Chapter 52

Chapter 52
Archmage Heinkel.

She was the first human to achieve the rank of archmage since the ancient era of the gods and was known among the players of Psychedelia as the Witch of Rit. The origin of this title was straightforward. For anyone who chose the mage class, an encounter with her was practically unavoidable. While she didn’t play a direct role in the main narrative, the artifacts one could acquire from her after a specific period were exceptionally valuable for any magic-user.

The issue, however, was her disposition. In stark contrast to her delicate, doll-like looks, she possessed a notoriously short temper. Selecting an incorrect dialogue option while seeking an item would lead to immediate death. By the third encounter, a mistake might only earn you a string of insults instead of a fatal spell, but during the first two meetings, she showed no leniency. Most infamously, showing even the slightest defense of milk in any of her ambiguous dialogue trees would provoke her fury and result in instant execution. This quirk is what led to her other moniker: the “Milk Witch.”

Because of all this, Alon felt deeply anxious. He was aware of the words and subjects that angered her, but given her famously volatile nature, anything was possible. He had even taken certain precautions in case the situation turned dangerous.

But.

This scenario was something he had never predicted.

Alon gazed in astonishment at Archmage Heinkel, who was staring back at him with a look of pure terror. In that moment, he became aware of a single fact:

‘She is really quite small.’

The tall, pointed white wizard’s hat created an illusion of height, but in truth, she was significantly shorter than Alon. Noticeably so.

“Excuse me… I would like to answer your riddle…”

Since the game’s artwork always depicted her sitting down, he had never realized this. It wasn’t particularly useful knowledge, but it was new information nonetheless. With that thought, Alon finally addressed Heinkel. Solving her initial riddle was the key to receiving a reward.

However.

[I’ll…]
“Pardon?”
[I’ll give it to you… Just take it…!]

Abruptly, Heinkel uttered these words and thrust a jeweled box, which had flown in from nowhere, into his hands, even though he hadn’t yet solved the puzzle.

Then.

[This is satisfactory, yes?]

For someone who had seemed so imposing and haughty beneath the moonlight, she now behaved like a terrified rodent, casting nervous glances at Alon.

[I… I must go!]

Having said that, she spun around hastily and scampered away, vanishing in a flash of blue magical energy. It was a surprisingly ignoble departure, completely at odds with her grand entrance.

“…Uh, Heinkel?”

Alon called out, bewildered, but there was no reply; she clearly had no intention of returning. Holding the ornate box, Alon stood with a confused expression and decided to release the spell he had prepared as a contingency.

Ssss-

The moment he broke the seal in his pocket, the accumulated magical power scattered into the air like fine dust.

After standing in a daze for a short while, Alon finally collected his thoughts and opened the box she had given him.

“…It’s really here.”

Inside lay the very item he had come to acquire by solving the riddle.

‘What is happening?’

Although he was supposed to earn it through intellectual challenge, she had simply handed it over and fled in a completely unforeseen manner. Recalling the moment, he remembered that her gaze hadn’t been fixed on him, but slightly past him.

‘Was she looking… behind me?’

He turned to look over his shoulder but saw nothing except the library, illuminated by the cool blue moonlight.

In the end, Alon had obtained the desired artifact. He was pleased to have acquired it so effortlessly, yet simultaneously, a small seed of doubt began to sprout in his mind.

***

Over the following days, Alon participated in the magical conference, attending various lectures and satisfying his intellectual curiosity. The theories discussed there proved very beneficial for Alon, whose magical education had been largely self-directed until that point.

Furthermore, his nightly conversations about magic with Liyan significantly advanced his understanding. While Alon possessed a profound grasp of mana control, she had a natural talent for constructing the spell frameworks necessary to manifest magic itself. This synergy gave Alon the confidence that he might soon be prepared to attempt magic of the Fourth Rank.

Naturally, Fourth-Rank spells demanded such a vast amount of mana that successfully casting even one was a challenge, so he had no immediate plans to try.

Then, on the fourth day of the conference, news reached him:

“An otherworldly entity has appeared in the Labyrinth of Lartania?”

“Yes. Reports indicate it has caused mutations throughout the entire labyrinth.”

Alon learned of the emergence of the foreign entity within Lartania’s labyrinth.

“How long ago was this entity discovered?”

“The exact timing is unclear, but it is estimated to be about five days now. The information guild suspects it first appeared roughly a week ago.”

“What is the travel time to Lartania?”

“It isn’t too distant from here. The journey should take approximately… five days?”

After listening to Evan’s calculation, Alon paused briefly, then swiftly took out a piece of paper and began writing a letter. He finished quickly, and as soon as the letter was complete, he announced:

“Have this delivered to Lartania. I will be departing at once.”
“At once?”
“Yes.”

Without any delay, he exited the Central Magic Tower and began making arrangements for the journey to Lartania.

***

After saying goodbye to Liyan, who was saddened by his early departure, and to Penia, who gave off a peculiar aura of dejection despite her cheerful reaction to the news of his leaving, Alon set out directly for Lartania.

Five days passed.

After a continuous carriage ride, Alon finally reached the labyrinth city of Lartania.

