Durin's Diary

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The visitor's timing was unusual, as Grassland Elves typically don't appear at someone's home around meal times, especially close to dinner.

But this visitor arrived at an odd time and left just as quickly. Durin stood in the yard observing the spherical cabin for three minutes and was still on the small ladder examining the string of numbers when the visitor already stepped out the door.

"I heard you discovered this, child. You're quite lucky," the guest had said upon arrival, which Durin had not noticed. As he was leaving, he took off his hat, revealing features of a half-blood - a height of roughly one meter forty-five, red hair, and he must have been quite old, for Durin saw the melanin deposition on his ears.

These features, unique to elderly male Grassland Elves, served as an important means for many other races to distinguish the sex and age of a Grassland Elf in front of them.

Yet, red hair wasn't a trait typical of the dominant Grassland Elf bloodline.

Others might scorn him for it, but Durin would not. The era from which Durin came taught everyone a reality - that it was foolish to judge a person by lineage. A person is a person, a carbon-based life form with two legs, two arms, and a head.

To measure a person by race, skin color, or appearance was even more foolish.

The only real difference among people in the world is between the good and the bad. Although humans are complex beings, it's their actions that reveal whether they are good or bad.

After all, there is a saying that goes, "Judge a good person by their deeds, not their intentions, for there are no saints upon inspection of the heart; judge a bad person by their intentions, not their deeds, for if judged by their deeds, they would face execution by firing squad."

"Sir, have you finished talking with my grandfather?" Durin bowed his head and offered a salute, as befitting of the younger generation.

"Yes, it was a trivial matter, and now that we're done discussing it, I should be going," said the old gentleman, smiling at Durin's respectful manner: "You are indeed a fine great-grandson of the House of Ailish. I'll be on my way, child."

As he stepped outside, he called someone in, and they began moving the body. Durin, standing up high, saw the corpses being loaded onto the Cardinal Court's trailer - the trailer even bore the emblems of the Tribunal and the Military Intelligence Bureau.

The Cardinal Court, an agency under the aegis of the Elders' Council of the Eastern Elven Territory, includes the Tribunal, the Intelligence Bureau, and the Military Intelligence Bureau.

The Intelligence Bureau was responsible for reading various collected intelligence, reporting directly to the Elders' Council. The reason for its affiliation with the Cardinal Court was that the eleven Elders did not want this department to be too well-known.

The Intelligence Bureau was also the very place old Yishu most wanted Durin to join - in his words, "My child is so intelligent, he would shine the brightest here."

Durin almost stifled himself with restraint - he would rather join the Military Intelligence Bureau and kill than do that. Your cherished great-grandson knew all about that in his past life and would truly outshine and heat up there.

The Military Intelligence Bureau was an outbound department with a large number of people from various races. Some were Grassland Elves, but the majority were descendants of fugitive slaves from other races, accustomed to living in the Elven Territory. Most of them expressed great incomprehension towards the Human World and the slave trade, thus they were willing to aid the Elven Territory in combating the evil nobles and slave traders.

As for the Tribunal, it dealt with all kinds of transcendent crimes. Presumably, their current visit was because of that fellow named Kelan. But someone like that, dead without a trace, it truly was difficult to determine his true identity. It seemed that they were moving the body this time, probably with the intent to conduct a thorough investigation.

As Durin was pondering, he saw another trailer arriving - this one emblazoned with the logo of the Explorers' Guild, featuring a monocular telescope.

Alright, they were probably here to collect the object.

Durin descended the ladder, watching the person in charge from the Explorers' Guild enter. He greeted Durin, "Long time no see, Durin. We'll take this away. In three days, a postman from the capital will come with a chequebook. Don't forget to sign for it when it arrives."

"I understand," Durin acknowledged the young manager, who was Anta's older brother. Devoid of the magical talents of the Aye family, he had instead inherited his mother's combat abilities. Big Anta and Durin were the same age, seven years old.

A group of hooved beastmen responsible for carrying things came in. The muscular creatures secured the cabin with ropes, then four of them hoisted it onto their shoulders and carried it away.

After seeing them off, Durin made his way back and noticed Xialu signaling to him from the window.

That meant dinner was ready.

