Chapter 49
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 49
Chapter Title: Illness in the Midst of Peace - 2
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Rien had completed the sword buried in Harman's memories by then, and she realized that the master craftsman was a resident of the 11th floor named the same.
She was even an important figure included in the optimized route.
"Phew... Understood. If the adventurer is heading to the 2nd floor, I can't stop you."
After receiving the proof from the village head, he set off on what was arguably the shortest journey in the world.
[2nd Floor Gate]
Will you challenge the 2nd floor?
· Condition - Adventurer's Proof (1/1)
It was a journey that wouldn't even take a day to reach the destination, and once completed, nothing would remain.
· 11th Floor
In terms of order, it would be the third village.
1st floor, 6th floor, and 11th floor.
The 1st floor, called the tutorial, was a village that had a considerable scale and basically all the essential types of buildings.
The 6th floor was a village that expanded the range of weapons one could wield. There were places to learn basic magic from the magic tower, as well as archery and spearmanship. There weren't many, but some adventurers chose weapons like daggers or axes.
The 11th floor was a very large village.
Though it was because all the settlements where residents gathered in the tower's various floors were classified as villages, strictly speaking, it was closer to a metropolis.
The outskirts of the village were surrounded by walls and a fortress, making it a castle city.
Given the expansive backdrop, the objective of the 11th floor also proceeded on a scale unlike anything experienced before.
The gate was located in front of a massive castle gate.
As soon as he arrived, the waiting gatekeeper greeted the adventurer.
"The Count is waiting for you. Follow me."
The words about waiting were surely just a courtesy.
It was true that adventurers were important to the village, but the position of count wasn't one that would eagerly await each one individually.
The count didn't even have a tool to detect gate usage, so every time, the gatekeeper would lead the adventurer to him before he learned a new adventurer had arrived.
This process was close to a manual for the gatekeeper.
From the start, if someone were truly waiting for an adventurer, they wouldn't have a bottle of liquor in hand.
"For you to come here alone, and at this time no less. Such cases are truly rare."
"Is that so?"
"That means you're either supremely confident in your skills or hopelessly behind. Either way, it doesn't matter, so no need to worry."
Having been escorted right to the count, it turned into a one-on-one audience with the ruler of the 11th floor.
A count generally wasn't the highest rank in nobility, but the moment the castle city became part of the floor, no one could issue orders to him anymore.
His sphere of power was instantly cut off from the outside, so even an emperor's command couldn't reach here.
The local governor had become the supreme authority in an instant.
With nothing in his sight, he lay sideways to receive the adventurer.
"I won't forgive you for interrupting the fine taste of this liquor. But since you've made me open my mouth about the underground beneath this place again needlessly, you'll have to worry about the fatigue and hassle that brings."
"You mean the demon bound underground?"
"Hah, not your first time? From your appearance, you seem like a fresh adventurer just arriving on the 11th floor. No, yours looks even more pathetic than the others'."
"......"
"Anyway, these days, everyone knows everything no matter what I try to explain. You must have picked up some wretched rumor somewhere."
The count clicked his tongue while maintaining his arrogant posture.
By the time one set foot on the 11th floor, most had joined guilds and followed the guides prepared by them.
Since they no longer needed to hear about the city's situation from the count himself, this reaction was somewhat understandable.
"If that's the case, there's no need for me to receive adventurers at all; the gatekeeper who brought you could have explained everything. What kind of tradition is it that bothers me to death like this."
"Indeed."
"You think so too?"
"I agree."
"Nodding your head without fear at the question of whether you dislike conversing with me. Quite bold; I like the look of it."
The count pointed one finger at him.
It was a straight index finger.
"You seem to know it all, so I'll explain briefly. Quiet the demon rampaging underground. Do that, and you can proceed to the next floor you so desire."
"Understood."
"Once a week. Periodically defeat the demon to keep the village in peace...... Tch. Do as you like. Anyway, even without you, some guild or whatever will handle it themselves."
There was no experience farm like demons in the lower floors, so even guild members who had alreadyed the 11th floor periodically cleared the quest.
When those who started it graduated from the quest, junior guild members took over, keeping the 11th floor perpetually peaceful.
"It might be fun to leave the demon alone for over a week sometime."
"Someone might hear and think that's dangerous talk."
"Aren't you curious? What happens if no adventurer quiets the demon for a week. What if it breaks free and turns the city into a wasteland?"
To think such words came from a city's ruler.
"Ah, mind your words, please. I've long put effort into building a reputation for benevolence."
"......"
