Episode 144
EPISODE.72
* * *
A soft mattress and a pillow just the right height for your neck. And even a warm blanket.
“Grunt…”
I made a sound of pain as I opened my eyes from the comfortable bed.
As I lay down, I looked outside and saw the morning sunlight filtering through the cracks under the curtains.
It must have been around morning when I fell asleep…
‘I guess I slept almost all day.’
Maybe it’s because I’ve been exhausting myself from not sleeping properly for the past few days.
The headache went away, but it’s also true that somehow I don’t want to get out of bed.
Nevertheless, Russell rose from his seat.
I got up, shaking off the laziness that was welling up in my heart.
He poured water into a teapot placed on one side of his room and made coffee.
According to Hubert, the brother-in-law, it is a special coffee produced in the western end of the continent.
Squeak-.
When I put it in a cup, a strong scent like dark chocolate spread all over the place.
I turned my body while feeling the acidity and the scent of various kinds of fruits passing by my tongue.
With a coffee cup in one hand, I glanced at a stack of papers that occupied a portion of the desk.
‘Um…’
Stacks of paper thick enough to reach two and a half inches in height.
On all those papers, theories and formulas, the essence of magic, were densely written.
All that remains now is to analyze, understand, and learn them. Even the minimum level of 6 circles was the originality magic of tower master level wizards.
It is not an amount that will end after suffering for at least a month or two.
‘At least the ship will be able to get a clue if it takes time.’
The amount of time it took to write it down took a whole day and a half…
‘Huh?’
Russell’s thoughts went no further. A day and a half just to transcribe.
‘And if I slept an extra day.’
three days.
Today was the day Daria and I promised to go into the royal palace’s Vigo.
.
.
After getting ready to go out.
Russell, who was about to enter the magic tower, was able to meet a welcome face at the entrance on the first floor.
“execution.”
It was Hubert.
Hubert, who was muttering something with a haggard expression at Russell’s call, turned his head.
I found him and rubbed my eyes.
“Ah, did you go to work? Priests.”
From the appearance that looked like it hadn’t been washed properly, to the robe that hadn’t been changed for several days.
‘Somehow he hasn’t come home for several days.’
It seemed that he had been eating and sleeping in the Mage Tower for several days.
Russell asked, noticing the sandwich in his hand.
“Are you on your way to buy a meal?”
“It’s because the research didn’t go well. For now, I have no choice but to eat something simple like this.”
In the end, he was saying that he would continue his research by reducing the time he had to eat. Russell laughed bitterly at his appearance, which was not much different from other wizards.
“Then the priest also intends to head straight to the lab?”
“no. I’m thinking of visiting Master. I have a prior appointment with Master today.”
“I see…”
I couldn’t take any more of Hubert’s time, who was immersed in research as well as talking while standing at the entrance forever.
So, the two brothers walked away while talking.
After the trivial yet everyday conversation, he climbs onto the floating seat.
Hubert went back to his lab, and Russell was heading to the top floor of the tower.
Woo woo ding-.
First, the floating stone stopped first on the floor where Hubert’s laboratory was located.
“Then I’ll see you at home. execution.”
“Okay. If the research is a little better, then let’s have dinner together.”
Subsequently, the floating stone carrying Russell, who was left alone, soared to the top floor of the tower.
Woo woo woo ding-.
“Master.”
“Come in.”
As I pretended to be there, a voice came from inside.
The door opened, revealing Daria Snowwhite. As usual, they are enjoying their sweet cocoa and cookies.
crisp crisp.
She met Russell’s eyes and said, counting the days.
“It’s been exactly three days.”
It is the human heart to want to rest for a day or two more after doing so much work.
It said at least three days later, so it didn’t have to be today. Nevertheless, like a knife, it came in just three days.
“Did you get a good rest?”
Russell nodded his head at the teacher who asked anxiously.
“of course. Master.”
To be precise, I only slept and rested all day out of three days, but there was almost no fatigue left.
“Hmm.”
After looking at Russell’s answer with a meaningful look, Daria shrugged.
“Maknae, it won’t matter if you think so yourself.”
He tossed the piece of cookie he was holding into his mouth and stood up.
“Isn’t there a saying in the East that you should take out even the horns of a cow in sweet seaweed?”
Putting on a coat-like robe, he giggled at Russell as if telling him to follow him.
“I have nothing to do, so let’s go right now.”
.
.
Contrary to what she said at the beginning, after leaving the tower, Daria headed for the outskirts of the royal capital.
‘I’m sure he said he was going to the royal palace…’
Russell asked, feeling puzzled by that action.
“If you want to go to Vigo, don’t you have to go inside the royal palace first?”
“Yes?”
Daria, who tilted her head at Russell’s question, clapped her hands as if she was sorry.
