Chapter 47: Uninvited Guest (7)

“Are you okay?”

“Hm? Ah.”

“You don’t look good.”

Perhaps it was obvious I had been lost in thought, as Alicia spoke in a worried voice.

“It’s nothing to worry about.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

I myself couldn’t tell if that was a lie or not.

Well, it didn’t really matter.

“Are you okay?”

“Are you worried about me?”

“Is there a reason I shouldn’t be?”

“No, that’s not it. It’s just… never mind. I’m fine.”

Was it just my imagination?

For some reason, it felt like Alicia’s face was blushing slightly.

“Stop chattering. We’re here.”

With Conlan’s words, the shadow of Winter Castle slowly began to reveal itself through the raging blizzard.

Finally, the end of the demonic beast hunt, which was long if you called it long and short if you called it short, was in sight.

“Hoo… home, at last.”

“Home? What home. Does this look like your home? You’ve completely lost your mind.”

“How about you just start accepting it? It’ll only be your loss if you keep acting out like that.”

“Hmph. Ridiculous.”

Whether Conlan and Albino were bickering as always or not, upon returning to Winter Castle, I immediately went to find Edric.

If I had my way, I wanted to set everything aside and look more into the Anonymous Bulletin Board and the Guild Bulletin Board, but there was a procedure for everything.

“Hm? You’ve returned.”

He had said he had other urgent business, but just as I thought, Edric was slacking off in his office.

What should I say… I had expected it, but seeing him relaxing in his office like that, I honestly felt like the Postponer of Ruin’s composure was about to crack.

If he was just going to relax in his office anyway, would it have killed him to help out a little?

“I have returned.”

“Aside from the slightly strange way you’re looking at me, good work. The hunt seemed to be quite long… did you secure as many demonic beast materials as you wanted?”

“Enough that it was quite difficult to bring them all back.”

In fact, the journey back to Winter Castle while carrying those materials was twice as hard as hunting the demonic beasts and the mutant.

If we had run into another pack of demonic beasts on the way, I would have had to worry about the baggage increasing twofold rather than the fight, but fortunately or unfortunately, that didn’t happen.

Well… with demonic beast subjugations continuing like a festival near Winter Castle, it was a result closer to inevitability than coincidence.

“That’s truly splendid. The Pegasus Merchant Guild will be leaving soon, so you’d better hurry. Those merchants factor even time into their calculations, you see.”

“Thank you for the advice.”

“It’s just the advice I should give as your commander, but I’m proud that you take it that way.”

Edric chuckled heartily as always.

To be honest, I thought he might ask if someone like Albino had deserted, but Edric didn’t ask about that at all.

As if the possibility of Albino deserting never existed in the first place.

‘Anyway… he’s still a man I can’t figure out.’

Edric was a commander with many questions surrounding him, but unfortunately, I didn’t have the luxury to worry about Edric right now.

I already had a truckload of things right in front of me.

“Then I’ll be on my way. As you said, Captain, I think I need to hurry.”

This was enough for my work as part of Winter Castle’s scenery, which I ended up doing because of the uninvited guests.

There were just too many things I had to do once I returned to the barracks, like checking on Demonic energy, the guilds, and the new level 3 weapon I’d obtained.

“Ah, before that.”

“Is there something else you need to say?”

“The Pegasus Merchant Guild was looking for you. Dennis, was it? Do you perhaps know him?”

“He’s a stranger to me… Why is he looking for me?”

“I didn’t hear the details of his business. Still, from what I hear, he seems to be a man of high repute within the Pegasus Merchant Guild, so if you have time, try to pay him a visit. I don’t know what it’s about, but couldn’t it be a pretty good opportunity for you as well?”

Dennis…….

If Edric was saying that much, it meant he really was a high-ranking member of the Pegasus Merchant Guild.

But what could it mean for a high-ranking member of the Pegasus Merchant Guild to be looking for me at this time?

I felt this was not a coincidence.

“Understood.”

I didn’t know who Dennis was or why he was looking for me.

Since there was no answer to be found just by mulling it over where I sat, I decided to set everything else aside for a moment and meet this person named Dennis.

“I’ll be going now.”

“Good work.”

“Ah, and I’m just saying this just in case, but my gaze being strange is just your imagination.”

“Haha, I know.”

I left Edric’s office, leaving behind the sound of Edric’s hearty laughter, same as always.

‘Well then…….’

I immediately moved my feet.

To meet the one who had come to Winter Castle, a person I couldn’t tell was an invited guest or an uninvited one.

***

-Hey! That way!

-More, more, more, good! Stop!

At the place where the Pegasus Merchant Guild had set up their temporary camp, work was busily underway.

It was mostly loading the demonic beast materials purchased from Winter Castle onto the wagons.

At a glance, it looked as if they were about to leave at any moment, but looking closely, the only things packed onto the wagons were the trade goods obtained from Winter Castle this time, while the items for sale were still displayed or piled high inside the temporary warehouse.

Should I say it gave off a strong atmosphere that they would leave immediately if you didn’t make a deal this time?

The fact that it seemed like a scene intended to stimulate the other party’s impatience was probably not just my imagination.

As I was loitering around the camp like that, someone who looked like a merchant belonging to the Pegasus Merchant Guild at first glance approached me.

“Sir, what brings you here? Is there perhaps a particular item you are looking for?”

If I said I had an item I needed, the merchant looked ready to immediately hand me a parchment listing the items the Pegasus Merchant Guild handled.

