Chapter 174: Rennan’s Story
Rennan took a long, shaky gulp of ale. He set the mug down, his hands still trembling slightly.
"I was looking for new trade routes," he began, his voice hoarse. "Up north, near the border of the Korvan kingdom. The famine has hit those towns hard, and I thought our water could help."
He shook his head. "Along the routes, one day I found something strange. A patch of air that shimmered, like a heat haze on a cold day. I thought it was just a natural magical anomaly. I got too close."
"It was a trap?" Riku asked.
Rennan shook his head. "A teleportation portal. One moment I was on the road, the next, I was inside a stone courtyard, surrounded by armored men. It was the Falco estate, in Dreadspire."
Lysaria gasped. You directly teleported into the Dark Empire? Those people practice the dark arts and are practically monsters..."
"Hey. Watch what you are insinuating." Sherry pouted, unhappy at Lysaria’s words
"I didn’t even have time to reach for the scrolls you gave me, Master Riku," Rennan said, his gaze apologetic. "They were on me before I could even think."
He described the interrogation. Lord Falco wasn’t cruel, but he was intensely curious. He wanted to know where Rennan came from, and more importantly, where he had acquired his unique goods.