“Oh. this. I’m sorry. I’m the youngest. It’s too late for me to explain.”
He giggled and snapped his fingers as if he found his mistake very amusing.
Hwaaak-.
The wind blows around you. To be precise, the wind is not flowing in here.
‘Using magical power to block sound.’
If you do this, even if you have a conversation, there will be no way the people of the royal capital passing through the streets will overhear your words.
When the preparations were finished, Daria continued.
“If last time you went to the third treasure vault, the place you are going this time is the first treasure vault.”
Come to think of it, it seemed that I had vaguely heard the explanation that it was the 3rd treasure house at the time.
‘This time it’s the first treasure.’
“Is there any difference between the two treasure chests?”
In addition to the location or the type of treasure being kept, there are more great things stored with a 1 in front.
I asked with high expectations, but Daria shook her head.
“Only the type stored is different, but the quality of the items is generally the same.”
According to her explanation, most of the items in the first treasure room are accessories such as necklaces, rings, and earrings.
“Comparatively, the items stored in the 2nd treasury contain weapons such as swords and spears, as well as things to wear such as armor and robes.”
Even the explanation that miscellaneous things that do not belong to either are kept in the third treasure room I went to last time.
‘Trinkets…’
Daria explained, and Russell glanced at his chest and fingers.
He also had a few accessories that weren’t too bad.
‘Even the brooch and cloudy ring I received from Hecate.’
The Cloudy Ring, which increases the speed and power of lightning magic by summoning clouds, was one of Russell’s favorite artifacts in many ways.
In addition, the brooch I received from Hecate was also used in the Beast Tribe with Muyaho the day before.
‘I put them in the subspace, but should I consider the two golden masks as accessories too?’
If you think about it like that, you have a total of four ornaments.
‘If you add ornaments here…’
The best was to get the dragon-related items in their hands. However, if this is not the case, it must be assumed.
Russell made a mental list of trinkets he could use.
‘Since I have nine fingers left, I should be able to wear more rings-.’
You can also add any kind of jewelry you don’t already have, like a necklace or earrings.
‘I’ll have to make a decision once I’m inside, though.’
While thinking about that, the steps of the two of them had already veered off the royal road.
“You have arrived.”
About thirty minutes from that.
The place where Daria finally stopped was the western lake located not far from the royal capital.
A lake with an area comparable to that of a fairly small village.
Is it because I heard that people in the west of the capital also use this water as drinking water.
“Are you talking here?”
The important thing was that nothing was visible except the lake. When I turned around, all I could see was a wide field.
“of course.”
Daria giggled at Russell’s reaction. He then projected thick magic power toward the ground with his toes.
Whoa!
As the magic power spreads, it starts to draw a circle around the entire lake and digs!
At the same time, a huge magic circle covering the entire lake begins to appear.
‘It was created by tying dozens of hundreds of magic circles together… Is it a kind of encryption magic circle?’
Even a trap was hung that would rain hundreds of lightning bolts if the order of decryption was even slightly wrong.
Daria unlocked the codes one by one as if she was familiar with them.
Swish Swish-.
Every time you move your fingertips, magic whirlwinds. The small magic circles then disappeared one by one.
Along with that, the huge magic circle also gradually decreased in size.
“It took a little longer because it’s been a while.”
The moment when all magic is dispelled after saying that.
─!
──!
The ripples that started in the middle of the lake spread out in a circle.
──────!
Shortly after the third ripple finally reached the outskirts of the lake. It happened.
Quagwagwagwa-!
The calm lake began to roar loudly.
Then part of the water was pushed back, revealing a staircase leading down.
Not only that, but even the mud on the floor in contact with the stairs splits left and right backwards to create an entrance.
‘This is the reason why several complex magic circles were used as ciphertext.’
It was equipped with not one, but several defense facilities.
When I went inside and checked, the atmosphere was also quite different from the third treasure room.
Unlike the third treasure vault, which was dark enough to require the use of light magic, the ceiling of the first treasure vault was studded with the same kind of luminescent stones as those seen in the Underworld.
Besides, there wasn’t even a pile of gold coins.
Display stands stretched out like a chessboard.
All kinds of trinkets were placed on it.
“Maknae, you know it well, but I will warn you once again about old age.”
Daria warned Russell, who was taking a quick look at the trinkets.
“The reason I came here today is not the role of a teacher, but the role of a supervisor. There is only one thing you can take with you, just like the 6th basement floor of the museum.”
There is no need for advice to choose carefully.
Because I wasn’t too young and inexperienced to know that much.
“yes. Master.”
After answering the teacher, the moment I take a few steps between the shelves!
“-?!”
My heart sank. The head naturally went down.
The cloudy ring crackled and energized.
Pajik-.
dragon-swallowed wizard
