“Come on, we have lots of amulets essential for wizards!”
“Smart Liquor that clears your mind is now available!”
“You won’t regret taking a look!”
In a bustling floating island, Lennok leisurely strolled through the market, a cigarette resting in his mouth without a lit end.
Once entangled in fierce rivalry with the mega-city of Vulcan, the streets of this autonomous region now brimmed with life, seemingly untouched by the tensions of war.
This welcoming atmosphere might be attributed to the region’s unique environment, which attracts wizards.
The concentration of magic practitioners in this autonomous region far surpassed that of the streets of Vulcan.
While the population in this region may be relatively small, the limited number of islands has led to a closer living arrangement among its inhabitants.
As one might expect, the businesses in the markets of the autonomous region primarily cater to outsiders, particularly wizards.
At the market Lennok visited, the promotions and sales tactics were primarily aimed at wizards, rather than the ordinary civilians.
Although only a few items caught Lennok’s discerning eye as high-quality, he did stumble upon several intriguing trinkets.
For instance, garments woven from spiritually imbued wool designed for spirits to wear, or treats crafted for familiars’ enjoyment.
There were even items like corpse preservatives for necromancers and artificial hair or eyeballs for curse wizards, peculiar enough to elicit a wry grin from Lennok.
“This cube aids in practicing magic manipulation! Take a closer look!”
“……”
Lennok paused for a moment. He held a cube adorned with inexpensive crystals in his hand.
When infused with mana, the cube levitated, changing colors and spinning in response to the intensity of the mana input.
It was a novelty only functional in this region, where magic and buoyancy shared a unique relationship.
Click, click.
After a few spins, he quickly grasped its operation.
The cube, which had trembled initially in Lennok’s hand, now rotated so rapidly that its faces blurred together, matching colors seamlessly.
Balancing it on his shoulder, he continued down the street, idly spinning the cube for amusement.
It had been three days since his arrival in the autonomous region.
Though he had grown accustomed to the bustling scenery, his earnings had been unexpectedly modest.
The autonomous region granted significant autonomy to its residents, with only a minimal set of rules to follow, allowing people to lead lives according to their preferences.
Consequently, there were no systematic methods for gathering information, necessitating considerable legwork.
Considering that the Philenom autonomous region comprised hundreds of floating islands, their locations obscured by the thick fog from the Sea of Understanding, the task at hand was formidable.
Wealthy individuals often purchased entire small islands, employing security and concealment spells to hide them.
The Drug Lord’s decision to conceal his vault here was not solely due to the favorable environment for storing medicinal herbs.
“Still, there are some ways.”
Over the past few days, by intentionally visiting crowded places to gather information, Lennok had gleaned some key details.
First, the floating islands available for purchase were so narrow that they were unsuitable for human habitation.
Second, island ownership required approval from the autonomous region’s government.
Third, a specialized vault was necessary for storing medicinal herbs, and only one craftsman in the autonomous region possessed the expertise to create them.
With just this information, locating the Drug Lord’s vault seemed nearly impossible, but Lennok had formulated his own plan.
‘If the craftsman who makes the vaults has kept a ledger of his creations, it should narrow down my search. Typically, vault craftsmen mark their products with serial numbers.’
By cross-referencing these serial numbers in the ledger with the dates of the autonomous region’s government approvals for floating island purchases, he could estimate the number of privately used islands with storage vaults for medicinal herbs.
‘By measuring the scope of the updrafts rising from the Sea of Understanding and calculating the spaces between the islands, the search range can be narrowed.’
Certainly, there is a possibility that the Drug Lord disregarded the territory’s regulations and randomly selected any island to conceal his vault, but Lennok considered this likelihood to be low.
True invisibility comes from blending seamlessly with the ordinary.
There was no need to resort to aliases or fake identities when achieving this was relatively straightforward.
‘To be honest, this isn’t a particularly effective method either…’
It’s just one of the few ways to narrow down the search area, and it would require a significant investment of time.
Even if concealment spells were employed, Lennok’s magical sensitivity would detect irregularities only when he approached relatively closely.
Ultimately, it would be impossible without traversing the autonomous region on a wingboat.
