The God of Jesters
Chapter 599 - 9.11.1 A cursed city.

Chapter 599: 9.11.1 A cursed city.

Being experienced in the little dream games Jester played with Farhad before. It didn’t take long before he adapted to this odd experience he found himself in. "Who am I?" These were the thoughts that Farhad kept to himself.

Putting on the act of an expert, he left the house followed by a few guards that the original body had employed before Farhad’s arrival. ’It’s an odd feeling.’ From the words, the clothes, the faces. Everything appeared so alien.

Even in a town as big as this, there was hunger and poor virtually everywhere. Poor who looked at him with fear in their eyes. ’But I should keep it to myself.’ It Was Farhad’s original thought when he noticed an even odder existence in the majority of the surrounding public.

They all carried faint traces of curses on them. Even if they were not suffering from one, it wouldn’t be odd for them to catch them or even birth them out of nowhere. Making him wonder, just what kind of place it was.

No, his mind had soon understood that this place existed in the past—an era where the curses reigned supreme. This time would have been considered the coming of the end if not for the legendary being who rose through adversity and became somewhat similar to the gods, even while not being one.

’I wonder how far I am into that time?’ The curse calendar was denoted by the CE, the Curse End by the historical scholars, but what they used to call it during this time? Farhad was not privy to such details. Even among the knowledge he had digested from Jester. There was nothing about this time. Leaving him a bit mute over what to do.

But it didn’t mean there was no progress. With the little snippets, he learned from the people around him and the information he extracted by using vague questions like "how many houses were left."

"Were there any noble’s houses?"

He did get some answers, some details that intrigue him. The nobles of Bloodline didn’t exist during this age. There was no bloodline that could establish a powerful lineage, and the mages were bastards who kept to themselves far away from the plight of mortals.

None of them wanted to be involved with curses out of fear. While the churches’ ranks were mostly filled with Mystics who could borrow the strength of their patron gods, this was not as efficient as a bloodline, as this required prayers and such just to purify the victims of curses.

’What an absolute hell.’ The Knight system, for all its faults and the fact that it helped establish a concrete power system where the strong preyed on the weak. With the weak barely having any chance to fight the system.

The world without Knights looked too bleak.

But it didn’t mean there were no rich people. There were always those who understood how to manage their resources and how to expand their power through money and employed Curse Miester alone.

The name is generally used for Curse masters during these days.

Of course, the job that these curse Meisters did was more than just acting as a grunt work. With how rare the exorcists were due to the restriction of talents. Most of the curses were dealt by Curse Meisters, who not only protected the families from curses used by other envious people but also regularly held sacrificial ceremonies on a regular basis.

As for who Farhad was currently? He was one of the rare healers Meister, one who can use curses to heal others. However, that would generally be followed by curses and corruption jumping onto his body, turning him ugly and inhumane.

This is probably why the men that surrounded him didn’t find him disgusting even with the ugly skin he had at the moment. And not like he had any choice, the sun was still shining above his head. Farhad had long checked what would happen if he left his skin exposed to it. ’Nothing’s changed.’

"I am tired Ashwin, take me to my lodgings."

"Sir... this." The man’s name was Ashwin, Farhad’s guide as well as Butler. And generally, his job was to support Farhad as much as he could. But this request, he just can’t fulfill. "Sir, we still have an appointment at midday at the Dhuma’s... and they are not ones to take being ignored, kindly."

"Dhuma?" Dhuma is a term that generally defines smoke. "The coal miners?" I asked. "Calling them mere coal miners is too much sir. They own two mines and even make their own wooden coals. No one in the city can compare to their riches. Beside Lord Dilbur."

The background of this place was pretty easy. There was no concept of a country in this world. Like the Yethel of the old, the towns and cities were generally under the protection of Warlords, churches of even Mages.

As for this Town specifically, it was under the control of a mage named Lord Dilbur, but in name only. The coward in fear of curses lived far away from the populace and only gave his name to the town so that they don’t get raided while draining the blood of citizens in the form of taxes. But with no centralized money system. Most of it generally meant the share of rations or the mining resources.

In rare cases, the coward even took the little jewels that appeared in the mines from time to time. Probably for his research without ever giving anything back to the public. But there were no complaints, they were content as long as they had his protection in the name. That’s the most they could afford anyway.

"Tell me about the Dhuma," Farhad asked. At this time, few could rival him, even though the gods walked the earth during time, but the world was too big, and experts of that level rarely would appear in a town as small as this. And with no centralized power system established followed by the creation of Knights. The number of powerhouses was far lower than before.

And from what Farhad could see, the strongest here were Curse Masters, even then, most of them barely were apprentices, with those in the Adept considered true powerhouses, as for the level of Master?

Well from what Farhad understood, he was one of the Master in the mouth of these men, making him a peak of this city.

But even then, this Ashwin warned me against ignoring these coal miners, which suggests that they might not be as weak as he had assumed. ’Well whatever the case is, this world is pushing me to meet them."

Farhad walked the streets under the protection of Mortal soldiers, making sure that no one dared to come close to him. Even the ones who looked at him with hope from the distance hoped that Farhad would save them from their pitiful fate and the curse they suffered from. But Farhad didn’t bother to look at them. This world was fake, a dream, it didn’t matter what happened here as these people were already dead.

So he walked, passing by small streets and admiring the architecture of the olden days over how inefficient they were. These people were barely surviving even in a city as big as this. Which made Farhad appreciate the time he was born in. It wasn’t long before he smelled some smoke in the air.

"Seems like we have arrived." There were multiple carts hauling wood to the grounds with some earthen mounds that produced the said smoke. From what Farhad understood, these mounds held the wood that would soon turn to coals under the intense heat as well as lack of oxygen which would have ignited the wood.

A technique used to this day.

’Same is the case here, all I can say is that they are surviving... but not flourishing. Hah, not like the time I come from is any different.’ It wasn’t long before he arrived at the door of the family he would be dealing with today.

Their house was not as big as one might expect from someone so rich, but Farhad could feel vitality far stronger than all the people he had met before.

"Master Warnan, you are here." Spoke a young man coming to greet Farhad. "Please come inside, everyone is waiting," he spoke, leading Farhad to the inside and providing him some tea before calling every member of his family. The first one to arrive at the scene didn’t seem to be any of the family members, but an old woman who carried an air of her own and matched Farhad’s vigor.

She was a Master level Curse Master, or Meister during this age. "Master Warnan, it’s a pleasure to meet you." She greeted without moving an inch of her body. And from her expression, it can be seen that she didn’t hold this Master Warnan in any high regard. No, from the tone alone, she appeared almost sarcastic with her greeting.