Chapter 113

The path to the inn was perfectly described by the word desolate.

For a city of its size, one that even had a lord’s castle, there were very few people.

It was the moment I understood why they had taken in a man who came down from the mountains claiming to have lost his memory.

It must have meant they were short even one person.

“You’ll sleep here.”

A single old bed and a desk that looked like it could fall apart at any moment were all that was in the room.

The woman who had shoved me into the inn room like a piece of luggage, the gate soldier Aziel, sighed and said.

“You’ll eat downstairs. Got it?”

“Yes.”

She seemed to want to get rid of me quickly, so I gave a bland reply, but she looked rather dissatisfied.

She spoke with a sullen face.

“What do you mean, ‘yes’? You look like you can’t even ask for food. Follow me.”

As we went down to the first-floor inn, everyone’s attention was momentarily focused on me.

“Is that him?”

“The kid Bucks found? He looks young.”

“I heard he lost his memory. He must’ve gotten smacked in the back of the head by an Orc.”

“By the way, Aziel. You’re done already? I thought you were in your prime.”

The people around snickered at the last man’s joke.

“From what I heard from your wife, you’re not one to talk, mister.”

The people’s laughter grew louder.

The man made a gesture of raising both hands in surrender.

The interest in me vanished in an instant as soon as the innkeeper brought out beer.

I, on the other hand, was still looking at the people.

Even as they forced themselves to joke around, their faces were plastered with worry.

The topics of their conversations were the same.

How to survive another day, when the person sent from the Order would arrive, that the Monsters were getting closer and closer, and so on.

Even I, who knew little, could tell it was all negative.

But the reason I was staring at them so intently wasn’t because of things like that.

It was because every single one of them was at least C-Rank.

Even the innkeeper carrying the beer.

At this point, I could be certain.

Buff Stones and Skill Books existed here, too.

This was getting more and more interesting.

If our world was to be ruined, would it become like this?

I wanted to see a little more of this world.

Because when I returned to my original world, there would be at least one more thing that could be of help.

“If you keep staring like that, you’ll get your eyes poked out with a fork. The men here have nasty tempers.”

Aziel flicked her fingers and pushed a beer toward me.

Her expression was still sullen.

“You said your name is Isaac, right? Training starts tomorrow.”

When I stared at her blankly, Aziel shrugged as if to say, “What are you looking at?”

“Did you think we’d feed and house you for free in our poor state? A guy whose identity hasn’t even been confirmed?”

Come to think of it, she had asked me to help if a battle broke out.

“If you’re going to run, run now. Well, you probably wouldn’t last three hours outside the city, though.”

I nodded moderately and said.

It would probably be best to change my way of speaking to match this world.

“Where is the library?”

“Where?”

“The library.”

Aziel looked at me as if she’d heard nonsense. Then she shook her head and stood up.

“Completely nuts.”

Leaving those words behind, Aziel left.

Then, she flung the door open and came back in.

”Aish, follow me!“

“A library? Goodness. You’ve got it easy. You’re probably the first person to look for a library in this city.”

I deserved to be called someone who had it easy.

Even I had to admit that the sight of me heading to a library while everyone else was on edge about when the Monsters would attack was quite a spectacle.

“Isn’t that the guy from yesterday?”

“Must be crazy. Leave him be. You don’t mess with a crazy person.”

The library was covered in a thick layer of dust, as if it hadn’t been managed in a long time.

Most of the books were dried up and shriveled or covered in mold.

Nevertheless, there was no problem with the information I was looking for.

[Life of Saint Dragorin Ian]

“Found it.”

-Saint Dragorin Ian was born in Odore in the year 885 of the Imperial Calendar…

Skip.

-In the year 898 of the Imperial Calendar, he met Saint Isaac and received his teachings, beginning his study of Dragon Language Magic…

Skip.

-In the year 900 of the Imperial Calendar, he was taught Supreme Magic by Saint Ajadun.

Skip.

-At that time, the Demons invaded, and the land was filled with chaos. In the year 902 of the Imperial Calendar, Saint Dragorin Ian subdued and sealed one of the Demon Kings, Entesto.

-In 903, he unified the empire and personally punished the Emperor and nobles who dared to defy him.

-In 904, he unified the continent and divided it into sectors, naming them Sector 1 through Sector 18.

