Chapter 51
Chapter 51
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 50
Chapter Title: Lord of the Forest
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Catarina left me breathless just by showing up.
The client for the request we'd just resolved, and the mother of Tony, Jony, and Rony.
Catarina de Strange.
Of all people, she had come looking for us.
“Berddin, it's been a while.”
I unwittingly bowed my head in response.
“Yes.”
A subtle tension flowed between us.
Sensing something off about her, Cynthia cautiously inserted herself between us.
“I'm sorry, but we said we don't meet clients.”
Catarina turned her head and stared her straight in the eye.
“And?”
“Pardon?”
“I heard from the master that you don't meet with clients. But is there any reason I can't come to this tavern?”
“No, that's not—”
“I only came to see the master and happened to overhear you were from the Revelator Guild, so I thought I'd say hello.”
As if.
Catarina never moved without purpose. She spent more than half her day researching at the guild.
“I wanted to offer additional compensation to the ones who fulfilled my long-held wish, the request I so desperately wanted to complete.”
The tavern master glanced around nervously.
He forced a smile, clearly uncomfortable, and tried to mediate.
“Y-yes, that's right. I should have told you all beforehand. I apologize for that.”
Cynthia turned away with a displeased expression.
Catarina smirked at her and tossed a bundle of universal keys onto the table.
Thud.
“Universal keys, one hundred of them. And I've included some purified orihalcon—high-grade weapon material useful for adventures.”
Alfredo and Yuda's eyes went wide. Cynthia was a bit surprised by the mention of orihalcon too, but she didn't look up.
“If you need more orihalcon, just let me know, and I'll get it for you.”
Rox opened the bundle to check the contents and replied.
“I've been to Strange Castle a few times, but I've never seen you there.”
“I wouldn't be there. I don't stay at Strange Castle.”
“Then?”
“I'm always at the Legion Alchemy Guild. I'm the owner, after all.”
If the continent's top alchemists heard that, they'd slap their foreheads in disbelief.
A mere mid-tier alchemist like Catarina owning the guild?
'So that's how it started.'
The Strange family's takeover of the alchemy guild.
I stood up and said to Catarina,
“Thank you, but we'll be going now.”
“We haven't seen each other in ages, and you're leaving already?”
“We're busy.”
“Busy?”
“Yes. We're climbing the tower with them today, so we need to hurry.”
“Not even time for a quick chat?”
“Sorry. We'll talk at length when there's a chance.”
Her eyebrow twitched.
Her mouth smiled, but her eyes glared sharply at me.
“Tony said he misses you.”
“Tony brother?”
“Yeah. Jony and Rony too.”
“Why?”
“You'll find out when you see them.”
A meaningful smile.
“Understood. I'll visit when I can—”
“Go to the academy within the week. I've already spoken to Father about it.”
“Father?”
“Yes. He said it might be good for you to see how things are going there and suggested a visit.”
Father would never say that. She must have proposed it, and he agreed.
“I'll head to the academy right after descending the tower.”
That ended the conversation.
Catarina left before us. Why had she come all this way? It couldn't just be to check on us.
I couldn't find the answer, but one thing was clear.
'Catarina's making her move.'
For her plan to make the three brothers kings.
Monestier de Strange.
Known as Baron Muncle, he had taken command of the Pierre Mercenary Corps and begun operations.
His unexpected appearance not only shocked the other mercenaries mentally but also restricted their movements, as they had gathered from various groups.
“Mix this powder into the finished high-grade potions and sell them.”
The owners of the Bourbon trading companies gathered before Muncle tilted their heads.
“Baron Muncle, adding foreign matter could alter the potion's color.”
“That would lower the product's value and force us to drop the price.”
“Sorry, but could you tell us what the powder is? We need to know why we're mixing it in and what it is to follow orders.”
The merchants spoke in unison.
Muncle calmly took out a high-grade potion and mixed in the white powder.
Bubble bubble rumble.
The potion bubbled and made noise upon contact with the powder, then quickly settled back to normal.
There was no change in color or visible impurities.
“The powder is ground orc nails. The reason is to exterminate our enemies. When mixed with the blue cannabis already in high-grade potions, it induces hallucinations.”
One merchant paled and waved his hands frantically.
“Baron Muncle! That's a state-prohibited method! If we do that, we'll all lose our heads!”
“That won't happen. We have Marquis Pierre behind us anyway, and no one else will find out.”
“But...”
“If it is discovered, only the offending company will be punished. And even that will be lightly handled through Marquis Pierre's influence.”
Muncle drank the high-grade potion laced with orc nail powder himself.
Gulp, gulp, gulp!
“Kaa! Tastes the same as ever. Well... such a small amount won't trigger hallucinations.”
The old marquis, Pierre's vassal, snatched the empty bottle and said,
“Get to the point and let's leave quickly. There are many eyes around here.”
