Death Notice Book 8: Chapter 37: The Route
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Release Date: 2026-06-10 16:23:13
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Volume 2 Chapter 31: Combat Model »
“Lord Firal, we’ve confirmed the merchant ship schedules at the dock. We can set sail this afternoon!” Robin looked over Qin Lun with curiosity as he stood at the inn window, leisurely holding a cup of Nan Luo tea.
According to current intelligence, this silver-haired elf was a Qundar Moon Elf returning from travels, fitting an Apostle profile quite closely. His temperament was greatly different from young royal descendants like Milleras and Iristin; not only was he exceptionally meticulous and calculating, but also ruthless, unscrupulous, and definitely didn’t seem like a script elf.
His sudden rise had caused changes in the “Ancient Path” main plotline. Though the “Ancient Path (Fake)” appearing in the Anke Elf Court made some sense, Robin didn’t believe this plot trigger should have come from a Moon Elf originating from Qundar.
Yet, the Lost Team could find no flaw in this Firal Moonshadow. Merely glancing at the Shadow Gale Panther yawning lazily in the middle of the guest room left Robin feeling intensely conflicted. After trekking through three forests, they certainly recognized this summoned beast as a unique creature of this world, which indirectly confirmed Firal’s plot identity. It was really hard to suspect him.
“Good, thank you for your hard work, Leader Robin!” Qin Lun didn’t turn around. He spun the porcelain cup in his hand, thinking about the unknown journey ahead.
It was their fourth day since departing Anke Forest and the twenty-third day overall for the Fortress Team in the Toril World. After heeding his warnings, both the Lost and Fortress Teams only rested for two days in the Anke Elf Court before insisting that Milleras set out with them.Compared to resting, both teams were far more worried about the intervention of other Apostle teams. After all, the “Ancient Path (Fake)” might very well be the main storyline for another team.
Just as Qin Lun predicted, once Fortress and Lost began cooperating, Robin gained command of both teams. It was inevitable; Apostles respected strength. Setting aside the power of the teams themselves, Robin, as leader of the Lost Novices, surpassed Stark considerably in both experience and planning ability.
Qin Lun didn’t ask Robin for details about the mission task. After hinting to this beautiful leader about tidying up loose ends, he needed no further involvement in how events unfolded. Apostles weren’t paragons of justice; if beneficial to the mission, killing was the most common tool.
No one surpassed Apostles in making bodies disappear and hiding clues; hiding one’s identity was a core skill for every Apostle. Even Sherlock Holmes wouldn’t uncover the truth anytime soon.
After Robin left, Qin Lun turned back to the table, set down his teacup, and rested his gaze on two items lying there: a violet longbow and a map of the southwestern Faerûn.
The violet longbow was one of the adventure items prepared for him by High Priest Menon. Far superior to the oak longbow he’d been using to practice skills, this was a legendary rank magical weapon, crafted from a branch of the World Tree. Its previous owner was a legendary Ranger from the Moonshadow Tribe.
Faintly glowing complex patterns adorned the bow’s surface, emitting a subtle magical pulse. Before Qin Lun’s departure, Elder Adeline labored sleeplessly for two days and nights to forge twelve magical arrows infused with mithril. Extremely powerful, they would serve as his hidden trump card.
Given his current strength, Qin Lun couldn’t possibly draw this bow; his physical attributes simply weren’t sufficient.
However, High Priest Menon gave him a thumb guard carved from the heartwood of the World Tree. Through the synergy between the two items, he managed to bypass the equipment requirements and gained the recognition of this legendary bow.
The only regret was that the bow’s magical laws were too deeply integrated with the Toril World. Unless aided by the Shattered Starry Sky, even if he fused Fragment Crystals to turn it into an Apostle item, it would lose both its Artifact Spirit and the life essence of its laws, becoming just a World Tree branch shaped like a bow.
While World Tree wood was also excellent material for equipment, it would no longer be a legendary weapon.
Besides the legendary bow, the other item was a southwest Faerûn map provided by King Thanequalas. It detailed the Kingdom of Saispaits, included information on the great human kingdoms of Calimshan and Tethyr, and covered the geography northwest of Saispaits, including the Snowflake Mountains and the Giant’s Plain.
For both Apostle teams, this map was more precious than an legendary item. Just recalling how Stark had directly paid the Shattered Starry Sky over a hundred thousand Shattered Crystals for a mere projection map covering about 100 kilometers around Elbad revealed this map’s immense value.
Of course, what delighted Qin Lun was a gratifying notification that appeared in the Death Notice upon obtaining this map.
The Shattered Starry Sky hadn’t yet verified the map’s authenticity. But as the Sun Elf Diplomatic Mission traversed the regions marked on it, each confirmed area would earn him World Exploration Degree – entirely for himself, the sole owner of the map.
Qin Lun’s finger lightly traced the animal-skin map: from Anke Forest to Ankhaipe, then westward to the Steam Lake Harbor at the westernmost point of the Kingdom of Saispaits – Mingta.
West of Mingta lay Calimshan. Of course, Saispaits’s western border also bordered Tethyr. But the diplomatic mission retracing the ancient path couldn’t take shortcuts; they had to go to Calimshan first, then turn north to Tethyr.
