Chapter 137 – Underworld Roafra (1)
It took only half a day from Rines to arrive at Asern.
Passing through the familiar gates and streets, they reached Perne's tavern. Inside, Perne was sorting through papers with the spirit Blue.
As soon as he made his presence known, she turned her head.
"Ah! Welcome, Asher-nim! Did everything go well with Calia-nim?"
"Yeah."
Verden nodded.
Judging by the rare brightness in his expression, it was clear that there had been some sort of gain.
But then—
"Huh?"
Perne tilted her head as she stared blankly at Verden.
"What's wrong?"
"No, it's just… you seem different somehow."
Verden's ability to manipulate magic power was already at a transcendent level. It had deepened further since reaching the 5th tier.
Based on that, Verden's control over his mana was so refined that an ordinary person wouldn't even realize he was a Mage.
That might have been why Perne felt a sense of discrepancy.
It was simply a difference in familiarity.
Blue, on the other hand, grasped Verden precisely.
Because he was composed of none other than Verden's magic power.
Tremble, tremble, tremble.
Blue quivered faintly. The abyss of blue mana that now felt closer than ever had terrified him.
It would likely take some time before he got used to it.
Seeing the reactions of the spirit and Perne, Verden shrugged.
"Must be your imagination."
"Is that so?"
"More importantly, is everything I asked for ready?"
Verden shifted the topic.
He had no intention of wasting words trying to explain that he had reached the 5th tier.
Boasting like that was meaningless, the auction was what mattered.
Perne replied confidently.
"The cash you requested is all stored safely in the basement. Shall I show you right away?"
Verden nodded.
Thus he followed Perne down into the tavern's basement.
At the center stood a long table.
Beside it were large sacks stacked neatly, each bulging with bundles of money.
"The gold bars, Damascus steel, and mithril ingots were sold at market price, and including the commission fees, I converted everything into cash."
Here, Bartol's help had been considerable.
As a loan shark, he had expertise in raising liquid funds.
"And Bartol lent 2.2 billion Elk in cash, he said he'd give plenty of time to repay and set the interest low, but told me to make sure you pay it back, Asher-nim."
"Tell him I have no intention of running from debt. By the way, nothing from Owl?"
"That came two days ago. Here's the settlement statement."
The magical items of Black Wolf Toreld—
Those that had been entrusted to Owl had all been processed and converted into cash.
Verden carefully read through the statement.
It was detailed enough that there was no doubt about missing anything, and the sum was satisfactory.
He asked another question.
"What about the auction invitation?"
Perne pointed to a sack lying at the lower left.
"It sold exactly five days ago for 2.839 billion Elk. It didn't break the record of 3 billion, but it was still a high price. Conveniently, the underworld released some information at that time."
"Information…?"
"They say an artifact will be up for auction. Of course, I'm sure you already knew that, Asher-nim."
Indeed, he did.
So it didn't matter how many people wanted the artifact, or what they did to get it.
[Crown of the Witch's Thorn]
He had no intention of buying an artifact he couldn't even use, nor did he have the budget for it.
'Still, thanks to that, the invitation sold at a high price. So it worked out.'
But the settlements weren't over yet.
"What about the Bracelet of Mana Nullification?"
It was an item Verden could use, but it wasn't worth much to him.
Dispersing the mana of even magic circles was undeniably useful, but dismantling circles was nothing to Verden.
In a situation where money was more important, selling it was better.
"I expected it to be hard to find a buyer because of its price, but it sold quicker than I thought. It was sold through the Adventurers' Guild, so all I know is that the buyer was an adventurer…"
Perne pointed to the largest sack.
Inside was an enormous sum of cash from the unidentified adventurer.
"They must have really needed it, they didn't even negotiate, and I got more than market price."
"That's good."
"Isn't it?"
In the end, they had acquired far more funds than originally expected.
"But even so, it's not nearly enough for the amount you're aiming for, Asher-nim. So I looked for commissions, but none were over a billion…"
"I don't need commissions for now. The funding problem is already solved."
"…Excuse me?"
Verden handed over Calia's seal necklace.
