Chapter 217
Chapter 217
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: A Truly Humble Person (3)
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“Argh!”
It was a scream that burst from Rokad’s mouth.
The golden-patterned pigeon had perched on his shoulder, observed him intently, then pecked the back of his head with its beak.
“Master!?”
Rokad panicked at this first experience of his master’s punishment(?).
“What’s this? Isn’t he my disciple?”
But his master was twice as flustered.
The Golden Divinity!
Not to brag, but in terms of that ostentatious and twisted personality, his disciple was a match for him.
That disciple had confessed his own shortcomings in front of others.
In such a case, it was naturally assumed to be groundwork for some deception.
Behind that powerless, self-deprecating expression lurked sinister intentions.
So why?
Why did genuine humility emanate from it?
Karojen even briefly wondered if his disciple had died inside and someone had stolen his skin.
However.
“Argh! Argh!”
Upon close inspection and pecking, the result was clear.
It was undoubtedly his disciple, Rokad.
“Hm.”
The pigeon on Rokad’s shoulder stared blankly into the void.
It was astonishing in a different sense.
The Golden Star, who almost never fretted over others’ affairs, plunged into deep confusion.
Of course, Rokad’s anomaly shocked more than just him.
“Ro, Rokad, sir…?”
The eyes of the yellow mages trembled uncontrollably as they gazed at the Golden Divinity.
In a way, they knew Rokad better than his master did.
They encountered his twisted, self-aggrandizing personality and behavior daily.
Thus, they couldn’t hide their shock at Rokad’s current state.
‘What on earth must have happened for the Golden Divinity to end up like this?’
Even their vivid imaginations and intellect couldn’t fathom it.
However.
The gray mages seemed somewhat different.
“Hm. So that’s how it is.”
“Yes. That seems to be it, Master Meltas.”
Masters Didoa and Meltas glanced back and forth between Rishir and Rokad, then nodded as if instantly grasping the situation.
“Wh-what do you mean by that…?”
Master Yerika of the Yellow Magic Tower reflexively asked them.
“…”
Master Didoa stared at her with her characteristic reverse gaze.
-Oh right. Sorry. Telling the Gray Magic Tower something like this—they’d never understand anyway.
-In the world? Really!? The Gray Magic Tower can’t even grasp this… Oh, sorry. I misspoke. Well, each tower has its circumstances. I understand.
-Don’t worry. They wouldn’t get it even if I explained.
Didoa unconsciously recalled past encounters with Yerika.
The natural contempt and disdain she’d faced as the Gray Magic Tower’s representative!
Didoa awkwardly formed a mischievous smile with her characteristically expressionless face.
The kind of smile that reminded one of a plain young man.
“Even if I explained, it’d be hard for you to understand.”
“…!”
The overwhelming composure emanating from the gray mage’s smile!
The yellow mages’ expressions twisted.
Yellow mages and gray mages.
A subtle tension flowed between them.
It was a phenomenon unseen before.
The Yellow Magic Tower had never regarded the Gray Magic Tower as an equal.
But now, things had changed.
The Yellow Magic Tower began to take notice of and guard against the Gray Magic Tower.
It was the moment both towers recognized this fact simultaneously.
“Is that so? Then the Yellow Magic Tower will draw its own conclusions.”
Yerika, now more conscious of them, adopted an even more high-handed attitude.
Heh heh.
Master Meltas stroked his braided beard and chuckled meaningfully.
“Drawing your own conclusions regarding matters involving Rishir… It’s a hasty approach, but I won’t stop you.”
And so.
Just as the two towers were engrossed in a staring contest, distracted by each other—
“Everyone, could you look here for a moment?”
Rishir spoke up.
He pointed to an object on the table.
“Hm?”
All eyes from both towers immediately focused there.
Originally, two dungeon keys used by Rishir and Rokad respectively lay there.
But now.
Lying there was a silver bracelet adorned side by side with two red gems.
Ooh.
Ratcheta, the person in charge of the White Iron Guild, lit up.
Two mysterious keys merged into an even more mysterious silver bracelet!
Her adventurer’s instincts were screaming.
This was no ordinary item.
Far from ordinary!
“Ho ho.”
The mages’ instincts echoed the same.
Karojen, finally regaining his composure, perched on the table and examined the bracelet closely.
Peck. Peck.
He prodded the silver body of the bracelet with his beak.
“This silver… it’s no ordinary silver.”
Aaah.
Beside him, Ratcheta shivered with delight, making pleased sounds.
Praise for dungeon loot straight from a grand mage’s mouth!
What could excite an adventurer more!?
