One-Eyed Monster

Estev, the Deputy Court Chief of the Liuli City Court of Guards, recently received a letter of greeting. The letter was delivered to him through Luona's Mail Bird System, which was much faster than the standard postal service. The speed of the Mail Bird System made many postmen worry about their future, as birds, after all, didn't require salaries from the Empire.

However, the wise old Estev knew postmen wouldn't lose their jobs anytime soon. After all, the birds used in the Mail Bird System were not common sparrows. Just as not all people could be postmen, not all sparrows could handle such laborious work. The birds used in the Mail Bird System were alchemical creations. It was impossible to convince Alchemists to hand over such things without a considerable amount of gold coins. Thus, the Mail Bird System was, plainly speaking, a novelty that only organizations with power or money could afford. Ordinary folk were still better off writing on paper, sealing it in an envelope, and finding a postman.

Estev unsealed the high-grade stationery delivered by the Mail Bird. He squinted habitually. Years of a life lacking excitement had made him forget many things, but some were deeply etched in his mind. These were like the blood flowing through his veins; to forget them was like obstructing that flow, making his whole body uncomfortable.

Smoking, squinting, and taking chances—these were the habits flowing in Estev's blood.

A faint smile touched Estev's lips; it seemed the letter's contents were not mundane.

The letter had been delivered by Luona's Mail Bird System. At first, Estev thought it was an order from Court Chief Aymond of Luona's Court of Guards. But on reflection, he recalled he was merely a deputy chief. Orders of that nature would only be delivered to the Court Chief. My role as deputy is simply to run errands.

This was indeed not an official dispatch from Court Chief Aymond. It was a letter of greeting, addressed solely to Estev—a greeting from Luona.

The sender was Lord Aevernan, predecessor to Lord Babasha, Liuli City's current mayor. Lord Aevernan now held a high position in Luona's Department of Roads and hadn't written to his old friend in a long time.

Estev and Aevernan shared a good relationship. When Aevernan had been summoned by Governor Rostov, he had wanted to take Estev with him, but Estev had refused. Estev had said he had become one with Liuli City and truly didn't want to make a change.

Estev had his own life philosophy, so Aevernan hadn't pressed him. However, Aevernan often missed his second home, the place where he had striven for many years. And so, Lord Aevernan poured all this longing into his letters, confiding these feelings of nostalgia only to Estev, his good friend far away in Liuli City.

"Old friend, life in the Imperial Capital is oppressive. Every day, people are at your heels, pushing you forward. Compared to Liuli City, life certainly has a sense of urgency…"

"Old friend, the steam car is truly a marvelous invention. When you see it with your own eyes, you'll realize this thing can genuinely change the Empire…"

"Old friend, the pressure in the capital is indeed immense. The Lord Governor is single-handedly resisting the entire entrenched establishment. The path of reform is truly fraught with thorns, but the future is bright. Everyone should strive for this Empire…"

…

Aevernan had written Estev many letters. These letters either described various events in Luona or expressed a certain nostalgia for the relaxed life in Liuli City. Estev always just smiled at these letters. His life was occupied by smoking, squinting, and taking chances; there was temporarily no room for other matters. His replies to Aevernan were also very simple: he would either send his old friend some tobacco shreds or a painting. In short, he would never be like his loquacious old friend, filling pages with long-winded narratives. That sort of thing was too troublesome; for a Fighter like him, it was truly a bit difficult.

Moreover, he always sent his letters via postmen. By the time his packages reached Aevernan, a good half-month would have passed. In that time, Lord Fran would have already sent him many more Mail Birds…

This time, another letter from Lord Fran arrived. A month had passed since the last one. For someone like Lord Fran, who wrote frequently, this was already quite a long interval.

What novelties will Lord Fran mention in his letter this time? Estev wondered. Or is he going to lament the hardships of the great reform enterprise again?

A smile touched Estev's lips upon seeing Aevernan's signature. He had come to regard reading these letters as a new habit. Compared to his old habits of smoking, squinting, and taking chances, this new habit, while not as regular in timing, brought him the same sense of inner comfort.

His old friend's letter was a greeting from not so far away. Regardless of whether his old friend was complaining or expressing joy, he felt a heartfelt sense of gratification.

However, as Estev read today's letter, his usual smile gradually vanished, replaced by a grave expression.

The beginning of the letter still contained the usual warm and caring inquiries; there was nothing special about this, as Estev had seen it many times before. After that, Lord Fran lamented the difficulties of the Lord Governor's reforms, even mentioning that the Lord Governor's own son had been targeted. This, of course, couldn't surprise Estev. After all, he had just recently encountered the young master's protector. Based on his judgment as a Fighter, that young master wouldn't be in any danger. The final part of the letter mentioned the Black Crow, that infamous Dark Organization of the Empire. They had actually started to show interest in Guru Mountain. Aevernan didn't use much ink on this point in the letter. He merely relayed the Lord Governor's curiosity: why had Guru Mountain, a place the Empire had never paid attention to, been targeted by the Black Crow? He hoped Estev could investigate and dispel everyone's doubts.

It was precisely this 'investigation' that made Estev's expression turn grim. It wasn't that Estev had never been to Guru Mountain. One could say he knew more about Guru Mountain than anyone else. However, he was unwilling to mention that mountain range to others and always deliberately avoided the place. To others, it seemed he was trying every way possible to forget that mountain.

It was as if that mountain range, never before noticed by the Empire, had brought him rather painful memories…

Naturally, only he alone knew the secrets therein.

After finishing Aevernan's letter, Estev's brows knitted tightly. It was unclear whether the words 'Guru Mountain' had stirred up bad memories, or if the request from his old friend Fran had put him in a difficult position. In any case, his expression was exceedingly grave—so grave it felt oppressive.

After frowning and pondering for a moment, Estev suddenly picked up a pen and paper and, quite out of character, began to write a reply to his old friend…