Chapter 29
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: One-Eyed Village
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"Ugh… Two more blocks up ahead, there's a tavern with no markings on its dark windows. No signboard either—just dim lantern light flickering from inside the windows. You'll find what you're looking for there."
"P-Please, spare me. I didn't realize you were a mage, sir."
The sun was setting as I stepped out onto the streets and headed into a quiet alley devoid of people.
There stood two men with faces that practically screamed, Ask me anything if you're curious.
When I asked them to introduce me to a broker who could handle black market deals, they immediately shoved knives in my face.
I couldn't help but be touched by this street-style communication that skipped even the pretense of small talk.
Now both of them were lying flat on their stomachs in front of me.
Truth be told, at Rank 5, I'm not exactly helpless anywhere. Even if my attack magic is a bit lacking.
Lately, I'd just been too caught up in Transcendent business to show off.
Well… the capital might require a bit more caution.
This wasn't my first time slipping into back alleys like this.
Back during my imperial tour, I'd wandered into one once.
At first, I stuck to the real tourist spots out of caution, but after dealing with that crazy fairy, I started roaming pretty freely.
And that short year-long trip was what ultimately brought me back home.
"Get lost."
"Y-Yes, sir… Thank you."
I let them go for two reasons.
First, there was no need to kill them. I didn't know the local powers yet, so stirring up trouble could drag in a whole chain of complications.
Second was a pretty practical one.
Right now, I was wearing a black coat with a black mask shaped from my own mana covering my face.
To match the vibe, turning my back first would look cool… but the magic I'd just used to intimidate those two? I had to manually erase my Unique Mana Pattern from it.
It'd be great if I could naturally embed pattern forgery into the Rank magic I cast, but I wasn't at that level yet.
Once I confirmed the informants had vanished, I crouched at the spot where I'd cast the spell and personally inscribed a forged mana pattern.
The pattern I faked was simple.
Nothing targeting a specific person—just a rough mix of wind attribute and sharpness properties.
Anyone investigating would conclude it was some nameless wind mage.
I should avoid using magic if at all possible.
I had no intention of repeating this hassle twice.
That's why I'd prepared in advance.
The so-called Memorize Brooch.
Pinned to the collar of my black coat, it was an artifact I'd personally enchanted to store magic and release it on command.
Since my meticulous touch went into each one, there was no need to forge patterns afterward.
The problem is, I can't use it many times.
It only held two Rank 3 wind spells.
To store stronger or more spells, the vessel's quality needed to match—but engraving such precise circuits and shaping it to handle the mana would take days of grueling work.
And higher-rank magic took even longer to activate, making instant casts impossible.
Come to think of it, if I made good use of that Mana Stabilization Research data I just got, I might cut down the activation time.
Of course, it wasn't a priority right now.
…I had no idea how Mana Stabilization Research ended up on the back burner.
I'd taken the commission because it blew my mind, yet here I was, fixated on something entirely different.
Had I ever been this absorbed in anything lately?
Maybe jumping into a life-or-death situation had awakened some survival instinct.
Hm, it suddenly makes me want to worship it.
A smartphone that floods you with dopamine just lying in bed—truly an absurdly great invention.
Dopamine GOAT.
After forging the traces, I headed straight for the building the informants mentioned.
#
In the dingy alley stood a building that screamed suspicious at first glance.
No signboard, just hazy lantern light spilling from within, exactly as described.
Inside, rough-looking men occupied the tables, nursing their drinks.
When I said I wanted to meet a broker, a man—owner or waiter, hard to tell—nodded silently and led me through a narrow passage behind the tavern.
And there he was: a hunched man with his robe's hood pulled low over his head.
He laboriously lifted his head to size me up.
Like he was appraising me.
Guess he'd gotten a rough estimate.
…Even though I was covered head to toe in black.
He spoke.
"What are you looking for?"
"Human corpses."
"…."
"Are you a warlock?"
"Why's that your business?"
I came on strong on purpose.
I'd soon flash a fat stack of gold coins, and losing momentum could drag me into needless trouble.
I'd bulldozed right past a Transcendent on sheer presence alone—a mere broker was nothing.
"…My apologies. Even if I procure corpses, they must suit your needs. That's why I asked."
Good, he'd backed down.
My acting might've improved a bit.
Of course, with my expression hidden, it was easy.
"As long as the bones are intact."
The hunched man nodded knowingly, then asked again.
"…How many do you need?"
"Minimum twenty."
"That's… going to cost a pretty penny…."
I pulled a pre-prepared pouch of gold from my coat and set it on the table.
Golden gleams peeked through the loosened drawstring.
Full pouch—he could guess it was ample, at least.
The hunched man swallowed hard.
I extended my hand as if I'd been waiting.
