Chapter 166: The Knights’ Spring (1)

The weather was cold, just like any other day.

“…I guess the fairy got angry again today.”

Staring at the swirling snowstorm, the child’s body shivered. But, as always, he clasped his hands together, begging for forgiveness in the direction of the blizzard.

“Fairy, please forgive us.”

It had been three years since he uttered those words of apology; he had been saying it every day without fail. He didn’t know whether the fairy listened to his words or not, yet he still begged for their mercy anyway.

“I want to see the sunlight…”

According to the adults, there used to be this thing called ‘sunlight’. Back then, the sky was blue without dark clouds and they could breathe freely without a mask.

However, that was something the child never experienced. Ever since he was born, the sky had always been this gloomy, while the ground was covered with pure white snow.

The adults told him that this was all because of the anger of the fairy, and that was why they often hurled their curses at ‘the higher-ups’.

We did nothing wrong, why are they being so cruel?

But, instead of sympathizing with those adults, the child would leave the village at this time every day, fold his hands, and make a wish.

And also, beg for forgiveness.

His mom and dad once told him: If he did something wrong, he should apologize, so he did that, every single day, on behalf of the so-called higher-ups.

And as he kept apologizing like this…

Wouldn’t the sunlight return someday?

The child started to dream…

Maybe one day, he’d get to see the clear blue sky.

The villagers would be able to get their food through farming instead of going on dangerous hunts.

And his younger sister would grow up seeing the sunlight.

Then…

“Maybe, they would be able to live warmly like the people living in the ‘Colony’…”

The child asked for forgiveness so that they could experience such a future. Hoping that the fairy would no longer hate them.

“Eren, what are you doing over there?”

“Ah, Mom!”

“Come here quickly! You’re gonna catch a cold!”

“Yes!”

The child answered his mother’s call before placing a pretty pebble—probably his little treasure—on the ground.

That was his gift to the fairy.

Whoosh-!

The Central Continent was always covered by snowstorms.

However, the place wasn’t like this originally.

Once upon a time, the imperial family and the Magic Tower joined forces to capture and exploit the fairies. That caused the winter fairies to bring everlasting winter to the Central Continent, and it had been that way for a decade.

Because of that, at some point, the Central Continent became a cursed land where farming became impossible, and the angry people and territory rulers each declared themselves to be vassals and warlords.

However, ironically, their anger was limited to the empire. Even though the Magic Tower was known to be the ones who have led the experiment, they didn’t earn the people’s ire.

Why? Because the people weren’t foolish.

After all…

“This is the giant greenhouse of the Magic Tower.”

“It really envelops the entire city?”

“Amazing.”

The Magic Tower had created something called greenhouses. It was a magic field that enveloped the entire city and looked like a vinyl greenhouse. However, unlike normal greenhouses, its scale was so large that it enveloped the entire city.

It was so magnificent that one would just naturally be in awe of it before they realized it.

Outside of the city, the everlasting winter still raged on, but inside, a warm spring breeze enveloped the place. These greenhouse-type cities were now all over the place in the Central Continent.

Indeed, although the Magic Tower made a mistake, they made amends and were forgiven for it.

The amends were the giant greenhouse, ‘City House’.

Also known as the [Colony].

The existence of the Colony made people of the empire see the Magic Tower as a ‘group that caused accidents, but tried to solve them’, as well as a necessary evil that was important for their survival.

Of course, not all people of the empire lived in the Colony. Some people still detested the mages and voluntarily chose to live outside the Colony. Naturally, those people couldn’t enjoy the privileges that the Colony provided.

Regardless, for those who did, the Magic Tower’s status was absolute. In their eyes, they were like the Temple; an organization that they couldn’t live without.

Whoosh-!

The moment a group of people entered the Colony, a warm air surrounded them. They were merchants and travelers who had just braved the blizzard before they got here. All of them took off their thick coats the moment they could.

“Phew, finally, I can live again.”

“I really thought I was going to freeze to death.”

“Let’s move the stuff first.”

