Eps 187
Infinite Mage
Eps 187 Nors Shelter (2)
"Is this Nors Shelter?"
"Yes. This place is particularly strong with the Rapport of light. It can transport hundreds of Nors. I heard it used to be the site of a Light Altar, and its effects linger."
"It's more peaceful than I expected. Is it safe from extraterrestrial attacks and heretic hunts?"
"It's not too far from those dangers, but we've cloaked it with a light curtain. From outside Nors Shelter, it just looks like a plain."
It was a similar principle to invisibility magic.
Invisibility bends light with electric power to become transparent. However, here, the reflectance of light was set to 100% and assimilated into the landscape as if a mirror had been erected.
Those with keen eyes might spot the repeating patterns, but it seemed unlikely anyone would take the effort in such vast lands.
"Of course, the higher beings of Heaven could detect it if they tried, but no one cares about life in Purgatory. The only ones that generate heat are Kerugoan and hungry extraterrestrials.”
Near the forest, a makeshift tent village had formed. There were also merchants setting up stalls. There were no customers, but they were chatting leisurely, as if they had no intention of selling anything.
Godlock explained these were merchants heading to the mainland shops. It was literally a resting place, and for proper merchandise, one must visit Nors shop.
Nevertheless, it was said that sometimes divine subjects would come to procure Nors items, and Canya and Lena were one of those types.
Since arriving at Nors Shelter, Canya had been tense. While Purgatory was neutral ground, this place belonged to heretics.
Thus, without even making eye contact with Shirone's group, she asked Godlock.
“Where can I buy Nors medicine?”
"Hmm, would the herbalist be here? Try over there."
As Canya walked away, Godlock shouted behind her.
"Just remember one thing. You absolutely cannot fight in Nors Shelter. Got it?"
No answer came back. Instead, Lena looked back at Shirone and smiled. It was a pretty smile trying to make up for her older sister's rudeness, but it was also a smile that contained the girl's self-interest.
"Oppa, see you later."
"Sure. I hope you find what you're looking for."
No matter how large Nors Shelter was, they was still here, but since conversation was impossible outside of Arin's Spirit Zone, it was okay to call it a farewell.
Shirone watched Canya's departing figure.
She seemed anxious.
What did she leave Heaven to seek?
While Shirone was lost in thought, Godlock examined the wound on his abdomen. The bleeding had stopped, but the wound area was a mess. Without proper treatment, it could become dangerous.
"I'll take a rest. The bleeding has made me tired. Clove will teach you how to buy things. You'll need to know if you're going to live in Purgatory."
Because his master's face was pale, Clove could not bear to refuse. He took Shirone and his group to the stall and his eyes lit up when he realized that there were more merchants than usual.
"So, about that White Elixir you got, are you planning to use it now?"
"Well, I'll look at the goods first and buy anything I need. Why?"
"If you're willing to pay a brokerage fee, I can negotiate for you. It's your first time here, so you won't know the good stuff is, right?"
There weren't many things that could be obtained with White Elixir at Nors Shelter. It was like paying gold coins to buy apples.
However, since Shirone did not know what valuable items were, there was a good chance that he could get a piece of cake if he negotiated well with the merchant.
Shirone checked the location of his friends. They were scattered, browsing goods. Since they were connected via Physic Channel, there was no need to gather them.
- Clove is hinting at a brokerage fee. What should we do?
- Well, it seems like we might need a middleman. Honestly, I have no idea what most of these items are, other than clothes and food. But can we trust him?
Arin responded to Amy’s words.
- I can recognize that.
Shirone made a decision.
Through Initial State, she could tell if Clove was trying to scam them. He hoped that wouldn't be the case. While they were willing to pay a brokerage fee, wasting time on useless emotional fights was a loss to both parties.
"Alright, let's look around together. Introduce us to what's available."
As Clove led the way, friends gathered around Shirone.
The items handled were diverse, perhaps because many merchants from the mainland were included.
At first, it was a daily necessity. Things like food, clothing, pillows, and blankets may seem common, but they were important items to the heretics living in Purgatory.
Clove said, pointing to the white bread that looked like a pebble.
"This is Calara, an essential for heretic travelers. Made with elixir, just one can keep you full all day."
Amy crouched down for a closer look.
There were many different colors, but other than that, there was nothing special about it, so she couldn't guess what it tasted like.
If one Calara could suffice for a day's meal, it seemed like a decent item, though whether it should be the top priority was debatable.
“Hmm, it looks cute and round. Should we try one?"
When Amy threw out the bait, Clove asked quickly. They could tell how sincerely he was mediating through the words that came out of his mouth.
"This is an incredible item. Even if you're stranded in the wilderness, this alone can sustain you for a month. It's best to buy as much as you can while you have the chance."
Meanwhile, Clove winked at the merchant.
Arin scratched her head in embarrassment. It was so blatant that she didn't even need to analyze it.
Assuming her friends were aware, she skipped the unnecessary explanations and went straight to the conclusion.
- Should we just do it ourselves? I don't think this kid has any intention of doing anything right.
Amy stuck her tongue out at his brazenness.
- Seems like it. But let's keep him around for now. Who would've guessed this pebble was food? Anyway, we need someone to introduce us to things. He’s not lying, is he?
- Un. He just really wants to earn some elixirs. Must be quite desperate. Seeing him like this, I kind of feel sorry for him.
