Chapter 107 – The Invitation to the Auction House (2)
Verden, who had rented the highest floor of the inn, was as always expanding his mana circuit.
Steady effort was the very foundation of Verden. Unless it was an emergency, he never neglected his training, not even for a single day.
Before long, Verden calmed the surging magic power, washed himself briefly, and fell asleep.
How much time had passed since then?
Suddenly, a scream rang out from the center of Mildruen. The distance was not small, yet it reached Verden’s ears clearly. Even more, he recognized whose voice it was.
In an instant, Verden put on his gear, leapt out the window, and rushed toward the source of the voice.
And he came face to face with it.
A bone monster threatening Medin’s life.
“Undead?”
Why was an Undead in the middle of town?
That was a mystery, but saving Medin came first. Casting <Earthen Wall> to shield Medin, he immediately used flight to close in on the Undead.
He easily evaded the incoming bone fragments, then blasted it away with the shockwave of Oculus. Next, Verden slammed the ground.
<Flame Strike>
A pillar of fire burst from the earth, engulfing the Undead.
Unable to withstand the force, the Undead was thrown into the air, and Verden aimed Oculus straight at it.
Triple casting.
<Rock Fatal>
Crack-crash!
Stone fragments that broke the sound barrier shattered the Undead’s vital bones. The Undead crashed to the ground, reduced to little more than wreckage. Verden then burned it completely.
He eliminated even the slightest possibility of resurrection.
Verden had subjugated the Undead with ease.
Looking at the dazed Medin, he asked,
“What happened?”
***
Medin hurriedly led Verden to hide inside an abandoned old mine.
He lit a worn torch. After receiving a mid-grade potion from Verden to stop his bleeding, Medin finally let out a sigh and leaned against a wall in the mine.
Then, he answered the question Verden had asked back in town.
The mana stone dealings with the Union, the merchant master, the woman, the magic, and the Undead. Only then did Verden roughly grasp what had happened to the Blue Cloud Merchant Guild.
“…That is everything I know. I don’t understand what’s really going on, but if it weren’t for you, Sir Asher, I would already be dead. Truly, thank you.”
Medin expressed his gratitude sincerely.
He had never imagined that his uncle’s benefactor would become his own benefactor. The skill that wiped out an Undead in an instant—he was indeed an extraordinary mage.
Verden stroked his chin as he looked at him.
He had come with Baron Pythe’s letter of introduction to obtain an invitation to the auction house, but somehow ended up entangled in a baffling incident.
Well, what was already done could not be helped.
‘Chains drawn from shadows, and commanding the Undead.’
That was magic Verden knew of.
Only one kind of mage used such spells.
“Black Mage.”
***
Black Mages referred to mages who dealt with necromancy, curses, and other branches of dark magic.
Judging solely by the magic they wielded, it was nothing but wicked and vile. In the past, Black Mages were immediately branded enemies and exterminated on sight.
But times had changed.
Among the ten magic towers stood “DarkWarton,” a tower specializing in the dark arts. No longer persecuted and driven underground, they were now acknowledged by society.
Thus, quite a few Black Mages existed legally. Especially those skilled in necromancy were unmatched as gravekeepers.
Still, it was true that dark magic retained a bad reputation.
They did not stop at magic power but delved into souls, blood, and corpses of the dead. And because some still used it for evil deeds, suspicion lingered.
The Church of Luas, in fact, stood in direct opposition to them.
Black Mages hiding within the Union.
One could assert without doubt, they were far from legitimate.
Verden spoke.
“The merchant master is likely dead.”
Marionette.
One of the spells of dark magic, it controlled corpses. Depending on the caster’s skill, a body could be preserved from decay and manipulated for days, even months. As a fourth-tier dark magic, it required considerable power.
Medin groaned in despair.
“Wh-why would Black Mages target us…”
That could not be known.
There were countless lunatics in the world, and whatever thoughts they harbored, it was not something one could judge by common sense. Verden, who had once faced Gluttony, knew that well.
