episode_0047

“I didn’t notice it when I saw it from afar..”

“There’s nothing to say about this.”

just as expected. Moreover, the appearance of this floating island that could be seen up close…

It was as if I was actually seeing “Laputa” from a fairy tale. Even though the more I looked at it, the more I couldn’t believe it, I just stared at the grand yet dreamlike scene.

There was no need to check whether this was real or false. Because it was meaningless to me anymore.

“Really.. I can’t believe it when I see it.”

Like the huge tree with green leaves, the symbol that represented {Dirrin Village}. This huge floating island that I see now is making me realize that it is vaster than the limited things I know, as if it were denying the common sense and knowledge about this world so far.

“It’s not a dream, right?”

So, I use the {Check Information} ability to check what that gigantic magic stone floating in the floating sky is, shining like another small sun.

[Ancient Dragon’s Magic Stone]

In the distant past… it is one of the [Primitive Elder Dragons] who participated in the war to protect the human world, which was their nest, and has used up all its power, leaving only the magic stone behind.

The ancient dragon’s magic stone is called [Oryong Stone], and not only is it the ultimate form that maintains a perfect state that cannot be processed, but it also naturally circulates and recovers magic power.

Thanks to this, it is considered one of the few rare treasures in the world.

Unique Effect – Has the power to attract surroundings with a certain force.

＇To hold such a large magic stone… how big is the ancient dragon?＇

When I imagine the size of an actual ancient dragon and compare it to the [Ancient Dragon Stone] floating in the distance… I guess it is at least 20 times larger than that size.

I decided to stop imagining these creepy things and look around from afar to find a place where I could enter that place.

***

＇It’s a human voice.＇

As we moved to a place that felt popular, we found a place where people were lining up to enter and exit the high floating island.

＇Is this the entrance to the floating island?＇

＇Do I have to wait in line over there?＇

＂Come on, take a look.~ It’s cheap. It’s cheap.~＂

I began to feel mentally reassured by the quite noisy atmosphere, as if various merchants had settled in around the area.

‘I’m sure… I’ll be able to find a way to return home there…’

＂Please prepare the entrance fee and ID card in advance!＂

＂Merchants, adventurers, mercenaries, and hunters can move quickly by showing their {Association} badge.!＂

It was hard to hide the emotions that were filling me with the friendly sounds of people I hadn’t seen in a long time, but I tried to pull myself together again.

‘It’s still too early to let down your guard..’

‘Let’s not relax until we get back home.’

Just like what Sonya’s group did the other day, you should not carelessly trust strangers, so you needed to be careful.

So, after coming to my senses again, I pulled up a thick layer of clothing to cover my face as much as possible, let out my long black hair, and began to disguise myself as a woman.

‘After all, it would be easy for a woman to move alone, right?’

Turf.. plod.. plod..

I naturally joined the line to go up to the floating island, and only after waiting for a long time was I able to greet the guard guarding the entrance.

“Is this your first time here?”

A very cocky attitude that can be felt in the way he speaks.

A woman who appeared to be a guard looked me up and down for a moment, then clicked her tongue and spoke in a low voice.

“Hey hey. It’s not like a bitch like you without an invitation or ID can just enter… this place!”

“Did you understand?”

Just by looking at it, I could immediately tell that it was discrimination based on social status, and I was able to immediately recognize that I should avoid dating a guard like this. Because there was no benefit in continuing the conversation.

‘Well, these people are obvious..’

A person who immediately tries to put others down if they think their status is high based on what they see.

This is the type of person I have met countless times in my past lives.

And it was also the type I knew best.

So, I take out the last [Tagfog] magic stone in my bag, get closer, and sneak it into her pocket. And I look at her intently.

“Hey, hey.. If it had been like this in the beginning, we wouldn’t have had to blush..”

just as expected. The female guard, who recognized the magic stone of [Tagpog] at once, began to look happy as if it had never happened before, but soon changed into a completely different person and tried to offer herself as a guide.

“hey! “I’m a valuable guest here.”

I don’t mind her favor and follow her.

‘As expected, the places where people live are all the same..’

Guided by a female guard, you board a vehicle that looks like a cable car that merchants, adventurers, hunters, and mercenaries can travel on.

Shake.. Shake..

It felt like a cable car made of wooden planks was fixed to a line that was firmly fixed from the ground to the floating island.

just as expected. At the center of it was a magic stone called [Fragment of Goryon Stone], which was a means of transportation that allowed this vehicle to automatically float in the sky.

＇Isn’t the [Goryong Stone]…simply floating?＇

At the moment when I was so curious… I checked the [titanium] ore covering the [Fragment of the Gorilla Stone] and was able to immediately understand the principle.

