As the county head of Gaga County, Elder Rostellum was busy every day.
The things Elder Rostellum had to deal with in a day were diverse. Every day, the four villages under Gaga County's jurisdiction would have some disputes, big or small, which Elder Rostellum needed to handle. The Liuli City Administrative Office, or even the higher Louna Governor's Mansion that governed Gaga County, would sporadically issue directives or requests, which Elder Rostellum needed to enforce. Additionally, various strange organizations, unrelated to the administrative office, would unexpectedly pop up seeking help or cooperation, which also required Elder Rostellum's coordination.
Elder Rostellum had to deal with these situations one after another. Although handling these complex matters mostly required him to sit in his expansive, luxurious official mansion, reading letters and moving his pen, the needless repetition was still irritating.
So, Elder Rostellum kept a chicken to pass the dull working hours.
This chicken was bought from the Dusk Market in Liuli City. The buck-toothed vendor patted his chest and claimed that this chicken would definitely bring wealth because it was a chicken an Alchemist had exchanged from an Alternate Dimension. As long as it was well-fed with special ingredients, it would surely lay golden eggs. Hearing the word "gold," Elder Rostellum bought it without hesitation, even though he still hadn't figured out how to feed this special chicken.
But at this moment, Elder Rostellum didn't have the time to consider the matter of the chicken, as he was bothered by the letter in his hand.
The letter had just arrived. Not only was it stamped with the City Administrative Office's postmark, but it also bore the statement, "Respectfully requesting the personal attention of His Excellency Rostellum Hamil Gaga, Head of Gaga County," written in a very polite script.
This strange letter didn't alert the cautious Elder Rostellum. As usual, he opened the letter and picked up his quill, silently retrieving from memory the several generic options he used for handling such incidents.
If the letter concerned disputes between villages, he would ring the bell on his desk and let his competent subordinates take care of it.
If the letter was about arrangements and instructions from the City Administrative Office, then he would pick up his quill, write several notices and reports, then instruct his subordinates to post them in the various villages, and that would be the end of it.
If the letter was a plea for help from some strange organization, then he would narrow his eyes and stroke his beard. These civic organizations always expressed their requests ambiguously, making it unclear what they actually wanted. Thus, after some grumbling, he would set such letters aside or directly throw them into the sewer.
But the letter in Elder Rostellum's hand went like this:
Esteemed Elder Rostellum, Head of Gaga County:
May this letter find you well. The Yonder Travel Academy, under our Association's jurisdiction, is approaching its graduation season, and most students will be leaving the academy for their exploratory internships. Gaga County, being a bustling place on the Yoweien Continent, will undoubtedly attract many students. We hope Your Excellency will assist our Association's subordinate academy in cultivating a new generation of Adventurers. Therefore, should any students identifying as Adventurers pass through your esteemed county, we request that Your Excellency, our respected County Head, extend them care and support!
Respectfully yours,
Scribe Little Spratt
Association of Adventurers
Mixed Calendar Year 348, September 32nd
P.S. The student undertaking an independent internship in your county is the son of Governor Rostov of the Louna City Administrative Office, which oversees your county and city. Therefore, our Association was able to easily utilize the City Administrative Office's Mail Bird System to deliver this important message to you! (Mayor Babasha of your city attaches great importance to this matter!)
P.P.S. Governor Rostov's son is strikingly handsome and thus easily recognizable; a photograph is therefore not enclosed.
After reading this letter, Elder Rostellum was stunned, the quill he had poised for action now tossed aside. This strange letter was a hybrid: a coordination request from a civic organization mixed with directives from the City Administrative Office or even higher authorities. This meant his usual methods would no longer be applicable. But that wasn't the main issue; the main issue was those two postscripts.
Elder Rostellum felt like a drowning man with a stone tied to his foot, sinking to the bottom. The two postscripts in the letter were like huge stones, dragging him ceaselessly into the depths, with no chance of resurfacing.
I can't be so dejected, Elder Rostellum thought, tugging at his goatee to encourage his already disheartened self. This self-pep talk did have some effect. Now, he felt like a bird trapped in a cage, and the two postscripts were the birdcage, preventing him from spreading his wings.
Hmph, the Association of Adventurers! Elder Rostellum looked disdainfully at the signature on the letter. In his eyes, being an Adventurer was a very dull and unpromising career. He couldn't understand why anyone would choose this profession. There were many professions on the Yoweien Continent: Wizards and Alchemists could gain substantial rewards; Fighters and Hunters could earn great honor; Politicians and Scholars could achieve high status... But Adventurers? They roamed all over the continent yet gained nothing... I really can't figure out what these Adventurers are after.
Elder Rostellum didn't understand the world of Adventurers, but he had to execute the directives from his superiors. The trouble was that these Adventurers were thoughtless. Not including a picture of the young master was one thing, but not even mentioning his name was simply too much. This is precisely why I throw letters from these peculiar organizations into the sewer!
Elder Rostellum propped his chin on his hand. Having tugged his goatee, he now started pulling at his mustache. Even with my connections, finding out the governor's son's name will take a long time. More outsiders pass through the county each day than there are flies in summer. I don't have enough manpower to investigate every single one, and the expense would be enormous... I could send a reply to the Association of Adventurers, but that blasted Little Spratt didn't even leave an address. Do I have to ask Mayor Babasha? No, no, Lord Babasha's face would turn green. I can't appear to be such an incompetent subordinate... What on earth should I do about this...?
KNOCK, KNOCK. Before Elder Rostellum's worries could dissipate, a steady knock on the door reached his ears.
Only his Housekeeper, Uli, could produce such a stately knock. Elder Rostellum thus rang the bell, signaling him to enter.
"Sir, Witch Biggs requests an audience," Housekeeper Uli announced, standing respectfully. His ramrod-straight posture indicated he had once been an excellent Fighter.
"That useless old crone still dares to show her face? Tell her I'm busy and to get lost immediately!"
"Sir," Uli said, unperturbed, "I attempted to send her away, but Witch Biggs insisted that you see this item. I thought you might be interested in it. It wouldn't hurt to take a look before deciding." With that, he placed an irregular, ellipsoid object he was holding onto the desk.
The brilliant luster radiating from the ellipsoid object made Elder Rostellum temporarily forget the vexing letter. He carefully picked up the ellipsoid from the desk, cradled it in his palm, and admired it closely.
"Let her in!" Elder Rostellum commanded. At this moment, he was as excited as a starving child suddenly given a piece of honey-coated nut brittle.
"Yes, sir." Housekeeper Uli retreated respectfully, his stoic face betraying no emotion, as if the entire world were of no concern to him.
After Uli closed the door, Elder Rostellum suddenly leaped from his chair as if he'd gone mad. Then, lowering his voice, he cackled, "GA GA GA!" He laughed so hard tears nearly came to his eyes.
Meanwhile, outside the door, Great Witch Biggs, escorted by Housekeeper Uli, was hunched over, waddling slowly toward the County Head's office...