Chapter 111
Chapter 111
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 111
Chapter Title: Orichalchum (3)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Did you hear the news?"
"News?"
"About the 15th Floor being fully cleared."
Apellion's gaze turned toward Manannan.
"I heard from Manannan. Your master is none other than Lord Nuada, right?"
"That's right."
"I figured you two weren't ordinary, but I didn't expect you to be a disciple of such a big shot... Anyway, Manannan let me know you got a letter."
It seemed Nuada had sent letters not just to Regin, but to Manannan as well.
Letters mentioning a festival on Sunday.
With all the rumors floating around the city, it probably wasn't hard for them to piece things together.
"I'd like to talk about that."
If they already knew, there was no need for more explanation. Regin cut straight to the point.
"Are you planning to challenge the 16th Floor?"
"You're asking if we'll head up right when the next portal opens?"
"Yes. I'm curious about your intentions."
"Hmm."
Apellion pondered for a moment before continuing.
"To be honest, I'm not confident. I don't think our success rate on the 16th Floor would be high."
"Hmm."
"Of course, I received the Saint's Sword from you, Regin. And with Manannan and Bern joining, our overall strength isn't bad."
"......"
"But as you know, we've never fought without Elsiva. If I feel confident I can fully fill the leader's role, that's when I'll attempt it."
"I see. So until then, you'll be running the lower floors?"
It was a pretty important question for Regin.
He'd come all this way specifically to ask about their plans.
'I need to hear their strategy so I can map out my next moves comfortably.'
His basic plan was to level up his specs with Greg and Seria below the 15th Floor.
But if Apellion and Manannan were teaming up, he was open to plotting a route around them.
The party would end up larger than expected.
He'd tried running things that way before, after all.
"Hmm, for now, we'll go in and out of the lower floors a couple times to build team synergy."
"And challenge the 16th Floor after that?"
"We might seem cautious, but one thing's certain. We're not giving up. We just want to do it as surely as possible."
Apellion chuckled and continued.
"That way, we can repay the consideration and grace you and Elsiva showed us."
"Hmm......"
"I've been thinking about it since I received the Saint's Sword. Once we gain real influence in Phoenix."
"Yes."
"We'll collaborate with you then. If possible, that is."
Regin nodded in satisfaction.
"In that case, I have no reason to refuse."
Apellion was signaling his willingness to cooperate with Regin when the time came.
If he were saying it alone, it might be hard to fully trust, but with Manannan there, there was no need to doubt.
A mage like him wouldn't settle for a half-baked role, either.
'DAT playstyles aren't everything, but they're reliable data. He's always been player-friendly.'
It meant he could trust those words to a certain extent.
"I overheard something on the way here. Did you become the leader of Unit 4?"
"Huh? Oh, you must've heard at the guild hall. Yeah. They recognized us as the fourth strongest out of the eight units."
"Conflicts within Phoenix usually play out on a unit level?"
"Huh?"
"You mentioned before that you needed the Saint's Sword to secure your position in the guild."
"...Haha. Good memory."
Apellion nodded and continued.
"To be precise, there's some weird tension between the leaders of Unit 1 and Unit 2. The units below them are split, picking sides."
"So there are two major factions."
"Yeah. We're aligned with Unit 1, where the Guild Master belongs. Elsiva and the Guild Master know each other, after all."
"Hmm."
"But the Unit 2 leader's been acting off lately. He's going around saying we need to kick out Unit 1 members."
"And the Guild Master?"
"He called it nonsense, of course, but the power balance is starting to tip."
"Hmm......"
"Don't overthink it. If we build our strength, we can go anywhere, even outside Phoenix."
Regin thought for a moment.
Now that he knew Apellion and Manannan's direction, it was time to choose.
"What if Unit 4 becomes a new pillar?"
"Huh?"
Regin looked at Apellion as he organized his thoughts.
Apellion flinched at the serious gaze, waiting for what came next.
"Instead of just supporting Unit 1 to keep it steady, you and Manannan could seize the new center."
"...Heh. Bold as ever. You're probably the only one who could say that so casually, Regin."
"Is it impossible?"
"Realistically, yeah. Unless you join us. Honestly, you want to tackle the tower at your own pace, right?"
"Exactly."
"Then we'll think up to that point..."
"I'll provide support instead."
"Support?"
Even if he couldn't run the tower with them for a while, there were ways to back Apellion's Unit 4.
"I'll arrange family backing for you."
Being in a guild didn't mean he couldn't get help from his family.
"We'd love the support... Got some solid connections?"
Regin thought of the person he was about to meet and continued.
"I know a scion from a wealthy family eager to provide sponsorship."
The woman he'd run into again on the 1st Floor during the last expedition.
'Peresian Meriang.'
Through her funds, Regin could clear his nose without lifting a finger.
He could nurture a future alliance without any losses.
"I'll talk to him and let you know the results."
* * *
'Luckily, the routes line up perfectly.'
He climbed onto Bellinga's back again and raced across the plains.
Manannan's spot was none other than one of the waypoints connecting the west and east.
The area was famous for a massive mine nearby.
That was where the Peresian family—Regin's destination—was located.
'I stopped by a few times even in the game.'
The mine was just that famous.
Among veteran DAT players, those who hadn't visited could be counted on one hand.
Spec-ups naturally meant consuming tons of ore.
And Orichalchum, the most used, came in abundance from this mine.
[Orichalchum is insane. Need way more than I thought lol.]
It was one of those common posts from mid-game players.
