Chapter 264
Chapter 264
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 264
Chapter Title: A Hundred Legs, Ten Thousand Poisons (14)
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After finishing a hearty dinner, we returned to the inn. I brought food for Ayla and Blackie, who were resting, and diligently fed the baby mole dried larvae, sweet potatoes, fruits, and more. For such a tiny body, it ate relentlessly every two or three hours without pause. When you think about it, it spent half the day sleeping and the other half eating.
-Crunch, crunch, crunch.
-Chomp, chomp, chomp.
Its sniffing nose and tiny pink paw pads working hard on the sweet potato chunks were adorably doll-like. It was still hard to believe that this little one had dug a hole big enough to swallow a carriage whole.
-Khuh, khn, khrng!
"Ah, eat slower. Slower."
I wiped the drool from its mouth as it sneezed repeatedly, something caught in its throat, and placed a small dish of lukewarm milk in front of it. The little one toddled over and began lapping it up with its tiny mouth. Its black sesame seed-like eyes seemed to gaze at me...?
'...Moles have poor eyesight.'
Nearly blind, so the feeling of eye contact was just my imagination. Still, it clearly recognized me as an individual now. Not quite a parent... but it seemed to see me as a guardian. After it finished the milk to its heart's content, I wrapped it in a soft, fluffy handkerchief and placed it in a small basket. Soon, faint snoring sounds came—tiny breaths signaling it had fallen asleep.
"Legion."
"...!"
I grabbed Legion by the scruff as it sneaked toward the basket, startling the baby mole. It thrashed wildly. Really, me. Ppippi was territorial, and now you? I held it in my hand and sat at the table by the window. Freed from my grip, Legion huffed for a moment before licking its scales with its pink tongue.
After tonight, only two days remained until the water receded. My goal was to perfectly complete Roshanak and Elle's training in those two days. Today was just a taste; starting tomorrow, harsher drills. Not as two people, but moving together like one.
During training, a reply from the Katarina Merchant Guild would arrive. I also had to consider that Katarina might already know of my presence. She was as clever as a cat.
'Anyway, aim for maximum cooperation.'
Conquering the dungeon together would be greatly beneficial for Katarina and me. If handled well, I could receive various supports from the Katarina Merchant Guild.
"......"
Was I being too optimistic? Suddenly worried, I pondered various scenarios... and ended up falling asleep slumped over the table.
-Flutter!
"Mm......"
The next morning.
-Tap, tap-tap, tap.
Under the clear blue sky, a single white pigeon appeared. Its pure white, shimmering feathers and the golden ornament on its ankle caught the eye. Attached to the ornament was a round pendant stamped with a familiar cat emblem.
"This is......"
The Katarina Merchant Guild's emblem.
"...Already sent a messenger pigeon?"
And not to Roshanak, but to me...?
With an awkward smile, I opened the window. The white pigeon flew in and elegantly perched on the opposite side of the perch from where Blackie sat.
'As expected, she knows.'
I approached the perch and removed the cylindrical tube from the white pigeon's ankle. It had a simple lock, puzzle-like. Three symbols needed to be aligned to open it...
-Slush......
Shaking the tube lightly produced a sloshing sound. Damn. I sighed briefly. Of course it wouldn't be easy. Katarina managed her vast merchant guild flawlessly; her meticulousness was beyond ordinary. Even this puzzle—if failed, a poison vial on one side would shatter, destroying the contents.
'Then, only one chance.'
The three symbols were carved as a wave, a cat, and a water jug. Hm, this probably...
'Symbolizes what I experienced in Ekaitz.'
The wave for the deep sea dungeon conquest, the cat for meeting Katarina, and the water jug for obtaining the 'Sage's Water Jug.' So...
'Align them in order and activate.'
Meeting Katarina happened first. I moved the cat to the front.
Next, getting the 'Sage's Water Jug' at the festival... I placed the water jug in the middle.