An emblem of Esperanza, intricately crafted, its ruby-red reflection glinting in the eye.
Perne blinked blankly, then recoiled with a gasp.
"T-This is…!"
"With that, I secured a 2.5 billion Elk loan in cash from Dyna Bank. They even mobilized an airship, so it should arrive in Asern within three days."
Gulp.
Perne swallowed hard.
She couldn't comprehend what sort of commission he had done to receive Calia's credit.
One thing was certain—it must have been unimaginably dangerous.
Yet what shocked her more was the amount Verden had spoken.
'2.5 billion…'
Compared to the debts that once crushed her, it was on another level entirely—an amount that could make someone faint just by hearing it.
Despite shouldering such debt, Verden remained expressionless.
Because he was confident he could repay it.
And he truly did have the ability to do so.
'So that means, in total…'
About 5.1 billion Elk.
For an individual—not a wealthy merchant, not an ancient noble house—it was an absurdly colossal sum.
Perne erased from her mind all the commissions she had been considering.
Now, all that remained was to participate in the underworld auction.
But before that, there was something she had to say.
"Asher-nim, do you by any chance know about an organization called Vintert?"
***
Vintert.
It was a name he had heard from Calia.
"The group that has a non-aggression pact with the Marquisate of Esperanza?"
"That's right. They're so broad, organized, and powerful that even the Marquisate can't recklessly bare their blades against them."
Drugs, murder, prostitution, smuggling, security, illegal slavery, investments, gambling—the underworld power ruling Roafra, Vintert, thrived on such organized crime.
Especially those working in security or assassination were exceedingly dangerous.
There were even former adventurers who had reached Mithril rank solo, without a party.
Verden furrowed his brow at that.
The candidate for Ark, the Bloodstained Sword Leira, was considered the next Mithril rank… so did that mean Vintert had someone equal to or stronger than her?
"To think someone of Mithril rank strength would be in the underworld. Hard to believe."
"That's what sets Roafra apart from other nations' underworlds. It's the largest in the entire eastern continent. And the leader of Vintert, called the 'King of the Underworld,' is said to be an even greater monster."
The royal family of Estiria ruled the light.
Vintert ruled the shadow of the kingdom.
They were an entirely different breed from the Union.
They cared nothing for justification, and even more, they were the absolute backing of the First Prince.
To oppose them was no less than opposing a royal faction itself.
Perne spoke softly.
"Of course, I'm sure you'll manage, Asher-nim… but Roafra is vast, and there are that many criminals. One wrong step, and you could easily get caught up in an incident."
So then,
"It might be better to hire a professional guide… what do you think?"
Perne phrased it indirectly, but it was easy enough to catch her meaning.
'She means not to clash with Vintert.'
In other words, to let a guide lead the way and avoid unnecessary friction.
Indeed, if multiple people with Mithril-rank strength truly existed there, hostility would only bring troublesome complications.
But Perne didn't know.
What she understood of Verden's strength was nothing more than a fragment.
'Still, I don't intend to make enemies needlessly.'
Of course, if they openly showed hostility first, or constantly blocked his path, then that would be another matter.
Hiding such thoughts, Verden answered,
"A guide, huh. It's true that having someone to lead the way would be convenient."
At that, Perne's face brightened.
"Ah! Then I'll find someone reliable for you!"
"I'll leave it to you."
With business concluded, he immediately left the tavern.
Perne watched Verden's back as he departed.
'There's really no reason for Asher-nim and Vintert to clash…'
So why was she so uneasy?
It felt as if he would get deeply entangled in something.
Whether by choice or by force… just like when he ended up opposing the Union's dark Mage back in Mildruen.
"No way, surely not…"
Perne shook her head.
And so, she forced herself to shake off the anxiety.
***
While waiting for the cash to be delivered from Dyna Bank, Verden took the time to register a new 5th-tier earth spell into his magic tome.
Spells of the 4th tier or lower consumed intermediate or advanced magic stones, but 5th-tier spells required high-grade stones as material, and could only be registered one at a time.
The cost of materials was by no means trivial.
'Good thing I brought those magic stones from the Mildruen mine.'
