Chapter 381

381 – The Tower City, Babel #1

Creak, creak, groan-.

After a long while of rushing along, the carriage gradually slows down. Only then do I finally manage to wake up the sleeping Paranoi.

“Hey, we’re almost there. Wake up.”

Flap, flap-.

At that, Paranoi jerks awake like a startled pigeon. Rubbing her sleepy eyes, she asks:

“Where are we…?”

“It’s Babel, the city we’re arriving at. Why were you sleeping for so long?”

Paranoi shakes her head as if my answer doesn’t make sense.

“Have we already arrived? It feels like we just started and I closed my eyes…! How did we get here so quickly…?”

“What the heck are you talking about? We even stopped by a rest area along the road and had some snacks and packed lunch under the shade of a tree on the hill.”

“Hmmmm…”

Paranoi continues to rub her eyes, not understanding what I’m saying. Either the remnants of sleep are clouding her mind, or she’s still caught up in some chaotic dream.

It’s quite common for Paranoi to give lengthy descriptions of the dreams she’s had every morning.

However, her expression brightens immediately when she looks out the window the moment she does.

“Is this… is this the massive tower of Babel, famous across the Gaia Continent? This architecture is truly astonishing and bizarre!”

Though Paranoi’s reactions are often exaggerated, even I found myself agreeing with her this time about its astonishing and peculiar nature.

Through the carriage window, far off below a high hill, was a truly massive wall. More accurately, it resembled not just a wall, but an entire structure in itself.

Bricks baked to a sandy color were piled high into what looked like five or six stories, forming a building roughly the size of a small city.

You could call it a massive ziggurat.

You might also call it a pyramid narrowing sharply as it rises upward.

In any case, the cold stone walls encased the entire city. This was the famed tower city, Babel.

In a world where architectural technology isn’t highly developed, it’s hard to imagine who would have thought to build such an immense tower up to six stories high.

Clack, clack-.

The carriage approaches the vast wall slowly, making its way into the city.

I notice, once inside, the interior of the first floor, which should be pitch-dark without sunlight, is surprisingly bright. The light is so clear it rivals actual sunlight.

Stone-paved roads stretch out, and beyond them, crowds of people of various races move around. Despite living under such a massive roof where they can’t see the sky, their expressions are bright and lively.

I felt as though I’d walked into a department store or an underground shopping mall. The splendid lighting and neatly arranged sections give off a similar vibe.

Is this the city where Ignoy lived, Babel? Thinking that somewhere within lies Bacchus in a weakened state makes the place feel new to me.

Tap, thud.

Elfride steps down from the carriage onto the stone road and looks around.

“It feels like the inside of the World Tree. Similar to how it lit up with illuminating stones, the roads laid out, and the tunnel-like doorways everywhere. Thinking of Albrheim makes me feel a little down.”

According to Elfride, the inside of the World Tree also feels much like this place.

Unlike Luna, who enjoys reminiscing about her homeland, Elfride seems annoyed by these memories.

I said,

“In any case, we didn’t come here for sightseeing. We’ll just take care of business and leave the city.”

I should avoid crossing paths with Luna’s group, so I need to head to Ideope quickly. Bacchus’s condition may not last much longer.

“Mr. Hassan, where should we go from here?”

At Paranoi’s question, I look around. A signpost or direction markers would have made it easier to figure out our route, but this world has few such thoughtful considerations for wanderers or travelers.

“Let’s head to the Mars Guild first. We need to meet Shilaya.”

We need to meet Shilaya here, and ask her to guide us to where Bacchus is resting.

Then, I need to talk to Bacchus and get a clear understanding of what happened and how it can be resolved before deciding on a course of action.

It’s a pretty smart plan, if I do say so myself.

Just as I’m about to suggest we move, I notice Elfride’s eyes darting around some spots.

“What are you staring at?”

“Look, there are elves everywhere. Over there.”

Elfride points her finger at the street. Sure enough, clusters of blonde elf women, with long, pointed ears, were gathering around and walking through the streets, as she’d noted.

To this, Paranoi mutters,

“There are way too many outsiders! Even if Babel is known to be lenient with foreigners, this is excessive!”

According to Paranoi, this city, Babel, is indeed known to be liberal towards foreigners.

On reflection, I too was once recommended by healer Finley to choose between two cities—Sodomora and Babel—as starting points.

Is this a city for new adventurers, then? Sure enough, I frequently see grimy adventurer parties with iron-tier necklaces around their necks.

It brings back nostalgic memories for a moment. Not too long ago, I went through a similar phase.

While I was lost in reminiscences, Elfride wraps a shawl she has draped around her shoulders over her head and says,

“It feels similar to the World Tree. Seems like the elves decided to make their home here. Might get annoying.”

She doesn’t want the other elves to recognize who she truly is, right?

Among the elves of different kinds, the one with white hair—an albino elf—would certainly stand out.

And in these elves, there may well be those who tricked Ignoy into attempting to poison Bacchus. The smart move would be to slip by quietly without causing any trouble.

Look at that. What a bizarre combo.

A small nymph with a huge Samaritan. What kind of creatures are they? I’ve never seen them in the first-floor shopping area.

The silver pendant around the man’s neck—clearly a silver-tier adventurer badge. And the leather cloak draped around him has quite some presence.

That woman with the shawl over her head—her equipment seems top-notch overall. Is this party really from Babel?

Even if I want to stay low-key, my natural appearance naturally attracts attention in this world.

Combined with the unique personalities of Paranoi and Elfride, we seem to be creating some kind of synergy effect.