-In 905, taking pity on the foolish commoners who found it difficult to learn magic, he personally created Buff Stones and Skill Books. With these, all people could easily and conveniently master 10 Classes, including magic.

-In 907, he was killed in action while sealing the 4th-ranked Demon King, Kaldrak. With his last words, he prophesied his own Resurrection.

That was the end of it. The content was similar in other books.

I had a rough idea of the situation.

I had expected it, but…

The way Ian and I handled things was absurdly similar.

Would the result be the same, then?

The city was divided into Sector 1 through Sector 18, and the areas between the sectors were teeming with Demons and Monsters.

The authority to cross between sectors was granted only to a select few with permission from the Lu Order.

Anyone else who went out would only meet a dog’s death.

The population was at most 20 million, and even they were just barely getting by day to day, worried about when the Monsters might attack.

This analogy is a bit much, but the expression ‘surviving like cockroaches’ felt appropriate.

A situation that could collapse at any moment.

“So you’re saying this could be what Earth will look like.”

A desolate, horrifying world where only the struggle for survival remained.

A chill ran down my spine, but I shook my head.

I came here to prevent that from happening.

I focused on the book again.

It was written in the book.

The noble body of the deceased Ian was buried in Sector 1.

Sector 1.

The headquarters of the Lu Order, once called Elsland.

I had to go there.

But I had no intention of rushing.

Look at how I got here.

I was going to milk this for all it was worth.

If this place was the future of the world I lived in, I would observe it in great detail, figure out what was needed, and prepare countermeasures.

And things like that can’t be felt from a mere book.

I had to feel it with my skin, breathe it in, and blend in among them.

Blending in with people?

That’s my specialty.

“You want to join the battle?”

“Yes. I feel bad for getting free meals, so I’d like to be of some small help.”

Bucks, the one who first found me, looked at me with suspicious eyes.

What’s this guy’s game? He was just holed up in the library. How can he help?

That was exactly the look he was giving me.

“If you’re worried about what Aziel said about training or whatever, forget it. We have no intention of making you do that. Just hold a shield in the front when the Monsters attack. That’s your job.”

”Then I’ll at least hold a towel for you while you train.“

Bucks let out a deep sigh. Aziel, who was next to him, was making a fuss, telling him to at least give me a chance.

He had no choice.

“You were holding a sword yesterday. Your Class must be Swordsman, right?”

The area around the Training Arena was packed with people.

Wasn’t this a town where the only thing to do was fight Monsters?

Everyone had come, happy for the first spectacle in a long time.

Clang- Clang- Clang!

The test ended quickly.

After clashing wooden practice swords a few times, I dropped mine at an appropriate moment.

“I’ve lost.”

Bucks went, “Hoh,” and tilted his head.

“You’re more useful than I thought. Did you learn the sword properly?”

The onlookers nodded as if they agreed.

“His form is better than I expected.”

”It’s not something to make such a fuss about, though.“

“What did you expect from a D-Rank? He’s not bad for that level.”

This was what I had been aiming for.

There was a reason for doing this.

It was to test the message the System had given me.

[Please hide your identity until you reach the safe zone.]

The exact meaning of hiding my identity.

Whether it meant hiding my power, or hiding the fact that I was Ian.

It was time to find out, little by little.

So, just enough to blend in with the people without any trouble.

I displayed only that much skill.

Clang-!

“Are you alright?”

“Ugh, damn. I almost died. You said your name was Isaac, right? Thanks.”

I appropriately saved a soldier who was about to be killed by a Monster while out on patrol.

The tracking rate didn’t go up.

I decided to move a little more boldly.

“Your stance seems a little off. It would be better to pull your ankle back.”

“What, punk? Who are you to give me advice… what the. This is much more comfortable. Where did you learn swordsmanship?”

I gave some swordsmanship advice to a Swordsman who was in the middle of a struggle.

The tracking rate didn’t move.

Crunch-

“Huh. Hey, the guy who lost his memory. What was your name again? Isaac? Weren’t you D-Rank?”

I stealthily raised my Rank by one.

The tracking rate didn’t move.

This time, I turned my attention elsewhere entirely.

-Master.

I called Oried.

“How are the contracts with the other Elemental Kings coming along?”

-They have all acknowledged you, Master, and have decided to obey.

“Good work.”

-It is all thanks to you becoming stronger, Master. I have done nothing.