My fingers naturally brushed the brooch on my coat collar.
It hummed lowly, casting the spell.
To his eyes, it looked like the magic shot straight from my hand.
Wind blades whistled through the air, slicing past the hunched man to embed in the wall.
Splinters cracked from the weathered wooden panels.
"Wha—what is this?!"
"Next one's going right through your neck if you get any funny ideas."
"Funny ideas? If I went blind for gold alone, do you think I'd still be in this business?!"
The hunched man hopped mad, protesting his innocence.
"Am I a joke to you?"
"…No! When did I ever say—"
Truth be told, I had no clue.
Whether he'd actually had funny ideas or not.
But I'd already lodged the blades—I couldn't exactly take it back.
The man, fidgeting with an I'm about to die of injustice look, suddenly froze mid-motion.
Creeeak.
His crooked neck turned toward the deep gouges in the wall.
"……No incantation?"
"Problem?"
"…Ha, haha… No problem at all. Now I know the money's good, so the corpses won't be an issue."
"By when?"
"Twenty… a week… no, four days. …Three?"
I just stared silently as his timeline kept shifting, then slowly nodded. No need to push him into something risky.
"I'll come back here in three days."
"Yes, safe travels… Ask for Jenjen at the tavern."
Jenjen.
Real name?
I tucked the gold pouch away and turned, pondering seriously, when his voice called from behind.
"Oh, right—there's an auction tonight. Interested?"
An auction?
I'd heard they happened often in back alleys, but I'd never attended one.
Takes the right timing.
But right now… I'm busy enough.
"Pass."
"Ever hear of the ancient hero?"
"…."
My steps halted.
Hero? How does this guy know about that?
"Just rumors, but they say a fragment of that ancient hero's item was found. It's up for auction tonight."
I nearly burst out laughing.
Not because it was funny.
Because it was ridiculous.
A fragment of an ancient hero's item?
No way something like that hits a back-alley auction.
The fact that "hero" was even casually dropping from this guy's mouth was weird enough…
If it really existed, Joart would've snatched it up already.
No way a hero fanatic leaves it alone.
But my feet had stopped—curiosity piqued.
If by some miracle it was real, I'd have something to tell Joart.
"Where?"
#
"Next up—something to get excited about. A genuine Magic Knight-grade artifact!"
The room buzzed instantly.
Magic Knight-grade artifacts were one step above the lowest Common rank.
Enough to perk up most ears.
But amid the commotion, I felt a yawn rising to my throat.
Bound to be fake anyway.
The two previous "artifacts" had been.
Other auction items were decent enough, but the artifacts? Always fakes.
I'd heard scammers loved peddling fake artifacts, but not to this extent.
They even wrapped them in plausible mana threads to mimic functions.
Like some artisan specialized in this crap.
Others might not notice, but after all my artifact research, I could spot it at a glance.
It was shitty work, but getting mad about "shittiness" here was pointless.
Like a two-eyed man scolding in One-Eyed Village.
"Behold—the Flame Blade!"
The auctioneer whipped off the cloth, revealing a razor-sharp shortsword.
Pristine looks, flashy name… but still a fake.
At this point, believing in that ancient hero fragment made you the fool.
I wanted to bail, but the auction house blocked mid-event exits.
Scammers guarding against anyone pulling a stunt on them.
So, I had to wait out this bore-fest.
For a capital auction… regretting coming here.
The one semi-entertaining bit? Someone snapping up items like crazy.
Mana herbs, artifacts, masterwork weapons.
No discrimination—just bidding wildly.
Sat right in front of me, so only their ponytail of long black hair was visible, but it drew the eye.
Black hair was rare here.
Even if I'd seen their face, I wouldn't have recognized them.
Entry required half-face masks.
I'd covered fully, so no need.
"Next item might be unfamiliar. Unlike prior artifacts—no mana infused. Purely mystical power!"
Huge buildup… which killed any hype.
But when the cloth came off, my gaze locked.
First time since the auction started.
I'd never imagined this on the block.
"No other words?"
At the round wooden table sat one priest receiving the World Tree's will.
"There were…."
As the priest hesitated, Erbaneck leaned forward sharply.
"If there were, you should've said so immediately! What's the point of answering only after I ask?!"
Erbaneck exhaled a long sigh, the tension easing from his chest.
"It felt off. Mother wouldn't end with just a single warning to prepare."
"It… wasn't about that."
"…Wasn't?"
"Yes. Two messages came down—entirely different kinds. I planned to mention only if it came to just us two."
"So what was the other?"
"A prophecy of a new tree being born."
"What?"
Erbaneck thought he'd misheard and asked again.
"That's exactly what was said. A new tree. Soon, the Tree of Life will take root."