Without a specific time or method in place, candidates would have to be screened through this repetitive process, but there was not enough leisure for that yet.
Hence, Lennok continued to explore the autonomous region, searching for a more effective alternative.
[Master.]
“Still?”
[Yes. It’s still watching this area.]
The gaze that had been following him since his arrival in the autonomous region.
“Hmm…”
Lennok leaned against the wall of a nearby fruit shop and tapped into his mana.
Nothing registered on his magical perception.
However, if Davi could distinctly sense that gaze, there could be only one person.
The next lighthouse keeper.
She had been surveilling this area continuously since arriving in the autonomous region, sensing Lennok’s presence but not approaching him.
“I wonder what she wants. Does she expect me to come to her?”
[Maybe she’s still unsure who Master is?]
“That’s unlikely. Considering the omniscient ability of the lighthouse keeper, that’s absolutely… no, maybe it’s not the case.”
Considering the gap between Madria Falcia and the next lighthouse keeper, it wasn’t impossible that she couldn’t see through Lennok’s disguise.
If she wasn’t aware of Lennok’s capacity to alter his appearance, body shape, and innate magical pattern, confusing her with someone else wouldn’t be surprising.
[Should I reveal myself first…]
“No, leave it for now. I have things to do today.”
Last time, the lighthouse keeper had sent a messenger eagle that had seen Davi. If Davi were to reveal itself in the baby fox form, the next lighthouse keeper would recognize it, but there was no immediate reason to do so.
Disregarding the void of perception, Lennok promptly moved on.
***
A vast meadow extended to the horizon, an herb field occupying an unbelievably large area, almost unbelievable for it to be part of an island.
A colossal plant facility, managed at the governmental level, capitalized on the unique environment of the autonomous region to cultivate a few distinct medicinal herbs.
Large floating islands could rival one of Vulcan’s territories in size, making this endeavor feasible.
The crimson sunset bathed the ocean below as it descended slowly, but from the perspective of the floating islands, the sunset appeared to rise from beneath.
In this rarely witnessed landscape, Lennok stood before the herb field plant facility alongside others.
An elderly woman with an unusual demeanor emerged and surveyed the gathering before wearing a contented smile.
“Today, there are so many people who have come to find this old woman, I won’t be short of hands to help.”
“……”
There was no response.
Instead, faces contorted in displeasure, their dissatisfaction thinly veiled.
However, the elderly woman paid no heed to the lack of response and tapped her waist while pointing her cane toward the field.
“You probably already know in advance, but let me explain briefly.”
“The Night Moon tree, managed in the northeastern plant, is a very unique plant whose flowers bloom only at this time when the boundary between day and night disappears. Not only does this flower stimulate human senses, but it’s also known to be effective in enhancing inherent magical sensitivity.”
“However, the moment you pick a Night Moon flower, you need to precisely manipulate its vitality through magical means, otherwise, it will immediately wither. Hence, the help of skilled wizards is necessary for this task.”
“For those wizards who help this old woman gather a sufficient amount of Night Moon flowers, as promised, you will have the opportunity to purchase the sample of your choice among the medicinal herbs managed in the plant.”
Her words were lengthy, but the task Lennok currently undertook was straightforward.
He extended his assistance to places with staff shortages, and in return, he received compensation.
While this simplified labor model resembled completing quests in a game, there was a rationale for this type of work in the autonomous region.
Due to the relative scarcity of manpower compared to the densely populated capital, the practice of actively enlisting the aid of outsiders, particularly wizards, had gained prominence.
Moreover, certain tasks could only be accomplished at specific times and locations, and even then, only with the assistance of wizards, making such arrangements feasible.
The Night Moon tree growing in this plantation wasn’t so rare as to warrant its high value, but what held significance was the privilege to purchase rare medicinal samples as a reward for aiding in the facility’s operations.
What Lennok sought was the Basilis Mushroom, which received special treatment even within this herbal facility.
Although it possessed no particular health or magical benefits, its price tag was exorbitant, fetching as much as one million cells per stalk. However, Lennok’s pursuit of this mushroom wasn’t solely due to its rarity as a medicinal herb.
