Chapter 172: Plate Gazette

Ned left the manor after taking the time to talk to Twali. Ned was informed that it would take him an additional day to finish all the preparations, which, Ned agreed even if it takes an additional three. He needed to make sure that Twali was prepared for the raid. He doesn't want the team to die a selfless cause, it was his job he requested.

The road ran like a river on both sides, entrenched with shops and shacks visited by hundreds of hunters and merchants alike.

Ned took a carriage. Twali insisted that he accompanied Ned back to his rented place, but Ned declined with a smile. He had enough of people caring for him like a child, it wasn't the intention of Twali but Ned felt otherwise.

Lord Sven's manor was far-west of Sudden Plate, a part of the city wherein most of the nobles had their businesses concentrated in one place. Highly urbanized with freeborns as a center of manpower.

Leaving the west part of the city has been an engrossing event for Ned. Urchins popped whenever the carriage stopped, selling food, monster parts that come in bundles, talismans that repel dark magic (or so Ned thought, more likely a dun with its un-glowing form of stone).

Ned had been stopped by the clogged streets for almost a handful of time, carts, carriages, and even horses parade the street. The streets of the west part of the city were like a feast all day, a shout here and there. It has been a minute since their carriage stopped in the middle of the busy street. The carriage Ned had rented was in a good form of shape: wooden base, braced with yellow metal to keep it all together, a tarp was used as a roof. The carriage could fit four people at once. Ned sat where he could see the Du'kki mountain to his right through the gap of a slim window, to his left was the fountain from the cliff of Bogaressi: where hundreds of wooden and metal lift hoisting up and down.

The cushion was made from leather, but different than ordinary leather. It has a sleek feeling and seemed to stretch commanding on the sitter. It was relaxing for a moment, the air was cool, and the sky has yet to rain.

Ned leaned his back to the cushion, behind him was the coachman divided by a thin wood. Ned has been breaking down Loti's movements inside his thoughts. The stance was fluid like water, yet the burst of energy from his palm was like a flare of a fireball: dangerous, and overbearing. If only Ned could do what the old man did. He let the mana flow from the very veins of his body, guide it to the end of his palm, and in a quick breath to make it explode. Making the enemy fall without knowing what had hit them.

In his mind, after repetition, Ned managed to recreate the movements of Loti. Just like the Water Moon Stance, Loti took a step forward, positioned his arms across his chest. Then in a sudden movement, Loti stretched his left hand forward, leaving a trail of gust swirling around his arm then threw the energy he accumulated to the tip of his palm. With a bang, the air exploded. Every movement was accompanied by mana, making the limbs stronger without exerting too much force. Ned then imagined—

A knock then came through from his left. Behind the double-door with a thin window formed a silhouette. It wasn't rapid, but it seemed that the figure somewhat forcing Ned to open the door.

With a rolling handle, Ned pulled down the thin glass. A boy around six or seven emerged from behind. An urchin, as what the people of stature often said. The boy's hair was brown—supposedly, it was smudged with dark soil making it look like a stack of hay left for days to rot. His arms were slim and tender—an urchin it is. Of course, Ned thought, cocking brows. There won't be an economy without the balance of the poor and the rich. There must be poor for every rich there is.

"Kid," Ned said, leaning an arm over the bracket of the open window.

"L-lordling?" The kid said, brows furrowed. Seemed reluctant after seeing the person inside the carriage was a kid. Maybe a little older than his brother—if he has one. "Care for Plate Gazette?"

"Newspaper?" Ned said, looking at the paper the kid held. A series of images and writings on both sides. It seemed wet from the sweat of the kid's forearm.

"The what lordling?"

Ned waved a hand, dismissing his and the kid's thoughts. This wasn't Paris anymore, Ned thought. "How much?" He said, looking below the kid.

The kid stood around four nearly five feet, but the carriage's broad wheel made Ned towering.

The kid wore pants with sewn off clothes, patching the holes he once accumulated on the streets of Layward and Turntab—streets famous for taverns and cheap prices of food, this street was also the hub for hunters looking for cheap products. This indicates that Ned was leaving the urban side of Sudden Plate.

"Half a silver for today's accounts," the kid said, looking up at Ned. His pair of boots wasn't uniformed, one was black with green laces, and the other was a boot cut-high till his knees.

Ned reached for his front pocket, coins then clicked from his dimension to his hand.

The kid gave the folded papers to Ned, waving a hand after receiving the three silver coins. He didn't say any words, he must have gotten tips quite often.

Ned unfolded the paper, it looked new and smelt new. In front, above center, bold writing in the kingdom's written language was read: 'Plate Gazette'. Below, were tiny scribbles of the date: 'Second day of Upper Fire Month'.

"That kid," Ned said, grinning. "This was from yesterday. So that is why he was in a hurry to leave." Ned then flicked a finger on the paper, somewhat unfolding it. Ned cocked a brow, turning for the next page. There, he saw the contents of the gazette, which made his curiosity aroused unintended.

The title of the article was read: 'The Griffith Kingdom Made a Move?', and was written by a Bronze Ranked Explorer Bela Enilla n Figaro.

The content tells about the Kingdom of Griffith sending their royal soldiers and royal hunters on a remote island. This has been done by the kingdom quite often, and it was normal for it to send for expeditions. According to the Bronze ranked explorer and writer, this time it was different. Some reliable sources tell that the expedition was accompanied by the Royal Confidant himself: Berlenius Cadoc Pendragoon—the brother of the previous king and an adviser for the king. The article continued with the expedition that started a month ago and was now halfway between the unnamed island. Some testimonies say that the Royal Expedition was making a stall but the truth was that they were going to the Great Divide to make a truce with the Empire of Zolin—the writer has even named the truce 'The Treaty of Island Versal'.

The article ended with a question from the writer: 'How does the Royal Expedition connected to the missing Royal Knight and Diamond Ranked Hunter Ser Edwin Tulor Godefroy the Silverthorn of House Godefroy?'

Lies, Ned thought. Folding the paper and stacking it beside him—uncaring. The road wasn't bumpy, it was made of cobblestones and bricks combined—making a unison of squares that looked pleasing for the eyes. Outside, Ned heard a whip lashing, making the carriage move. Yet, after a minute of turtle trotting, the carriage stopped once again, and Ned hoped it will be the last. Another knock came in through the other side of the window. It was the coachman in an artist hat. A pointy nose that looked like it could pick a smell from a great distance.

"Lord kid," he said, reaching a hand over the gap of the window. "Your papers, please."

"My paper," Ned whispered. "Again."

The coachman has been doing this for almost six or seven times during their ride. The city guards of Sudden Plate were strict in terms of security, each traveler they deemed unfamiliar and foreign were stopped to hand their certificates or House papers.

It seemed that having silver hair was foreign to them. The guards, the almost twenty guards, looked at Ned with wary as they checked for his papers. Dusky blue eyes and silver hair means that he wasn't a native of both Sudden Plate and Bogaressi, perhaps the whole region itself.

After seeing the House of Wood's mark on the paper, the guards let Ned and the carriage passed through. Passing this point means they were leaving the urban side of the city and entering the somewhat not-so-urban and not-so-poor side of Sudden Plate City.

An hour and a half it took Ned to reach Forgotten Pint from Lord Sven's manor. Ned gave a gold coin to the sniffing coachman, and the coachman waved goodbye with a smile reaching his ear.

There, Ned was welcomed by the gloomy sky and a pour of heavy rain accompanied by thunders.