Registration

"Now, you should head to the town hall to register first. If you have any questions, you can ask the staff there." Kiddy unloaded the last crate of cargo, clapped his hands, and said to Blant.

"This is as far as I go with you."

"And you? Where are you headed next?"

"Where to? To get some rest, of course!" The bald man laughed heartily, then suddenly stopped, and awkwardly pointed behind him. "Well, they are going to rest first... I have to report for duty, and... handle some comforting work."

During the previous battle with the bandits, Kiddy's escort team had not escaped casualties. At least right in front of players like Blant, one of the guards had fallen in battle. Dealing with the compensation and condolences for the families of the fallen was always a headache-inducing task.

"Don't worry, Marco's family has all passed away, he has no lingering attachments, so that's easier to handle. As for the other two... well, it's not much different either."

Kiddy rubbed his nose. "People like us live life on the edge of a blade every day. Losing a partner or a comrade is something we've long been accustomed to. No doubt... their families were prepared for this as well."

"So, you guys need to live well." He patted Blant on the shoulder, glanced at the surrounding players, and then turned to leave.

In the distance, the merchants were still discussing final arrangements with Kiddy's subordinates. One of them ran over to debrief the bald captain. Kiddy had a booming voice, so even from a distance, Blant and the others could still catch fragments of his rough speech: "Great job... made a good profit this time. Once we send them off, head over to the Floral Tavern, drinks are on me! Hahahaha..."

A faint smile touched the corner of Blant's mouth, and he was about to turn and leave when an elderly voice suddenly sounded beside him: "Trails of Azure."

Blant's smile faded: "Master... Kustan."

"Oh, I'm no master." The old man leaning on a wooden staff slowly walked over. "And you don't look all that happy, adventurer."

Blant did not answer, simply waiting quietly.

"Well..." Kustan's back was hunched as he slowly turned around. "The destination has been reached, and I am about to leave. Matters here... shall rest at that."

Without another word, he walked slowly into an alleyway. Blant hesitated for a moment, said a word to Mengzhu, and then gave chase.

This was a narrow alley situated between two houses. Even though it was broad daylight, the surroundings here were somewhat dim. However, the dimness had not reached the point where things were invisible, so when Blant caught up and looked down the short alley that afforded a view from end to end, the shock in his heart was palpable.

Where were people?

"I heard about you from little Christine."

Blant looked up, down, left, and right, but still could not find the old man.

"I am very sorry, but as a Weaver, one must not arbitrarily interfere with the fate of others, unless... this was not the fate that should have been theirs."

His shoulders slumping, Blant gave up searching for that immortal-like figure—it seemed the legends were true; these people really were elusive experts who came and went without a trace.

"The avalanche before was a sin of my own making. Therefore, I saved you all to atone for that sin. As for your destiny..."

The old man's voice grew low. "I cannot see through it."

"Choices determine destiny, and destiny weaves the future." The old man's voice gradually faded into a whisper. "I hope you will bear this in mind."

The voice vanished.

Blant stood at the entrance of the alleyway, waiting quietly for a while. After finally confirming there were no other messages left behind, he turned back and returned to the previous city gate. By the roadside of the original gate, only the young girl in the purple cloak stood there with her hands behind her back; the other players had presumably already left.

"Did you catch up? What did you guys talk about..." Seeing the young girl skipping over to pull and tug at Blant with endless questions, a subtle, imperceptible ripple stirred in Blant's heart.

"He said... well, his general meaning seemed to be that the reason he helped us was because he had almost harmed us earlier."

"Ah?" Mengzhu blinked in confusion for a moment, then let out an exclamation of sudden realization. "Could it be that avalanche..."

"How would I know? Maybe it had to do with him, or maybe it was just an accident..." Blant spread his hands. "But since it's turned out this way, we can use his gifts without any guilt."

He turned around to search for the path leading up the mountain. "It's what we earned."

"Mm-hm." Mengzhu nodded in agreement, though judging by her expression, she probably would have used them without any guilt even without knowing this.

Things that fell into her hands were generally very hard to get back out.

"Where are we going next?" the young girl asked excitedly.

