Side Story 47: The Fickleness of Fate.
So, this is Inkoran-Tazul, huh?
One word: humongous.
The capital of the Ankor-Nazta and the seat of the Ankoran King; nothing else would be able to describe this grand and majestic dwarven hold better. Located right in front of the valley connecting the two mountains of Inkong and Tazlok, Inkoran-Tazul was a connecting city between the dragonewts of Loatryx and the humans or Artorias, with the elves of Saelariel just over the Inkong mountain.
Not to mention, due to the invention of the train, the dwarves werent restricted to just trading with the locals any longer. Similar to Hadjuk-Orn in the far east connecting the neutral zone with Carmaniate and Folschreck, as long as you were a nation adjacent to the Ankoran mountain ranges, you could benefit from the trade and craftsmanship of the dwarves.
After having ridden the Revolution Queens Magnum Opus, the train, VifiYok couldnt help but stare in wonder at Inkoran-Tazuls train station and the bustling city literally underneath where she was standing. For a race used to mountainous living, the dwarves utilized every single space inside their underground holds to the best of their abilities, which meant entire districts were just attached to the side of the walls or just hanging from the ceiling.
VifiYok looked down from the railing, witnessing the city below, and then up, squinting at the numerous guard houses with mountain crossbows. Depending on how accurate they were, she could imagine them being able to snipe intruders from almost any angle. Naturally, they were better at taking down larger monsters than small humanoids. As an arbalist herself, she greatly respected good marksmanship.
Hey, Valeria!
VifiYok stiffened up as she heard that familiar voice, reluctantly turning her head around. She had to endure it. Nothing had happened yet. She got to this city without any problems and she would leave it as such! All she needed to do now was to act nice and good like any other human woman, and she could leave her troubles behind the moment she had the chance.
Didnt you say you wanted to get off at Estralias capital? Uhm, Gleisvale, was it? VifiYok replied before realizing she had forgotten something. Uhm, Lady Aiko.
Oh, dont worry about that! The pink-haired young woman waved her hand in rejection, instead, smiled at the hiding demonkin girl. That was the plan, at least. We were supposed to meet some people there, but we got the message that they went to Inkoran-Tazul instead. Well, obviously, right?
Yeah, the Event Quest. I heard about it after you got off the train.
Over the 2679 years the Divine System had been active on Peolynca, it wasnt uncommon for updates to happen, however, most of them were just minor tweaks to accommodate Peolyncians or new Sub-System additions. It was all to make life in this world easier for its inhabitants.
However, the recent overhaul of the Job System was one of the few major changes to an existing System. In the past, some Systems had to be completely altered due to the evolving technology of the world, primarily due to the creation of manatech which use or otherwise influence dungeon core fragments. The [Crystal of the Divine System] and party bracelets were two prime examples which forced the hands of the Origin Gods.
However, it was rare for an entire System to simply be changed from the ground up. The new Job System involving the ability to accept three Jobs and the mysterious unique Job. The Jobs the Peolyncians have been using for over so many years was about to be changed. It was a historic moment, and to the many adventurers and warriors in the world, it was something they had immediately latched onto.
After the Divine Message explained everything, many people were ready to find methods to obtain their unique Job. A few have already managed it, and it became known that the blessedthe Saints and Champions of the godshad the best chances to gain one before anyone else through Divine Quests. However, that was about to change, as the first Event Quest was about to begin.
For that reason, Inkoran-Tazul was currently in a fervor. When the Ankoran King sent his message to almost all races on Altrust, a gold rush had begun with people flocking to the grand capital of the dwarves. Adventurers, nobility, soldiers, and even criminals had come to witness this momentous event; obviously, some were even here as hopeful participants.
Even now, the city was filled to the brim with life, to the point you couldnt move around without bumping into another person. Even here, at the train station, streams of foreigners and dwarves were coming out from the entrance, filling the large platform the demonkin was standing on. Right now, two of the four existing trains were resting at this station.
