At some time in some place, Beata began writing a diary.
***
Well then. This is a diary. I'm supposed to describe everything that happened to me.
I was born in one of the villages of Buruaki... Quite a hole, of course. At first, all I could do was cry, drool, and suck on my mother's br...
But actually, you know, I'd better start with how we arrived in Margel!
So... In order. I didn't get into this adventure alone, but with my trusty partner!
Guillon is my friend and comrade for several years now. The story of how we met is quite tangled, but the main thing is that I saved him from a fate worse than death! He's a bit of a coward and a paranoid, but a very clever guy; I trust him as I trust myself. And also... I love him. I'm so glad I told him about my feelings and that he loves me back! After everything I put him through, he loves me! I'm happy. He's the closest person to me. And he's very cute ❤️
Day One
We arrived by ship with a fair wind. The sun was shining, birds were singing, and we also met a girl named
Linette. A very nice person, she was kind to us and pointed out the route to the adventurers' guild! I'll have to check that out when I have free time, ha-ha! She also asked if we were a couple. She saw right through us!
When we got off the ship, we were searched! A very grim guard named
Viktor. He really didn't like the decorative element on Guillon's armor and demanded he take it off. So what if it looks like a skirt! I think it looked very cute, giving Guillon's image a touch of lightness and elegance... No, Viktor is definitely a tedious, nasty type. But every cloud has a silver lining – Guillon made such a funny face when he was disarmed that I couldn't help but laugh!
Other than that, no complaints! Even my lockpicks didn't raise any suspicion. A free country, you can carry lockpicks, but you can't walk around in beautiful armor, huh. Tch!
After wandering the street, we heard that Her Highness Princess Naria is looking for people for some kind of work, and she was last seen near the theater! Such luck, to catch her there!
We rushed to "
Phantasmagoria". The most luxurious, pompous place! Gold stucco, velvet drapes! And yet – free entry, absolutely everyone can partake in art! I think it's very nice of management. Especially with the spectacles they had there.
They were showing a very amusing play about the life of a married couple in the forest. The plot – banal, the sets – well, average. But the director is a true master! He spiced up the boredom with explicit scenes glorifying love and beauty! I think it's a very subtle and interesting approach, giving the play new meaning. After all, what could be more natural and beautiful than the naked human body? And what could be more joyful and pleasant than the act of carnal love? The director definitely gets it! Unlike the local authorities. They hauled everyone away, didn't even let us finish watching the play, no respect for art!
After the performance, I managed to catch
Her Highness. A beauty, a clever one, but a sly fox, oh so sly! Respect! True, she said it wasn't the right place for an interview and invited me to her palace. Oh well.
When Guillon and I were leaving the theater, we noticed one director,
Antonius, I think? He was flirting with some actress! The guy was taking life by the horns, yeah! Though the plays he put on weren't great, from what I gathered from the discussions. Oh well, it probably wasn't worth killing him over a lousy play... Or maybe he just got caught in the crossfire... Right, okay, I'm getting ahead of myself.
We liked the city and decided to stop and live here. We mulled it over and decided that "
The Hearth" was perfect. And you know what? No regrets! A very cozy establishment, only 3 rem per day, soft beds, clean floors, hot water never gets cut off! True, you can't rent a room for less than a month. That's a bit off! But the cozy atmosphere makes up for this small drawback.
And the establishment has a very colorful owner – a dwarf woman named
Faemira. Oh, the theater is crying out for her! A very, very colorful personality. To my shame, I first mistook her for a young handsome guy; I don't know many dwarves 😅 But we quickly found common ground, though not completely! O-oh, it was fun!
We asked her where we could get a bite to eat, and she tipped us off about "
The Young Drowned Girl" in the port. A most wonderful establishment! Windows overlooking the sea, a gentle breeze, the cries of seagulls, the freshest seafood caught right before your eyes... A bit pricey, but you feel like royalty! And the food is delicious!
And that's where we messed up. A charming little waitress named
Anna came up to us. A beauty, just a beauty. A uniform that emphasized all her assets and left little to the imagination. And then... Oh, what a laugh! Faemira said a mysterious phrase to us, and we thought it was a discount code 😅 So Guillon blurted it out... To Anna's credit, she didn't even bat an eye! She just politely explained that he was being silly. If you could have seen the look on his face – whenever I remember it, I just crack up.
After a hearty lunch, I went to take a nap, and Guillon ran off to look for work. And rightly so, what are we going to live on?
When Guillon got back, we decided to partake in high culture! Actually, Guillon decided and dragged me to the
Museum of Imperial Conquests. Their exhibition is very interesting! The Emperor's wife is magnificent, and her dress is even more beautiful! Now I understand who Her Highness takes after – such a beauty and with such fashion sense! And they also had an awesome full-room-sized trabant and a Lunarian gag! And a dried squid that supposedly fell from the sky or something. Well, and many other interesting artifacts, I can't remember them all.
The guide,
Mika, was very nice! She didn't even frown once while Guillon and I were whispering behind her back and laughing. And she told the stories interestingly and in detail. Respect to her!
