An Unexpected Visit (1)
I quietly looked down at the corpse of Barba, the Human Butcher.
Dark, crimson blood was still pouring from the neck of the giant frame sprawled on the ground.
Watching the scene in silence, I let out a weary sigh.
Sigh...
Honestly, it was absurd.
I had expected him to swing his dual axes at least once. I had approached him fully prepared to use Ultimate Auto-parrying.
But not only did he do absolutely nothing as I walked right up to his nose, he just stood there cackling even as my sword swung toward him?
...Even if you have the power of immortality, Barba, how could you act like such an idiot? What a waste.
Of course, it wasn't that I couldn't understand his behavior at all.
He probably wanted to toy with me. He wanted to show me he could resurrect perfectly fine after taking a direct hit, playing with his food before finally killing me.
He had the complacent mindset that no matter how strong his opponent was, he would be fine because he couldn't die.
But what a shame for him.
I knew you'd do that, you bastard, so I brought your perfect counter.
Immortal Slayer
The target's 'Immortality' has been neutralized.
The only ability capable of countering the undead.
It was the very first skill I sought to acquire when leaving the dark city of Dawnguard.
Looking back, obtaining this skill so early was an excellent choice.
To survive in this world, one had to minimize variables as much as possible.
And in Lost Elder, there was no variable more troublesome than the 'undead'.
At the very least, now that I had this skill in my hands, it meant I would never have to rack my brain over immortal pests again.
“That man is...”
Adelia, who had approached my side just in time, hesitated.
Confronted with the corpse of Barba the Human Butcher, she furrowed her brow and muttered.
“...Barba the Human Butcher?”
As expected, Adelia recognized him at a single glance.
Well, come to think of it, the whole reason she started tailing me in the first place was after witnessing my battle with Barba.
Hearing Adelia's murmur, the bystanders began to stir, their voices thick with shock.
“What? Barba the Human Butcher?”
“Are they talking about the champion of the underground arena?”
“Now that you mention it, I think that guy used dual axes too...”
The guards began to chatter noisily among themselves.
Say what you want, but the underground arena was the largest gambling den and colosseum on the continent.
It made sense that the people of Vertas, which was geographically close to Dawnguard, would have heard the rumors at least once.
Amidst the surrounding commotion, Adelia muttered in a low voice.
“But how could he...”
“My lady.”
It was at that moment that Sikan Bauer suddenly intervened.
With a cold expression, he questioned her in a tone akin to lecturing a child.
“Don't tell me that after running away from home, you went to a place as dangerous as the underground arena?”
“Huh?”
Adelia's eyes shook violently.
“N-No...! That, that is...!”
Please help me, Lord Gaon!
Seeing Adelia staring at me with desperate eyes, I spoke up to defend her.
I explained that she had only visited the underground arena because of me, and that we had no choice but to stop by because of a revelation I had to resolve in the dark city of Dawnguard.
“Hmm...”
Hearing my explanation, Sikan Bauer let out a sigh with a conflicted expression and nodded.
He seemed willing to let it slide for now. Adelia inwardly breathed a massive sigh of relief.
“Then I will handle the cleanup. You two should go inside and rest.”
Sikan Bauer took it upon himself to resolve the commotion caused by Barba the Human Butcher.
Adelia and I did not refuse and prepared to return to the inn immediately.
Grab.
...Just then, Sikan Bauer suddenly stopped me.
He spoke in an incredibly grave voice.
“Lord Gaon.”
“...”
“Could you perhaps explain this situation to me in detail later?”
Sikan's question carried a heavy weight.
The sudden emergence of a new undead. And the absurd reality that a creature capable of endless resurrection had died from a single strike of mine.
It clearly required a lot of explanation.
After a moment of thought, I nodded and replied calmly.
“I will explain when the time comes.”
...But for now, I just wanted to rest.
Wow, I am seriously exhausted.
I desperately needed rest.
It was only natural, considering I had been running ragged ever since we set off for Labyrinth Village.
No matter how much my stats had increased thanks to the Earth Dragon's Heart, there was no physical cure for accumulated mental fatigue.
There was only one way to resolve this...
...A deep, long sleep.
Knock, knock.
Had I slept for about two days?
As I was resting, holed up in my room, someone knocked on the door.
When I opened it, an employee from Hakun Durdamel's merchant group was standing there.
“The Master wishes to see you for a moment.”
“Lead the way.”
I headed to the Durdamel Golden Merchant Group alone.
Upon arriving at the drawing room, I saw Hakun Durdamel sitting on the sofa, sipping warm tea.
His expression as he stared blankly into space seemed somewhat out of it.
“...Ah, young master. You've arrived.”
Greeting me, Hakun Durdamel quickly offered a bow.
A heavy silence fell for a moment. After parting his lips several times, he finally spoke.
“Something was definitely strange.”
Clack.
The fingertips of Hakun Durdamel as he set down his teacup were trembling slightly.
He wiped his face with his hands and let out a deep sigh.
“The employees who went to retrieve our goods haven't returned for a week. Even at their slowest, they should have been back in three days...”
