On the cliffside road, the winding path left no room for error—one careless slip and the caravan could tumble straight down.
"Konsang is a fortress of the kingdom, known as the City of Black Iron."
Yusi's plump face stayed rigid; he didn't dare turn his head, doing his best not to look at the drop that seemed ready to swallow them at any moment.
In truth, the road wasn't actually that narrow.
He spoke to John, who was sitting across from him in the carriage. "That place used to be a military garrison. About a hundred and fifty years ago, wizards took it over. Later, the wizards vanished, and the place grew… strange."
"Strange?" John's interest stirred. "What do you mean?"
"That wizard tower. It was built by them, but for some reason, right after it was completed, the people disappeared."
Yusi's face twisted into a bitter grimace. "Since then, Konsang has been shrouded in gloom year-round, earning the name of an ill-omened place."
He truly didn't want to go there, but John's 'kindly' smile—and the memory of him killing a man-eating troll—told him it was best to behave.
When the caravan rounded the mountain, a fortress came into view, sealed up like an iron barrel.
At its center stood a towering black spire.
The sky above Konsang was heavy with gloom. Two tall, gaunt guards stood at the city gate.
Though they were stationed at its entrance, their faces were drawn with weariness and fear.
But when they saw the merchant caravan approach, they looked as if they'd just seen a ghost.
"Sir Yadani, we don't actually have to go inside, right?" Yusi pleaded.
Since John had reached his destination, he decided to let Yusi off the hook.
Relieved, Yusi immediately ordered the caravan to turn back.
He would rather face that cliffside road again than remain in Konsang.
Just then, John seemed to remember something. He pulled something from his pocket and tossed it toward Yusi, who was directing the caravan.
"Yusi."
Yusi froze mid-smile. He turned just in time to see a pouch flying at him and caught it instinctively.
As a merchant, the moment he weighed it in his hand, he knew exactly how much money was inside.
He stared blankly at John, who waved with a smile. "Consider it a business deal. Safe travels."
Stunned, Yusi watched John walk into that gloom-shrouded place.
...
"Hmm.."
It truly lived up to its name, the City of Black Iron.
The moment he stepped inside, the damp tang of rusted metal filled his nose.
There weren't many people walking the cobbled streets.
Still, there were plenty of shops—John had already counted five or six.
They bore blacksmith signs above their doors, yet every shop was shut tight.
The desolation was plain to see.
Suddenly, the clatter of hooves rang out.
A young man on horseback came charging through the street, shouting as he rode, "Shut your doors and windows! The banshee's awake!"
The few pedestrians, who had been walking lazily, all broke into a frantic run.
John was still puzzled when a piercing shriek split the air.
Neaaaaaggggggghhhhhh~~~~~!!!!
The sound stabbed straight into his eardrums. Those who hadn't run fast enough collapsed in agony, brought down by the sheer pain of it.
The wail dragged on for more than ten seconds.
The fallen lay unconscious, and even John felt his mind reel under the assault.
Staggering, he pushed himself upright, bracing against a wall until the dizziness ebbed.
Meanwhile, the young rider had returned. With practiced ease, he dismounted and hurried to help one of the fainted townsfolk.
"You're all right?" he asked in surprise when he noticed John hadn't collapsed.
He lifted the unconscious man onto his horse's back, then came over to John.
Still unsettled, John asked, "What was that sound?"
"You're not from around here. That was the banshee's cry. Every time she wakes, she lets out that sound."
The young man's face was troubled. "That cry has driven off entire armies sent to subdue her. Even knights can do nothing against it."
"Oh, right. My name's Libby. I'm the town's timekeeper."
Libby shook John's hand. John, still mulling over the banshee's voice, replied, "Yadani."
That unnatural shriek reminded him of another high-pitched menace—Voldemort.
The difference was that Voldemort's voice struck at the soul itself.
Libby led his horse along, helping each of the fallen townsfolk.
Later, John asked about it and learned that this happened almost once a month.
"How do you know when the banshee wakes?" John asked.
"There's a bronze bell in the Central Tower," Libby explained. "When the banshee wakes, the bell turns blue."
The Central Tower referred to the wizard's tower.
Locals called it the Central Tower, and no one had ever set foot inside.
Some even claimed that passing by at night, they'd seen wizards within, casting vile curses.
John nodded to show he understood. Libby, meanwhile, remained warmly talkative.
