The source of the Torrent River is the Endless Wilderness, where its streams and currents converge. The Torrent River itself forms the border of the Endless Wilderness.

To the south of its lower reaches lies the Roaring Mountain Range, while to the south of its upper reaches is the Endless Wilderness.

To the north lay rolling, grassy hills and some forests. In any other season, the landscape would have been vibrant with life.

But now, the scene was desolate, with bare trees everywhere and the ground blanketed in white snow. Occasionally, they spotted snow-covered plains that might have been fields, but nothing could be seen besides a few windmills, stationary and awaiting repair.

Partway there, the group saw a small cargo boat being hauled upstream by more than a dozen boat haulers.

However, just as Colin and the others were about to approach, the sight of Orelia and Kase sent the haulers into a commotion.

When Colin shouted to the captain to ask if they could get a ride for a stretch, the haulers immediately grabbed stones, ready to fight for their lives.

So, in the end, they had to drop the matter.

After all, boat haulers and cargo ships were, to some extent, at the mercy of the heavens. Their superstition was understandable. The incident made Ale a little angry, but she didn’t show it at all—at least, no one other than Colin noticed.

After following the river for about four more days, Three Bays City finally came into view.

True to its name, Three Bays City was located at the confluence of two rivers, which merged there to form the Torrent River before flowing out to sea.

From a distance, the city itself was shrouded in a thin mist.

The city was quite large, though not on the scale of Rommon or Thousand Masts City.

By a rough visual estimate, Colin guessed there were over twenty-five hundred households.

Unlike chaotic cities such as Rommon or Mokewick, Three Bays City was ruled by the Three River Commerce Association. It was a city built entirely by a massive merchant guild whose wealth could rival a nation’s.

Since the city earned its money from shipping taxes and trade, its merchants had no need to control large swathes of land. As a result, its military was just large enough for self-defense.

The villages and fields they had seen along the way were all properties of Thousand Masts City.

To the city’s east stood a tall mountain called "Gray Peak," and to its north lay a dense forest. That forest was known as Sharp Teeth Forest because a Green Dragon had once nested there. Fortunately, the Green Dragon had been slain several hundred years ago, so there was nothing to worry about now.

"Man, I’ve had it. We trained for a month in Thousand Masts City, then walked for days and did nothing," Kase grumbled, dissatisfied.

"I, for one, think it’s a good thing there’s been no fighting," Orelia said, breathing heavily.

After catching their breath, the group continued on their way until they reached the gates of Three Bays City.

The city gates here were relatively large.

A few Guards in Leather Armor and waterproof boots stood at the entrance. They wore Leather Armor emblazoned with the crest of Three Bays City, with a Scimitar and a Hand Cannon at their waists. They certainly looked intimidating.

It was worth mentioning that gunpowder existed in this world.

However, through the joint intervention of several Gods, including the Deity of Invention and the Magic Goddess, all gunpowder in the physical sense had been rendered completely inert.

This restriction covered the entire world via the Magic Net, becoming an unshakeable rule.

In its place was "Smoke Powder," created by the followers of the Deity of Invention using Divine Arts.

Smoke Powder itself was more potent than gunpowder, but its other properties were much the same.

However, because the followers of the Deity of Invention tightly controlled the production and supply of Smoke Powder, its price was extremely high.

Within the Lord Alliance, only city-states like Three Bays City, which had a small population and focused on its own defense, could afford it. However, there were rumors that someone on a small island farther west had obtained the formula, lowering the price just enough for even Pirates to afford cannons.

The neutralization of gunpowder had led directly to the stagnation of this type of weaponry.

The only common firearms in this world were simple hand cannons and cannons.

As for why the Gods banned gunpowder, no one knew.

’But,’ Colin thought, ’if the Gods can interfere with the laws of physics at will, it’s probably very difficult for the intelligent races of this world to develop freely to a more advanced stage.’

As they walked up to the main gate, the Guards paid little mind to the Half-Orc and Tiefling who appeared there. Colin’s group, of course, had no intention of starting trouble and strode right into the Mist City.

This wasn’t the first time the group had searched for a strange little shop in an unfamiliar city. After walking and asking around for a while, they found the so-called "Allen’s Sundries."

The little sundry shop looked a lot like the antique store in Thousand Masts City.

It was just as cluttered, its shelves laden with all sorts of miscellaneous oddities.

The shop’s owner, who appeared to be an elderly woman, sat behind the counter reading a newspaper.

’I have a feeling this shopkeeper is one of the Five-Stringed...’

As he thought this, Colin walked over, knocked on the counter, and said, "I need the goods from drawer number two in cabinet number three."

The old woman pushed up the glasses perched on her nose.

She got up, walked over to the cabinet behind her, and gently pulled open a drawer.

In the next instant, Colin felt the scene before his eyes begin to twist and warp, like a reflection in disturbed water. At the same time, a faint purple fluorescence flickered at the edge of his vision—it was the Magic Radiance of Illusion Magic.

Then, the shattered scenery coalesced again, forming an unfamiliar view.

Focusing his eyes, Colin found himself in a room with a fireplace.

The room contained a few tables and chairs and was kept very clean.

A man in a black Cloak and black Chest Armor was currently sitting behind one of the tables. He was tackling a roasted fish with both hands, which were covered in grease. A tarnished silver Holy Emblem was embedded in the center of his Chest Armor.

The man had slightly long, salt-and-pepper hair and a weathered face covered by a dense beard, giving him a somewhat scruffy appearance.

The man looked over, and Colin swallowed hard.

The man’s gaze was incredibly fierce, like that of a cornered Wild Wolf. To this day, Colin had never seen such a savage look in anyone’s eyes.

"That last spell teleported you to the basement. There’s also an illusion simulating you leaving the shop to avoid arousing suspicion... So, you’re the help Edwin sent me?"

After speaking, the man stuffed the palm-sized fish head into his mouth and chewed it with a loud CRUNCH.

"Perhaps. We were only ordered to come here," Colin said.

He sized up the man’s equipment.

The man’s Armor and Cloak were both Magic Items. His gear was even more impressive than that of the Gray Squad members Colin had seen in Silverpine Village; he was armed to the teeth.

"How many missions related to Cultists have you undertaken so far? What kind have you dealt with?" the man asked as he picked up a rag to wipe his fingers.

"We dealt with followers of the King of Gnolls once, in Pig Badger Village. That’s it."

"Followers of the Abyssal Butcher, hmph," the man said. "So, you’re just a bunch of rookies."

"You could say that," Colin shrugged. "But our orders were to come here and learn. There’s compensation for this, right?"

"You’ll learn on the job. As for compensation, ask the person who sent you. I’m broke." The man stood up. "I’m Yuri Hansen, a colleague of Edwin’s. A Paladin of Vengeance."