Dural’s warehouse was more than enough to pique the mage’s curiosity. Yuric often entered the bag-like warehouse to examine and study the items inside. He referred to the organized records that had been passed down from the previous Jin to Tornel.
The previous Jin had numbered each item in the warehouse for research and management purposes. For reference, item number one was the sealed Book of Hell, Codex Chapter 1.
Yuric had recently developed a keen interest in reading this century-old record. There were a total of thirteen volumes, with the previous Jin having written ten, and Tornel adding three more.
Yuric first investigated items that were less dangerous, such as everlasting flowers or ancient mages’ diaries and blank papers, rather than those marked with curses. He thought it best to get familiar with the warehouse’s contents first.
Item number 22 was an everlasting flower that had sustained itself for hundreds of years by using mana as its nutrient, imbued with inexplicable mystical power. The flower, still vibrant in color and fragrance, stood out as a splendid decoration in the stark Dural’s warehouse.
When Yuric lightly touched the stem of the flower, he could feel the intense will within it, much like how his index finger felt the will of Titon.
This was a passionate yet tragic love letter from the ancient mage Sirion to Emeline, the second daughter of the noble Madder family. This unfulfilled love remained in the flower for a long time. Yuric wondered how deeply one must have loved for their feelings to turn into will and remain in a flower.
Item number 9 was an ancient mage’s diary, which recorded the daily life of the ancient mage Valganos about eight hundred years ago. Yuric examined it, hoping for some significant records, but it was just a very ordinary diary. Still, it was a valuable historical source as it provided insight into life eight hundred years ago.
Item number 57 was a blank piece of paper that looked like an old, yellowed sheet. Yuric suspected that this paper might have undergone some special magical treatment. He believed that Dural wouldn’t have simply stored a regular piece of paper in the warehouse. However, neither Jin nor Tornel seemed particularly interested in this blank paper and hadn’t conducted deeper research on it.
Item number 44 was an old metal key said to open a special space in the lost magic city 【Verzig】. But since the lost city Verzig’s whereabouts were unknown, there was no way to further study the key.
In fact, the magic city Verzig was a topic of much debate among historians. Some proposed that it was an aerial fortress, while others suggested it was merely a place where many mages lived during wartime and was called a magic city for convenience. Another theory was that it had moved through space due to a curse or magic. Lastly, there was a hypothesis that it was a fictitious city created to deceive demons. Despite these theories, none had been definitively proven correct, though the most widely accepted theory was the space travel hypothesis.
Item number 19 was a walking cane that floated in the air like a light sphere. It seemed to possess a slight sense of self, possibly inspired by the creation principles of ancient golems. At the end of the cane was a small magic orb about the size of a thumb, which astonishingly contained more mana than Yuric’s own purple magic orb from Kreleton Mountain. The previous Jin had named the cane ‘Fertika,’ meaning ‘cane’ in ancient language.
Despite the fierce snowstorms that raged year-round in the northern mountain range, Fertika, made of a steel-like material, surprisingly adapted to Yuric’s touch and soon followed him closely.
“Surely, the cane doesn’t distinguish human appearances…”
Tornel tilted his head in puzzlement. The cane, which showed little reaction to the previous Jin and Tornel, followed Yuric around closely despite him only being around for about a month.
“Did you do something else?”
“No, I just stroked it gently…”
Yuric would softly stroke and admire the lonely cane every time he visited the warehouse. Tornel jokingly suggested that Yuric should continue researching Fertika himself.
When Yuric approached a cursed area, Fertika would lie horizontally across his shoulder, ready to face the curse, and the curse would react aggressively to the deadly mana emitted by Fertika. Yuric felt that Fertika’s behavior resembled a similar effect to his index finger magic.
There was also a spirit, the size of a palm-sized cotton ball, that Yuric could see in the warehouse. Whenever he sat at the small desk in the corner of the warehouse, the spirit would roll over and watch him curiously. Sometimes, a hand-like appendage would stick out from the cotton ball and touch his fingers or arm. Yuric quickly grew fond of this soft spirit and would playfully fiddle with it when sitting at the desk.
