The 31st Piece Turns the Tables - Chapter 156
Episode 156:
Hail Wizard Blaine.
– If you ever happen to visit Aquarius, you can use this invitation. It is also an unpleasant tradition of the Magic Tower to be unfriendly to outsiders.
Kang Seol looked back on her memories with him and recalled information about the woman with him.
“Could it be that Prine back then?”
“yes! that’s right! “Do you remember?”
“It seems a bit… different…”
It’s not that it’s not, but Prine’s appearance has changed as if he’s completely transformed.
Her hair, which had been braided into two pigtails, hung wildly, and the glasses that had reduced her eyes to the size of a bean were everywhere.
“I’ve changed a bit, right? I am now free from tiring work. “I went back to the tower.”
“Congratulations… is this something worth giving?”
“It’s not a bad thing. “How hard could it have been for this delicate girl in the wilderness?”
Prine said this and pretended to cry for no reason. Anyone present could tell that this action was a joke.
She said with a natural smile.
“But is it exactly what I thought?”
“Is it the same?”
“Snowman! Even when I first saw him, I felt like he had a hero’s demeanor, but I also have an eye for people.”
Blaine said, fed up with Prine’s fuss.
“It gave me a headache because Prine kept asking me when Snowman would visit the tower. “When will you stop by Aquarius?”
“Next time I get a chance…”
Kang Seol’s disappointing reply came back, but Prin did not get frustrated.
“are you okay! “We are also attending the meeting this time anyway.”
Kang Seol questioned this.
“But why is Aquarius attending a meeting where Libra’s business is being discussed?”
“It’s not just us, right? “Probably all the magic towers belonging to Zodiac sent personnel.”
Frannan closed his eyes and nodded.
“yes. Perhaps it was sent for the purpose of answering Libra’s advice rather than providing direct support. “I wonder if there’s something that can do that.”
Prine said, raising his finger.
“I heard here and there that an unusually large number of organizations are participating in this meeting. “And from all walks of life!”
Blaine took notice of Frannan and made him respect himself.
“Prince Bornouil has gone missing. The matter is not light. “Always be careful what you do.”
“Ah… yes…”
But instead, Frannan laughed and lightened the mood.
“ha ha ha! It could just be because of the old man’s dementia, so there’s no need to make the atmosphere too droopy. Once everything is certain, you can be careful from then on. “But Blaine.”
“Yes, Frannan.”
“Is the Aspect still there? “I thought you would achieve the great feat of becoming the youngest saint.”
“How could an idiot like me covet such a position?”
“Hehe… I don’t know if excessive humility is your personality or your way of life.”
Prine said angrily.
“Holy lord! It’s not because you lack skill! The other Aspects are so great….”
“Well, that’s something I’m familiar with. Those old men are truly examples of mischievous wizards. And getting to a position like this early will only add to the wrinkles. “I always live with such complaints…”
– Why do you take such a beggar, Bale, and only make my wrinkles increase?
Frannan, who had been talking and smiling the whole time, suddenly closed his mouth.
Everyone felt that something was strange, but they didn’t say it out loud.
The carriage continued to run.
Of course, due to the distance we had to travel, we could not reach the border in a month and had to camp in open fields in between.
“Wow… what kind of meat is this?”
Prin tasted the dish prepared by Kang Seol and was impressed. The same goes for Blaine.
However, Chameli, who already knew the identity of this dish, did not look good.
“… There is a verse in the Bible that says that sometimes knowing all the facts actually leads to suffering. This is proven by the fact that a scholar named Mjollu, who wanted all the knowledge in the world, eventually had his soul stolen by the devil and died in pain.”
“yes? “Why is that being said all of a sudden?”
“…Anyway, let’s talk about something else.”
The carriage moves again.
Prine and Bitan were dozing off.
“I know we’re moving south like this, crossing the Adeline border and heading to Libra, but is there a set route after that?”
“It will be decided at the meeting, but the most likely possibility is to head west.”
“Hmm…”
“For now, let’s just think about crossing the border. If this continues, I think we’ll arrive in last place.”
* * *
After several days, they were finally able to reach the southernmost border of Nevenia. And I experienced a very brief setback.
“what’s this!”
“This is a bit…”
“Hmm…”
This was because the large number of people who had gathered to cross the border were lined up so tightly that there was no end in sight.
