NOVPUB
Chapter 129: Finally A Lead!
Zayn groaned as he sat up, rubbing the back of his neck with a tired hand.
The morning sun trickled in through the shutters, golden rays spilling across the floor of his room.
His muscles ached from yesterday’s not-so-friendly outing with Althea, and he still wasn’t sure if that was emotional tension or just the aftermath of carrying too many shopping bags.
He yawned, threw his legs over the side of the bed, and stretched — arms high above his head, back cracking loud enough to startle a bird on the windowsill.
"Morning already, huh?" he muttered, eyes squinting at the little device Tobias had used to face-time him yesterday.
The one with the hologram feature.
He tapped it a few times. Nothing.
Tried again.
Still nothing.
He gave it a light smack against his palm. "Yeah, I figured that wouldn’t work. Tobias, you really need to get something with a warranty."
After a quick rinse and a half-hearted combing of his hair, Zayn shuffled downstairs and whipped up some breakfast — fried honeyeggs, slightly burnt honeybread, and what could generously be described as "aggressively brewed" tea.
By the time he got to the guild, the morning rush had passed and only a few adventurers lingered around the bulletin board.
At the front desk stood none other than her — Clara, the rude half-elf sister.
She barely looked up. "You again."
Though there was no bite in it.
"Good morning to you too, Sunshine," Zayn said with a fake smile.
Clara glanced over her shoulder at him. "If you’re here to flirt with my sister again, she’s off today."
"Actually, I’m looking for Tobias and the others. Any word from them?"
"Nope. Didn’t check in today."
Zayn frowned, drumming his fingers against the counter. "That’s weird. They were supposed to escort some merchants to a nearby town. Should’ve at least checked back by now."
Clara rolled her eyes. "Adventurers get delayed all the time. Maybe they found another tavern to sleep in."
Zayn scratched his head, more puzzled than worried. "Yeah... but something feels off."
With a dramatic sigh, Clara crossed her arms. "Then go find them. I’m not their babysitter."
He gave her a mock salute. "Thanks for the emotional support."
Leaving the guild, Zayn turned his eyes toward the stables.
He knew the group was supposed to escort a caravan to a nearby town.
There were only two logical destinations: Beyrin or Aqua Town.
They definitely hadn’t gone through Beyrin — it was just a 3-5 hours ride, they would have been able to make it back easily so Aqua town it was.
He approached the stable and greeted the old man chewing a twig like it was gourmet jerky. "Hey, I’m here for Zayn."
The man blinked. "You... are Zayn."
Of course his name was popular now...
"No, the horse. Named her Zayn."
The old man chuckled. "Still weird you named a horse after yourself."
"I’ve got a great sense of self-worth," Zayn said, patting the horse’s mane as it was led out. "Hey, buddy."
The horse, a sturdy bay mare with a shaggy mane and sharp eyes, neighed softly and nudged his chest.
Zayn returned the nuzzle. "Okay, let’s go find the team."
As they trotted out of Timberstead, the sun began climbing higher, beating down on the fields with lazy warmth.
Zayn adjusted his cloak and squinted toward the road. "So... Aqua Town. Since there’s Aqua in the name, Maybe they stopped at the lake on the way. Maybe Kara got too hot and jumped in for a swim. Maybe Bran cannonballed in behind her."
The image made him chuckle.
He passed a few traveling vendors, some fruit carts, and even an old woman pushing a wheelbarrow filled with suspiciously shaped vegetables.
Everyone greeted him kindly — being part of the hero’s party had its perks.
But beneath that, Zayn couldn’t shake the feeling. There was something off about this whole thing.
He let his horse walk at a steady pace, eyes scanning the road for any broken cart wheels, signs of a scuffle, or Bran-shaped craters in the dirt.
Eventually, he muttered aloud, "Wait... what did they mean by lying merchants again?"
The realization hit him like Bran’s axe.
"Oh no. Oh no no no. Those cheap bastards said the destination was closer just to pay less?! Tobias must be fuming. They probably made it halfway to the next continent."
Zayn leaned forward, urging Zayn-the-horse into a gallop. "C’mon, let’s catch up before they sell Bran into labor."
The road to Aqua Town curved through rolling hills and forest paths.