With how thick the blizzard was, most merchants mainly dealt with food. No matter which Colony they went to, food was always in short supply. This particular merchant was a new merchant who came from the Western Continent. Being able to sell his food at a high price, he felt relieved, feeling that enduring the harsh blizzard was worthwhile.

That his hard work was worth something.

He figured that he’d try to have some mental relief after finishing his work.

“Now that I think about it, I haven’t seen the Magic Tower yet. My seniors said that if you just pass by the road, you can see it, but where…?”

The merchant’s mumbling was like a soliloquy, but there were those who didn’t miss that.

“Is this your first time in the Central Continent, Sir Merchant?”

“…And you are?”

“Hehe, I’m just someone who wants to make some pocket money.”

“Oh, a Street Urchin, huh?”

Street Urchin. A derogatory term for abandoned children who were living on the streets. This one in particular probably got his money by selling information.

Considering that most Street Urchins earn their money by stealing, this one could be said as admirable than the most, but seeing him trying to earn pocket money in a place crowded with adults like this also made the merchant feel a little sad.

The merchant, whose pockets had become slightly fatter from this trip, threw a silver coin to the kid so that he could satisfy his curiosity and do a good deed.

“Yes, this is my first time in the Central Continent. Tell me what you know.”

“T-Thank you, Sir.”

The power of one silver coin was enough to make the kid’s mouth light.

“What exactly are you curious about, Sir? Do you want to know the strongest warlord in the Central Continent? The most powerful feudal lord or viceroys? Or maybe, the Magic Tower?”

“…I’m curious about all of them, but I’m most curious about the Magic Tower.”

The ivory tower of mages who was also the largest force in the Central Continent. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that its influence was equivalent to half of the empire. As a merchant who decided to operate in this continent, it was a place that he could not help but be concerned about.

The items of trade change depending on what the Magic Tower focuses on.

Even a novice like him knew that the Magic Tower was one of the best trading partners for merchants. After all, they were so rich that they wouldn’t even attempt to undercut the price of the goods they were buying.

…But since entering the empire, the merchant had never seen even a single mage, let alone the Magic Tower.

It made him wonder why the Magic Tower was so lowkey despite its great fame.

Just where is it?

He had visited so many Colonies throughout his travels, but he had never seen anything that remotely resembled a tower.

Maybe it’s located in the empire’s capital?

“Hahaha, I think I can guess what you’re thinking, Sir. You’re wondering why the unmissable landmark of the Central Continent, the Magic Tower, isn’t anywhere in sight. I bet you haven’t seen a mage either, have you?”

“…You’re quite perceptive.”

“Hehehe, thank you. Ahem, before I give you the answer, what do you think the Magic Tower looks like, Sir?”

“Hmm?”

The merchant blinked at the unexpected question.

It’s called the Magic Tower, of course it should look like a tower. What else would it look like?

“Do you think it actually looks like a tower?”

“I-It’s not?”

“Hmm, you came to the Central Continent without knowing anything, huh, Sir? If you just asked someone, you would have known…”

“D-Do you think I don’t know because I didn’t want to? Those mean guys didn’t tell me the answer, saying that I would know when I got here.”

“Ah, that makes sense.”

“Ahem!”

This situation was a little embarrassing. A merchant, who should be sensitive to information, didn’t know the common sense of the area he was operating in?

However, the quick-witted boy didn’t point out that embarrassing part.

The money he received was one thing, but he knew very well that it wasn’t good to make his customer feel uncomfortable for no reason.

“…Well, those mean people aren’t wrong. If you’re in the Central Continent, you will see the Magic Tower. Or at least, have the chance to.”

“Hmm?”

“Your timing is good, Sir. You’re quite lucky.”

“What are you…?”

“Look up.”

“…Up?”

The merchant looked up as instructed, even though he didn’t know why the boy was asking him to do that.

And then…

“Heuk!”

Soon, the merchant gasped in shock. It was understandable, after all the sight that he was seeing was just that unrealistic.

[Goooooo…!]

─A huge object, no, a whole castle, was flying in the sky.

The Castle in the Sky.

It was infinitely huge, and was definitely an unrealistic sight.

