Chapter 100

Chapter 100

100th Episode: Black Street Although Karaldin is known as a city of rough adventurers, that doesn’t mean those adventurers don’t enjoy a touch of elegance. Tea houses serving simple coffee and desserts were common enough to be found even in villages, let alone a city like Karaldin. The elderly man, with graying hair, took a sip of the coffee in his cup and spoke in a calm tone. “Well, this is unusual. I never thought the day would come when you’d call me first.” Mien Arsha responded to the old man’s words with a wry smile. “There’s a first time for everything. It’s not like we were never going to see each other until we were both in our graves, right?” “Hmph, I wouldn’t mind that at all. And just in case…” “I’m not going to ask you to apologize. I think I said the same thing last time…” “…To be precise, I said don’t even think about apologizing, because I won’t forgive you.” “Hmm, that’s right. Forget about that now. You’re not going to apologize anyway, and I’m not going to forgive you.” As Mien concluded, the old man nodded heavily. “Yes, that’s good enough.” He replied and then gulped down his coffee with a somewhat rough motion. The taste of the coffee spreading in his mouth was bitter. Despite the sugar, was the bitterness due to the drink itself, or was it because this meeting was unwelcome? The old man muttered in a grumbling tone. “Damn it, why coffee of all things? You have terrible taste. How can you even drink this?” It wasn’t about the taste. The Magic Society’s influence was deeply embedded in the background of this beverage called coffee. For necromancers who had bitter memories of them, this drink wouldn’t be viewed favorably. …Of course, the old man was the only one who thought so. “What does it matter? As long as it tastes good. If you hate the Society so much, why don’t you just go live in the mountains?” Mien shrugged and replied. The knowledge and technology of the Magic Society had permeated even the smallest aspects of daily life. If you wanted to escape their shadow, you’d have to go to the middle of a barren desert. But Mien didn’t particularly want to go that far. Seeing that, the old man sighed lightly. “You’ve certainly changed.” “Well, I’m not the same as before.” “That’s not what I mean. You’ve changed more than I thought. I heard you were caught by goblins recently. Did you hit your head or something?” “Let’s not talk about that. It’s not a pleasant memory.” As Mien stated firmly, the old man nodded obediently. He hadn’t come to this place for a petty emotional fight. For a while, the two of them drank their tea and picked at the cookies in silence. Although they had come to this place, the rift between them wasn’t shallow. For both of them, the other was a difficult person to open up to. It was Mien who broke the awkwardness first. “How’s your research going?” It was a common question among mages, but it had a slightly different meaning for them. The old man’s eyes widened as if he hadn’t expected Mien to ask that, but he soon gave a bitter smile and shook his head. “Always the same. Just when I think I’m one step away, I take a step forward and it’s even further away. And just when I think I’ve taken another step, it’s a dead end.” Hearing the old man’s words, Mien realized that his dream was still far off. That was how magic was. Using it wasn’t difficult, but creating it required eons of effort. The old man’s long-cherished wish was of that kind. To be more precise, it was a long-cherished wish that had failed even after eons of effort. A goal that many mages had attempted, but also failed. Creating a core that humans could use, known as the ‘Sage’s Heart,’ couldn’t be easy. “….” In the past, Mien thought it was nonsense. Not a single mage in recorded history had succeeded in it. Moreover, strictly speaking, the Sage’s Heart was only a desire for those who researched it, not a particularly tempting story for other mages. Humans use tools. Instead of claws, they use swords, and instead of strong scales and leather, they wear armor. If you want to use magic power, you can create a grimoire and use spellcraft. There was no reason to grow claws or cover your body with scales when there was a simple alternative: tools. Especially if it was known to be impossible. But now, she couldn’t simply dismiss it as impossible. She now knew someone who could do it. Lyla Freeman. Although it was a limited method, she absorbed the magic power of monsters into herself. Despite being a pure human, not a demon. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that it was the closest form to the Sage’s Heart that mages had so desperately wanted. The old man’s goal had a different form from what Lyla had achieved, but it might serve as a stepping stone along the way. That’s why Mien couldn’t be sure if her choice was right. If she wanted to remain ignorant, she could just not tell the old man about Lyla’s existence, but she was concerned about the Black Street’s reputation. The Black Street wasn’t a place where even Lyla could walk around safely. Besides, there was also another optimistic thought. Things don’t always have to go negatively. Even if the old man coveted Lyla’s knowledge, it wouldn’t necessarily turn out badly. The old man was also a member of the Necromancer school and an excellent mage. And the old man wasn’t a shameless person. If the knowledge Lyla possessed helped him achieve his long-cherished wish, he would try to pay Lyla for that knowledge. That would be even more desirable. Chimera magic seemed more suitable for Lyla than her own magic. The two of them kept their own worries to