It was precisely because Basilis was an item on the brink of extinction, only found on the ‘Collapsed Island’ similar to the Malabest Lennok was in search of.
He had ventured this far to obtain it after obtaining information that a few stalks still existed exclusively within this plant-friendly storage facility.
‘If the Drug Lord keeps medicinal herbs grown on the same Collapsed Island as Malabest in his vault, there’s a high likelihood that Basilis is already in his possession. If I start tracking based on that…’
Among the spectrum of unique magic spells, there existed one that recognized the flow of homogeneous mana and identified locations with a similar mana signature.
Of course, breaching the concealment and security spells with mediocre magic to peer inside would be an impossible feat, but…
What if one possessed the gift of foresight?
“I didn’t expect to see you here again.”
Just as he was about to take a step, a voice emanated from beside him.
Byzen gazed at Lennok and greeted him with a polite smile.
“I knew you would come here soon. There are only about three places, including this plant, where you can get such rare medicinal herbs.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Surely you’re not unaware. But, wait a moment…”
Byzen’s expression, which had been scrutinizing Lennok’s coat with sharp eyes, suddenly lost its warmth.
The Nicks badge that had been affixed to Lennok’s coat collar was conspicuously absent.
Lennok noticed the delayed reaction to the gaze and responded casually.
“Ah, I’ve stored that ornament elsewhere. After hearing the wizard’s words, I got scared to carry it around. Haha.”
“Ah, I see…”
Byzen attempted to regain his composure, but his tightly pressed lips inadvertently betrayed his feelings.
He must be thinking that his casual remarks had prompted Lennok to hide the badge.
Of course, Lennok pretended to be unaware and subtly manipulated Byzen’s emotions internally.
“Yes, I thought I should handle it safely since it has value, being something my parents left behind. I owe you thanks.”
“…I’m glad I could help. I’ll take my leave first.”
Aware of his inability to control his facial expressions, Byzen swiftly turned away.
Lennok chuckled as he observed Byzen’s stiff departure toward the herb garden.
It seemed that Byzen, who had mentioned his search for a herb called the ‘Flame Grass,’ had also ended up at this facility after a roundabout journey.
Lennok set aside his curiosity about Byzen and promptly headed in a different direction toward the garden.
Small reddish-brown saplings, no taller than knee-high, were densely planted along the island’s edge.
As the setting sun transformed into a rosy twilight, and as the twilight gradually bathed the plants in its soft light, each sapling began to tremble and bloom its unique flowers.
The wizards who had secured their positions in advance swiftly channeled their mana to harvest the blossoms of the Night Moon Tree.
Dozens of flowers were immediately plucked, but fewer than three of them remained intact.
As the dismal results became apparent, whispers of frustration began to circulate.
“Damn… it’s harder than I thought?”
“So that’s why the old man was smirking earlier.”
Disregarding the reactions of those around him, Lennok began to closely inspect the flowers he had successfully harvested.
While it might remain imperceptible to other wizards, Lennok’s magical sensitivity detected a subtly contorted flow of mana near the root of the flowers.
‘Is it twisting the mana subtly the moment the stem is cut to prevent the leakage of life force?’
It was a delicate knot that proved challenging to execute flawlessly, even with conscious awareness of the technique.
Perhaps because it required maintaining a delicate balance—tying enough mana to prevent life force leakage without overwhelming the flower entirely.
“It’s not easy, is it?”
“……”
Byzen approached Lennok quietly, his patience wearing thin. In his hand were two vibrant blooms that he had somehow managed to preserve.
“Even if you know the technique, it’s often not as easy as you’d think. In my case, I succeed maybe twice in ten attempts.”
He seated himself beside Lennok, gently shaking a Night Moon flower, as if to demonstrate.
“If you’d like, I can teach you the technique…”
He made no effort to conceal his ambition now, his expression resolute.
Lennok paid no heed to Byzen’s offer and reached for a Night Moon tree.
Whoosh…!!
With a gentle infusion of mana, a single flower landed gracefully in Lennok’s hand.
The flower, bathed in the twilight’s glow, radiated with vitality, losing none of its vibrancy.
