Chapter 135
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 135
Chapter Title: Growth (1)
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Bizho City lived up to its moniker as the starting city, drawing countless people this year as always.
Merchants eyeing the crowds, adventurers forming parties for the fresh season's challenges.
And people with all sorts of other goals flocked here too, leading to one incident after another.
"This damn starter season wears me out every time, no matter how many I go through."
Count Mordenaen, who ruled over Bizho City amid all this, looked exhausted as he sifted through the endless stream of paperwork.
By this late hour.
Soothing the day's fatigue with a glass of wine, he gazed out at the cityscape so bright it was hard to believe it was nighttime.
Coo-oo— Coo-oo—
A bird call echoed from not far away.
Count Mordenaen opened the balcony door off the terrace with an even more weary expression.
"You could just come in openly. Why sneak around like that?"
"Hah hah. For an old codger like me visiting you, the protocol's too stiff."
Coo-oo— Coo-oo—
A man cupped his hands and whistled, perched on the terrace railing as he turned to the count.
It was Aden, the Sword Ghost, once called the Empire's Sword—a swordmaster of legend.
"I hadn't heard you'd come all the way down here. What brings you?"
Aden had never cared much for Blackout and left the moment he retired.
After that, he'd wandered the empire's outskirts, living a leisurely life of hobbies. What could pull him back now?
"His Majesty is in a bind. Time for this old body to step up once."
"Hm... You're not planning a comeback, are you?"
"You need a refresher on academy hearings. This is a one-time thing."
"Ugh, sorry. I haven't been back topside long enough to shake off the rust."
Maybe all those cutthroat mind games with nobles up there had him taking Aden's words too literally.
"Tsk tsk. I told you to take it easy."
"..."
As if he could just choose to do that.
Being a count wasn't some cushy gig.
So Count Mordenaen brushed off Aden's words lightly and pressed on.
"If you've come, Aden, does that mean those guys who approached Lady Venes have holed up in Blackout?"
Aden nodded readily at the count's question.
"Then what can I do to help?"
"Nothing major yet. Just let me know as soon as you spot any traces."
"Then why come all the way here...?"
"It's about the White Whale Mercenary Corps."
"Business with them?"
"Not exactly... Be honest with me. You plan to wield them like your sword, right?"
"...Yes."
Not like puppets, of course.
They had a discarded imperial in their ranks, and their captain was no pushover.
Feed them a bit, nudge them occasionally—that should do it.
"Tsk tsk. That's way too soft. Not even close."
"...What do you want?"
"If you want to swing a sword, treat it like one. Can't do that hugging it like some treasure chest."
"No, but..."
The count felt like a kid getting scolded by his father again.
He'd given his all, only to have the lid popped off and dismissed as worthless.
"The imperial family's position matters, and you know how the nobles would react if I helped too openly..."
"That's why you use cunning methods."
"To me, they're wildflowers. Instead of the imperial family raising them, just clear the pests around and let them grow on their own, no?"
"Fair point. But only half right."
"..."
No use arguing further, the count figured. He went straight to the point.
"Do you have another idea, Aden?"
"Yeah. Spray pesticide to kill pests, and the good bugs flee too. Use the right method."
A sword sharpens the more it's honed. Likewise, Aden had found a way.
"The Ancient Tower. Give it to them."
"Pardon? That's not something you find even if you want to... Wait. You found it already?!"
"Yep. Discovered it."
"How? How many floors did you clear in that short time?!"
"Old memories resurfaced after so long away. Got excited, wandered around, and there it was."
"..."
The Ancient Tower was one spot hordes sought every season.
Its location randomized post-reset, even top adventurers rejoiced like lottery winners if they found it once...
"What if we send those kids there?"
"...Where is it?"
"Floor 5. Sandwind Dunes."
"You found it in such a godforsaken spot."
What memories drew him to the middle of that desert?
The higher you climbed the Ancient Tower, the greater the rewards—hence the frenzy to find it.
"You're handing that to the White Whale Mercenary Corps?"
"Gotta be worth it. You know how furious Lady Venes was over Prince Javier's assassination plot."
"True..."
Stopping her from summoning the mercs herself for questioning had been a nightmare.
Looking back, it was a blessing.
"Those kids preempted an imperial bloodbath. Stuffing them with gold would just rile up the others."
"Hence the Ancient Tower."
"Exactly."
The count, initially skeptical, warmed to Aden's idea.
By cold calculation, it was a once-in-a-lifetime shot.
'Yeah. Reward enough for what they've earned.'
Then a doubt crept in.
Aden doted on talent, especially hardworking geniuses...
'But to come to me personally?'
They were friendly, but Aden didn't need his permission.
"One question okay?"
"I can guess. His Majesty's favor, right?"
A wanderer's instincts were sharp—Aden nailed it.
The count nodded.
"Yes."
"Well... Getting on in years, late kids on your mind, huh."
Late kid? Javier came after Aiden, but the count let it slide.
"Plus, that mage has your keen interest."
"I see."
Made sense—he eyed the mage himself.
His Majesty could too.
A skilled, unaffiliated mage friendly to the throne? Rare find.
"I'll pass the info on that front."
"Good. Prep thoroughly. Ancient Tower's called the land of opportunity, but it's no cakewalk."
"Got it."
Aden snagged a bottle of wine from the count's room and left. The count drafted letters at once.
It was the day before Jun's merry booze-up with his crew.
* * *
Needless to say, when summoned to Bizho City, Jun couldn't hide his shock.
'The Ancient Tower?'
Known among players as the Tower of Trials, it was a building with abysmal spawn rates.
'Unless you're insanely lucky, no way to find it short-term.'
Even in his 'Lee Jung-jun' days, it took maxing out an info network late-game to maybe locate it.
The rewards were huge, sure...
'But it usually popped up endgame when gear was topped off, so not essential.'
Jun hadn't prioritized it.
'No loss either way. Late-game finds made rewards meh then, but perfect for us now.'
Plus, a great benchmark for their limits.
"So... What if you all headed there?"
"Thanks for the huge intel."
"No need. You've aided the throne plenty."
Indeed.
The throne's honey was too sweet.
"But we need prep before leaving."
"No rush. Remote spot anyway. I'll hold it till you're ready—just say when."
"Appreciate it."
An unexpected boon.
Even Jun hadn't foreseen snagging endgame's Ancient Tower like this.
His comrades were floored too.
"Th-the Ancient Tower?"
"Whoa, you scored that? Captain, what the heck have you been doing out there?"
Aiden and Eleanor gawked purely at Jun, while Maya nearby tilted her head.
"What's this Ancient Tower thingy?"
Unlike the two with Blackout know-how, Maya was clueless.
"Think of it as a tower that objectively tests our strength."
"A test? We get a good sword if we go?"
"Rewards are solid, and no pressure's the best part."
"Easy one?"
"Easy... Tough to call it that."
Better results meant better loot—lots of prep needed.
No Eater ties, so Maya's interest waned...
"Eh, sounds good."
"Huh. Thought you'd gripe it's another tough gig."
"I griped 'cause you picked hard ones. Thought it'd stay easy, then bam—hard again."
"..."
Like a kid done with vacation homework, partying hard, then learning extras dropped.
'Gotta stop saying missions are easy.'
Victim himself, Jun felt wronged, but karma from his mouth shut him up. He accepted reality quietly.
"Hyung..."
"Not that look."
Aiden's puppy eyes stung extra, so Jun looked away.