themselves and remained silent. After a while of silence, Mien quietly opened her mouth again. “…I recently took on a disciple.” “You? That’s unusual. I thought you were going to wander around and die alone.” “I can’t live like that forever. Anyway, that’s my business. I want you to take a look at my disciple.” Mien said, thinking of Lyla in her mind. To be precise, she wasn’t her disciple anymore, but she couldn’t just leave her alone. “That’s not difficult, but why are you asking me?” “I heard you have some influence in the Black Street.” “Heh, you acted like you’d never see me again, but you did your research thoroughly.” “Same goes for you. How did you know I was captured by goblins?” Mien retorted lightly, and the old man closed his mouth. He had nothing to say. He had been secretly investigating her as well. In the end, the two of them had been secretly watching each other while denying each other. Realizing that, the old man realized that Mien had forgiven him, contrary to her words. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have called him first like this. Even so, he wouldn’t reflect on and apologize for his past actions. You can only repent for a mistake when you recognize that it’s wrong. The old man didn’t think his actions were wrong. Of course, from a broader perspective, there might be some ethical issues. But the old man thought that the Society’s jealousy and petty nature were a bigger problem than his own mistakes. Anyway, since she had reached out first, he should take her hand as well. The old man thought so and opened his mouth in a serious tone. “…Is it about the underground plaza?” It wasn’t a difficult deduction. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have asked him for help first. His prediction was correct, and Mien nodded and continued. “Yes. It’s about the ‘Stage’.” At those words, the old man almost spat out the coffee he was drinking. “What, why is that name coming up?” The old man asked back in a flustered manner, then asked again, just in case. It was unlikely, but was she asking for help with… “…Is that disciple of yours a woman?” “Yes.” With that short affirmation, the suspicion became a certainty. The old man put down his cup and sighed deeply. “Damn it, how did you manage your disciple that she got sold there?” “She wasn’t sold, it just happened that way. She said she’d be coming in a few days, but I’m a little worried. If possible, keep an eye on her and bring her back if she’s in danger.” “….What?” Judging from her words, it sounded like she went there on her own, but that couldn’t be the case. No woman would go to the Stage on her own. Her disciple couldn’t be a noble, so she wouldn’t have joined such a members-only perverted club. If she really went there on her own, that disciple must have been crazy. Whether she was crazy about magic or crazy about sex. “I don’t know how much you know about that place, but the women who go to the Stage are largely divided into two types: showgirls or prostitutes. Surely your disciple doesn’t fall into either of those categories?” “….Yes, she’s probably the former.” Hearing Mien’s words, the old man gathered the information he had and concluded definitively. “That disciple of yours must be out of her mind.” “….” Since that wasn’t entirely wrong, Mien didn’t bother to argue. Instead of delving into this issue in detail, she decided to change the subject. “And there’s one more thing.” “Why are there so many?” “It’s only two.” “….Damn it, fine. What is it?” With the old man’s permission, Mien took something out of her arms. Wrapped in cloth, it had the shape of a long stick. “Please remove the tracking magic on this.” “….Is it a magic sword?” “Yes.” “What the hell are you doing…no, never mind, it’s not my place to say that now.” The old man took the stick Mien handed him and naturally put it in his arms. The sight of the long stick disappearing into his arms was somewhat bizarre, but Mien watched it with a familiar gaze. “Is that a subspace?” “Yes, it’s a Mimic’s pouch.” “Looks like you’ve been doing well. You even have something like that.” “Hmph, if you hadn’t wasted your time doing nothing, you would have surpassed me long ago. With that ability, how long are you going to live like that?” “Enough with the lectures. It’s my business how I live.” Mien chuckled and got up from her seat. She had said everything she needed to say, so there was no need to talk anymore. But the old man didn’t seem to think so. “Are you leaving already?” “I have things to do too.” “Going to see that damn brat?” “Strictly speaking, Yuri isn’t a brat. Even if you’re jealous of demons, it’s not good to be jealous of her age.” “Damn it, who said anything? If you’ve finished your business, hurry up and go.” Just a moment ago, he was asking if she was leaving already, and now he was telling her to hurry up and go. Mien slightly raised the corners of her lips at the old man’s personality, which hadn’t changed at all from when he was young. But she soon erased the smile from her face. No matter how much you miss the past, it’s already gone with the flow of time. Memories are beautiful because they are in the past. Trying to bring them back to the present will only add to the pain. That’s why Mien didn’t call the old man by his past name when she said goodbye. She didn’t call him ‘Senior Brother’ either. The years that had passed between them were too deep to go back to living as if nothing had happened. She called him by the name that symbolized the years she hadn’t spent with him. Just before turning around to leave, Mien whispered. “Then, take care until we meet again, Quirjev.”