Lin Gui had not expected that the shopkeeper's commission was merely the beginning.
As he moved between various shops to purchase supplies for his long journey, the news of him accepting the "Carrier Pigeon" commission spread through the streets like wildfire.
The people in the slums whispered to one another, their eyes shimmering with a light of disbelief.
In the City Lord's manor within New Covenant City.
After listening to a detailed report from his subordinate, the City Lord, dressed in fine brocade robes and tapping his fingers on an expensive wooden desk, frowned.
Candlelight flickered within the study, casting shadows across his face as his expression shifted between light and dark.
“Are you saying that wandering mage named Lin Gui went to the Magic City and came back in one piece?”
His voice carried a hint of incredulous inquiry.
Over the past decade, the number of demons in the wilderness had surged.
Of the guards and adventurers sent out to scout, it was considered a success if even one out of ten returned.
The Black Demon Forest just outside New Covenant City alone was a place that even his strongest knights could not traverse.
They claimed that one could only barely make it through if escorted by a Transcendent.
How had a lowly mage who started as a street urchin managed to do it? And all the way to the Magic City, which was ten thousand li away?
“It is absolutely certain, Lord City Lord,” the subordinate replied respectfully.
“The Everbright Crystal Lamp that sold for an astronomical price at the auction a year ago was something he brought back from the Magic City. The Captain of the Guard saw it with his own eyes.”
The City Lord’s gaze swept over the magical lamp on his desk, which was currently emitting a soft and magnificent glow. His fingers paused, and he slowly nodded.
That lamp was indeed extraordinary; its magical craftsmanship had even captivated New Covenant's best blacksmiths.
“What is the assessment of his strength?”
“According to observations by the Adventurer's Guild, he should be a Low-tier High Rank mage proficient in the elemental powers of wind and earth.”
“As for his true strength... no one can say for sure because no one has ever seen him in a combat scenario.”
“In my opinion, he might be only slightly inferior to the Commander of the Defense Force.”
“Oh?” The City Lord drew out the syllable, leaning forward slightly as interest showed on his face.
A High Rank mage capable of rivaling the Commander was a rarity in all of New Covenant City.
“Should I take some men to 'invite' him to accept the mission to escort the young lady to Caran City?” the subordinate asked cautiously, emphasizing the word “invite.”
“Hmph.” The City Lord let out a contemptuous snort.
“Entrust my precious pearl to a wandering mage from a commoner background? Absolutely impossible.”
He paused. Although the other man's background caused him instinctive repulsion, his daughter's departure was indeed imminent.
For the sake of their family's continuation, the marriage alliance in Caran City could no longer be delayed.
The Dark Tide... it was coming soon, and there was a high probability it would appear on the southwestern border this time.
After a moment of silence, his fingers resumed their unconscious tapping on the table as he gave his command.
“...Wait for him to return. If he can make it back alive and prove his ability and luck, then I shall grant him the opportunity for an audience.”
“Understood.” The subordinate bowed and withdrew.
***
The appointed day arrived in the blink of an eye.
In a dilapidated three-story wooden house in the slums, Lin Gui finished packing the items needed for his long journey. After neatly placing his purchases into his pack, his hands paused.
His gaze shifted to the space under the bed, settling on a locked wooden chest.
With a sigh, he dragged it out and unlocked it.
Lin Gui pulled out a small wooden box, a vial containing a purple liquid, and a book.
Holding the book titled the Heavenly Star Registry, a slender silhouette flashed through his mind. He placed the book at the bottom of his backpack.
The vial of potion was then concealed deep within the pack as well.
Hoisting the pack—which was half as tall as a person—onto his back and cradling the small wooden box in his arms, he left his home.
In a remote, deserted corner, he buried the box in the earth.
With everything prepared, he returned to the street. Taking a deep breath of the cool air, he planted his oak staff firmly on the ground in front of him.
Instantly, a magic circle intricately outlined by flowing silver light surfaced on the ground.
A low, clear chant began to resonate.
Each syllable precisely pulled at the mana in the surrounding space, causing subtle yet distinct tremors.
【Shadow wandering through the void, heed my call】
【With mana as the bridge and the contract as the guide, pierce through the barrier of realms】
【...】
【Come forth, Beast of Burden!】
Mana began to converge frantically, and the air before Lin Gui became blurred and misty due to the energy distortion.