The last item in the warehouse was number 94, a wooden statue that Tornel had acquired two years ago from the eastern region. The farmer who found it while plowing the field had discovered it weeping blood. Upon hearing the rumor, Tornel purchased the item at a high price from the farmer.
While examining the warehouse, Yuric occasionally looked through the codex, which seemed to influence him as he had a terrifying nightmare involving the codex one day.
A barren landscape with a crimson sky. Floating crimson papers in the air emitted intense energy and shouted at Yuric.
= Soon, the final chapter will descend upon this land. How long do you think you can keep me sealed? How laughable. Such petty machinations of mortal beings. =
= Worship me. Kneel before the coming despair. =
But Yuric was no longer the weak being he once was.
Mounting the head of the earth dragon Alaldur that had emerged from the ground, Yuric aimed the codex with his heated right index finger.
“Humans will overcome this too!”
A thunderous laughter erupted. A powerful force pushed against Yuric, waking him up from his dream.
After breakfast, Yuric told Tornel about his dream. The man then informed him that the codex was originally a vile demon.
“I’ve suffered from it too. Staying near a curse for too long contaminates the mind. So, it’s best not to even approach it if possible.”
On one side of the warehouse, Tornel had collected many items from his travels across the continent, which fueled his all-purpose stall.
The conical all-purpose stall never lost money, no matter where it set up shop, be it a city or village. He didn’t spare children either. He mentioned that if he hadn’t become a traveling all-purpose stall, he would have opened a store on the first floor of the mage tower.
Thus, Yuric and Tornel spent a whole month traveling until they finally arrived at the coastal city 【Bardran】, the westernmost point of the continent known for its herring production. Bardran’s herring played a crucial role in the trade between the west.
Yuric, as he settled into the west, became quite accustomed to eating herring dishes. When staying at Linnet’s shop, salted herring often appeared in his meals, and he enjoyed the rich flavor when eaten with bread.
Bardran was a large city with a population of 100,000, and its seaside location made it a popular destination for tourists looking to enjoy the sea. Although there were a few coastal cities in the north, the west was generally considered better for leisure.
Upon arriving at Bardran’s station, Yuric marveled at the beautiful seaside city. White buildings built on terraced hills, endless horizons, fishing boats floating on the waves, and the warm sunlight created a scene unseen in inland areas.
The sea view Luke wanted to see exceeded expectations. Yuric wanted to paint this scene and show it to Luke.
Yuric and Tornel first secured lodging. The narrow room had a small tree window, and from it, he could see the vast ocean. Yuric sat by the window for a long time, admiring the scenery.
The conical all-purpose stall was already excited about heading to the market without even putting down his luggage.
“I’ll head to the market then.”
“I’ll explore the city.”
Yuric and Tornel left the inn and went their separate ways.
Yuric first headed to the coast. As he got closer to the sea, the salty smell intensified. The coast was divided into two sections: one for fishing boats and another for tourists.
Yuric visited both places, drew one picture from each, and returned to the city center.
The city center of Bardran wasn’t far behind the Salt City. It was all about the power of money.
There were many magic groups here, and it seemed that people here revered mages. If a mage came from their family, they considered it a great achievement.
Due to this, the artisan district was more advanced than the Salt City of Shahalburza. Successful shops were essentially sitting on a pile of gold.
Yuric went to a general store to experience the city’s characteristics firsthand. Sure enough, due to its coastal location, there were many shells, fish scales, and fish bones.
After browsing several stores, he entered a nearby tavern. Sitting down and sipping a glass of beer, he listened intently to various conversations. One topic caught his interest.
— Young Lady Rani had another seizure?
— She drew strange pictures, causing quite a commotion.
— She bit her finger and used the blood to draw the pictures.
— It’s a curse. Her maternal lineage has that kind of trait.
— What about doctors?
— They all fled.
— What a mess.
Several men sat around a table, whispering.
After listening to their conversation, Yuric chewed on a piece of dried meat and walked outside.
‘…She bit her finger and used the blood to draw pictures…’
As an artist, Yuric wanted to see the painting she created with her blood.