Finally, the deep sea dungeon conquest... I positioned the wave at the end, pressed the aligned symbols firmly.
-Click!
Fortunately, the top lid opened. Phew... With a small sigh, I pulled out the rattling object inside. A small blue gem—no, a magic stone. Infusing my mana into the intricately carved magic stone activated the inscribed spell, and a misty fog began to shimmer around it.
"...This much effort for one letter?"
Ha. Chuckling heartily, I watched the fog. It soon took shape, forming Katarina's figure. A bit blurry, but quite realistic.
So, this was a kind of video letter. Recording her image via the magic stone... Ordinary letters could be tampered with midway, but this video magic form couldn't be altered. The downside? It cost a fortune. Well, Katarina didn't worry about money, so she sent them without hesitation.
Or perhaps worry that even this letter might be 'tampered with'? Installing a decryption code and destructive poison...
Anyway, I waited silently for the blurry Katarina's form to speak. After two or three more minutes, the clearer image began.
-...If this letter arrived safely... as expected, the 'mercenary' in Roshanak's letter is you, 'Theodor.' My guess was right.
She figured me out right after receiving the letter? How? Chuckling in disbelief, I stared at the blurry Katarina.
-Roshanak lacks the skill to write such a polished letter.
As if answering my doubt, the blurry Katarina fluttered what looked like a letter and whispered.
-Anyway, it's good that Roshanak met you there. For me and for you. Honestly, Iron Fist Richard isn't that trustworthy. But he was the most useful one nearby. So, I thought he'd do as Roshanak's assistant. Until... this letter arrived.
Riiip—Katarina tore the letter in half with an irritated expression. Understandable frustration. She'd already paid an advance to that Iron Fist Richard or whoever... and now it was wasted.
-You probably already know? Even if not, Roshanak would've spilled everything. Yes... I was working to make Quarjan Port our guild's foothold. But then that damned dungeon reappeared. I heard it vanished decades ago.
"Hmm......"
Was Katarina truly after only Quarjan Port, with no ulterior motives? I watched the video silently.
-Could a cleared dungeon regenerate? Unbelievable, so I searched everywhere. And the info I got... Don't be surprised, Theodor. Though you might've guessed...
"......"
-That dungeon isn't 'new.' Someone planted an unidentified monster in the already cleared dungeon. Like a 'parasite.' Sound familiar?
"Deep Sea Dungeon."
-...Deep Sea Dungeon.
We said it almost simultaneously.
-Yes. Ekaitz's deep sea dungeon. Whatever's in Quarjan's ruined dungeon, it didn't appear naturally. Likely the work of 'them.'
"Crows......"
-But it's not critical yet. As a dead dungeon, its mana flow is severed, so whatever's there can't exert full power... That's what I've learned so far.
"......"
-But time is short. The longer it drags, the more 'that thing' they planted adapts to the dungeon, and then... You can imagine the tragedy.
That's why she hurriedly sent Roshanak. And summoned that hack Iron Fist Richard.
Wouldn't cooperating with mercenaries from Roshan be better?
...No, impossible. Katarina's goal wasn't mere dungeon subjugation, but securing rights to use Quarjan as a base. Teaming with Roshan mercenaries would turn it into charity. So she chose this method.
Now I understood contacting me so frantically, even with costly letters. My timely arrival was an opportunity she couldn't miss... Far more useful than some Iron Fist Richard, with my proven skills.
-I'll provide whatever support you need. So, will you help Roshanak?
With those words, Katarina's form faded like smoke. Help Roshanak? She sent him here alone herself!
"Scary woman......"
Muttering, I squeezed the magic stone in my hand. It crumbled like sugar candy, scattering into dust.
"......"
Dungeon subjugation was inevitable anyway. Plus, considering the info Katarina just gave and her promised support...
"Well, actually, this works out perfectly."
Sending Roshanak here alone was infuriating. But that's for later. For now, shall I squeeze every last drop from this sly cat?