“Wow… it has transformed since my last visit. It’s even more remarkable now.”

Evan spoke with genuine admiration, and indeed, Lartania was a far more spectacular sight than any other domain Alon had seen on his travels.

The city walls, which marked the boundary between the interior and exterior, were not especially high—so low that the buildings inside were easily visible. Most of the structures within were unexpectedly opulent and distinctive, clashing with the expected image of a city populated by mercenaries and adventurers.

It was as if architectural styles from every corner of the world had been assembled in a single location. Consequently, the city didn’t feel mystical, but rather visually bizarre.

‘Wasn’t the backstory that people from all over the continent, except the Empire, gathered here and constructed whatever buildings they desired?’

Remembering Lartania’s lore, Alon proceeded into the city.

“The atmosphere here is tense.”
“I agree.”

Just as Alon had anticipated, the mood within the city was somewhat disordered. Rumors about the entity from the labyrinth had circulated, and some mercenaries were already seen packing up and leaving.

After traveling by carriage through Lartania and arriving at his destination in the southern district, Alon soon found himself outside a shop called “Merde,” which belonged to Rine. Upon seeing it, he was utterly astounded.

“…Is this truly Merde?”
“Uh… yes, the location seems correct…” Evan stammered, equally perplexed. The reason was simple—the building was colossal. To convey its scale, the surrounding four- and five-story structures looked like miniature dollhouses in comparison.

“I thought this was a shop?”
“It is supposed to be,” Evan confirmed.

Alon, his face a mask of blank astonishment, stared at the building. It was so immense it resembled a grand temple more than a retail establishment. Seeing his reaction, Evan spoke up.

“I… I had heard the shop was large… but honestly, I never imagined it would be ‘this’ large.”

Alon nodded in agreement. He knew the business was flourishing, but he hadn’t anticipated this level of success.

‘Can a magical appraiser truly wield this much influence? Is this how she has managed to secure a position of power in Lartania?’

Alon found himself nodding slowly. He recognized a universal constant from both his previous life and this one: wealth could overcome most obstacles.

‘That is partly why I’ve come to ask for her help.’

Although his main objective was to deal with the foreign entity, Alon had sought out Rine, the magical appraiser, because he needed to leverage her influence.

“Let’s go in,” Alon said, and he and Evan started walking toward the enormous entrance of the Merde building. As they approached the massive doors—

“Do you have an appointment?” inquired a person who appeared to be a receptionist, standing before the entrance.
“…Is one required?” Alon asked.
“If the matter is urgent, you can see her immediately by paying a fee.”
“A fee?”
“Yes, to meet Lady Rine without a prior appointment, the cost is 3,000 gold coins.”
“3,000 gold coins?!”

It was a sum sufficient to purchase a manor in a nearby territory, if not in the capital of the Asterian Kingdom itself. Stunned, Alon responded with disbelief.

“…And if I make an appointment now, how long is the waiting period?”
“If you schedule one now… let me see… approximately 10…?”
“10?”
“Ten months, roughly.”

The staggering timeframe made Alon’s head spin. After a moment of thought, he continued.

“Could you at least deliver a message to her? Please inform her that Count Palatio has arrived.”

“Ugh, you’re so bothersome. Go away.”

Before Alon could finish, a voice cut him off. A man who radiated an air of affluence—likely a noble—glared at him with contempt.

“Why is a destitute vagrant hanging around here?”

The man was followed by a group of mercenaries, and he spoke with a crude arrogance that suggested a profound lack of intelligence. Alon’s face showed his incredulity, but the man, ignoring him, approached the receptionist and tossed a money pouch in front of her.

“Open the door,” the man commanded. The receptionist checked the pouch, gave a respectful nod, and immediately began operating a mechanism. With a deep rumble, the huge doors started to swing open.

Before entering, the man glanced back at Alon and smirked, a clear and deliberate provocation. His sneer was unmistakable.

“Pathetic beggar,” he jeered.

The man strode into the building, and as Alon watched, he also saw the mocking faces of the mercenaries in his retinue. They were so openly disdainful without even knowing his identity that Alon couldn’t help but frown.

Soon, Alon recognized the man.

‘He’s the son of Lartania’s lord.’

He couldn’t remember the name, but he recalled the man’s appearance from the Psychedelia artwork—a bloated figure with a sleazy mustache, the infamous heir to the labyrinth city’s ruler. In the game, he had harassed the player, but experiencing it firsthand was even more offensive.

Just as Alon was about to speak—

“There’s no need to enter.”

A voice came from the now-open doorway. Rine emerged, her green eyes shining as she stepped out.

“Oh, Rine! You came all the way out here for me?” The scoundrel’s face brightened with a wide, eager smile as he moved toward her.

But.

“Get lost.”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Rine shoved the scoundrel’s shoulder aside and cursed at him. She walked straight past him and his band of mercenaries, coming outside. Ignoring the receptionist, who bowed her head in awkward embarrassment, Rine approached Alon.

In sharp contrast to her treatment of the scoundrel, Rine addressed Alon with the highest respect.

“I have been awaiting your arrival, Godfather.”

She bowed her head courteously, and everyone present stared at Count Palatio in utter disbelief.