■ Rocket Delivery □
“Race War”
This is a time-honored card game with a history tracing back an impressive 500 years, and its origins are said to stem from the 40 mystical cards used by the priestesses of the Three Goddesses to divine the future.
Initially, a board game using only the 40 cards became popular in taverns, but as people grew weary of the rigid meta, the Merchant Guild of Nídavellir astutely recognized this dissatisfaction. They gathered dwarf scholars, brainstormed together, and ambitiously developed what is now known as “Race War.”
The near-perfect balance crafted by the dwarves’ obsessive craftsmanship and the endless card combinations.
The official tournament rules updated every half year and the restricted or banned cards.
It was literally strange that such a masterpiece card game wasn’t universally loved.
It quickly spread across the entire continent and soon became a great play culture embraced by all generations, regardless of gender or age.[[#]]”Blue Eyes Green Magician’s direct attack! Wind Force!”
“Aaaaaaah!”
The score was 2:0.
After a fierce duel, the captain of the Black Bear Mercenary Corps screamed as he fell backward along with his chair after receiving the final blow.
To the point where even I, who had done nothing, felt flustered, the mercenary captain performed an incredible pantomime before letting out a groan of frustration and glaring up at me.
“It’s my defeat. Your Mage deck is unrealistically strong.”
I extended my right hand to the fallen man while offering him the same insincere compliment.
“Your Barbarian Warrior deck was quite strong too.”
At this, the mercenary captain, whose face had lost its venom, grabbed my hand to stand up and readily invited me.
“This must be fate. How about sharing a drink? Of course, as we originally agreed, I’ll answer any questions you have.”
“You’re treating?”
“Naturally! Now that someone has finally beaten me, how could I possibly be stingy with money!”
Though I couldn’t resist free drinks and free meals, I joined his table after the onlookers who had gathered around dispersed, bringing the food and drinks I had ordered earlier.
As expected, the mercenary captain asked how one could become so strong, and I replied vaguely with “Trust in your bond with the cards.” Meanwhile, I managed to obtain the information I desired from the goatee-bearded man who had volunteered as the judge.
In summary, Esmeralda, my master and the head of the Emerald Tower—one of the four great magic towers—had finally broken through the barrier and reached the Seventh Tier, becoming the first human to do so.
Of course, it’s a cause for celebration that my only master has grown stronger, but on the other hand, I was also concerned.
She was already monstrously powerful, and if she became even stronger after achieving enlightenment, it seemed impossible for me alone to handle her.
I also asked if there were any other useful pieces of information, and I learned through rumors that King Oscar’s health had significantly deteriorated.
Hearing that the tyrant of Oz Kingdom, who always preached about driving out the Demon Tribe and building a prosperous nation, was nearing his end made me feel rather pleased.
After enjoying a bountiful meal, I returned to my room.
While talking, I kept snacking on appetizers, which left me feeling comfortably full and sleepy.
Since I planned to move during the dead of night, I intended to take a short nap.
If Camilla had been there, I might have asked her to wake me up at midnight, but unfortunately, since there was no one to ask this time, I would have to wake up on my own.
“Huuuuum~”
Yawning widely, I threw myself onto the bed.
The soft sensation enveloped my entire body.
Was it post-meal drowsiness? Sleepiness came over me quickly.
In the gradually fading vision, I gently closed my eyes.[[#]]”Hmph.”
It felt like I had just closed my eyes for a moment, but when I regained consciousness, it was already deep into the night.
The moonlight streaming in through the window was quite bright, and judging by the clear sky, it seemed tonight was a full moon.
I took off the black robe I had worn to conceal my identity and draped around myself the green robe, one of the symbols of the Emerald Tower.
I adorned it with the military merit medals I received during the Human-Demon War and equipped gauntlets covering my wrists in case of any potential bloodshed, completing my preparations for going out.
One might think it odd to dress so extravagantly for a nighttime stroll, but there was method to my madness.
