Chapter 77
Chapter 77
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 77
Chapter Title: Fountain of Destiny
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The carriage looked luxurious at first glance. Its finish was on a whole different level from the surrounding buildings and people's clothes.
“Is this all you have?”
It might have seemed high-end to me, but Darkness didn’t appear too impressed.
“I-I’m sorry. This is the best one our merchant guild has.”
“What about that one over there?”
There was a larger, even nicer-looking carriage right next to it.
“That’s my personal carriage….”
A gold coin.
“…but from now on, you can use it, honored guest!”
No doubt the gold coin he’d just received was more than enough to buy a new carriage. Even if we never returned it and just took off with it, they’d still come out ahead.
“We’ll depart right away.”
“Yes, sir! Maron!”
“Coming!”
At Abraham’s call, the boy we’d seen earlier came running.
“Escort these guests and bring the carriage back!”
“Huh? But I’m not a coachman.”
“You know how to drive a carriage!”
“I do, but….”
“Come back and you’ll get two silver coins.”
Abraham whispered into Maron’s ear.
“I’ll be off then!”
I had no idea how many silver coins made a gold one, but after pocketing dozens of gold coins himself, offering just two silvers seemed stingy. Still, it was plenty for Maron, who lit up with enthusiasm.
Maron opened the door and guided us into the carriage.
“Then we’ll be off.”
Despite claiming he wasn’t a coachman, Maron started the carriage with practiced ease.
Riding in the carriage along the well-paved road felt leisurely and comfortable, but I worried we’d never make it out of the empire at this pace.
“Why are we taking a carriage? Someone of your power, Lord Darkness, could get us there without spatial transfer—there are plenty of ways.”
“You sure talk a lot. Just enjoy the scenery and stay quiet. And call me Eres in front of people. Your name stands out too much as a foreigner, so go by Jin.”
I didn’t remember telling him my name. He must have read my mind when we first met.
Fortunately, the empire had a diverse mix of races, so no one batted an eye at my black hair and eyes, or Eres’s. But aside from elves and dwarves, there were hardly any beastkin or orcs or other races. Only the occasional one who looked like a slave.
Even after leaving the city in the carriage, the roads remained impeccably paved. Paving roads this long meant they had the technology, labor, and military might to maintain and protect them.
“Why are you so amazed? This is near the imperial capital, so of course the roads are well-maintained.”
Eres spoke up as I stared in awe.
“You’re right. I heard the gates have caused major damage, but it looks peaceful here.”
“It’s near the capital, and this area’s famous as a resort for the rich. That’s why the defenses against monsters are top-notch.”
“A resort?”
“The Fountain of Destiny is nearby.”
“What’s that?”
“You can’t tell from the name?”
“Can’t you just explain it?”
“Hmph. It’s a place that reveals your fate.”
“...Really?”
“Want to go see it?”
Eres asked with a teasing expression. To a being like him, did I look foolish for being curious about my fate?
But of course I was curious. Was I doing the right thing? Could I really stop that Destroyer God?
“Is that okay?”
“We’re going that way anyway. Let’s check it out.”
After racing along the smooth road for a while, the buildings started multiplying. We were entering a bustling district.
“There’s… so many people.”
The carriage was pulled by high-end horses, and it was full of visitors in fancy clothes who screamed wealth.
“It’s a famous tourist spot even within the empire.”
Even near the capital, they’d talked about a crisis from the gates—were people really coming here for tourism? I started doubting Sono Rim’s info.
“The crisis only hits the powerless. See those guys over there?”
Eres pointed to the knights and mages around us.
“Yes.”
“They’re all master-class. No monster spilling out of a gate stands a chance against them. If things get dicey, master-class warriors or mages teleport in via magic circles. No place safer.”
Maron skillfully navigated the crowds, bringing us right up to the spring, where a large gate loomed.
“Welcome to the Fountain of Destiny! Just the two of you?”
The gatekeeper greeted us as we opened the carriage window.
“This one only. I’m just accompanying him.”
“Right! One person. That’ll be 5 gold.”
Considering how shocked Maron had been back at the Brown Merchant Guild, 5 gold was clearly a hefty sum. Cheap for a glimpse at your fate, though.
Eres pulled some coins from his pocket and tossed them over. He could hand them nicely for once, but he always threw. The gatekeeper deftly caught the scattering gold like it was routine and bowed deeply.
“Here’s your message stone. It’ll vibrate and glow when it’s your turn.”
It was like one of those pager buzzers from a coffee shop—except insanely expensive. Powered by magic, it worked over long distances. They even used them in gates sometimes, but using one as a buzzer? Peak Tellus magic tech.
“How long will it take?”
“You’re next in line now, so about a week.”
The gatekeeper flipped through a stack of papers.
“...Let’s just go.”
I was curious about my fate, but with people waiting back on Earth, I didn’t want to waste time here.
“No way. We’re already here—might as well relax first.”
“Huh?”
“I’ll rest at the hot springs near the Fountain of Destiny. Make it quicker.”
Eres pulled out more gold coins and dangled them before the gatekeeper.
