The morning after the battle with the river bandits, a swift boat departed from the village where we’d anchored. It was faster than an ordinary vessel, and its mission was to carry word of the attack downstream to the city of Flocia.
Thanks to that, by the following evening, we met up with a military patrol boat sent from Flocia.
The soldiers aboard questioned us, but Felix-san quietly revealed our identity as members of the Raven Warriors. That ended the inspection quickly enough—but it reminded me again just how much the warrior group’s influence had grown since the last global message.
In the end, our schedule was delayed by only a single day.
On the fifth day since leaving the Royal Capital, we finally reached Lake Flocia.
“Whoa…”
I exclaimed as the warm southern wind brushed across my cheek.
Between the great river that flowed in and the vast lake itself stood a checkpoint. We passed through it, raised our sails, and sailed on a little farther.
Before long, a massive wall appeared to be jutting out into the water. The morning sun gleamed white along its stone surface, and above it I could see the spire of a temple rising within.
As the boat continued on the lake and the harbor came into view through a gap in the wall, I finally understood why this city was called the City of Abundance.
The harbor was alive with chaos and color, a forest of masts proudly stabbing into the sky. Every vessel seemed to flaunt its own purpose—some ready to row out across the lake and downriver toward the sea, others setting their sails to journey upstream once more.
Along the piers, mountains of cargo—barrels, hemp sacks, crates of all sizes were being loaded and unloaded. Bare-chested dockworkers, muscled and glistening despite the lingering chill in the air, hurried to and fro with practiced rhythm. It felt almost like the canals of the Royal Capital—but bigger, louder, and brimming with life.
As I watched, one ship leaving port caught the wind in its sail and came gliding toward us.
For a moment I panicked, thinking it might collide—but it passed by gracefully, skimming so close that its wake rippled against our hull. Its bow was aimed straight toward the heart of the lake.
“…An island?”
“That is Flocia’s labyrinth.”
Felix-san cleared my confusion. His words jogged my memory.
“Dungeon Island…!”
“Mm, that’s what it’s commonly called.”
The dungeon of Flocia lay separated from the city, built into a small island that floated on the vast lake. From afar, it seemed tiny—but beneath the surface, it was said to stretch far and deep, a maze filled with water-aligned monsters sealed away since ancient times.
I narrowed my eyes, trying to imprint the image of that island in my mind.
“…Huh?”
I looked down at the water’s surface and thought I saw something sparkling at the bottom.
Felix-san followed my gaze, then pointed ahead.
“We’ll be anchoring over there.”
Felix pointed to the edge of the harbor. It seems the merchants attacked by river pirates will be using a different pier.
“Farewell, heroes!”
The merchant’s voice boomed across the water as our boat drifted from the pier.
I don’t think he thinks I defeated all the river pirates, but… he probably knows that I fought them.
“Heroes, huh…”
I turned my gaze forward. In this city of Flocia, just like in the Royal Capital, there must be countless adventurers chasing that same word—hero.
From the boat receding into the distance, I caught sight of Nils raising a hand in farewell.
“…I hope he finds his sister.”
I murmured.
I lifted my hand in return, a faint ache tightening in my chest. In the end, we’d gone our separate ways.
Beside me, Mia-san crossed her arms, the chain wound around her wrist clinking softly.
“Honestly, it’s a bit of a waste.” she said.
Felix-san only shook his head.
“That’s not an option.”
Mia gave a small shrug.
“I know, I know. Just saying.”
The truth was, she and I had been quietly talking with Nils since the day before. It would’ve seemed odd if it were just me, so Mia-san joined in—under the pretense of a casual exchange of information between adventurers.
That was how we learned a few things. That he was a fairly high-ranking adventurer, a level thirty-four one. He came from a noble family in the borderlands.
“I’m from the frontier too.” Mia-san said softly. “And, well… even nobles there can be dirt poor. A little debt for the sake of your land, and next thing you know, your sister’s sold off as a slave…”
My heart sank as we found ourselves in similar situations.
We’d already asked what his sister looked like. We’d promised that if we ever saw her, we’d send word to his lodgings here in Flocia.
Felix-san, who had been listening in silence, finally spoke, narrowing his eyes.
“It may sound cold, but we can’t simply take anyone into our ranks. We share too many secrets among ourselves.”
His words made me think of Pauline-san, and the conversations we’d had—the myths, the sealed monsters, the truths hidden from most of the world. So many people were already being drawn into this struggle… yet everything still had to remain a secret.
Even if someone called us heroes, in the end, there would only ever be so many we could truly save.
“I know.”
I slapped my cheeks with both hands.