So that is what that dwarf meant with big announcement, VifiYok quickly made the deduction now that all the clues were on the table. The ticket seller she met at Hadjuk-Orn had confused her when he thought she wanted to go to Inkoran-Tazul.
And if he had not misunderstood her situation, she wouldnt now be stuck with these [Otherworldly Visitor]s.
Aiko-chan! Dont run off like that! A young man pushed himself through the crowd, followed by an older-looking knight around his late thirties or early forties. VifiYok couldnt help but grimace as the young man brushed his blond hair with his hand. The crowd is thick enough for us to get pushed back. Better not run away.
Definitely not without me, my lady! The knight scolded her, furrowing his brows before he turned his glare at VifiYok. This vagrant, again? My lady, you are a Saint candidate. Please, stop trying to associate yourself with potential threats!
Valeria is not a threat! The pink-haired girl, Aiko, tried to defend the hidden demonkin. She helped me before, as I told you. Takuma-kun, you had a talk with her, right? Sir Royce is in the wrong here; in fact, this is pure paranoia at this point!
However, the knight couldnt accept it, shaking his head in exasperation. You may call it however you wish, but your safety is more important than anything else! You and Saintess Fleindia are blessed, so still your emotions and think for the betterment of the world. You and Hero Takuma will in the future become our sword to pierce through the darkness to defeat BoleTaria and wipe out all demonkins!
Demonkin here, buddy. Pah, the things ya dont even know with ya head stuffed with all that misinformation, VifiYok mocked the self-righteous knight, knowing the real truth behind the summoning of the otherworlders.
VifiYok shook her head and began going away, only for Aiko to grab her shoulder. The demonkin snapped her head around, giving the girl an exhausted look, prompting her to pull her hand back.
S-sorry, she apologized, noticing she was being pushy. Dont worry about them. If you want, would you like to join me and my friends for some local food?
Lady Aiko! Royce complained, but it went in one ear and out.
Sir Royce, please, its alright when I am here to protect Aiko-chan! The young man that Aiko called Takuma drummed his chest with a fist, showing off the gaudy, paladin white-gold armor he was wearing. His confident attitude and strong stare could charm most, but VifiYok only thought of him as a spoiled brat, unaware of the true world and too self-absorbed in his own.
VifiYok felt her chest tighten in agony. For nine days she had been stuck on a train towards InkoranTazul. Although it should have only taken a week, due to the frequent stops as people came on the train due to the Event Quests announcement, their arrival ended up being delayed by two days. And during this entire trip, VifiYok had to humor these kids.
No more. She had been able to meet seven of the 15 [Otherworldly Visitor]s accompanying her on the trip, and all seven seemed like they only wanted to talk and gossip with her after her chance meeting with one of the Saint Candidates, Aiko Hasebe. However, the demonkin only found them a nuisance. It wasnt that VifiYok hated talking, it was just the more often they spoke, the more likely it would be for her to be exposed.
Now in L.E.P., her attitude was rougher than usual. She had almost offended the immigration officers due to her worry. She didnt want to stay around them any longer.
Its okay. Besides, the Knight of Aurena is correct. You dont know me, I dont know you. You really shouldnt randomly trust people like this, just to talk. Its naive.
How dare you take that tone towards her! Once again, this Royce was seemingly looking for an argument. Lady Aiko was gracious enough to
Save it for when were in the Empire or in Aureolis. You dont have any authority while in dwarven territory, knight. Not even a Hand of Heaven does, VifiYok snapped back, knowing right now, the chance for her to be exposed was quite low. It didnt matter who you were, respect was earned, not given. Anyways, have fun. Goodbye.
Im skipping the Event Quest. Itll just cause people to look at me.
VifiYok had to rethink her travel plans, now that she was here. Honestly, it was problematic. Now only was Loatryx up north, but the Kingdom of Artorias, now an ally of the dragon of Aurena, was in the south. Not to mention, with the Event Quest announced to the world, wouldnt it be obvious the dragon could be found here?
