Apostle of the Void

[Translator - Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader - Kyros]

Chapter 43: In the Red Mountain Range (7)

The next morning, Arzen woke up late in his inn.

Even the birds, whose songs heralded the dawn, had already quieted down.

When he opened the window, the refreshing early autumn breeze swept into the room.

A peculiar climate formed in Aurelinople due to its location near the Red Mountain Range.

It was famous for its mild weather year-round. Amazingly, even winter wasn’t cold here.

‘Today is a well-deserved rest day for the great Arzen. Heh heh.’

It wasn’t just about working nonstop, as following his original plan wasn’t always the best idea.

He had decided to work for two days and rest on the third.

‘Today, I’ll explore the famous spots and restaurants of Aurelinople!’

When Arzen asked the innkeeper for some recommendations, the man looked a bit disheartened.

“Why not just eat at our restaurant?”

“I eat here every day, for crying out loud.”

“You’re not saying it was bad, are you?”

“It’s good, but how can I eat the same thing every day?!”

“Fair enough. Then, how about visiting Fride’s birthplace? It’s our most famous tourist attraction.”

“Fride’s birthplace?”

“She was the Priestess of the Fire Dragon. A hero who quelled the chaos 400 years ago. She’s the pride of Aurelinople.”

“Yeah, I know that much.”

Fride was a key support member of the Lista party, the legendary group of warriors from 400 years ago.

Incidentally, she was also a companion of Lyn, the Archmage whom the Lynne Guild revered.

‘They say she could easily deploy a barrier that covered the size of an entire city... hmm.’

If that wasn’t just a legend, then there was no doubt she was on a level far beyond what Arzen could currently reach.

‘There are simply too many eyewitness accounts for it to be mere exaggeration or fiction.’

Not to mention, even Platinum-ranked mercenaries of the time, as well as Diamond-ranked mercenaries, were swept away like leaves in the wind. Clearly, she was in a league of her own.

‘Of course, that was all before I awakened the Power of the Void, heh.’

Arzen decided to check out what the so-called "support member of the overhyped party" from 400 years ago was all about.

“And any restaurant recommendations?”

The innkeeper replied that the best places were clustered near the dock area.

It made sense since fresh goods were brought in both by land and sea routes.

“There’s a well-functioning tram system in the city. If you’re a tourist, you can purchase a day pass.”

“A tourist?”

“If you don’t have citizenship, you’re considered a tourist. If you plan on walking around all day, it’s definitely worth it to get a pass.”

His destination was set.

After finishing his warm milk, Arzen made his way to the tram stop.

The ticket office was conveniently located near the station by the city gate, so buying a pass wasn’t difficult.

The staff stamped it with today’s date.

“You can only use this on the trams running in the city. If caught falsifying the date, you’ll be fined fifty times the fare, so be careful.”

It seemed like something best avoided.

After waiting about ten minutes, he boarded the city’s inner tram.

There was an inexplicable, lazy pleasure in gazing out at the cityscape while basking in the morning sun and breeze.

About thirty minutes passed in a daze before the tram reached the stop for Fride’s Birthplace, where Arzen disembarked.

‘Why are there so many people here?’

It was more like a memorial than a birthplace.

All the surrounding buildings had been demolished and replaced with a grand plaza.

At the center of the plaza, a majestic statue of Fride stood tall.

Perched on her shoulder was Pipi, the Sun Parrot, her lifelong pet.

The Sun Parrot, a fantastical creature that could envelop itself in flames, was said to be the origin of the Phoenix legend.

‘A pet, huh...’

Arzen liked the idea.

‘If they ever build a statue of me, it should be something like this.’

Except, he imagined replacing Pipi with one of his Void Bees, which would look far more impressive.

"Make sure to draw us beautifully!"

Young women, who appeared to be apprentice witches or mages, were chattering excitedly in front of the statue.

“Yes, but please hold still.”

Artists were spread out, sketching portraits of them on canvases. It seemed to be a profitable business.

Hats placed beside the canvases were overflowing with copper and silver coins.

‘If I ever become a legend, I should sell the rights to paint me in places like this to my descendants. Make some money off it.’

Arzen turned and headed toward the memorial hall.