At any rate, it was certain there was something within the Union.
For them to demand so many mana stones, there had to be a plan behind it, and the Blue Cloud Merchant Guild was merely used as a means to that end.
Verden recalled his original purpose.
‘What I need is the auction house invitation.’
Yet in the current situation, there was no way to obtain it.
But he had no thought of giving up. He would not waste more time and money for a single invitation.
‘Then, I’ll take it.’
Perne had told him not to provoke the Union, but this was different.
They had struck first. True, he had not yet suffered any real loss, but that did not change the meaning.
Verden asked,
“What will you do, Medin?”
“I…”
The job to which Medin had devoted his youth.
He felt attachment to the Blue Cloud Merchant Guild and was close to the merchant master. To see it all stolen away, he could not stand idly by. But Medin alone could do nothing. Just moments ago, he had fled in terror, screaming.
Perhaps fleeing now would be the wisest.
But.
“I want revenge, if it’s at all possible.”
That was his desire.
He spoke his wish, and Verden answered.
“I need the auction house invitation.”
“…Excuse me? The invitation? But that’s in the merchant master’s vault…”
Medin tilted his head at the incomprehensible words.
In the darkness, Verden’s eyes shone blue as he looked at him.
“So let us make a deal.”
***
The next afternoon.
A male and female Black Mage faced one another.
“Still haven’t found him?”
“Hmm, he hid himself well. He’s more skilled than I thought.”
At the woman’s words, the man scowled in irritation.
“That’s why we should’ve killed him on the spot. Thanks to you, this is a damn mess! Can’t even kill a mere guard captain of a small merchant guild!”
“Ha, look at this bastard? He smashed through the building corridor and ran, what the hell do you expect me to do? And you, you went and lost the Undead I worked so hard to make, why the hell are you yelling at me! Who told you to send just one Undead! Did I? Didn’t I tell you, stop acting like a damn fool showing off and do it properly!”
“Fool? You wretched bitch…!”
“Bitch? Say one more word, and I’ll tear that throat wide open and rip your tongue out.”
The woman and the man clashed.
Both released killing intent, dark mana flashing fiercely. If either one moved first, they were ready to truly kill each other.
Before it came to that, Ched appeared and intervened.
“Enough. What are you doing here of all places? From what I see, you’re both at fault, so stop this nonsense and just do your jobs.”
“But…”
“However…”
Under Ched’s smiling gaze, the two closed their mouths.
They had no choice. He was strong. If he wished, he could silence them forever. Once the tension eased, Ched nodded with a smile.
“Good, it seems everyone’s calmed down. Then let’s head to the mine. We must hurry and secure the mana stones.”
“What about that man?”
“Leave him be for now. What could a mere fellow like him possibly do? It won’t be too late to deal with him after we settle the greater matter. He’ll die miserably soon enough anyway, so what’s the rush? For now, our priority is to deliver the mana stones here in Mildruen to the ‘Union Master.’ So stop clashing with each other over petty matters. Understood?”
“Yes.”
“Got it.”
The woman and the man agreed.
Pleased with their answers, Ched’s face split into a wide grin. But inside the crescent-shaped eyes, there was a disturbingly emotionless gaze.
“Then let us depart.”
Ched put the merchant master at the front.
Though the body was a corpse, through dark magic his face still held a semblance of life. The Blue Cloud Merchant Guild had fallen entirely into Ched’s hands.
Just then, a guild employee burst through the door in a rush. He had no time for courtesy. Struggling to steady his breathing, he addressed the merchant master.
“The mana stone mine has collapsed!”
Ched’s expression stiffened.
The merchant master, under his control, asked,
“What do you mean by that?”
“Not only that, but the mana stones we were supposed to trade have all been destroyed! The storage chests with the high-grade stones are gone as well!”
The man and the woman glanced cautiously at Ched’s face.
Unlike before, his expression twisted into something grotesque and hideous.
***
Far in the distance, a cloud of dust rose from the Blue Cloud Guild’s mine.
