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TL: ALT
Chapter 222 – The Vampire and Elf Cleanup Part 8
The next day, I was in the basement of the White Tower. I went to the library and asked the librarian to look for books about the Milder Highway. The librarian in charge appeared immediately and gathered the available books. Library staff are required to be neutral and impartial, seeking only knowledge.
If they show any prejudice, they can’t read the books properly and will be fired immediately.
“It appears quite often in books about Satra.”
The bespectacled librarian brought a large stack of thick volumes.
“It was a road along the ancient border with Yggdrasil. Do you know who managed it and how it was blocked?”
“I believe the Ministry of Transportation managed it, but I’m not sure if Satra even had a Ministry of Transportation. Ah, no, it was a village. It seems to have been a major carriage road, and carriages coming from Yggdrasil would stop at this village.”
The librarian showed me an old map. There was a tunnel in the mountain labeled ‘Milder Highway.’ Beyond it was a village with no spirit trees.
“But there’s no mention of spirit trees anywhere, not even in the square?”
The librarian wiped his glasses and checked the map carefully.
“True. Then perhaps this wasn’t a village. Maybe it was just a workplace, a factory, a trading post—an industrial hub with no permanent residents?”
“What does the current map show for this location?”
“The current map lists it as ruins. It’s thought to be an old cemetery or something.”
“Does the land rightfully belong to a nearby noble?”
“Probably. Shall I look into it?”
“Please do.”
More librarians appeared, bringing books on land rights.
“This land lies between territories. The family that owned it died out 850 years ago.”
“So, can we buy it?”
“No, it’s not about buying or not buying. It’s land without an owner.”
“So, can we just claim it as our territory?”
“That seems strange, doesn’t it?”
“Yeah, hasn’t anyone investigated it?”
“Let’s look through the adventurer records.”
If the land belongs to no one, I want to buy it and turn it into an enclave of the demonic land. We could build a trading village there for the Elven Kingdom.
Archaeological teams have visited several times to conduct surveys. Accidents kept happening, though, so excavations stalled. Besides, Satra itself collapsed, so permits for excavation surveys aren’t issued anymore.”
“Then, if I settle there without permission, wouldn’t it become my land?”
“Well… I’ll bring someone who knows the law.”
Another librarian appeared.
“If you start living there, it’s highly likely you’ll be taxed by both territories.”
“Taxed twice?”
It wouldn’t be an unpayable amount, but it would be a hassle if they came to collect.
“But isn’t this land not officially recognized as a domain to begin with?”
“True. But the lords can’t simply ignore people living there.”
“What if we turn the tax collectors away?”
“It’s a capital offense.”
“But what if they can’t catch us?”
“Then you’re suggesting that you’re not ordinary people?”
“Yes, I shall do just that!”
We could bring someone from the southwest village. Or, if there are buried ruins there, we could use a local earthbound spirit.
First, we must establish a smuggling route and build a hidden warehouse. When it becomes impossible to conceal, just get signatures from the two lords. Worst case, we’ll have to break two spirit trees, but Makyo can handle that. Sending Chel to the library is also a good idea. She’ll easily break the deepest-level records.
If that leads to an all-out war between the demonic land and the Elf Kingdom, then that’s exactly what I want.
“Hmph…”
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I was just daydreaming about something extreme.”
When I said that, the elf librarians raised their hands.
“What is it?”
“We won’t resist. But please, don’t burn the books.”
“Me? Did I look like I was going to burn books?”
“You appear to be the demonic land envoy who took control of the upper floors yesterday.”
“Ah, right. They asked me to show them my strength, so I did. No…”
If it’s known that I’m the demonic land envoy, then it’s probably also known that I’m about to establish a trading village. That might make the local lords avoid getting involved. Then again, if they do get involved, sending in Kahiman might be a good idea.
The local nobles of a single country seem easily manipulated when it comes to the inhabitants of the demonic land.
“My apologies. Thank you. It was good to learn various things.”
I emerged from underground and left the white tower behind promptly.
My destination was the village at the terminus of the Milder Highway. Although it had already collapsed and considerable time had passed, if there were corpses buried there, I could probably extract information from them.
Had I not gone to the demonic land, I would probably still be obsessed with dark magic. I wouldn’t have made magic tools, nor would I have realized my potential.
