Yuric enjoyed walking through the streets of the beautiful salt city, Shahalburz, and loved to draw pictures there. In particular, the stall district was one of his favorite places.
He would spend time looking at the items spread out on the cloth and chat lightly with the stall owners, enjoying himself while bargaining. Sometimes, he would briefly greet acquaintances he met.
While browsing the stalls, Yuric’s attention was drawn to a place where many people were gathered. The items laid out on the cloth were fascinating enough to intrigue even him. And just as fascinating as the items were the vendors themselves.
The middle-aged vendor wore a conical hat on his head and a cloak woven from sheep’s wool around his body. Of course, what made Yuric find him intriguing wasn’t just his attire but the mana he carried.
“…Quite a significant amount of mana…”
This man possessed such dense mana that he could secure a place in any magic group. He even had circuits implanted in his body like Yuric, circulating mana continuously. While not as complex and precise as Yuric’s, this level of circuitry was still no easy feat without innate talent. This person was far from an ordinary wandering mage.
Yuric stood there for a while, examining the man’s items. Eventually, he was so captivated by the man’s talk that he bought a magnificent flute, paying three silver coins… Though he felt slightly cheated, it was perfect as a gift for Connie.
The man handed Yuric the flute with a smile.
“I see you are indeed a noble person.”
Yuric’s eyes widened slightly.
“Do you know me?”
“Just by looking, I recognized you. Mr. Yuric, your reputation in the magic community is well-known.”
Yuric felt a bit embarrassed by the praise.
Honestly, he didn’t think he was that remarkable or skilled. He had seen much more impressive and excellent mages.
“Rumors tend to be exaggerated.”
The man simply smiled mysteriously without answering. Yuric left the place holding the flute.
Yuric went to meet Connie. Lyka, who was growing rapidly day by day, was already showing signs of becoming a herding dog.
He gave the flute to Connie and listened to the boy’s performance under the tree until the sunset. Just as he was about to return to the shop, he sensed a strong mana aura and turned his gaze in that direction. Near the statue on the street, he saw the same conical-hat-wearing mage he had seen earlier in the stall district.
The man walked steadily toward Yuric and extended his hand.
“Sorry for the late introduction. I’m Tornel.”
Yuric shook hands with Tornel.
“Pleased to meet you, Mr. Tornel. But why are you here?”
“I have something to show you, Mr. Yuric.”
“To me? What is it?”
“All the things I’ve collected over the years. Don’t let the appearance fool you; I’ve been living the life of a peddler for a long time.”
Tornel smiled faintly. Yuric pondered but didn’t worry too much; checking the items wouldn’t be a problem.
“Alright.”
Tornel motioned for Yuric to follow him, and they walked down the street together.
The sunset in Shahalburz was breathtakingly beautiful. Yuric once again marveled at the greatness of nature that created such scenes.
Tornel and Yuric entered a shabby inn on the outskirts of the city. They passed through the hall and climbed up the stairs to reach the room at the end of the second-floor corridor.
“This way.”
Despite the lack of tension, Yuric remained vigilant. There was no ill intent from the other side, but one could never be too careful.
However, Tornel reassured Yuric with a slight smile.
“Don’t worry about how much you trust my words, but I have no intention of harming you. So, please relax…”
“I believe you.”
Tornel opened the locked door and stepped inside. After confirming that Yuric had entered the room, he locked the door and snapped his fingers to illuminate the magical light.
It was a small, shabby room, yet it smelled of human presence.
“I’ve been staying here for a bit over a month.”
Tornel moved the table aside to create space on the floor. Yuric watched him closely.
Tornel placed a large bag on the floor and touched the magic circle engraved on it.
“Don’t be surprised.”
When he opened the bag wide, surprisingly, a black space appeared. It was a seemingly endless space.
The vendor told Yuric not to be surprised, but Yuric couldn’t help but be amazed. This kind of magic was something he had never seen before.
“Follow me.”
