The two prisoner carts were nearing the end of their journey; Lubin Tavern was in sight. The journey from the foot of Guru Mountain to Lubin Tavern hadn't taken long. However, this short period, less than an hour, had been enough to make the Treasure Hunters at the foot of Guru Mountain boil over with excitement.
This group of Treasure Hunters, as if suddenly bewitched, blocked the road. They created a modest but significant obstacle just outside the tantalizingly close Lubin Tavern.
To understand why this obstacle formed, one must consider the Treasure Hunters' purpose in coming here.
These Treasure Hunters came to Guru Mountain to make a fortune. They had initially fantasized about finding the White Cloud Fruit on the mountain, selling it for a good price, and thus transforming their lives and achieving success.
Yet, they had been on this mountain for so long without sighting the White Cloud Fruit, or even the creatures rumored to guard it. This made their dream of getting rich seem increasingly remote...
However, now, this dream had a glimmer of hope because creatures had suddenly appeared on Guru Mountain!
What did this signify? It signified the White Cloud Fruit was real!
Everyone had heard the legend of the White Cloud Fruit. Now that the creatures guarding the White Cloud Fruit had appeared, didn't that mean the legend was real?
Now, these Treasure Hunters finally saw a glimmer of hope after their years of fruitless toil, and a wave of excitement swept through them.
Their initial shock and curiosity about the creatures had gradually given way to this glimmer of hope. They no longer had to worry that their efforts would go unrewarded, nor would they have to resort to digging up strange stones from Guru Mountain to sell to peculiar buyers.
Some of the bolder Treasure Hunters even started to shout, ignoring the attempts of the Black Mountain Earth Wolves to restrain them, and hollered, "Can you tell us what the White Cloud Fruit looks like?"
"Shouldn't the creature have seen the White Cloud Fruit?"
"Bring down the creature; we have many questions."
"Yes, yes, we have many questions."
"Quickly, bring down the creature!"
This faint hope ignited the Treasure Hunters' fervor. They believed this creature held vital information. If they could just interrogate or search it thoroughly, they were sure to learn something about the White Cloud Fruit, bringing their dreams of wealth that much closer to reality.
The Black Mountain Earth Wolves were, for the most part, a rabble. Their efforts to maintain order had always been fueled more by passion than discipline. Now, that passion was being swayed by the same hope of riches. Though they outwardly feigned to keep control, their thoughts had long since flown to the creature in the prisoner cart.
How could they let such an opportunity for wealth slip by? They had to stop this creature, no matter what!
The Treasure Hunters weren't the only ones thinking this; the Black Mountain Earth Wolves felt the same. They began to move slowly, inching from the sides of the road toward the center.
The road outside Lubin Tavern rapidly filled with people, all clamoring for the creature to be brought out.
"Heh heh, they're trying to get something out of you now," Baharo said, forcing a slight smile and murmuring softly.
"Unfortunately, I'm going to disappoint them," Dastan responded, his rabbit-like, tripartite lips forming the words with surprising clarity.
"So all those legends are false?" Baharo quickly asked.
"Truth and falsehood are often just wishful thinking. We each have our own beliefs; why concern ourselves with such external matters?"
"Well, you make a good point." After Dastan's reply, Baharo fell into contemplation. He felt as if everything in the world was becoming illusory, yet, paradoxically, he himself felt a sense of fulfillment. He didn't understand where this feeling came from, or why he would have such a thought at this moment.
"They were merely clinging to a sliver of hope ignited by my appearance," Dastan added.
"Quiet!" Musa of Black Mountain, however, was not swayed by this distant hope. He steadfastly maintained his role as an enforcer of order.
"Quiet, did you hear? Don't provoke the people from the Alchemy Workshop!" Axia continued to command the crowd with arrogance. He believed the name of the Alchemy Workshop alone was enough to represent ultimate authority and completely intimidate these unruly mobs.
But things didn't go as he expected. The unruly mob neither halted at his words nor showed any fear at the mention of the Alchemy Workshop. They pressed onward, surrounding the prisoner carts.
Even Hector from the Alchemy Workshop hadn't anticipated this turn of events. Ordinarily, he might have used his abilities to intimidate the restless crowd. But now, injured, he was powerless to do so and could only watch them slowly close in, fretting uselessly.
"Calm down, calm down!" Other than screaming, they had no effective way to stop what was happening.
Such was the power of hope. Though sometimes seemingly insignificant, it was remarkably potent. Just a small spark could ignite a significant change in the entire situation.
'Leaving a spark of hope can bring about change.' I think I finally understand what the Great Mentor meant, Dastan mused, watching the events unfold and making a connection.
The noise on the road grew louder. Yet, for all their clamor, the Treasure Hunters didn't resort to force. They simply advanced slowly, gradually encircling the two prisoner carts.
"It seems quite rowdy outside?" Kuyi Tulan remarked casually from within Lubin Tavern, his hand still swirling a glass filled with fruit wine.
"This unruly mob is blocking the road. I'll find a way to deal with this immediately." Seeing what was happening on the road through the window, Elder Rostellum felt a surge of anxiety, but he knew he had to find a solution.
Just as I thought, those Black Mountain people are useless in a crisis! They can't even handle a minor situation like this, Elder Rostellum fumed internally. At a chaotic time like this, I really miss my housekeeper, Uli.
And to make matters worse, Old Hamu from Guru Village picked this critical moment to take the villagers on an outing! Unthinkable!
Elder Rostellum was at his wit's end. But as a Politician, he couldn't let his turmoil show. He forced himself to suppress it, again and again, feeling he might go mad from the strain.
Of course, these were only a small part of Elder Rostellum's worries. What troubled him most was the creature.
It wasn't that he was worried about his fabricated lies being exposed; what he truly cared about was the potential profit—the gold.
If *he* had been the one to capture this creature, imagine how much it would sell for! And, just as those fools outside were yelling, wouldn't this creature hold the key to finding the White Cloud Fruit?
Unfortunately, the Alchemy Workshop people had caught it. Now he had to figure out how to get some benefit from the situation.
Letting such glittering prospects slip through his fingers just wasn't Rostellum's style.
As for that storm the Sound Sensing Skill kept warning about, Rostellum wasn't too concerned.
Storms usually only troubled those at the very top. He was just a small county leader; he should just stick to his own business.