“...Right, I've explained everything. From now on, mix the orc nail powder we've brought into the potions.”
Muncle pointed at each merchant one by one.
“Anyone who doesn't obey Marquis Pierre's orders later will die. Better to do as you're told.”
A one-sided declaration.
Some merchants murmured in disagreement, but silence fell when Muncle drew his sword.
“And one more warning.”
Muncle suddenly enveloped his body in aura. Moreover, he displayed a sword stance unlike any seen before.
He gripped his one-handed sword with both hands strongly, extended the blade far behind his back, then swung it widely.
Whoosh!
His strike aimed at empty space.
Krunch!
The sword tip pierced the belly of a gargoyle statue in the corner.
The hidden Kanggradra inside spilled blood from the unexpected blow and tumbled forward.
Thud.
“If you want to hear what I have to say, come out openly. Otherwise, you'll lose your life like this one.”
I returned to the forest with Cynthia's party.
Floors 11 through 20 were all similar woodlands.
The only difference was that as the floors climbed higher, the areas grew vastly larger, so even knowing the way took considerable time.
Over three days of repeated ascents, we fought the monsters we encountered and grew stronger.
'And.'
Rox had grown here at an unimaginable speed.
“Berddin, should I bring that one too?”
He turned forest monsters into marionettes until reaching his mana limit.
Even Hysteria de Strange had never exceeded two hundred marionettes with this Guardian Spirit.
“Yeah, all of them.”
Rox had already reached three hundred.
If asked who was stronger between the two, Hysteria without question.
But Rox's talent was extraordinarily beyond imagination. To surpass Hysteria's prowess with just a few years of training.
“Got it! I'll bring all the mantises here too.”
And so Rox subjugated various forest monsters: ants, butterflies, mantises, spiders, and more.
Not just him—Cynthia's party had made astonishing growth too.
Splat!
Having accumulated enough experience, Cynthia could now cast a higher-grade holy spell.
“Holy Chain.”
Clatter clatter.
Her aura transformed into white chains, binding the scarab.
Wham!
As she clenched her open palm into a fist.
Crunch.
The chains crushed the scarab's body.
“Cleanup done. Berddin, ready for the next route—”
A mantis emerged behind her in her moment of carelessness. I dashed forward and swung my drawn sword at Cynthia.
“Move and you die.”
Krunch!
The blade whistled past her face. Of course, my target wasn't Cynthia, but the mantis.
Cynthia slowly turned to look at the mantis behind her, then sighed in relief.
“That was dangerous.”
“Yeah, its saliva has poison, so it is.”
“Not the bug—your sword was the danger!”
“Why?”
“Why?! One slip and my head would've flown off!”
“No chance of that, so don't worry. No one in the Strange family handles a sword that poorly.”
True enough.
But Cynthia, displeased with my reaction, pouted.
“Fine, let's just grab the chest.”
She inserted a universal key into the chest hidden in the thick underbrush. With a click, a small hand mirror the size of her palm appeared.
“Five now. That's all?”
“Yeah, no point searching more.”
“What's it for?”
“You'll see soon enough.”
“...You always say that.”
Rox wiped his nose and glanced at Cynthia.
With all preparations complete, we arrived at the 20th floor, bearing the second trial.
A massive cliff, grand enough to feel imposing, blocked the entrance to the 20th floor.
Whoosh.
The waterfalls cascading down both sides created a cool breeze.
At the entrance, dozens of gargoyle statues stood in positions reminiscent of a chessboard.
“Hey, you lot challenging the trial?”
A knight from an adventurer group that had arrived before us called out.
Counting, there were about thirty of them—probably recruiting comrades after failing the trial.
“Yeah.”
“Join us? If we get a few more, we can head to the next floor.”
As expected.
“No thanks. I prefer moving with minimal numbers.”
He glanced at me and nodded.
“Got it.”
Negotiations failed.
We don't party with others.
The new world of the tower starting now would be too much for them.
I inserted the five hand mirrors I'd collected climbing the forest into the gargoyle statues.
Click click click.
Of course, not just anywhere.
Only in the positions learned from Deadlord's past recorded in the tower's upper levels.
Click.
The mirror facing the sun directly reflected the light.
Shiiiine—
The reflected light from one mirror hit another, bouncing five times until it shot into the cave depths.
Rumble rumble rumble!
The cliff split apart on both sides, forming a path. The ground shook violently as if collapsing.
Everyone but me stepped back in confusion, assuming combat stances.
'Finally, time to meet.'
The forest lord, Deadlord.
Whoosh!
The waterfall's flow shifted into the cleft cliff.
As vast waters poured in, a small island began to emerge within.
I pointed to the temple at the island's center and warned those at the cliff's edge.
“If you don't want to die, everyone run.”
Whoosh.
The unprepared would all perish.