Chapter 235
Chapter 235
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 235
Chapter Title: Chapter 6-1. Iris
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The trip from the Langritsa Magic Tower to the mage tower located in the south of Calypso Kingdom cost nothing.
We stepped onto the magic circle one by one, where intricate diagrams and letters were engraved inside a large circle, and waited for it to activate.
But the magic showed no sign of activating. I tried calling for a staff member, but it seemed like they had received some kind of message—no one was watching us, and they were bowing to thin air for no reason. Then they asked us to wait just a moment.
I had no idea what was going on, but it wasn't urgent, so I was happy to wait on the magic circle. After about two minutes, another staff member came rushing over and handed me a pass, saying the tower master wanted to give it to me as a token of gratitude for delivering the archive plaque this time.
While they gave me additional explanations, I checked the item information first rather than listening.
[Name: VIP Pass of Langritsa Magic Tower]
[Grade: Precious]
[Description]
A token given by the tower master of Langritsa Magic Tower to those deemed valuable guests. It has your name on it, so others cannot use it.
-Free Usage (Passive): You can use the magic tower's teleportation magic for free. (Once per week, up to 10 companions)
-Discount (Passive): Purchase items in the magic tower at 40% off. (Limited to 1,000 items per day)
-Regular Access Pass (Passive): Use affiliated resorts or lodgings at 60% off.
-Langritsa Magic Tower Visit (Passive): Visit anytime to conduct business. (Employment, item purchases, item checks, etc.)
It was quite practical.
Of course, once you leave Calypso, the number of magic towers drops sharply, so it wouldn't be easy to use everywhere. Still, there's no such thing as a useless item in this world. Thinking I'd find a use for it someday, I carefully stowed it in <Bag> and asked the staff member, who had finished explaining, to pass on my thanks to the tower master.
The teleportation magic, which should have activated long ago, fired up immediately once preparations were complete.
Perhaps because Langritsa was so exceptional, arriving at this unnamed southern mage tower brought no particular thrill. Nothing noteworthy caught my eye, and no one paid any attention to me or my group.
That was to be expected.
Judah and Arhil's striking appearances did draw brief glances from passersby, but that was all.
The first floor had more people than the upper levels. Adventurers and mercenaries were crowding the counters, probably buying items exclusive to magic towers.
'Should I pick up some scrolls?'
But with Lime, my new companion and a high-ranking magic swordsman, there was no need to spend money on scrolls.
Even as a high-ranking magic swordsman specializing in ice magic, she knew basic spells, so starting a fire should be no problem. Without lingering on scrolls, I left the magic tower and headed to a general store with Arhil and Lime in tow.
"There are a lot of people."
At Arhil's comment, Judah looked around. He hadn't been paying attention, but she was right—this city had more adventurers and mercenaries than he'd expected.
'I thought their numbers had thinned out after so many died in the elf forest.'
They had joined the war in the slave kingdom and Silan for a big payout, only for tens of thousands of mercenaries and adventurers to become sacrifices to the Sixth Monarch, Bell-Teraza.
Duke Akila Yes of Silan, the instigator of the war, wouldn't have hired just anyone, so many skilled ones must have perished. Tens of thousands was no small number.
Yet skilled-looking adventurers and mercenaries were still plentiful here. Especially considering this was a border city, their numbers were definitely high.
"There's only one reason adventurers and mercenaries gather in numbers like this."
When Judah didn't respond to Arhil and just pondered silently, Lime, walking beside them, leaned forward and spoke up. Arhil asked curiously in response.
"What kind of reason?"
"When there's something profitable."
She was right. Why had remote Serenia Castle developed? Why had adventurers and mercenaries flocked to Duke Yes in Silan? Money. They gathered where they could earn it, or at least where they hoped for a big score.
"Is there something profitable around here?"
Arhil looked skeptical. What could be worth money in this border region?
Enough to draw crowds of adventurers and mercenaries?
Lime looked troubled at her question.
"Well, I'm not sure about that far..., but maybe a large-scale quest opened up, or the number of magical beasts has surged?"
Plausible enough. As far as Judah knew, the only event around here was running into bandits. In the game, it was just a pass-through location. He couldn't guess why adventurers and mercenaries would gather like this. As he walked, lost in thought, he spotted a building with the adventurer guild's emblem hanging above the door.
"Let's stop by the guild for a bit."
Arhil and Lime nodded in agreement. Dodging passing adventurers, we entered the guild. It had been ages since he'd visited one. The last time was right before leaving Calypso, and he hadn't been back since.
If he hadn't had money, he'd have taken quests to survive, but luckily, he'd won a fortune gambling in Uruun, so there was no need.
At the counters, a man and a woman were guiding adventurers on something.
Even though it was morning, they looked exhausted. They forced smiles while explaining, but weariness was etched on their faces. I waited my turn and approached the woman.
"Welcome. How can I help? Here for a quest...?"
"No, quests are fine. I just have a question I wanted to check."
"Yes."
She looked up at me and said, "Go ahead."
"Are there usually this many adventurers and mercenaries in the city?"
"No? Not at all. Normally, it's not even a tenth of this. It builds up sometimes, but rarely. You have no idea how tired we are because of it."
She sighed and continued.
"Lately, countless labyrinths have appeared across the Byron Empire, spilling out magical beasts. They're bursting out all at once, so the empire finds it burdensome to deploy troops and announced they'll hire adventurers and mercenaries directly. Word is the pay is good, so lots are trying to cross the border."
"Do you know where those labyrinths are?"
"Hmm. There are so many popping up in the empire that our branch can't confirm locations. You'd have to go to the branch in that region for details."
Damn.
It seemed Asmodeus, sealed in one of those labyrinths, was making a move. Whoever was trying to break her seal, the beasts overflowing from other labyrinths meant someone had opened a closed gate to the demon realm.
'Trouble.'
Just as he was planning to head to the Byron Empire, this happens. The next fragment was in the Iron Labyrinth between Byron Empire and Ahman Kingdom. He'd hoped adventurers wouldn't flock there.
Judah thanked the counter staff and led his group outside. Things would get busy once they entered Byron. He needed to recruit the fragment holder as a companion and enter the labyrinth for the next one. He'd been taking it easy, thinking he had time, but not anymore. The moment they stepped out, Judah sighed.
"What's a labyrinth?"
Arhil asked cautiously as they walked, apparently having wondered all along. She probably knew the dictionary definition.
"You know how, a hundred years ago, Demon Lord Perlnirn scattered fragments?"
"Yes."
How could she not? Judah had several right now. Arhil's gaze flicked to him briefly. Lime, pleased to share her knowledge, continued with a delighted expression.
"To claim those fragments, demons flooded the mortal realm from the demon world. Baekje and Byron were locked in fierce territorial wars back then, but when high demons appeared, both sides realized the gravity, signed a ceasefire, and poured everything into sealing them. Many famed sword owners died, but it also birthed many skilled heroes."
"Huh."
Intrigued, Arhil nodded attentively to Lime's tale.
"The two empires dug into the earth, built labyrinths underground, and housed the demons there. They say the locations were kept secret, managed solely by the empires, unknown to all."
Exactly. That's why only players raid the labyrinths. Killing the sealed demon in each yields rare items and codes. It was designed as a farming spot for players.
Players could tackle them leisurely without fear of others stealing them. But if hidden labyrinth locations were exposed like now, skilled folks would raid them one after another. Of course, far more would die.
========== Author's Note ==========
1) Ah... my body hurts so much. Headache, chills..., didn't do anything but feel like I ate something bad, all my energy's gone. Why do I get sick so often...
2) Gas relief medicine is seriously amazing. Anyway, it's incredible.