Palmasque
After leaving the labyrinth, I head to the adventurer guild alone.
The poison is all gone now. My mind is clear. There’s no uncomfortable feeling.
Thanks to Durandal, I have recovered my HP as well. There’s no damage to my body either.
I resume my trip, and visit more adventurer guilds.
Today, I reached Zabir.
According to what Sherry said, this town is situated on the border of the Empire.
Next stop from here is Palmasque.
I match the note with the ads posted on the wall of Zabir’s Adventurer Guild.
There’s nothing written that looks like ‘Palmasque.’
“I want to go to Palmasque.”
“We go to Palmasque three times a day: In the morning, at noon and in the evening. Charges are five silver coins per person. The one in the morning has already departed. Next one is scheduled for noon. There are four more hours to go.”
I ask the stationed adventurer, to which he replies.
But there’s no clock inside to tell exactly when it’s noon.
I’ll be in trouble if there’s no one outside to confirm the time from the position of the sun.
I return home because there was nothing else for me to do.
I immediately go outside to check the position of the sun.
It’s earlier in the morning in Quratar than in Zabir.
There are about six more hours till noon. Two-third of that will be four hours.
So there’s a difference of about two hours between Quratar and Zabir?
Considering there’s a time difference even between Quratar and the Imperial Capital, it doesn’t seem that much.
Difference of two hours means they’re about 30 degrees apart.
My MP decreased considerably.
I wonder if I can go directly to Palmasque at this rate.
If my MP decreases even more, will it become negative?
Should I take the risk of going directly to Palmasque?
No, my MP is not enough. There’s no need to inflict unnecessary damage to myself.
“What were you looking for?”
“I have to wait for four hours, so I was trying to confirm time.”
“Four hours? Then I’ll tell you when it’s time.”
I can depend on Roxanne’s body clock, it seems.
I can’t tell the exact time anyway.
But there’s no knowing if her body clock is accurate either.
After breakfast, I go to the merchant guild.
I buy the Caterpillar Monster Card from Luke, the broker.
Because I have already used Appraisal, I know it’s not fake.
Again, I opt not to verify it.
When I was in the waiting room of the merchant guild, I saw a familiar face.
Exceptionally good-looking, the leader of Harz duchy knights, Gozer.
Even though he was just sitting there, he looked so picturesque.
An overwhelming presence could be sensed.
He is good-looking.
For this reason, I don’t want Roxanne to see him.
I don’t want her to see any good looking man.
I wish my worries were unfounded.
In the past, Henan was. .h.i.t with calamity because the people there were anxious. (TL: The only thing I found is famine in China that mostly affected Henan province. If someone has more accurate details of the event, please do tell us.)
I’m worrying for no reason. I shouldn’t act like a fool.
Even Taishan can collapse. Even a pillar can fall because of a single joint. Even a sage can die.
But Taishan hasn’t collapsed. The pillar is still standing. The sage is alive somewhere.
If a sage can die, why can’t a good-looking man?
Yes, die!
Go, die!
Die right now!
“Oh, what a coincidence. Are you here for auction?”
I seem to have been noticed because I was cursing too much.
I wanted to ignore him as much as possible.
But Gozer has such a refres.h.i.+ng smile about his face.
“For equipment related matter.”
“I see. Well, that’s the most important thing to an adventurer after all.”
“And you, Gozer-dono?”
I step froward to cover those two behind me.
Sherry too, I don’t want her to see him.
But she has already gone ahead to read some book.
She seems to be more interested in books than in good-looking men.
“Because the duke’s work includes socializing, I’m here to acquire a gift item.”
“Gift item?”
Socializing is a part of a n.o.ble’s job.
He will surely be acquiring it through auction.
Because it has to be a rare item.
Getting rid of labyrinths in their territory is another part of their job.
“It’s soon to be the third imperial prince’s wedding. The prince intends to move to his own house after getting married. How about Orb of Self Destruction for their soon-to-be-born child? or Elixir? I’m having difficulty in deciding on something appropriate for the new couple.”