Mystic Armament – Whirlwind Blade Bone
Swoosh!
Upon activating the magic, invisible fine winds swirled around my entire body, and in that state, I altered the refraction of light.
Just that alone completed the perfect optical camouflage, a chameleon spell.
‘From here on out, I need to be careful.’
No one must discover my movements.
I hadn’t marked any intention of going out on the inn’s register, and just a few hours ago, I had created an alibi by telling the guys from the Black Bear Mercenary Corps that I was tired and would go to sleep.
I stepped a few paces back from the window and then leaped gracefully through the wide-open window, planting my foot firmly.
Plop.
“……”
Though the height was roughly two stories, I emitted wind beneath my feet upon landing, making no sound at all.
The streets at night were quiet.
As proof that it was quite late, it was very difficult to find anyone wandering around.
Unlike the capital, which was practically a city that never sleeps, the people here apparently crawl into their beds as soon as night falls and sleep soundly.
With the aid of the blue moonlight, I slowly rose to my feet.
‘Southeast, right?’
I created a stepping platform with the wind and jumped up, starting to move across the rooftops of the closely packed buildings.
The destination was the largest and most magnificent mansion visible far away in Hamburg.
Once I successfully deliver the forged letter from Rachel to the Lord of Hamburg, the mission will be complete.[[#]]The invisibility magic derived from the Whirlwind Blade Bone was perfect, but there was one thing it couldn’t hide.
That was sound.
The heavily guarded mansion, patrolled day and night by guards, exuded a menacing atmosphere where not even an ant could escape.
Without a doubt, if anyone were to choose the safest place in this city, they would undoubtedly select this mansion.
I entered the main gate by matching my footsteps with those of the soldiers on patrol.
Following the well-tended coniferous garden cared for by gardeners, if you walk straight inward, you’ll eventually encounter the next patrol group walking alongside the soldiers currently accompanying me.
The two groups greeted each other cheerfully, knowing each other, before dispersing.
I started walking again, keeping pace with the soldiers heading inside the mansion, despite being nearly invisible due to the darkness of the night.
Thanks to the combination of the stealth magic and the cover of darkness, no one noticed that I was confidently walking around inside the mansion.
Every time I encountered new soldiers, I switched places with the people I was walking with, gradually moving deeper into the mansion until I realized there was no one left to walk with.
The long corridor ahead was designed to amplify sounds.
If I walked alone, the sound of my footsteps would echo loudly through the wide and spacious hallway.
Some might mistake it for a ghost, while others might suspect an invisible intruder and call for reinforcements.
After pondering my options, I decided to approach the Lord of Hamburg from the outside instead of the interior.
I already knew which room belonged to the Lord of Hamburg.
Even at this late hour, there was only one room in the grand mansion with its lights still on, and the familiar magical residue emanating from it confirmed that the Lord of Hamburg, whom I had met recently at the fortress, was indeed inside.
While I may not know much else, I have an uncanny ability to remember magical patterns I’ve seen once.
Exiting through the corridor window, I attached a rope to my body and swiftly climbed the wall.
The study of the Lord of Hamburg was about five floors high, but for me, scaling this height was as easy as lying down and eating rice cakes.
Climbing the wall like a spider, I landed lightly on the roof, then casually walked to the railing above the study. There, I securely tied the rope I had prepared earlier to the chimney and attempted a rope descent down the wall.
Zzzziiip!
Thud!
The rope, which had been slack, tightened, naturally bringing my body to a stop right in front of the study’s window.
The Lord of Hamburg inside seemed to have heard the sound of my foot pressing against the glass and approached the window curiously.
The moment he reached within arm’s reach, I dispelled the invisibility magic surrounding my body.
The expression of the Lord of Hamburg standing by the window changed to one of astonishment.
In front of the startled Lord of Hamburg, I calmly revealed the letter I had taken out from my robes and waved it.
“Delivery service.”