Without the threat of the Zhentarim, Milleras would have preferred land travel, especially since King Thanequalas enjoyed good relations with the Kingdom of Saispaits, minimizing large-scale ambushes within its borders.
However, with the Zhentarim lurking, they now had to travel via the Steam Lake sea route to reach Calimshan. The difficulty of the “Ancient Path” quest fluctuated wildly. Tricking the Zhentarim and other hidden foes could render the task barely at Lieutenant rank. But poor luck landing them against even one Zhentarim Legendary Powerhouse would spike it to Rear Admiral difficulty, spelling doom for both Apostle teams.
Currently, Fortress coupled with Lost accounted for thirteen Apostles. Adding plot elves like Iristin and Milleras totaled nineteen companions. Their small number made them harder for enemies to track. The downside was that attacks by multiple Rank adversaries left no ready scapegoats to absorb the blows.
Qin Lun’s earlier declaration to the Byron Guild rogue named Xigong – that they were heading to Suldolphor Harbor – was only half true. Suldolphor was perched at the tip of Calimshan’s Almraiven Peninsula, facing Zaasham Port across the sea like the straits of Gibraltar back on Earth.
Sailing westward along Calimshan’s southern coast past Suldolphor would lead them to the capital, Calimport.
Any potential enemies of the diplomatic mission finding this intel would consider it highly credible. However, Qin Lun and the others planned to disembark midway, landing directly at Jespyn on the Almraiven Peninsula. From there, they would cross the Alamir Mountains into Calimshan.
The Alamir Mountains were rugged and treacherous. Most peaks soared over a kilometer high, perpetually capped with snow and ice, utterly deserted. In ancient times, this was the southern edge of the dwarven Sarnatan Empire, rumored to conceal a dwarf fortress deep within the Alamir range.
This route arguably represented the most arduous path from Anke to Calimshan. Facing the threat of the Zhentarim, however, it meant little. To the Apostle teams, the prospect of losing companions to plot strongholds made even the hardest journey preferable.
Besides, they had ample time; a few extra miles mattered little. As for Milleras, with most of his royal guards gone, his sway over route decisions had shrunk drastically. So long as they remained on course for the Ancient Path, he raised no objections.
The migration of Cormanthor Sun Elves to Evermeet had begun over a decade ago. Initially, only handfuls traveled in groups of tens. Later, once the Cormanthor Elven Court confirmed it couldn’t support a third-generation World Tree, organized large-scale migrations began.
In recent years, Sun Elf migrations peaked, and personnel losses had grown unbearable – triggering Milleras’s current diplomatic task.
Not only did Milleras need to liaise with other Elven Courts across the continent for assistance during migration and to jointly build the Sun Court on Evermeet, but more critically, he had to petition the great human nations west of the continent to grant passage to the main Sun Elf migration force.
Faerûn diverged sharply from the Earth Federation’s America region; the eastern continent featured sparse population over vast lands. In contrast, the west, particularly the Sword Coast corridor linking Calimport – Baldur’s Gate – Deepwater City, formed the continent’s densely populated, commercially vibrant core.
Geographically speaking, the diplomatic party had already journeyed around 5,000 kilometers from Cormanthor to Ankhaipe harbor, nearly half the journey. Yet the Ancient Path’s first leg lay entirely across the eastern continent, with large stretches seaborne via the Sea of Fallen Stars and the Vihong Sea.
Mission-wise, they hadn’t even completed one-fifth; the road remained tremendously long. Only upon reaching Calimport would the true essence of the Ancient Path begin.
Of course, including the Sun Elf King, not one Sun Elf believed Milleras could finish this monumental journey in a single attempt. At best, they hoped this Elf Prince might go as far as possible before paying the ultimate price – laying the groundwork for a second, perhaps even a third envoy mission, ultimately achieving success.
In true history without Apostle intervention, this Sun Elf prince never did finish the entire Ancient Path. It wasn’t until Vale Year 1357 – two years later – that another Elf Prince traversed the entire route atop the piled bones of his predecessors.
Qin Lun’s eyes flashed faintly. His index finger tapped thoughtfully on the Alamir Mountains marked on the map. Crossing those peaks would lead them directly into Calimshan’s Mir Forest.
Mir Forest belonged to descendants of Ilfaron elves, also ruled by Moon Elves. While the Mir Elven Court wouldn’t aid the Sun Elf diplomatic party, his status as the Saophila Elf Prince shifted the dynamic entirely.
Qin Lun strongly believed the Mir Elf King would grasp the intent behind King Thanequalas’s approach. Sharing the noble purpose of the Sun Elves retracing the Ancient Path – any Moon Elf King would enthusiastically offer aid.
As locals in Calimshan, the Mir elves’ assistance guaranteed they’d reach Calimport unscathed – marking the end of the third leg of the “Ancient Path” arc.
This route wasn’t Qin Lun’s plan at all; it originated with Robin. Still, he endorsed it, finding no major flaws.
Now, his only lingering question was this: after reaching Calimport, should he urge the Fortress Team to withdraw?
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Index
Volume 2 Chapter 31: Combat Model »
