A small uninhabited island with sparse gray palm trees rising from the ground.
"Hmm..."
Raon, his hair now dyed blue, surveyed the island as he disembarked.
"They haven't arrived yet?"
"Not yet?"
Burren tilted his head, pausing mid-step.
"Don't tell me we're meeting Chamber here on this deserted island?"
"Here? Isn't that too far?"
Martha furrowed her brow, unable to comprehend the situation.
"That's right."
Raon nodded, turning to face the puzzled swordsmen.
"We decided to meet at sea since we don't know how far the Black Tower's influence extends on land."
Meeting on nearby land wasn't a good choice, as they couldn't be sure what magic or spells the demonized humans might have set up around Montiro.
"A wise decision."
Karoon stroked his chin, his eyes calm and steady.
"No matter how cautious the Black Tower is, they wouldn't have bothered with this uninhabited island."
He nodded, suggesting that with the magicians present, it might not be a bad idea to set up a temporary base here, far from Montiro.
"Yeah, I was thinking the same..."
Runaan, seemingly unafraid of Karoon, stood close to him and nodded in the same manner.
"..."
Karoon glanced sideways at Runaan, but she stared back even more intently with a "what are you going to do about it" expression.
"Thank you for understanding."
Raon expressed his gratitude just as wrinkles began to form on Karoon's forehead. Though it was their first mission together, he strangely felt as if they had been working in harmony for a long time.
"Before Chamber arrives, let's set up camp... Huh?'
Raon stopped in his tracks as he was about to enter the island's interior, pushing through man-high bushes.
'There's something here.'
Sensing an unusual flow of mana inside the island, he immediately turned around.
"Everyone, step back!"
He warned the swordsmen following him and tried to retreat, but the space around him shattered like a kaleidoscope, and his hands and legs were bound in the cracks of the fractured space, immobilizing him.
'Is this magic?'
Without panicking, he ignited the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation. He burned away the mana binding his hands and feet with the purifying flames. With a chiming sound, he regained freedom in his right hand and drew his sword. Just as he was about to cut through the barrier itself that divided the space, a witch's hat popped out from the split.
"Wait! Don't do it!"
Chamber, who had been hiding inside the witch's hat, revealed her face and waved both hands.
"It was hard to make this! It's just a joke! A joke!"
She shook her head, shouting at him to lower his sword.
"...I was joking too."
Raon lowered his sword with a thin smile.
"You knew?"
"I could smell Chamber's scent in the magic."
He hadn't known at first, but as he saw the space splitting, he realized it was Chamber's magic. In truth, if he had decided to, he could have split the space immediately, but he was just playing along until she came out.
-Hmph. That's a relief.
Wrath snorted at him.
-This king was about to hit the ground, thinking the one who had eaten my flesh and blood had fallen for a simple trap.
He frowned, seemingly displeased either way.
'I didn't exactly eat your flesh and blood.'
-To this king, it was worse than that!
Wrath gnashed his teeth, shouting that it was even more severe.
'A-Alright...'
Feeling that saying anything more would truly get him bitten, he decided to accept it for now.
"Now I'm too scared to even play jokes."
Chamber chuckled lightly and snapped her fingers, returning the yellow-split space back to its original island form.
"Palace Master! What happened... huh?"
"Huh?"
"Chamber!"
Burren, Runaan, and Martha, who were standing right in front of the barrier, widened their eyes upon seeing Chamber.
"It's an honor to meet the great Archmage of Balkar."
Karoon, seemingly having anticipated this to some extent, bowed to Chamber without surprise. It seemed his martial prowess was growing rapidly, just like Raon's.
"Karoon?"
Chamber let out a surprised breath.
"The old man said he'd send someone who'd get along well with Raon, and that was you?"
"Get along well..."
Karoon slightly furrowed his brow, seemingly displeased with those words.
"While I respect the Head of House, I don't think that's the case."
He bit his lip, saying it was a misunderstanding.
"I share the same thought. It seems there's been a misunderstanding."
Raon shook his head with the same expression as Karoon.
"But seeing you two in person, you seem to get along quite well?"
Burren grinned, saying that Raon and Karoon's teamwork was good.
"What nonsense!"
"That's not true!"
Raon and Karoon frowned and stomped their feet almost simultaneously as soon as Burren finished speaking.
"Right?"
Chamber drew a faint smile as if she understood something.
"Come in for now. Let's talk inside."
As she flicked her finger, the space full of bushes disappeared, revealing luxurious tents and magical equipment. Balkar's magicians had already set up camp and were preparing something unknown.
"This is..."