So he wants to move to his own house.
He doesn’t intend to succeed. He wants to be independent.
The third imperial prince huh?
“That does sound difficult.”
“Do you have something?”
“Unfortunately not.”
I have no reason to be in possession of such items.
“Well, choosing gifts takes time. If you come into possession of Might of Ryozen perchance, we would like to purchase it from you.”
“How about Palmasque Mirror?”
I heard from Sherry that it’s a popular gift among n.o.bles.
“n.o.bles in the east use it often, but we, in the north, hardly get a chance to get one, as it’s difficult for us to go to Palmasque.”
“I see.”
If you can get hold of a specialty item, you can use it as a gift.
Of course you can.
“Because there’s going to be wedding of an important figure in the Imperial Capital, I’m not sure if I can get one from there. Can you perhaps get it from somewhere else?”
“Probably.”
“Well then, if you can get it from somewhere else, we would like to purchase it from you. You can meet us at the imperial palace in Bode.”
I’m not sure if I can go directly to Palmasque, but I can go to Zabir at least.
Because Zabir is closest to Palmasque, can I acquire mirror from there for cheap?
Alternatively, I can rest in Zabir to recover my MP, and then go to Palmasque.
“Okay.”
“Well then, have this.”
“This is?”
“The emblem of Harz duchy. If you show this at the imperial palace, the duke and I will be informed immediately. Please make sure not to use it needlessly, as you’ll be charged with the crime of abusing it.”
He hands me a piece of cloth with an insignia on it.
The emblem is well made.
I’m not sure if it’s weaved or embroidered, but it looks really difficult to make.
So there isn’t much risk of producing a fake.
Is this thing a sort of letter of introduction?
I have received yet another letter of introduction. Is this the season of letter of introductions?
“Sorry for the wait, Gozer-sama. There were some guests.”
When I put the emblem in my rucksack, I hear someone from behind me.
Luke.
“Am I perhaps that guest?”
“Oh, you know each other?”
When I turn around, Luke gets surprised.
So even n.o.bles use services of a broker for auction?
Luke probably has connections in the Harz duchy.
“I guess.”
“Is that so? Then please excuse my intrusion.”
Two subordinates of Gozer, who were accompanying Luke, leave.
Those two were elves. They were good-looking, not to mention.
d.a.m.n it!
*Sigh* “Are all elves good-looking?”
“It seems so.”
Roxanne replies without any expression.
She doesn’t seem to have any interest in them.
“An elf and a broker, a perfect combination.”
Oh no! Sherry seems to be interested.
“Perfect combination?”
“Elves and brokers, no matter how much I try to, I can’t understand these people.”
“Is that so?”
“Whenever elves come across dwarves, they tell us to ‘grow up.’ And brokers…”
Apparently, elves and dwarves are not on friendly terms.
Sherry too doesn’t seem to be interested in elves.
Why she distrusts brokers, however, was left unsaid.
I wonder what it would be like if there was an elf broker.
“So getting acquainted with a broker or an elf is out of question?”
“Even if they’re elves, not everyone is bad. It’s important to try to get to know them first.”
Sherry is rational after all.
Her hatred is not unconditional.
“Let’s return home?”
“There are three more hours left. We can go to Vale.”
Roxanne says upon arriving at home.
Roxanne’s body clock seems reliable.
Sherry making equipment, breakfast, negotiating with Luke.
Did it all take just one hour?
On Roxanne’s suggestion, we go to Vale’s labyrinth.
There was something from the conversation with Gozer that I didn’t understand, so I ask Sherry.
“What is...o...b..of Self Destruction?”
“A suicide attack item.”
“Scary.”
“If you use Orb of Self Destruction, you inflict ma.s.sive damage to your opponent in exchange for your own life. Adults, however, rarely use it. It’s believed that there’s a chance for it to not activate when used by a child no more than three years old. If it doesn’t activate, you don’t inflict damage, and you also don’t lose your life. If the child survives, they can acquire Wizard job.”