"Naturally... to register," Blant replied.

"Do we really have to go?" Mengzhu said. "I think we could stroll around for a bit first... Ow."

Blant pulled back his flicking finger. "When can't you go shopping... Since we were instructed in advance to go there, we'd better make a trip first. This registration setup, while seemingly a management method for Windflower Town, is actually a game—well, a tutorial."

"A tutorial?"

"Yes, a tutorial. Once we get there..." Blant looked around. "We'll gain a much better understanding of this place called Windflower Town."

Aside from the circular area at the foot of the mountain city, the streets of Windflower Town were almost entirely built along the mountain. They wound upward in a zigzag pattern, interspersed with occasional straight, steep flights of stairs.

However, unless they were in a rush, ordinary players and town residents preferred to walk along the main roads, which were not only spacious but also offered views of the mountainside scenery. At this moment, Blant and Mengzhu were walking along the path halfway up the mountain, gazing into the distance while heading toward the town hall.

After making a few brief inquiries earlier, they learned from a town resident that the town hall was located right in the middle of Floral Dance Avenue. As for Floral Dance Avenue, it was said to be a very easily recognizable street. Situated halfway up the mountain trail of Windflower Town, it was a street lined with... the greatest number of flowering trees.

Of course, this was limited to the warm season they happened to find themselves in.

As the two walked slowly onward, their field of vision gradually rose. Through the fluttering petals and leaves filling the sky, the scenery of half the mountain city gradually came into view. Rows of houses, bustling markets, wisps of cooking smoke rising into the air, crowds of people flowing in a continuous stream... Occasionally, flocks of birds darted across the sky with cheerful chirps, dancing alongside the petals and leaves, accompanied by the warmth of human habitation. The sun hung high overhead, appearing and disappearing among the drifting clouds, while the mountain breeze blew directly into their faces, equally coming and going.

The two chatted idly as they walked. Because they were constantly climbing upwards, they occasionally paused to rest, feeling the mountain breeze and taking in the scenery. Due to the high altitude, the wind grew gradually stronger, prompting Mengzhu to pull down her hood. The young girl's golden braided hair fluttered to one side in the mountain breeze, making her look like a sprite dancing on the wind.

"If a town like this existed in the real world, I'd definitely find a way to settle down here," the young girl murmured, smoothing her hair.

"Reality... you can barely find a place like this anymore," Blant poured a bucket of icy-cold water over her fantasy with absolute ruthlessness, then turned his head to look over. "Still, in the game, it's entirely possible."

He pointed to a house on the other side of the road. "Look, the town residents all live here. When you have money one day, buying a house right here wouldn't be bad at all... or you could build one yourself..."

"Hmph, land plots in games are way more expensive than in the real world, don't think I don't know," the young girl crinkled her nose. "Besides, dealing with those NPCs is such a hassle. Without grinding some favorability or reputation, they won't even open a window for you... And even if you have the strength, you still have to deal with other players in the end..."

Real estate in virtual games was basically the highest-tier resource available to players. Having a property meant having a stronghold, a place to call home. Many things in the game that couldn't be let outsiders know or that people wouldn't dare to do became possible here. To take a step back, even if you had no secrets or ambitions and just bought a place to open a shop, it was still a massive enterprise—provided the location was well-chosen.

Therefore, the heavyweight profession of real estate held an equally heavyweight status within the game.

Precisely because of the importance of such fixed property, plots of land and houses in every virtual game became fiercely contested territory for many players and major factions. Consequently, when players considered purchasing real estate in the game, they inevitably had to deal with major guilds or wealthy cash--shop players. If relations were relatively amicable, your property remained yours; if you were careless and capsized in the gutter, that was considered the lucky outcome.

