Chapter 62
Chapter 62
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 62
Chapter Title: The City of Adventure, Kairan
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After spending a month together, hiding his conversations with Vestla had become impossible, so he finally revealed that she was an ego sword.
They were surprised at first, but after seeing the sword flitting about in the air on its own, they all came to accept it.
Surprisingly, Vestla had also permitted him to reveal her nature without any resistance.
The problem, however, was that they couldn't communicate with her.
Vestla's voice was inaudible to anyone else.
Therefore, to communicate, they had no choice but to rely on Allen, the only one who could speak with both parties.
“…I'll look for a way once we get to the academy, so be patient for now.”
“You really promise!”
“Yes…”
Her chatty personality was utterly exhausting for Allen, who preferred tranquility.
Truly.
Perhaps sensing his earnest feelings, they moved quickly.
They had already passed through three or four small kingdoms and witnessed exotic ecosystems unseen in the west.
“Wow, Young Master! This is an edible mushroom, right?”
“Linbelle, put that down. It's a poisonous mushroom, so wash your hands thoroughly.”
“Ah… okay…”
Aside from a few near-mishaps, the journey was uneventful.
The further inland they traveled, the milder the temperature became.
Unlike their home territory, where the spring breeze was still quite chilly, the weather grew warmer as they approached the Galshdin Grand Desert, and their thick clothing gradually became thinner.
“Brother, let's stay here for a few days…”
“Do as you wish.”
On the way to the academy, Julius, as if having much to attend to, would disappear on his own every few days and then return.
“Look at this, Brother. I found a rare medicinal herb over there.”
…He always came back with something valuable in his hands, and often disappeared with Anya and Byron.
His maid, Reina, was a given, of course.
Allen, with a subtle smile, didn't stop him.
“You're lucky.”
“Yes, I'm quite lucky. Hahaha!”
He knew that Julius's actions were changing the future, creating 'quest rewards' and 'hidden pieces' not recorded in the black book, so he wasn't particularly anxious.
The items he obtained weren't valuable enough to be considered extraordinary.
‘I need to give him some slack.’
Having fleeced him once on Mount Nicaea, Allen needed to restrain himself for a while.
If he kept snatching away every reward, Julius would surely lose faith in the 'System'.
Julius's actions were directly and indirectly influenced by the 'System', so it would be problematic if he lost all trust in it.
His actions had to remain within a predictable range.
‘They must.’
And so, the party moved past minor incidents and enjoyed a relatively comfortable journey.
Thus, after another month had passed.
“…Finally.”
“Wow! We're finally here! For real!”
They had arrived in Kairan, the City of Adventure, one of the many cities that served as a gateway to the grand desert where the academy was located.
Various Forbidden Zones exist on the continent.
From small poisonous swamps to the vast Naströnd Plains, where an eternal war rages.
The meaning of a Forbidden Zone varies, but to put it simply, it was straightforward.
A place where humans cannot live.
Regions that humans cannot pioneer, whether due to artificial or natural factors, are broadly classified as Forbidden Zones.
‘That's why black mages who artificially create Forbidden Zones are treated as public enemies.’
The Galshdin Grand Desert was also one of these Forbidden Zones.
And not just any Forbidden Zone, but a massive one that bisected the continent's center.
A barren land where not a single blade of grass grew, and where monsters constantly appeared from nowhere, making a mere crossing an achievement in itself.
“Why was the academy built in a place like that?”
“There are various reasons, but if you're asking for the most widely known one…”
The Holy Sword.
Because the Holy Sword, said to have been used by the first Hero, was discovered there.
“Then why not just move the Holy Sword? Why build something there?”
The reason for that was also simple.
“The Holy Sword couldn't be drawn.”
“What?”
At first, those who found the Holy Sword tried to move it.
But as if to declare that no one but its master could even move it, the Holy Sword wouldn't budge.
“Even so, was there really a need to build an academy there?”
“That's true, but… the timing was right.”
Now, such a judgment might seem obvious, but it wasn't back then.
“The timing?”
“Yes.”
The world, devastated after the Great Collapse, was crying out for a hero, and the only hero befitting that name was the Hero.
But the Hero had vanished without a trace following the Great Collapse.
The timely discovery of the Holy Sword could only be seen as a symbol of hope.
“So that's why they built the academy? Since they couldn't take it with them, they decided to come to it instead?”
“Exactly.”
One of the Holy Sword's abilities, sanctification, prevented even a single monster from entering the area, making it a rational choice under the circumstances.
In addition, when it was discovered that a vast number of ruins lay dormant in the grand desert, countless people flocked there.
Adventurers.
Mercenaries.
Merchants.
Even nobles and knights.
Many moved for their own benefit, and under the plausible pretext of nurturing heroes to usher in a new era, an academy was quickly established there.
However, as the city expanded, the area protected by the sanctification paradoxically shrank.
Thus, they were forced to look elsewhere.