Along the way, Zayn spotted signs of a battle and a very deep axe mark on the ground and muttered, "Bran definitely passed here."
As the wind whipped through his hair, he replayed the last call in his mind.
Tobias had looked tired. Elisse had sounded a bit annoyed. Kara was eating chips in the background, and Bran was being Bran..
Yep, they were fine. But still.
It took another three hours before the rooftops of Aqua Town peeked over the horizon.
The town was modest — mostly brick houses, a central plaza with a fountain, and a handful of shops glowing with lantern light.
Zayn slowed the horse as he entered the main road.
"Aqua Town," Zayn muttered as he rode through the front gate on his horse — also named Zayn. "Dry air. Dusty roads. Not a single drop of water in sight. This town’s name is a scam."
The town didn’t exactly scream ’refreshing oasis.’
It looked like someone had tried to build a lakeside resort and then forgot to actually put in the lake.
The buildings were mostly dry clay and faded wood, cracked from years of heat.
The only thing "aqua" about it was the faded blue paint chipping off the sign at the entrance.
As he trotted past an elderly fruit seller dozing under her umbrella, he asked, "Excuse me, ma’am, do you know where the stables are?"
She stirred awake and pointed vaguely down the street. "Other side of the plaza, past the baker who yells at pigeons."
"...Sure. Thanks." Zayn gently kicked his heels into the horse and rode off, spotting the baker in question mid-rant at a seagull perched on a fence.
Something about unpaid debts.
Once Zayn found the stables, he handed his horse over to a teenager with a mouth full of jerky and said, "Treat him well. He has my name. And better posture than me."
The boy stared blankly.
Zayn sighed. "Just — water him and don’t let him eat suspicious mushrooms."
With Zayn-the-horse taken care of, Zayn-the-man began his search.
He went from tavern to tavern, pub to pub, occasionally bumping into unhelpful locals.
"Have you seen a group? Big guy with an axe, glasses guy who glares a lot, curvy girl who’s always sweet but scary when angry, and a dark-skinned mage who wears too much eyeliner?"
Most answers were a shrug. A few were concerned stares. One person tried to sell him a chicken.
By the third tavern, Zayn slumped into a barstool, ordered a lukewarm drink, and whispered, "Maybe they didn’t come this way. Maybe they really did go to Beyrin."
He grimaced at the thought of Beyrin. He would have burned a lot of unreasonable time if they really did go there.
He was about to give up and maybe rent a room when fate decided to throw him a bone — or rather, a lead.
He had wandered into a general goods store that smelled like leather, pine, and whatever herbs they used to scare away rats.
While Zayn browsed aimlessly through a rack of suspiciously labeled "healing oils".
A man behind the counter called out, "You lost or just really bad at shopping?"
Zayn turned, a bit offended. "I’ll have you know I’m great at shopping. I just... don’t have a list."
The shopkeeper chuckled. "You don’t look local. Passing through?"
"Sort of. Looking for some friends. One’s a massive guy with an axe strapped to his back, looks like he could fight a bear and win. There’s a nun with him too, very... blessed. Guy with glasses, permanently annoyed. A mage — dark-skinned, lots of dramatic hand gestures."
The shopkeeper blinked. "Wait. You mean that group? They came through here yesterday evening."
Zayn’s eyes lit up. "You’re serious?"
"Sure am. The big guy nearly knocked over my shelf trying to check the price tag on jerky. The nun bought three jars of honey for some reason. Said they were heading north. To Edgeville."
Zayn felt relief wash over him like a cold bath. Finally — a solid clue.
"That’s them. They’re part of my party," he said, grinning. "You just saved me another half-day of awkward small talk with drunk people."
The shopkeeper laughed and waved off the praise. "Just glad to help. They looked like good folks. Hope they didn’t run into bandits or worse."
Zayn nodded seriously and reached into his pocket, pulling out a few coins. "Here. For the intel."
The man raised an eyebrow. "You sure?"
Zayn shrugged. "I’ve paid more for less."
As he turned to leave, Zayn paused at the door and spun around.
"Wait, can you point me toward Edgeville? Like, which road actually goes that way? I’ve been doing this thing where I guess and then regret it halfway through."