“Ahem. Oh, looks like someone ahead just canceled. Two days should do it.”
Eres added more gold.
“I’ll make sure it glows by tomorrow.”
He tossed the coins, and the gatekeeper snatched them with equal finesse. His attitude flipped faster than Abraham’s brothers back at the guild. We ended up paying around 20 gold for the 5-gold slot, but Eres didn’t bat an eye at the cost.
“To the noble inn district.”
At Eres’s order, Maron drove on.
We crossed the city to the inn district—which was less inns and more a row of opulent palace-like hotels.
Eres stepped out and entered one. Maron just bowed to us and didn’t follow.
The lobby was a vast space with a ceiling at least ten meters high, decked out in gold fittings and crystals so dazzling you could barely look at it—screaming luxury.
“Two rooms. One night.”
Eres, as usual, got straight to the point in the lobby.
“Welcome. What kind of rooms can I offer you?”
Silent gold coins dropped, swiftly snatched by the front desk clerk.
“We’ll prepare our finest suites.”
His waist bent in half.
“I’m heading to the hot springs. Do whatever you want.”
“I’ll come too.”
Since we were here, I wanted to enjoy the hot springs as well.
The room we were led to by an attendant was just as lavish inside—marble floors, exorbitantly expensive furniture, glowing lamps of some exotic material hanging everywhere.
“The hot springs are through that door. Bathrobes are prepared here.”
The attendant guided us and backed out of the room. The robe was a light, flowing white fabric. I hesitated about stripping down to wear it, but figured I could always pull out the short-sleeved shirt and shorts from the clothes item Jane made if needed—so I stripped and put it on.
I changed into the robe and opened the door to the hot springs, revealing a passageway. A short walk from my room led straight to the springs. A private direct path from room to hot springs—pure extravagance.
The inns had hidden it, but behind the row of luxury hotels stretched a massive hot spring complex. Giant pools cascaded down a gently sloping hill like stairs, spread wide. High-end inns like ours densely surrounded the area.
“Huh?”
The scale shocked me first, but the second shock was that there was no separation between men and women. Everyone wore robes, but the thin white fabric became transparent in the water—basically naked. Still, no one seemed embarrassed. Cultural difference, I guess.
“You’re here.”
Eres was soaking in the springs, head tilted back as he looked at me. His robe clung to his body, outlining every curve, but he showed no shame.
He already had drinks served and was sipping away, clearly making the most of it.
“The Incarnation of Darkness enjoys this stuff?”
“No reason not to. I’d come to the human world now and then in the past to indulge.”
His eyes grew distant, lost in memories.
“Don’t overthink it—just relax. We’ve got until tomorrow anyway.”
Spending a day here for a fate reading wasn’t bad. And Eres wouldn’t rush even if I begged.
I slipped into the hot springs and sat down. The steaming water enveloped me welcomingly. My body could handle boiling water unscathed, but I still felt the sensations. Lounging in the warm water left me blissfully relaxed—the perfect antidote to the gross swamp in Eres’s cave.
“What beverage would you like?”
An attendant approached.
“Whatever he’s having.”
Not knowing the options, I ordered the same as Eres.
Soon, the attendant arrived with a fancy liquor bottle, quietly set it by me, and withdrew.
A crystal-carved glass sat nearby, smaller than a shot glass.
I poured and downed it without thinking.
I swallowed on reflex, but it felt like gulping a fireball.
“Hahaha, do you even know what that is before drinking?”
“Cough… What is this stuff?”
Even straight alcohol wouldn’t burn like this. Flames swirled in my mouth and throat, my insides melting and regenerating in a loop.
[Your Poison Resistance skill has leveled up from B to A.]
Damn it… poison. And it jumped straight to the notoriously hard-to-level A-rank.
“It’s called Salamander’s Blaze. Dwarves infuse it with fire spirit essence, so it’s meant to be diluted hundreds of times. Suit your taste?”
Eres laughed at me while casually downing his own glass.
“But they just bring this out?”
“They wouldn’t at first, but gold changed their minds. I was drinking leisurely, so they brought you some too, right?”
I spent the day soaking in the hot springs with the chuckling Eres, then enjoyed a feast for dinner.
The next morning, as Eres lounged in the springs boozing on the poison liquor from early on, a man who looked like an attendant approached.
“Lady, my master would like to have a word with you. What do you say?”
The attendant gestured toward where he’d come from—a smug guy in his early thirties stood there. His puffy, bread-like hair was slicked with something that kept it shiny and stiff even in the humidity.
The attendant wasn’t hotel staff in a uniform—he was this bread-head’s personal servant.
“Scram.”
“Huh?”
“I said scram.”
Eres didn’t even glance his way.
The attendant looked troubled but had no choice except to return to his master. And then—
The bread-head slapped his servant’s cheek. It wasn’t a fleshy smack—it was the crack of bone on bone, sending the servant crumpling to the ground. With strength like that, the guy was a mana user too.
The bread-head kicked the unconscious servant aside like trash and strode toward Eres.