As the final syllable fell with a clang, the center of the magic circle erupted in light.
A massive emerald-green figure solidified from within.
It was a giant lizard covered in thick scales, possessing a sturdy physique and a gentle gaze.
It affectionately lowered its head and nudged Lin Gui's body.
“I’ll have to rely on you again, Old Green.”
Lin Gui patted the giant lizard's rough skin, a rare trace of warmth appearing on his face.
He efficiently fitted the saddle onto the giant lizard he called “Old Green.” After firmly securing the enormous pack onto its broad back, he flipped himself up into the saddle.
“Old Green, to the Adventurer's Guild.”
They crawled slowly toward the main street. When he arrived at the guild entrance, however, he was stunned by the sight before him.
The area in front of the guild was packed so tightly with people that not even water could trickle through.
As far as the eye could see, there were commoners dressed in simple clothes, their faces marked by the elements. Most of them held crumpled pieces of paper in their hands, their expressions a mix of anticipation and anxiety.
Old Green's unusual appearance was extremely eye-catching, and the crowd quickly noticed Lin Gui.
“Look! It's the Mage! He’s here!” someone cried out.
In an instant, the crowd surged toward Lin Gui like a tide.
He instinctively held his oak staff horizontally across his chest, adopting a defensive posture. He watched the closing crowd with a wary gaze.
“What... what do you want?”
Lin Gui’s voice held a hint of tension that was difficult to detect. Being surrounded by so many people made him feel instinctively uncomfortable.
Seeing that Lin Gui seemed to be on guard, the people did not dare to get too close.
An elderly man acted as the representative, speaking respectfully and urgently.
“Well... respected Mage, we heard... that you accepted the 'Carrier Pigeon' commission. Is that true?”
Lin Gui looked around in confusion. The black mass of people before him numbered at least three or four hundred.
“You are the clients? But the commission form clearly only listed fifty-four people.” His tone was filled with bewilderment.
The elderly man, who appeared to be the eldest in the group, took two trembling steps forward.
He looked up, his face a complex tapestry of hope, awkwardness, and deep pleading as he answered on behalf of the crowd.
“The Mage is wise... those fifty-four letters are from the families who first mustered the courage to post the commission five years ago.”
“But over the last ten years... there are far more than fifty-four families like ours who have lost all contact with those in Caran City!”
The old man’s voice choked up, and he turned to point at the dense crowd behind him.
“Almost every household here... has relatives in Caran City.”
“Be it parents, children, or siblings...”
“It’s been ten years. Flesh and blood have been separated, and we don't even know if they are alive or dead!”
A middle-aged woman squeezed forward, her hands tightly clutching a rough apron, her eyes brimming with tears.
“Sir, we know the rules. We know that adding to a commission costs money...”
“But we... we really cannot produce that many gold coins...”
As she spoke, she pulled a small cloth bundle from her bosom. She opened it carefully to reveal a scattering of worn copper and silver coins.
“This was collected from a hundred and four families in our neighborhood... we know this bit of money isn't worth a look, but we only ask for your kindness, Sir.”
“If your journey goes smoothly and you reach Caran City... could you... could you help us ask around for news of our loved ones?”
“Just... just bring back a message telling us if they are well...”
Seeing the people around him getting emotional and on the verge of weeping in unison, Lin Gui felt his scalp go numb.
He quickly waved his hand to stop them.
“Wait! Stop crying! So... you all want to send letters to Caran City too, right?”
The people around him looked at him with teary eyes and nodded vigorously.
“We only want you to bring a word to our families there, to let us know their situation.”
“We wouldn't dare trouble you to carry letters and take up your precious space...”
Lin Gui sighed and rubbed his temples. He had never imagined that simply delivering some letters would involve so many people.
He was aware of the Great Evacuation ten years ago, a crisis that had affected the entire borderlands.
It had been caused by a branch of the 15th Dark Tide, the Eclipse Torrent, which was the closest one to the borderlands ten years ago.
To be precise, it was a secondary torrent. It had crossed the Giant's Chasm and flooded into the borderlands, forcing countless small villages in the region to migrate toward the nearest city-states.
The demons had come too fast, causing many people to get separated or die during that mass migration.