VifiYok found her situation troublesome. She wasnt Hestias enemy any longer due to her desertion, but that didnt mean she wanted to help her. The crimson dragons words might have almost convinced her, but she was still not really sure about her intentions. To not risk anything, she needed to flee from here. However, there was a small problem
She opened her money pouch, noticing it only had some copper coins left. She grimaced.
I need money. Ooooourgh.
She could hunt, she could scavenge, and she had the training to survive in the forest for a prolonged time. Her time in the army and on the streets gave her all the skills to survive by herself, but the biggest issue to all of this was
I want bread. Some donuts would be nice, too.
the girl had developed a sweet tooth ever since she tasted the delectable pastries of Aurora. On the train, she hadnt been able to get her hand on any bread at all, as the dwarves preferred noodles and their savory pies. She had to make some money before she left the hold.
Wanting to save on money, VifiYok decided against using the minecart transportation system, and instead, chose the stairs. She had to find the local adventurer guilds and hope it wasnt too filled with people. After all, right now, she couldnt even move down the stairs with the amount of people around.
Shadows protect me
Sir, there you are! Her ears caught somebody speaking, somebodys voice she had heard before. As she turned around, she snapped her head back around as she noticed it belonged to the Hand of Heaven knight she metLautrex von Cashim.
Hmm, sir? Lautrex seemed confused as he addressed a group of five people, all wearing normal clothing outside of one who was covered in thick robes from head to feet, hiding their face. Although the four former were in casual, everyday clothing, VifiYoks eyes instinctively noticed their many scars disfiguring their faces, making most hard to look at without feeling intimidated.
Strong. VifiYok immediately noticed.
Lautrex, being one of the royal knights of the Folschreck Empire, was quite strong, but compared to the former Hand of Heaven Larent Antonodius, who VifiYok had almost met in Elyonda, he didnt feel like a threat to her. Larent was at the level of a sword sainta master even amongst swordmasterswhile Lautrex seemed green before a Warbringer like her.
It felt like she could relate to him, as he was young, far younger than the people the Prince of Wrath had noted to be dangerous. As a Hand of Heaven, age truly was a medal of competency, as a spot could be quickly vacated either due to death or the disappointment of the Holy Emperor himself.
On the other hand, the five man group Lautrex was addressing they actually seemed dangerous. Not because of their strength, but their attitude. Born and raised on the streets, she could tell who was trouble, and these humans and beastmen were just that.
Quiet. Newts watching and hearing, the front man warned Lautrex before turning his attention away from him, causing Lautrex himself to move his eyes around to detect any potential enemies. Employer?
Yes, you must be Sir Galg, then. The rank S dragonslayer, correct? But the man didnt respond, only staring at him as if to push Lautrex to continue speaking. Although irritated by this rude behavior, the knight composed himself. Well, I presume by newts you mean dragonewts. I guess problems should be obvious between your profession and those beasts. In any case, why are we meeting here?
Oh, dragonslayers? Thats why theyre wearing nothing conspicuous. VifiYok noted from this tidbit of information. If armor was made from true dragonkins, dragonewts and levianewts could sniff them out, even if they tried to hide.
As the demonkin girl reasoned out why she thought they were a threat, Galg did not respond to the young Hand of Heaven. He kept his mouth shut, almost to the point he found nothing worth answering.
Lautrex clicked his tongue, almost red with rage, but calmed down when he realized the mans dull eyes, uninterested in anything before him. Was it pure business with this person or was something else in his mind? The crimson dragon is supposedly in Elyonda, so why are we here? The other dragonkin slayers are going there.
Once again, Galg did not speak. The knight, exasperated with this unsocial plebeian, then pulled out a piece of parchment. We were supposed to meet in Gleisvale, so we could take a boat to Elyonda. Why exactly did you want to come here? Is it the Event Quest?
Got that right, thankfully for the knights mood, a leonid woman almost a head taller than the two men spoke. Manethala the Avaricious! Imagine that, protecting a drake on our continent! Damn dwarves. How could we let this chance pass when hes finally huntable!
