24-Hour Friendly Market, Specializing in Dimensional Items - Chapter 156

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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 156

Episode 156. Turning Point (2)

Sure enough, the airship that landed in Berylsha received a tremendous welcome.

As if all the citizens in the neighborhood had promised to come out and welcome them, the airship port was truly packed with people.

The mages were frantically waving flags emblazoned with Berylsha’s emblem, and the citizens who came to watch were peering at the airship that arrived at the port with faces full of curiosity.

Watching this, I felt somewhat bewildered.

‘Do they really need to go that far?’

I mean, they brought them here with enough power to destroy other cities, but isn’t the welcoming treatment a bit too excessive?

I don’t know what they want to show the citizens, but watching from a third party’s perspective, it’s rather a bizarre scene.

Anyway, since all of Berylsha’s attention was focused on the foreigners, I landed in a secluded alley entrance with Silvester’s skilled piloting in the meantime.

Unlike his previous mistake, Silvester didn’t withdraw the spirit’s power from me.

I hid myself in the shadows and observed the situation for a while.

There were no signs of anyone approaching this way.

‘Then shall I go?’

Leaving the bustling crowd behind, I carefully stepped toward the city hall.

It didn’t take long to reach Berilsha City Hall, which had the appearance of a luxurious castle.

Under the still splendid emerald-colored spire and purple banners, crowds who had followed the foreigners from the port were gathered at the entrance.

And in the middle of them was the raid party, who seemed flustered by the current situation and kept blinking their eyes.

I don’t know what they were saying, but a mage who appeared to be of quite high status politely pointed inside.

I muttered in a dubious tone.

“…Are they going to meet that mage?”

Recalling Green’s words, it seems the one who instructed them to find those people was Berylsha’s mayor, so the raid party would soon meet Berylsha’s highest authority figure who had been shrouded in a veil.

They would probably meet Seo Jae-hyuk there too.

While the raid party was led into the city hall by Berylsha’s high officials without a chance to refuse.

I began walking quickly along the stone wall surrounding the city hall.

Previously, I had trusted only Silvester and charged straight through the main entrance, but doing that on a day when so many crowds had gathered like today would be tantamount to turning myself in.

After walking for about 5 minutes, fortunately the security at the back gate seemed a bit lax, but.

‘Going there also feels uncomfortable, so pass.’

Since I even have a spirit on my side, is there really a need to enter through a door?

Especially when there’s such a sturdy stone wall that looks perfect for climbing right next to me.

Of course, I’m not really going to climb the wall myself.

“Silvester, have you ever climbed over a wall?”

I whispered quietly from inside my hood.

“Are you talking about this wall?”

The voice that leaked from the spirit’s necklace seemed to contain a bit of bewilderment, but was relatively calm.

“You can get inside, right?”

“Of course. If it’s a request from you of all people, I won’t hesitate.”

Without even a moment to add anything more, a gentle wind wrapped around my back, and I instantly rose into the air.

There were several mages standing guard around, but it was a wind so gentle that only I could feel it, completely undetectable to them.

Silvester, who silently set me down in the courtyard inside the wall, whispered carefully.

“The magical power inside is certainly more refined. But I can grasp this much sufficiently, so you should walk your own path.”

“My goodness.”

“Is it alright?”

“…Of course, Silvester.”

I nodded while steadying my trembling voice.

Ah, I was momentarily moved because he was so reliable.

Even Alessandro, who’s a knight commander, has never earned this much trust from me…

I expressed my gratitude by stroking the necklace a couple of times, then stealthily headed toward the building.

Unlike the city hall entrance that was bustling with crowds, the back gate was quiet.

Only a few tired-looking mages who seemed to have no interest in foreigners whatsoever were wandering around with unfocused eyes.

They didn’t have the look of being controlled, just eyes exhausted from excessive work.

‘As expected of Berylsha, workplace bullying by superiors must be no joke.’

I wonder if Green has that kind of expression too.

“…Oh right, Green.”

I sighed softly.

No matter how much Green has become Berylsha’s lackey, the fact that he secretly leaked confidential information to Theowald telling him to evacuate means he cares that much about his family.

Then maybe he could become a good spy for me, since I saved that Theowald’s life and tried to save Aetheria!

‘I should have gotten a portrait at least.’

It’s already too late for that though.

I sent mild consolation to my wisdom that was lacking by 2 percent, then carefully entered the city hall building.

Berilsha City Hall had a structure where the building’s front and back entrances were connected in a long corridor that was completely open.

That means, as soon as I entered through the back door, what I could see was the raid party entering through the front door in the distance.

The welcoming crowd, now consisting only of mages after entering the city hall, was diligently guiding the raid party somewhere.

Seeing them climbing stairs, it’s probably the upper floor…

Then I need to find information from the opposite side of where they are.

“The deeper you go inside, the stronger the detection magic works, so you mustn’t move too quickly.”

Repeating Silvester’s advice to maintain thorough vigilance, I slowly walked down the corridor.

If there’s a difference from other cities’ city halls, it’s that Berilsha City Hall has an enormous number of rooms.

Each door has all sorts of strange nameplates attached, but they weren’t names that made me particularly want to go in and look.

[Citizens’ Footprint Research Lab]

[Research Lab for Magical Power Diffusion According to Hat Height]

[Non-Mage Engineering Development Research Team]

[Research Group for Magical Power Growth Without Training]

Well… it’s only natural that I’m not interested when only things like this are hanging there.

