Chapter 28
Chapter 28
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: Survival Arc (5)
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The entrance guard kept his eyes fixed on the table, speaking without moving his head.
"Place your palm on the black glass plate on the table."
There were two black glass plates on the table.
One on my side, and one in front of the entrance guard.
I placed my right hand on the black glass on my side, following his instructions. He peered at the one before him and spoke.
"Name: Aroin. Rank: Junior Blue Mage. Nationality: None. No special notes. Clean."
He lifted his head, gave me a quick once-over, and continued.
"But your mana registers at advanced level. We'll update the information. Anything else to add?"
He could sense mana levels. It made sense—they had to manage entry and screen for threats.
"Nothing."
"Then state your point of origin and purpose of visit."
'Point of origin'—asking where I came from?
"From Greenleaf Village. Purpose: arrange a carriage to the Empire."
"Confirmed. Updating your mana info with travel record and purpose."
As he finished, another guard who'd been waiting handed me a rectangular slip of paper.
"This visitor's pass is valid for one month from now. Stay longer, and you'll need to renew it. For long-term stays, pay 47,000 jenn for a yearly renewal."
I reached out and took the pass.
"Understood. Thank you."
"Welcome to Bellunia, Mage."
Mages clearly got different treatment. The guard who'd offered no bow to the village chief's son now inclined his head to me in greeting.
I returned the nod and approached the village chief's son, who was waiting nearby.
"Looks like the wagon's still under inspection."
"It's taking a bit. We're parting ways anyway—go on ahead."
I bowed to him.
"You've done so much for me since the village. Handle your business well and get back safely."
"You too, Mage. Best of luck with what you've set out to do."
With that, I turned toward the interior of the gate.
'The gate's wide enough for two lanes in each direction. How do they open and close it? Magic again?'
I shook my head to clear the idle thought and began scanning my surroundings while concealing my mana.
The gate passage ran deep.
It was the sort of width that made you wonder how they'd built the wall, but the purple mages who handled construction must have managed somehow.
A short walk through the dim passage, and the exit came into view.
Stepping out, the early evening streets grew a touch dimmer, and straight ahead loomed a massive clock tower in the distance.
"Ahh..."
The words slipped out unbidden.
Laughter echoing from passersby, the savory aroma of grilled meat wafting from street stalls, the lively bustle of feet hurrying home after a day's work.
It all stirred sensations of everyday life I'd long forgotten—scenes redolent of humanity itself, dredging up hazy memories from my past life.
I wanted to wander and soak it all in firsthand, but right now I was no better than a beggar without money or shelter. Earning cash had to come first.
Fearful, but one step at a time.
First, find someone to talk to.
"First time in Bellunia?"
...It wasn't me who'd spoken.
"It is."
A boy had addressed me.
"Saw you coming out of the gate passage. If you haven't booked lodging yet, I can recommend a cheap place. Ours is the best deal for just a bed."
'Do I look that broke? Well, fair enough.'
"Appreciate the offer, but I've got somewhere else to be. Could you point me to the request office?"
The boy didn't look disappointed. He was probably used to brush-offs like this.
"Sure. But if you change your mind, come by. 'Quick South Gate Inn,' inside that alley."
He pointed down the alley and went on.
"In the south gate district, the request office is right near the gate. See that beer mug sign on the left of the central avenue that says 'Pub'? The place marked 'Request Office' is right next to it on the right."
I followed his directions and spotted it right away.
Unlike the flashy neighboring signs, the request office had a plain one with just the name in simple letters.
"Thanks. I'll drop by if I get the chance, like you said."
The boy barely acknowledged me before darting off toward someone else emerging from the passage.
I started walking and reached the request office in no time.
'Pull'
'Please pull'
'Pull'
'Please just pull'
...Somehow felt like something from my past life.
Wasn't this place any different?
I pulled the door open as instructed and stepped inside.
Right away, passages branched left and right, each with a hanging sign overhead.
Left: 'Request Completion'. Right: 'Request Acceptance, Commissioning, Consultation'.