Rikara, shush! Hold that tongue, a man in a mages robe grabbed the leonid womans shoulder and pulled her back to the group. Looking at the amulets he was wearing, it seemed he worshiped Plesia, Zephira, and Istari. You want those dragonewts to haunt us? Get the dwarves to kick us out? This is our chance! A lifetime chance to take down a rank A, so keep your voice down!
Oops, sorry, Lod. She scratched the stab scar around her neck, only for her to suddenly grin and lick her lion snout. Drake meat, heheh
Think about that after we take them down. After the drake is dead, were going for that crimson dragon. Two large prey in a row; rid the world of those lizards. A katzune with a blindfold covering his eyes noted, before he began to perk his ears, directing them towards the last member of the group. Meik. You got your enchantments and runes set, right? Its an earth drake, this time.
The robed adventurer took a step forward. Almost. Spear and shield ready. Got my spare fire armor in my [Storage Magic], though.
The mage called Lod shook his head to that response, looking a bit perturbed. We dont need more armor on you for this. Put three shields in, instead of a set of metal. Youre not a mage, so dont strain yourself with space-time. Rikara, Namul; as usual.
Carry them? Sure. Both the muscular leonid and the blind katzune answered back, respectively.
VifiYok sensed they were professionals from the way they spoke, but her opinion was still distorted by the fact the leader of the group still hadnt said anything notable. All he did was scan the area and watch his members lively exchanges. For some reason, she felt he was just bored.
However, although she didnt know who they were exactly, she could guess they were the people Aiko was talking about wanting to meet. The demonkin had, after all, read the newspaper and she knew the Empire had set a bounty on Hestia, the crimson dragon who led the grimgarian invasion on Elyonda.
It was all lies, of course, but the populace wouldnt know about it. In fact, VifiYok found it weird for the Empire to take such a strong move against the dragon already. She knew, after all, the real culprits behind this decision were the demonkin Princes of Sins, which meant, her lords must have had a reason to do so. VifiYok, though, found it just a shame.
The girl could possibly help us wrathies control our emotions, and you are trying to kill her? Lord Wrath, you cant possibly want this, right? HeeRlak, why didnt you report anything. Dammit!
However, she was a traitor, a deserter. Trying to rectify something while like this would only harm herself. Maybe Hestias worth couldnt be compared to her threat, which VifiYok could understand. The fact the dragon could weaken her demonic and Original Sin powers made her the perfect counter to her race.
It was all too complicated. Dragonslayers were now in Inkoran-Tazul, and VifiYok had this weird feeling Hestia was either already in this city or was coming towards it. After all, the Event Quest awarded a unique Job! A small part of her wished none of them would meet.
Regardless, it wasnt her problem. Not at all. So, instead of waiting around and continuing eavesdropping on those lunatics, she forced herself through the crowd and into the lower city, where found the local adventurer guilds. Sadly, they were so full, it made it hard for the short demonkin girl to do anything. Instead, one of the nearby dwarves had advised her to go to the guilds in the Hub, the surface city.
Fitting its name, the Hub really was the outside city of Inkoran-Tazul, where foreign races and people could linger around in this melting pot of cultures. Humans, elves, beastmen; they were all here. While not as crowded as the inside part of the hold, it was still clear people were congregating in this city for the Event.
After strolling around the city just to sightsee, she managed to overhear how representatives from Loatryx, Caedhul, Saelariel, Artorias, Yeos, and even Estralia were in the city. It was crazy hearing all of this, but VifiYok understood people didnt want to miss out on this incredible opportunity.
Little did she really know that this was all just a cover up. A ploy from the Ankoran King and Hestia to hold the summit, by using the Event Quest as the smokescreen to allow all the summit members an excuse to visit the city. It hid the true meaning of their visit.
To the Ankoran King, now! Send the bird already! VifiYok noted a few well-dressed dragonewts running out of their inn and entered a carriage, just as a scribe-looking person sent out a manatech bird in the direction of the castle. They were probably the representatives from Loatryx, but why exactly were they in such a hurry?
Oh, right, the dwarves are probably forming an exploration group. Only a single party may get the Unique Job. The other nations are probably trying to curry favor. Well, whatever.