“You say it’s not ordinary silver…!”
“This material. This aura… Could it be Shallado’s silver?”
“Shallado’s silver…?”
Ratcheta tilted her head.
Even as a high-ranking adventurer who’d handled all sorts of treasures, she’d never heard the name.
She checked the mages’ reactions, hoping they might know.
“Shallado…”
However, Master Yerika and the others reacted much like Ratcheta.
Only one person.
“Shallado’s silver…!”
Only Master Didoa reacted to the name, her reverse gaze gleaming.
“Master Didoa. Do you know something about it?”
Meltas’s question.
All eyes turned to her.
She nodded vigorously.
“Yes. Shallado’s pure silver is a substance created by the ancient alchemist Shallado—one of the greatest materials ever called.”
Eeehaa.
Ratcheta rubbed her legs together.
Ancient something-or-other!
Adventurers’ favorite prefix.
An era of incomparable chaos and greatness.
Treasures from that era all held immense value.
“How much would it sell for!?”
Ratcheta shouted, unable to contain her excitement.
Such a shallow approach to an ancient relic.
The mages gave the adventurer cold looks for a moment.
Separately, knowing that such adventurers brought these relics into their hands, the alchemist answered earnestly.
“Items like this… Assigning a monetary value is meaningless. It’s literally worth whatever you name.”
Aaahhhooaa…
“Ahem. That’s enough about money—”
Leaving Ratcheta now openly in ecstasy behind—
Master Meltas asked.
“Master Didoa. So. What significance does this Shallado’s pure silver hold in the current situation? Can you explain it so even laymen like us can understand?”
“Alchemists describe the properties of Shallado’s pure silver as ‘alive.’”
“Alive?”
“Yes. Due to its active nature. Excuse me for a moment.”
Master Didoa picked up the bracelet and examined it closely.
“It seems Rishir and Sir Rokad satisfied specific conditions. Shallado’s pure silver has begun to function.”
“Meaning—”
“The place we’ll arrive at using this bracelet this time—that’s precisely why it was made.”
“…”
An ancient treasure stored in the dungeon.
A specific place reachable through that treasure.
Gulp.
Someone swallowed dryly, voicing everyone’s feelings.
They were certain.
Something tremendous awaited the bracelet’s user there.
“And perhaps—”
As Didoa added, the bracelet’s gems began to glow.
“Just a hypothesis. This bracelet might lose its function soon. Permanently.”
“What do you mean?”
“My personal opinion based on precedents. There are cases where Shallado’s pure silver functioned only in that moment, then completely lost its power afterward.”
“Then—”
Tick.
A clock’s second hand seemed to echo from somewhere.
“As the saying goes, strike while the iron is hot. Shall we resume the investigation now? Ratcheta. Is that alright?”
Meltas asked Ratcheta.
The moment the adventurer nodded, swept up in the momentum—
“Wait.”
The Golden Star, Karojen.
The Yellow Magic Tower Lord spoke in a firm tone.
“Before exercising decisive rights in this dungeon investigation, we need to address the qualifications, don’t you think?”
“Lord Karojen, what—”
“The Gray Magic Tower knows full well, but this dungeon investigation was essentially handled by the Yellow Magic Tower, right?”
“But! Didn’t our Gray Magic Tower play a decisive role in the investigation!”
“I acknowledge that. But. If we consider the overall process and its weight, it falls short of the White Iron Guild as discoverers with ownership, and the Yellow Magic Tower entrusted by them. Therefore—my proposal is as follows.”
The Gray Magic Tower is excluded from the final exploration.
However. Recognizing their contributions so far, they are granted certain rights in the final loot distribution.
“…”
Meltas chewed his lip.
For a proposal from the arbitrary Yellow Magic Tower, it was reasonably fair.
One might sense a willingness to compromise or yield.
Of course.
It was also a warning.
We’ve yielded this much—
Demand more, and we’ll see it through to the end.
“As Lord Karojen knows, this dungeon exploration should originally have been under our Gray Magic Tower’s jurisdiction.”
“Worldly affairs don’t always follow rules. Especially if those rules lack power. Moreover. The place connected to this bracelet isn’t near Bontales, is it?”
Meltas’s expression twisted.
Sophistry.
Yet. It held merit.
Enough to rob the Gray Magic Tower’s justification of its power if clung to.
And so.
As the gray mages’ momentum waned and the yellow mages’ rose—
“There’s one more thing we need to address.”
Rokad spoke.
“Sir Rishir and I investigated the key’s barrier interior together this time, right? Regarding that contribution.”
“Ah.”