"I came early and set up a barrier."
Chamber gestured with her chin while putting a red candy in her mouth.
"Is it a barrier to prevent intrusion?"
Raon asked, looking around as he entered the interior of Chamber's barrier.
"That's a given. I also made it so that the mana and aura emanating from inside won't leak out. And..."
Chamber snapped her fingers, and a blue window rose up, showing people playing on the beach.
"I also added a device that can view images of Montiro."
"Wow..."
Raon let out a breath as he looked at the blue window showing Montiro. He hadn't expected Chamber to come ahead and make such preparations. It seemed she really wanted to catch the Black Tower.
"But for now, there are only three."
"Three..."
"I provided agents support at the black market. These images are being sent from the artifacts they're wearing."
Chamber pointed to a jewelry box on the table. It contained accessories like necklaces, rings, badges, and bracelets, but no trace of mana could be felt from them.
"I made them all in different forms so they wouldn't arouse suspicion. That was the hardest part."
She sighed, saying it wasn't an easy task.
"So if we wear those and enter Montiro..."
"Yes. Dozens of such images will appear here, making the search much easier."
Chamber shrugged as if asking what he thought.
"I'm grateful that you've prepared this much."
Raon bowed to Chamber. He had asked for her help, but he hadn't expected her to have everything ready so quickly.
"I've been researching these image artifacts for a while, so I just mass-produced them quickly."
Chamber waved her hand, saying it wasn't that impressive.
"It's not just that. I want to thank you for trusting us."
He was grateful that she trusted them with this information, as those artifacts must be a secret to Balkar.
"Ah, it's nothing..."
Chamber turned her head slightly, seeming embarrassed.
"Then, have you been to Montiro yet?"
Raon narrowed his eyes as he put down the bracelet Chamber had made.
"I went there briefly before coming here."
Chamber nodded, lowering her lollipop.
"I observed from underwater, but I didn't notice anything unusual."
She smacked her lips, saying she couldn't sense any demonic energy or death energy.
"I see..."
Raon bit his lip thinly.
'This might be harder than I thought...'
If Chamber, who had reached a high level among Transcendents, couldn't sense anything even though it was from a distance, it would be difficult for him to find anything even if he went there.
'I guess that's why Roenn couldn't find it either.'
Raon let out a short sigh and approached Chamber.
"Then, did you make that too?"
"Of course I did."
Chamber, as if she had been waiting for this, took out a yellow candy from her bosom.
"If you eat this, the mana in your energy center will disperse, making it impossible to detect you with barriers or artifacts."
She shook her head, saying that it was an improvement on a pre-existing drug, so even the Black Tower's barriers would have difficulty detecting it.
"What if we want to use mana?"
"You can use the aura cultivation method. However, after that, the candy's effect will wear off, and you'll be detectable."
Chamber wagged her finger, saying they shouldn't use mana unless absolutely necessary.
"Thank you."
Raon bowed his head and received the candy Chamber handed him.
"It's lemon flavored."
"Pardon?"
"That candy is lemon flavored."
Chamber smiled brightly, saying she considered the taste since it was candy.
-Lemon flavor?
Wrath widened his eyes and stuck out his tongue.
-This king loves lemons! Eat it right now!
He stuck out his tongue as if salivating.
"So this candy is the secret weapon you mentioned."
Karoon nodded calmly, as if he had anticipated this as well.
"Yes. With this, we should be able to avoid barriers and artifacts that detect aura."
Unlike himself or Karoon, the Light Wind Palace swordsmen couldn't avoid detection by barriers, so they absolutely had to eat this candy before entering Montiro.
"Bring more candy!"
As Chamber flicked her hand, a young woman in a robe with a familiar face approached, carrying a basket of candies. It was Jayna, the princess of Balkar.
"Oh, it's been a while... hasn't it?"
Jayna furrowed her brow, seemingly not having forgotten what he had done to her, but still used polite speech.
-If she forgot that, she'd be a frog, not a human.
Wrath nodded, saying it was only natural.
"Why did you come here?"
"The Black Tower... insulted our kingdom. As a princess, it's only natural for me to act... isn't it?"
Jayna clenched her fist, her eyes deeper than before, as if it was only natural for her to be here as a princess. It was a far cry from the days when she only ran away.
"I see."
Raon felt that Jayna had changed a bit too as he received the candy basket she handed him.
"You're not all going in at once, are you?"
Chamber shook her head as if that was unthinkable.
"Of course not. We plan to enter in turns."
If this many people entered Montiro at once, it would arouse suspicion, so they needed to decide who would go in first.