Just then, a gust of wind whistled past, stirring up the leaves in the yard. Durin dashed through the swirl of foliage, pushed the door open upon arrival, and saw old Yishu standing in front of the giant map hanging on the wall.

He stood at the top of the small ladder, before him lay the land of the Northern Kingdom.

"Grandfather," Durin positioned himself at the bottom of the ladder.

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"Just now, Leon stopped by," the old man said from atop the ladder, his gaze not directed at Durin but at everything in front of him with a wistful tone. "

"That's just the elders being kind." Durin replied softly.

He knew his grandfather was in a bad mood... no, exceedingly bad.

Because Old Yishu would never talk about an old friend like that; usually, he would tell Durin that it had been Old Leon who had just dropped by, a half-blood whelp, we got along well back in the days, now he's working for the Cardinal Court, remember to call him Grandfather Leon next time you see him, just don't call him anything that makes him seem too fresh, I'm afraid the old codger would die of happiness.

But not like it was just now.

Leon was indeed an old friend of Old Yishu, but in this moment, Durin's grandfather seemed to have no desire to acknowledge this old friend.

Old Yishu settled down on the sofa, his eyes turning to Durin. In that moment, Durin saw a man who had lived over a century.

He sighed, "Fabien Aye has had an incident. Leon's people didn't find him at his home. They asked the neighbors, and the last time he was seen was half a month ago."

Durin fell silent.

Fabien Aye, Anta's cousin, once the young master of Lublin, the spokesperson in the eyes of the children, from whose hands Durin had taken over the title of the young master.

He was the only peer capable of keeping pace with Durin's thoughts, and he and Fabien were also the closest of friends.

Three years ago, he left Lublin to begin his rite of passage into adulthood, and now, three years later, he had disappeared.

"Have you asked the police?" Driven by this thought, Durin asked.

"Leon isn't suited for it, but our ambassador in Copenhagen inquired, and the police checked their system as well, found nothing, and apparently, there are forces behind the scenes preventing them from investigating further. If I'm not mistaken, those involved must be the secret police of the Northern Kingdom." At this point, Old Yishu turned to Durin, "I've told Fabien before not to believe in the high-sounding words of humans; their ideals are too empty and laughable, without the possibility of being realized. Now it seems he didn't take my words to heart."

As his grandfather's words trailed off, Durin naturally took over the conversation, "So Mr. Leon came to our house just to tell you about this?"

"Not just that. With Fabien missing, the Intelligence Bureau in Copenhagen needs a new candidate, and someone has proposed to the Elders' Council that you take charge."

Durin chuckled, "I'm only twelve this year."

"Yes, just twelve, but everyone says that the grandson of House Ailish, the young master of Lublin, is equal to this burden." Having said that, Old Yishu patted the armrest of the sofa, and in his eyes, the blue pupils sparkled in the lamplight, indicating that the mood of this old Silver Dragon Magician was extremely agitated.

Standing in his place, Durin ultimately made up his mind, "Please believe in me, Grandfather."

"How can I believe in you? Fabien is older than you; he vanished in the cities of humans, which is a deadly situation, and you, my grandchild, are only twelve years old." The old man sat up straight, glaring at Durin as if to see clearly whether his grandson had gone mad.

Durin bowed his head slightly, "Grandfather, the evil in this world won't spare a child just because of their tender age, and I understand that running away is futile. If I don't go next year, the year after, those people will find ways to make me leave too, simply because Anta is valuable. I am seen as a thief who has stolen the Divine Artifact in their eyes."

The old man's previously unflappable expression finally softened a bit, "You know all this."

"Grandfather, my Old Yishu, if I can't detect the malice behind adult's gilded words, if I don't strike at those who dare to mock the children of House Ailish, how can I continue to be the young master of Lublin?" Durin smiled and sighed, "Accompanied by Anta, I understand that my life will have many adversaries and enemies, but the children of House Ailish have never feared foes or darkness. So don't worry, if I must go, I will, and if one day, my kin become my enemies, I will not hesitate to kill them."

Yishu descended the ladder and came before Durin, the elder wrapping his arms around his grandchild in an embrace.

"Remember, if ever there comes such a day, this little manor, the great house in Lublin City, and I, will all be waiting for your return."

Durin smiled and nodded in agreement.

Sometimes, a single nod speaks louder than a thousand words.