How could a castle that big be able to fly in the sky?

As if answering that question of his…

“They say that hundreds of mages live inside the Magic Tower. Those mages use their telekinesis as fuel to make the Tower float into the air in real time. Thanks to that, the Magic Tower flies in the sky all year long.”

“A-All year long?”

“Yes. Of course they sometimes land to replenish food or supplies, but the landing location is random.”

“Huh…”

Now the merchant knew why only a few merchants made a contract with the Magic Tower.

It must not be easy to make a contract since they move around so much.

However…

“But why? Is there a reason why they made such a big castle float?”

“Hmm, according to rumors, there are countless artifacts inside the Magic Tower, so they did all that to protect those artifacts. No one could reach a floating tower, after all.”

“I can understand that reasoning…”

“Other rumors said that they have plenty of research that could only be done in the sky, since doing them on the ground would be too dangerous.”

“…Now that one is just straight up terrifying.”

Although his doubts were not completely resolved, the merchant threw in another silver coin, as he was somewhat convinced by the boy’s words.

“Huh? T-This is too much… .”

“You’re quite good at talking, and you know how to make conversation interesting. You should try to be a bard, you have the talent for it, hahaha!”

“…Thank you for your kind words, Sir!”

“Go on and good luck, little one.”

With that, the merchant nodded, as if his curiosity had been sated.

And…

“The next trip has been decided!”

His chest was ablaze with dreams and aspirations.

It was none other than…

“…Another fool is going to try and go to the Magic Tower, tsk tsk.”

The innocent expression the kid had until just now disappeared, replaced by a cynical sneer. He then clicked his tongue as he put the silver coin in his pocket.

Such guys were all over the place. The kind of people who thought that everything would go well just because things went smoothly on their first trip. They didn’t know that it was just beginner’s luck that got them so far, and that the tree they were trying to climb wasn’t even climbable to begin with.

Not everything could be solved with sheer passion. Or else, people wouldn’t have difficulties living in this world.

Seriously…

“Young people… They’re so naive…”

Though it might seem inappropriate for such a young boy to say such words, at least the boy had experienced the hardships of life more than the novice merchant had ever experienced.

He walked away from that merchant, but he wasn’t about to go home. Instead, he was trying to look for another fool who was dreaming nonsense.

But, at that moment…

Flinch-!

The boy stopped in his tracks.

“…”

He had no choice.

While he had only lived for 12 years, he spent these 12 years on the streets. Thanks to that, his crisis detection skills were way ahead of anyone else. And that crisis detection skill was ringing alarm bells in his head; cold sweat started pouring from all over his body.

“…Isn’t this enough?”

“Look at this guy.”

In the back alley, two men who looked extremely dangerous were aiming an axe and a spear at each other, both exuding a fierce aura.

“Gulp…”

The boy swallowed dry saliva and backed away. He just knew that he should never mess with these guys no matter what.

Crack-!

“…This gnoll-like luck–!”

It was as if his luck had run out. As he was backing away, he accidentally stepped on a tree branch. His expression quickly turned gloomy.

And then…

“What? You got any business with us?”

“…”

…The boy fainted, just like that.

“Why did this shrimp faint?”

“It’s because your face is too scary, you lout.”

“…I really want to deny that, but for some reason, I can’t…”

Lee Han laid the child down carefully, moving him in a comfortable place. Though the kid just fainted on him out of nowhere like that, he didn’t want the kid to get hurt unnecessarily.

After making sure that the kid is safe, he…

“…Well, the situation got a little weird, but let’s try again.”

“Tch, you arrogant guy.”

“If you don’t like it, then don’t come. I can go alone.”

“…”

The Spear Guy frowned, showing a look of discontent, but right now, he was the ‘the one who needs favor’, so he couldn’t help it…

Whoosh-!

He thrusted the spear without holding back.

Bang-!

“…Hmm, not bad.”

“…”

Even though the spearhead aimed precisely at Lee Han’s forehead, the spear didn’t hurt his forehead at all.

…Instead, all that happened was the sound of iron hitting iron echoed through the alley.