24-Hour Friendly Market, Specializing in Dimensional Items - Chapter 131

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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24-Hour Friendly Market Specializing in Dimensional Items Episode 131

 

Episode 131. Gearsgard (2)

 

Clang-

 

“Ahhhhh!”

 

I woke up from sleep with a loud scream.

 

It was because of the tremendous noise made by misaligned gears.

 

When I hurriedly looked around, Brozen was clicking his tongue while looking at me.

 

“….”

 

Feeling awkward for no reason, I gave him a smile, but Brozen turned his gaze away as if he’d seen something unseemly.

 

“You sure wake up loudly.”

 

“I had a scary dream.”

 

“What dream? You woke up from this noise.”

 

Brozen struck the anvil hard with the wrench he was holding.

 

My body flinched involuntarily at the thunderous sound of metal hitting metal.

 

Even if Brozen was a kind dwarf who left a sleeping stranger alone, he didn’t seem to have the personality to just overlook things.

 

I scratched the back of my head, hiding my embarrassment.

 

“The curfew’s over, so get out now.”

 

“Just like that?”

 

“What else are you expecting? I saved you from getting caught and let you rest, so I’ve done enough.”

 

Hearing his nonchalant response made me feel even more awkward.

 

‘…That’s true though.’

 

I smiled awkwardly and slowly got up from my spot.

 

All I’d done in Brozen’s workshop was spread out paper, draw a map, and fall asleep, so there wasn’t really anything to pack.

 

Still, thanks to the detection writing instrument that had worked busily while I slept, the map was completely filled.

 

This meant the map of the 54th floor was complete.

 

But.

 

“What is this?”

 

I frowned and examined the map again.

 

I doubted my eyes.

 

The paper that had been empty was now a map depicting each area in detail.

 

A map that meticulously showed everywhere in Gearsgard, from the plaza where I’d been sitting earlier to places I hadn’t visited yet.

 

At first glance, it was perfect to submit as the result of a survey.

 

The problem was that I had discovered an unfamiliar place name.

 

The map didn’t only show Gearsgard.

 

The map was completely filled.

 

With no less than 4 different areas.

 

Including Gearsgard where I am now, there were three unfamiliar place names I’d never heard of.

 

Berilsha, Floraban, Glimmerstone.

 

The paper was divided into four sections as if it had been quartered.

 

I blinked my eyes and soon realized one fact.

 

The detection writing instrument didn’t say it would draw ‘Gearsgard.’

 

‘It said it would draw Aetheria.’

 

Just as the Ganashia continent had Kona and Casabl, the dimension called Aetheria also had other regions including Gearsgard.

 

“Mr. Brozen, isn’t this place just Gearsgard?”

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

Brozen, who had been continuously tightening nuts with his wrench, asked back in a bewildered tone.

 

When I just blinked my eyes with a face that showed I didn’t understand, Brozen, seeing my state, perfectly grasped the situation.

 

Brozen nodded his head and muttered.

 

“So you weren’t from another city after all.”

 

To think the outsider Brozen mentioned was from another city.

 

‘I just thought he was referring to someone from another dimension.’

 

Brozen stared at me intently while holding his wrench.

 

His expression showed he was certain I had no basic knowledge about this place.

 

For me, who had always subtly pretended to be a local wherever I went, this was quite a tense situation.

 

“How did such… Never mind, it’ll just complicate my head unnecessarily.”

 

Brozen just sighed and shook his head.

 

Then Brozen continued speaking while fiddling with a spring.

 

“Gearsgard is just a city. There are a total of 4 cities in this world, and Gearsgard is one of them.”

 

“Are all the cities floating in the air?”

 

“That’s right.”

 

‘Four floating islands…’

 

When had I been lost in romance about aerial cities? I had already shifted to realistic judgment.

 

I didn’t know how far apart each city was, but since Babel had decided to use this dimension as a scenario stage, I would have to visit other cities for reconnaissance too.

 

‘First, let me get what I can get here.’

 

Brozen didn’t seem particularly friendly toward me, but at least he didn’t seem suspicious or uncomfortable with me.

 

Instead of taking the map and leaving quickly, I settled back into my seat at the table.

 

From going back and forth between different floors several times, I had learned that information should be gathered when there’s an opportunity.

 

There aren’t many kind natives who readily answer questions.

 

I tapped the table with my fountain pen and asked.

 

“How do you get to other cities?”

 

“You use airships. But you can’t go now.”

 

“Why not?”

 

“Why do you keep asking for reasons? Obviously because we’re at war.”

 

…I didn’t know, so should I just stay quiet then?

 

Barely restraining myself from making a cheeky retort, I stared at Brozen with innocent eyes as if I ‘had no idea at all.’

 

Because I was convinced that the fact that there was a war going on could itself be a clue to the scenario.

 

I thought if I stared at him like this, he’d give in and explain things to me.

 

“Why are you looking at me with those eyes?”

 

Brozen was a stronger opponent than I expected.

 

I had no choice but to lower my tail and ask calmly.

 

“As you can see, I don’t know much about this place. So I’d be grateful if you could explain things to me.”

 

“What good does receiving gratitude do me?”

 

It gives you a bit of satisfaction from spreading warmth to the world, you old man.

 

I couldn’t bring myself to curse and just smiled awkwardly, so Brozen shook his head from side to side.

 

“I thought it was strange from the beginning. There’s no way someone would go around showing they’re an outsider so obviously here. It’s like confessing to being a spy.”

 

“There are spies?”

