Episode 41
EPISODE.21
After the window tower owner Hemingway Melville and his apprentice Alan Page return.
Daria reached out her hand as she finished explaining the significance of today’s meeting to Russell.
A corner of your own office.
I grabbed a handful of candies piled up on my desk and popped one into my mouth.
While replenishing sugar, he grunted in the direction the spear tower owner had left.
“joy. Just saying congratulations is enough to make things grow like this. It’s like a clogged up inspiration.”
Hearing Daria’s grunt, Russell raised his gaze.
He checked the contents of the mission window written in front of him once again.
[Mission]
Become equal to Alan Page within 7 years.
[Reward]
An artifact from the Age of Gods owned by the owner of the window tower.
Supreme Mana Stone (Edible) x1
‘7 years.’
It is Russell who knows the future.
That’s why I was well aware of how strong Alan would become after 7 years.
‘The mage of the 6th circle.’
Superman.
Or, the stage where the 7th circle, called the master, is just around the corner. Compared to Auror practitioners, it was at least an advanced level of Expert.
And Russell had already competed once with a strong man who had risen to the same level as him.
‘Of course, Vermilion didn’t do his best, but-.’
Even so, it was enough to get a glimpse of its strength.
‘I’ll have to work hard to catch up.’
Recalling the memories of that time, Russell made up his mind.
“Eh. Anyway, it’s an inspiration that I can’t relate to.”
Even then, Daria was in the midst of complaining about Hemingway.
Then Russell called her.
It was intended to change the topic and arouse the atmosphere, while at the same time asking one thing.
“Master.”
Daria turns her head at Russell’s call.
He bit the candy in his mouth as if asking why he called. ‘Yes?’ he asked.
“There is something I would like to ask you.”
“My youngest wants to ask me something. What could it be?”
With a light smile, Daria straightens her back.
“How do I get the collections stored in the Rubrium Museum?”
“Hmm. It’s from the collection of the Lubrium Museum…”
She made a meaningful expression for a moment.
Right after that, he stared into Russell’s eyes and spat out.
“It looks like our youngest has something he wants.”
A word that strikes the heart.
However, Russell was not taken aback. If you weren’t an idiot, you could have predicted that question would come up.
“yes.”
He spoke in a calm voice.
“I became interested in a collection called the heart of a dragon kept in a museum.”
“The dragon’s heart. It’s something in memory.”
Daria quietly closed her eyes, as if recalling something on display in a museum.
“But I have a question. Even the dragon’s heart is an object that does not contain even a single point of magic. Besides, I don’t even know what type of polyp’s heart it is.”
Why do you want it?
Daria asked that question in her eyes, and Russell brought out the answer he had prepared in advance.
“It’s just a personal interest.”
“Personal interests?”
lie.
Thinking so, Daria smiled lightly.
Just like it was in Maldiva the day before.
It wasn’t hard for her to see that Russell was hiding something.
Nevertheless, the reason for not asking why was the same as before.
“It is said to be a museum, but in fact, the owner of the object is the royal family. There is only one way to get the things the royal family owns… except for a few exceptional cases.”
“You mean making the ball stand.”
“I know you well.”
“hmm.”
Russell sighed lightly.
A situation that does not deviate from expectations.
However, in this case, it is a problem because the expectation was not right.
‘-Because I don’t know how much work I have to do to get the royal collection as a reward.’
It would have been better if there were clear criteria.
Disappointed, Russell licked his lips, and Daria giggled as if she had read his thoughts.
“I am the youngest. I don’t know why you want it, but if you really want it, it’s not that there isn’t a way.”
He gave off a subtle demeanor.
“Is that really it? Master?”
At Russell’s question, Daria shows an elated expression.
“I think I said it before, but who do you think your teacher is?”
He spread his fingers in front of Russell’s nose.
“four.”
That number is exactly four.
“If you solve four of my tasks, then I will directly ask His Majesty to get you what you want.”
Russell closed his mouth like a clam at the completely unexpected proposal.
Is that possible without giving special credit to the royal family?
Silence mixed with such questions. Then Daria muttered as if it didn’t matter.
“It’s about the size of a withered polyp’s heart. It’s insignificant compared to what I’ve done so far.”
surely.
Not because she was her teacher, but Daria had the right to say that.
‘One of the kingdom’s strongest forces.’
A super strong person who is reluctant to deal with not only wizards, but also quite a few master-level Aura practitioners.
A powerful person who can destroy at least one weak country alone. Because that was Daria’s true skill.
“thank you. Master.”
Russell smiled brightly and lowered his head. Somehow it seemed to be able to see the road.
[Mission]
Suggestion of a pyrotechnic tower.
Solve Daria Snowwhite’s 4 tasks.
[Reward]
One of the items from Vigo in the Royal Palace.
(Limited to items within Daria Snowwhite’s authority).
Intermediate Manastone x1
As if I had been waiting, the mission window popped up.
“Thanks, I haven’t even given the first task yet. Stop drinking in vain.”
After waving her hand once, Daria put down a file in front of Russell.
“Now then, while the story came out. Let’s start with the first task.”
“This…”
It was an order for a certain mission.
What is written on the surface is the risk of the mission.
‘The risk level is 4-medium.’
The missions of the Mage Tower are divided into seven stages depending on the level of danger, and if you are in level 4 among them…
‘It’s a job that can endanger a few small country estates or something similar.’