"I know you're looking forward to seeing me in a swimsuit, but I can't go first."
Chamber sighed and waved her hand.
"If I get dragged away by the Black Tower Master, it's all over."
She raised one eyebrow, saying it would be difficult to fight in the Black Tower Master's home turf.
"I understand that, of course. And I'm not particularly curious about your swimsuit."
As Chamber was the only one who could face the Black Tower Master, it was best for her to step in after they discovered the Black Tower's location.
"Hmph! You don't understand the charm of a mature woman."
Chamber snorted as if offended.
"I'll go in first, and how about the Central Martial Palace Master enters last?"
"That sounds good."
Karoon stroked his chin, saying he'd stay here and train the swordsmen.
"Then who should..."
"It's a resort and a beach, so wouldn't it be best to disguise as a couple?"
Chamber suggested going as a couple, looking at the women next to Raon.
"Huh? Not acting arrogant anymore? Have you come to your senses? Or is this an act?"
Martha was picking a fight with Princess Jayna.
"Crab... crab..."
Runaan was blinking her eyes while poking at a hermit crab crawling on the ground.
"...That won't work."
Chamber shook her head, saying they'd be caught immediately.
"Yes, that doesn't seem feasible..."
Raon smacked his lips as he looked over the swordsmen one by one.
"Wow! This grass is Paron, rarely seen on the continent! I can't believe it's here! Supplies!"
Dorian was plucking trees and grass and stuffing them into his pouch, oblivious to his surroundings.
"There he is."
Raon grinned, pointing at Dorian.
"Not an act, but the real deal."
* * *
A small wagon rolled along a dirt path embedded with golden sand grains.
Three people were riding in the wagon. A blue-haired young man sat inside, yawning, while a brown-haired young man counted the luggage, and a red-haired young man, possibly a mercenary, drove the wagon with a large sword at his side.
"I understand becoming a third-rate mercenary, but..."
Krein, disguised as a mercenary, sighed as he glanced back slightly.
"Why did the Palace Master become the head merchant instead of the heir to the merchant association?"
He shook his head, looking at Dorian who was smiling while counting the items.
"I can't be the one carrying luggage, can I?"
Raon, disguised as the young head of the merchant association, tilted his chin.
"Huh..."
Krein let out an exasperated breath.
"Hey! Say something too! Are you satisfied being a porter as the heir to the merchant association?"
He grabbed Dorian's head and shook it.
"I'm just happy. I'm curious about what supplies we can find there."
Dorian grinned, seemingly satisfied with the opportunity to buy goods in Montiro. He appeared to be here as a genuine merchant rather than on a mission.
"Oh, for goodness' sake!"
"Enough. Focus now. We should see a signpost pointing to Montiro soon."
Raon continued his act as a carefree merchant while cautioning the two, despite still being quite far from Montiro.
"Ugh..."
Krein seemed to have more to say but shook his head resignedly and continued driving the wagon.
"Yawn..."
Raon let out a long yawn, leaning against the luggage piled in the wagon.
-How curious.
Wrath narrowed his eyes, looking at him.
-It's rare to see you sitting still normally, but you're surprisingly good at it when you try. Your acting has soul in it.
'I've seen it a lot.'
-Ah, because of that pointy-eared bastard, I see.
He chuckled as if remembering Rimmer.
-He seems to be your teacher in many ways.
'That's right.'
Raon nodded with a faint smile. Just by imitating what Rimmer used to do, he could easily outdo a first-class slacker.
'But I wonder if we can find it.'
Despite his skill in death energy detection improving to 3-star thanks to constant use on the way here, he wasn't confident he could locate the Black Tower with just that.
-What does it matter if you can't find it? Just go there and eat plenty of seafood, and that's a good life, isn't it?
Wrath waved his hand, suggesting they just enjoy the food.
'That might be a good life for you, but not for me.'
The funds and manpower invested in this mission were astronomical. Even if they couldn't find the Black Tower itself, they needed to at least find a clue that could lead them to it.
-Even so, in the end, what remains is food! Fish! Lobster! Shrimp! Seaweed! Clams!
As Wrath listed the foods he wanted to eat, the shape of Montiro gradually came into view.
"It's Montiro! And behind it... the sea!"
Krein, starting his mercenary act, shouted about the sea with a bright expression.
"The sea. The supplies we can get there are seafood, water-attribute stones, and..."
Dorian recited the items they needed to buy, either as an act or genuinely. This time, he seemed to be acting even better than Raon.
"Hmm..."
Raon narrowed his eyes as he looked at the approaching Montiro.