She eventually entered the local hunters guild, trying to find an easy Quest or something to earn some money to buy some bread ration before she left the city. She initially wanted to visit the mercenary guild, but there were so many people there looking for groups for the future Event, she just couldnt move around. At least, this guild building was relatively empty at least relatively to everything else.
Party! We need a mage! Healers! Water or holy; dont care!
Its gonna be a long trip! We need cooks, alchemists, smiths! Well go for the long haul while following groups from behind! Were making money, and you should come with us!
People were urgently trying to form parties or entire exploration groups to tackle the Event Quest. Many, though, knew the Ankoran King would send his warriors in to win the prize, so most were only seeking to make some money from the treasures. Those who were eager to gain their unique Job were already in parties, while those here were only looking for some profits and goodies.
VifiYok couldnt help but shake her head, looking at it all in a more pessimistic manner. Laws didnt exist in dungeons, so trusting strangers was an easy way to get backstabbed. Even in the army, you couldnt always trust your comrades-in-arms. You had to take care of yourself.
However, at this point, VifiYok wished she was in a party as the Quests posted on the blackboard were all outside her rank. As she had only recently registered herself, she was only a rank F merc and rank E hunter. She hadnt had the time to do many Quests, meaning her rank was insufficent. She had to be at least one rank below the Quest recommended to accept anything.
All the Quests were rank C or above, demanding her to enter the various dungeons in the city. She couldnt join any of them, nor could you acquire a dungeon pass with her current rank. No matter how strong she actually was, she was currently Valeriaa new adventurer. Her falsified Profile supported this image and the only time she actually dropped the pretense was around those beastman gangsters in Olinta Town.
As Valeria, neither the demonkins nor Hestias group could track her as long as she kept a low profile. However, it limited what she could do vastly.
This sucks.
Hey, you. Girl.
VifiYok turned around to see a group of three young men. All three were clearly adventurers looking at their garbs and equipment, but their appearance left a lot to be desired. It was clear they were probably around rank E or D.
The person who addressed her smiled, widening his arms to make her feel welcomed. Are you looking for a job? We have a spot on ours for an archer. Or are O-oh, sorry
All three grimaced as the girl turned around, showing them her missing arm. Scars and missing limbs wasnt an uncommon sight amongst adventurers. In fact, it was so normalized, most wouldnt even care if another had lost a part of themselves during an adventure. To these three, it just came to a surprise and they couldnt help but feel disappointed in their prospect.
Well, good luc
Hey, wait, VifiYok called out to them.
The third dungeon in this city is rank D! I can go there if they have a dungeon pass for it.
The rank A [Manethalas Nest], rank B [Menagerie of Golems], and the last of Inkoran-Tazuls dungeons, the rank D [Palace of Ghosts]. As all dungeons were owned by the city but managed by the adventurer guilds, to gain the permission to enter them, one must acquire a dungeon pass.
As long as you werent a criminal and had the correct rank, any guild would gladly grant permission to adventurers. If you were in a party, your party rank would be used in the requirements. However, once you got the permission, you could, technically, add additional party members later on, even if they were far too weak for the dungeon. Although, in this case, it was the job of the dungeon guard to enforce these rules.
As VifiYok was a rank E adventurer, she could join the third dungeon. With a whole party, she wouldnt even get any unwanted attention for dungeon diving solo.
If youre going to the dungeon, I can help. Im a mage. She then pulled out her crossbow from its self-made sheath, twirling it in her hand and reloading it in a single, fluid motion. If youre worried about the arm, then I can run quite fast. Magic and range support; how about it?
However, their reactions werent what she had expected.
You can run fast? They all looked at each other, before they began to smile. They snapped their heads back to her, addressing her with the same energy when they first saw her. Awesome! Thats what we needed! Whats your rank?
Suspicious
She squinted her eyes. Reservingly, she answered, Rank E.
Perfect! We need to kill the fifth floor guardian. It has extremely high Vitality, but it is quite slow and dumb. If you can act as our distraction, well be grateful!
