Chapter 15: Newbies in the Village

Liuli quickly retreated to a secluded spot in the temporary camp, overwhelmed by shyness and timidity. Wu Qingsong spent a considerable amount of time calming her down. In the process, he gleaned some new information.

Nearly half of Rem City had been destroyed.

While this might not entirely be attributed directly to Nina and her group, they had set fires at the army camps and warehouses. The upper echelons of Rem City had been, at the time of the attack, inebriated at the banquet celebrating a forthcoming military expedition. They were virtually incapable of organizing an effective disaster response. 

Not long after the fires broke out, Commander Vals, the top-ranking officer of Rem City’s defense forces, had his head fortuitously severed by Nina. This plunged Rem City into complete chaos, causing them to miss the crucial window for fire control.

The fire razed the defense force’s warehouses and camps and decimated large swaths of workshops and slum areas. Nearly two hundred people perished in the blaze, countless more were injured, and many more were left homeless.

Even the war wolves, highly valued by the defense force and kept in the southern beast pens, didn’t fare well. Several were burnt to death, while the rest either fled into the forests surrounding Rem City or went berserk, attacking people amid the flames. Less than half were eventually rounded up after the fire.

The havoc wreaked by the fire was in no small part due to these war wolves spreading the flames.

“Meow~ We ran into two of them in the forest when we were coming here. It was so scary,” Liuli told Wu Qingsong in a faint voice. She spoke so quickly that you’d miss it if you weren’t paying attention. Wu Qingsong had to lean in closely to hear her, making them appear rather intimate, disheartening Ling.

“Any news of Kleine?” Wu Qingsong specifically asked Nina.

“My people found no mention of him on the list of the deceased,” Nina replied. “But he wasn’t among the officials who came out to manage the aftermath either, so his injuries must be severe.”

She had already learned from Bernar about Wu Qingsong’s innovative suggestions for wound treatment, which increased her fascination with this enigmatic half-elf. However, she harbored no thoughts of inviting him into her resistance force.

Comprising mainly remnants of the Silver Moon Wolf Clan or descendants of its royal family’s vassals, her group had little room for outsiders. Although her instincts suggested that Wu Qingsong was unlikely to be a spy, bringing in an unknown half-elf like him might not necessarily lead to favorable outcomes.

Half-elves were not exactly rare among the rebels. In fact, she knew that it was the half-elves who initiated the resistance against the empire at a time when the Silver Moon Wolf Clan’s kingdom was still intact.

Even in the current era, where half-elves generally enjoyed higher social statuses and promising futures, they remained a prominent presence in various resistance movements for a myriad of reasons.

Nevertheless, as the last remaining royal of the Silver Moon Wolf Clan, she felt a strong sense of responsibility for those around her. Wu Qingsong was clearly a man of many secrets. Secrets that could both offer potential advantages and present unpredictable risks. More often than not, the risks would likely outweigh any benefits.

Wu Qingsong silently acknowledged her reasoning with a nod.

He had personally witnessed the Molotov cocktail explode in front of Kleine, engulfing him in flames. The absence of any news confirming his death left him ill at ease.

While locked in a cage in Kleine’s basement, Wu Qingsong had come to understand the kind of person Kleine was. Even setting aside the fabricated stories about Karazhan, his experiences made it abundantly clear that as long as he was alive, Kleine would stop at nothing to exact his revenge.

“If you’re concerned about Kleine, you can head west. I’d lend you a horse if you knew how to ride,” Nina suggested. “Five miles to the south is Karagados. We can take you to the outskirts, where you can catch transport to Umber. It falls under the jurisdiction of the Nisair Duchy and serves as a free port. It’s unlikely that the issues in Rem City would affect too much. If that doesn’t offer you enough peace of mind, you can find boats heading either south or east. From what I know, Kleine is just a squad captain, he shouldn’t have the resources to chase you that far.”