He looked at the people before him who were watching him expectantly. Many were old enough to be his parents or even grandparents.
What made his heart tighten even more were the ragged, emaciated orphans in the crowd.
“Fine, fine,” he raised his voice. “All of you go back and write down what you want to say.”
“I will wait for you at the guild entrance for one hour.”
“One message for seven copper coins. Don't be late.”
“As for the original fifty-four letter owners, you go to the guild first to cancel that commission and take your money back.”
“Just like everyone else, you only need to pay seven copper coins, and I will help you deliver it.”
The surrounding crowd fell silent instantly, their mouths hanging open as they struggled to believe what they had just heard.
Heaven have mercy, adventurers were famous for their greed and for never lifting a finger without profit. Moreover, Lin Gui was a powerful Mage who had returned from the Magic City!
One had to know that even the lowest-tier commission in the guild, such as clearing slimes blocking the sewers, was priced at at least one gold coin! That was equivalent to a hundred silver coins!
Seven copper coins? This was incredibly cheap—so cheap that even the poorest beggar could barely scrape it together.
This wasn't just a discount; it was practically free!
Was there really such a kind-hearted Mage willing to risk his life to deliver messages for total strangers?
The onlookers were momentarily frozen in place, not daring to move for fear that this was all just a dream.
Seeing this, Lin Gui could only sigh. He deliberately hardened his expression, putting on a cold front as he warned them.
“I just happen to have some personal business in Caran City. Bringing your letters is just something I'm doing along the way.”
“There might never be an opportunity like this again, so you’d better cherish it.”
Immediately, a familiar feeling surged in his heart as the people around him poured out their gratitude, repeatedly exclaiming that the gods were protecting them for allowing such a good thing to happen. Then, they scrambled to run home to prepare their letters or messages.
Most of the crowd dispersed, but several dirty children remained standing where they were.
Lin Gui found it strange and asked, “Why are you still standing here? Aren't you going to prepare?”
The eldest boy at the head of the group rubbed the corner of his clothes awkwardly and whispered, “Lord Mage... we... we don't know how to read or write...”
Looking at their ragged clothes and bony frames, Lin Gui felt a bitterness in his mouth.
Having struggled to survive as a seven-year-old child himself when he first arrived in this world, he knew all too well how difficult it was for orphans with no adults to rely on in this cruel era.
He signaled for the children to approach, then took out a self-made charcoal pen and a small stack of rough paper from his pack.
“I’ll write for you. Who’s first? Who do you want to send a message to?”
The children looked at one another before finally pushing the leading boy forward.
“Well, Lord Mage,” the boy’s voice was very soft. “Actually... I’m the only one who wants to send a message.”
Lin Gui glanced at the other children, who were generally under ten years old. He understood in his heart that these children likely no longer had any living relatives to search for. Just like him...
He did not press for details and simply nodded.
“Alright. Tell me your name, who the message is for, and it would be best if you could describe the person’s appearance to make it easier for me to find them.”
“Uh... Lord Mage, my name is Loken.”
“I want to send a message to my mother, Corona Wilke.”
“She has brown hair and black eyes. She should be... forty-eight years old now?”
“Hmm... she always wore several rings on both hands...” the boy tried hard to remember.
Lin Gui wrote down the information Loken provided at the top of the paper, stroke by stroke.
“And what do you want to say to her? Do you want to let her know you're safe... tell her you're here and have her come pick you up?”
“No!” Loken abruptly looked up at Lin Gui. There was no sadness or hatred in his eyes, only a nearly numb calm.
“I want to ask her why she pushed me off the carriage back then.”
“...”
Lin Gui’s pen suddenly froze mid-stroke. He looked up, giving the unnervingly mature and calm boy before him a deep look.
Ultimately, he said nothing more and simply wrote those words exactly as they were on the paper. Then, he folded it carefully and tucked it into an empty envelope.
“I will ask her for you, if she is still alive,” he said, his voice softening slightly.
“Thank you, Lord Mage. This is the payment.”
Seven copper coins, polished until they were so bright they could almost reflect a person's image, were handed over.
Lin Gui did not refuse and silently accepted the seven heavy coins.
Seven copper coins were indeed nothing; they couldn't even buy half a loaf of black bread.
Rate on N.U.