VifiYok decided to play along. Whether these three would try something didnt matter to her, since everything would happen inside the dungeon. If there werent any witnesses around, then Valeria didnt have to hold anything back.
However, what caught her off-guard even more was the fact they didnt go to the rank D dungeon, but, instead, they headed into the rank B [Menagerie of Golems]. VifiYoks instinct kicked in.
Our leader is a rank B while were rank C. We played around with the system and got our passes, haha! The young man who recruited her tried to play it off. Dont worry, our leader is extremely powerful! He was once a potential recruit for the Hands of Heaven! Hes rank A, in fact, but he just hasnt done enough Quests!
Suspicious.
When this Hands of Heaven recruit was introduced to VifiYok, she couldnt help but take a deep sigh. The man was not even a little bit similar to Larent Antonodius or Lautrex von Cashim. In fact, she questioned if this middle-aged man was even a rank B.
He wore decent armor with what looked like monster materials and a couple of runes. If it were any other girl, she probably would have been fooled, but his terrible postureprobably not used to heavy armorand the way he stood on his feet made it obvious he had just bought this set of armor. In battle, footwork was one of the most important aspects of a melee fighter. You need to react fast, or you would die.
Lets go! For the money! This rank B called out, pumping his fist into the air like a juvenile.
The three posse members did the same. For the money!
As they came in front of the dungeon guard, VifiYok noted it was a human. The rank B smiled and handed him everybodys ID, and after some quick glances, the rank B moved closer and slipped some money into the others pockets.
Not everything about the adventurer business was as pretty as most would make it out to be. At the end of the day, every person prioritized themselves and werent afraid of using others to gain what they wanted.
Even now, why was a bribe needed? Why bring a rank E to a rank B dungeon? Why did she have to run fast? Why does she have to be an archer?
VifiYok went totally silent. Her eyes glared at the four men with pure bloodlust. If she wasnt L.E.P., her face most likely would have contorted from her anger. Fortunately, the emotional imbalances of the wrath demonkins helped her stay inconspicuous. Nobody could feel or see the rage she was feeling right now.
And so, this party entered the depths of the rank B dungeon. Whatever would happen would be left in the depth of this place, as the screams and groans of adventurers was just another part of a dungeons atmosphere. The riches and power you may find inside would lure in the food the dungeon needed to continue growing. A hunter one day, a prey on the next.
However, the life of adventurers werent just filled with trust-issues and problems like what VifiYok experienced. Friendship could bloom inside. Bonds made fighting with each other could turn unbreakable, as who could you trust better than those protecting your backs during a life-or-death situation.
VifiYok might not find it here, but another group could. Another group of young adventurers not from this world, to be exact.
Everybody! A blond-haired young man raised his sword, causing it to gleam bright blue. We have one week until the Event Quest begins! As such, we will be preparing ourselves in this rank B dungeon! Dont forget, we are all over level 80we are all the future of this world! We are the Heroes of Aurena!
He sheathed his sword and turned around, letting his cape twirl with the help of winters breeze. The bright grin he showed wasnt just filled with confidence, but unbridled pride in himself. And I am the HERO who will lead us against the demonkin king! Takuma Akan!
But before he could end his monologue, a white-haired young man walked past him, disrupting his moment. Instead of stalling everybody, why not just go already? Ryuji! Sir Karlst. Let us all go!
Heading out, Light! The muscular adjutant of the scowling Light followed behind his leader, leaving Takuma to once again repeat his motivational speech to everybodys chagrin.
Crimson Dragoness, Hestia. I know you will come to this city. Let us meet. Light clenched his fist, holding onto the hope to free himself from the demonkins influence.
And so, 15 otherworlders entered the rank B dungeon [Menagerie of Golems]. Accompanying them were three Knights of Aurena, a Hand of Heaven, and Saintess Fleindia with her three personal guards. They would enter a few hours after VifiYok had descended, but it seemed fate was quite fickle once again.
As VifiYok liked to say, God Marsven is a fickle god.
Updated from fr𝒆ewebnov𝒆l.(c)om