“Thank you for the advice,” Wu Qingsong replied.

The suggestion was appealing, but he had reservations. His common sense hardly applied to this world. Moreover, Ling and Liuli had mainly been maidservants and had little knowledge of the world beyond their immediate circumstances.

Could such a mismatched group really navigate this world successfully?

Nevertheless, Wu Qingsong had no plans to align himself with Nina and her companions. Their collaboration had been born of chance, not trust. He was still in the dark about this world’s overall structure, let alone whether Nina’s group were the ‘good guys.’

At the moment, Kleine and his minions certainly appeared to be the villains. However, Wu Qingsong wanted to gather more insights into this world before making any significant decisions.

There was no point worrying about the journey ahead, obstacles would be overcome when encountered. As an undying being armed with knowledge from another world, he was confident that, given enough time, he could achieve something extraordinary.

“We should leave immediately,” Nina announced.

They had overstayed in this location. Lingering too long in an area that wasn’t central to their operations could spell trouble.

As the rest of the group escorted the injured toward the northwest mountains, Nina, accompanied by another wolfman, rode horses to guide Wu Qingsong and his companions to Karagados.

“Should you encounter any difficulties, present this token at Ram’s Herb Shop, located in the dock district of Umber,” Nina advised, tossing him a wooden plaque. She then handed him a weighty bag and a short sword. “As a half-elf, you should be able to enter the city armed without facing any problems from the guards. However, word from Rem City it’s probably on its way there. While I don’t anticipate a bounty or wanted notice being issued for you, it would be wise to proceed to Umber as soon as possible.”

The bag felt heavy in his hands. The exterior suggested it was filled with clothing, but the metallic clinking from within indicated the presence of coins.

“Thank you,” Wu Qingsong expressed, wholeheartedly.

In such circumstances, he felt there was no room for pretense. Given time, he was confident he’d be able to return the favor.

“Take care, half-elf. I hope our paths cross again,” Nina said, before swiftly and decisively making her exit.

It was only then that Wu Qingsong realized she had never even asked about his name. It was somewhat disheartening, he mused.

For reasons he couldn’t articulate, her retreating figure left him feeling a touch despondent.

Curious as always, Liuli immediately wanted to know the contents of the bag. Upon opening it, they were surprised to discover two sets of maid outfits–one large, one small–along with a casual set of clothes similar to what Kleine had once worn. While the sizes weren’t an exact match, they were close enough to dispel any notion that the garments had been stolen.

She appeared tough and efficient, yet in reality, she was also a person of great care and attention to detail. Wu Qingsong found himself contemplating this.

At that moment, Liuli discovered a money pouch hidden beneath the clothing. She opened it and exclaimed in astonishment, “Wow, that’s a lot of money!”

Inside the pouch were about ten gold coins, along with thirty to forty silver coins and seventy to eighty copper coins It felt significantly heavy when lifted.

Ling was also somewhat surprised. Her uncle’s monthly income had never exceeded thirty silver coins, the most common currency in the empire, known as ‘renals.’ Gold coins were reserved for substantial transactions and were termed ‘sols.’

A single sol could typically be exchanged for anywhere between ten to fifteen renals. Copper coins were the smallest unit of currency, and one hundred of them could be traded for a single renal. In a tavern, a basic pint of beer would cost only ten copper coins, a decent steak around fifty, and the most inferior quality of black bread a mere two coppers.

Calculating the purchasing power was undoubtedly complex. Wu Qingsong did a rough calculation and estimated that Nina had essentially given them what would equate to three to five thousand dollars. While not a fortune, it was a substantial amount that would enable them to make a start.

Both Ling and Liuli seemed visibly anxious. Perhaps they had never ventured this far from their hometown in their entire lives.

“Let’s start a brand new life,” Wu Qingsong announced with enthusiasm, his words intended to bolster his own resolve as much as to reassure them. “Don’t Worry, with me here, everything will be just fine.”