Land of Mirriam

The Elford’s Castle was really big. Describing it as big was actually an understatement. (Like Dark Souls 3 castles) A castle that was built on top of a fortress. That was the easiest description if one opted to understand more. While the towering castle was the cream of the top, there was also a towering structure of bastions in the four directions of it. (North, South, West, East)

The rich history of the castle came along with the illustrious fame of the Elfords. It was originally a fortress as the place was the first real eastern frontier when the time of exploration of the eastern frontier was in progress.

It had survived many monster sieges, and been fortified hundreds of times. They said that as long as you could see this towering structure it meant that you were still on the Elford’s land.

<--->

Percival and Simon who were riding in the cart entered the northerly gate. It was actually easy to go inside the castle’s fortress part. Simon marveled at the towering structure, the old man tried to reign his curiousness but the boy just wouldn’t stop, the carriage driver also fueled Simon’s curiosity.

As they neared the center, Simon and Percival disembarked from the carriage. Percival attempted to offer coins to the driver as gratitude, but the driver refused, simply bidding them farewell with a wave, he was a rare one.

The castle of Elford was vast—truly immense—housing thousands of families within its confines. Originally constructed as a fortress, it now boasted a three-tiered structure, with the tallest towers reserved for the higher nobility. Despite Simon's fervent desire to explore every nook and cranny of the castle, Percival found himself repeatedly reining in the boy whenever he wandered astray.

There was a large crystal that illuminated the entire castle town, situated beneath the 3rd level. Large square openings allowed sunlight to filter down, creating patches of natural light, and where it hit; those spots were used as farms.

Percival remembered the place; he knew their destination. After a few minutes of walking, they reached the teleporter station. The whole kingdom was so big that they saw the need for the installation of a teleporter—an ancient magical device that, despite its hefty cost, was freely accessible to the public.

It was a cobblestone structure, a guard house that was located at the center part of the kingdom. Percival led Simon there.

Presenting his crest to the guards, Percival gained instant entry. They were directed to step into a magic circle, which, after a few moments, glowed and transported them to their destination.

“What the!!!” exclaimed Simon, experiencing teleportation for the first time. The walls of the room they materialized in were adorned with paintings depicting past rulers and heroes who had brought fame and wealth to the family.

As they stepped out of the room, they found themselves in a hallway bustling with knights lining up. At the far end, another room awaited. Simon noticed the change in elevation from the way he breathed and the windows along the corridor.

Entering the spacious room, they were promptly served tea. Moments later, a lady accompanied by her assistants and maids entered. Percival rose and knelt down, with Simon following suit.

“Percival? I can’t believe it… you’ve gone old?!” remarked the lady, recognizing the large man.

“And you're still as pretty as I remember,” Percival replied. The lady tapped his shoulders, prompting him to stand up, with Simon following suit.

“Is that your boy… oh… is he blind?” the lady asked, noticing Simon's closed eyes. He had adopted this habit after training with the old man. Whenever he found himself in public places where he might be recognized, he pretended to be blind.

“No, he's a son of a friend,” Percival explained. “My queen, can we talk now?” He wished to move the conversation along. The queen took her seat, her attendant standing beside her, and signaled for Percival to sit.

“You're as impertinent as I remember... speak, barbarian,” the queen said.

…

"... I see," the queen said. Simon, already aware of what was to unfold, occupied himself with a cookie, striving to keep himself awake.

“At present, I am unable to mobilize any knights at my disposal... Three of the dungeons under our control are scheduled for a dungeon dive as planned... We are, in fact, stretching our knights thin,” the queen stated firmly.

The knights of Elford regularly ventured into the dungeons to maintain them. The current king, along with the prince and the princess, led these expeditions. Many secrets surrounded the Elford family, and their trust was bestowed upon only a select few. The youngest member of the royal family was currently on hiatus. In total, there were five members of the royal family, including the queen, who had married outside the kingdom.

“I see... How are your children?” Percival, aware of the queen's compassionate nature even from her days as a traveling princess, swiftly changed the subject.

“They are doing well. Denver is excessively modest, while Raquel is industrious. Diana, however, is rather careless; she is currently on break... I apologize for the unfortunate timing,” the queen replied.

Had the request been made before the Elford family had delved into their tasks, they would have come to the aid of the northern wall. The crest Percival carried symbolized a special insignia reserved for such emergencies.

“... Percival, you're still the same old. My husbands would love to meet you again... Haa... I hate being the queen sometimes.” There were special circumstances behind the queen’s long sigh. Percival knew this, but he didn’t know the exact problem.

The queen gazed out of the window, seemingly lost in memories of her days traveling. Percival had been a part of those adventures, along with his husband and two others.

“But... the hero of the era is here. He's actually lending us a hand; he's a very hardworking young man,” the queen added, as if sharing a tip. “And to make you feel better... as soon as any of our knights completes their dungeon dive, we'll send them to the north. You have my word,” she said, smiling.

“Thank you,” Percival bowed in gratitude, with Simon following suit.

<--->

His mission had ended in somewhat of a failure; all he had was an empty promise. Yet, he clung to the queen's words. Percival pondered this as they exited the teleporter.

Percival intended to stay overnight before resuming his journey. He needed to visit the adventurer’s guild to gather more information about his next plans. Although the queen had offered him residence at the main castle, Percival respectfully declined.

They found an inn on the eastern side of the main level of the kingdom, conveniently located near the guilds and markets.