Snowfall narrowed her eyes.
‘This… is going to take more time than I thought.’
It would take a considerable amount of time for this many people to be inspected and leave. Something that may take several days.
the coachman asked Frannan.
“Uh… what should I do, master?”
“… Let’s go up front and check what’s going on. “If we wait for this many people, we’ll make the people who arrived at the scale wait first.”
In fact, this was also quite a risky action.
Just getting to the front of the line will take quite some time.
Additionally, if other groups are lining up in the meantime, crossing the border will be delayed.
The carriage was almost near the front row.
“Whoa! “Wait a minute!”
“What is this crazy bastard!”
“It’ll just take a moment, listen to me!”
The carriage stopped with the sound of horses outside.
Stopping a moving carriage was something that was not usually done because it was dangerous.
“Mr. Franan. This guy…”
“What’s inside is a big piece of bread, right?”
Tuk-tuk…
A man knocking on the carriage door.
“Would you like to talk to me?”
“You, you bastard…”
The coachman was embarrassed and tried to scream, but Frannan stopped him.
“Okay, what’s going on?”
“Are you trying to cut me off right now to make a suggestion?”
“….”
“I know everything. Cuties in a shiny carriage. “It looks like they are from a wealthy family, so they are probably trying to pass by after giving some money to the guard.”
Frannan asked in amusement.
“then?”
“I picked the wrong time. That was blocked a long time ago. “Everyone who took the money so far has lost it.”
“…Really?”
“then! Transferees pour out and move around as they please. Merchants and mercenaries who smelled money in a sinister atmosphere. The border traffic volume is five times that of before. “If you stand at the end of the line, it will probably take two days to cross the border, right?”
“Hmm… So?”
“Why don’t we do it this way? I’ll sneak you into our group. “It’s our turn soon.”
“Aha….”
“I’ll give you just 50 gold coins. I don’t want much. huh? “Good things are good things.”
The coachman, who was completely angry, huffed.
As if he couldn’t listen anymore, he just waited for Frannan’s orders.
A choice also occurred to Kang Seol.
[An unidentified wanderer offers to help you cross the border. How would you answer?]
1. Isn’t that cutting in line?
2. I will pay for you, Mr. Frannan.
3. There is no need to listen to interest. There’s nothing you can’t do with money. For 50 coins, the guard will gladly open the door.
4. 50 coins is a small amount of money, but you just throw it in and it passes quickly.
5. (Does not come forward.)
…
The snowfall was silent.
I believe that Frannan, who is like the leader of the group, will handle it on his own.
“…50 coins is too much of a burden.”
“Hey, are you kidding me? “They’re bringing up the border crossing by two days?”
– Yang Achi is a cub ㅋㅋㅋ
– Pande Apan Bong is Kim Seon -dal
– Nakdong River water is not sold at that price!
Frannan grinned and dismissed the ronin.
The ronin gritted his teeth and said.
“I think the next offer will be 80 gold coins.”
“The price has gone up a lot recently?”
“Because that’s the way the world is.”
Frannan snorted.
“Maybe the world you and I live in is very different.”
“That’s funny.”
The carriage carrying Kangseol and his party passed Ronin and arrived at the checkpoint.
“Oh please! “Please let me pass!”
“There are procedures. “This is…”
The checkpoint was indescribably busy.
It seemed like he was suffering from measles due to the crowds of people.
In the meantime, when the carriage of Kang Seol and his party, who were trying to boldly cut in line, arrived, he must have been angry beyond absurdity.
That was probably why the guard was angry.
“stop! “What the heck…”
Clap!
Frannan opened the carriage door and said:
“I have some urgent work to do, but can you let me pass first?”
“… Let’s go back to the procession. “I’ll just endure it for now.”
Sigh.
Frannan took something out of his pocket.
It was a brooch with an unusual pattern engraved on it.
“hmm?”
“Can’t it be like this?”
“The seal of the Magic Tower… You are a wizard. …but no. As for the procedure…”
A little distance away, the ronin who had made the suggestion earlier was holding his stomach and laughing.
“Puhahahaha! Look at it! what? Wizard? Ah, you were a great wizard! But… what’s different about a wizard? uh? “People who live on the same land shouldn’t do that!”
Frannan said, exercising patience.
“Look closely.”
