Arlemit

Chapter 1272:  Three Threads (Part 1)


Chapter 1272:  Three Threads (Part 1)


Battles and surprise attacks—that’s what Adam had grown accustomed to on his journey.


Sure, there had been other developments when he found himself in new territory, but a teapot and two cups, one of which was clearly intended for him, were not on his list of expectations.


Step. Step. Step.


The sound of footsteps and a soft female voice made Adam look up to see a woman coming down the stairs to greet him.


A long, white robe with wide sleeves covered her body, leaving her shoulders exposed. Her hair was tied up in a bun while her eyes, clear as noble crystals, looked at Adam with curiosity.


It was unknown what was on the second floor of the white mill, most likely the mechanism that moved the sails, and the woman’s room was not what Adam was thinking about right now.


“I hope you’re not opposed to tea, young man? Or should I have tried to find some coffee for you?” She asked with a slight smile as her bare feet touched the surface.


Strangely enough, Adam had an answer:


“Coffee. That would be much better.”


The woman’s eyes widened for a moment, either from his impudence or his boldness. In any case, her smile did not waver, and only a sparkle flashed across her eyes.


“I see… It seems I am too old-fashioned to guess the desires of such a young and passionate generation as yours.”


She approached the table, pulling out a chair.


“However, you won’t refuse to share this drink with me, will you?”


Adam nodded weakly, feeling no threat from her.


They sat down at the table as she slowly took her first sip.


“What is your name, young man? I would like to hear your full name.”


“Adam Vinter,” he replied calmly, taking his time to drink his tea. He didn’t know if he could trust the woman in front of him.


No one had warned him about the tea greeting at the white mill. Neither Targon nor Silvana had mentioned it when they were preparing to leave for the Forgotten Mills.


“I see… Adam Vinter, you arrived earlier than I expected.”


Adam’s eyes widened for a moment.


Again, another monster knew who he was. He wouldn’t have been so surprised if this weren’t the Tarnished Lands, a place too remote for many monsters to know about a K4-Phantom like him.


“My name is Gareyna, and I am the owner of this white mill. Tell me, you came here via the Glass Bridge, didn’t you?” She asked before taking another sip.


In response, Adam nodded silently.


“And, did Targon tell you about the white mills?”


Adam nodded again. Gareyna seemed to be reading his mind, although she just wanted to test her guesses.


“I see. He knew that from this direction, my mill would be the first white one you would notice. Sure, you could have ignored it and moved on, but here you are.”


“Are you saying that Targon sent me to you on purpose?”


She nodded slightly.


“Something like that. The last time I saw him was a long time ago, but he never misses an opportunity to spice up our boring but extremely long lives.”


“So… This mill and moths, do they all belong to you?”


Gareyna nodded deeply. “Sure. Every mill has its owner. That’s how our lands are arranged. Adam, you must understand that I knew of your arrival long before you entered my flower field.


“I felt your gaze from afar, and that’s when I started brewing this wonderful tea. If I wanted to, I could have killed you right at the beginning, when you first stepped onto my land.”


She pointed to Adam’s cup.


“That’s why you’re going to take a sip of my tea right now. Otherwise… Our conversation will not be long.”


Adam wanted to remain cautious, but it wasn’t as if Gareyna had left him any choice.


“Alright, if it makes you feel better.” He shrugged and took his first sip.


A grassy, warm taste filled his mouth, making him feel better than ever. But, after just a second, the effect wore off, as if to encourage him to take another sip.


“What do you think? I hope you’re now convinced that I wasn’t trying to poison you?”


In response, Adam took another sip and set the cup down on the saucer.


“Well, it wasn’t about the poison, I just thought I wouldn’t like the taste of tea. As I said earlier, I prefer coffee.”


Gareyna smirked. It was obvious to everyone that this was a lie. Adam was actually unsure if the tea was okay.


“Hah, but you liked the taste, didn’t you?”


“Yeah, it’s pretty good. That’s all I can say, but… I’d like you to tell me more about the Forgotten Mills and why there is a division into three colors in the first place?”


Gareyna waved her hand.


“There’s no mystery to it. It’s how our abilities develop, so that’s why there was a division into factions. However, since there aren’t many monsters with our abilities and at this level, individual persons greatly influence how the factions treat outsiders, especially the Phantoms.”


“Wait… Factions? Are you saying that the Forgotten Mills are divided into three factions based on the colors of the mills?”


Before answering, she took a last sip and tilted the teapot, filling her cup to the brim again.


“Yes, but factions is a very loud word. Again, there aren’t thousands of us. More like hundreds, and monsters like me — dozens. It’s very different from how other similar monster societies are organized.”


Adam’s gaze became more serious.


“It’s all because of numbers, right? As you said, your abilities are rare, which means there are far fewer very powerful monsters than in other territories.”


“Yes.” Gareyna nodded, bringing her cup to her lips.


After a few moments, breaking the silence, Adam raised his head and asked:


“What is the name of your faction?”


Gareyna’s lips curved upward as she placed the cup on the saucer.


“What do you think?”


At that moment, streams of pure energy burst forth, while white threads enveloped her in a gentle embrace.