The entry fee was 5 copper coins.

“Damn, what a rip-off.”

But since he’d come this far, turning back felt like a waste. He figured he might learn something, so he bought the ticket and went inside.

‘Fride’s upbringing... joining the Hero Party... the death of Archmage Lyn... taking on Tureina as a disciple... hmm.’

Fride’s life could easily be described as the epitome of a prodigy of the century.

She had displayed genius from a young age, becoming the youngest witch and priestess.

In her twenties, she joined the Hero Party and brought an end to the chaos.

But her life seemed unbearably melancholic.

The death of Archmage Lyn at the end of the chaos appeared to be the reason.

He overheard the guide explaining to some visitors:

"Lady Fride waited her entire life, believing in Master Lyn's promise that he would return, but they never reunited."

What a fool!

That’s what happens when you trust people for no reason.

Arzen didn’t trust others.

‘Except for Ulman and Lok, but they’re the rare exceptions.’

Even if he could never see them again, he wouldn’t spend his life pining over them.

‘Fride, you’ve taught me well. Though it’s a lesson of what not to do. I’m grateful for that.’

The ideal party should be made up of gullible idiots you can easily use.

‘After all, there’s only one Diamond-rank per era!’

You don’t need any flunkies hanging around.

In the end, even party members are just competitors.

"Huh, sob."

"It's so sad."

"How much pain she must have endured."

Female witch apprentices, who were naturally more sensitive than men, were sobbing at the guide’s explanation.

‘Ugh, pathetic!’

However, in the next room, something caught Arzen's attention, momentarily stopping him in his tracks.

‘Hmm, what’s this?’

It was a painting called A Day in the Life of the Hero Party, done by the most famous artist of the time.

Unlike the imposing statues of the Hero Party, this painting depicted them humorously.

They were gagging while eating some strange food, with Hero Lista and Fride retching, while Lyn and Pipi laughed hysterically.

The last member, the royal knight Kyes, was running away.

-"—Arzen, have you ever eaten goblin dung?"

-"Why the hell would I eat that, you idiot!"

-"Hmm, humans are such irrational beings."

Arzen couldn’t help but chuckle for a moment.

It wasn’t just because of the incredible detail in the painting.

It was because the scene reminded him of the fools he had met in Sia’s party not long ago.

‘Tch.’

He shook his head, trying to get rid of that thought.

After giving the rest of the museum a quick glance, he stepped outside.

Yet, a strange question lingered in his mind.

‘I’ve always admired adventure, that’s true.’

And it was also true that he had yearned for the connections that could be made during those journeys.

Of course, those kinds of encounters were impossible in the adventurer world, where most people were trash.

But still, he hadn’t completely lost hope for such relationships.

‘But if all that’s left in the end is pain... is there really any point in forming such deep bonds?’

Relationships like that... only leave behind emptiness.

‘Hmm.’

Arzen arrived at the station.

He boarded a carriage heading toward the harbor district.

Since he had already bought a pass, he figured he might as well get the most out of it.

The harbor, which he had seen before, was as bustling as ever, with endless crowds.

Following his instincts, he picked a restaurant with the most pleasant aroma, trusting the local saying that any place you chose here would be good.

‘Hmm? What’s this? Half-and-half?’

Scanning the tables around him, Arzen noticed something odd about the plates.

All the dishes were split in half.

"What’s that?" he asked, grabbing a busy waiter who was taking orders.

"That’s banban! It’s a local specialty. You should try it!"

Aurelinople was a city where goods from both land and sea met.

As a result, people wanted to enjoy both land and sea delicacies at the same time.

The problem was, with more and more people living alone, there was no way for individuals to enjoy both by themselves.

And so, the banban dish was invented.

Arzen ordered the banban stew.

"Here’s your banban stew. Enjoy your meal!"

The same broth was used, but one side was filled with seafood, and the other with meat.

‘Oh, oh, this is...!’

The meat side was savory and packed with umami, while the seafood side had a light, refreshing broth that was absolutely superb.

‘The best part is, if I get tired of one flavor, I can switch to the other. No chance of palate fatigue!’

Though Arzen was a bit annoyed that other cities hadn’t adopted this brilliant idea, it turned out Aurelinople had a patent on it.