Thanks to that, he had been able to register the spell without spending a single coin. His earth magic, already formidable in raw power, was strengthened further—enough to damage even armor forged from rare metals.
After that, Verden focused on understanding his current state and threw himself into mastering new magic.
The structure of high-tier enchantment magic he had understood and analyzed in Rines.
Using that as a foundation, Verden tried to awaken a new 5th-tier spell, though it was far from simple.
Unlike elemental magic, which ended at theory and calculation, enchantment magic directly affected the body or objects.
Simply grasping it in the mind was not enough.
He had to actually wield the magic, fully experiencing its sensations to make it usable in real combat.
Even with the 4th-tier spell, Elemental Enchant, he had only succeeded after several failures.
Naturally, mastering a 5th-tier enchantment spell demanded far more time and effort.
Verden stood at the center of Sloan Forest.
He gathered magic power far above into the air, forming a blue sphere.
Then, closing one eye, he invoked the spell.
Half of Verden's vision shifted into the sphere.
As the sphere moved slowly, his sight moved along with it.
There was a faint tremor at first, but no scattering of mana midway.
'…Success.'
Granting sight to mana.
Such was the nature of 5th-tier spells, less flashy than 4th-tier but far more practical, specialized spells existed in every branch.
But precisely because of that depth, mastering them was never easy.
Even Verden had taken days to learn this single spell.
Compared to others, it was unimaginably fast, but his standard was never relative—it was absolute.
To be more talented than others, to work harder than others—such things were meaningless.
What mattered to Verden was only the overwhelming strength born from those things.
Because the world was merciless to the weak.
"Huu…"
Dispelled, Verden sat against a tree, resting his back.
Dozens, even hundreds of attempts had strained his eyes.
But since he had achieved results, it was fine.
With more time, and if he mastered stronger enchantments, his power would rise significantly.
'And someday, if I reach the Way of Magic…'
…perhaps the time to face the tower master would come sooner than expected.
Thinking that, Verden enjoyed his rest.
But, there was one thing that weighed on his mind.
Verden looked down at his chest—specifically, his heart.
'This, I truly can't figure out.'
In his heart was an unfathomable, unknown magic, as though it were the core of a magic tower.
Even after repeatedly examining his inner body while studying enchantments, he had discovered nothing.
The sudden change to blue eyes and ashen hair when he achieved Defying the Heavens… perhaps it was related.
Both shared the common thread of being without explanation.
Thus Verden's stance was clear.
'Since it presents no problem now, nor any solution, all I can do is leave it be.'
Forcing meaning out of no clues was nothing but a waste of time.
So the days passed.
Nine days remained until the auction.
It was time to head for Roafra.
***
Verden packed his belongings.
The Soul Tree's trunk, Breath of Element, mana crystals, magic tome—he packed the essentials first.
Then the billions in cash, potions, water, and food.
He strapped the space bag, nearly at its capacity, to his waist, completing his preparations.
Beside him, Perne spoke.
"His name is Samwell. He mainly guides nobles who visit the underworld. He'll be waiting obviously at the south gate, so you won't have any trouble finding him."
Verden nodded.
And with Perne seeing him off, he left Asern.
The season shifted from winter to spring.
The sun shone high, the blue sky road above was a breathtaking sight.
In time, the sunset fell and night came.
When that happened, Verden would rest lightly on thick branches.
Of course, he never forgot to set up a magic circle in case of danger.
Then he would set out again toward his destination.
A journey more free than ever.
So two days passed, and at last his destination came into view.
The great city of Auroffle.
Its massive walls and towering buildings, its scale rivaled that of Rines.
'Beneath that city lies an underworld, Roafra, even larger than this above ground?'
He had no knowledge of architecture, but it must have cost astronomical sums.
Surely, extraordinary magical technology had also been involved.
For if even a single crack appeared, both the surface city and the underground underworld would collapse in an instant.
Verden descended to the ground.
As Perne had said, he passed through the south gate. No mishap occurred during inspection.
And the moment he turned his head to look for the guide named Samwell—
[Welcome, valued customer!]
So read the placard.
Beside it, a kindly-looking man waved a small flag.