“But if we’re pursuing the same person, maybe we’ll meet again, right?”
The situation might be different by then.
For now, I’ll focus on moving forward.
Mia-san grinned and turned her attention to Felix-san.
“Well, we do have the same goal. So… where are we investigating today?”
“Speaking of that. It seems the captured river pirates will be receiving new instructions soon.”
Felix-san pointed to a magnificent building at the back of the port.
“It seems they’ll tell the time and location of the transaction there.”
◆◆◆
There were plenty of people there too, but the atmosphere was different from the bustling harbor.
It was a quiet kind of busy. The ones coming and going weren’t rugged dockworkers, but merchants dressed in fine clothes. They stopped at the counters to talk, and occasionally, one would be called into a room in the back.
The whole place felt like an adventurers’ guild—if someone had multiplied its refinement by a hundred.
“Is this place…?”
“It’s what they call a trading house.”
Felix-san replied.
I blinked in surprise. By the way, I am wearing the “Hat of Bewilderment.”
“C-could this be…the enemy’s base?”
“I doubt it. The Medis Trading Company is far too large and reputable to have any use for slaves.”
Apparently, this was where the enemy was supposed to deliver some kind of message to their comrades.
But in a place like this—could such a thing really happen?
As I watched absentmindedly, I noticed someone behaving a little strangely.
“They’re… exchanging something.”
I whispered.
A merchant handed over a small wooden tablet at the counter. Then he received magic stones, gems, and gold coins in return.
“Hmm. A bill of trade huh.”
Felix-san said. I’d only ever heard the term in passing. Tilting my head, I asked,
“A bill… of trade?”
“It’s something like a claim ticket,” he explained patiently. “When the goods are too large, numerous, or too valuable to transport directly, the trading house issues a bill. You can then redeem the goods elsewhere—or even buy and sell the bill itself.”
““Heh~””
Mia-san and I spoke in unison. Felix-san sighed and hung his head.
“Adventurer Mia… I would have thought you’d already know this.”
“Of course I did,” she said with a grin. “Just impressed by how neatly you put it, that’s all.”
Felix-san cleared his throat and continued, pretending not to notice her teasing.
“That one’s called an adventurer’s bill. It’s used for exchanging rewards, advance payments, or required materials. Magic stones and supplies are bulky—and transporting them takes time. So instead, they issue a kind of voucher, like: ‘Of the potions in this branch, ten thousand gent’s worth belong to you.’ The recipient then comes here to redeem it.”
Felix explained.
I caught my breath. An entire mansion, dedicated to handling such immense flow of trade.
“F-Flocia is…”
“A city of commerce as well,” Felix said with a small smile. “This region is a warm, fertile breadbasket. Without this kind of exchange system, even a shipload of wheat couldn’t be traded efficiently.”
I stood there, dazed, watching the steady rhythm of goods and people flowing past.
The capital, and even Alvis, were cities of adventurers. But this place—this was a city of trade.
“…Wait.”
Something stuck in my mind.
“So if something can be exchanged… does that mean if we use the system well, we can give something to them?”
Felix-san and Mia-san traded a look.
“True,” Felix murmured. “It’s possible they’re using the exchange system itself as an intermediary to deliver messages.”
『Rion.』
The gold coin at my chest trembled—God’s voice echoed softly.
“Uru?”
『You’re learning to draw more deeply on my blessing. I can lend you my power—and if you wish to track your enemies…』
I lowered my chin slightly.
Right. Skills weren’t only for use inside dungeons.
| Skill, 『Divine Protection of the God of Hunting』was used. ————————————————————— 【Wild Heart】⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅⋅Detection. With magical power consumption, effects can be further increased. |
| Skill, 『Sun’s Divine Protection』was used. ————————————————————— 【Golden Flame】 ………Improves physical abilities. Provides an even greater effect for a limited time. |
The strengthened detection spread like a ripple through the entire building.
Then—faintly, deep within—I caught a small red glimmer.
It was the same eerie hue I’d seen inside dungeons.
“…I sense the presence of a monster’s mana.”
Mia-san’s eyes narrowed.
“Inside the trade hall? You sure about that?”
“Yes. It’s about the size of an egg, so it’s probably not a monster itself. More likely… something that retains a monster’s magic.”
【Wild Heart】could sense mana as well. It had reacted to golem cores before; anything imbued with a magical trace would be registered.
Felix-san,looking thoughtful, tapped his staff against the marble floor.
“If that mana came from a monster’s magical power, it might very well be the medium they’re using to transmit messages. If we can obtain it, we could learn where their base or the next exchange site is.”
The only problem was how to get it.…
We huddled together, whispering, we start planning our next move.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
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