41
Chapter 41
Late at night. As soon as I returned to the Inn and laid my body on the Bed, I opened my eyes to find myself in that familiar space.
Level-up Stage.
This dark space, feeling as if I were covered by a thick blanket, was quite familiar to me now.
Well, it wasn't unexpected.
This fight was pretty fierce too. It meant I had accumulated that much experience.
A Level Up gained from fighting humans, rather than a Kobold or a Goblin, always left a bitter taste in my mouth.
Whoosh-
Three Cards floated up with a familiar sound.
___________________________
[Maximum Health Increase]
[Maximum Strength Increase]
[Blue Magic : Blue Eye]
___________________________
"Oh!"
Green, white, blue.
It was a blue Card I hadn't seen in a while.
And Magic at that. It was the second Magic Card in a row since last time. Was I just lucky?
But just looking at the name, I couldn't tell what kind of Magic it was.
So I immediately checked the description.
[Consumes Mana to detect surrounding moisture.]
"Huh?"
A weird reaction naturally slipped out as soon as I read the description.
Detect surrounding moisture?
This is...... vague. It was the same with the Sea Fog last time; they were all a bit ambiguous.
Of course, I put it to good use this time, but that was a somewhat special situation.
Ever since I obtained Blue Magic in the first place, I could sense the ambient moisture to some extent anyway.
How is this any different from that?
It might be better to just choose Strength or health.
Damn it, if Mana had appeared, I wouldn't even be agonizing over this.
Moments like this really leave me dissatisfied.
Even modern games have Skill previews, but this system doesn't have anything like that.
Why is it so unhelpful?
After pondering for a long while, I ultimately chose [Blue Magic : Blue Eye].
Still, it's Magic, and it's even a rare grade.
With a name like Blue Eye... there might be something more to it.
......Right?
***
I stretched and slowly got up.
My body was still a little stiff, but I felt much better after sleeping.
I gathered water at my fingertips and took a sip.
"Ah..."
As the cold water flowed down my throat, my mind cleared up a bit.
On the desk, Gerangi clattered its claws as if saying good morning.
"Yeah, yeah, good morning to you too."
Click-clack.
"You want some too? Here-"
I placed a drop of water in front of Gerangi and thought about what I had to do today.
The Letter tucked deep inside my coat, just in case I lost it.
The request was simple.
Deliver this Letter to a specific Priest at the Cathedral in Riverton.
On the surface, it was just a delivery request, but considering there were many eyes within the Order... it definitely wasn't an ordinary Letter.
Besides, Eileen's matter still weighed on a corner of my mind.
Now that I knew it was intertwined with another Noble, it might take longer than expected.
Whatever it is, neither of them would be resolved easily.
I let out a small breath and pushed myself up.
"Let's put the worries aside for a moment."
Now is the time to do something fun.
It was time to test my new Magic.
[Blue Magic : Blue Eye]. Will it truly show the value of a rare grade?
As soon as I recalled the Spell and drew upon my Mana, the Mana that usually flowed to my fingertips began to concentrate toward my eyes instead.
"Ugh...!"
Feeling that enough Mana had gathered, I cast the Magic,
[Blue Eye]
A cold sensation spread through my eyes, and my vision completely inverted.
Stumble-
Feeling my balance collapse for a moment, I hurriedly grabbed the wall to support my body.
The sight unfolding before my eyes was... truly shocking.
Everything that looked familiar just a moment ago disappeared, and instead, a scenery as if I had dived deep underwater filled my vision.
In the dark blue, murky fog, formed blue lights were quietly floating around.
My eyes were definitely open, but it felt as if I was sensing the world with them closed.
The leftover water at the bottom of a cup. The Soup boiling in the Kitchen. And even lumps of water in the shape of humans.
They were silhouettes that seemed entirely made of water.
I could even see the slow movements flowing like a heartbeat.
'...Is it really this precise?'
I took a sharp breath.
At first, I didn't expect much since it just said moisture detection, but this was on another level.
'To think it's at this level... As expected of a rare grade.'
Reaching for the edge of my vision, the Range was more limited than I thought.