“Paranoi’s fame has reached this distant city of Babel…! Everyone trembles in fear upon seeing me…!”

“Quiet, man.”

I don’t want to stir up incidents or problems that might tie us down here.

So, despite the glances we’re getting, we decide to cautiously move deeper into the city.

*

“What the heck, where are we?”

“Ah, Mr. Hassan! There’s Loki’s shoe shop! It’s the same sign we saw earlier!”

“What? Hassan, we’ve been going in circles this whole time?”

“Guess so.”

“This d*mn place….”

I could sense the blame in Paranoi’s and Elfride’s gazes as they looked at me. But what can I do?

In this complex and strange architectural labyrinth where the sky isn’t visible, countless passages and corridors are interwoven, making it a maze in itself.

“It all looks the same.”

Even after an hour of wandering, we haven’t come close to the Mars Guild. Asking passersby for directions yielded the same result.

I’ve always prided myself on my ability to navigate, but in this city, I’m just as bad at finding my way as anyone.

Of course, Paranoi and Elfride aren’t any better at it either—they seem bewildered by this maze-like interior much like a disoriented person in a chaotic department store.

What should we do?

Looks like there’s no choice but to find a passerby, offer them a coin or two, and ask them to guide us. While I’m scanning around for an appropriate person, a rustling sound catches my attention.

A woman with gray robes and slate-gray hair approaches us. Her short and neat haircut frames her pointy ears, which are quite familiar.

“Excuse me, that strong-looking warrior over there, and your party. You seem to need assistance? Is there anything I can help you with?”

She was an elf woman.

The sharp and sleek features of her face gave her the air of a successful career woman. Though it’s hard to tell her age, her appearance certainly seems young.

Elfride hides behind my broad back, and Paranoi also ducks behind me, muttering.

“We do not seek help from outsiders! If you want to help, please leave our continent at once-”

I clamp a hand over Paranoi’s mouth. As I said before, I don’t want to cause unnecessary trouble and be detained.

However, I also keep my guard up cautiously.

Even though lately things have been going well for me, if I count the days, I’ve spent much more time rolling around in the dirt, drinking the bitter and tearful cups in this Gaia Continent.

And one thing I’ve learned from those times when I was down and out is this: there’s no such thing as a free favor.

This Gaia Continent isn’t warm enough for someone to easily offer kindness to a stranger like me.

That’s why I can’t help but be suspicious if this elf woman is approaching me with some sort of ulterior motive.

Seemingly sensing that I find her presence unwelcome, the ash-gray elf shivers and says,

“I’m just trying to help. I noticed that you’ve been going around in circles in the same place for a while.”

“…”

As I keep silent and narrow my eyes even more, the woman trembles as if she’s truly afraid and stammers,

“Because, the geography of Babel isn’t kind to first-time visitors. They even say there’s a boundary that makes it difficult to find your way easily.”

“Boundary?”

“Yes, yes. This city operates with a massive magical boundary. It consumes mana to make the luminous stones shine, and also to keep monsters from invading…! If you have a boundary pendant, finding your way becomes easier.”

I notice the red glowing pendant hanging around the elf woman’s neck. Looking around, it seems everyone in the city is wearing similar accessories.

I ask,

“Do you happen to know where the Mars Guild is?”

“Oh, that would be in the temple district on the third floor. It’s not too far, but it’s pretty confusing to find. Let me guide you.”

“Is that okay with you?”

“Well, I’m an apprentice nun who needs to perform one good deed each day… and today I haven’t yet met my quota…”

She explains that her daily goal is to do one good deed for someone else, and she’s trying to help us to fulfill today’s quota.

On any other day, I might just let it go, but since I’ve learned that Bacchus was felled by the elves’ plot, I can’t help but be suspicious.

So instead of me, who remains untrusting despite seeming rude,

“Alright, lead the way.”

Elfride, who was standing behind me, agrees. The woman’s face visibly brightens at this.

“You’re visitors from another city, right? My name is Briol, an apprentice nun from New Albrheim. Over here, this way please.”

At first glance, she seemed like a cold and aloof career woman, but Briol, the female elf who introduced herself, turned out to be unexpectedly innocent. A novice nun, huh.

Elfride inquires,

“New Albrheim? What’s that?”

“New Albrheim is our new homeland being built here in Babel! Thanks to the hard work of the Elf Reconstruction Foundation, and the citizens of the city who welcomed us without prejudice.”

I’ve heard that name somewhere before. Could it be a group trying to rebuild elf society?

Might they have any connection to Bacchus’s attempted poisoning? Honestly, this New Albrheim sounds awfully suspicious.

“Here, if you use this magical apparatus, you can ascend to the third floor. They’re installed all over the streets!”

At this point, Briol introduces us to a peculiar mechanical device. It’s a contraption where you press a button, and it hauls you up to the next floor or down using some sort of pulley.

Oh, what the heck. Isn’t this just an elevator?

Caught up in the novelty and amazement of it all, I poke and prod the device. Sensing this, the woman known as Briol explains, her tone slightly brighter,

“It’s a tool crafted through elven magical engineering. You’ve probably never seen anything like it. It’s amazing, right?”

“Hmmnn.”

Elfride, narrowing her eyes,

“To maintain these magical engineering devices all over the city, the amount of mana consumed must be astronomical. It’s impossible to manage with just a few mages. Where do they get the mana?”

“That’s… a city secret. I’m not entirely sure. Anyway, let’s head for the third floor.”

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