Canis snickered.
- I guess so. Beyond his magical prowess, his situational judgment and quick response are lacking. Can a guy like this even hunt properly? That's probably why he's so greedy.
The power of magic varies widely with level, but it cannot be a standard for determining superiority or inferiority in detail. This is because efficiency and compatibility vary with the environment and situation.
Even if the Whirlwind Serpent's magical power was overwhelming, it lost to Shirone for the same reason.
To determine the level of a mage, one need to see how quickly and accurately they make magical judgments.
Of course, developing such skills takes longer than improving magical abilities. This is also the reason there often anecdotes that told about mercenaries being hired based on their visible magic skills, only to be wiped out due to the mage's mistake.
Having traveled the continent in search of Arcane's legacy, Canis had more such experiences than most.
Considering how effective Shirone and Amy's judgment was in the three battles that took place after arriving in Heaven, Clove was at a level where it would be embarrassing to even call him a mage.
The next place Clove introduced was a stall selling drugs.
Shirone had heard Canya arguing with this drug seller earlier but couldn't understand without the Physic Channel.
Clove introduced various medicines to the group.
There were Small flasks contained colorful liquids, said to be made with elixirs.
It is said that the red potion heals wounds and the blue potion clears the mind. Those two types were the most common.
Drugs of different colors also had unique effects.
It is said that the pink potion amplifies feelings of love, and the brown potion allows you to permanently remember memories of a specific time.
Shirone pointed to a white potion he saw Canya arguing over.
"What's this potion for?"
Clove narrowed his eyes in surprise and picked up the vial.
"Oh? They had this? It's quite difficult to make."
"What's it used for?"
"It's a stimulant called Epines. Someone who drinks this can go a week without sleep and still be fine. It's especially effective for mahes. For instance, if affected by Howling and your mind is disturbed, this can help you endure."
Shirone summarized Clove's explanation in his own way. If the blue potion enhanced magical power, the white seemed to boost endurance.
"It seems perfect for you guys. It's pricey, but I can negotiate a discount. How about buying it?"
Shirone had no intention of purchasing Epines. The promise of a week without sleep for enhanced endurance was tempting, but taking consumables back to his world felt wasteful.
If it is a one-of-a-kind item, finding the right moment becomes difficult. In Purgatory, it may be something to be gulped down whenever an emergency arises, but for a mage in the other world, it will actually act as a magic drink. (세상에 하나밖에 없는 물건이라면 사용할 타이밍을 잡기가 애매해진다. 연옥에서야 위급할 때마다 벌컥벌컥 들이켜는 것이겠지만 저쪽 세상의 마법사에게는 오히려 심마로 작용할 것이다.)
He even thought about its effectiveness the night before practical exams but discarded the idea, fearing expulsion for taking banned drugs.
After the pointless analysis passed, Shirone's thoughts returned to Canya.
Stimulant.
What exactly did she intend to do with this drug?
When Shirone snapped back to his senses, the group had moved on to the next stall.
A tree vine that grows tens of meters within 10 minutes of planting the seed was said to be essential for traveling rocky terrains, and items like flame powder that boils water when sprinkled into it seemed magical.
While listening to Clove's explanations, Shirone noticed Amy standing apart, engrossed in something.
Shirone, curious to see her staring at something without even blinking, walked over.
There was something moving inside a basket shaped like a birdcage. It was a ball of fire.
Alive and moving fireball?
As Clove approached, Shirone asked, pointing to the cage.
"What's this?"
Clove, who was looking inside the cage, opened his eyes wide in surprise as if the object was unfamiliar.
"Wow, is that a spirit? Sir, where did you catch this? You've hit the jackpot."
"Haha! The story is long. I had a good dream for the first time in ages and went hunting outside the community. Sulphur worms occasionally give green elixirs, so I caught a few, but all I got were red ones. Damn, just as I thought it was all a fucking stupid dream and was about to head back, I got caught by a 'Fire Claw'. Thinking of my wife, I ran for my life and then tumbled down a cliff. And my god, that place was a Fire Spot, thanks to the sulphur gas leaking from the ground, fire had been burning there for years. So I was about to drink the brown potion to remember it, but the fire came at me with a burst. I just sprayed it. Without thinking, I pulled out the spirit cage and caught it. Anyway, that's how it happened, hahaha!"
Clove was in no mood to laugh along. He envied why such fortunes never came his way.
Sulfur earthworms were a common extraterrestrial species found in lava areas as well as Muspel, the Land of Fire.
These were extraterrestrial worms, about 1 meter in size, that could spray lava but were sluggish, making them an easy catch even for Clove.
The only problem was the Fire Claw, a powerful extraterrestrial creature. Having survived an encounter with such a formidable creature and even capturing a fire spirit, it seemed like he was born under a lucky law.
Shirone looked back at Amy. She was looking at herself with a puzzled look.
He fully understood her desire to own it.
If there had been a light spirit in the cage, he wouldn't have known what he might do.
For the first time, Shirone seriously asked about its price.
"Sir, how much for this?"
Conveying intent trough telepathy was something unfamiliar even to merchants. But he just blinked his eyes and responded calmly.
It was possible to think this was just the nature of merchants, but Shirone deduced one possibility from his reaction.
It could be that not only they were the ones who didn't use the language of the divine subject in this world.
|Note
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