Chapter 52
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 52
Chapter Title: Baratrein
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The group chat had all sorts of reactions, but recalling Cedric's cautious nature, I decided against chiming in for now.
Having already recklessly revealed my human identity, and with them giving off that strange vibe that they weren't human themselves, it was only natural I couldn't just jump in carelessly.
That was precisely why I'd bothered revealing I was human in the first place.
I wonder how many more months it'll be quiet like this.
Why are all the newbies such cowards?
Back in my day, people were dying to get their questions answered the moment they joined.
The situation's different from back then.
Of course, I wasn't planning to stay silent forever.
There was no need for Anonymous 4 to pretend to be a Transcendent either.
That would undermine the whole reason I'd created another member besides '0'.
'0' couldn't resolve all the curiosities out there.
To put it simply, this was about openly playing the newbie.
Just not right now.
I hadn't brought them into the chatroom because I was dying to ask something myself—it was just the prep phase for now.
Reveal myself as around the 7th hierarchy later, when the time was right.
'Well, it's not exactly wrong.'
A 7th hierarchy in the qualitative hierarchy that only I knew about, but still.
It was funny to call 7th hierarchy a newbie...
Somehow, the chatroom had ended up filled with heavy hitters like that.
The hero candidate who might join later was at Sword Master level too, so it'd be good to gauge in advance how the members would react to her.
'The hero candidate...'
Honestly, I could've just casually asked Joat.
If I had, I wouldn't have needed to come all the way here to Baratrein myself.
But I didn't want to.
What can I say—it felt uncomfortable getting tangled up in the ideologies of Transcendents like Joat.
I had no idea why I was already feeling this protective urge when I wasn't even a babysitter, but anyway, I hated it.
A mask covering my entire face.
Black attire enveloping my whole body.
And three orbs floating behind my back.
Even those three orbs floating behind me were pitch black.
Judging purely by the outfit, anyone would do a double take.
If I'd run into someone dressed like this, I'd have thought they were going through a late puberty phase, but what could I do about Cedric's concept?
And that was by inland standards.
In Baratrein, a city close to the coast, my getup wasn't all that unusual.
Not that I'd been to Baratrein before, but I had visited western coastal cities.
During my imperial tour, I'd even hidden my manaphone there.
Anyway, I wanted to get a feel for Baratrein's atmosphere first.
I could've just activated colorization magic and chased Parthan's trail right away, but that would've been no different from the reckless tracking I'd warned Lina's group against.
Let's scope out the vibe here first.
Why had Parthan come to this place?
Once I grasped the big picture, even tiny clues would stand out clearly.
'Definitely a diverse bunch of races.'
It didn't seem just because it was a coastal city.
There were way too many for that.
Especially adventurers and mercenaries packing the streets.
Was some festival going on?
I ducked into a nearby tavern for starters.
Pushing through the side door, I was hit with the mingled stench of booze and sweat.
Eyes flicked toward me at the entrance for a moment.
Especially toward the three orbs bobbing behind me.
But the curiosity faded fast, dissolving back into the din of drinking and chatter.
Thankfully, I spotted an empty seat and headed there to sit.
"Bru ale, one."
"...Sure."
The owner shot me a half-hearted glare before taking my coins. Probably because I'd ordered the cheapest swill.
But I hadn't come here to drink.
"Damn it, with everyone swarming like this, no way we're finding it first. I told you we shouldn't have come."
"If you're gonna complain, quit adventuring and go home. When's that ever worked out for us?"
Tuning my ears amid the rowdy interior, snippets of conversation floated my way.
Mostly adventurers, and it sounded like they were here hunting for something.
"You're not even planning to look properly yourself, are you? Starting from Zakran Island—"
"Shh."
"Shh what? Who here doesn't know that?"
The last voice had been a bit loud, sparking laughter around them.
It felt like... everyone was in on the joke.
"Exactly! Who doesn't know there's a mysterious flower on Zakran Island? Only the slowpokes who haven't left yet are still hanging around!"
"Puhahaha."
Zakran Island—I'd never heard of it. Must be well-known around these parts.
A mysterious flower on Zakran Island...
'Did Parthan come looking for that?'
Too early to say for sure.
Especially since every adventurer seemed to know about it.
"And look, there's some runt slurping cheap ale and eavesdropping like a rat. If you're that pathetic, you're already way too late, kid!"
Laughter erupted through the tavern again.
I wondered what was so funny—turns out they were laughing at me.
It was playful enough, but... uh oh. Big trouble.
Cedric doesn't do playful.
I might be a newbie in the Transcendent chatroom, but I wasn't some punchline here.
