The Legend of Star Forge
The moment I passed through the city gates, the vast sprawl of the city rose up to greet me.
Long awnings stretched along the streets to block the scorching sunlight, and beneath them rows of market stalls caught my eye. Peddlers wandered about, hawking their wares to travelers—yet none of them approached me.
People as a whole steered clear of me. If someone failed to notice me in time and blocked my path, those nearby would hurriedly signal them to move aside.
Leading Nightmare, I made my way toward one of the inns. Behind the large building sat a small pool, clearly built for the guests’ use.
Just as I arrived at the entrance, a little girl came bursting out from inside.
"W-welcome!"
She greeted me with the same tightly wound expression the gate guards had worn. Her thin shoulders trembled, her face was deathly pale, her lips pressed into a hard line, and her eyes stayed fixed low. The way she looked at me—as if I were something terrifying—left me with a strange feeling.
"You work here?"
"Y-yes!"
"Hmm… I plan to stay a few days. What’s the rate?"
My question seemed to steal her voice; she let out a tiny whimper. Her downcast eyes darted left and right as though she were wrestling with something. At last she answered in a strained voice.
"F-four silver a day…"
That was steep. Was everything in this city priced like that?
While I hesitated for a moment, she quickly added,
"H-horse care is included!"
"You feed them too?"
"Yes!"
In that case…
I nodded and swung down from Nightmare’s back. The horse clearly disliked that; it stepped up behind me and snorted hard.
Pffft— pffft—
Hot breath scattered my hair left and right. It was in a thoroughly foul mood. I reached out and stroked its face.
"Be good and wait. I’ll come see you every day."
I handed Nightmare’s reins to the girl.
"It won’t eat ordinary feed. Meat, please."
"Ah—a Hairan bloodline horse, right?"
"You know them?"
"I’ve looked after a few before."
I nodded at her words. Whether from experience or instinct, she soothed Nightmare with practiced ease and led it toward the stables. The horse’s rump looked especially large as it clip-clopped away.
The girl returned almost at once. No injuries—Nightmare must have settled quietly into its stall. I followed her inside.
The inn’s interior brimmed with an exotic air. Unfamiliar ornaments, the scent of strange spices from unknown dishes, and the heavy, humid desert wind all pressed in on me at once.
The room she showed me was number 305 on the third floor. A bed just large enough for one, a small table and chair—that was all. A place meant purely for sleeping. The one mercy was the attached shower room next door.
"Please rest well, then…"
"Ah—wait."
I stopped the girl as she tried to slip out after showing me the room. At my sudden call her face went pale again.
"Do you know what this brooch means?"
I pointed to the small pin on my chest. Ever since passing the city gates I had been curious about it, yet no one would come near enough to ask. People avoided not only me but even the idea of conversation.
The girl hesitated, then mumbled,
"I-isn’t it the mark of Prince Kashin’s friend…?"
"Friend?"
"Y-yes… I heard Prince Kashin gives those tokens to his friends… Am I wrong?"
I pictured Kashin—the easy confidence in his every move, the way he had approached without hesitation. That had been the self-assurance of high birth. I had sensed something unusual about him, but royalty…
I rubbed my forehead and shook my head.
"No. You’re right."
She exhaled in relief, then backed out of the room with hesitant steps.
Alone at last, I stripped off my clothes first. Sand poured from every fold after the long desert trek—especially from my boots, enough to fill a fist. I finished a hot shower and wiped the grit from my gear as well. Once I was clean, I took my coin pouch and sword and left the inn.
My first task was to gather rumors about Star Forge. I scoured taverns and inns, approached merchants selling souvenirs and antiques, and asked for information. Kashin’s brooch proved useful at every turn. Yet even after combing the entire city until my legs ached, all I could collect were old tales passed from mouth to mouth—and even those changed ending and detail depending on who told them.
The fierce heat of the ground finally eased, and stars that had been hidden by the sun began to appear. Nighttime Burning Road looked entirely different from the day. Red lanterns flared to life as if chasing away the dark, and music of every kind drifted through the air. The dry, scorching wind now carried the thick scents of liquor and heavy perfume; the whole city seemed to sink into a heavier, more languid mood.
That was when it happened. While I idly watched the streets thick with bare skin, a man’s suspicious movements caught my eye. He glanced around, pulled a sheet of paper from his coat, slapped it onto a wall in a flash, and vanished down an alley.
Thoroughly shady. Yet no one on the street paid him any mind—not even the poster he had left behind.
