloak. I walk up to the table and pull an empty chair towards it.

Then, I throw 2 silver coins into the pile of copper coins in the middle.

"Shall I join, gentleman?" I declare, taking a seat.

The one who wore a bucket cap lifts his eyes to me. I catch a glimpse of his face. His eyes are lifeless; his skin is burned awfully by the sun. There's a long pipe in his mouth.

He grabs the pipe, takes it out of his mouth, and puffs out the smoke right into my face.

My hood was drawn. I guess my face doesn't quite seem like one that can withstand these people. I won't bend down to his petty mockery.

From my pocket, I take out an even longer, even fatter pipe than the one that he possesses. I keep it to my mouth and light it up from the candle in the middle of the table.

I keep it in my mouth for a long time. The goblin and the bucket cap guy lift their gazes to me, narrowing their eyes.

Finally, I puff out the smoke from my nostrils like a dragon puffing out fire, and some of the smoke escapes from my ears. The desk is covered with smoke to the point that we cannot see each other's faces by the time I finish puffing the smoke out.

"Okay, wanna shuffle again for another match, Rick?" The bucket cap man asks, grinning at his goblin companion.

"Certainly, for two silver coins. Certainly," Rick the goblin replies, his lips curling up to a smirk.

I cross my hands and rest them on the table, lying back in my seat.

Finally, they learn who I am.