Chapter 265
Chapter 265
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 265
Chapter Title: Episode 265: Hundred Legs, Ten Thousand Poisons (15)
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-Goo-goo-goo.
"Yeah, take care."
While the white pigeon ate some millet and water and got plenty of rest, I wrote a reply to send to Catarina. Nothing too elaborate. Just an acknowledgment and a modest fee request—500 gold, that sort of thing? Of course, other expenses were naturally excluded.
-Flutter!
The pristine white pigeon, elegantly preening its feathers, gauged the wind's flow before soaring gracefully toward the horizon. Just as the pigeon's silhouette shrank to a tiny dot, a flash different from sunlight flickered briefly and vanished. Ah, so the pendant on the pigeon's ankle must have been a "Light Speed" item. Makes sense—a regular pigeon couldn't make the round trip between the Ekaitz Confederation and Quarzan in a single day.
'...Catarina's side must be in quite a hurry.'
With all sorts of interests at stake, that was to be expected.
For now, the information Catarina had passed along was extremely useful. The Crows' involvement, and the existence of a boss monster not native to the dungeon. As she said, it was crucial to act before that boss monster fully settled into the dungeon.
It would take two days for the water to fully drain from the dungeon. The dry period would last three days. After that, the water would start rising again, making entry increasingly difficult as time passed. Miss this window, and we'd have no choice but to wait helplessly for another fifteen to twenty days until the water receded again.
There were ways to force entry even with water present, but the waters near the dungeon were treacherous with fierce waves and swift currents, posing a high risk of drowning or going missing. Unless you grasped the situation like Catarina and I did, most people would simply wait for the tide to go out.
But doing that would just give the boss monster time to adapt. It had already been over a month since it claimed the dungeon, and the coming half-month-plus wasn't short either.
So, the conclusion was clear.
'...No choice but to go in this time.'
Catarina might not want to tangle with Roshan's mercenaries, but for me, entering the dungeon with them wasn't a bad option. It reduced several uncertainties. Still, waiting for them would make it too late...
I'd have to wrap up preparations as best I could over the next two days and head in.
Fortunately, I'd met Ken and obtained ink, and an unexpected ally named Roshanak had appeared. No one was lacking in skill, so with proper prep, victory was in sight.
While El and Roshanak underwent hellish training under Lloyd and Callisto, I planned to prepare totems and plant seeds for use inside the dungeon. We finished a simple meal and parted ways. The four of them headed back to the beach, and I to the market district.
'I need to make a totem that reliably grants darkvision.'
I could navigate most darkness with my basic skills, but it would be tough for the rest of the group. Especially for El and Roshanak. Lloyd and Callisto excelled at reading presences, so even without sight, they'd manage, but the other two...
Without securing darkvision, we'd be in real trouble.
I still had two "Dark Lanterns" from before, which were handy for exploration but cumbersome in combat. They were effective, sure, but bulky, and carrying one tied up a hand uselessly.
So, I needed a simple, wearable totem for darkvision. This was Quarzan, after all. Ships from the Ekaitz Confederation weren't numerous, but a few were docked. With some luck, I might snag something useful.
'With the route blocked, merchants struggling to move goods will want to sell cheap and head back to the Ekaitz Confederation.'
The market district was quieter than expected. Few ships meant no bustling crowds. A shame. But...
-Murmur, murmur.
At the far end, a hastily erected stall drew a crowd. Ah, there it was. I strolled leisurely toward the throng. Someone who recognized me let out a startled "Oh!" and waved.
"Saint!"
At the title, every eye in the place turned to me. 'Saint'—quite the grand label. Scratching the back of my head, I walked through the crowd that parted like the Red Sea.
"Just call me Theodor."
"Oh, come on, how could we call the Saint by name so casually?"
"Really, it's fine. Theodor is okay."
"Hehe. Alright, alright. You're feeling shy, I see."
The friendly greeters were fishermen. Those who'd come to the market to sell fuel-grade magic stones wore bright expressions. The trading ships from the Ekaitz Confederation were snapping them up, no questions asked.
"As you said, Saint—or rather, Sir Theodor—the magic stones are selling like hotcakes! Everyone's clamoring because they're cheap. Some even asked if we could supply them exclusively... We'll be set for a while, no money worries!"
Seeing their formerly grim faces light up like this put me in a good mood too. Yeah, how hopeless must it have felt after the route closed? At least now they could breathe. I offered calm advice to the excited villagers.
"Let the exclusive supply offers slide. They sound sweet now, but you can't forget your main trade. This is just temporary."
"Ah..."
"To keep good relations with those traders, don't jump at big money offers right away. You're not planning to sell fuel magic stones forever, right?"
"Right."
"So, focus on business now, but don't neglect net repairs or boat maintenance. Be ready to return to normal life anytime."
"...Yes, Sir Theodor!"
"And the dungeon subjugation will succeed, no matter what."
I flashed a grin, then gripped the hand of the fisherman who'd first rushed to the inn to commission me for the dungeon and shook it firmly. He nodded, face full of emotion. The others nearby sent trusting glances sparkling with faith... Embarrassing, but it felt good. Exchanging trust with people really is...
With fuel magic stones flying off the shelves, the fishermen's finances were secure for now. After sufficient greetings, I slowly browsed the market. Many shops had piled-up goods. I stopped in front of one that looked particularly old.
"...Anyone here?"
"Browse freely."
Hm? Thought it was empty, but a leisurely voice came from the corner. Craning my neck, I spotted a short, hunched old man sorting items in the shadows. Ah, too small and dim to notice. I stepped carefully inside, eyeing the cluttered wares. Ink too dark to see without light, tough goblin shark hide bristling with spines, a devil ray horn emitting misty glow...
Varied assortment, but all aged. Mostly rare materials no average person would buy. Hm, wouldn't these sell better in Solen? Mages would love them...
-Thud.
-Roll, roll...
Then, something dropped from below.
"Whoops..."
The shopkeeper must have dropped something. He set down his box and bent to retrieve the rolling item. Without thinking, I followed his gaze...
-Roll, roll...
A few dust-covered orbs rolled across the dim shop floor. Plain-looking beads. Just a subtle jade hue...
Wait.
-Thunk!
I stopped one that reached my foot with a light tap, crouched, and picked it up. The pea-sized cloudy jade orb was filthy with dust. I blew on it, then polished it with my sleeve.
"...!"
As expected.
No illusion. Cleaned, the jade glow sharpened, softly illuminating around it. This was...
"Night Light."
I muttered unwittingly. The shopkeeper, scrambling to gather the beads, looked up at me. The ones in his hand glowed faintly too.
"Is it?"
"...Yes."
"Thought so."
"You have an eye..."
"Haha, no. Just lucky guess."
"..."
Night Light.
Fragments of the morning star that fell on Ansar, eroded by wind and waves into a mineral. Pale green like jade, but with the bizarre property of self-luminescence. Like glow-in-the-dark stickers. Because of this, it was once seen as a divine gift, later a lure of misfortune. Some cults even worshipped the stones themselves...
Sailors viewed Night Lights as symbols of ill omen. Said they drew sea monsters to ships. Not something you'd expect in a coastal market.
"Is this for sale too?"
"...Regrettably, no."
"Why not?"
"A man who went to sea wearing a Night Light necklace... never returned. Only part of the necklace washed up. So, it's a memento. A cursed one."
Such a story. Tragic, but probably coincidence... Well, in this pseudo-medieval world, superstitions held strong power. Understandable not to sell for fear of passing the curse.
But...
"Intriguing."
"..."
"How much?"
To a modern guy like me, superstitions from a pseudo-medieval world held no sway!