I walked over slowly and read the notice.
I possess reliable information concerning Star Forge.
Seeking adventurers to join me in recovering the lost records of the ancient age.
The journey will be extremely hot and perilous, and no reward can be promised.
Those interested should come to the inn called Hot Tail, located at the North Gate of Burning Road.
"Star Forge…?"
I stroked my chin while staring at the poster. Who was this Shahkan, and how could he claim to have solid information when I had turned the whole city upside down and found nothing?
Just then a city guard approached and reached for the notice.
Riiip—!
He tore it down without hesitation. The adhesive left a messy smear on the wall.
"Excuse me."
"Hm?"
"Why are you taking that down?"
The guard glanced at me and answered,
"You must be from outside the desert. In Burning Road, unauthorized postings are illegal."
He sighed and pointed along the wall.
"See this? From here all the way over there—same man put them all up."
I looked. Sticky residue marked the wall for a long stretch, some of it blackened with age. He had clearly been at this for a very long time.
"That’s rough work. But is anything on those posters true?"
"True? Hardly. Just the ravings of a madman."
I nodded and moved on. A lunatic who had chased one legend for years… Now that was an interesting combination. How could I possibly resist? I headed straight for the Hot Tail inn at the North Gate.
Hot Tail stood in a neglected corner where few people passed—a shabby little place. It looked closed; darkness filled the interior. I pressed close to the door and peered inside when a strange voice spoke behind me.
"W-who’s there?"
I turned slightly. The same man who had posted the notice earlier was crouched low, staring at me.
"Shahkan?"
"Have you come looking for Star Forge?"
"Yes. I saw the poster."
"Oh my… a rare guest indeed. Wait just a moment."
His face lit up with a bright smile. He hurried forward and unlocked the inn door. So he was the proprietor of Hot Tail. He stepped inside and quickly lit the lamps.
"I-I can’t even remember the last time I had a guest… Just a moment."
I entered and frowned. Chairs and tables lay scattered at random, thick with sand and dust from long neglect. Old cobwebs hung in the corners.
"Your skill—what’s your adventurer rank?"
"Adventurer rank?"
"Doesn’t have to be this city’s ranking… I need to know your ability if we’re to work together. So, the rank you held outside the desert… Wait—that brooch of yours…?"
He trailed off, voice trembling as he stared at the blue eagle pin on my chest.
"A-are you one of Prince Kashin’s people?"
His shaking voice and eyes sparkling with strange expectation were more than a little overwhelming. Since I was wearing Kashin’s gift, I simply nodded.
At once Shahkan launched into his story in an excited rush. It was rambling, chaotic, and full of claims hard to believe.
"You can really hear the stories of the stars?"
"Of course!"
"And one of your ancestors was a dwarf?"
"That’s right!"
"All right. Let’s say everything you’ve told me is true. Then what about the ‘reliable information’ on Star Forge that was on the poster?"
"Ah, that…"
He grinned and pulled out two small stones.
"Those are just rocks."
"Not at all. Strike these two together and starlight appears."
When I looked at him expectantly, he began clacking the stones together the way one strikes flint for a spark.
Clack—! Clack—! Clack—!
More than ten strikes. Still no starlight.
"Nothing’s happening."
"Ah… they must be in poor condition today…"
Clack—! Clack—!
Past twenty strikes, still nothing. Then, as sweat poured down Shahkan’s face, a tiny point of starlight flickered above the stones. It was so small and faint that anyone not watching closely would have mistaken it for a spark from flint.
"I-it came out!"
He stared at me, dripping sweat, eyes asking whether I had seen it.
"C-can I try those for a second?"
"Th-these…?"
I took the two stones from his hesitant hands. He stood awkwardly, clearly torn—Kashin’s token kept him from refusing outright. I steadied my breath and drew mana into both palms.
That brief flicker of starlight had carried the faintest trace of mana. And if my guess was right…
Clack!
The instant the mana-charged stones struck, the power coiled around my hands rushed out. It rose into the air and began to glitter like a star hanging in the night sky—far larger and clearer than the speck Shahkan had produced.
"H-huuh…!"
Shahkan gaped at the brilliant starlight. These were no ordinary stones. They were magical tools that responded to mana.
I looked at the glowing light and asked him,
"Where did you find these?"
"Eh…? I picked them up long ago, at a place where a star had fallen…"
The clear, shining star pointed steadily in one direction—as if it wanted to lead whoever held the stones straight there.