Chapter 30: Great Changes in Wheel Town

Page 1 of 3

Wheel Town had become completely unrecognizable?

Roche was somewhat astonished. He had only been gone for seven days; surely nothing drastic should have happened to the town.

But the guard’s expression made it clear he was not joking.

Roche could only thank him for the warning before entering the town with Leila.

As a precaution, both he and Leila pulled up the hoods attached to their clothes, concealing part of their faces.

Once they entered the town, however, they realized the precaution had been entirely unnecessary.

The guard had been telling the truth. Compared with seven days ago, the whole town had undergone a complete transformation.

The former yellow-mud roads had been paved with neat, smooth cobblestones. The dried fish that once hung from the windows along both sides of the street had been replaced by clusters of fresh flowers.

The peeling windows of the second-story houses had all been replaced with exquisite carved wooden latticework, and a faint fragrance drifted through the streets.

Elegant carriages rolled slowly past everywhere. Their roofs were trimmed with gold, and the horses wore red caparisons. Inside sat noble ladies and young noblewomen, chatting and laughing merrily.

Their attendants were the ones driving the carriages.

The taverns that had once lined the streets had all been transformed into bright restaurants. Inside sat aristocratic men draped in splendid robes, each wearing a short jacket over his robe, embroidered with his family crest.

Against such surroundings, Roche and Leila’s clothing stood out as utterly incongruous.

The noblewomen and young ladies passing by all frowned when they saw them, making no attempt to conceal the disgust and contempt in their eyes.

How had the town become like this in just seven days?!

Roche stared at everything before him, his heart full of confusion.

By all rights, with war about to break out, these nobles should have been fleeing as far away as possible. Yet they were all making their way to Wheel Town instead.

He led Leila deeper into the town, hoping to find someone who could explain what had happened.

But not one of the people he knew was anywhere to be found.

Uncle Glenn’s thin-meat-pie shop had been turned into a place for afternoon tea.

Madam Laura’s clinic stood shuttered.

Miss Michelle’s dessert shop was still open as usual.

Only, it was no longer Miss Michelle running it, but a woman dressed as a maid. And the pastries were no longer grape- or raspberry-flavored. They had been replaced by sickeningly sweet honey treats.

A plump woman was stuffing herself inside, seemingly having taken over the place.

It looked as though they had all gone to Bantanda...

Roche could not help feeling a trace of nostalgia.

After composing himself, he made his way to the western entrance of the town.

There was not a single wandering merchant to be seen. Instead, numerous tents had been pitched along both sides of the road outside the western gate.

It seemed all the wandering merchants had been driven out of town.

When Roche arrived in front of Old White’s shop, he found it locked as well.

However, the note pasted to the door showed that Old White had not left town for Bantanda:

“Out for a few days. Roche and any petty thieves are forbidden from entering without permission. There is a bird of prey inside. Trespassers accept full responsibility for the consequences!”

What had this so-called petty thief ever done to you?!

To defend the reputation of a certain nonexistent Mr. Petty Thief, Roche decisively tore down the note and ripped it to pieces in a few swift motions.

Looking at the now-empty door, Roche found it much more pleasing to the eye.

Page 1 of 3

Page 2 of 3

He pressed himself against the door and peered through the small window, wanting to confirm whether Old White was deliberately hiding inside and refusing to open up.

The shop was completely empty.

Only the scruffy-feathered parrot stood on the counter.

When it saw Roche’s face appear at the window, it immediately hopped forward several times, drawing closer to him. Then it cocked its head and stared at him.

“Touch it, gotta buy it?”

Its voice was as hoarse as a cracked gong.

Yet when Roche heard it, he unexpectedly found it pleasant. It was the first familiar voice he had heard since returning to town.

He could not help smiling warmly.

“What’s your name?”

He had only asked because there was no one else to talk to. To his surprise, the parrot tilted its head and pondered for a moment before taking flight from the counter. It flapped its wings and circled overhead repeatedly, crying out:

“Rad! Rad! Rad!”

Rad?

Roche nodded.

“See you next time, Rad.”

After leaving Old White’s trading post, Roche and Leila went to the Adventurers’ Guild.

To his surprise, Lis had taken leave as well. She was not due back for another two days.

“Today has been truly bizarre.”

Roche could not help wanting to laugh. In all of Wheel Town, the only person he could have a proper conversation with was a parrot.

At last, he and Leila arrived at Dave’s house.

Roche knocked on the door.

It opened from within.

Dave stood behind it wearing sky-blue pajamas and a conical nightcap. His eyes were heavy with sleep.

“Roche, did you bring any liquor?”

“Liquor?”

Roche had been about to rush forward and embrace Dave, but he froze in place. Once he recovered, he immediately smiled.

“I didn’t bring any, but we can go to a tavern and have a drink. My treat.”

“Hah. Every tavern in town is closed. Those fellows in robes and coats only care about their stemmed glasses.”

Dave stepped aside, signaling for Roche and his servant to enter, and spoke with undisguised sarcasm.

“Otherwise, do you think I’d be going to bed at this hour?”

Since Dave had brought it up himself, Roche hurriedly asked:

“What happened, Dave? I was only gone for a few days. How did the town end up like this?”

“Who knows?”

Dave gestured for Roche to sit wherever he liked, then turned to retrieve a bottle from atop the fireplace.

“About five days ago, those people crawled into town like rats from the sewers. They seized the townspeople’s homes, remodeled the taverns, renovated the inns, and made themselves comfortable as though they had come here on holiday.”

Dave poured a glass from the bottle and handed it to Roche.

Page 2 of 3

Page 3 of 3

Roche accepted it.

“This makes no sense, Dave. War is about to begin.”

“Exactly. War is about to begin, and those people are running this way.”

Dave drained the brown liquid in his glass and continued:

“To tell you the truth, Roche, I think something about this war is wrong.”

“What makes you say that?”

Roche’s heart stirred, and he asked the question.

“My commander sought me out a few days ago, along with several others he was close to. He told us to stay toward the rear during this battle and not rush forward to throw our lives away.”

“Isn’t that perfectly normal? You wouldn’t be much use charging ahead anyway.”

Dave shook his head.

“You don’t understand. I’ve known my commander for many years. I know what kind of man he is. Under ordinary circumstances, he could never have said something like that.”

He poured himself another glass and murmured:

“He’s the sort of man who would insist on dying on the battlefield, even if death were certain. How could he possibly say such a thing?”

Roche did not know how to respond. He knew nothing about the commander Dave was talking about.

He raised his glass and took a sip, barely managing not to spit it out.

It was sour.

This was apple vinegar, not apple wine.

Dave wore an innocent expression.

“The liquor at home ran out two days ago. You can’t buy any in town now.”

Roche set down his glass. After thinking for a moment, he asked:

“Dave, do you know what a Blessed Land is?”

“A Blessed Land?”

It took Dave quite some time to figure out what Roche meant. He shook his head at once.

“Never heard of it. You could look in the town library. Some of the books there are very old. You might find something.”

Roche committed Dave’s suggestion to memory. When he saw Dave turn and head upstairs, he called out:

“Where are you going?”

“To prepare your room, of course.”

Dave looked at Roche and Leila in confusion.

“You and your servant are staying at my house tonight, aren’t you?”

“When did I ever say we were staying at your house? Leila and I will be going home in a little while. There’s no need to trouble yourself.”

Roche waved his hand, feeling that Dave was being far too hospitable.

But Dave only looked at him with even greater bewilderment.

“Going home? What home do you two have left? Wasn’t your house taken over long ago?”