In a breathless rush, I sprinted until I reached a majestic building, guarded by individuals donning uniformed attire. Seeking urgent answers, I approached the reception steward lady on the front lobby and inquired about the whereabouts of the deceased woman named Cordelia, a former waitress at Pixie Blessing. After providing my name and identifying myself as Cordelia's fiancé, the stewardess reluctantly granted me and the guild officer permission to wait. They assured us that a scribe officer and an examiner would soon guide us to the mortuary. At last, two individuals arrived to accompany us on this solemn journey. One person is an elf with a sympathetic face, and the shorter one is a gnome with a cold expression.
My mind struggled to grasp the reality of the situation. It had been no more than two weeks since I departed from this city, and now I found myself confronting this unthinkable loss. Questions swirled in my mind, demanding answers that may never come. Why did this happen? How did it happen? When did she pass away? And so many more inquiries remained unspoken.
The elf officer acting as the examiner offered his condolences, his voice laced with sympathy, while the gnome act as scribe officer remained silently by his side, readying his blank book and quill. Together, we entered a dimly lit room devoid of windows, with only a distant door visible in one corner. The air hung heavy with silence and an eerie coldness. The sole source of illumination came from a device enchanted with an illumination spell, casting its soft glow throughout the room.
"We will be seeing her now. Are you ready, Sir Takahiko?" The examiner kindly offered to help me to prepare myself. I see no reason to delay furthermore, because I want to know what's really happened. I wish all of this only a misunderstanding, and the body that will be shown is not her.
"I am ready." I prepared myself.
Upon the examiner's signal, we followed him to the door in the corner, each step weighed down by the burden of sorrow. I entered the room with a heavy heart, feeling the support of the guild officer's hand on my back, his silent strength giving me some semblance of comfort. Though his name escaped me at that moment, I deeply appreciated his presence.
Inside the inner chamber, an examination table stood beneath a suspended block of ice. It became apparent that this room served the purpose of preserving the body with the aid of an ice spell, the frozen block preventing decay. The examiner raised his hand towards the ice block, uttering a brief incantation.
"Be melted."
As a soft glow emanated from his hand, the ice block gradually began to dissolve, unveiling the face of the lifeless form beneath.
Time stood still.
It was her face.
The face of the woman I cherished.
The woman with whom I had pledged my life.
YOU ARE READING
The Merchant and Tavern Master
FantasyIn this world, there are adventurers, knights, mystical races, magic spells, and treasures. But this is not stories about them. This is just a story about a humble man working as a traveling merchant who dream to become rich to support his family. O...