Perhaps it was because Konsang had seen so few travelers over the years.
Libby led John to the town's only tavern, which also doubled as an inn.
The proprietor was a middle-aged man, broad-shouldered and bald.
His bronzed skin marked him as someone long used to the forge. His name was Heiberg, and he had once been a blacksmith.
But when the banshee appeared—and even the army couldn't defeat it—he was forced to turn his forge into a tavern.
Business wasn't much better, though.
With the banshee haunting the place, hardly anyone ever came to Konsang.
"Our lord, the Black Iron Viscount, went to the kingdom to seek aid. He never came back. If you ask me, he's abandoned this place."
Heiberg slammed down a frothing mug of ale and grumbled, "If he hadn't insisted on meddling with forbidden things, that monster never would have been unleashed."
"Forbidden things?" John asked, taking a sip. Foam clung to his lips.
Heiberg was about to answer when he caught sight of Libby eyeing John's drink with open longing. Annoyed, he snapped, "Libby, you'd better get to your timekeeping. If you lose that job, don't come running to me with those skinny arms and legs of yours."
Libby muttered in protest, "It's not time yet. I even brought you a customer."
"Yeah, yeah, I know how sensitive you are about time. Now get out." Heiberg shoved him toward the door and sent him out into the street.
As Libby led his horse away, Heiberg grabbed a loaf of barley bread from the table and stuffed it roughly into Libby's pocket.
Libby beamed and thanked him cheerfully.
When Heiberg came back into the tavern, he found John still watching him.
John pulled two silver coins from his pocket and set them on the table. "Another mug of ale—and tell me, what exactly did the Black Iron Viscount do?"
"Oh, right. The forbidden thing."
Heiberg blew on the coins, then, with a friendlier expression, set a fresh mug of ale before John. Casually, he said, "It's no secret. Everyone in Konsang knows."
"That fool inherited his father's title, and not long after, he fell in love with a witch."
"The witch told him that if he truly loved her, he should pry open the doors of the Central Tower to prove he was a brave man. And that idiot actually did it."
"He thought his bravery would win her heart. But once she stepped inside, she never came out again."
Here, Heiberg's face darkened with fury. "Even a three-year-old knows the two things you can never trust in this world—witches and goblins."
John downed another mouthful of ale and let out a burp, frowning in puzzlement. "And after that, the banshee appeared?"
"No one ever saw the banshee. The Black Iron Viscount was the one who claimed he had." Heiberg glanced at the sword on John's back and added kindly, "If you came here for the banshee, my advice is to give it up."
"Of course I didn't come here for the banshee," John said with a chuckle.
Heiberg had only spoken up out of regard for the two silver coins. After that, he left John to his own devices.
John took a room at the tavern. The moment he opened the door, he saw the mess left behind from the last tenant's brawl—along with some rather suggestive traces.
Since so few people ever came, Heiberg hadn't bothered to clean.
Though it was called an inn, there were only five rooms in total.
John opened the other four. None were in much better condition.
He chose the one that was relatively cleaner and snapped his fingers, casting a cleaning charm.
Under the effect of the spell, dust and grime were swept up by a gust of wind and blown out of the room.
At last, it was in a livable state.
But as he used magic, a pair of eyes opened in the towering spire at the town's center.
The great bell beneath the Central Tower slowly turned blue.
Libby, seeing this, hastily stuffed the barley bread into his mouth, mounted his half-deaf horse, and tore off through the streets.
"The banshee is awake!"
Neaaaaaggggggghhhhhh~~~~~!!!!
That piercing, eardrum-rending shriek swept over the town once again.
Libby didn't notice that the doors of the Central Tower had begun to open—slowly, silently.
No one stepped out. It was as if the tower itself were inviting someone in.
After a while, the doors slowly closed again.
...
Outside the Dream Trial, the Jovonovich family watched with grim faces.
"A banshee… this trial ranks just below the winged lion," one of them muttered.
Alexei lifted his head to look at Andrei.
Having once endured that very trial, Andrei had nearly died under the banshee's cry.
"Yadani's in trouble this time." Even a madman like Andrei spoke with grave seriousness. "The banshee is elusive, and her voice can kill. I only managed to slay her by sheer luck."
The uncles stared anxiously at the scene within the spring's waters. The foe in this trial wasn't just the banshee.
The price of killing one was far too great.
Her range alone was enough to drag half a city into death with her.
"Yadani… what will you do?"
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