"I’m new to this region."
An older adventurer glanced toward him.
"Passing through?"
"For a while. I’m hoping to do a bit of exploring before deciding where to travel next."
The older man shrugged.
"Plenty of places to explore, depends what you’re looking for."
Atheline pretended to think.
"I’ve always enjoyed unusual landscapes, you know, the sort of places people rarely visit."
Another adventurer laughed.
"Then you’ve picked the right continent... There are plenty."
A third scratched his beard.
"If you like strange scenery... The Glass Hills are worth seeing. They sparkle at sunrise."
The first adventurer shook his head.
"Nah. Too many tourists these days."
"What about the Whispering Valley?"
"Oh..."
Several people nodded.
"I’ve heard of that. Winds make strange sounds there."
Atheline listened patiently. It was interesting, but nothing felt significant. He thanked them before wandering elsewhere.
Meanwhile, Lilith struck up a casual conversation with a merchant waiting for caravan guards.
"I’ve heard the frontier changes constantly."
"It does."
The merchant sighed.
"Every year another road closes, and then someone discovers a safer one."
She looked toward the map hanging nearby.
"If you wanted to avoid crowded routes... Which direction would you travel?"
He pointed toward several mountain passes.
"Depends on the season. The eastern forests are quiet, the northern cliffs are beautiful, and the western lakes have excellent fishing."
Again... Nothing. Throughout the morning they spoke with caravan masters, beast hunters, herbalists, and explorers. Each conversation was different, and each provided another small piece of knowledge about the surrounding region
Eventually Atheline tried another approach. While sharing a drink with a pair of veteran scouts, he casually asked, "Have either of you ever found a place where navigation becomes... unreliable?"
One scout frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"The sort of place where experienced travelers prefer taking a longer route."
His companion rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"There are a few. Fog valleys, magnetic cliffs, and areas with unstable Aether, though most maps already mark those."
Atheline nodded appreciatively. It was useful but still not enough. Later, Lilith found herself speaking with a woman selling dried medicinal herbs gathered from distant forests.
"Business must take you far from town."
"It does."
The woman smiled proudly.
"I know these mountains better than most hunters."
Lilith casually asked, "Have you ever come across places where beasts behave... strangely?"
The woman’s smile faded slightly.
"Sometimes."
"Corruption?"
"Not always." She hesitated. "Some places simply feel wrong."
"In what way?"
The woman searched for the right words.
"You reach them... and suddenly every bird, insect, and beast goes quiet."
Lilith remained calm.
"Where?"
The woman immediately shook her head.
"I couldn’t tell you."
"It was years ago, and I never went back."
She quickly changed the subject. Lilith noticed. People became strangely reluctant whenever conversations drifted toward places that felt... wrong, as though instinct discouraged them from thinking too deeply about such locations.
By midday, they regrouped outside the guild. Atheline exhaled slowly.
"We’ve learned quite a bit but nothing concrete."
Lilith nodded.
"Everyone knows fragments but not the whole picture. Or perhaps... They avoid speaking about it."
As they considered their next step, an elderly voice spoke from behind them.
"If you’re looking for answers..."
They turned. An old man stood beside the guild entrance carrying a basket of bread. His back was slightly bent with age, yet his eyes remained surprisingly sharp.
Atheline smiled politely.
"Were we being that obvious?"
The old man chuckled.
"Not to most, but I’ve been watching travelers for forty years. You ask careful questions, questions people usually ask before heading somewhere they shouldn’t."
Lilith regarded him calmly.
"We’ve merely been satisfying our curiosity."
"So you have."
The old man wasn’t convinced. He gestured toward the inn across the street.
"I own that place. If you’ve time, I’ll pour you a proper cup of tea."
Curiosity overcame caution. The three soon found themselves seated in a quiet corner of the inn. The common room here was peaceful.
The old innkeeper poured steaming tea before settling into his chair. For a while, no one spoke. Finally, he broke the silence.
"You’re searching for somewhere old."
Neither Lilith nor Atheline answered immediately. The old man smiled knowingly.
"I’ve seen your kind before. Explorers, scholars, and treasure hunters. They all ask similar questions."
Atheline carefully chose his response.
"We’re searching for... somewhere forgotten."
The old man slowly nodded.
"Then let me give you a piece of advice."
He leaned forward slightly.
"If you’re looking for old places..." He paused. "...stop asking about ruins."
The room fell silent. The old man’s weathered eyes met theirs.
"Ask about places people refuse to name."
Neither Lilith nor Atheline interrupted him. He continued quietly.
"Every frontier has stories; old roads, collapsed temples and ancient battlefields. People enjoy talking about those but then... There are the other places."
He stared into his teacup.
"The ones where conversations simply end. Places mothers tell children never to wander toward, and ones hunters walk around without ever explaining why."
He looked back at them.
"Those places rarely appear on maps, but they’re passed down by word of mouth; generation after generation. No one remembers who started avoiding them or happened there. They simply know... you don’t go."
The little fox, which had been quietly sleeping beneath the table, slowly lifted her head. Even she seemed to sense the change in the atmosphere.
Lilith exchanged a glance with Atheline. Neither needed to say anything. Throughout the morning, every useful conversation had ended the same way. People had hesitated or changed the subject.
The old innkeeper’s words lingered in their minds long after they left his establishment.
"If you’re looking for old places... stop asking about ruins. Ask about places people refuse to name."
The advice itself wasn’t a clue. It was a different way of looking for one.
As Lilith and Atheline walked back onto the busy street, neither spoke immediately. Now that they knew what to look for, Atheline began noticing something else.
Whenever conversations drifted toward certain parts of the surrounding wilderness... People hesitated. Sometimes only for a heartbeat and sometimes long enough for the silence to become noticeable.
Lilith noticed it as well.