Then Guillon ran off to work, and I decided to stretch my legs a bit more. I popped into a
souvenir shop next to the museum. The portraits there, oh the portraits! Both Her Highness and the other Highness, gorgeous! And they sell them for one rem each. Idiots, aren't they? 😄
But the saleswoman,
Philledela, is a busy lady! She didn't even look at me while I was hanging around. I wonder if she would have noticed if I'd taken a portrait of Her Highness for ten thousand from right under her nose? It would have been fun to try. Out of sporting interest.
But it was time to head home. On the way, I wanted to find out about "
Ice Mountain", but it turned out to be a residence of knights, and they wouldn't let me in. Boring, boring people! I just wanted to look! Both at the castle from inside (and from the outside it's beautiful! Snow-white walls, blue roofs, really like an ice mountain!) and at the handsome knights!
Went to sleep without waiting for Guillon. He got himself a stupid schedule...
Day TwoHad trouble sleeping in a new place, so we lazed around longer today. There was no point in going to see Her Highness since we only got up by lunchtime. And speaking of lunch...
We decided to try having lunch at "
Pam-Parama". O-oh, the best decision in my life! Now I adore Zimivian cuisine! Borscht with pampushki, meat stew in pots, pies with all sorts of fillings, syrniki, dumplings, rassolnik, and okroshka! Just writing it makes me drool... And the atmosphere is cozy, wooden furniture, embroidered curtains, divine aromas from the kitchen – simple and tasteful!
The waiter
Christoph is very nice and polite! Always ready to recommend something tasty! And very good-looking!
True, we weren't allowed to have a peaceful lunch. A nasty mustachioed killjoy showed up – Guillon later said his name is
Draco Mellis and he was helping him with work – and started scolding me! Saying I was dressed disgracefully! What's disgraceful about it, I don't understand! Has the guy never been to a circus? Never seen acrobats? Though yeah, if he went to a circus, he'd start scolding the clowns for joking...
And the most annoying thing is, Guillon almost agreed with him! Well, not exactly agreed... He reminded me that a terrible new law is coming up for discussion, and suggested I think about
another option for clothes. And I suggested he think about an
option where I'd have my fun before the law passes! And that boor Draco butted into our conversation! Seriously, if Guillon hadn't been stepping on my feet so desperately, I would have ripped his mustache out!
Then we went to "
Chronos" next door. So many clocks, the ticking gave me a headache! A nice-looking little shop. We decided not to buy anything yet, just looked around. Although I suggested Guillon get a watch, he refused.
And the seller,
Quentin, is very handsome! He just sat there, tinkering with something – repairing it, I think. A jack of all trades!
From the neighboring shop, we could hear the clang of weapons, so we stuck our heads in! We ended up in "
Upgrade" and were wrong – no one was forging weapons there, only improving them. But that's even better! I loved my crossbow, and Guillon has wonderful blades.
Orros, who did the improvements, kindly explained how he improves and enchants weapons and armor. He's clearly a fanatic about his work, otherwise why would he hang around the shop in a closed helmet? Not for safety! Though who knows, who knows...
Since it was time for Guillon to go to work and for me to go home, I left him wandering the alley and went back to "The Hearth".
Almost right next to our new home, I saw a very optimistic sign – "
Everything Will Be Alright"! Naturally, I went in. I so want everything to be alright! And I didn't regret it, it turned out to be a very cozy place, quiet and peaceful. Just the thing to take a break from the world's worries.
...yeah. A shrink's office.
Richard's. A very nice and intelligent man! We had a great chat, though luckily I don't need a shrink. Not yet... Although, after everything I've been through...
From there, it was a stone's throw to "The Hearth". I made it and went straight to sleep.
Day ThreeFinally got around to going for an audience with Her Highness.
On the way, we passed by
Antonius Blake's dacha. A nice one-story house, avocados and a big spreading tree growing in the yard. For some reason, guards were gathered near the entrance, but I didn't think anything of it... As it turned out later – I should have.
Her Highness was with her bodyguard – a rather creepy Lunarian named
Aria. Oh, what a look she had! I felt very uneasy. It seems like one word from Her Highness, and she'd kill absolutely anyone without batting an eye.
The audience was boring. Turns out Her Highness had no work for me; she got my hopes up for nothing. She sent me to some mercenary guild, mentioned a new one had just opened. Better than nothing!
On the way, we had a snack at "Pam-Parama". Christoph suggested we try the pies! Food of the gods. I'm sure that Arcelia ate exclusively pies in her lifetime, I'd bet anything on it! They never get boring, there are so many different delicious fillings! Meat, cabbage, kasha, apples, cherries, farmer's cheese, onion and egg... Something for every taste! Anything you can put in dough makes an excellent pie filling!
After the pies, we reached "
Carneol", that's what the new guild was called. Beautiful! They got themselves a great building. Spacious and presentable.
A girl from Heleth was hanging around the entrance. You could tell from afar she was very talented! Very, very! I've rarely seen anyone more talented. We went up to her and asked. Turns out her name is
Kilika, she works at the guild, and she's very nice and cheerful! She told us to write a letter, and the guild leader herself would come for the interview! Now that's service!
