Chapter 404 - Rivertown, Bart’s House

Han Wu first instructed Qin Shuang to defend the mine against potential foes before setting out for Rivertown with his new companion, Akanzor. During their journey, Han Wu occasionally transformed into a War Eagle and carried Akanzor through the skies to shorten their travel time. Before long, they reached Rivertown, where Han Wu reverted to his human form. The two then boarded a boat to enter the town.

They had to pay a steep fee before they gained entry. Rivertown lay at the base of a solitary mountain, or rather, within a valley formed by its slopes. A broad river to the east provided the town with fresh water.

The town’s tall buildings and clock tower revealed its prosperity. Humans made up most of the population, so the townspeople showed little hostility toward Han Wu and Akanzor. Some of the merchants even beckoned them to browse their shops.

Han Wu wouldn’t pass up the chance to gather more information and motioned for Akanzor to follow him into a toy shop. Inside, he took in the wide variety of intricate toys on display but was struck to find that almost half were shaped like a Great Dragon. Picking one up, he asked the shopkeeper about it.

The shopkeeper sighed and recounted Rivertown’s story. Long ago, a dwarven castle stood on the hill above the town, and the humans and the dwarves lived peacefully together. They had no conflicts of interest. The dwarves would usually come down to Rivertown to sell their forged goods, then purchase alcohol and food. At times, they would even recruit some of the smarter humans to work as their apprentices at the forge.

It could be said that the two races had thrived in mutual benefit until the day the gold Great Dragon appeared out of nowhere. Smog reduced Rivertown to ashes and claimed the dwarven castle as his own. The dwarves were driven from their home, but Rivertown’s resilient humans rebuilt their homes from the ashes and wreckage.

Akanzor was confused. “Wait, aren’t you guys afraid that the Great Dragon will return?”

The shopkeeper smiled and explained, “When Rivertown first burned, one apprentice descended from the hill. They gathered the bones of the humans Smog’s fire had killed and forged three Black Arrows. Each arrow was coated in venom so potent that it could kill even a Great Dragon. Smog fears those arrows and has never returned.”

Han Wu’s eyes lit up. He hadn’t expected to find information on the weapon that could harm Smog so soon. “Are the Black Arrows really that powerful? Who has them?”

The shopkeeper shook his head. “It’s been ages, and I have no idea where they are now. However, if you are willing to purchase some toys, then I’ll gladly point you to the house of the family that forged those arrows.”

Without hesitation, Han Wu pulled out a huge sack of gold and purchased all the toys in the shop. The exhilarated shopkeeper clutched the gold, refusing to let go.

“Shopkeeper, shouldn’t you be telling us which family forged those arrows?” Han Wu pressed.

The shopkeeper smiled absentmindedly and answered, “Bart’s family. They live south of Rivertown. You can find them there.”

After getting the information, the two picked some of the pricier toys and set off toward Bart’s house. Along the way, they asked for more details, but all they managed to learn were Bart’s nicknames. Some called him the Divine Archer, while others called him the Wandering Bart.

Han Wu’s curiosity about this person only grew. They asked for directions and eventually reached Bart’s house. He knocked lightly on the wooden door, which creaked open only after half a minute.

A young girl with messy blonde hair stood in the doorway, and she asked curiously, “Are you here to see my father? He went fishing, and I don’t know when he’ll be back.”

Han Wu smiled at the cute girl and handed her a toy. “Can we wait for him inside?”

The little girl eyed the beautiful toy and drooled. She adored it but wasn’t brave enough to let two strangers enter their home. Just then, a voice called from inside, “Sigrid, who’s there at the door?”

A slightly older girl appeared. Han Wu studied her delicate features and could tell that she would grow into a beautiful woman in the future.

“Sis.” Sigrid hugged her elder sister, Tilda, and explained their intentions. While speaking, she snuck glances at the toy in Han Wu’s hands.

When she heard they wanted to enter, Tilda glared at them and said firmly, “No. Our house does not welcome strangers.”

Han Wu smiled helplessly. He had the power to easily enter the house and take them as hostage to force Bart to reveal the arrows’ location, but he refrained. He still hadn't gauged Bart’s true strength.

“Sorry for intruding then. We’ll find a nearby place to rest and wait for your father,” Han Wu said.

He turned to leave when a frail voice came from a room inside the house. “Tilda, Sigrid, is our father back?”

Han Wu paused upon hearing the feeble voice. He could tell that the speaker was sick and quickly asked, “Is there a sick person in there?”

Tilda remained cautious. “This doesn’t concern you.”

Han Wu smiled reassuringly. “I am a doctor. I can treat most diseases.”

After a few moments of hesitation, Tilda visibly relaxed and opened the door, allowing them to enter.

From the modest interior, Han Wu confirmed that Bart’s family was poor. He entered the room and soon saw Bain lying on the bed, his face pale.

Bain was Bart’s son and seriously ill. Unfortunately, they didn’t have enough money to afford a doctor. Tilda and Sigrid were praying that their father would return quickly with food and money for Bain’s care.

Han Wu stepped forward and placed his palm on Bain’s forehead. The boy’s fever was so high it threatened to fry his brain. He quickly channeled a very small portion of his accumulated Divine Points into Bain’s body.

A cool sensation spread from Bain’s forehead, and his condition visibly improved.

“Tilda, is this the doctor you found for me?” Bain’s voice was still weak, but he looked much better than before.

Tilda was grateful to see her brother recover slightly and treated Han Wu with gratitude. “Thank you, doctor. You’ve saved Bain.”

Han Wu waved her off. “Can I wait for your father here?”

“Yes, of course. Please, let me get some food for you.” Tilda went to prepare a meal, and Sigrid happily played with the toy that Han Wu had given her.

Watching the siblings support one another through poverty filled Han Wu’s heart with warmth. His curiosity about Bart, whom he had never met, grew even stronger.