New Usage Method (2)
“The God of Magic, Lord Sadalla?” the guild master mused. “I’ve never heard of him. He must hail from some distant land.”
“That’s correct,” I replied. “He resides in a very faraway place.”
The glass artisan had provided several different calligraphy samples. Since the system couldn’t recognize the letters, I simply chose the most plausible-looking one. I ordered fifty bottles for top-grade potions at two silver each, and another fifty each for high-grade and mid-grade at one silver apiece. The plan was to earn money through potions here for the time being before heading to the capital. I had also signed a contract to create a language primer, which meant I would need to learn the local script in this city of scholarship.
“You’re looking for a tutor to teach letters?” Sezanne asked, puzzled. “If it’s for Yanne, I can teach her myself.”
“The one who needs to learn isn’t Yanne. It’s me.”
Sezanne stared at me, clearly confused, until realization dawned on her. “Ah, I see. The Arean Continent must use an entirely different writing system. Understood. In that case, let’s have Yanne learn alongside you.”
After spending several days with Yanne, Sezanne had grown quite attached to her. She fussed over the girl like an older sister.
“That works for me,” I said.
“Perfect. To be honest, I’ve been feeling useless just eating your food without contributing anything. I was hoping to find something to do.”
Heh. This girl needs to eat more and put on some weight before she’ll be any use for real work.
“Besides, I’m confident when it comes to teaching letters. I’ve taught plenty of my younger cousins and nephews.”
Sezanne still looked thin and unsteady on her feet as she went to tell Yanne the good news about learning to read and write. I decided I would need to feed her snacks during lessons to help her gain some weight. Once she had a proper task, her mood visibly improved. She bought paper and pens, then enthusiastically borrowed textbooks from the Magic Tower to use for instruction.
“They say that when Chief God Dias created the world and gave birth to the lesser gods, he invented letters in order to name his children. That is how our writing system came to be.”
When the Chief God Dias shaped the world and sired his divine children, he crafted letters so that he might bestow names upon them.
Thus was born the script we use today, a sacred gift from the dawn of creation.
The book Sezanne had borrowed from the Magic Tower was a tome on the creation myths of the Entrick Continent. As a result, learning the letters naturally led to studying the mythic age and history of the continent itself.
Though the shapes of the characters were different, it was a phonetic system like the alphabet—letters combining to form words. The way it was used was remarkably similar to English.
“My goodness, you’re learning this quickly? These irregular shifts are usually the hardest part. To grasp them in a single try… you’re the most talented student I’ve ever taught.”
Sezanne’s endless praise made me rather proud. In truth, the reason I could learn so fast was that this writing system was phonetic and shared many irregularities with English, right down to the mismatch between spelling and pronunciation.
“As expected of Master. I don’t seem to be cut out for this,” Yanne said with a sigh.
She struggled with the irregular grammar. Given the age difference and disparity in prior learning, it couldn’t be helped. On top of that, the moment I logged out I would review everything by rewriting my notes, which let me absorb the material far faster.
Equipment customization revision for Patrick completed. Projected soul transfer loss rate: 0.06%.
Yasuke Yamashiki was satisfied. He had cut the transfer loss rate nearly in half in just one week. Orchan’s orc transfer had carried a 0.3% loss, while the other testers hovered around 0.1%. Bringing it down to 0.06% was the best he could have hoped for.
“Is Patrick ready?” Elon Busker asked.
On the monitor he watched, several people could be seen preparing to connect from what appeared to be an American family home. Patrick’s personal file was displayed beside the feed. He was a brainy gamer who had majored in algorithms at Princeton. After Orchan’s incident, they had needed to select new tester gamers quickly, so the file noted he had been chosen from among the company’s new hires.
“Commencing connection.”
No one spoke while Patrick entered the capsule and created his character. Everyone simply stared at the monitors. Roughly two hours later, when Patrick emerged after finishing his stat allocation and character setup, his expression was bright.
“My class is Strategist. Total stats come to 54.”
“Have you confirmed the race?”
“Yes. It’s Human.”
Only then did everyone relax.
“It seems the Polynesian genetic factors from Orchan’s bloodline caused some kind of change.”
“Let’s hope there are no more anomalies. Team Leader Yamashiki, prepare the customization process so we can begin immediately once the twelfth tester is selected.”
“The twelfth will be the last, correct? Due to the limit on divine authority?”
“Numerically it’s the last, but if anyone drops out and a slot opens, we’ll fill it.”
“Then when will the official announcement be made? The number of resignations is increasing. There’s a risk the secret could leak.”
“…That remains to be seen. We may keep it secret forever. We made them sign strict NDAs upon resignation, so they won’t speak easily.”
Elon Busker, relieved that the transfer had succeeded normally, maneuvered his electric wheelchair away while his mind continued to race. The project had been conducted in secrecy for nearly two years. Resignations and job changes were inevitable, and he had to assume the secret might leak through those channels. He was already preparing countermeasures. Depending on how things developed, some level of disclosure might become necessary.
Tester Patrick was a new hire who had joined Changing Group’s game AI team. Though he had never become a pro gamer, he had won several amateur gaming tournaments and was one of the most promising AI algorithm developers. That was why Changing had recruited him.
When his superior later suggested he participate as a tester, he had applied immediately. On the day he first connected to the game capsule for testing, he had sensed something strange about the atmosphere around him.
A new employee is connecting for a test, and even the CEO is watching?
Patrick instinctively felt that this game held something special. Believing that Changing was finally committing real resources to the gaming sector, he wanted to produce results as a tester.