[Found a few ores while tower-running, went to smelt 'em, but you need kilos just for basics.]
You couldn't use raw ore.
You had to smelt ingots first for further processing.
So even farming heaps of ore, crafting a single suit of armor was no easy feat.
Mithril was tough enough; Orichalchum was worse.
'Full sets are brutal with normal farming.'
That's why players sought out this Orichalchum mine.
If you could buy items with gold, no need to waste time and energy.
[So damn expensive. Orichalchum prices have no shame?]
...The high cost was an issue.
'But that's when the Delbah family owned it.'
Regin's eyes sparkled.
The reason he could run hopeful calculations all the way to the mine on Bellinga was simple.
The current owner wasn't the business-savvy Delbah family.
'I altered the timeline a bit.'
He recalled the time he'd escorted Meriang to the 5th Floor.
In DAT's script, the Peresians would've likely been absorbed by Delbah with high probability.
Separate from their Chimihi deal, the mine would've been tempting for Delbah hungry for funds.
"Regin Petuchirio. It's you."
He reached a village near the mine.
Amid the peaceful village stood a mansion, and Regin knocked right away.
A man who resembled Meriang but carried a tougher air greeted him.
"I've been waiting. I'm Peresian Tolimba, head of the Peresian family."
"Pleasure to meet you."
Tolimba continued formally.
"It's an honor to meet the benefactor who saved my daughter Meriang's life."
Contact with the Peresians had been made the day after returning to the kingdom, leading to today's meeting.
Truth be told, saving Meriang had been pure mutual interest.
It might've been the best choice at the time, though.
"Thank you for coming. We should've gone to you, but... I wanted to host you properly."
Tolimba looked at Regin and continued.
"I may not know if it'll suffice as thanks, but I wanted to offer something only available in this territory."
Regin subtly lifted the corner of his mouth.
It was one of the most satisfying lines from DAT.
It meant they were showing maximum sincerity.
* * *
"Long time... no see, Lord... Regin."
At the dining table, Meriang sat dressed to the nines.
She'd used casual speech before, but now she seemed overly cautious, perhaps minding her father.
'What's with her?'
Not just that—her gaze on Regin felt off.
Fidgety, almost.
Far from the boldness he'd seen before.
"We haven't prepared much, but our chef is quite skilled. I hope it suits your taste."
"...Doesn't look sparse to me."
As Regin sat, Tolimba, the family head, urged him to eat.
"Haha, for the man who saved my daughter, this is the least we can do to ease our minds."
It wasn't sparse at all at first glance.
Sheep, chicken, pork—seemed like they'd slaughtered the village's livestock for this spread.
Possibly the most lavish meal since entering this world.
'So this is their local specialty.'
The variety came with fun explanations.
Several dishes were rare even in the game.
He started with the Crampl Orange Chicken.
A dish that boosted favor with both dwarves and elves.
Hard to get the recipe or ingredients.
"...Delicious."
The admiration slipped out.
No wonder it was beloved across races.
"It's chicken with sauce from oranges grown only in the Crampl region. Unlike regular oranges, it takes ages to cultivate, but the flavor is heavenly."
Regin nodded instinctively.
The fruit's sweetness intact, laced with a refined depth.
They even slow-cooked the peels for the sauce—perfect to take into the tower.
"Some explorers make Crampl orange jam for tower snacks. We have a few jars; would you like some?"
"Is that okay?"
"Of course."
Tolimba smiled and instructed a servant, who nodded and withdrew.
"We'll prepare it for you to take when you leave."
"Thank you."
"Not at all. Actually, we received a letter through my daughter. From Lord Chimihi himself."
"Did you read it?"
"Yes, all of it. To be frank... at first, rage boiled up vaguely. My daughter's life nearly ended due to the Delbah family's schemes."
The day Regin had brought Meriang to Chimihi.
Chimihi had written to the Peresian family.
Warning that Delbah might target them.
"But reflecting later, her life seemed just the beginning."
"......"
"If I'd stayed passive, not just her, but my neck—and the whole family—would've fallen to Delbah's blade."
"......"
"So you're not just my daughter's benefactor, Regin, but mine and our family's as well."
Regin realized why Tolimba was treating him so lavishly.
Over the past days, Tolimba had reread the letter obsessively, coldly assessing the situation.
Delbah's blade was already at their throats. They'd barely dodged it this time by luck.
"Lord Chimihi mentioned the Saint's Sword, saying its bearer would protect your family."
"Yes. So..."
Finally, the topic Regin wanted emerged.
'The Saint's Sword is currently with Apellion.'
If things went to plan, he could link him with the Peresians.
He was about to mention Apellion when—
"But I see it differently. We need the Sword's bearer, yes—but someone else too."
"Pardon?"
"I heard from my daughter. You persuaded Lord Chimihi. I wasn't eavesdropping; she's just sharp-eared."
"......"
"And you're Lord Nuada's disciple, with rumors of your exceptional nature."
Tolimba continued with a serious expression.
"Are you seeing anyone currently? Or betrothed?"
"Not yet, but..."
Tolimba stared at Regin, then glanced smoothly at his daughter Meriang.
Her face flushed, she stared only at her plate.
"What about my daughter?"
"Pardon?"
Regin finally realized this hospitality wasn't mere gratitude.
"It's immodest to say, but Meriang takes after her mother—a beauty. She's young and inexperienced, but..."
It was a form of courtship. A father proposing on his daughter's behalf.
"With a wise man like you by her side, she'll soon become a reliable partner. Just as my late wife was to me."