‘No, why are mages so obsessed with hats?’

The same bewilderment I felt previously at the Mage Tower of the Ganasia Continent surrounds me.

Back then too, all sorts of strange papers were scattered around making it ridiculous, and my body that had been stiff with tension the whole time tries to forcibly relax.

Well, I am somewhat curious about rooms with nameplates like ‘Non-Mage Engineering Development Research Team’…

‘But that’s not what’s important right now.’

Even if there’s undeniable value in there, what’s most valuable in Berilsha City Hall right now is obviously the ‘information’ that will determine Aetheria’s fate.

Information is originally money.

In other words, even in this hopeless situation where I can’t see an inch ahead, I can know where that information is.

[Merchant’s Eye (P)]

Based on the insight a merchant should have, you can judge the profitability and risk of transactions. Rational judgment and a cool attitude that doesn’t easily waver are fundamental. You can analyze products, counterparts, and situations to grasp transaction profitability, the risk level of transaction targets, potential opportunities, etc. However, judgment can become clouded when emotions are involved.

Because I have a title skill given to the Open Market Manager!

My title skill that recognizes the most profitable and valuable things.

Maybe because I’ve been using the same ones repeatedly, even though it’s a really good skill, it feels like I’m taking it out after a long time.

I took a light deep breath and then activated the skill.

At that moment.

‘Whoa.’

Everything in my field of vision began to glow with a subtle golden light.

Each room was brilliantly glowing with golden light of different intensities.

Seeing the most intense golden aura flowing from the ‘Citizens’ Footprint Research Lab’, I momentarily thought my skill had gone haywire.

‘…There it is.’

As I turned my gaze here and there, I discovered something square somewhere directly above my head, showing off its tremendous presence with a honey-clear golden light.

A dense golden light that was on a completely different level from the auras emitted by other research labs with ridiculous names.

The golden aura shining brilliantly as if all value was concentrated there was clearly telling anyone who looked that what I was searching for was up there.

The relief of ‘I found it’ was only momentary.

‘Wait a minute.’

I hurried my steps toward the Main Hall, feeling a sudden uneasiness.

Taking a different route from the raid team would give me a higher chance of avoiding the famous mages of Berylsha.

If the place the raid team was guided to happened to be the same location I was heading to, that would truly be a disaster.

I hurriedly observed where the raid team beyond the corridor was heading.

And very fortunately.

“Come, this way. I’ll escort you to where the Mayor is.”

A loud-voiced mage was guiding the raid team toward something resembling an elevator.

The friendly-looking mage loaded the raid team onto a device that looked like a square stone contraption, then shot upward in an instant before I could observe any further.

Glancing up, I saw the stone elevator without safety railings ascending endlessly.

‘…Are they going to the Tower?’

At that height, it seemed they were heading to the Emerald Tower visible from outside.

And to the very top floor at that.

Honestly, I was curious about the Emerald Tower, but it would probably be a place I could only visit after the scenario was completed and opened up.

Well, anyway, it wasn’t bad for me.

Because the square box that my merchant’s eye was screaming ‘this is expensive’ about was only at about the 3rd floor level!

I grinned and headed toward where my merchant’s eye was guiding me.

Up the antique stairs to the visible 3rd Floor Corridor, there was definitely something I wanted there.

‘Things are going smoothly, aren’t they?’

Maybe because my plan was proceeding exactly as I thought, I felt somewhat thrilled.

…Exactly 30 seconds after thinking that.

“Ah, what, are you kidding me?”

I was fumbling around with the wall in the middle of the empty 3rd floor corridor.

Since an incredibly bright golden light was rippling from inside the wall where a tapestry with a giant staff was hanging, I naturally thought there would be a hidden entrance inside.

Since my merchant’s eye had guided me this far, I wanted to turn off my passive for a moment and comfortably claim it.

But when I squeezed my body between the heavy tapestry and checked the wall.

‘It’s just a wall.’

A very straight, ordinary wall that didn’t seem to have any particular device hidden in it.

No, a real wall!

Even when I felt around with my fingertips, there wasn’t even a small crack, and there were no special features at all.

…Then do I have to pass through here somehow?

I’m a human made of bone and flesh who can’t use magic, you know?

Just as I was about to let out a hollow laugh because it was absurd to be blocked after coming this far.

“Are you looking for a door, friend?”

The necklace, no, Silvester whispered quietly.

“Oh, yes. Can you see it?!”

As I answered while trying to suppress my voice that was about to grow louder with a thread of hope, Silvester added.

“I can sense a hidden door. It’s well concealed with magic power, but breaking through it temporarily with spirit power should be possible.”

“Really?!”

As expected, my Silvester.

Couldn’t I keep him with me forever instead of returning him to Eldarin?

I was already breathing heavily like a boss full of greed for talent.

Well, whether I was breathing like a pervert or not, it was certain that Silvester had found me a mouse hole anyway.

“Where?”

I asked while ruthlessly feeling around the wall.

But Silvester answered in a calm voice.

“Ah, it seems you were thinking something wrong.”

…The only thing I thought wrong today would be my greed in stubbornly giving up on the Emerald Tower, right?

In the exact time it took me to blink twice, Silvester added.

“This tapestry is the passage.”

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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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