Chapter 503: Reverence
The day for battle had finally arrived.
The town of Stratford lay shrouded in a thick blanket of snow, its rooftops and cobblestone streets buried beneath a layer of white. The air was crisp, cold, and every breath puffed out in a cloud of mist.
The town square, once a place of warmth and laughter, where children played and merchants haggled, had now become a staging ground for battle.
The mercenaries wore heavy furs and leather armor, moving around with grim determination etched on their faces. The Magi wore enchanted robes and wielded artifacts as they checked their spell components.
Mayor Hobbs and the four council members spoke words of encouragement to the people that had gathered. Almost everyone was present, while those that weren't were on their way.
Gore was inside his lodge, practicing a round of mindfulness. There was still about an hour to go before they departed. He wanted to take this time to be in optimal shape.
The atmosphere was tense as the mercenaries and Magi waited for the time to arrive. Some were calm, while others were flustered.
However, there was not a single person who wanted to flee before the battle.
Magi who were residents of the town naturally would not even think of abandoning this place. Meanwhile, the others who were hired were promised great rewards.
They knew that once all the wolves and werewolves were dealt with, Gore would lead them into the Howlett Manor and unearth the vast treasures left behind by the powerful Magi of old.
Just thinking of the great rewards that seemed to be waiting for them in the heart of the Weeping Woods, the people couldn't help but feel excited.
Although Gore would claim the vast majority of the treasures, they would still be entitled to a substantial portion.
Mayor Hobbs looked at everyone present with complicated emotions, thinking to himself, Will the source of all our troubles be finally dealt with? I can only hope so...
He then looked at the twilight sky. The sun was about to dip below the horizon and the twin moons patiently started to rise.
Tomorrow is the night of the blood moons, he thought.
The old man looked in the direction of The White Stag, the inn where Adam was residing. His eyes narrowed ever so slightly as he wondered, Two weeks ago, that young man claimed that he would finish making all the potions exactly on the day before the night of the full moons...
Did he plan this out intentionally? Could it be that he wanted to take the wolves and the werewolves by surprise and attack them just a day before they would attack?
Or is this just a coincidence...
The mayor's gaze lingered on the second floor of the inn for a very long time. In the end, he could only sigh.
Only time will tell...
He then looked at the statue of Magus Stratford standing proudly in the center of the town square. For some reason, he felt as if the eyes of the statue were looking back at him, applauding him for all the work he had done.
Oh, venerable ancestor, he thought in reverence.
The blood moons draw near...
Please guide us! Please give us strength!
...
Adam glanced at the five large wooden barrels filled with a transparent type of liquid inside them. He had a victorious smirk adorning his lips.
"Hehe, just in time," he said. "I truly am a genius!"
Hearing him praise himself, his three students standing beside him resisted the urge to roll their eyes.
"Professor, is this what you've been working on all this while?" Art asked with an awkward face. "Isn't this just... water?"
POW!
Adam smacked him on the forehead, chuckling, "Hehe, my foolish student, this water is going to save many lives."
"My Lord..." Kenley, who was standing at the far end of the room with his wife, asked hesitantly, "All that is okay but... may I know why you instructed me to bring my wife to your room?"
He was quite surprised when earlier today Adam had told him to get Rayna to the White Stag before everyone left for battle. Now, he was even more surprised to see the large barrels of liquids.
Not just that, everyone associated with Adam was present in the room, and that included the other Acolyte of the Brotherhood stationed here- Ragnar.
Kenley felt that Adam must have something very important to talk about if everyone was gathered here.
"Ah, that's right." Adam turned around and gazed at Kenley.
Then, he shifted his gaze to his wife and asked with an amiable smile, "Rayna, Kenley told me that you were born in this town. Is that right?"
"Y-Yes, my lord." Rayna nervously nodded.
"Hmm..." Adam stroked his chin as he asked, "What about your parents? Were they residents of this town as well?"
Rayna replied as she anxiously fidgeted with her fingers, "T-That's right, my lord. In fact, even my grandparents were born and brought up in Stratford."
"Perfect!" Adam beamed.
He conjured a wine cup from his earring, scooped a glass full of potion from the wooden barrel, and offered it to the woman. "Hehe, you'll be the perfect test subject. Here, drink it."
"W-W-What?!" Kenley subconsciously stepped in front of his wife. "Test subject?! My lord, what is the meaning of this?!"
Not just him, but everyone else in the room was shocked by what Adam had just said. "Ah, don't worry about it." Adam nonchalantly waved his hand. "This is perfectly safe."
Seeing the carefree expression on the youth's face, there was no way Kenley would believe what Adam had just claimed. But at the same time, he wasn't in a situation to refuse as well.
Adam was his superior, after all.
"You don't trust me?" Adam pretended to be sad. "Anyway, drink this quick. We don't have
much time."
Before Kenley could even speak a word, Adam had disappeared from his spot and then reappeared right next to Rayna, forcing the potion down her throat.
The woman coughed violently as the transparent liquid cascaded down her food pipe. The insides of her body started to itch and she dropped to the floor, displaying an uncomfortable
expression on her face.
"What have you done?!" Kenley panicked as he turned around and saw the state of his wife.
He hurriedly knelt down beside her, supporting her. Before he could even question Adam further, his wife had returned to normal.
"Rayna!" Kenley hugged her tightly. "Are you alright?!"
"... Yes, I think so?" She said in puzzlement.
She then looked at Adam and asked, "My Lord... what was that? For some reason, I feel... free."
The raven-haired youth smirked.
"Heh, of course you do."