It wasn’t that I wasn’t interested in the items the Pegasus Merchant Guild handled, but unfortunately, I had something else I had to do first.

“I’m here to see someone named Dennis.”

“Ah, you’re looking for Dennis. Excuse me, but may I ask what business you have with Dennis?”

Fortunately, the merchant seemed to already know about this person named Dennis.

It seemed Edric’s words about him being a high-ranking member of the Pegasus Merchant Guild were true.

“I heard that someone named Dennis was looking for me.”

“Sir, excuse me, but may I ask your name?”

“My name is Vell Blackwood.”

“So you are Vell Blackwood. Understood. Please wait here for just a moment.”

Edric had said it.

Those merchants were people who factored even time into their calculations.

As if to prove that fact, it didn’t take long for the merchant, who had disappeared into a tent, to return.

“You were a mage! I kept such a person waiting, not knowing who you were. Please, this way. Dennis is waiting for you.”

Originally, within the Empire, the existence of mages was one that everyone was wary of, but the merchant before me bowed and scraped as if such a fact didn’t even cross his mind.

Well, in a way, it was natural.

For merchants, who prioritized money above all else, the tribe known as mages usually became excellent customers in one way or another.

“This way.”

Following the merchant’s guidance, I stood in front of one particularly large tent.

Just by looking at the attire of those entering and leaving, I could easily tell that the person in here was a considerably high-ranking member within the Pegasus Merchant Guild.

“Please wait just a moment.”

The merchant who guided me said that, then gently lifted the tent flap and spoke cautiously.

“Dennis, a guest has arrived.”

Soon, a low voice was heard from inside.

“Please come in.”

The merchant looked at me and spoke.

“You may go in.”

“Thank you.”

“I hope it will be a good conversation.”

The merchant said that and gently stepped back, and I moved my feet into the tent.

If I had to describe the scenery inside the tent in one word, what should I say… It was a bit shabby compared to the grandeur seen from the outside.

Well, considering that a tent itself was a temporary residence in the first place, it was perhaps natural that there were only practical items inside.

“Oh, my! It’s an honor to meet the Mage of Thunder, who is so famous in Winter Castle. My name is Dennis.”

The moment I faced Dennis, who had a good-natured smile, I knew instinctively.

‘It’s you.’

Anonymous999.

***

It didn’t take any grand reasoning for me to determine that the uninvited guest before me was Anonymous999.

There was one of the easiest ways to distinguish between users and NPCs in the World of Justice, and that was to look at the character’s appearance.

Unlike the appearance of NPCs, which were biased only towards performance, users tended to have equipment settings that cared for both the so-called look and performance.

This was because, in playing an online game, taking care of the character’s individuality or appearance was an extremely natural act as a user.

Whether that was in a good way, or an intentional grotesqueness.

Dennis, who had revealed himself before my eyes, was also like that.

“I am Vell Blackwood.”

“Haha, I heard you weren’t like a mage, and it seems that saying is true. It’s a pleasure to meet you again.”

“What is your business in finding me?”

Dennis, no, what was Anonymous999’s business in finding me?

I had to find out his true intentions.

Because if those true intentions were as I thought… I would have to make a decision.

“The Lagna Continent is currently in chaos. After the Destruction Dragon, which everyone believed to be the advent of the end, suddenly disappeared, mutants that had never appeared before have emerged, and the political situation of the Empire has also changed a lot.”

“Is that your business in finding me?”

“Vell Blackwood, I have heard many stories about you here. The Mage of Thunder, the one who wields thunder, rumors that you even handle ice magic, and despite that, a personality unbecoming of a mage.”

“It is merely an undeserved reputation.”

Dennis smiled brightly and said.

“Ah, you can speak comfortably to me, since we’re fellow players.”

Dennis went beyond my expectations and immediately revealed his identity.

As if there was no need to drag things out.

It was the moment the merchant Dennis before me was confirmed to be Anonymous999.

“What do you mean by that?”

“I’m saying you can speak comfortably.”

Even though I feigned ignorance, Dennis just smiled good-naturedly.

However, his smiling eyes did not take their gaze off me for even a second.

“I really don’t understand. Please explain it so I can understand. Pla… yer? What is that?”

“Hmm. As expected, you’re coming out like that. In that case, it would be polite for our side to reveal the cards we hold, too.”

The cards they hold?

I stared at Dennis, carefully preparing so I could activate Weapon Summon at any time.

“I still don’t know what you’re talking about. May I leave now?”

“No, please wait just a moment, I still have more to say. If you listen to everything… Yes, I will give you 10 Gold. That should be a sufficient price for just listening, don’t you think?”

What action would a native of this world, not a user, show here?

Perhaps, they would be a little flustered, but at the same time, they wouldn’t want to miss out on 10 Gold appearing for free.

Dennis’s aim must have been that, but it was also true that I currently had no justification or practical reason to refuse.

“…Fine. I don’t know what you’re talking about, but do I just have to listen?”

“Of course. You possess a wisdom befitting a mage in this aspect, I see.”

Soon, Dennis put his hand inside his breast pocket.

I didn’t relax my guard, wondering if he might pull out a weapon, but what Dennis took out was not a weapon.

“Have you ever seen an ore like this?”

What Dennis showed me was an ore emitting a light that was extremely familiar to me as well.

It had to be.

Because that was an Ascension Stone Fragment.

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