Chapter 175
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 175
Chapter Title: The Magic City Lives Up to Its Name!
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A narrow alley shrouded in fog.
So thick was the mist that even walking was a struggle, let alone running—yet one woman was sprinting through it with everything she had.
"Haa, haa."
Jessica poured every ounce of strength into her flight.
She'd already lost one shoe in her frantic dash, and her appearance was a total mess, but she paid it no mind.
She just kept glancing back anxiously with wide eyes, devoting all her energy to fleeing down the alley.
Thud!
"Ow!"
Was it the impenetrable fog?
Or had she been too focused on what was behind her to watch her step?
Either way, Jessica missed the sunken stairs and stumbled, tumbling head over heels down them.
Even after the nasty fall, she tried to scramble up and run again—but it was a vain hope.
She'd cracked her head during the roll.
Her foggy mind and blurred vision dropped her right back to the ground before she could even stand.
'No... I have to get away.'
She was in a state where passing out wouldn't have been surprising, but an overwhelming terror kept Jessica conscious.
The horrifying certainty that any delay meant no escape at all stimulated her survival instincts, blotting out even the pain.
A stroke of luck amid misfortune, perhaps.
In her desperate scan of the surroundings, she spotted a door and pounded on it with all her might.
Thump, thump-thump-thump.
"Hello? Is anyone there?!"
"Please let me in, just for a bit! I'm begging you!"
"Even until the fog clears, please...!"
Jessica cried out plaintively.
But for all her desperate pleas, the door stayed firmly shut, not budging an inch.
It was only natural.
No fool would open their door to a stranger's voice during the Twilight Hours—at least, not in this city.
Knowing that full well, Jessica had no choice but to cling to the door.
It was her only lifeline now.
'I shouldn't have come out.'
Anxiety, fear, dread—a whirlwind of emotions swirled within her, and regret hit Jessica late.
She never should have gone outside when Twilight was so near. No matter what, she should have waited until after the bells.
'No... I never should have gone to that place to begin with.'
Irreversible regrets gripped her heart all the deeper for it.
As Jessica's face twisted in despair before the unyielding door and her mounting remorse...
A heavy bell toll echoed through the air.
Doooong—
'That's...!'
In that instant.
Jessica's face lit up without her realizing it.
It was the unique chime—like a thousand hammers striking a thousand metal slabs at once—that she'd been waiting for.
The signal that Twilight had ended.
Doooong—
Twice, thrice, four times.
With each toll, the fog thinned bit by bit. Tears burst from Jessica's eyes as she watched.
The sensation of death retreating from right in front of her finally loosened the taut string of tension, flooding her with relief.
But that's why she didn't notice.
With each repeated toll.
And as the fog grew lighter.
The shadow creeping ever closer to her.
And so, when the eleventh toll rang out and Jessica sighed in relief, thinking it was all over...
Crunch!
Doooong—
Fresh crimson blood splattered the wall.
A stiff, lifeless corpse sprawled out.
As the twelfth and final toll rang out, like a eulogy for the dead, the curtain of thick fog lost its power and crumbled away.
In its place rose a blue shadow.
Knights straight out of old tales, clad head to toe in armor with blue cloaks draped over them.
And at their forefront.
Before the blood-soaked ground stood a woman.
A blue-haired woman in a crisp uniform instead of armor, holding a bloodied sword.
She gazed down at Jessica's corpse with eyes still as a lake, then sheathed her blade and spoke.
"Sir Lucas, handle the cleanup."
"Yes, Princess."
"And make sure there are no witnesses."
"Understood."
The man in the most ornate armor bowed.
The knights moved with perfect coordination, gathering the body and vanishing.
The woman watched silently until every trace was neatly erased, then departed with the knight called Lucas.
Jessica's death thus melted away into the fog.
Leaving only the metallic tang of blood behind...
'I'm heading to London this time.'
'Me too! Take me with you!'
'...This isn't a vacation.'
'Does it matter? It's not like bringing along a cute little fledgling like me will cost extra fare!'
'Fledgling? You're starting to get a bit heavy these days, aren't you?'
'A lady's weight is not to be discussed!'
'Lady my foot—you're more like a chick ready for the pot.'
Having endured Rimon's endless teasing all the way to London, Yuna Kyung brimmed with excitement for the trip.
It was thrilling enough to finally take an overseas vacation she'd never managed during her working life due to being too busy.
But the destination being magic-infused London? Her heart was pounding.
However, the moment they stepped off the train...
Yuna Kyung realized her expectations had been off.
Because the London at the end of their long journey was far more fantastical than she'd imagined.