I heard that you consume some sort of medicine in childhood to acquire Wizard job.
Was the medicine the Orb of Self Destruction?
Because it’s used by a child, it’s popular as a gift to a newborn?
Going by its name, however, I can’t consider it a gift.
It’s perhaps something similar to my bonus skill Full HP Release.
I obtained Wizard cla.s.s by using bonus skill Full MP Release, it seems.
I could acquire Wizard job by releasing all of my HP.
But I would have died if I did.
If used by a child, however, there is a chance for it to miss.
In which case, they can acquire Wizard job.
I wonder if it’s some kind of bug.
People here seem desperate to acquire Wizard job.
“And Elixir?”
“It’s medicine of the highest grade. It can immediately and completely recover any injuries, fatigue and negative status effects.”
“There was something else, which I don’t remember, what’s that?”
“Might of Ryozen. It’s a raw material used in making Elixir.”
Ryozen huh?
In short, these are all luxury items used as gifts among n.o.bles.
“I see. Thank you.”
After talking to Sherry, I continue to hunt.
I could also stay at home and use the shadow of the house to tell the time, not just rely Roxanne’s body clock.
There are three chances after all.
“Master, it’s about time.”
Roxanne says when I take a Slow Rabbit out with Cook job activated.
By the way, does the chance of rare drop increase with the level of Cook job?
Lately, Slow Rabbits have been dropping more meat.
“It’s time already?”
“It has been about three hours since we came to the labyrinth.”
Sherry says the same thing.
The bill has been pa.s.sed by two-third majority.
“Let’s hunt one more.”
“Okay.”
“Well then, I’ll have to trouble you one more time.”
I bring Durandal out, and send Roxanne to search for one more monster.
I take the rabbit out, and recover my MP.
I went to Zabir directly from Vale’s labyrinth.
Although not completely, my MP decreased to the extent that I could clearly tell.
To be specific, it decreased more than in the morning.
On the way back, I should better go to the labyrinth first to recover my MP, and then head to home.
I was right in bringing Roxanne along.
No, I’m not really sure.
Now I know why my MP decreased more than in the morning.
Zabir should be more distant from Quratar than from Vale.
An airplane wouldn’t be fast or slow depending on airflow. Whether I’m going east or west shouldn’t increase or decrease consumption of MP. (TL: I’m not sure about this. It wouldn’t be fast or slow, but it would affect fuel efficiency, right? Take what the author said with a pinch of salt.)
Considering that, consumption of MP probably depends on the number of people.
Earlier, I covered this distance alone using Warp, therefore, I can tell the difference.
If the number of people increases consumption of MP, it was a bad decision to bring Roxanne and Sherry along.
Oh well, there’s no helping it now.
I ask the same adventurer from the morning.
“Can I go to Palmasque now?”
“Ah, you’re the one from earlier. So there are three people now. Noon bell is about to ring. We’ll be departing after that.”
We are three people while the party can be up to six.
Excluding the adventurer who’ll be taking us to Palmasque, there can be five people at a time.
Beside my group, two more people can join.
First five to join get to travel, it seems.
“These two will stay here.”
“Very well.”
After that, I disband my party.
Sherry goes toward the wall where the ads are posted.
Unlike Roxanne, Sherry has a way to kill her time.
The noon bell rings.
“Those who want to go to Palmasque, please gather here. Charges are five silver coins per person.”
Five silver coins to Palmasque.
“Welcome. Anyone is free to enter Palmasque. You can buy and sell as well. It’s necessary to keep copper coins with you. Taking residents of Palmasque outside is prohibited. All the buildings in the town, except for the adventurer guild, use protective cement, therefore, Field Walk can only be used through the adventurer guild. Outside the adventurer guild is the check post. You are required to verify your Intelligence Card there. You’ll also be required to pay entry toll of one silver coin in addition to the charges.”
The adventurer from Palmasque’s Adventurer Guild, who’s in charge of taking us to Palmasque, gives a long explanation of rules.
Going to Palmasque seems to be a ha.s.sle.