Guild employees hurried toward it. The controlled merchant master, the male and female Black Mages, and Ched himself. The guild building was nearly empty.
Taking advantage of that, Medin slipped inside.
The guards numbered three.
They were his subordinates, but he couldn’t be sure if they, too, were being controlled by the Black Mages like the merchant master.
‘So, I’ll just knock them out.’
Medin reversed his blade and moved swiftly.
Dull thuds rang out in succession as the guards collapsed unconscious. He dragged them into a nearby room, then entered the merchant master’s chamber on the top floor.
Confirming it was empty, Medin ran his hand along the wall.
“It should be right about here…”
Clack.
He pressed a hidden button, and the painting hanging on the center of the wall shifted slightly away from it.
Medin grasped the painting, turned it three times to the right and twice to the left. The painting fell away, revealing a concealed safe.
He already knew the password.
As guard captain, he was tasked with protecting the merchant master’s property in his absence. Soon, the sound of the lock opening was heard.
Inside were the master’s emergency funds and wealth.
Thick bearer bonds and ten gold bars.
Four ingots of Damascus steel.
Two ingots of mithril.
And lastly, two invitations to the auction house.
Medin let out a breath of awe.
Not at the wealth before him, but at Verden.
‘To think he’d suggest collapsing the mine. And even destroy the mana stones they were after.’
Thanks to that, the enemy’s attention had been thoroughly seized.
Medin stuffed everything from the safe tightly into a large bag. The satisfying weight pressed against his shoulder.
With this, half the plan was already a success.
Exiting the building, Medin pulled up his cloak’s hood and looked toward the forest.
‘He looked confident, but will he really be alright?’
Medin had wielded a blade long enough.
But he had never even considered standing against that female Black Mage. And Verden intended to face them all alone.
‘No, it’ll be fine. He was introduced by uncle, after all.’
Yes, it was written in the letter of introduction.
A great mage would come, and under all circumstances he must be aided. And Medin himself had witnessed a glimpse of that strength.
He had no doubt in the Verden who had saved him.
***
At that moment, Verden sat atop a rock deep within the forest.
Without anyone knowing, he had reduced all the mana stones the Blue Cloud Guild possessed, and even those awaiting trade, to ash with fourth-tier fire magic. He had collapsed the mine as well.
All thanks to the information Medin had provided.
‘A bit of a waste, but they weren’t mine anyway.’
His gaze turned to the spatial bag.
Still, he had salvaged what he could. The high-grade mana stones had been few enough to carry, so he had taken them.
Afterward, Verden left behind traces in the mine.
So the enemy would find them and come here. Soon, they would arrive. If they failed to follow even such clues, they would hardly be worth his attention as Black Mages.
As the sun dipped low and the sunset descended, they appeared.
The man, the woman, and Ched, dressed like merchants.
The man spoke.
“What, not Medin? Who are you?”
“A mage.”
A mage?
As they tilted their heads, Verden pulled out a top-grade mana stone.
“I’ll be keeping this for myself.”
“You crazy—”
“You were the one with Medin last night, weren’t you. Before I kill you, answer me. Why meddle with our mana stones? As far as I recall, we’ve never had a quarrel with the likes of you.”
Verden lifted his staff.
“My business was originally with Medin. But someone meddled with the Blue Cloud Guild. Thanks to that, my work was delayed.”
“…And for that petty reason, you dared cross us? Even knowing we are Black Mages?”
It was absurd.
Ched looked dumbfounded, while the man and woman sneered.
“Hahaha, so he’s just a madman after all? What kind of guts does a young mage think he has?”
“Ched, we can kill him, right? He’s the one who interfered with our plan. We need to take that mana stone too.”
This time, Ched did not deny it.
He turned a vicious glare upon Verden.
“Leave the body intact. I’ll split him open myself and display him at home.”
The Black Mages released their mana, exuding killing intent.
In response, Verden spun his staff casually, activating the circuits of magic power that coursed through his entire body.
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