One-Eyed Monster

Dear old friend Fran,

I'm not sure how you are finding life in Luona Capital recently. Liuli City is about to enter deep winter. The snow scenes you enjoy will soon be here, and the whole city will be blanketed by white frost and snow. The trees everywhere will have their branches weighed down by the pure white snow, seeming to bloom overnight with pear blossoms. I wonder if the Imperial Capital also experiences such a sight in deep winter.

I trust you enjoyed the tobacco the courier previously delivered to you? I remember it's your favorite smoke in Liuli City. Perhaps there is superior tobacco in the Imperial Capital, but let this tobacco serve to alleviate your occasional bouts of boredom. As for those paintings, you must take a good look at them. If you could hang them in the main hall of your mansion in the Imperial Capital, that would be wonderful. You have to know, I racked my brains searching through the taverns of Liuli City for a cartographer with exceptional Spirit Power, just to capture these scenes from memory. What these cartographers can produce is far better than my verbose descriptions on this letter paper.

The steam car you mentioned before is indeed superb. However, trackless steam cars are more cumbersome than railed ones. They are not as convenient as horses; after all, not all roads are as smooth as those in the Imperial Capital.

The Lord Governor's reforms are like the wind, fierce at times and gentle at others. When they are fierce, even we, who live on the outskirts of the city, can feel the tremors from the Imperial Capital. When they are gentle, we, as members of the Administrative Office, can sense the subtle, pervasive changes around us. However, opposition to and approval for the Lord Governor's innovations are always evenly matched. These voices echo in our ears every day, making us, who are mere onlookers, feel deeply ashamed. You, old friend, are naturally caught in the struggle, while we remain bystanders from beginning to end. Perhaps we will be the beneficiaries of these reforms. This remote town hasn't seen any young people venture out for a long time. Yonder Travel Academy has brought a glimmer of hope to this remote town. Many impoverished children have begun to harbor dreams, and Yonder Travel Academy is gradually becoming that dream for them. This is perhaps the effect of those promotional billboards by the roadside.

I understand the heavy responsibility you shoulder, and I can deeply empathize with your occasional laments. However, I firmly believe that those burdened with arduous tasks should practice forbearance, exercising restraint and patience towards every matter and person. The slightest lapse could affect the progress of the task.

Presumably, you have also realized this. I have seen your forbearance in the changing frequency of your letters.

Your letter ostensibly offers greetings, but I gather that, in fact, it is for another matter. Despite my dullness, I can still discern the priorities and urgencies of some things. The matter of Guru Mountain, which you mentioned at the end, is indeed rather abnormal compared to the norm, and I feel obliged to offer you a formal response regarding these unusual occurrences.

This is also the first time I have chosen to use the Mail Bird System myself. Normally, I trust couriers more. I always feel that some old habits should not be forgotten. It's the same principle as how smoking with a copper pipe yields a better effect; I'm still not quite used to those rolling papers you use.

I don't know when I became so verbose; I've unknowingly filled the better part of a page without really touching upon the most important matters. It seems that after so long, a sentimental longing for an old friend has developed. Those days we spent smoking together—thinking back on them now still feels very pleasant.

The Lord Governor's son visited Liuli City some days ago. He then eluded his attendants and went up the mountain by himself. I have had contact with the person tracking the young master; he is an old Hunter of considerable skill. With him there, the young master will not be in mortal danger. You may reassure the Lord Governor on this point.

Regarding Guru Mountain, I believe I have more right to speak on this than anyone else. I apologize, but I am unable to disclose the mountain's secrets for now. I can only tell you that this mountain is not as simple as it looks.

You also need not trouble yourself trying to find out what is strange about this mountain. This mountain range, rumored to hold monsters and White Cloud Fruit, has attracted too many people, coming and going. There have been powerful experts and wandering adventurers among them. After so many have come and gone, not the slightest discovery has been made. This is enough to prove how formidable the power is that conceals this mountain's secrets. Of course, I know that power alone will not make you shrink back. If you truly wish to explore it, the Lord Governor will surely send his own elite forces. I am merely offering a well-intentioned reminder: even if the Empire's most elite troops were to scour this mountain, they would not be able to disturb even a fraction of its hidden secrets.

What I mean to say is, the mountain's secrets cannot be obtained by force; one can only wait quietly for them. This is because many ancient secret organizations are still privately guarding this mountain range. Once you antagonize these organizations, the consequences will be unthinkable.

As for Black Crow, while I may not know how vast this Dark Organization truly is, I am familiar with Black Crow's supreme leader. The paramount leader of Black Crow is named Willem, and he is a blind man.

You may know of the organization Black Crow and have heard rumors of their mysterious paramount leader, but you probably do not know that their paramount leader is a blind man.

Willem is a formidable Hunter of old. In order to hone his sense of smell, he once destroyed his own eyes. He also once said incomprehensible things like, "All darkness is merely the beginning; the beginning is also the end."

Do not misunderstand; I have never crossed hands with him. His strength is far beyond my reach. If I were to fight him, I would lose so badly not even my bones would remain.

Willem is indeed powerful, unbelievably so. If you choose to confront him, it is best to make some preparations in advance. For now, I still do not know how many members the Black Crow organization has. After all, those at the leader level within this organization are very good at forbearance, and those exposed to us are merely puppets and walking dead that they exploit.

The organization Willem founded has a circular structure, yet the sole controller is Willem himself. The paramount leader controls the leaders; these leaders manage a host of puppets, and the puppets, in turn, command a horde of walking dead. The walking dead address their puppet superiors as 'Leaders,' while the puppets address their leader superiors as 'Elders.' Apart from these leaders who are respectfully called Elders, no one else has the opportunity to come into contact with Willem. The true core of the Black Crow organization is merely that group of individuals whom outsiders call Elders but are internally known as Leaders.

And to this day, all of our Courts of Guards combined have not managed to capture a single Black Crow Elder.

As for why I know so much, it is because I am well acquainted with Willem. He was once a member of the organization I belong to, but he is a traitor—an absolute, thoroughgoing traitor.

The reason he is interested in Guru Mountain is that he knows the secrets of this mountain like the back of his hand.

Deep winter has truly arrived, old friend.

Willem has most certainly come prepared. He seeks cooperation with the Lord Governor only because, for the time being, he does not wish to make an enemy of the entire Empire. However, based on my understanding of him, he definitely has a backup plan. You must be cautious in all matters. I hope you will give the Lord Governor an extra reminder, because when Willem makes a move, he will absolutely turn the entire Empire upside down.

I have said so much merely to bid you farewell, old friend. For a period of time, I must attend to the other spirit within my body. That spirit shoulders a heavy responsibility and will not be able to return for some time.

I look forward to the day we can smoke together again. This time, I am going to gamble on my luck.

Until we meet again.

Estev Glass Pedro