Capítulo 140: Chapter 140: Griffons – A Stubborn Race
"Griffons?"
Leon and Mike both displayed slight surprise.
In countless games, comics, films, and folklore of the prime universe, these mythical creatures had often appeared. As investigators, they had been informed by the company that they might encounter various abnormal phenomena and creatures, whether in the prime universe or others, including griffons.
But now, seeing them up close, the two couldn't help but marvel at the fact that they had actually come face-to-face with such a fantastical being.
"Shreeee—!"
The three griffons, each with a wingspan over 15 meters, circled in the air for a moment before stretching out their limbs and descending in front of the soldiers and officials below.
At this point, the gathered soldiers, officials, and nearby townsfolk all stopped what they were doing and knelt in respect to the three knights who dismounted from the griffons.
Seeing this, Leon and Mike followed suit, kneeling on one knee and slightly bowing their heads.
The three knights, in turn, bowed slightly in response, signaling that the formalities could be concluded.
The townspeople stood up and returned to their work, seemingly accustomed to the presence of the griffons and their riders.
Leon and Mike continued to approach the town, all the while quietly observing the scene.
The official who had been waiting respectfully for the knights spoke, "It is an honor for me and River Creek Town to welcome the Royal Griffon Knights. What orders do you bring today?"
The knight with a red feathered helmet replied, "Honorable Lord of River Creek, we come under orders from the Prime Minister. River Creek Town must recruit 120 brave warriors within fifteen days and send them to the capital for further instructions."
"One hundred and twenty?!" The town's lord was visibly taken aback and looked troubled. "Esteemed knight, even if we count the infants still nursing and the elderly who can barely stand, we only number around fourteen hundred. This order from the Prime Minister is practically..."
"No need to explain further," the knight interrupted, raising a hand. "We understand your predicament, but our mission is simply to deliver the order."
With that, the knight led his two companions back onto their griffons. "We still need to head to Valley Town. We hope River Creek will get through this challenge... no, we hope we all do. Let's go!"
"Shreee!"
As the knight's words ended, the griffons let out a fierce cry, extended their wings, and took off with powerful strokes.
With a rush of wind, the three knights soared into the sky, heading west, disappearing quickly from sight.
"One hundred and twenty people... this is a death sentence..." The lord looked dejectedly towards the western sky, muttering to himself.
"Lord, we should return," said a soldier captain, supporting the lord as he climbed into a carriage. The soldiers followed on foot, and the group soon passed by Leon and Mike, who had already entered the town and were heading towards the central castle.
Once the group was out of sight, Mike whispered, "Wow, there's a lot to unpack here."
Leon, also speaking quietly, said, "There might be a war brewing, and let's not forget about that mysterious area in the southern hemisphere that even Ernio couldn't observe."
"Could be," Mike nodded, his attention shifting from the soldiers to the town around them.
The streets were paved with stone, and most buildings were standalone houses built from wood, stone, and metal. They appeared well-constructed and sturdy.
The locals had converted the ground floors of their homes into commercial spaces. There were small restaurants, taverns, blacksmiths, weapon shops, and general stores. A market area sold fruits and vegetables, while standalone inns catered to travelers.
There weren't many locals on the streets, as most were busy outside the town.
Most passersby were outsiders like Leon and Mike—merchants driving horse-drawn carts, adventurers carrying weapons and clad in armor, and travelers with large backpacks.
The sounds of the town were vibrant:
"Ding! Ding!" The clear ring of a blacksmith's hammer striking metal.
"Freshly baked magical bread with fairy honey! Delicious and filling, just one copper coin for a great start to your day! Come try it!"
"Weapons! Armor! Enchanted daggers and leather armor that can save your life on your next adventure. Great quality at great prices! Come take a look!"
The shouts of vendors filled the air, adding to the lively atmosphere of the town's main street.
As they passed a bakery, Leon and Mike caught the unmistakable smell of freshly baked bread. The aroma was so enticing that they both had an overwhelming urge to buy some.
But that thought quickly passed.
As they walked past the bakery, Mike put his hand on Leon's shoulder and said seriously, "Kid, don't you think that bakery smelled a little too good? Even someone like me, who doesn't care for bread, felt a strong urge to buy it. You think it's magic?"
"Definitely," Leon agreed, then pointed ahead to a four-story inn and suggested, "We've confirmed that magic exists in this world, but before we learn more, we need to secure currency and a place to stay."
"Inns and taverns are the best places to gather information," Mike replied as he glanced around, locking eyes on a fruit stall.
More precisely, on the young boy managing the stall.
The boy looked visibly annoyed, and Mike instantly recognized that the boy had likely been forced by his parents to help out at the stall, clearly doing so reluctantly.
