Chapter 21

Immovable Curtain (1)

It had been a week since I arrived at the Capital City.

I couldn't keep wasting time indefinitely, so I reluctantly finished my plans and prepared to leave.

"I will probably return when the next ruler's meeting is near."

Even without me, the Ruler's Territory would continue to function as it always has, so there was no need to worry.

Some rulers, like Gwangrang, had practically abandoned their territories and wandered around outside.

Ploto bowed his head with the same expression as always.

"I will prepare as you have instructed."

I decided to take only one attendant besides Ashel.

I needed someone familiar with the geography of Caldric who could handle various tasks.

Since I had to travel through other Ruler's Territories, it wouldn't be practical to bring a large group, and adding a few more would be cumbersome, so one person would suffice.

【Lv. 46】

"I am Barros, the head butler."

A male elf with a cold demeanor and glasses bowed politely.

Regardless of race or gender, I had instructed Ploto to bring the most suitable person.

His level was well over 40, making him quite powerful.

"I plan to travel throughout Caldric. Can you navigate without getting lost?"

"Yes, my lord."

"Prepare to leave immediately."

The team was set, and Ploto had already taken care of packing.

"Prepare a carriage that won't attract too much attention."

Riding in a large, ornate carriage like the one we used to come to the Capital City would not be a good idea.

My location and route could be exposed to other rulers.

Therefore, I planned to keep my identity hidden while traveling through other Ruler's Territories.

While knowing my whereabouts might not lead to any trouble, it was better to be cautious.

After all preparations were complete, Ashel and I boarded the carriage at the entrance of the building, with Ploto seeing us off.

"Safe travels, my lord."

The carriage passed the knights saluting at the city gate and forcefully exited the Capital City's main gate.

***

The first mystery I aimed to obtain was the defensive mystery, 'Immovable Curtain.'

This mystery, with its somewhat peculiar name, was an outstanding defensive ability, almost absolute in its effectiveness.

'In the game, it was a level 9 skill, like the Emperor's Soul.'

Of course, it came with a significant penalty.

However, for me, the most important thing was to gain an excellent defensive ability, so the penalty was not a major concern.

Instant Kill was the ultimate offensive ability, but it required direct contact to activate, offering no defensive capabilities.

I needed to improve my vulnerable state, where a single punch from a level 20 enemy could shatter my head.

'Tyrell Mountains.'

The location of the Immovable Curtain was somewhere in the Tyrell Mountains in the northern border of the 5th Ruler's Territory, Salogal.

I didn't remember the exact location as well as the respawn point, as the Immovable Curtain was not a mystery I had found in the game.

I had only seen it in a video of another player obtaining it, which had become popular.

'It was in a place like a broken dungeon.'

Finding it wouldn't be easy, but I intended to find and obtain it.

I could seek permission from the 5th Ruler, Gwangrang, and mobilize a large group, but that was a method I was reluctant to use.

Gwangrang was not someone easy to communicate with, and explaining the reason would be difficult.

Moreover, my experience with respawning had reinforced my belief that relying on others to obtain a mystery was not a good idea.

If someone discovered the mystery and absorbed it before reporting to me, there would be no way to make them give it back. It would be like giving a cooked meal to a dog.

'Like finding the respawn point, hiring a guide would be the best approach.'

The carriage was currently passing through a forest.

Caldric is a land where nine Ruler's Territories surround the Central Grand Ruler's Territory in a circular formation.

To reach the 5th Ruler's Territory, I chose a route that passed diagonally through the outskirts of the 6th Ruler's Territory, the shortest straight path.

Barros, the carriage driver, would find the way.

"······?"

I looked at Ashel on the opposite side.

She had been sitting motionless as usual but had glanced out the window.

When I thought something might be happening, the carriage slowly came to a stop, accompanied by the sound of horse hooves.

- Ha ha! You dare to travel through this forest without a single guard!

A rough voice echoed from outside the carriage.

I couldn't believe it.

'Bandits?'

In this medieval fantasy world, bandits and monsters were common encounters on the road.