Back when they were attacked by the Heavenly Dragon Bird, Hakun Durdamel had abandoned the transported goods on the Silk Road.
As soon as he arrived in Vertas, he had ordered his employees to retrieve them.
There should be some goods left on the path to Dawnguard. Form a team and retrieve them immediately.
But...
“I should have realized something was wrong when they didn't return after all that time. I was so distracted by Edmon Brickwood's tyranny that I couldn't handle it properly.”
...It seemed a tragedy had befallen those employees.
“When we went to check yesterday, they were all dead.”
“...”
“There were marks from a massive axe all over the carriages and the corpses.”
It was undoubtedly the work of Barba the Human Butcher.
Hakun Durdamel seemed to have grasped the situation as well.
Not knowing what to say, I kept my mouth shut.
With a sigh, Hakun shook his head, brushing away his dark thoughts.
“Whew... I apologize. I ended up bringing up such a gloomy topic without realizing it. I didn't call you here just to complain.”
“...”
“I suppose I've been lacking energy lately because of all the bizarre events happening one after another. Anyway...”
Hakun Durdamel got to the point.
“The Adventurers' Guild has contacted you, Lord Gaon.”
“...The Adventurers' Guild?”
“Yes. To be precise, it's from the client who posted the Earth Dragon subjugation quest. I heard the remaining balance hasn't been settled yet.”
Ah, right.
H-Here is the advance payment... The remaining balance will be settled after we contact the client.
Come to think of it, I hadn't received the rest of the payment yet.
I had completely forgotten about it while focusing on other things.
In the first place, the only reason I took the quest was to obtain the Earth Dragon's Heart.
Since I wasn't strapped for cash, I hadn't paid much attention to the remaining balance.
By the way, if it's the client of the Earth Dragon subjugation quest...
...Is it finally time to meet those guys?
As I was thinking that, Hakun Durdamel continued.
“Coincidentally, the Wintersield Magic Academy has sent an envoy. They mentioned they would like to discuss a few other matters as well.”
Wintersield.
One of the “four great cities” located southwest of Midtemple.
The 'Magic Academy' situated in the heart of the city was the premier magical institution, boasting a long tradition and history.
As research in various fields was conducted there, Wintersield Academy was home to countless mages and researchers.
The Earth Dragon subjugation request in Labyrinth Village was also part of their research.
Wintersield is also the starting zone for mage characters.
While swordsman characters opened their eyes in the underground arena of the dark city of Dawnguard, mage characters began the game as slaves of the Wintersield Magic Academy.
Well, even so, the story of the player dying remained the same.
Even there, during the tutorial stage, you would encounter a boss monster that was systematically impossible to kill.
Anyway.
Contacting Wintersield was essential for the next step of my plan.
Having finished my thoughts, I asked Hakun Durdamel.
“When can I meet the client?”
“Right now, if you wish. They are waiting in my office.”
Hakun Durdamel studied my expression and asked, “Shall I bring them in immediately?”
“Yes.”
Before being my exclusive broker, Hakun Durdamel was the head of the Eastern Merchants' Coalition of Vertas.
Although it was only a temporary position, it was the coalition leader's role to coordinate large-scale transactions.
Especially since the opponent was someone representing the Wintersield Magic Academy.
For such an important meeting, it was only natural for the coalition leader of Vertas to personally arrange it.
Creak.
Before long, a mage entered the drawing room.
He looked to be in his early twenties.
He was a silver-haired young man who gave off a neat and tidy impression.
Behind his round glasses, his eyes shimmered with a violet hue.
“Hello, Mr. Gaon.”
The young man offered a bright smile as he greeted me.
“I am Isaac Berylof, a teaching assistant at the Wintersield Magic Academy.”
Isaac Berylof.
He was someone you ran into often at Wintersield Academy, but he wasn't a particularly important figure.
Fitting his title as a teaching assistant, he was essentially an errand boy who handled the chores of major NPCs.
...Well, at least until my early playthroughs, I had thought that was all he was.
“Oh, this sofa is quite comfortable.”
Isaac Berylof sat down opposite me with a genial smile.
“By the way...”
After staring at me intently for a moment, he asked politely.
“...Would it be possible for us to speak in private, Mr. Gaon?”
I nodded.
Sensing the mood, Hakun Durdamel tactfully excused himself.
Only the two of us remained in the room.
Isaac Berylof glanced around once, then lightly snapped his fingers.
Soon, a faint barrier began to envelop the room.
“It's a Silence Veil. Our conversation won't leak outside.”
His previously gentle voice sank low.
The genial smile had long since vanished from his face.
Anyone would find this strange by now.
After all, there was no reason for an academy teaching assistant, who had merely come to settle the remaining balance of a subjugation quest, to request a private audience and go out of his way to cast a Silence Veil.
But he has a very good reason to do so.
Because...
“I was sent by Master Karayan of the Ruins Merchant Group.”
Isaac Berylof.
He was a spy planted by the Ruins Merchant Group inside the Wintersield Magic Academy.