13. Corruption

Adolin woke up earlier than he planned.

He couldn’t sleep.

With the caravan escort coming up in a few hours, sleeping now felt like a waste. It would take away the last bit of time he had to himself. He knew it was a bad call. The lack of sleep would ultimately work against him. Still, he chose to stay awake. It would be better for his party members. Of that, he was sure.

He stared out the window for a while. There wasn’t much to see. A few people passed by, and a guard patrol moved through the street. That was it.

He got bored quickly. Back then, when he did this, he always had something to fall back on. Books. Crafting. Even just playing with his cat.

Now…

He had nothing to help him pass the time. He needed a few hobbies. Things he could do alone. That was important. He already wanted to study convenience spells, but he didn’t have any. And creating them… wasn’t possible. Not yet, at least.

Everything he knew about magic, most of it, was built for destruction. For killing. There were a few spells that did other things. But even those, he had learned because they made killing easier.

That left him lacking in convenience. Starting with the most important one.

A spell for the perfect tea.

He really hoped she hadn’t forgotten.
That alone would make the escort a lot more bearable.

Soon, more people started filling the streets. The day had begun.

It was time to prepare.

Starting with his gear.

He still had no idea what was in the bag. He just trusted Lissandra and hoped it was the right call.

After a moment, he pushed himself off the bed. He grabbed the bag, set it on the table, and opened it.

On top was a black cloth with silver embroidery. He took it out and let it hang from his hands. It was a heavy cloak. Waterproof, from what he could tell. The embroidery gave it a clean look.

Adolin liked it.

He looked out the window. The weather was clear, the sky bright. No signs of rain.

Yes. It would rain.

He put on the cloak and pulled the hood over his head. It was heavy, but it didn’t slow him down. And it looked good.

He chuckled.

That was reason enough.

Too bad there wasn’t a mirror.

He wanted to see his face. He knew what he looked like from Dareth’s memories, but he had never seen it himself. He should fix that. For a moment, he considered using a water spell. Then he gave up on the idea.

The next item in the bag was a bedroll. Nothing special. He set it aside and started laying the rest out on the table. Rope. Waterskin. Rations. Bandages. Two small knives. One for skinning, the other for everyday use.

The bag had only the essentials. But it was missing a lot. Hopefully his party members would have what he didn’t. He couldn’t afford anything better. At least he got a good cloak out of it.

He packed everything slowly, then filled the waterskin using mana control. It was the most efficient way. It didn’t require him to talk to anyone about the nearest well.

A few minutes later, he was ready.

He left the inn.

It didn’t take him too long to arrive at the west gate.

The gate stood before him. It was crowded. Far more than he would have liked. The guards had increased their presence. At least a dozen more than before. Three lines stretched out ahead. The noble line moved the fastest. Even faster than those on foot.

Adolin stood in an isolated corner, away from most people. He was supposed to meet someone at the gate, but he had no idea who. Glancing around, he only saw guards, merchants, adventurers leaving on quests, and people entering the city in search of opportunity.

Like Dareth.

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A few minutes later, he noticed a figure walking toward him. Dressed in a dark mage’s robe, with pink embroidery that looked like flowers. As she got closer, Adolin started to notice more.

Jet black hair tied back. A pink hairpin in the shape of a butterfly. She strode toward him, a pout on her face.

She looked familiar.

She stopped in front of him, arms crossed. “Follow me.”
She turned and walked toward the gate.

Adolin followed after her.

She looked annoyed. Maybe even displeased with him. He didn’t know why. Still, he was certain. It was Revel. The one he met last night.

She moved toward the gate, with Adolin behind her.

At the front, she flashed a card to the guard. Adolin tried to catch a glimpse of it, but couldn’t make it out. The guard took a moment, studying the card.

“Lady,” he said, bowing his head slightly as he stepped aside.

Then they were out of the city.

It was faster than Adolin expected. The noble carriages took longer to pass than they did. He wondered for a moment if Revel was part of the nobility, but quickly dismissed the thought. It didn’t really matter to him.

She strode ahead of him without looking back.

They followed a path leading north of the city. To his left stood the walls, while to his right stretched a cleared plain for several hundred meters, ending in a lush green forest. The path was made of cobblestone. Not the best to walk on, but better than the uneven ground of the Demon Continent.

He would get used to it.

Adolin didn’t mind if Revel was mad at him. Or maybe she wasn’t. He still wasn’t sure.

She didn’t speak to him. That part felt peaceful. Aside from the pout he could feel from a few steps ahead.

It took them a few minutes to leave the outskirts of the city.

They passed a few guard patrols, and a merchant caravan with a dozen carts filled with vegetables, clothes, and even spears. A few merchants had set up just outside the walls, selling directly from their carts.

Adolin glanced at them.