‘As expected from a city of heroes... tourism thrives, and even leads to inventions like this.’

Arzen made up his mind.

When he eventually became a Diamond-rank adventurer, he’d sell the citizenship of whatever city he called home to wealthy merchants for a hefty price.

Merchants would undoubtedly line up to buy the rights to claim they lived in the same city as the great Arzen, ensuring the city’s future prosperity.

‘I’m already excited... I wonder what Arzen’s city will look like in the future!’

Today, Arzen had a productive day, as his dreams and ambitions became clearer and more defined.

He thought that if he continued exploring each city he stayed in, there would always be something new to learn.

Not wanting to waste the pass he had purchased, Arzen hopped on a city carriage that made rounds through the city and gazed out the window.

As the day progressed, the streets became more crowded, and by rush hour, the carriage was packed.

When it became too crowded even inside the carriage, Arzen got off near the north gate and walked back to his inn.

‘Something feels empty.’

That thought lingered in his mind the whole time he soaked in the bath.

Eating wherever he wanted.

Sleeping as much as he desired.

Touring the city while others worked.

‘I’m living well... but something, something feels missing….’

* * *

A month passed.

“Hey, did you hear the rumors?”

“Of course! They say there are bugs causing hair loss.”

“They only show up in the dark, when the lights are off... and after they appear, all the nails disappear too.”

During this time, Arzen made a significant amount of money through Evakta’s training and the “Pain of Forced Labor” operation.

The greatest achievement was that the active time of Evakta’s manifestation had almost doubled compared to the time when he fought Roachcats.

Now, Arzen didn’t even need to bear the burden of paying travel expenses anymore.

In the past month, he had relocated his base of operations five times.

Each time he moved, his profits increased.

He had mastered the optimal team formation for hunting Kobolds and had grown more skilled in using Evakta’s power.

‘Now, even if I work leisurely for just half a day, I can make five silver coins!’

That was five times the amount a typical laborer earned from a full day of grueling work.

‘Heh, let’s get one step closer to becoming a true victor in life today.’

As he grinned with satisfaction and prepared to enter the tunnels, an apprentice witch, who was busy recording something in a ledger, flinched and looked up.

“Ah, so you’re Arzen?”

“?”

“Witch Beth passed along a message during the morning meeting. She said if you showed up, you should head to the Witch Association tent.”

What’s this about?

He needed to get inside the tunnels quickly before they became prime territory...

Could it be that someone reported him?

- Arzen, there’s a rumor that you’re using suspicious powers. You might be behind the hair loss incidents! Arrest him!

- Gah!

A shiver ran through his entire body.

He vowed to live more cautiously from now on.

Stumbling, he made his way to the tent, where the atmosphere was already tense.

It seemed his luck had truly run out today.

“Oh, Arzen, you’re here.”

He greeted Beth politely, but at that moment, he spotted a face he could never forget.

Arzen’s eyes went wide.

“No way! That woman?”

The woman reacted the same way.

They both pointed at each other, their mouths agape in shock.

"You’re that arrogant jerk from before!"

"And you’re that sweet gentleman from back then!"

Their evaluations of each other clearly differed.

Beth looked back and forth between them with an amused expression.

"What’s this? You two know each other?"

"Ah, Witch Beth! My precious breakfast became a luxurious banquet for the pigeons of Aurelinople because of this careless woman! You’ve got to give her a proper scolding!"

Back then, Arzen hadn’t been able to act out because of her Silver-rank badge, but now, with some backing, the situation was different.

"It’s a misunderstanding!"

"More like it’s an ‘Oh yes!’ moment!"

"It really is! I was just in a rush to catch the first carriage that day and bumped into you. To think you saw me that way... I actually thought you were a sweet person for forgiving me so kindly!"

"Hahaha! Looks like you’ve already started getting along. That’s great."

"How is this great?!"

Arzen shouted in frustration, while the woman’s face contorted as if she were about to cry.

Beth waved her hand to calm the commotion.

"No, I think you’ll get along just fine. Let me introduce you. This is Ronida, a member of the Tall-Half race."

[Translator - Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader - Kyros]