It feels like fate is guiding me, even my very nature.
“Hey, wait!”
An old man stood at the edge of town, blocking my path.
Whoosh!
I sent him flying back toward the dojo with a roundhouse kick. I was running, so I didn’t really notice, but I think there were disciples lined up behind him, too.
Makyo often knocks troublesome monsters away with backfists, so maybe a backfist would have been better than a roundhouse kick this time.
“Ah, sorry.”
I stopped and looked back. The disciples were watching me.
“A backfist would have been better than a roundhouse kick, right? Want me to do it again?”
“No, it’s fine.”
The old man lay among the dojo’s rubble, showing no sign of getting up anytime soon.
“I’m glad to see that old man’s doing well. Just tell him he’s a nuisance and shouldn’t live too long. See you.”
I started running off quickly. No ill will. No regrets either.
To the disciples, it probably looked like they were suddenly called out and lined up on the road, and then the old man was knocked away. It was a mystery.
“Is this what Makyo feels like?”
Life is short, and there’s little time to waste on trivial matters. My values reside within me. I don’t crave recognition from others. I fulfill my destiny. I simply plant my oar in the current of the times and push forward.
This current is probably created by Makyo.
“So that’s why he’s favored by the god of time. That guy.”
I ran through the forest, lost in thought. I knocked back every monster and animal with backfists.
After buying a shovel and a pickaxe in a village along the way, I reached the location marked on the map. Collapsed stone pillars lay buried in moss.
Excavation wasn’t too difficult since digging pits was common in the demonic land.
I found the building’s foundation quickly. It seemed to have been built by Satra’s carpenters. Because a magic circle was embedded, the building hadn’t deteriorated at all.
However, if I dismantled the magic circle without using magic, the building would likely collapse immediately. First, I’d dig further elsewhere.
Soon, elf bones appeared.
“Good. They were left behind.”
All that remained was to use spirit mediumship to communicate with the bones.
Bones emerged from the earth, helping to recreate life from that era.
The elves I found seemed to have cared for monsters. In Satra’s time, they didn’t use horses to pull carriages—it was monsters.
Moreover, when I dug where instructed, I found Fenrir’s bones.
This suggests that ancient road conditions were remarkably good.
I also found the bones of a large monster. It resembled a rhinoceros called a Paraceratherium, a creature I had only seen in encyclopedias. It had sturdy front and rear legs and a small head. Its back looked capable of carrying heavy loads, suggesting that it transported cargo.
In other words, the Milder Highway was apparently divided into a regular highway and a heavy cargo road.
Additionally, there appeared to be a large underground warehouse sealed with a massive rock slab. A magic circle was drawn on the slab, but it was inactive. Ultimately, we broke the rock with pickaxes.
Inside the warehouse, jars were lined up. Numerous magic stones, minerals, cloth, books, tableware, and bags of seeds remained completely free of weathering.
“For now, I’d better dig up the surrounding area and call everyone over.”
I moved the nearby elf bones to proceed with the excavation.
I sensed someone watching me, but they didn’t seem intent on attacking, so I ignored them. Besides, most things could be handled with a backfist.
“No good. I’m being poisoned by Makyo.”
For now, I put up a sign that said, “Excavation in progress.” I did this to avoid interference as much as possible.
It seems that moving bones sometimes go after onlookers while I sleep during the day. However, interfering feels wrong.
Then I realized that, even among the skills I acquired in the demonic land, the ability to sleep anywhere and procure my own food was useful in every situation.
I don’t mind if monsters approach me. Even if bandits capture me, I don’t care as long as I’m asleep. I can destroy their hideout later.
For the inhabitants of the demonic land, finding an unbreakable prison must be difficult. Poisons also seem to have little effect. I recalled falling asleep while making sleeping potions in the demonic land.
Freeing the elf who was captured with me and handing the bandits over to the guards earned me a reward. The reward came to me after I woke up.
“Not that I’m Jennifer, but maybe I should write a survival guide for the demonic land, too. Nah, that’d be a waste of time.”
In the end, I returned to the excavation work. What I was doing wasn’t much different from the magic of the demonic land.
I didn’t have to worry about pleasing anyone. Perhaps I was most influenced by that magic.
I thought about these things while digging up moss-covered soil and bones.
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