[Whoaaa!]
Magic lanterns floated in the air in place of streetlights, pushing back the fog. One in ten passersby strode confidently down the streets in robes.
Taxis were replaced by flying carpets and horseless carriages zipping through skies and roads with passengers aboard. Marionettes danced in front of shops to draw in customers.
On one side of the street stood a monster shop displaying two-headed snakes and eagles with lions' bodies; across from it, a perfumery hawking love potions.
It was utter chaos.
Less a real city and more a scene from some abstract painting.
Gazing at London, Yuna Kyung marveled.
[I thought movies and news hyped it up too much, but London really is every bit the magic city!]
"... "
[Come to think of it, you've been to London before, right, Team Leader? Compared to back then... why do you look like your head hurts?]
"Why do you think? My head hurts."
Rimon lowered the hand he'd been pressing to his forehead.
He stared at the scenery that had awed Yuna Kyung and muttered in disbelief.
"What the hell is this madhouse?"
[What do you mean? It's London? The magical city with the world's most dungeons and magic-class Players?]
"Magic? What kind of magic? It's all just items, skills, and Players."
[So what? It might be different from the old days, but it's still just magic swapped out for skills and items, right?]
"...You don't seriously think London was always like this, do you?"
[Huh? No?]
"If London had been this nuts from the start, it wouldn't be called a magic city—it'd be a magic madhouse, you numbskull."
Having lived a long life, Rimon had seen plenty of sleepy villages turn into metropolises overnight or cultures shift dramatically.
Especially after the Iron Age dawned, he'd grown used to the world's rapid changes.
But London's transformation was enough to stun even him.
'What the fuck did these lunatics do to London?'
The once-serene city.
Now turned into some theme park knockoff. Rimon trembled with rage at the sight.
Of course, he knew the Magus Guild's arrival had changed London a lot.
Ninety percent of the world's magic-class Players flocking there, dubbing it the new magic capital—he'd heard it all.
But seeing is believing.
What he'd dismissed with a tongue-click in news and papers hit differently up close.
Especially since the media's portrayal captured maybe a tenth of the actual freakishness.
[Ah, Team Leader! Look over there. Dancing pastries on sale. Mind if I check it out real quick?]
As Rimon racked his brain, Yuna Kyung buzzed around excitedly on her own.
A cool voice came from behind.
"It's great you're excited, but I'd advise against wandering off alone, just in case."
[Huh? Why?]
"I've heard reports of abandoned pets going missing in London lately. Seems like other strays are eating them."
[Pfft, Wailing sis worries about the silliest things. As if I'd end up pet food...]
Yuna Kyung started to reply confidently but suddenly shut her beak.
Her eyes darted, spotting a man from the monster shop leashing a winged wolf. She gulped.
[...I'll stick close to Team Leader.]
"Glad you're being sensible."
The suited woman who'd tamed the hyper Yuna Kyung—a woman dressed in men's attire—asked Rimon quietly.
"Where to next, sir? We didn't book lodging as you said, but if you'd like rest, I can find a place now."
"... "
"Something wrong?"
"Nah, just thinking you've started acting like a proper attendant lately, you airhead."
"...I'm not acting like an attendant. I am one."
"Were you?"
"Yes. Though someone treats me like a machine that just handles work, stuck me in the office, and probably forgot."
"Sounds like you're working under some talent scout."
Rimon chuckled at the dark circles under Wailing's eyes, her resentment practically steaming off her.
Makes sense—she'd shouldered Guardian's duties in his place.
With nonstop chaos since its founding, days stacked with overtime on overtime. No wonder she harbored grudges.
"Anyway, skip the lodging. Guide me already."
"Want a tourist rundown?"
"Nah, not that crap. You know what I told you to look into."
"...The Hall of Magic?"
"Yeah. The Magic City's 27 lineages' hall is so well-hidden even you might struggle, but if you're doing your job right, you should've managed."
"In that case, you probably don't need my guidance."
"Huh? What're you on about?"
Rimon frowned in confusion.
Instead of answering, Wailing raised a hand and pointed one way.
The moment Rimon followed her finger, his face twisted in absurdity.
[Team Leader, didn't you say the Magic City's 27 Lineages Hall was hard to find?]
"...Yeah."
[Kinda stands out for something like that, doesn't it? Or is it just me?]
"Wish it was just me."
The grand clock tower looming right in front of London Station.
And plastered on it: a banner proclaiming, [Original Magic Hall Street—Carrying on the Traditions of the Magic City's 27 Lineages!]
Rimon thought to himself.
Where the hell had the magic city he knew vanished to in the last few decades?