Chapter 6
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: EP 2. Stone Mountain
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The southwest is one of the kingdom's roughest lands.
All that's visible are endless rugged mountain ranges. And that's the image people conjure up when they think of the Zhar Region. You're no exception.
If someone asks about the Zhar Region, you've only got one answer: Lots of mountains.
Even if they point out you've lived here from birth to adulthood and still know so little, no need to feel ashamed. They'd be just as clueless if you turned the question around.
Of course, that doesn't make the Zhar Region utterly insignificant. Whether it swells with pride for you or the locals is another matter, but historically, it's like the licorice root in every remedy—always coming up.
Zhar's residents are the first to face the nomadic tribes crossing from beyond the mountains. But they don't trade friendly hellos and invitations home. Zhar's people call the nomads barbarians; the nomads label Zhar's folk occupiers in their tongue.
Unless they're friends or neighbors, the only bond nearby groups form is enmity. Zhar's people have thwarted sixteen nomadic invasions over centuries. Pushed to the brink at times, sure—but they're still standing.
That hard-won experience etched one lesson into Zhar: Always prepare for war. Luckily, iron and stone abound here. Mines too. This is the kingdom's source of the finest iron.
And smack in Zhar's heart sits a massive city, towering atop Stone Mountain.
Wilhelm.
The largest city in the southwest.
Perched on rugged hills, it's served as a natural fortress ideal for defense since ancient times.
You might wonder what the city has to do with fortification, but from memory, security here's pretty rough—with big and small barbarian raids common—so they settled where the terrain favors holding out.
"The Seer sensed an ill wind blowing through the southwest. That's why she sent me to chase down leads."
Lena explained along the way.
Wilhelm's the southwest's biggest city. So she figured to start investigating there.
"Nothing's confirmed yet, so officially, I'm here on church business. Don't go saying or doing anything extraneous, okay?"
"Of course. No worries!"
"...Something tells me not to trust that, but I'll roll with it."
And with that, our real journey kicked off. On the third day, we entered Wilhelm.
Once in Wilhelm, Lena made a beeline for the church.
"I've come to see Bishop Millia."
She told a woman in priestly robes, who nodded and headed off somewhere.
We took seats in the chapel pews to wait.
Even midday, the church buzzed with activity.
I shifted my gaze to the stained-glass window. It depicted gods in all sorts of forms.
This world has different gods for every race, region, and culture.
The faith worshiping the eight most prominent benevolent deities is the state religion: the Holy Church.
"Lena."
Soon, a woman in a long robe approached.
"Bishop. I trust you've been well."
Lena rose, offering a proper bow before speaking.
The bishop looked surprisingly young for her rank. Pointed ears amid golden locks suggested elf blood—or some long-lived kin.
"Yes. I heard from HQ someone was coming—it was you. They must be viewing this matter gravely."
"Or I was just the idlest one available. Mind if we step inside to talk?"
"Of course. But..."
Millia glanced my way.
"And this young lady?"
"She's... my aide. Figured backup wouldn't hurt."
Millia pondered briefly, then nodded.
"Got it. This way."
We followed her deeper in.
The room resembled an office.
Millia settled into an inner chair, gesturing to the facing sofa.
Lena and I sat.
"No need for pleasantries—you're here officially."
Lena's face turned dead serious.
"Agreed."
"Is there anything suspicious afoot in the city lately?"
Millia averted her eyes at Lena's question, then let out a deep sigh.
"One issue—trivial if trivial, dire if dire."
"What?"
"The Lady's... changed lately."
"Changed how, exactly?"
"You know I've overseen the Wilhelm church for years, Lena. The Lady I know is like a honed blade—merciless to foes, steadfast for allies."
Having grown up nearby, you've heard the tales of Wilhelm's Iron Lady like everyone else.
She's a devil cloaked in youthful beauty, a monster gnawing human flesh over bread, a three-headed hellhound gatekeeper—and the spy lurking under your bed or attic eaves, ear cocked to every word.
Stay up late, and she's the brutal punisher who bags you in the night, drags you off to graze on grass alone till death while milking cows dry.
She's also slain more nobles than barbarians these past thirty years, an iron-fisted sovereign. A childhood word resurfaces: "purge." Didn't grasp it then, but "over two hundred" stuck clear as day.
"That's a far cry from the stories I've heard."
Lena smirked.
"I know outsiders paint the Lady harshly. But... it might not be priestly to say, yet objectively, it was essential. Wilhelm politics are a tangle. Hundreds of villages, hundreds of ruling cliques. Too many hands sink the ship—but here, it shatters society outright. This city doesn't need a manager. It needs an enforcer."
Lena shrugged at Millia's explanation.
Hmm. Heavy stuff was flying back and forth. No clue what it means, but I nodded along like syncing to a rhythm game's beat.
8-bit nod.
"Since the new Lady arrived, the city's found peace. Taxes flow steady; laws apply evenly across folk and lands—ruthless to some, sure. But lately, that's shifted. The Lady's lost interest in routine: no more scourging crooked officials or locking up lawbreakers."
"Maybe she figures it's time for a policy pivot."
Lena offered.
Millia nodded, one eye narrowed.
"Could be. But this city runs on fear. Power brokers and clans toe the line, stir no trouble, because they fear her. If she becomes a toothless tiger? The Fear fades."
"When exactly did the change start?"
"Roughly six months back...?"
"Any guesses on the cause?"
"Actually... yeah. Hate to slander, but one figure raises eyebrows."
"Who?"
"Fabian. The lady's current Chief Steward. He rose from mere butler on her favor alone. His ascent synced perfectly with her shift. Frankly, it struck me as odd even then— he's an outsider, with a scant background."
"Then we probe him."
"Easier said than done. She favors him brazenly. A Heretic Inquisitor sniffing around? She might triple the guard and bar meetings outright."
"This is trouble..."
Lena scratched her brow, scheming.
"What if I handle it?"
I piped up.
Both gazes snapped to me.
The sudden spotlight was awkward.
"Nothing's known about me. I sneak in, dig up dirt."
"How, though?"
Lena pressed.
"Like... pose as hired help?"
"Hm. I heard they're hiring maids. It's a huge estate, and the Lady's reputation scares applicants off."
Millia noted.
"What if you are caught, though? The Lady's temper means torture."
Torture.
Lena's words chilled me.
But what's the worst that could happen?
No way it'll go south, right?
You bristle at the coddling. What don't you trust me?
I snorted derisively.
"I told you—I'm gonna be an adventurer. If life mattered that much, I'd till fields back home."
Truth be told, adventuring's not my jam.
But Lia's influence kicked in, so I couldn't chicken out now. Fire surged.
Lena eyed me, and sighed like I was hopeless.
"In the worst case that you are caught? No biggie. The Lady's sharp politically—she will likely sends you back safe, she owes Holy Church one. Plus... she's surprisingly gentle with women."
Millia added.
"Then... it's yours."
Lena mulled, then nodded.
"Fine. Let's try it."