Chapter 93: The Door to Summer
Chapter 93: The Door to Summer
Eugene needed money. It was the reason he couldn't leave the Wandering Castle idle in one place, and the reason he had to keep venturing out.
Even if he had amassed considerable wealth and North Fork was prosperous, maintaining his current military strength with just one village would eventually hit its limit.
'If you don't keep earning, money drains away in an instant.'
There were countless parts of the castle that needed repairs, cleaning, or restocking. All of it cost money.
-I swear my loyalty. You will never regret renewing the contract.
He had also renewed the contract with Rampage's Hammer Brotherhood hundred-man unit, which made him even more desperate for gold.
"It'll open soon."
The dwarf warrior working the lock spoke.
The stereotypical lockpicker was a lean human or beastkin thief.
But the true experts were dwarves. Locks were a branch of engineering and demanded fine manual dexterity.
Other races had to give up their sight by pressing an ear to the lock, but dwarves could precisely feel sound and vibration through their tactile hairs while they worked. No other race could match them.
Click!
At the sound of the lock releasing, Homi behind him aimed a silver arrow, and the mercenaries leveled their long spears, their silver plating worn away.
But inside the room, which resembled an abandoned house, there were no monsters, nor anything of use whatsoever.
"This one's a bust too."
"Damn."
Eugene sighed at the sight of the dwarf scratching his head as he spoke.
"With a castle this large and legendary, I had hoped for at least one treasure-filled storehouse."
"My thoughts exactly."
It seemed the Ancient Kingdom's last royal family had struggled just to finish the castle amid rebellion, with no resources left to fill it with gold, silver, and jewels.
Moreover, apart from a few places such as the audience chamber and the magic laboratory granted to Varda, most of the castle had borne the full brunt of the centuries.
"Though they must have been valuable items when first made."
The dwarf warrior picked up a rotting, broken piece of furniture lying nearby.
"If they weren't magical items or jewels, they couldn't have endured such a long span."
Strictly speaking, there were quite a few things, like the items in Varda's laboratory, that could fetch a great sum if sold.
But those were rare relics whose production ceased with the fall of the ancient kingdom.
-You absolutely must not sell them.
-Even if you need money right now, hold back.
-You must endure, Sir.
-...Did I really seem that blinded by greed?
Eugene looked uneasy as Varda, Marbas, and Haind all strongly insisted.
-You've been turning the whole castle upside down looking for treasure, haven't you?
At Marbas's remark, Eugene had nothing to say.
-In any case, I have no intention of selling them either, so rest assured.
In this age, a noble's authority was tied to owning treasures others did not have. Selling them for quick cash would be foolish in the long term.
"I heard the castle produces pearls."
One of the mercenaries asked.
During the search, they had found several water-purification devices in the aquaculture farm, along with the large quantities of pearls accumulated inside them.
"I've heard pearls are fairly expensive gems."
"I saw them myself, and they're not the kind worth much."
The mercenary beside him waved his hand dismissively.
"They're dull and misshapen. Just pebbles. Not every pearl is a gemstone."
"Is that so?"
The devices existed to purify water; the pearls were only a byproduct, so it was hardly surprising.
"So in the end, the most valuable thing we've found is salt?"
Salt survived the passage of time, monsters left it untouched, and it still fetched a decent price. The Wandering Castle held an enormous quantity of it.
"The ancient kingdom sometimes paid salaries in salt. I suspect they stockpiled it in large amounts like this as a substitute for currency."
The dwarf warrior spoke as he closed the door.
"You know quite a bit."
"All dwarves are enthusiasts of ancient architecture. You naturally pick up plenty of related knowledge along the way."
The dwarf warrior seemed to consider exploring this castle itself the greatest reward.
He couldn't stop grinning as he touched each stone and joint in the inner wall and examined them up close.
"This section is finished as well."
"Good work. Let's withdraw."
The lack of goods to sell off was regrettable, but the castle itself overflowed with the potential to draw in massive sums of gold coins.
It looked like a great ark; put another way, didn't that mean it could function as a merchant ship?
A colossal trade ship, the only one in this era capable of refrigeration and freezing, no less. The ways to earn money with this were endless.
Ahead of the teleportation, a meeting was held in the castle's audience chamber.
"Were the Black Hand Clan not staying here?"
"They cannot tidy up the affairs they've set in motion outside all at once."
