Chapter 252
Chapter 252
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 252
Chapter Title: Hundred Legs, Ten Thousand Poisons (2)
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The ship we were on was the last one.
As the sun dipped low on the horizon, the passengers who disembarked began heading off to their destinations.
We had arrived in Quarjan, so we should have secured a room at an inn right away, but instead of heading to the street lined with inns, we made our way to the original entrance of Quarjan—the pass.
The pass wasn't particularly long; it only took a few hours to traverse on foot. On horseback, you could make it in under an hour.
"Theodor, sir, why are we here...?"
To Callisto's question, I replied indifferently.
"To see if those guys show up."
"You mean those mercenaries?"
"Yeah. The Iron something-or-other."
I glanced down at the gently sloping pass.
Since the center of the pass where the dungeon was located sat a bit lower, it was downhill whether leaving Quarjan or entering it. Of course, the incline was so gradual that it wouldn't slow anyone down much.
If that Iron gang had made it through the pass safely, they should have appeared by now.
But the pass was silent, shrouded only in a creeping, cold darkness.
"Do you think the mercenaries can make it through the path?"
"No."
"Then why wait?"
"Just in case."
At my words, Callisto tilted his head. But he didn't press further. Convinced the mercenaries had no chance of passing through, he had already turned his eyes away from the pass and was grooming the coat of his horse, Claudia.
We waited another ten minutes or so until the sun had fully set.
"What are you lot doing here?"
Darkness was gathering now. Two guards appeared from the opposite direction of the pass and called out to us. I showed them my mercenary badge and asked,
"You stand watch even at night?"
"Yeah. Folks from around here have no reason to go that way, but the lord ordered us to guard against any unknowns."
"Speaking of which, what about you? Looks like you just arrived. Why are you hanging around here?"
"You're not waiting for someone, are you? Haha!"
The two guards shared a hearty laugh as if it were the funniest joke, then turned back to me with slightly more serious tones.
"If you came by ship, you already know, right? That path..."
"Yes, I know."
"Then what are you doing here?"
"There's a group of mercenaries from the other side who said they'd cross this pass, so I got curious if they'd actually make it."
"Really? People still say that?"
"Yes. Iron Arm Charles or something?"
"Master, it's Iron Fist Richard."
Elle whispered. I nodded and corrected myself.
"I mean the mercenary Iron Fist Richard and his crew. There were at least ten of them..."
"Ten or not, impossible is impossible."
"Is that so?"
"Of course. Don't waste your time—head back. Iron Fist or whatever, they won't even see a speck of dust."
"What a shame."
"Still some idiots who think they can push through."
Amid the guards' grumbling, Elle let out a yawn, unable to bear the boredom any longer. Taking that as our cue, we exchanged brief goodbyes and turned away.
Even if we waited all night, that mercenary band wouldn't show. No, they couldn't. Just as the guards said, they...
...had likely lost their lives.
We asked a passerby for directions and headed to the street with the inns. There was no lively bustle on the roads. Not a single drunk in sight. Serial disappearances. With something like that happening, the city's atmosphere had no choice but to change.
Quarjan didn't have many inns. This place served purely as a gateway.
The city itself was so small it barely qualified as one, and just a short distance away lay the cities of Roshan or the Empire's towns, easy to reach. Those heading to the Ekaitz Confederacy usually took a ship straight away and rarely stayed here.
In other words, there were no decent inns. The ones here, clearly battered by sea winds for years, had faded, shabby signs, and their interiors weren't much better.
Among the row of inns, I picked the cleanest-looking one and booked a room. It had space for four people but no meals included.
Not that I expected any. At least the first floor had a decent spot for drinks.
We unpacked right away. Unfortunately, dinner was a simple meal bought from a nearby eatery. Enough to stave off hunger, that's all.
Legion seemed dissatisfied with the food, nibbling a bit of bacon before falling asleep. For his sake, I needed to find a good restaurant tomorrow. No way the whole city was full of bland slop, right?
More important than food was bathing. We hadn't had a chance since leaving the Sequoia Forest until arriving in Quarjan. Fortunately, the inn's bathhouse was in pretty good shape.
