Chapter 636: The Ancient Map
After finishing my lunch, I stood up to check the Magic Stones. There were twelve in total, and it seemed that four of them were gathered in the royal palace’s garden.
If I follow the flow, the King’s Branch should be directly below me, right? I’ve heard that most of these things are usually stored in the treasure vault. I’m guessing it’s in the underground treasure vault.
“Where exactly?”
Since this isn’t a picnic, I’m planning to move using Teleportation for a serious inspection.
Without a detailed map of this place, I plan to teleport to the visible area and then teleport again. I’d hate to end up in a hole at my destination.
Is the capital of this country crisscrossed with underground passages? There’s also the possibility of extensive sewers, but in any case, there are likely cavities underground, and the cobblestones might be crumbling. If I could just go back to the place I first visited, I’d be fine since the map is buried there.
Since there aren’t any Spirits that can be named here, the map only fills in for places I’ve actually been. Well, I could name one if I really tried, but the Spirits here feel a bit off compared to the Black Spirits of the Demon Forest, and if I did that, I’d probably get scolded by Retze and the others.
“Should the Weather Vane be last? Maybe I should save the Magic Stone in the Courtyard for last. I’ve gone through all the materials related to the Land of Ruin, but the shapes of the island and the city are slightly different…”
Haulon frowned as he stared at the map.
The map he was looking at was an old one that he had brought. It was a legacy left by Haulon’s ancestors. However, the terrain has changed a bit since the map was made, so it doesn’t help me fill in my own map. I wonder if it’s because so much time has passed or if the person who drew the map was just careless.
“When my ancestors placed the Magic Stones, the outer areas were supposedly safer than they are now, but the Black Shadows and the Spirits that have been tainted over the years have increased. It’s likely that everywhere is dangerous now.”
Haulon explained.
According to him, the Black Ghosts were initially only in the town.
“This map looks ancient. Just how long has your family been wise?”
Dinoss asked Haulon, seemingly having the same thought.
“I’ve never heard of the sage before Haulon!”
Chris chimed in.
“My father’s name doesn’t appear because he rarely showed himself in public. I think the title of sage started being used after the Era of Fire ended. Before that, he served King Tildonai—anything prior to that is unknown since there are no records left by my ancestors. There are also gaps in the records for several years.”
“That’s quite a legacy!”
Dean exclaimed, surprised next to Dinoss.
It feels like the reactions are slightly off, but it’s impressive that they’ve managed to keep everything intact through generations. I wonder if there’s a sage who’s bad at organizing things, which is why there are gaps.
“There’s a Tower. It’s a secret, but only those with blood ties can enter, and only one person who inherits can go to the upper floors where the ancestral treasures are.”
Haulon shrugged.
“Wait, so what happens to the successor?”
Does Haulon have children? If blood ties are required, then just being a disciple wouldn’t be enough, right?
“—Teleportation also requires blood ties, doesn’t it?”
Retze seemed curious and asked Haulon.
“When I die, the bloodline will enter the Tower, and one of them will inherit everything. The most promising one is one of my sister’s grandchildren.”
“You have a sister!?”
I was surprised by the mention of a sister.
No, it wasn’t just me; everyone seemed a bit shocked, except for Ash.
“She’s more energetic than I am. She’s not called a sage but a witch. She has a bit of a difficult personality…”
Haulon sighed, pressing his cheek with one hand.
“Could it be the witch Asteria?”
The Butler asked.
“That’s right. I don’t want people to think we’re too closely related. But her grandchild is just a typical recluse.”
A typical recluse, huh…?
“Is there an atypical recluse?”
“My sister isn’t typical.”
There is indeed an atypical one!
“Wow…”
I wanted to know how she was atypical, but at the same time, I wasn’t sure I wanted to ask.
“I’ll give you all the materials I’ve collected, Gene. I can’t give you the ones from my ancestors, though.”
“Why not? Aren’t you allowed in the Tower?”
That’s what I understood from the conversation.
“Oh, remember when I asked you to help save the king? I promised then.”
“I’d be happy to see them, but I’ll politely decline to take them. Besides, that request turned out to be unnecessary in the end.”
If I took them, Haulon would end up being a lazy ancestor who couldn’t preserve the materials.