I took the right passage, which opened into a fairly spacious room.
Dozens of people inside turned to stare at me all at once—an impressive sight.
But their gazes lasted only a second or two before turning away.
'The mana concealment working? No unusual looks.'
Most were junior to mid-rank, gathering in small groups here and there with the occasional advanced-level one mixed in.
In front of them stood thin poles topped with black glass plates like kiosks, and people were tapping away after placing a hand on them.
'Plenty of empty ones... Ah, there's a counter.'
It had a help desk vibe. As I approached, a neat and tidy-looking staffer greeted me.
"How can I assist you?"
Her tone was remarkably friendly, putting even a first-timer like me at ease.
"First time here at the request office. Could you walk me through commissioning to completion?"
"Newcomer, got it. Head to the 'Request Info Board' over there first and register as a new mercenary. Once registered, use the same board to search and commission requests matching your mercenary rank. After finishing a job, go to the 'Request Completion' counter in the left passage at the entrance. Anything else?"
The request info board—those kiosks, then.
The more I saw, the more this world struck me as a pinnacle of technology achieved through magic in place of science. The mana ID concept from earlier fit right in.
A world of magic that lagged behind my past life in some ways and surpassed it in others.
Purple mages were probably behind it all.
"Any process for raising mercenary rank?"
"Keep completing requests to build up trust points, and your rank rises automatically. Starts at 6th-grade up to 1st."
Straightforward overall.
I'd follow the steps and ask if I got stuck.
"I'll give it a go. Thanks."
I turned, found an empty request info board, and placed my hand on the black screen.
'New Mercenary Registration, Request Search, Request Commission, Info Query'
Four menu options appeared. I selected 'New Mercenary Registration'.
The rest was straightforward: inputting info like a keyboard, followed by a mana scan to finalize.
The name field read 'Mercenary Name,' so I entered 'Gray'—my favorite color—instead of my real one. I left race, affiliation, combat specialty, rank, and all that blank.
The mana scan just linked it to my 'mercenary profile'—unrelated to my ID mana info.
'That it, then?'
To double-check, I hit 'Info Query'.
A prompt asked me to place my palm again. I did, and it displayed my registered info, 6th-grade rank, and empty commission and completion lists.
Next, 'Request Search'.
Palm prompt again. Screen shifted to a list of requests.
'Oh, sortable by category, keyword search too.'
Feeling another wave of admiration for purple mages, I browsed.
Only 6th- and 5th-grade requests showed—ones I could take.
'6th: East Gate Trade Unloading Work'
'6th: Markio Merchant Delivery Work'
'6th: Cafe Warm Morning Kitchen Assistant'
'6th: Monster Plainrunner Subjugation'
'5th: Monster Rabbitdog Subjugation'
An eclectic mix.
Just like Kiru had said back then—everything from manual labor to monster hunts.
Subjugations would build combat skills, but lodging money was the priority now. Or a request that provided room and board.
'Could head to the slums and pitch a tent, but that'd draw eyes... and expose me to crime.'
For now, search what I was best at.
'Keyword search: laundry, washing'
A few requests popped up.
'6th: Golden Carriage Luxury Inn Recruiting Laundry Experts'
'6th: Koronz Merchant Footmen & Maids Wanted'
'6th: South Gate Guard Daily Laundry Helper Wanted'
'...'
The Golden Carriage one wanted experts for at least three months.
Skipped Koronz without a glance. The third was perfect.
'Handle bulk laundry like training gear, combat uniforms, etc.'
'Paid per item'
'Available 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., daily shifts ok'
'Permanent listing; no trust points awarded'
'Completion and payout at requester site'
'Location: South Gate Wall Guard Admin Office'
Per-item pay and daily flexibility were the hooks.
I pulled the watch from inside my robe to check the time.
'6 p.m. Three hours to go.'
As a permanent listing, no commission button.
Just head straight there.
Stepping back from the board, the screen winked out like a logout. I headed for the exit.
On the way out, the door just said 'Push'.
Leaving the request office, I turned toward the south gate passage.