In fact, it could be said that it was the highest level of missions that a normal 4-circle wizard could do.
‘What kind of mission is it?’
Sarak-.
That’s how I turned the first page and checked the contents of the mission.
‘Report on the pursuit of a cultist.’
An attack by cultists on a mountain road between Walkerhill City and the royal capital, and the dispatch of an investigation team to investigate the case.
After that, it catches the eye that the contents until the tracking are written in detail.
Along with that, I remembered the images of those who were taken hostage by them at the time.
Not only that, but also the appearances of those whose souls were harassed after being killed by him.
‘after.’
Naturally, Russell’s face hardened coldly.
‘The conditions for completing the mission will be dealt with after the chase.’
If possible, it’s better to capture them alive, but if it’s impossible, it’s okay to kill them.
“Would you like to try?”
Russell answered Daria’s question without the slightest hesitation.
“yes.”
Because it was natural for the person who contracted it to solve it. furthermore.
‘It doesn’t suit my temper to just get over it.’
Not to mention, they are the filthy and despicable cultists.
As soon as I made up my mind, a green window appeared.
[Mission]
Track down and capture (or kill) cultists.
[Reward]
Intermediate Magic Stone x1
This was the third mission I received today.
* * *
A few days after that.
Arriving at his scheduled destination, Russell muttered as he brushed the dust off his robe.
“Clean.”
I raised my head while shaking off the sand and dust that had accumulated over the past three days across the desert area.
And I stared at the small city spread out in front of me.
‘The outlying city of Sudra.’
It was the name of a city that arose adjacent to one of the oases in the Takl Desert.
As the prefix suggests, it was also a city literally outside the borders of Endymion.
I’ve heard of it before, but this is the first time I’ve been there.
‘Is it called a lawless city otherwise?’
It wasn’t just the sudra.
In fact, most of the cities that sprung up in the Takl Desert had the character of lawless cities to some extent.
‘It has to be.’
Because the Takle Desert is a neutral area with as many as five countries bordering on it.
Those five countries included not only Endymion, to which Russell belonged, but also the Empire, which could be said to be the main enemy.
And the reason those countries placed the Takl Desert as a neutral area was simple.
‘Because it’s much cheaper to send out scouting troops and figure out the dynamics of each country rather than conquering and managing them.’
Russell moved slowly, recalling the information he had heard at some point.
The city of Endymion, the closest to Sudra, is about three days away.
Maybe it’s because the city is located almost in the middle of the desert.
Every time I took a step, the heat rushed up through my toes.
Russell moved his hand in the heat that rose in an instant.
He brought his palm to his chest.
‘Chilling.’
You can feel the chill that started in the palm of your hand and spread through your body through your chest.
Realizing that it was easier to breathe, Russell let out a long breath.
“after.”
I thought that the temperature had risen a lot, probably because the entrance was clearly out of the way.
‘No, rather, it should be steamed.’
The cycle of using chilling magic was getting shorter and shorter.
Nevertheless, Russell’s reason for visiting Shudra was clear.
‘The cultist he’s been tracking went into the desert using this sudra-.’
After that, I decided to meet the Mage Tower’s informant here, who has data on his movement route.
The place to meet was one of the pubs located in the tavern Yellow Wyvern Sudra.
It is disguised as an ordinary pub, but its identity is one of the intelligence agencies jointly operated by the Mage Tower.
You will have to go there to meet the informant.
It took a while to come inside the sudra and move on.
Russell murmured inwardly as he watched the people walking through the city.
‘They said it was a lawless city, for sure.’
In other words, neutral territory meant that the laws of any of the five countries did not apply.
That’s why most of the cities located in the Tacle Desert are called lawless cities.
Every time I moved my eyes, each side of them was deeply embedded in my eyes.
Pretty nasty impressions all of them.
The number of people wearing weapons also seemed ten times higher than in other cities.
Of course, not all of them are outlaws or criminals.
‘There must be a lot of mercenaries mixed in as well.’
Sudra is a lawless city at the same time.
It was also a place where merchants and merchants who wanted to trade across the desert stayed.
No matter how big the outlaws are, they won’t fight against a large guild or a large number of mercenaries.
However, I couldn’t let go of the tension.
‘No matter how many merchants come and go, there must be a reason why Sudra is called a lawless city.’
It was like that even now.
He is just wandering the streets without incident, but he feels eyes watching him from all over the place.
Are the mercenaries hired by the merchants vigilant in preparation for an unforeseen situation?
Think about that for a while.
Suddenly, Russell shook his head.
‘It’s not that kind of gaze.’
A little more secret yet sticky gaze, like a thief or robber.
Russell laughed.
‘Well, if a young person is walking alone in a place like this, no matter who sees it, she’ll look easy.’
There was no need to quarrel.
The guys were just looking at themselves.
Haven’t you done anything or harmed me yet?
He had work to do before that.
‘Rather than that, where’s the pub?’
As I was walking in search of a pub, I took a slight turn and entered the alleyway.
chuck.
A group of people came out.
As if to block the escape route, he blocked Russell in front and behind.
“Hey there. Can we talk for a minute?”
All of them had yellow teeth and knife marks on their copper-colored bodies.
Each of them had different appearances, but they had many similarities.
Among them, the most impressive one is…
‘and skinheads.’
He had bald, copper-colored hair that glistened in the desert sun.
dragon-swallowed wizard
