Episode 148
EPISODE.74
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Several alarms popped up simultaneously.
Anger-.
Light green translucent windows filled Russell’s eyes in an instant.
Through his will, Russell turned off the windows and opened the subspace.
I recalled the information of the object I was looking for in my head.
‘Traces of the Earth Dragon.’
Right after that, something was caught in the grip of the subspace.
‘what?’
Just looking at the sensation felt in the hand, it is a round cylinder with a thickness that fits in one hand.
Besides, the length wasn’t too short either.
It was a completely different texture and shape from what I thought of as a ‘map’ like the objects that had revealed the traces of dragons so far.
‘This is rather a map…’
Isn’t it a shape close to a single peak?
With that thought in mind, I pulled my hand out, and something elongated followed that movement.
Sure enough, it was something in the shape of a single rod.
About three feet long.
Although it is described as a single rod, it is not at the level of strength that can be used as a weapon.
On the contrary, you have to worry that it will break if you wield it incorrectly because it has a pretty old appearance.
In addition, the outer surface of the single stick is engraved with patterns in the form of unknown projections.
‘hmm.’
Russell, who held them up to the light, sighed lightly.
‘I don’t think it’s text.’
I looked into it, wondering if it might be information about the location of the Earth Dragon, but it wasn’t.
‘So what?’
I twisted my head to the outside and put down the single stick, and it rolled several times on the desk.
Tak Degururr-.
‘—!!’
A thought passed quickly through Russell’s mind as he watched the single rod roll away.
‘Could this be a map?’
I didn’t know that some people would ask this.
Where is the map in the shape of a single peak in the world?
However, contrary to the thoughts of ordinary people, this type of map was not so boring.
Although Russell was not an expert in archeology, he had some knowledge as well.
I remember seeing this type of map in a book sometime.
‘Both angles.’
A map engraved using the embossing method, one of the techniques of printmaking.
The reason why it took the shape of a stick rather than a flat shape was mainly twofold.
The first was to hide the fact that this was a map from others, and the second was-.
‘If there is another purpose other than guidance.’
Thinking so, Russell opened the lid of the inkwell.
pong-.
It is not that difficult to extract a map from this, as long as it is known that this is a Yanggakdo.
‘First, apply ink to the surface of the single stick-.’
Roll it out on a clean piece of paper.
drooling-.
Then, black traces of ink are stamped along the engraved patterns, and a map begins to be completed.
‘uh?’
However, the shape of the map was a little unfamiliar.
Unlike general maps that show the topography and elevation, there were only a few dots on the paper.
‘This-.’
Somehow, the dotted appearance was quite familiar to the eye.
A few dots reflected in Russell’s eyes are connected through thin solid lines.
Russell, who soon recognized the identity of the map, murmured involuntarily.
“Is it an astronomical map?”
astronomical map.
Unlike general maps that record the topography as if looking down from the sky, this map was made by looking up at the sky from the ground.
As such, what is engraved there is not geography but astronomical texts.
that is, constellations.
As soon as the map was completed, a mission window popped up.
[Mission]
Go to the location marked on the astronomical map and enter the dwelling place of the Earth Dragon.
If you get close enough, the light will show you the way.
[Reward]
Horn of the Dragon King (Purification of the Earth).
Higher Manastone (Edible)x5 Lesser Manastone (Edible)x7
Perhaps because it is related to the Earth Dragon, the reward this time was the horn of the Dragon God King related to the earth.
Russell tilted his head as he checked the contents of the mission that popped up in front of him.
‘But why is it a relief astronomical chart?’
If it was simply telling the location, there would have been no problem even if it was an ordinary map like the Pompeo Volcano or the Kuril Islands.
‘Is there any reason to use a cylinder and an astronomical chart to represent it?’
Wiping off the ink on the relief cylinder, Russell looked at it and the astronomical chart alternately for a while.
I was just wondering if there was anything else to speculate on.
After a while, Russell shook his head.
I brushed off my obnoxious thoughts.
‘It’s not a question that can be answered just because I’m thinking about it now.’
It’s the answer anyway. You’ll find out when you go to the location on the map.
What I had to do from now on was to find out where the position on the astronomical map was, not to worry about unanswerable questions.
‘Anyway-.’
I thought I should go out and buy a astronomical map as soon as the sun rises.
.
.
Fortunately.
It didn’t take long to find the location on the astronomical chart.
Unlike general maps, where you have to compare the topography of each place in detail.
It was more convenient to specify the location on an astronomical map starting with a constellation that is the center of the
‘bird constellation…’ .
Just one thing.
If there is a problem, compared to the map that can accurately mark the location, the astronomical map is too wide and vague.
Same this time.
“-Is it in the middle of the Nadia Desert?”
The only thing I was able to find out through the astronomical map was that the location was in the center of the desert.
It was impossible to find out exactly where in the desert the Earth Dragon’s dwelling was.