Other games were like this, and New World was no exception. According to Blant's understanding, a massive event related to factions had occurred in New World not long ago. The final outcome of that incident was that Jianghu, the top guild of the Alliance, completely uprooted the forces of Wings of Freedom, the second-ranked guild, in the capital of the principality, Tania. Their members were placed on a blanket wanted list, and their assets were entirely confiscated by the principality. Regardless of which other factions eventually carved up those assets, they no longer belonged to the members of Wings of Freedom—this was the greatest setback Wings of Freedom had suffered since entering the game of New World, and even since entering the virtual gaming industry as a whole. They were forced to move and develop within the borders of the Empire, where the high-pressure policies were even harsher, and they ultimately managed to establish a difficult foothold in the imperial capital, Redcar, gradually forming a standoff with Jianghu that mirrored the political confrontation between the Empire and the Principality.

Perhaps the current military conflict between the Empire and the Principality was also the result of Wings of Freedom stirring up trouble behind the scenes to take revenge on Jianghu. After all, as everyone knew, the military strength of the Principality of Elnefia had never been anything to write home about.

Negotiating a few more bends, Blant and Mengzhu finally arrived at Floral Dance Avenue. This was the place with the most drifting catkins in Windflower Town, and also the most beautiful. Blant even spotted several players sitting by the roadside ahead, shouting back and forth as if they were camping. Unlike urban planning in the real world, plenty of space had been left on both sides of the streets in this town, not only for planting flowers and trees but also to provide recreational space for passing tourists. The widest sections on either side of Floral Dance Avenue had even been converted into a garden. Lush varieties of flowers and plants were surrounded by shrubs, decorating the area and forming a lovely pattern. Many people, whether players or local residents, sat in the gardens, breathing in the fresh air and relaxing their exhausted minds.

What a cozy town... Blant thought, then walked with Mengzhu toward the opposite side of the garden.

A tall, castle-like structure stood proudly there. Outside the perimeter of high lime walls on the front side, there was an arched stone bridge. A babbling stream flowed down from the higher mountain, passed beneath the bridge's arch, and then flowed toward the mountain slopes on the other side. Behind the small bridge stood a grand gate, its two massive leaves currently swung wide open. Through the opening, one could see the interior of the Western-style castle building behind it, where people bustled back and forth in a busy scene.

A wooden sign hung above the square gateway, bearing a few characters.

Windflower Town, Town Hall.

Perhaps because it was during a busy hour, the crowd streaming in and out beneath the wooden sign seemed ceaseless. However, just outside the gate near the head of the small bridge, Blant noticed a rectangular wooden table where various documents, foods, and fruits were placed. To prevent the strong winds from blowing those items away, some heavy wooden boards had been propped up on the windward side, shielding one side of the table securely. There was even a canopy overhead, blocking the relentless, daily sunshine.

"Looks like that's the place," Blant said, walking toward it.

"What is that place for... Hey, hey, aren't we going inside?" The young girl, still lingering in her fascination with the beautiful scenery of the garden square behind them, was momentarily dazed.

"Didn't you see that sign?" Blant motioned with his chin toward the wooden boards beside the square table. On this side of the heavy boards, a sign stood upright: Registration Desk.

"That handwriting is so ugly," the young girl wrinkled her nose, then followed along.

The staff members were extremely enthusiastic, as this meant a few more people had emerged from remote mountain villages to join the ranks of Windflower Town. They warmly introduced the general situation of Windflower Town, explained the frequently used areas and their purposes, outlined basic precautions, handed them some food and fruit, and gifted them a map.

"This is a map of Windflower Town and the surrounding areas," one of the female staff members said with a smile, turning to them. "Please make good use of it, two adventurers."

"See, I told you it was a tutorial," Blant smiled as he accepted it, then whispered to Mengzhu, "So making a trip here was never a mistake..."

"I know, I know..." Mengzhu replied in a voice equally soft, thinking to herself that the deadbeat uncle was going to brag about this for a while.

"We basically understand the situation now." Unlike the village chief in the starter village, this briefing was very concise and succinct. Once Blant had heard all the precautions, he very modestly continued to seek guidance: "Now... where should we go?"

"Ah... you can do whatever you want," the female staff member replied. It seemed she was the designated public relations representative. "However, if you'd like a suggestion... you can check out the Adventurer's Guild first. That's the home of adventurers, and it might be of some help to you."

She extended a hand and pointed down the distant stretch of the street: "The Adventurer's Guild is straight ahead. If you pay attention... you should be able to find it."