When traveling from the Capital City to Enrock, we had a full contingent of guards, so we never encountered bandits. But now, it was different.

While I hadn't expected this, it seemed to be a reality I had to face.

- There, get out of the carriage! Hand over everything you have and scram... Gah!

A scream followed.

The sound of something being torn apart and terrifying screams continued, then the outside became quiet.

I slightly opened the window and poked my head out, seeing scattered corpses and Barros wiping blood from his glasses.

A wind-like entity had formed around him and then disappeared... Was that an elemental?

Barros, meeting my eyes, bowed apologetically.

"I apologize. We were delayed by some trash."

"······I see."

Barros returned to the driver's seat, and the carriage resumed its journey.

It didn't seem like Ashel would need to intervene to deal with the bandits.

***

We continued to encounter bandits and monsters intermittently as we traveled.

After a long time, we finally arrived at our destination, the 5th Ruler's Territory, Salogal.

The city of Korwehen, a major city in the northern border.

After resting in a high-end inn to recover from the journey, I went to the city's adventurer guild the next day.

"So, in that critical moment, I grabbed the monster's horn and... "

"Silia, how about a drink tonight, just the two of us? I can buy you some expensive wine after the big haul from the last mission."

The guild building's interior was exactly as I had imagined.

People carefully scanning the request boards, boasting about their exploits, and flirting with the guild staff...

After scanning the scene, I approached the counter, where a female feline greeted me with a smile.

"Welcome, sir. Do you have a request to make?"

She asked, assuming I had come to submit a request based on my attire.

I nodded and asked.

"Who is the best guide for the geography of the Tyrell Mountains in this city?"

She answered without hesitation.

"You're looking for a guide familiar with the Tyrell Mountains. Perhaps you want a guide?"

"Yes."

"Would you consider a guild instead of an individual?"

"No problem."

"In that case, I recommend the Blue Fox Guild. Their leader, Rodin, is a top-tier adventurer with a significant reputation in Korwehen. They are sitting right there. Would you like to meet them?"

She pointed to a group of men and women sitting at a railing on the second floor.

Following her, I climbed the stairs and approached them, receiving curious looks.

Five adventurers, armed with swords, spears, and bows.

【Lv. 36】

The female staff member spoke to the man with the highest level, who had a large sword next to him.

"Mr. Rodin, there's a request. This gentleman is looking for a guide familiar with the Tyrell Mountains."

"······Huh? A request?"

He scratched his beard, looking between me and the woman, then said to her.

"Chelsea, we already accepted a request to guard a caravan to Polip City in four days. Didn't you know?"

"······What? We did?"

"Yes. I'm sorry, sir, but we can't take on another request. Please look for another group."

The woman looked flustered, as if she hadn't known this.

I asked her.

"Are these the best guides for the Tyrell Mountains in the guild?"

"Yes, they are, but... I'm sorry, sir. Since they already have a request, I'll introduce you to others."

I shook my head.

Their levels indicated they were skilled, and I wanted the best team.

"I can offer more for the commission. Can you cancel your current request and take mine?"

Rodin chuckled slightly and replied.

"I can't do that, sir. We would have to pay a penalty several times the advance we received."

It was reasonable; canceling a request would harm the client.

I asked again.

"How much is the penalty?"

"Since we received 5 gold as an advance, we would need to pay 10 gold as a penalty."

"I'll cover the penalty and hire you for 20 gold. What do you think?"

My offer seemed quite generous, as Rodin's eyes widened.

But he shook his head.

"Besides the penalty, there's the matter of trust with the client. Cancelling a request to take another would damage our reputation."

"I'll double the commission to 40 gold."

Rodin's pupils dilated.

"Still, I can't, sir. The trust with the client... "

"I'll triple it to 60 gold."

"······Trust... is important... "

"I'll quintuple it to 100 gold. That's my final offer."

Rodin's words trailed off.

The other members also swallowed hard, looking at Rodin.

Creak.

He slowly stood up and bowed.

"Welcome, client."