Posts from Horizon of Darkness Auto-translated

It would be wise to start with the surroundings. Perhaps venturing into the city itself could be risky.

-- Wow, we have quite different ideas about risks, -- said the guy, not in disagreement, but rather in the spirit of "we really are a bunch of different weirdos here."

Pervert...

Notice that he didn't ruin the squad's reputation, as he perfectly understands that only Lin knows about the device's functions...

- So, milk, right? - Lin thoughtfully squeezed the melons in her hands, then mentally returned to more pressing matters. - I would also go to the city first, but you, Nikta, have more experience in tracking people, so I'll trust your empirical knowledge. Let's quickly check the surrounding forest, maybe we'll find some tracks or something else, and then we'll decide what to do. Maybe we'll get lucky and stumble upon a cultist lair, cut down some scoundrels, and free the hostage.

“I could really use a good fight right now,” Kalimor sighed.

At some point, Faebleup decided that it wasn't about exploring the local lands, but about something else, but the doubts disappeared when the word "city" appeared in the companions' speeches.

I'm attaching a claw patch to my hat, right in the center.

Mercenary work sometimes offers not only ideal opportunities to perform at the peak of one's abilities but also all sorts of unusual surprises. In this case, it concerns the company – there were almost no ordinary people in the squad, just children of darkness of all kinds. This is only an advantage – while the dull commoners are obsessed with demons and curses, those like them expand the boundaries of reality, open the door to awareness. Through this door, light and thunder, clangor and screech, rumble and chime will pour – the music of the Nightmare will fill the minds of the living and change them beyond recognition.

When it was his turn to introduce himself to the baron and his company, a mischievous thought flashed through his mind to express himself in his most convenient form right here and now. Although, no, a sudden outburst won't work right now, they have an important business meeting. Okay, then let's just put on a solid appearance.
— Radiel, a luminary of musical art, at your service.
The elf artistically waved his hand, and the lute emitted a short, melodic trill.
Yes, too modest. But nothing, the time of the Nightmare will certainly come. For now, earthly music will do.

The new assignment – could it be deeper than it seems? The baron tries to be pragmatic, building theories where the human factor prevails, driven by fleeting desires. However, considering what Radiel himself could do, the abbess's theory of divine blessing didn't seem so unbelievable as it appeared to the baron. In that case, she could have run away on her own, without the help of any scoundrels. And if so, is she as righteous as the abbess says – that she went to the Temple every day to light candles, but now where is she, has the road of adventure led her to sow divine grace? This may seem like nonsense, but faith can lead to anything, as can its denial. Be that as it may, some time has passed since the last news. Perhaps she is gone altogether, as is that investigator.

However, this is only a couple of months, not years, so if not the missing people themselves, some information about their fate should still be possible to find. And if not, well... Searching for lost girls is not the most interesting task in itself, but it can be a good excuse to go on tour in different cities. In this world, there are so many people whose understanding of music is so narrow and meager that they cannot even imagine motives beyond reason and earthly existence. And that's when he will take the stage, bringing the revelation of the Nightmare with thunder and lightning through his unforgettable rhythms.

Radiel was skeptical about joining Araeli's squad. The magic of the Sisters of Mercy cannot heal the dead. It sews back together a misunderstanding of flesh instead of helping to shed the mortal shell. What's the point of it? Unless for those whose fate has not been touched by the Nightmare, it will surely please them. It will take away pain and suffering, leaving behind an empty, powerless void of worldly form, inextricably accompanying from birth to the last breath. To suppress the nightmare, to return to the trap of an awkward form of life – is that really mercy?

"Right now, it would be nice to just hack and slash someone, ah" - Kalimor lamented.

All you ever want to do is hack, kill, and blow things up...

- By the way, Rad (Radiel), guys... If, or rather when, we get to the city and things calm down a bit, I suggest we play a concert. If kidnappers are lurking in the streets, it will serve as a good cover, making it seem like we're not looking for the baron's daughter, but just on tour, and we might even make some useful connections along the way.

Nikta approved the idea of a concert, but refused to participate herself – what could she possibly offer that would be surprising? Tie someone to a target and throw knives at them while blindfolded? That’s hardly a show.

"With such a set of talents, you're more likely to put on a circus performance. And I'd rather do without the sword-swallowing," the voice of the sword echoed in his mind again.

the voice of the sword echoed in their minds once more.

In the heads and meager brains of the slugs*

The mercenaries had an eternity to solve life-or-death problems. But the bird that flew over them didn't have that eternity. By a stroke of luck, **Lin** looked up and somehow managed to jump aside just in time, before the bird droppings fell right where she had been standing a second earlier.

- In that case, I can show you some tricks with disappearing objects, - Fay added, grinning. - But it will take some time, and I don't think people will have the patience.

The mercenaries had an eternity to solve important life questions. But this eternity was not available to the bird that flew over them. Fortunately, Lin looked up and somehow managed to jump aside just in time before the bird droppings fell right where she had been standing a second earlier.

If she were a circus performer, she would have done a somersault, catching the bird's projectile in her mouth, then landing on one knee and bowing to the surrounding audience.

- Oh, you little... bird!! - Dodging, Lin decided it was time to act. - Let's go explore the forest; Nikta, you go ahead and watch out for beasts and other surprises.

We head into the forest.

- I can throw flaming knives at a blob of jelly smeared on a target.