“Wow! Young Master! Look at this!”
The city created as a result was this one.
A city minimally affected by the Forbidden Zone, yet adjacent to the grand desert, making it an ideal entry point.
“There are so many artifacts!”
Kairan, the City of Adventure, was one such city.
“…I'd only heard stories, but this is incredible.”
Allen was looking around Kairan's shopping district with Linbelle and Inellia.
Julius had said he had something to do, leaving Byron and Anya at the inn and disappearing with only Reina in tow.
Allen couldn't take his eyes off the exotic scene, a first for him in both his past and present lives.
“Hey, did you hear the news? Team's Mercenary Company supposedly cracked a new ruin.”
“What? Again? Those bastards must have something special, don't they?”
Lizardmen with reptilian faces were conversing.
A giant monitor lizard, a golem carrying goods, a beastman with a mechanical arm, elves haggling, and even a demi-human from Yoram with a thick carapace growing on its body.
All sorts of races walked the streets, and countless artifacts he had never seen before filled the market.
“What's this thing?”
Looking to the side, he saw a mercenary haggling with a merchant.
“You don't know this? It's a recently excavated item, a water bottle that refills itself automatically.”
“Something like that really exists?”
The pronunciation was softer, slightly different from that of the western Libre Kingdom.
The differences in intonation and stress were distinct.
“A mage said it gathers water from the air or something… So, are you buying it or not?”
“Still, two gold coins is a bit…”
As the mercenary hesitated, Allen smoothly interjected.
“If you're not going to buy that item, may I?”
The merchant glanced at his attire and Inellia beside him, then immediately ignored the mercenary and bowed obsequiously to Allen.
“Yes, yes, of course! Absolutely, Young Master.”
“Then I'll take it.”
Allen offered the gold coins without a single attempt at haggling.
The merchant's jaw dropped, and he snatched the gold coins as if afraid they would disappear.
“Oh! Thank you! Thank you, Young Master!”
The mercenary clicked his tongue and stepped back.
“By the way…”
Allen began to speak as he accepted the artifact from the merchant.
“Are there always so few guides to the academy available?”
A guide was necessary to reach the academy, located within the grand desert.
Allen's party had visited the Adventurers' Guild immediately upon entering the city, but they were told that there were no guides available for hire.
“The guides, you mean?”
Having no other choice, the party had to stay in the city.
“Yes.”
At his words, the merchant glanced at his party before lowering his eyes again.
“You're not from around here, are you, Young Master?”
“I'm not.”
“Then it's understandable you wouldn't know. There is a reason…”
When the merchant trailed off hesitantly, Allen chuckled and bought a few more items.
He smiled with satisfaction and explained the reason to him.
“Thank you! Please come again!”
“Come again? What a swindler!”
Allen calmed the fuming Vestla and slowly made his way out of the shopping district.
“That's information we could've found just by walking around a little!”
The reason he heard from the merchant was unexpected.
‘So it's because of the sandstorms…’
Apparently, sandstorms periodically swept through the grand desert, and the first signs had appeared a few days ago.
Because of this, unless they were truly desperate for money, guides would lie low during the sandstorm season.
Before his regression, Julius had already entered the academy city by this time, so this was an unforeseen event.
“What are you going to do? We can't afford to be delayed here any longer, can we?”
“That's true.”
The academy's entrance exam was held once every six months.
Missing this chance meant wasting half a year.
“If all else fails, we'll have no choice but to hire one at a premium.”
It would cost a considerable amount, but it was necessary to make it on time.
Allen sighed.
‘…As I thought, I can't know everything about the future.’
Allen once again reminded himself that the future he knew, the one written in the black book, was only a fraction of what was to come.
As the group was heading back to the Adventurers' Guild, Linbelle, as if just remembering something, asked him.
“Ah! Young Master, how come everyone can understand each other even though they're different races?”
Did she only just realize that?
“Why didn't you ask when the elves were around?”
“Well… hehe.”
Then again, she wasn't in the right state of mind to worry about that back then.
Allen recalled her unstable state and explained.
“It's all a remnant of the ancient empire.”
“The ancient empire?”
Inellia, who seemed curious as well, listened attentively.
“Yes.”
From things as immediate as the language, script, and architectural styles we use today, to something as distant as the foundations of law.
Traces of the ancient empire could be found in various aspects of daily life.
“Of course, much has changed over time due to the historical nature of language.”
Words have shortened, new concepts have emerged.
Rarely used words have fallen into disuse, and some have taken on entirely new meanings.
“…I'm sure Head Maid Laura taught you at least this much.”
As Allen looked at her quizzically, Linbelle turned her head away with a flustered expression and pointed somewhere.
“Ah, ah, um… Young Master! Look over there! What race is that?”
Seeing through her obvious deflection, Allen obediently turned his head and saw a group of non-humans approaching.
Their appearance was peculiar.
No, it could even be described as alien.