With that in mind, Mike and Leon approached the stall, and Mike asked, "Hey, kid, my friend and I are travelers from the south. We're looking for a reliable pawnshop to exchange some goods for cash. Can you recommend one?"
"Travelers?" The boy, who appeared to be about thirteen or fourteen, sized up Mike and Leon, who was still smiling pleasantly.
"Sure, I can help."
The boy agreed readily, without a hint of suspicion. He walked around the stall and came up to the two of them, pointing ahead.
"Just keep heading north, then take a right at the second crossroads. There's an old pawnshop run by a guy named Jason. It's trustworthy."
"Kid, you're a real gem. Maybe one day you'll be a great knight," Mike said, genuinely appreciative.
"Nah, nah, I'm just doing my part," the boy said, clearly delighted by the compliment, which stirred his dreams of becoming a knight.
Following the boy's directions, Leon and Mike turned right at the second crossroads and found a small alley where a shopkeeper, presumably old Jason, was negotiating prices with a customer.
One reason Mike felt confident the boy had told the truth was the town's honest and simple atmosphere. Plus, the boy was the type to wear his emotions on his sleeve.
After waiting a short while for the shopkeeper to finish his deal, they approached.
Before they could speak, the shopkeeper, who appeared to be at least sixty, asked, "Are you buying or selling?"
"Selling," Leon replied, pulling out a copper ingot from his backpack and handing it over.
Old Jason squinted, inspecting the ingot closely. His expression turned serious as he asked in a heavier tone, "Where did you steal this from?"
"Steal?" Mike responded, clearly displeased, rolling up his left sleeve to reveal a few scars. "We don't need to steal. Some thieves tried to rob us, but they were unlucky. Now, do you understand who we are?"
Mike's scars were real, but his story was a fabrication, designed to coax the shopkeeper into guessing their "identity."
"Adventurers? Mercenaries?" Jason probed.
"What do you think?" Leon replied with a question of his own.
"Look, old man," Mike continued, taking over the conversation. "We just want to exchange some of our spoils for cash. No need to make this complicated."
Seeing that neither Leon nor Mike showed any signs of hesitation, and their demeanor didn't resemble that of thieves, Jason finally relaxed and said apologetically, "My mistake for questioning your background. Follow me."
Leon and Mike followed him into the shop.
Jason placed the copper ingot on a scale, while Leon pulled out several more copper and silver ingots, ready for exchange.
Though no one spoke further during the transaction, Leon and Mike successfully exchanged the ingots for five bags of copper coins and two bags of silver coins.
Once the deal was done, Jason broke the silence, offering an explanation, "Please don't be offended by my earlier caution. The quality of the ingots you brought is so high that I suspected you might have stolen them from the dwarves. If that were the case, it could have been trouble—they're notorious for holding grudges and being stubborn. Best not to cross them."
Dwarves?
Leon and Mike took note of this critical piece of information.
Without showing any reaction, Leon replied, "I understand your concern. But rest assured, my friend and I came from the south. If these ingots were linked to dwarves, we wouldn't be having this conversation."
"Fair enough," Jason said, finally at ease. "If you ever need anything else, feel free to come back."
"Haha, will do," Mike replied with a laugh.
With that, Leon and Mike left the pawnshop without further delay.
They headed back to the main street and straight to the four-story inn, where they paid two silver coins and booked a double room for four days.
Inside the inn, a maid dressed in black and white led them to their room and, with a few quick claps, activated the magically powered lights. She explained, "Clap once to turn the lights on or off, twice for the heater. For other functions, please refer to the manual on the desk. If you
need anything, I'm always at the front desk in the lobby. I hope you both have a pleasant stay."
With that, the maid left the room, closing the door behind her, leaving Leon and Mike looking around with a hint of surprise in their eyes, though their faces remained calm.
After a moment, Leon gazed at the softly lit room with wooden floors and simple yet elegant decor, giving him the feeling of being in a retro inn from the prime universe.
Mike, on the other hand, picked up the hard-covered manual from the wooden desk and flipped through the pages, mumbling as he read, "Free breakfast, but guests are responsible for lunch and dinner. That's fair. Let's see... three claps to turn on the air conditioning, and you control the shower temperature with hand gestures—left for cold, right for hot... What?!"
Mike looked at Leon in disbelief. "This place is way more modern than I expected! I thought it would be like the Middle Ages!"
"Magic combined with technology... it's incredible," Leon remarked.
"Yeah, this is blowing my mind," Mike said as he tossed the manual back onto the desk. Then, he pulled out a small personal computer and began uploading their findings so the company could better understand this world. He also sent out key information to the investigators who were about to infiltrate River Creek Town.
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