“I looked closely. That shouldn’t have happened…”
At that time, a person who appeared to be the leader of a group of guards approached, drawn by the commotion.
“what’s the matter? “Aren’t you working?”
“That wizard kept saying he would pass without following the order…”
“Surely that wizard still has that wrong idea? I know what time it is! Where… am I… huh?”
“Please don’t tell me what to say…”
“Hey.”
“yes?”
“Where did you put your eyes?”
“Is he here?”
“Not the butt?”
“… yes?”
“Didn’t you leave it at home? “Take a good look.”
The guard felt something strange and hesitated to ask.
“Why… why are you doing that…”
“It’s the seal of the Aspect, you idiot! “Didn’t you learn that according to international conventions, wizards above the castle level will not be detained at border checks?”
“….”
“Answer.”
“I learned it.”
The captain of the checkpoint approached Frannan and carefully checked the sacred seal before bowing his head.
“I’m sorry for being rude. A letter of cooperation had already been sent down from above, but it doesn’t seem to have been properly conveyed to the bottom line. “I will take responsibility.”
“Hehe… well, not that much. Good luck.”
Frannan tapped the man on the shoulder and whispered something.
“All right!”
“then.”
Frannan’s carriage passed through the border, and the checkpoint captain slowly walked towards the ronin from earlier.
“It would be difficult to disturb the rules at the checkpoint. “Please go to the back of the procession.”
“Where is that?! And I broke the rules?”
“So, are you saying that the person who is the Aspect of Libra lied? This… is enough to make it an issue…”
“The Aspect of the First Libra!”
“What do you want to do?”
The man rolled his eyes and answered in a dying voice.
“If you just make some space for the carriage… I’ll go back.”
“Well thought out. “Isn’t good something good?”
* * *
After that, the carriage continued to run for another few days, and before we knew it, we were entering the middle of the wilderness, far from the city center.
Snowfall was lost in thought as she looked at the vast plain.
‘That’s right, the towers were far away from the city like this.’
All goods were supplied periodically through trade.
Since the tower itself was like a city, the materials consumed within it were also considerable.
“We will arrive soon. If you look over there…”
At the coachman’s words, the group took turns sticking their heads out the window.
“tower! “It’s a tower!”
“I can see it over there.”
“This is my first time at Libra! Wow… Master! “It’s much cooler than a water bottle, right?”
“There is no place like a scale on the outside. “I’ll show you around the other magic towers later.”
“It’s a promise!”
“When the level increases.”
“… too bad.”
As I approached the tower, I felt a burning magical power. There was a clear barrier to prepare for external attacks.
“I guess I’m not in last place. There’s a carriage over there too… hm?”
“Why but?”
“Oh no. “I guess I saw something wrong.”
“What is it?”
“Well… look over there.”
The group all turned their gaze in the direction the coachman spoke.
“What is that?”
“Is it a monster?”
“Isn’t it dangerous?”
“It’s Baku!”
Baku.
A monster that resembles a rhino.
It was so ferocious that if you encountered it, you had to run away at all costs.
But someone was riding that Baku and heading to the tower.
“uh? Huh? Are you getting closer to us?”
“What should we do, Frannan? “If things continue like this, we’re getting too close.”
Frannan said harshly.
“That’s fun. “Run just like that.”
“yes.”
Doo doo doo doo…
Fuuuuu!
Baku roared and approached the carriage.
Prin was trembling and afraid, but the others were curious about the being on top of Baku.
‘Who is it?’
Just looking at the robe he was wearing, he was not an ordinary person.
Because it was quite large.
Doo doo doo doo…
Baku clung to the carriage and the mysterious person on top of it spoke.
“I’m glad it arrived the same way.”
“hmm? Who is it?”
Frannan tilted his head when he heard that voice, and the others also shook their heads as if they did not know.
However, Kang Seol-man stuck his head out the window.
“This voice… really?”
“Yes, it is me.”
The master of Baku unfolds his robe.
The whole group was shocked.
“Troll?”
“You’re a troll!”
Snowfall shouted happily.
“Mael!”
[Conditions have been met.]
[Helper ‘Star Child Mael’ appears in this adventure.]
[Helper ‘Star Child Mael’ joins you as an ally in this adventure.]
Mael, with a little beard, appears in Baku He was sitting calmly on top and smiling.
“It’s been a while, Snowman!”