'I don't sense any barriers or demonic energy.'
As Chamber had said, he couldn't sense any negative energy even standing right in front of Montiro.
'What about you?'
Raon briefly smacked his lips and turned to Wrath.
-I don't sense anything as energy for now. However...
Wrath bared his white teeth as he scanned Montiro.
-It feels dirty.
'Dirty?'
-Indeed. It feels like something is stimulating this king's anger.
He shook his chin, saying he wasn't sure what it was either.
'The demon king's senses...'
Wrath usually prioritized instinct over theory. If he was saying such things, it seemed certain that something dirty, whether it was the Black Tower or not, was hidden here.
"Ah, I thought I was going to die from my sore bottom. Let's hurry and go in."
Raon got off the wagon, speaking in a carefree, merchant-like tone.
"Yes!"
"Understood!"
Dorian followed, grinning, while Krein smiled and drove the wagon to the front gate of Montiro.
"Please present your identification."
They handed over the identification badges matching their current disguises to the guard blocking Montiro's main gate.
'This part is perfect.'
Their current identities as a small merchant association directly operated by the black market were beyond suspicion.
"Is your purpose of visit for trade?"
"Yes!"
Dorian nodded, saying they were obviously here to buy goods.
"Well, among other things."
Raon slightly shook his chin, exuding the air of a carefree merchant.
"Hmm, you may pass. Time is gold in Montiro. Enjoy your stay."
The guard welcomed them and opened the gate.
"Thanks for your hard work."
Raon waved his hand lightly and entered Montiro with the wagon. As soon as they entered, he felt the atmosphere change dramatically.
Shirtless men and women with exposed legs strolled the streets together, and various colored music flowed from the taverns. It was immediately apparent that this was a space designed for enjoyment.
"Welcome!"
As Raon, Krein, and Dorian were taking in the atmosphere of Montiro, a young girl approached them holding necklaces made of sea flowers.
"Is this your first time in Montiro?"
The girl smiled brightly as she handed each of them a necklace made of sea flowers.
"What of it?"
Raon nodded slightly with a somewhat arrogant look.
"Then you'll need a guide! It's bigger and more complicated here than you might think!"
The girl pounded her chest, saying no one knew Montiro better than her.
-What's with this little one?
Wrath frowned as he looked at the child.
'She's a guide kid you can find at any tourist spot. They make money by showing people around tourist sites.'
-There was a similar kid before. They work hard.
He nodded approvingly, as if impressed.
"You know it well? Well, do you know places like gambling dens or fighting arenas?"
Raon smacked his lips, pretending to be interested in entertainment.
"Of course! I even know people at the casino!"
The girl raised her hand, saying she could get them in right away.
"What's your name?"
"It's Rensia!"
"Alright. I'll leave it to you."
Raon nodded and tossed Rensia a silver coin.
"Wow! Thank you!"
Rensia hugged the silver coin preciously.
"So, where do you want to go first?"
"The beach!"
-The restaurant!
"The market!"
Krein, Wrath, and Dorian each stated what they wanted and glared at each other.
"Let's unpack our luggage first. It's annoying to carry around."
Raon let out a short sigh and pointed to the wagon behind them.
"Yes! I'll guide you to the most cost-effective lodging!"
"Forget cost-effectiveness, take us to the most expensive place."
"Oh, I see!"
Rensia's eyes sparkled as if she had caught a big fish, and she began to lead the way, holding the horse's reins.
'Hmm...'
Raon slightly lowered his eyes as he followed Rensia.
'As expected, I can't sense any demonic energy.'
Just as Roenn had informed, he couldn't sense any aura of demonized humans even inside Montiro.
'Then...'
Just in case, he activated his 3-star death energy detection.
"Huh?"
Raon inadvertently let out a low groan.
"What's wrong?"
Rensia turned her head, as if asking what was the matter.
"It's nothing. I just tripped on something."
Raon clicked his tongue while kicking the ground lightly.
"Oh, be careful. There's a lot of sand and stones on the ground."
Rensia chuckled softly, saying she often tripped too.
"I'll keep that in mind."
Raon twisted his lips while looking at the ground.
-Why are you acting like that?
Wrath frowned, unable to understand.
'You said there's demonic energy and death energy wherever people are, right?'
-Indeed. As long as humans exist, negative energy exists alongside them. Of course, in such tiny amounts that even this king can barely sense it, it's useless.
He twisted his chin as if annoyed at being asked about something he had already explained.
'But here...'
Raon bit his lip as he looked at the main road embedded with sand grains.
'Death energy doesn't exist at all.'