Glancing around, doors lined both sides. Just then, entrance guards emerged from the passage, heading for the right one.
'Quitting at 6? Or shift change. Guards must be left side.'
So close to the request office, I reached the left door quickly.
A small 'South Gate Guard' sign hung on it.
No point knocking—it'd just be another passage. I opened it and stepped in.
No sentry at the entrance, probably shift change.
But a foul stench assaulted me right away, wrinkling my nose.
'Ugh... men's sweat and that sour stink...'
Enduring the nose-stinging reek, I ventured down the passage. Soon a junction appeared, with several closed doors straight ahead.
I spotted the 'Admin Office' sign, knocked, and entered.
Desks and chairs lined the left, filing shelves the right.
In the center sat a lone figure in quilted armor, looking up at me.
"What can I do for you?"
"Here about the laundry helper request."
I eyed his mana and armor while answering.
'Not every soldier's a mana user, huh.'
Mana-wielding guards wore lighter gear, like the entrance ones. You could tell at a glance from the mana circulation anyway.
"Oh, perfect timing. I'll explain on the way. Now good?"
His face lit up enormously. What was with the reaction?
"Yes."
"Right this way."
He led me briskly through twisting passages to a door marked 'Laundry Room'.
Talking nonstop: 1,000 jenn per combat uniform, 500 for others.
'Jenn's the currency, got it. But no clue on actual value...'
Six washing machines lined the front wall. A massive shelf dominated the left. And on the right floor: a mountain of combat uniforms.
"These are thick—one at a time only, or the machines break. Careful."
'One each... Six machines, six per load. Two hours a cycle? This pile...'
Hundreds at least by eye.
Two or three hundred meant days of nonstop machine-running, sleepless. But with Dirt Clear, no issue.
He finished up by pointing to the shelf: stack clean, dry clothes there.
"Shift change soon for me. Do what you can, then grab anyone from admin for inspection."
With that, he vanished out the door.
Perfect.
Machines were slow; if I cleared too much too fast, magic suspicions would arise.
But the next shift wouldn't know my arrival time, so I could hide the magic use.
As long as I didn't overdo the volume.
Of course, getting caught using magic wouldn't spell immediate doom.
Still, hiding my abilities and staying low-key was the safest path for a long-ear half-blood like me.
'How many at once? Full mana pour and see.'
Room empty, I parted my robe, drew Privé, and cast.
Aim for fifty—not too greedy.
"Prompt to Magic Cast—Dirt Clear."
Swoosh—
Fifty percent mana spent?
A far more intense cyan glow poured from Privé than usual, flowing toward the laundry and enveloping it all.
Moments later, not just fifty—but every last item on the floor gleamed spotless.
8:30 p.m.
My steps were feather-light leaving the south gate guard post.
Minor issue of overdoing the laundry, but the relief guard was thrilled it was done—no questions on start time. Lucky.
'157 combat uniforms, 92 others: 249 total. 203,000 jenn earned.'
First money I'd made in this world.
No idea its worth, though.
But for the 'cheapest inn' that boy mentioned, it'd last a few days at least.
Next stop: the inn.
The 'Quick South Gate Inn' from the boy.
"Huh? You again, sir?"
He greeted me at the entrance.
"Got money. To the counter?"
He beamed and led me in. Paid the innkeeper 10,000 jenn for the night and headed to my room.
In the room after eight long days, I opened my pouch.
Ate the food from Greenleaf Village while surveying the space.
'Just a bed,' he'd said—and that was it.
10,000 jenn: fair price or city markup? No experience to judge.
But a proper setup would cost multiples more, easy.
'Part of learning the world the hard way.'
Thinking positive, I lay on the bed.
Hard as rock, no give—but first bed since leaving the Rock Forest.
It creaked as I settled in, and my muscles screamed in protest. Only then did I realize the day's constant tension.
'Tomorrow, check travel costs to Arcrom...'
Tried planning, but couldn't fight the drooping eyelids. Unfamiliar ceiling faded as deep sleep claimed me.