The path leading to the village hall from the lighthouse was comparatively short, yet Zephyr wheezed in exhaustion. His never-exercised body was a pain in the ass as he struggled to walk.
Still breathing heavily, he pushed forward through the mist, knowing that he had important information to pass on. And, just as he approached the thatched building, he could make out vague, shifting figures moving through the gloom.
'It's crowded.' Zephyr frowned.
The village hall was an important location, but it was not supposed to be that crowded. As he walked forward, Zephyr saw more and more people standing in front of the hut, speaking in hushed voices.
'What happened?' Zephyr wondered, suspicion arising in his mind. 'The fishermen are gathering here. Did they sense the storm approaching?'
'Well…it kind of makes sense. After all, most people have eyes and can see the dark clouds looming over us.'
'Now that I think about it, the job of a stormkeeper might not be that important.'
If Zephyr could see the rain clouds and predict the rain, most of the fishermen who spent a lifetime on the sea would be able to do the same. So, Zephyr was questioning whether he was even needed here.
'Ah! It doesn't matter. Let's do what I need to do and leave.' Zephyr said in his mind while walking forward.
Regardless of what he thought, he had a job to do. And it was his responsibility to do it well.
As the people gathering in front of the village hall saw Zephyr, they quietened and parted ways, allowing him to pass through. Some of the fishermen even bowed respectfully to him.
Zephyr was not used to the kind of treatment.
Usually, he was neglected or ignored wherever he was. But this time, in this world, they were actually treating him with respect.
It was a little jarring.
He was not used to the attention.
Hence, like usual, his face froze as his expression turned stern to hide his nervousness.
At that exact moment, those watching Zephyr felt a chill crawl up their spine. Because of the mist, it was already a little bit chilly. And now, the chill grew stronger.
Some of the fishermen talking in hushed voices immediately quietened and took a step back.
Zephyr noticed the change in the atmosphere but failed to identify the reason for it was his stern expression.
Ignoring everything else, he swiftly walked into the village hall.
"What is happening here?" He asked the moment he saw the village chief standing next to his cartography table.
"Hm!"
With wide eyes, the village chief and the three other people standing around the table turned around. All of them were startled by Zephyr's sudden appearance.
"Ah! Sir Zephyr!" The village chief exclaimed and walked towards him. "Thank God you are here."
The chief was initially startled. But soon after, relief washed over him.
"Sir, do you know any magic to track a person?" The elderly chief asked pleadingly.
His voice was laced with great expectation. Zephyr was taken aback.
At the same time, a flash of memory streamed through his mind.
The original Zephyr does indeed know a tracking spell. It was a wind elemental spell he learned while reading a magic tome. The runes of the spell flashed in his mind when the chief asked about it.
"Why?" Instead of answering with a yes, Zephyr frowned and asked.
Although Zephyr remembered the rune structure, the spell was not something he could immediately cast. So, he was a little hesitant to talk about it.
However, the chief's eyes lit up hearing him. The fact that the gloomy and straightforward mage did not reject him outright must mean he knew a spell like that, right?
A spark of hope lit up in the chief's eyes. So, without further delay, he began to explain.
"One of our men went missing last night. He was fishing alongside the mangrove forests to the north and should have returned last night. But he didn't."
"We sent a search party to look for him, but they didn't find anything useful. And the mist didn't exactly make our lives easier."
"We fear that something bad must have happened to him. So, Sir Zephyr, we need your help. Can you please help us track him down?" The chief pleaded with hands clasped together, bowing.
The other fishermen in the village hall followed suit with a bow.
Zephyr watched this and stood there scratching his head.
'Ah! What should I do?' Zephyr wondered nervously.
If some evil son of a b*tch was forcing him to work for them, he would have spat on their face and rejected. But these villagers were bowing respectfully, practically begging for his help.
Zephyr's conscience didn't allow him to reject.
"Sigh." Zephyr breathed out the stuffy air in his lungs and watched the bowing men.
"Are you sure he is missing?" Zephyr inquired.
"Yes, he would have returned by now if he were fine." One of the fishermen standing behind the chief said.
"Please help us, sir." Another one clasped his hand and bowed again.
"Please, sir." The last remaining person also bowed.
In a missing person case, time was of the essence. They had no time to waste. The faster they find him, the higher the chances of the person surviving.
So, to them, Zephyr, the only mage in the village, was their only hope.
While the men bowed, Zephyr calculated in his mind about what he would have to do to cast the magic.
'The minor tracking spell contains 36 runes. There is no friggin way that I can draw it on my cores. I would have to use a medium to cast the spell. Fortunately, the mana cost of the spell is small because the range of the spell is less than 10 kilometers, basically the distance a person can see with no obstacles.'
'If I can draw the rune on a mana conductive medium, I might be able to cast it once with the mana I have in both my cores.'
'That's a big might though…'
Zephyr thought about it a little harder.
It was a basic spell that all mages can cast if they fulfill certain requirements.
However, he was not like normal mages.
Would the mana he has be enough?
He was not sure.
'I can't possibly agree to something I am uncertain of.' Zephyr looked at the people nearby. 'At the same time, not even trying would destroy my reputation as the high and mighty mage. So, showing weakness was also not possible.'
If Zephyr rejects them, the question of why he rejected them would come up. The truthful answer to the question would be that he does not have enough mana nor a core big enough to engrave the spell.
However, giving that answer would put his weakness on full display. Zephyr didn't want the villagers to know that.
At the same time, if he lied, the consequences would be something similar. With his reputation lost, they might turn hostile.
'Ah! F*ck. Let's try what I can do. If push comes to shove, I could sprinkle some salt and call it casting magic like the magicians of my world.'
'None of the villagers would notice it, right?'
Zephyr said in his mind and finally decided to help.
"Before that, does north mean near the islands where the crabs are migrating to?" Zephyr asked while turning towards the chief.
The chief hesitated for a second before nodding.
'Damn it!' Zephyr cried out in his mind.