‘Looking for a needle in the desert…’
On the contrary, when the location was specified as a desert, I understood to some extent why the location was left using the astronomical map.
‘In a place where the location and height of the sand dunes change every time the wind blows, it would be virtually impossible to leave a map of the exact location.’
That’s why adventurers and merchants also use the Astronomical Gate as a guidepost when crossing the vast desert.
‘Nadia Desert.’
Russell muttered the name again.
west side of the kingdom.
Unlike the Tacle Desert located on the border between the Empire and the Kingdom, Nadia is a desert located in the northern part of the Kingdom.
‘The area… was similar to that of the Tacle Desert.’
In ancient times, a fairly prosperous country existed there, but now the reality is that it is entirely covered with sand.
The only thing standing on the desert now were all kinds of monsters and merchants who traded with northern countries.
‘I think I heard that the Michelin Merchant Company also dug a trade route with them from a year ago.’
A report received as a shareholder with a stake of more than 10%.
Recalling the contents of the report, Russell lightly tapped the desk with his fingertips.
Tuk-tuk-.
‘It’s not a route that goes through the center, but I can still get some help.’
After a while, thinking about the travel route in the report and planning the schedule, Russell corrected his posture and sat down.
picked up a pen
A few months since I returned from my last outing. It’s been a long time since I felt like I had to fill out an application for an overseas study.
.
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Filling out an application form did not mean that anyone could start studying abroad right away.
First of all, the research application had to be reviewed by Daria, the master and the owner of the salt tower, and had to be approved.
This approval could be granted in one day at the earliest, but it could take more than ten days depending on the situation.
furthermore-.
Daria wasn’t the only person Russell had to ask permission for.
Guinevere palace.
Now known as the residence of Hecate, this place was famous for having one of the most beautiful gardens in the royal family.
Of course, the garden was not open to anyone, as it was the royal family’s wife and the residence of the first heir to the throne.
Two men and women were walking along the garden road of Guinevere Palace.
A woman with purple hair and eyes of the same color as him, and a man with black hair and red eyes.
It was Hecate and Russell.
thud thud-.
Some ladies-in-waiting and royal knights followed the two on a short distance.
“Hmm.”
Hecate, who was walking in sync, swept up and down Russell with meaningful eyes and asked.
“…if it’s not my misunderstanding, it seems like you’ve grown taller in the past few months.”
“You mean height?”
Hecate circled around Russell, who tilted his head, several times.
Then, after sweeping his body up and down several times, he nodded in a confident voice.
“okay. It seems that even during the ceremony, my gaze reached your neck, but now it only reaches your shoulders.”
Hecate, who was trying to shake hands, seemed to be very happy with that fact, and smiled brightly.
A smile so beautiful that it overshadowed the flowers along the garden path. At that laugh, Russell shrugged.
“Are you really happy that I’ve grown taller?”
“You are asking the obvious. dear Are there any women who do not like to see their partner’s appearance imposing? furthermore-.”
“…?”
“Oh, nothing.”
Seeing Russell looking down at him and tilting his head, Hecate let out a cough with a slightly reddened face.
‘How can I say out of shame that I’ve finally become the difference in physique between lovers that I wanted.’
Even so, Hecate has a fairly tall body among women.
‘That’s why I thought I’d have to wish for this height difference in my heart for the rest of my life-.’
It was the fulfillment of what she had longed for.
like that.
Like a lover, we want to talk in detail for a while. She was walking in step with Russell, but suddenly stopped.
“By the way…”
He blurted out his rhyme.
“I heard from Sir Daria that you applied for foreign travel research again. Is this true?”
Is it because you think that something has come?
As if a stone had fallen, a part of my heart felt heavy.
“yes.”
Russell nodded meekly.
It had only been a few months since I returned from my last outing study. But, I want to go abroad for research again.
It was also true that I felt apologetic because somehow I didn’t seem to be able to fulfill my role as a fiancé.
Was that kind of heart revealed?
Hecate reached out.
“My dear.”
“….”
“As I said before, I am not a narrow-minded woman who cannot even understand a man’s outside affairs.”
I ran my fingers lightly across Russell’s face.
“But despite that, the reason why I show such a narrow-minded appearance is because I worry about you.”
Saying so, Hecate requested.
“Therefore, I hope you will send me news periodically, even if you think about my feelings.”
“I will. Hecate.”
Unlike the Kuril Islands, which were far from the mainland, the destination of this outbound research is the Nadia Desert.
I don’t know if it was after entering the desert, but at least I was able to send enough contact until then.
‘Even after entering the desert, I’ll be able to send some contact through the upper section.’
There might be a time difference of a few days, but it was much better than completely cutting off contact.
“And if I personally have one more request-.”
Shortly thereafter, a coughing sound was heard.
“Isn’t it your face that I won’t see for a while. So…”
A little reddened face.
Hecate muttered in a crawling voice.
“Let’s have dinner and go home tonight.”
dragon-swallowed wizard