High-ranking figures, including Alessa and the elders, had returned after being received as guests. Only a small number remained in the castle, including tribal merchants who would help with trade.
"What's more, until just a year ago, those within the tribe who believed the Wandering Castle was the cradle of prophecy were but a handful."
At Eugene's words, Varda nodded as well.
"Exceeding a majority in just one year is quite the feat, indeed."
"I'm told many members still distrust this castle and want to keep searching for the unknown city or land somewhere in the world."
"They will need time to be persuaded, then."
"It is entirely understandable."
The ancient ones, the original masters, were annihilated. The castle itself was a living mass of mystery. What it carried within were monsters from hell.
Given how strongly the tribespeople believed in superstition, it was not strange for them to fear boarding and entrusting their fate to the castle.
After all, the same sea could feel like a healing retreat to one person and a night sea full of unknown terrors to another.
"In any case, the castle is in such disrepair right now that accommodating everyone would be difficult anyway."
"So, where do you intend to go?"
"First, we need to sell off the salt."
Eugene pointed to a spot on the continental map spread across the table.
"Bonyard?"
"Ah!"
"It's been a long time."
In order, it was Varda, Homi, and the human mercenary captain. All three voices were filled with gladness.
It was a place close to their homeland, a city with many sights to see and a good place to live.
"It is far from the sea and has no salt mines nearby. Thanks to that, we can sell at a high price."
"And since your ties to it run deep, the dealings will be safe as well."
"Yes. It's a place where various trade goods come and go, so there will be plenty of goods to purchase in return."
The dwarf centurion Rampage raised his hand.
"May I offer a word?"
"What is it?"
His short, thick finger pointed to the mountains of eastern Roman, where a dwarf kingdom had formed an independent sphere of influence within Roman.
"If you are going to sell salt anyway, this place will offer the best price."
A location with even worse conditions for obtaining salt than Bonyard. Moreover, the dwarves here were engaged in mining and sweated profusely, so their salt intake was high.
"I have connections here. If I vouch for you, they won't dare lowball the price."
"I appreciate the advice, but I can't teleport the castle there right now."
"Was it not capable of going anywhere?"
Rampage knew that the Wandering Castle had leapt from northern Roman to the demon realm in the continent's southwest, then returned to the wasteland.
Considering that absurd route, the mountain ranges to the east wouldn't be a problem either.
"I must be able to clearly conjure the image of the destination in my mind. It's impossible if you only have a vague sense of which direction it lies."
"So there is a restriction like that."
Rampage was disappointed. He had wanted to be of some help to his employer, who had generously extended his contract, but the opportunity had vanished.
"To make proper use of this castle, we may have to take you on a trip around the world, Sir Knight."
"No. That would be too cumbersome."
Eugene shook his head at Rex, who had spoken with a smile.
"The one moving is the castle, not me. My image merely sets the direction. So I can hypothesize that visiting in person isn't strictly necessary."
"...Could it possibly be done through something like a painting?"
"You're quick. Chieftain Alessa plans to take skilled painters around the continent to paint its landscapes, as well as purchase paintings already on the market."
They weren't just ordinary landscapes; they planned to have them painted in a realist style, exactly as they were.
"Will it truly be possible with paintings?"
"Yes, Varda-nim. It will certainly work."
When he had conjured an image to move the castle, he had sensed other regions with similar landscapes intruding upon his mind's eye.
What if instead of brushing them aside, he accepted one of them?
'The castle would have descended upon that location, not the Demon Forest or the wasteland.'
Eugene knew it instinctively.
He hadn't tried it, but as someone bound to the castle as a second body, Eugene could be certain. A man knew his own body best.
In theory, random teleportation would also be possible by conjuring landscapes indiscriminately and seizing whichever image drew close to Eugene's mind.
That was something to learn gradually. For now, their destination was Bonyard.
"We'll depart soon. Halt all external activities and bring the troops inside."
"Understood."
Everyone paid their respects as he declared the meeting closed.
Apart from Varda and Homi, the rest all wore tense faces.
Some with the joy of returning to a longed-for place, some with anticipation for a new experience, some with fear of the magic.
A short while later, the captains, having completed the headcount, reported that all personnel were waiting inside the castle.
Eugene passed through the lord's exclusive corridor and entered the core. The castle's heart greeted him, thrumming as if delighted by its master's visit.