[A piece of wyvern stone] that has the property of floating in the sky, and [Titanium] ore that suppresses that property.

＇Is that really the case?＇

As my curiosity was resolved, a female guard approached me and spoke to me.

＂Are you also a hunter? If so, this must be your first time here, right?”

“hmm..”

Rattling.. rattling..

The female guard who was checking the [Tagpog] magic stone I gave her as an offering began to speak in a satisfied tone.

“I also received something, so let me give you some advice.”

“That black hair… hide it if possible.”

I answer her words with silence and just stare straight ahead.

“Well, it’s none of my business. Originally, I was planning on dragging you away and handing you over to the {Association} to receive a reward, but…”

“Isn’t good something good?”

＂I will buy it on my own~＂

The female guard, who had already received the [Tagfog] magic stone, just grinned as if she was happy.

“It’s not a lie?”

“I heard that these days, whenever nobles see black hair, they grab it and do some kind of experiment?”

“According to rumors, no one came back alive.”

I was able to safely ascend to the “lower level” while listening to the excited chatter of the female guard.

“Okay then, I’m done here.”

＂Try to live well on your own~＂

So I was left alone on this floating island.

‘What advice should I take?’

‘There’s nothing wrong with being careful.’

Turf.. plod.. plod..

A very everyday view of the surrounding streets where ordinary people live.

The building, which was made with an appropriate mix of well-processed wood and rock, boasted a height of four stories and was stretched out in a way that made it comfortable for many people to live in.

The appearance was reminiscent of a typical apartment complex.

“Hello~!”

As I was looking around blankly for a while, Sonya, wearing simple clothes, came up to me and spoke to me with a bright smile.

“My name is Shumi.!!”

“Don’t you need directions?”

Sparkling pink eyes that look like they were poured with thick strawberry milk.

A girl named Shumi with unique light pink short hair greeted me with a cheerful voice.

“Everyone who comes here for the first time looks around blankly like that!”

If an adult I had never seen before started talking to me, I would have reflexively turned my head and ignored him as I was still very distrustful of others and moved on, but now that Sonya, who looks much younger than me in terms of physique and appearance, approached me without hesitation and continued the conversation. I felt much more at ease.

‘Did I do that?’

Tattered clothes.

This may be even more so because the sight of him struggling to carry a leather bag as big as his torso was similar to mine.

＇Guide me the way..＇

Judging from the behavior of the girl named Shumi, it was clearly conveyed through her energetic pink eyes that doing business like this was not something she had done once or twice.

＇I definitely need some information, so should I ask you a favor?＇

As I was in need of information and directions to this floating island, Shumi’s suggestion seemed tempting. Without any resistance.

“Then can I ask you a favor?”

“Would you like to wait a moment?”

So, I squat down on my knees to match her small height, take out an extra gold coin from my bag, and hand it to her in advance.

“Now… this is a down payment.”

Shumi, who hesitated for a moment, put her hands together and looked at me closely.

＂Um, sister.. right?＂

Shumi’s expression, which had been smiling brightly just a moment ago, gradually began to harden, and soon he was expressing an expression of embarrassment.

＂Uh, gold coin.?＂

“I don’t have any change…”

just as expected. Shumi was in a panic, wondering whether to look at my face or the leaf of gold coin she had accepted.

Seeing Shumi in great confusion, the tension I had been feeling gradually eased. Wouldn’t he feel this way if he had a younger sibling? That’s what I thought.

“Shh!”

So I put my index finger on my lips as if to keep it a secret, and decided to move on.

Tread.. plod..

＂S-sorry. “I can’t receive this much money.”

Shumi, who had been looking at the gold coin for a long time, finally expressed his intention to refuse… and then stepped back little by little as if he was afraid.

In her experience, she was caught up in something… bad.

The bright expression from before disappeared, and at the same time, he started crying and even looked scared, and once again apologized politely.

Of course, it wasn’t that I didn’t understand Shumi’s behavior.

From Shumi’s point of view, it is true that he approached her by talking to her first, but even so, he couldn’t just accept such a large amount of money from a suspicious person he didn’t know who he was. As if previous experience showed that it was dangerous.

‘Did you tease me too much?’

But even so… I also never handed over the gold coins without thinking.

Of course, it was to find out the value of a single gold coin here, but it was also necessary to confirm to some extent whether she was a trustworthy person, and by presenting financial conditions to Shumi, a relationship called “trust” accompanied by mutually trustworthy transactions was established. Because I wanted to get it.

“The reason I gave this gold coin to Shumi was to make sure that you were a trustworthy person.”

“I’m sorry if I surprised you.. I never had any bad intentions, so just accept it..”