I split a lemon that was past its prime and tossed it in, along with a rock salt crystal the size of a candy. Soaking in the hot water infused with a fresh citrus scent melted away the accumulated fatigue.
I leaned my head back against the wooden tub and closed my eyes.
...I thought we'd have a smooth time in Quarjan.
Who knew something like this was going on... Well, based on past experiences, it wasn't that strange. The whole continent seemed to be in a similar state. Large and small incidents erupting simultaneously, as if someone had orchestrated the whole board.
And I was one of the few who knew who that 'someone' was.
It was probably best to assume there was no 'peaceful' place left anywhere on the continent. Crows, or something connected to them, would have wormed their way in somehow. Like parasites.
The 'regeneration' of Quarjan's dungeon was suspicious too.
Once a dungeon is cleared, it loses its power and turns ordinary—unless it's a double dungeon, another boss won't appear after you've slain the first one. Not even after decades.
Even double dungeons lose their power completely upon full conquest.
The Quarjan locals' guess—that a Poison Octopus spirit or offspring had grown and reclaimed the dungeon—was wrong. Once the boss dies and the dungeon's power fades, even offspring couldn't survive.
The mana emanating from the dungeon itself would be gone.
-Bubble bubble...
So what was it? I pondered leisurely, head submerged under the bathwater. Octopus offspring was a dead end. Another dungeon spawning in the exact same spot? Absurdly unlikely. Doesn't make sense. Then...
-Blug blug blug!
"...Pha!"
Running out of breath, I jerked my head above water and gulped air. Hoo, ha, hoo, ha... A lemon half bumped into my face as it floated by. I stared blankly at the bobbing lemon. And...
"...No way."
A hypothesis dawned on me.
"Someone deliberately summoned a new boss-level monster into the ruined dungeon?"
It was a low-probability scenario, but it made the most sense. If they had the 'ability' for it. Boss-level monsters could thrive even in a dead dungeon with poor mana circulation. And without relying on the dungeon's mana...
...they'd aggressively hunt humans.
That would explain the endless disappearances plaguing Quarjan.
Of course, the truth would require entering the dungeon directly, but for now, this hypothesis fit best.
Nothing like a hot soak to get the brain working.
"Whew...!"
Refreshed from the bath, I headed downstairs intending to share a drink with Lloyd and discuss my hypothesis. Sure enough, the first floor was already lit—the telltale sign of Lloyd drinking.
"...Ah, Theodor."
Seated at a small table lit by a lantern were Lloyd and Callisto. No sign of Elle; probably asleep, or maybe off petting Ayla. I dragged a chair from another table and sat down.
"You started without me."
"Thought about waiting, but you take forever in the bath..."
Lloyd shrugged. Fair point—I did.
I pulled out some black cherry wine I'd been saving from my subspace ring and filled our glasses. Callisto's was empty too, so I topped his off.
"The bath took a while today for a reason. Came up with a mind-blowing hypothesis."
"Hypothesis?"
"Yes. About that dungeon. The dungeon."
Lloyd raised an eyebrow, while Callisto looked intrigued. Explaining to them and gauging reactions would tell me if it was nonsense or plausible.
I methodically laid out dungeon and boss monster ecology, then my hypothesis. Callisto tilted his head at the idea of a new boss taking over, but Lloyd nodded.
"Makes sense."
"Doesn't sound right to me."
Opposing reactions. I scratched the back of my head. Well, Callisto might not buy it. We'd only worked together once in Corrin.
He'd seen the Red Ritual and such, but it probably didn't hit home. Those kinds of things.
"Anyway, to confirm, we need to investigate the dungeon."
"Like the guards said, seeing the lord isn't a bad idea either. Jo...eph, was it?"
"Joseph."
Callisto replied coolly to Lloyd. Ahem. I cleared my throat awkwardly and spoke up.
"Visiting the lord is fine, but in my opinion..."
But before I could finish—
-Bang!
"Everyone, listen up!"
"We're looking for a guy called 'Theodor'!"
Two rough-looking men burst into the inn, bellowing with menace.