 

“There are bastards who come and go like rats to spy on other cities’ activities.”

 

“Then why did you just leave me alone?”

 

“All cities including Gearsgard restart their engines at the same time. That means curfew falls at the same time for everyone. You didn’t even know that and had a stupid look on your face, so there’s no way someone like that could be dangerous.”

 

“…”

 

“If push comes to shove, I can just whack you with this.”

 

Brozen picked up a wrench and swung it lightly.

 

Looking at his solidly built muscles, there seemed to be good reason for that confidence.

 

After saying that, Brozen glanced at me and added quietly.

 

“Well, there’s no way they’d use a spy who openly acts like an outsider. Even if you’re suspicious, you can’t be a spy.”

 

He had just casually insulted me as naturally as breathing, but I was lost in other thoughts.

 

‘Don’t tell me this scenario is about catching thieves?’

 

Like finding spies hidden in each city.

 

The scenarios I’d experienced so far weren’t simple methods of just achieving victory. There might be something different this time too.

 

If that’s the case, it would really be efficient to get a feel for the atmosphere of all the places on this map.

 

‘I should visit other cities.’

 

I asked casually.

 

“What are the other cities like?”

 

“What, do you think I’m the type who obediently answers when asked?”

 

Brozen clicked his tongue as if displeased, then immediately dragged over a huge pipe and sat down.

 

Anyone could see this was the attitude of someone about to explain.

 

This isn’t even tsundere, it’s more like bastard-dere.

 

Brozen pointed to the island drawn in the upper right of the map and began explaining.

 

“This place is Berilsha. It’s where mages exist. The mage lineage was cut off, but some engineers crossed over there and created bizarre things. It’s a place where uptight bastards whose thoughts you can’t read live.”

 

Mages and engineers.

 

Then is this place close to magitech?

 

I nodded while engraving the explanation in my mind.

 

Next was the lower left.

 

“This is Floraban. Just from the name you can tell, but plant-crazy bastards live there. You can’t even enter here without aerial floating technology. They spout bullshit about how stepping on the ground kills the grass.”

 

After talking about machines and magitech, suddenly plant-lover bashing came out of nowhere.

 

Hearing this much, I couldn’t figure out what kind of place Aeteria really was.

 

Whether I was confused or not, Brozen pointed to the island in the bottom right.

 

“Lastly, Glimmerstona. Only authorized beings can enter this place.”

 

“Haven’t you been there either, Mr. Brozen?”

 

“I couldn’t go. Only representatives from each city have entered a few times, right? There’s no way a mere mechanic like me could enter such a place.”

 

“What exactly do they do there?”

 

“Just an experimental city. It’s where Alchemists gather and live. They create all sorts of strange things, tsk.”

 

Brozen clicked his tongue with a displeased expression.

 

“They only make things that have no practicality or usefulness.”

 

A city of alchemy that creates useless things.

 

‘That sounds like a place Kang Yeon-hee would want to visit.’

 

I nodded and organized the information I’d heard so far.

 

Gearsgard, the mechanical city; Berilsha, the city of magical engineering; Floraban, the nature-friendly city; and Glimmerstona, the city of alchemy.

 

The current state of Aetheria was that four cities with distinctly different characteristics were at war.

 

‘But why are they fighting?’

 

Even if they fought because they were too different, it would be strange.

 

What reason would floating cities in the sky have to cross the void and fight other cities?

 

“What’s the reason for fighting with the other cities?”

 

Upon hearing my question, Brozen poked the center of the map with the tip of his screwdriver.

 

“Here.”

 

The place Brozen pointed to was a small island excluding the four districts.

 

“…Vernium.”

 

Unlike the other areas that showed complex roads and closely packed buildings in detail, this was just drawn as a simple mass.

 

“To take control of this place.”

 

“What is this place?”

 

“An island with mana stone mines.”

 

Brozen let out a short sigh and stroked his curly beard.

 

“This is a floating city. To keep the islands afloat, we need mana stones. There isn’t much fuel left to keep each island floating.”

 

“Didn’t you say earlier that the islands float using engines?”

 

“How frustrating. If we could power the engines with ordinary fuel, there wouldn’t be a problem. The energy needed to float an island is enormous. The only fuel that can handle that is mana stones.”

 

Having lived in South Korea where there are no mana stone mines, I couldn’t properly understand the value of mana stones.

 

‘They can float islands.’

 

My amazement at the power of mana stones was brief, as I soon asked another question.

 

“But there must have been enough mana stones for the four cities to prosper until now, right? Why are they fighting over just this one?”

 

“That’s the story up until now.”

 

Brozen put away his screwdriver and let out a deep sigh.

 

“Until now, enough mana stones were mined so the four cities didn’t need to fight. But…”

 

Brozen closed his mouth for a moment.

 

An emotion that was hard to clearly identify appeared on his face.

 

‘Is it fear…?’

 

His face was covered with beard, so I couldn’t see his expression properly.

 

“Islands that have been completely mined of their mana stones have fallen.”

 

That’s quite a terrifying story.

 

Islands that crash straight down to the ground once mining is finished, as if they know they’ve outlived their usefulness.

 

Just as I unconsciously gulped, Brozen added with a heavy tone.

 

“Bernium is the last mine.”

 

…So that means all four cities are currently on the verge of falling from the sky.

 

And they’re at war over the mining rights to the last mine.

 

“This war is a fight for survival.”

 

I bit my lips as I met Brozen’s serious gaze.

 

The city that loses this war will fall straight down below.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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