The man took a step into the bag. Yuric hesitated for a moment before deciding to follow, stepping into the bag one step at a time.
Entering the black space, a narrow underground passage appeared below. Yuric found it hard to believe that such a space existed within the bag. He floated a light sphere in the air and followed Tornel down the passage.
Fortunately, the passage was not long, and Yuric reached the bottom. Tornel, who had arrived earlier, smiled appreciatively as if thanking Yuric for his trust.
“Alright.”
Tornel raised his right hand and snapped his fingers.
Instantly, the magical lights attached to the ceiling illuminated, illuminating the underground space.
Ah.
Yuric felt like he had entered a laboratory.
Dozens of display cases were arranged in rows and columns, each filled with items. Honestly, Yuric couldn’t hide his amazement.
“What is this place…?”
Tornel smiled and said,
“This is my warehouse.”
Yuric’s mind was flooded with questions. With so many questions, he needed to decide which to ask first.
He started with the most pressing question.
“What kind of magic is this?”
But it seemed Tornel also couldn’t define this magic precisely.
“I’m sorry, I don’t know either. I’ve studied it for a long time but couldn’t figure it out. It seems to be an ancient magic that can’t be interpreted by modern magic.”
“I see… But why are you showing this to me?”
Tornel looked at Yuric meaningfully and brought two chairs, offering one to Yuric.
“This story might take a while. Is that okay?”
“Yes, I’ll listen.”
Of course, Yuric couldn’t wait. His curiosity about this incredible magic and the middle-aged man with the conical hat was overwhelming. Why was he showing this to him specifically…
With his hands on his knees, tapping his protruding bones with his fingers, Tornel pondered how to start.
Finally, he began,
“This place is the treasure warehouse of the mage Dural.”
Yuric was surprised again. Every time he heard about this place, it was a continuous surprise.
“More specifically, this bag is one of Dural’s treasures, called a Stupa.”
Dural’s treasures!
Among the discovered treasures, there were two unknown ones, and this bag was one of them.
Yuric noticed that the items displayed on the shelves were all unusual. It was undoubtedly a combination of sealing and boundary magic that caused the mana flow to erupt.
“What are these items? Are they curses?”
“Indeed, your senses are sharp. Not all are curses. Only a few dozen are curses. The rest are ordinary items.”
Tornel waved his hand dismissively.
“You must know why Dural hid his treasures.”
Of course, he knew. To protect them from demons and devils. Also, to remind people of the sacrifices of heroes and human love.
“Dural was a man who cared deeply for humanity. He became a peddler and spent his life wandering the continent, collecting treasures for humanity.”
Ah.
“And Dural sealed the curses himself. He laid the foundation for curse-sealing. He is the founder of Curse Studies.”
“I see…”
“Let me show you one more thing. Will you come with me?”
“Yes, alright.”
Tornel stood up and went deeper into the warehouse. Following the man further inside, Yuric felt a deadly aura growing stronger.
“This is…”
Yuric recognized the feeling he had sensed somewhere.
They arrived at the deepest part of the warehouse, where a massive magic circle was set up, strongly binding something.
Surprisingly, it was a single sheet of paper. Bathed in blood, it was screaming like a tormented soul.
“This is Codex Chapter 1.”
!
Yuric saw the Book of Hell for the first time. He never imagined that a sealed Codex chapter would be here.
“Dural was the first to seal the Codex. He kept it here. He thought this place was the safest back then… Now do you understand why I brought you here?”
“…Yes?”
Tornel stared at Yuric intently.
“I’ve been doing this for over a hundred years. The only thing I worried about was having no successor. That’s why I wandered the continent for a long time, searching for a qualified person. Frankly, I don’t think I’m qualified. I still don’t know why my predecessor chose me… But you are different from me.”
“…Senior.”
“I’ve been watching your journey. Senior Grand Mage Violetta also chose you. Her judgment is reliable.”
Tornel spoke with unwavering conviction.
“I hope you will continue Dural’s will, Yuric.”