Besides, I'd be operating around here for a while.
Couldn't afford to start off looking like a joke.
Coastal folk had rough mouths, sure, but... you're just an adventurer, pal?
I glanced at the man picking a fight with me.
A guy with a massive axe slung on his back, clad in typical adventurer ladder armor.
"Wanna die?"
"...".
The mood turned ice-cold in an instant.
If this were my real self pulling this off, it'd be endlessly tragic, but it was Cedric, so fine.
Maybe my acting was improving from spending so much time as Cedric lately.
Hell, even I'd think twice if a suspicious full-body covered guy said that.
As nearby folks held their breath, alternating glances between us, the axeman's face slowly hardened.
Whoa... if even you're getting cold feet, maybe call it quits here.
I casually adjusted my mask.
Mana was leaking from the man. He'd steeled himself.
But for all that resolve, the leaking mana was pretty feeble.
"Not even proper Aura User level? Better not come any closer."
"...That so?"
Good, he got the message—let go of his axe grip and backed off.
As I turned away, I sensed him charging in a flash.
'Pathetic.'
Even a proper 5th hierarchy Aura User might fall for that ambush, but he wasn't even that.
I leisurely sidestepped, extending my hand.
A sudden gale engulfed the charging man.
Thud. Crash.
He flew across the tavern, slamming into the wall.
The wind turned the place into a wreck.
"Chantless mage!"
"Shit, run!"
The guys who'd laughed along had their faces stiffen one by one, bolting out the door.
Since it had come to this, perfect timing.
I'd been curious about that mysterious flower on Zakran Island anyway.
No reason to turn down someone volunteering the info.
I tossed a silver coin on the bar and strode toward the groaning idiot embedded in the wall.
The memorized spell on my badge wasn't some basic gust—his skin was scorched in places, blood streaming.
I grabbed his hair and dragged him along.
Hmm... heavier than expected.
Bad choice.
One arm wasn't enough to haul this bulk.
Luckily, he wasn't out cold and came along willingly. No way he wanted his scalp ripped off.
"S-Sorry... please..."
A whimper escaped him, but I ignored it.
People blocking the way parted like the sea.
Some looked like his buddies, hesitating uncertainly.
"Think carefully. Get too close, you die."
I warned them.
Not a bluff.
If they ambushed me without warning, I'd have no choice but to use one of the trap orbs floating behind me.
Dragging him by the hair, I pulled him into the alley beside the tavern.
"Gonna dump the body, huh."
"Heartless bastard. It was just a joke..."
"Should've picked your target better. Times like these."
I ignored them and went deep into the alley before letting go.
"Mercy... please, sir. I misspoke."
Fear filled his eyes.
It was a spell tuned for Aura Users, so the wounds were deep, but not fatally so unless you had zero mana sense.
"Good eye for people."
"...Pardon?"
"You nailed it. Cheap ale guzzler, ears perked up like a rat from the shadows. Pathetic loser. That's me."
"I-I didn't say it quite that harsh..."
"No sense, huh?"
His eyes darted wildly.
"You want... info?"
I nodded.
"Spill everything, you live."
"Y-Yes... yes! Everything!"
He fumbled for where to start, then spilled.
"Rumors hit our ears about a month ago... no, that's when we heard, so probably longer."
The rumors had spread fast through the Adventurer's Guild.
Mysterious flower, Arcana Bloom.
A legendary bloom that flowered only once every thousand years, on a specific night when starlight crossed mana flows.
Stories said various races had even gone to war over it in the past.
Arcana Bloom had two effects.
Purification of the body and sublimation of mana.
Consume it, and all bodily waste flushes out; diseases, wounds, poisons—even vicious curses—vanish.
Plus, it leaped your existing mana quality to the next level.
"Just... eat it?"
"Yes..."
"And it's on Zakran Island?"
"...Yes. By the time we got here, rumors about Zakran were everywhere."
So basically just rumors—no confirming truth.
No way this guy knew the source.
He was just one of the countless adventurers chasing guild buzz.
'Who started the rumor?'
Had to be some agenda.
"Then why loiter in a tavern instead of heading straight there?"
"We were too late... Locals already scraped together every boat. Not enough even if we hustle."
Now it all clicked.
Got everything worth hearing from him.
I learned the pier's location, then sent him off.
"Hold up."
"...Yes?"
"What's your name?"
"...".
He hesitated, then said,
"Rex... sir."
"Rex. Don't go blabbing about me."
"...Got it."
After Rex scurried off and some time passed, I left the alley too.
Subtle stares pricked from all around soon enough. Word had spread fast.
I headed straight for the pier.