Then Guillon and I split up. He went to wander around the port district, and I remembered yesterday's conversation. What if they actually pass that nasty law and force me to dress in a sack?
I headed to "
Abundance". Such an interesting store! My eyes were wide. They have everything, absolutely everything; the name truly reflects the essence of the place! And I bought myself some pretty clothes there! They even sell lockpicks, that was unexpected.
Only the seller,
Arthur, seemed kind of sad. I asked what happened; he suggested I read today's newspaper... Well, I bought it, read it...
...Antonius was killed. With a crossbow. Who, who?! I remembered the threats that were sent to me before I moved. Letters from different addresses came, saying I'd be thrown in jail or sent to the block... That's why I moved. And now this setup! I panicked, but part of my brain was still working.
I had some bling lying around that I needed to get rid of urgently. Guillon told me he works for a fence. So I went to him at "
The Vulture". Yeah, a dodgy place with shabby walls, terrible lighting, suspicious crates in every corner...
And the owner matches.
Kasu, I think his name is. Quite a character, never once looked me in the eye. But as soon as I leaned over a bit to give him a better look at my talents, he immediately offered to add more money. Such a funny guy.
I decided to unwind a bit and popped into "
Melody". Such a cute, intellectual little shop! Like a little house of the Muses. Too bad I mostly play on nerves and skin flutes...
The owner is a true lady! Her name is
Melody. I wonder, was she named after the shop, or the shop after her?
Next, I noticed a sign for
XXX, sparkling with all sorts of lights. Agreed, it's intriguing! You have to go in! To see what's there.
But they didn't let me. The face control at the entrance was a maid named
Rook. She explained that this establishment is for men only, and charming waitresses in maid costumes feed them by hand.
Not fair! Maybe I want to be fed by a charming waitress in a maid costume too! Or even better, a charming waiter! Doesn't necessarily have to be in a maid costume then. That's roughly when I got the idea for YYY. See back pages for details.
I went home and was about to get some proper rest, but they came for me! At first I was scared – had they already framed me so quickly?!
Then I breathed out. Turns out it was the head of "Carneol". A very intelligent-looking dwarf woman named
Aiko. Super-friendly, super-polite, so nice it's almost sickly sweet. Only later did I stop expecting a catch from her and started getting used to the fact that she's REALLY like that. But it's still unusual, though pleasant.
Day FourIn the morning, we finished off our travel rations before they went bad and went to see the inside of "Carneol". It's even more beautiful inside than outside! Aiko said she could give us a room, but I decided not to move. Spoiler: we moved soon anyway, but oh well.
Our adventures started with working as movers. We carried furniture into the boss's room. Yeah... She found herself some free labor. No one should exploit Guillon like that! Except me, of course.
But after that, we sat around and brainstormed a flag. And the boss has a talent for drawing! She suggested a very nice option. Though not perfect... I hope she didn't get offended when I gave her some fair criticism! She asked for it herself!
Then we decided to check out the guilds for some game! Guillon to the hunters, me to the fishermen.
The
fishermen's guild smelled of duckweed and silt. And, I think, fish. And fishing rods lined up along the wall like spears! You can tell right away these people love their work.
And the guild leader –
Salmon – turned out to be a very lively and funny little guy! He suggested I go fishing, but I refused. Getting up at four in the morning! No, that's not for me, no thank you.
On the way, I stopped by "Pam-Parama" and asked if they make long-lasting travel food. Turns out they don't... Too bad.
I decided to take a stroll to "
Antithegum", but they didn't let me in. The armed forces headquarters of the Empire, for crying out loud! Could they at least make the sign bigger! I thought it was another museum...
And then... Then came the nightmare.
So we went to the
palace. A huge, beautiful building, spires reaching the sky, a fence stretching to the horizon! At the drawbridge – guards in shiny armor, all strapping lads! It was obvious – no tour for us. Admire from the outside.
But one guy wanted to force his way in for an audience with the king himself. Apparently to give him a portrait... That damn portrait... But one thing at a time.
That guy's name was
Apeiron Logos. Shouting his name down the whole street. And something about the true goddess, about her beauty... I didn't think anything of it then. Big mistake, oh big mistake...
Apeiron was grabbed by his lily-white hands and led away, but they didn't bother to pick up the portrait. There was... At the time, I thought it was just some pretty girl, but now I know – it's the most terrible, dangerous, and treacherous creature, whose name is
Rinze.
I immediately sensed the trap and wrapped the painting in Guillon's cloak. And he, the fool, reached for it with his hands. We decided to go to the museum – smart people work there, they surely know what to do in such cases and where to run.
And then everything is like a blur... I remember not wanting to give the painting to anyone anymore. It's so beautiful... And there was some kind of singing in my head... I remember screaming at Guillon, him screaming at me, we had a huge fight... I think I went back home...
Day FiveI remember everything very vaguely. When I try to go back to that day – Rinze, Rinze, Rinze, the most beautiful, the best... My head starts to ache.
I remember at some point Guillon came with a strange pale-haired guy... And that's it. I think I fell asleep... but as it turned out later – it's for the best that I didn't remember anything.
Граф Орлов
Ple-Sen