It couldn't extend past the outside of the Inn, and the vision cut off around the middle of the street.
Still, this much alone was a sufficient merit.
Especially in situations with hidden enemies, ambushes, or tailing, it would show ridiculous performance.
'Ugh, my Mana is leaking.'
Before I knew it, about thirty percent had evaporated.
If I had dragged it out a little longer, I would have fainted from Mana depletion.
I slowly cut off the flow of Mana and reverted my senses.
The deep blue vision gradually faded, and the familiar scenery of the Inn room entered my eyes again.
"Haa... This is more amazing than I thought."
The corners of my mouth naturally curled up.
I might look fine on the outside, but I was actually quite excited.
This is the real deal. I think I'll be able to use it quite usefully in the future.
Of course, it wasn't without its drawbacks.
First is the Mana consumption.
Perhaps because it's a continuous Magic, it leaks out constantly as I use it.
It's the perfect way to faint if maintained thoughtlessly.
Second is the dizziness.
My head felt heavy, as if submerged underwater.
While using it, let alone moving, it was hard to even stand my ground.
Right now, doing other actions simultaneously is impossible.
It's the best for scouting or surveillance, but in actual combat, I'd need to prepare myself before using it.
'It should be fine once I get used to it.'
I pressed my temples with my fingertips.
Feeling my spinning head slowly calm down, I nodded.
With the satisfying results, I stepped out to the Dining Room with light footsteps.
Even though I woke up later than usual today, Barret was already sitting in the Dining Room.
Seeing him look straight this way as soon as I came out... he had probably been waiting for me.
"Riv!"
"Ah, Barret. Good morning."
Despite my nonchalant greeting, he couldn't hide his excitement.
"I heard there was a big incident at the old Garrison barracks yesterday... You did that, right, Riv?"
"Pardon?"
I am involved, but the rumor has already spread?
As I hesitated for a moment, Barret continued speaking.
"This morning, a bunch of Corpses from the Black Hand were found in the Abandoned Building. I heard there was a lot of blood at the scene too. They say not a single one was left unscathed... Was that, by any chance, you?"
"...Was that the only thing they talked about?"
We deliberately left the Slave Ledger in a conspicuous place before leaving.
It wasn't the kind of matter I needed to get involved in, but I did enough to make it look suspicious to anyone.
So to speak... it was a signal closer to 'I let you know, so take care of it yourself.'
And yet, the only thing left was talk about Corpses.
"Pardon? Did... something else happen?"
Barret reacted as if he knew nothing.
"At least, that's all I've heard. There are no rumors going around the Pub, and there's no mention of it at the Guild either. Did something happen?"
Someone saw that Ledger and quietly buried it.
And they only recovered the Corpses, keeping the truly important things hidden.
Who could it be. A Noble? Or the Order? Or both?
One thing was certain: there was a Person in Power in the City who could easily bury something like this.
"No. Well, it's true I was there, but... I didn't do anything that major."
It wasn't a lie.
Kane handled almost everything, so technically, my share was very little.
However, Barret didn't seem to believe my words.
"You truly are amazing. You've only been in the City for a few days, yet you've already done such a thing..."
"Their rumors were just loud; they were actually nothing special."
"That could be true. They might have even spread the rumors themselves on purpose."
Hearing that, considering the state of their Boss, it was quite plausible.
A thug full of bravado might have just been bluffing instead.
"Barret... did you find a request?"
At my question meant to change the subject, he briefly averted his gaze.
Seeing his delayed response, did he still not find a request?
"The atmosphere lately has been unusual."
"...Ah."
I could understand without him having to say it.
Even on the Mercenary Guild Notice Board I stopped by yesterday, miscellaneous requests had decreased, and Soldier recruitment posters were going up one by one.
"Actually, I plan to leave today. So I was waiting to say my final goodbyes."
"...Did you find a request?"
At my question, Barret quietly took a breath for a moment.
"I've decided to participate in the war."
"...Ah."
So it ended up like this.
Well, it wasn't a strange choice.
Rather, it was a path most mercenaries were forced to take.