The men were draped in white cloth, and a massive scorpion tail protruded from their backsides.
The women, in contrast, were draped in black cloth, and two pairs of spider legs swayed from openings on their backs.
‘Could that be…’
Allen remembered hearing about two races that lived exclusively in the grand desert.
And about their unique abilities.
*──In the grand desert, there are two tribes where every single member can act as a guide.*
The moment he recalled the passage he had skimmed in the black book, he acted swiftly.
“Where are you going!”
“Young Master!”
He had found a way to the academy.
* * *
Julius headed for the slums, retracing the plot from the original novel in his mind.
Fortunately, even after several months, he hadn't forgotten the important parts of the original story, so recalling them was easy.
Only Reina trotted along behind him.
“Hmm… is this the place?”
He looked at the old sign with a butterfly emblem, his expression uncertain.
Even though he remembered the original novel, it was just text, so he couldn't be sure.
“Still…”
I have to check. It's a quest.
He opened the quest window, and several sub-quests appeared before him.
[A Sandstorm is Coming! Find a way to the academy before the entrance exam! Time Limit: 13:12:55]
[Reward: Minor increase in Wind Affinity]
[Prove yourself by killing the Death Worm, known as the Ruler of the Desert! 0/1 Time Limit: 172:59:02]
[Reward: 1 Guaranteed B-Rank Skill Ticket]
[Defeat the bandits and marauders who torment travelers and protect the peace! 0/20 Time Limit: 34:07:26]
[Reward: 3 Random Swordsmanship Manual Tickets]
Having earned decent rewards by clearing sub-quests over the past few months, he felt compelled to complete these as well.
‘Clear quests and find a way to the academy at the same time.’ Killing two birds with one stone.
*Creeak*
As he pushed the wooden door, rusty hinges screamed, announcing their presence.
Surprisingly, the inside of the tavern was clean.
Contrary to his expectation of it being filled with vomit and sour smells, it was immaculate.
Turning his head, he saw an old man at the bar, polishing a glass without looking up.
Julius strode up to him and plopped down on a stool.
As he took his seat, the bartender spoke.
“What would you like to order, sir?”
“A glass of mead, if you have it. And for a snack… grilled butterfly soaked in snake venom.”
The man paused at Julius's words, then slowly spoke again.
“…I'm sorry, but we don't have that dish.”
“No, you do have it. Don't you? Or, a blue apple pie would be fine too.”
Julius was quite confident as he said this.
‘The protagonist in the original novel definitely did this, right?’
The protagonist had used this method several times to contact Psyche, the information organization spread across the central continent, so he was certain.
He'd forgotten what the protagonist did to obtain this information, but that didn't matter.
‘As long as I know the password, it should be fine, right?’
While he was gloating, the bartender, with emotionless eyes, stealthily gripped the hilt of a dagger at his waist.
‘Butterfly soaked in snake venom means we are members of the same organization.’
But he lacks the distinctive scent used to identify them.
“Aren't you going to bring it quickly?”
Blue apple pie is a signal that something unexpected has occurred.
“No poison apple either? Then what about the hind leg of a hillcrest sheep, or a flower bud from the dark garden?”
The poison apple means one has obtained information they shouldn't have.
The hind leg of a hillcrest sheep means a direct order has come from the boss.
‘And finally, a flower bud from the dark garden.’
That He.
“I know everything, so bring it quickly! Or get your superior!”
has descended.
“Aren't you going to move?”
His eyes scanned Julius impassively.
Information has never been leaked.
The guild keeps records of all its clients, so he was sure of it.
‘Then is he a fellow member?’
That's not it either.
But he knows the internal codes?
There were two possibilities.
Either someone betrayed them, or one of their clients divulged the codes.
If not that…
“Why is this so different from what I read?”
Just as the bartender was about to move, his eyes met Reina's.
*Freeze*
“Hah, I'm here to buy information. Do you get it now?”
He confirmed the pattern that appeared in her eyes, which widened in surprise, and then, as if understanding the situation, he smiled benignly.
“Aha, so you're a client from 'that side'. It's been quite a while, so please forgive my delayed response.”
Julius smiled with satisfaction at his answer.
“It's a shame the password didn't work… but it's fine. So, I'd like to buy some information…”
“I will guide you.”
As the man led them into the back of the tavern, Julius asked curiously.
“By the way, is it okay to leave the bar empty? Won't someone steal something?”
“That won't be a problem. He's already here.”
When Julius looked back, a middle-aged man, who had appeared from nowhere, calmly entered the tavern and sat at the bar.
Seeing this, Julius grinned happily, as if it overlapped with a scene from the original novel.
“Is that so? Then let's hurry. My brother is waiting.”
“This way, please.”
They headed to the tavern's basement.
A white light flickered from the ceiling, illuminating the corridor.
“Why is the light flickering? Are you guys broke?”
“Haha, it's because it was just recently maintained. We'll have it fixed before your next visit.”
Like an eye.