The yellow mages’ expressions brightened further.
Conversely, the gray mages’ darkened more.
Rokad stepping forward in this flow.
It was obvious the situation would complicate.
The incarnation of twisted self-display would surely diminish the opponent’s merits and tout his own.
Thereby seizing rights from the Gray Magic Tower.
“Yes. Speak, Rokad.”
Karojen immediately encouraged his disciple.
“In this barrier interior investigation, one person failed to fulfill their role, while the other more than compensated with their merits. Simply put. The barrier interior didn’t even require two people. Therefore. I, Rokad, strongly assert on behalf of the Yellow Magic Tower.”
Rokad looked at Rishir with his characteristic ‘humble’ demeanor.
Karojen easily anticipated his disciple’s next line and thought.
That’s enough.
Even a cornered rat bites the cat.
No need to push the Gray Magic Tower that hard.
‘Rokad knows that too— is he bothered by what happened inside? Cute guy.’
Karojen opened his beak to restrain Rokad.
“That’s enough, Rokad. The Gray Magic Tower has their own—”
“The rights regarding this final exploration rightfully belong entirely to Sir Rishir.”
“…”
Eh?
The Golden Star made a raw sound unfit for his position.
Huh?
Wha?
The yellow and gray mages alike.
The only one accepting Rokad’s actions naturally was Rishir.
“Sir Rokad. You don’t have to go that far—”
“No, Sir Rishir. I merely stated the plain facts. In truth. Without your help, I would have faced great trouble there.”
Ah!
Rokad exclaimed as if recalling something.
“Come to think of it, I haven’t said this yet.”
Please.
The yellow mages unwittingly prayed inwardly.
Connect that humble demeanor to deception as usual.
Bolstered by the yellow mages’ unspoken wishes—
Rokad extended his hand.
“Thank you so much for your help. I owe you a great debt, Sir Rishir.”
Rokad gazed at Rishir with utterly humble expression.
His eyes, showing no trace of twisted duplicity, sparkled with pure respect.
The Yellow Magic Tower representative’s strong assertion.
Through it, the decisive merits and rights for the final dungeon exploration went to the Gray Magic Tower.
Thus, the three groups each secured their respective rights in the dungeon investigation.
Who did better, so who deserves more rights—
Such debates became meaningless with this balance.
Eventually, their opinions naturally aligned.
“Then. Everyone present here proceeds with the final dungeon exploration. Is that alright?”
“…”
Not pleased~
That was the Yellow Magic Tower’s expression.
However, they had no choice but to nod in agreement.
“No objections.”
The Golden Divinity said so—
And the Golden Star watched his disciple with interest.
“Rishir, here.”
Rishir placed the bracelet handed by Master Didoa on his palm.
The bracelet’s gems, which had only faintly glowed at first, now emitted intense light.
The light grew stronger—
And soon engulfed them all.
A moment later, the light faded.
“Huh?”
Rishir looked around.
“Everyone?”
His companions were gone.
He stood alone in the middle of a forest.
Dense trees blotted out the sky like thick storm clouds, creating an artificial night.
Lush grass rose to his knees, giving a voracious feel.
Whoosh.
Suddenly.
A wind blew from somewhere, caressing the entire forest greenery.
-Child.
Rishir looked around in confusion.
-How did you end up in my forest? And so deep inside.
Rishir couldn’t easily reply.
It felt as if the entire forest was speaking to him.
‘This is…’
Moreover, the vast aura in that voice.
Rishir reflexively recalled the powerhouses he’d met—
But those memories scattered before taking shape.
The presence in the voice overwhelmed the weight he’d felt from all of them combined.
-This is my private and precious space. A place no human like you should set foot in.
Rishir suddenly felt insignificant.
Like a plaything in a cat’s paw.
Perhaps even more so.
She was the entire forest—
And he was in its heart.
Thus.
As Rishir was gradually overtaken by that presence—
-Oh my. Are you scared? Poor thing. Did I frighten you?
“…!”
Rishir flinched.
‘Huh, this speech pattern?’
He felt a familiar vibe from the unfamiliar voice.
-Or do you have a guilty conscience?
The surrounding grass grew at an abnormal speed.
As if the forest meant to devour the intruder.
Rishir steadied himself and spoke.
“I apologize. I had no intention of intruding on your domain without permission. If it’s alright, may I ask your name?”
Rustle.
The wind swept through the entire forest.
The resulting forest sound resembled a flirtatious laugh.
-What meaning would my name have to you. Or do you want to hear it?
Finally, the voice murmured coyly.
-Forest’s Night. The name you all gave me.