So, starting the very next day, he began analyzing the capsule’s connection timer algorithm after each logout. Before long, Patrick had figured out how to manipulate the timer at will. The company logs showed him connecting for the normal eight-hour limit, but in reality he was bypassing their oversight and staying logged in far longer.
In an MMORPG with no cash shop, play time is the real pay-to-win. The longer you play, the stronger you become. They called it a private server, but limiting people to eight hours a day is just wasting resources.
Patrick wanted to deliver results impressive enough to catch the attention of the higher-ups.
The thirty or so monks who had been praying in reverence to the God of Balance, Tablon, suddenly shuddered in unison. They opened their eyes and recorded the descent of the evil god that had caused their bodies to react. That record was promptly delivered to Cardinal Etuan.
LOCATION:Hayden, Capital of the Splain Empire
ANOMALY:New evil god trace detected
FREQUENCY:Daily persistent traces — identical to early-stage descents
RECOMMENDATION:Observe. Do not eliminate.
Traces suggest the entity may be one of the original arrivals from another world. Observation recommended to gather intelligence on summoning methods and puppet behavior.
“A new evil god’s trace has been detected in Hayden, the capital of the Splain Empire.”
“Another new trace. They seem to have increased suddenly lately.”
“Yes. Moreover, this trace does not fade. It appears daily.”
“It leaves traces every day? That matches the evil gods who descended during the early period. Send half of the holy warriors and monks who were heading toward the Akran Mountains to Hayden instead.”
“Understood. We will track the evil god’s trace and eliminate the puppet.”
“Ah, wait. We may need to change our strategy this time.”
Cardinal Etuan had come up with a good idea upon hearing that traces were being left daily.
“If the traces of the puppets this evil god is summoning from another world continue every day, this one may be the same as the earliest arrivals.”
“Then what shall we do?”
“If we locate the puppet by following the trace, do not kill it. Observe instead.”
“Ah, you wish to observe the puppet to learn how the evil god summons them from another world?”
“Correct. Until now we have simply killed the puppets that rampaged on instinct. We have far too little information about them. Through this puppet, we will track the evil god and gather data.”
“A wise decision, Your Eminence.”
“Hmm? It says mage, yet you are a priest?”
Herio, guild master of the Booktoria Mercenary Guild, asked after looking at the potion bottle the mage named Jinwoo had presented. The bottle was clearly labeled God of Magic, Sadalla.
“Because I serve the God of Magic, I am both a mage and a priest. That is why I can only use healing magic and cannot cast offensive spells.”
“I see.”
In truth, Herio had conducted his own investigation after Jinwoo’s previous visit. Records confirmed he was a mage from the Arean Continent who could not use attack magic. He had also spoken with the mercenaries who had fought alongside him against the Chameleon Tiger. The man did not use offensive magic, nor did he display the eccentric or unpleasant personality common among solitary mages. Since Herio had never been to the Arean Continent himself, he could not verify whether a God of Magic named Sadalla truly existed. Still, forgotten ancient gods were said to possess all sorts of extraordinary abilities, so it was plausible that a priest serving such a deity could also be a mage.
As long as he hasn’t committed any crimes within the guild’s jurisdiction, there’s no need to dig into his past to confirm whether he’s a mage or a priest.
What mattered to Herio right now was not whether Jinwoo was a mage or a priest, but whether he could reliably supply potions.
“I can bring two top-grade recovery potions and four high-grade and four mid-grade potions each week.”
“Then the purchase price would be…”
“I want ten gold for top-grade, four gold and ten silver for high-grade, and two gold and five silver for mid-grade. If you intend to buy for less, I will have no choice but to take them to the Merchants’ Guild.”
Herio pondered the straightforward demand for a moment, then nodded and accepted the price. He could still turn a profit on the mid- and high-grade potions, and now he would be able to stock top-grade recovery potions that he had previously been unable to sell due to lack of supply. There were plenty of additional benefits to be had.
“I will settle the payment immediately. I will personally handle the purchase every Tuesday.”
“Good. Also, I have one request. I would like you to help me find a suitable house.”
Asking a mercenary guild to find housing seemed odd at first glance, but before modern real estate agencies existed, guilds had commonly handled such matters.
“Are you looking for something near the city center? Ah, how many people will be living there?”
“Only three people, but since I will be researching herbs, I need a large front yard or adjacent land where I can farm. There should also be a stable, and it would be best if water is easy to access.”
He explained the various conditions to Herio, including the need for a stable for the horse and dog, and convenient access to water.
“In that case, it would be better to look outside the city center, toward the outskirts. I will contact you if a suitable property appears.”
“A farmhouse matching your conditions has come up. It’s two hours by horse. Would you like to go see it?”
Two hours by horse placed it on the very edge of Booktoria. He had been about to refuse, reluctant to lose the conveniences of the bustling city, but the guild employee showed him a map and explained.
“Farmhouses that produce goods consumed in Booktoria line the highway leading to the capital, Daiven. As trade between Daiven and Booktoria increases, this area will benefit as well. Its future value is certain to rise.”
The fact that it lay on the highway to the capital caught his interest. The distance from Booktoria to the capital of Daiven was only two days by fast horse.
Even if I’m told to raise my mercenary rank in the capital, it seems I could do that while staying here instead.
Living in the suburbs while working in the city wasn’t exactly disobeying orders. Since he had spent all his time in the inn learning letters and making potions, he wanted to get some fresh air.
“I’ll bring my companions. Let’s go take a look.”