One-Eyed Monster

The Hunchbacked Boss stared at Estev without uttering a word.

Estev stared back at the Hunchbacked Boss in silence.

The sky gradually darkened, heralding the first snowfall of winter. Once it began snowing, Guru Mountain would officially enter the Intense Chill season.

The first snowfall on Guru Mountain would usually be heavy and last for a long time. The temperature would then drop to its lowest point. People huddled by roaring fireplaces still found themselves unable to shake off the bitter cold, let alone the reckless Treasure Hunters who remained outside. The heavy snow would completely block the mountain paths, trapping those on the mountain and preventing anyone below from ascending.

Under normal circumstances, such extreme cold would certainly have caused anyone remaining on Dawn Peak to freeze to death.

The weather was harsh and unnaturally cold. Coupled with the unique nature of Dawn Peak, where no living things existed, it seemed a miracle would be needed for any living person to survive such an environment. In such inclement weather, anyone without supplies in the wilderness, if not frozen, would surely starve to death.

But Guru Mountain was Guru Mountain; strange things always happened there.

Over the past years, there had been many unfortunate Treasure Hunters trapped on Dawn Peak by the Intense Chill of Guru Mountain. However, they had not lost their lives to the extreme cold. After a few stupefied days on Dawn Peak, the lengthy snowfall would cease. Not long after, they would be seen "rolling" down the mountain in a disheveled state.

Their descent from the mountain could truly be described as "rolling."

Such miraculous survivals naturally drew the attention of many curious onlookers at first. After all, these idle onlookers had spent the coldest moments secluded in the tavern, numbing themselves with alcohol. Meanwhile, those on the mountain had strangely not frozen to death and even appeared hale and hearty. Surely there was something unusual afoot.

Yet those who descended the mountain firmly insisted they knew nothing. They claimed to have merely slept on the mountain, had a dream, and then hastily scrambled down upon waking because it was unbearably cold.

"I remember a few men quarreling fiercely at this very table over something trivial, like whether or not snow had accumulated on Dawn Peak." Lost in these recollections, the Hunchbacked Boss was the first to break the tavern's silence.

His tavern had only two or three tables. In his own words, he barely served three customers a year. This was, of course, an exaggeration, but his tavern was indeed rather desolate, seldom patronized except during the height of the Intense Chill.

For one, his tavern offered no fine spirits. For another, he hardly conducted himself like a businessman. Even Old Hamu, the village elder, pitied his difficult circumstances and barely collected any taxes from him. The liquor merchants were even more generous, often giving him their unsold spirits free of charge—an act of charity, one might say.

The Hunchbacked Boss cared little for others' perceptions. He ran his tavern, his frail body eliciting the sympathy that kept it afloat. A glass of any spirit cost three copper coins. Since his stock was all donated by the merchants, any sale was pure profit.

Yet, patrons remained scarce, no matter the time of year.

Now, with the Lubin Tavern booked by the Alchemy Workshop and the larger Endless Night Tavern also reserved by a few unfamiliar travelers, the numerous Treasure Hunters at the mountain's base had few places left to drink. Even so, Estev remained the sole patron at the Hunchbacked Boss's tavern.

His claim of barely serving three customers a year was, it turned out, not much of an exaggeration.

"Hidden things always pique someone's curiosity," Estev responded vaguely. "Whether white snow actually covers the peak isn't all that important."

"Heh, you see things clearly," the Hunchbacked Boss replied softly, seeming to fully grasp Estev's cryptic words.

"This mountain, having been around for so long, has caused such a commotion recently, all thanks to Willem," Estev said, a hint of resentment in his voice.

"You can't really say that," the Hunchbacked Boss countered. "People are always eager to uncover what others conceal, just as many tavern owners want to know how my establishment has managed to stay afloat all these years."

"Indeed. Secrets are meant to be unearthed," Estev agreed.

"You say that as if you were a Gravedigger," the Hunchbacked Boss chuckled.

"Don't forget, I've always been a Gravedigger," Estev retorted. "I can discern others' hidden secrets with just a glance."

"Heh, is that so?" the Hunchbacked Boss mused. "Then tell me, how did those fellows trapped on the mountain by the Intense Chill manage to survive? Isn't that strange?"

"It is strange indeed," Estev conceded. "It seems this mountain holds more than a few secrets."

"Aye, I've grown old. My senses have dulled considerably. I'm not the man I once was," the Hunchbacked Boss sighed, flipping a copper coin.

"Everyone ages," Estev stated quietly.

"You people excel at concealment, but I do not. I'm only suited to dealing with numbers. After all these years, these numbers still haven't revealed to me what truly transpired on this mountain."

"You've endured much hardship over the years," Estev said.

"I'm still rather reluctant to part with this little tavern, even though it earns nothing. Its only means of survival has been to trade on the sympathy evoked by this decrepit old body of mine," the HUNCHBACKED Boss said, his gaze distant, as if bidding farewell to something.

"You could open a larger tavern elsewhere. No one can predict what the future holds," Estev suggested, rubbing his fingers together. He had drunk a fair amount today.

"I am glad it was you who came to me, Estev, and not Willem, nor Bigas. I... I still prefer the old ways."

"One is a traitor, the other a radical. Both are a disgrace, utter scoundrels," Estev declared.

"I've grown old and failed to detect the anomalies in time. Thanks to you, Estev, I can still quietly enjoy these hidden things before my departure," the Hunchbacked Boss said gratefully.

"It's a bit premature for such talk. As I said, for now, I can only hide here and observe the situation," Estev countered.

"Ah, Estev, you still don't understand," the Hunchbacked Boss said. "We Scholars are also capable of Divination, much like Wizards. The difference is, they rely on Witch's Prediction, while we depend on deduction and calculation."

"Hmm?" Estev was clearly puzzled.

"What we've hidden has been concealed for far too long. It's time it was brought to light," the Hunchbacked Boss continued.

"Our mission is..." Estev began.

"I understand, child," the Hunchbacked Boss interrupted gently. "But the future is an unstoppable force. You and I will both exhaust our efforts on this path."

"Since the outcome is already foreseen, why cling to it so stubbornly? Wouldn't it be more liberating to simply walk away barefoot and enjoy the scenery?" Estev questioned.

"The foreseen outcome can shift with changing circumstances," the Hunchbacked Boss explained. "If I were to abandon it now, the calculations predict I would vanish from this world, leaving not even a whisper behind."