"Toward Bonyard."
Eugene gave form to the image in his memory.
The rings of the device, similar to an armillary sphere, rotated, and the small sphere within cracked open. An intense mystery and energy surged from inside it.
'Every time I see it, I'm reminded of a nuclear reactor.'
It evoked the image of radioactive material decaying and emitting vast energy and radiation.
Eugene's image was projected throughout the room, and several different forests flickered like phantoms.
After brushing aside several places that weren't Bonyard, he caught sight of a familiar landscape.
It was a place he had seen in the past, while leading Rex and his men to subjugate a band of thieves that had settled in the forest.
Eugene seized it.
Flash!
At that moment, a white flash filled the room and the Wandering Castle transformed into a colossal bolt of lightning and shot skyward.
A forest path a day's journey northwest of Bonyard.
A sudden gale tore across grassland where not a breeze had stirred.
The wild rabbit dashed headlong into its dug burrow, and the squirrel hid in a hole inside a tree. Dozens of sparrows took flight all at once and fled.
Although the Wandering Castle startled the surrounding animals whenever it appeared, it didn't always cause trouble.
All the dandelions in the area were able to send their seeds floating far and wide thanks to this descent.
Crackle!
As a massive bolt of white lightning struck down, the Wandering Castle revealed its form.
Countless dandelion seeds swirled around the castle as if in thanks before scattering far into the distance.
Boom.
The castle gate opened, and a green world greeting summer lay spread out before them.
Because of its location, summer arrived slightly earlier in the continent's southwest than elsewhere.
The mercenaries cried out in admiration. After two weeks of seeing nothing but barren brown earth, the sight of nature bursting with life felt cleansing.
"We really are in the south?"
"It was definitely a wasteland just moments ago."
Humans, dwarves, and dark elves alike chattered in excitement.
Everyone knew the castle could appear anywhere in the world. But hearing the words was different from experiencing it firsthand.
Everyone looked back at Eugene. Their eyes held both awe for the castle lord who wielded such power and a silent request for permission to go outside.
"You may go out."
As soon as Eugene gave permission, those in the hall immediately stepped outside the castle.
"People really ought to live in a place like this."
"Hoooh! Haaaah!"
Surrounded by refreshing nature, everyone looked delighted. One after another they sprawled on the grass and drew deep breaths.
"My bond with you began here, Sir Knight. It feels quite moving."
"Yes. There's a bit of a margin of error, but this time we've come to a far better location."
Directly below was Bonyard, Gord lay a short distance west, and following the highway north led to Roman.
It was a superb location compared to the wasteland across the river, which had been inconvenient in every way.
"We'll depart at once."
Eugene headed toward the city with the mercenaries who had followed him from Bonyard and the merchant assigned by the Black Hand Tribe.
"This is deeply moving."
"You said it. We look completely different from when we set out, don't we?"
The mercenaries looked back and forth between the city appearing in the distance and their own appearance.
Whenever they followed Eugene to victory, they received first pick of the spoils.
Their equipment, merely "decent for country mercenaries" when they left, had been upgraded to the level of respectable knights, and they now rode warhorses as well. They cut an imposing sight.
"You've all saved up quite a lot of money, I see?"
"It's thanks to serving with you, Sir Knight. The pay was good, and we could save it little by little without worrying about losing it."
The mercenary captain's words were met with nods from his men.
Mercenaries had a reputation for living only for today and squandering their earnings, but simple debauchery wasn't the only reason.
Their wandering, life-or-death existence meant they couldn't carry much wealth. Riches weighed them down and made them easier targets in battle.
Now that they had quarters in the Wandering Castle, things were different. They had a secure place to store their earnings, and seeing a future for themselves under Eugene made them curb their spending.
"That's a good attitude. Eventually I plan to establish a bank in the castle, along with an exchange where you can cash in spoils immediately. It's still only a plan, though."
"That's a truly excellent idea."
Mercenaries always craved loot, but hauling it around was also a headache.
"A warrior ought to be able to focus entirely on the fight, don't you think?"
Eugene didn't consider his castle as merely a convenient mobile base.
He also saw it as a key to avoiding the waste and corruption that were inevitable given the limitations of the era.
A little heaven where even the lowliest soldier could live while dreaming of the future.
To Eugene, that goal was more appealing than becoming a ruler who commanded vast territories.