I stroked the loyal Oried and drew a magic circle.

As I had been preparing in advance, the contracts were completed in an instant.

-The Elemental King of Fire, Ifrit, greets you, Master.

-The Elemental King of Water, Elquines, greets you, Master.

-The Elemental King of Wind, Minerva, greets you, Master.

Seeing the four Elemental Kings kneeling in turn, I felt reassured.

It was like gaining three more powerhouses on the level of Yeo Ju-kyung.

And I could summon them at any time.

At the same time, I looked at the System Message. The tracking rate still hadn’t changed.

No change even after I drew out my power?

“So the sectors are the safe zones.”

Which meant the tracking rate would go up if I went outside.

The time it took to confirm this much was one week.

In that time, people’s assessment of me had changed completely.

“Isaac. Have a drink.”

Bucks patted my shoulder.

After going on a few operations outside the castle walls, he had come to trust me completely.

“That guy’s something else.”

The atmosphere of looking at me like a crazy person for going to the library disappeared in a week.

Thanks to gaining their favor, I was able to see vividly how this place worked. How these people lived, what they needed, and what they had to do in the future.

I meticulously organized in my head the things I needed to improve when I returned to my world.

The most important thing is hope.

The expectation and hope that tomorrow will be better than today.

This world on the brink of ruin didn’t have that. That’s why they would force a cheerful mood even when a stranger showed a little bit of skill. They were desperately trying to find anything that resembled hope.

I declined the harsh-tasting beer and went outside.

There was something else I needed to check.

I closed my eyes and drew a picture in my head. How I would reach Sector 1.

Plan 1.

Use Teleport exactly three times to arrive at Sector 1.

The tracking rate?

Damn it. It would reach 100 percent in that time.

Monsters, led by a Demon King, would come to kill me.

This plan is scrapped.

Plan 2.

Walk to Sector 1.

I try to use Stealth as much as possible, but it’s no use.

The ones who find me will attack.

Their numbers will increase.

Eventually, I release my power. The tracking rate reaches 100%.

A Demon King drops from the sky. I hastily use the key and return to my original world.

The operation fails.

This plan is also scrapped.

“Tsk.”

I clicked my tongue and opened my eyes.

Aziel had come to my side at some point.

“How is it? Are your memories coming back?”

“Seems to be the same as before.”

“You used to go to the library every day, but you haven’t been lately. Should I take you?”

“It’s fine.”

“Then how about you take me?”

“?”

“Do you know the rumors going around about you? That you might be the child of a high-ranking noble from one of the upper sectors. Try to get your memory back.”

She must be a woman with a lot of affection, despite her prickly attitude.

Aziel, who had been chattering away, suddenly clamped her mouth shut.

I looked where she was looking.

“Stop whining. I’m risking my life to come here too. Huh?”

“Oh, of course. Of course. I know that very well.”

It was the person who was said to have come from the Order.

High Priest Peter of the Demon Subjugation and Restoration Society.

He possessed a fleshy belly unbecoming of a Priest.

He gestured with his eyes to the Holy Knight next to him.

The burly men, presumed to be Holy Knights, set something down.

A familiar object. A Buff Stone.

Aziel, who was next to me, seethed.

“That son of a bitch.”

He brought Buff Stones, so he should be called a benefactor, but she called him a son of a bitch.

But there was a good reason for it.

Smack-!

The next moment, Bucks, who had been groveling beside him, had his cheek slapped.

“But what’s with that look in your eyes? Some of us are risking our lives coming from Sector 1. What’s with that look?”

“It’s a misunderstanding, Priest.”

“A misunderstanding? You think my eyes are fucked up?”

Smack-!

Bucks’s cheek was slapped once more.

“Who is that man?”

“Who do you think? A son of a bitch from the Order.”

Aziel spat as if disgusted.

The son of a bitch from the Order was surrounded by Holy Knights.

There looked to be well over a hundred of them. Each one was A-Rank or higher, the elite of the elite.

In front of them, the people of Sector 1 couldn’t move a muscle.

I asked, just in case.

“Did that man come from Sector 1?”

Aziel seethed and nodded.

Smack-

In the meantime, Bucks’s cheek was slapped one more time.

“Am I asking for something difficult? I’m not. Is it so hard to just wait quietly in this shitty sector?”

I strode toward them.

I found him.

The person who will take me to Sector 1.