Dwindling civilian requests, the increasingly heavy atmosphere of the City.
War was already right around the corner.
As long as it paid well, it was a reasonable choice in its own way.
They had to risk their lives, but the weight of livelihood and survival ultimately ended up on the same scale.
"Is everyone going?"
At my question, Barret briefly closed his eyes before slowly shaking his head.
"No. A couple of them said they would return to their hometowns. I would have done the same."
There was no disappointment or resentment in those words.
Instead, there was a strong hint of understanding.
Barret was a good Mercenary Commander.
He tried to understand his people and didn't force them to come along.
"Hmm... Then where are you heading?"
At my question, Barret lightly scratched the back of his neck.
"I don't know the exact destination yet. I've only received the Contract... but they said it's to the east."
"If it's the east... is it toward Berhar?"
I didn't know exactly where it was either.
A City whose name I had barely seen on a crude Map I bought while purchasing travel supplies.
Just hearing about it, I couldn't really grasp where anything was.
"Probably. I heard we'll be defending a small Fortress in the Border Region. They also said there's a Monster appearance area nearby."
I let out a small sigh.
It was an unfamiliar land, but just hearing about it, I could feel how rugged it was.
Fortress, Border, Monster.
Bundling those three together never meant anything good.
Even if they didn't call it a Battlefield, it definitely felt like one.
I let out a soft breath at his words.
"It won't be easy."
"Yes. That must be why they need more troops. The pay is generous to match, though..."
He trailed off and turned his head.
It was probably because he knew how much blood and how many Corpses were the premise for that generosity.
For a moment, the Dining Room became quiet.
Eileen, who had been sitting silently next to me, put down her Spoon and quietly looked at Barret.
"Please... make sure you come back alive."
"Haha, thank you. I am a bit too young to die just yet."
I couldn't laugh at his joke.
Because I knew better than anyone that he could actually die.
"Before you leave... should I help you with the preparations?"
"It's fine. I already finished most of it last night. Today, I just plan to move the supplies with the few remaining guys and depart right away."
He stood up.
Then, he slowly held out his hand to me.
"Riv. It was a short encounter, but I learned a lot."
"Learned... I've learned much more from you, Barret."
"Thank you for saying that."
I firmly grasped his hand.
Without letting go, he added.
"But Riv... please, stay in this City. I know it's rude to say, but... you seem more suited to a place like this than a Battlefield."
"I agree with that."
This time, we could both smile.
He bowed his head to Eileen as well.
"Someday, I hope we meet again in better circumstances."
Leaving those parting words, Barret left the Dining Room.
Outside the Inn, under the shade where the sunlight couldn't reach.
A few Mercenaries who had finished preparing for departure were quietly waiting.
Standing silently, strapping suspenders over their Leather Armor and checking their Weapons, they looked strangely more unfamiliar than usual.
I recognized the faces of some among them.
The lanky Geminic lifted his head when he saw Barret come out, and the foul-mouthed Gailson tapped his Axe handle, looking my way with a grin.
The chubby Charlie and the gambler Nick were exchanging jokes until they met my eyes and lightly raised their hands over their shoulders.
The ignorant Tral silently stood behind Barret, and the crybaby Piren tightened his Helmet strap at the very back, looking up.
Piren briefly turned his head toward me and moved his lips very slightly.
"...Goodbye."
I couldn't tell if he actually said it or if it was just an auditory hallucination mixed with the wind.
But I just nodded slowly without saying a word.
Then they lined up and quietly disappeared beyond the Alley.
Carrying their respective Equipment, their respective weights, and their respective lives on their backs.
I watched their retreating figures for a long time.
Silence fell upon the Dining Room once again.
The commotion of departure preparations outside the window, the sound of Carriage Wheels, and the clashing of metal gradually faded away.
And then, like someone's fading figure, it quietly vanished.
I took a sip of cold water.
Eileen carefully asked me.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah. It's just... I knew it was coming, but seeing them go makes me feel a bit down."
"...I hope everyone stays safe."
"Yeah. I really do."
I stopped eating and just stared out the window.
The wind blowing in from outside didn't feel as refreshing today.