"I don't want to be called the Mad Count anywhere."
As he stepped outside, the earlier gatekeeper asked him.
"Shall I guide you underground?"
"No, it's fine."
"Yes, understood. No need to resolve it immediately, so come when you need to."
From the beginning, wasn't the purpose of the 11th floor.
Afterward, he never sought out that gatekeeper again.
"We have been chosen!"
"In the name of Karelus!"
"Ahh, in the name of Karelus!"
The dominant religious order on the 11th floor was conducting missionary activities everywhere.
They were blocking the middle of the road to his destination, making it hard to avoid them.
"Protect us from the demon's return!"
They believed becoming part of the tower was salvation.
Thanks to becoming part of the tower, they believed they could prevent the demon's return.
In their eyes, adventurers probably looked like divine messengers.
Today seemed particularly fervent.
As adventurers accumulated experience, raised skill proficiencies, and grew stronger, their equipment also grew stronger.
Sometimes they completely switched to newly acquired weapons due to vastly superior performance, but there was also a way to strengthen existing weapons into stronger ones.
Those who imbued swords with effects using magic stones were called enchanters, and their workplaces were called enchanting workshops.
Enchanting workshops didn't exist on the 1st or 6th floors, and could only be encountered for the first time on the 11th floor, where the village scale had grown larger.
It was that important a place to pass through early on, and thanks to that, the way there was clearly etched in memory.
"......"
The enchanter's two eyes were, damn it all, a beautiful green.
"I didn't even notice you come in. Sorry. I'm a bit out of it."
"You're open for business now, right?"
"Of course."
There was an elderly woman in the enchanting workshop.
No one else.
The enchanter worked alone with a frail body, undaunted by the passage of time.
"What equipment will it be? Perhaps the sword you're carrying?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Do you have a magic stone brought with you? We have some in stock, but their quality isn't great. There'd be an additional fee too."
"I'll use this one."
He handed over the sword, the prepared magic stone, and coins equal to the required fee.
In the end, it would all become as if the enchantment never happened upon regression, but showing up empty-handed at an enchanting workshop was the most suspicious behavior.
"No, where did you get a magic stone of this quality...?"
"I got lucky."
"You could sell it for a fortune. Wouldn't it be better to use the value for enchanting other equipment instead of a weapon?"
"It's fine. I want to enchant the weapon."
The weapon was self-made, but the rest of the equipment was all basic gear that beginners wore, so the enchanter's advice was reasonable.
There was no reason for an adventurer visiting the enchanting workshop to climb the tower more smoothly not to agree.
"Mm. If it's what you want...... I'll do it. It'll take quite some time, so you could wander around and come back."
"Without a weapon, there's not much I can do anyway. I'll wait until it's done."
"Understood. I'll imbue an effect worthy of that fine magic stone."
There wasn't much distinction in the workshop area, and he could watch her work even from the chair.
Various scrolls were spread out on the table, and the enchanter placed the received sword and magic stone on them.
Thanks to that, conversing naturally was easy.
"The sword is really pretty."
"Is it?"
"Yes. I don't know who made it."
See, my sense of aesthetics was spot on after all.
Though the shape was completely different from the sword in Harman's memories, he smiled at the fact that the one he made had earned recognition.
"What's the enchanter's name?"
"Ah, I haven't even introduced myself. I'm Mariel. As you know, I've been working as an enchanter here for a long time."
As he had known well, her name was Mariel.
Now, there was no way to deny it anymore.
"You seem quite experienced. How long have you been doing this?"
"Are you asking when I first started as an enchanter? Or when I opened this shop?"
"I'd like to know both if possible."
Swish, swish─
Mariel was wiping the magic stone with a soft cloth.
Whether to buy time to think or to focus by silencing herself momentarily.
"Enchanting isn't something just anyone can do, right?"
"I know it's a field even more sensitive to aptitude than mages."
"Exactly. Thanks to that, I can make a living without starving with just this one talent."
Swish─
The sound of the cloth rubbing again.
And following that, the sound of someone shouting outside the building.
"It's noisy outside, huh?"
"Is today some special day?"
"Adventurers might not know, but today is Salvation Day. So the order members will be patrolling the area all day."
The day the demon was defeated became a commemorative day.
They called that day Salvation Day every year, and it happened to be Salvation Day today.
"We were freed from the demon, only to be trapped in a cage we can't escape. Where's the salvation in that......"
While the order members enjoyed the day, Mariel sighed.
"Oh, what was I saying? Getting old, I keep losing focus."