“Simon, you can explore now, but return by night,” Percival instructed. He himself was heading to the adventurer’s guild.

<--->

The Elford castle, resembling more of a city than a mere fortress, stood as a kingdom in its own right. Its upper buildings resembled bastions. Simon stood outside the inn, studying the castle map posted nearby. The entire kingdom comprised three levels. The main level, situated in the middle, housed the walls and towering pillar buildings.

Beneath lay the lower level, hidden underground. Here, a vast dungeon sprawled beneath the castle, renowned as the largest in the eastern frontier. The lower levels also housed underground farms and served as the domain of Dwarven smiths.

Simon lamented that the castle was too vast to explore entirely. However, he found himself particularly intrigued by the concept of underground farms. How were they cultivated? he wondered.

The upper level held the main castle. Four towering towers, one at each entrance—north, south, east, and west—served as residences for various branches of Elford nobility.

“Sky Garden?!!” Simon exclaimed, perplexed by the unfamiliar term as he looked at the castle map. It appeared that there was also a museum on the third level.

"Underground Farm, Sky Garden, and the museum!!!" Simon exclaimed excitedly, though his hunger reminded him it was time to eat at the inn first.

<--->

Nine pillars supported the upper level, known as the 3rd level or what locals referred to as the Sky Terrace. The main castle stood beneath the largest pillar at the center of the 2nd level, with the four towers, each supported by two pillars, stationed at the entrances.

To provide a clearer picture, the Elford kingdom resided within a fortress, with the castle constructed atop it. The four towers overlooked the entrances, earning it the title of a castle, as travelers often perceived it towering like a mountain.

Simon utilized a teleporter to descend to the underground level. As he wandered, he found himself inexplicably trailed by a group of dwarfs. Initially dismissing them, he grew apprehensive as their numbers increased, prompting him to break into a run.

Finally arriving at the underground farm, Simon was startled when one of the dwarfs spoke up.

“Boy, wait! Please! Wait!!! Sorry for scaring you!!” the dwarf exclaimed.

“Do you need something from me?” Simon asked cautiously as the dwarfs caught up.

“Please, let us have a look at your weapons... We would even pay you!!” they requested eagerly.

The dwarf begged with its puppy eyes… of course it didn’t look appealing to Simon. (Imagine the mustache)

“You should have told me before!!” Simon complained, but he retrieved the fin blade from his back.

“Sorry... we are just too shy without... oh!!! OOH!!!” Before he could finish his explanation, the dwarf began marveling at Simon’s handmade sword, crafted from the fins of a monster he had encountered in a lake.

“Amazing... we would like to see you activate the magic on it!!!” the dwarf exclaimed, gesturing to the others while handing the sword back to Simon. Simon was surprised they could discern its magical potential.

“I can produce water by channeling magic through it,” Simon explained as he swung the sword, creating a shower of water with each stroke. The Dwarves erupted into applause.

Amidst the applause, Simon produced another weapon: a knife crafted from the feathers of magic-wielding eagles. The Dwarves went wild at the sight of it. “Use it!! USE IT!!!” they cheered, as if rallying for a cause.

“Do you want to have this? I've got plenty in my stock,” Simon offered. The Dwarves eagerly agreed.

The dwarf to whom he had given the knife happily presented Simon with a badge and some silver pieces. It seemed odd, but Simon accepted them, realizing he could now purchase food from the stalls.

The guard, observing the exchange, approached Simon. “He gave you an all-pass badge. With it, you can access any area using the teleporter and enjoy its additional features... Those careless Dwarves seem to give it out as a reward.”

Simon was pleasantly surprised; it seemed that Dwarves were a generous bunch. “Can I use this to enter the underground farm?” Simon inquired of the guard, who also happened to be stationed at the entrance of the underground farm.

“Of course, You can also access the free samples area, where you can try out different crops,” the guard added, opening the small door for him.

Simon stepped inside, descending the long staircase until he emerged in a cavernous underground space. It was expansive, with about four acres of land teeming with crops. Workers bustled about, tending to their tasks.

“Amazing!!!” Simon exclaimed, his voice echoing through the space. One of the workers approached him.

“Are you here for a visit?” the worker asked. The boy rummaged on his pocket and pulled out the VIP badge to show to the worker.

“Ah, a VIP then? Allow me to guide you around!!!” the worker said enthusiastically.

Not only were edible plants cultivated in the underground farm, but it also boasted healing herbs and special varieties of flowers. In the center of it all stood a small tent, serving as the sampling area. Here, guests were permitted to cook some of the crops or even eat them raw. Simon found himself encountering some crops he had never seen before.

“This cavern was actually a dungeon, transformed through the use of Elford's special technology and magic,” the worker explained. While Simon grasped some of the concept, much of it remained beyond his understanding. After a tour of the four-acre expanse, they made their way to the sampling tent. A few farmers were lounging inside, using it as a makeshift pantry.

Simon and the worker who had been guiding him began cooking some of the crops there.

…

After spending nearly a day touring the underground farm, planting, and harvesting, Simon felt satisfied. Now, he was ready for his next destination: the Sky Garden.

“Oh, since you have a badge, you can actually use a teleporter here!” the worker exclaimed. He guided Simon to the west end of the cavern, where a small cave housed a teleporter.

“I'll input the settings. The view from the Sky Garden is amazing at night,” the worker added. Simon stepped into the circle, and within minutes, his surroundings changed.