Chapter 95: The Towers of Gold and War

Evan and Rolten were preparing to move from Belbaton to their next destination.

There didn’t seem to be much to prepare, so they could probably depart right away.

“The Adman promised to sponsor a lot.”

The resolution of the gold issue seemed to have been a significant matter for him.

They now had unlimited access to facilities within the Andor Marquisate.

And when heading toward the Roheim Duchy bordering the Andor Marquisate, they could also use the direct merchant trade route.

This kind of support was certainly not a bad thing for Evan.

“That Andor guy even wrote a letter of recommendation to the Duke of Roheim? What on earth did you say to make that happen?”

Rolten looked at Evan with a stunned expression.

“I guess the talks went really well.”

“No, putting aside how well it went, is this even possible?”

“Well, it must be possible since it’s already happened. Let’s hurry up. The trade route’s opening hours are fixed. We need to gather as much information as possible before then.”

With some time left before departure, Evan moved quickly.

They needed to stop by the Verna Merchant Association to purchase information.

Fortunately, Rolten already knew most of the locations in the area.

Evan asked Rolten, “Is it nearby?”

“Yeah. It’s been a while since I’ve been here, but as long as nothing unusual happens, it should be in the same place.”

From the outside, it looked like a humble and ordinary restaurant.

Rolten entered the place first.

Evan followed behind him, but there wasn’t a single person visible inside.

An elderly proprietress greeted Rolten and Evan.

“Welcome. Are you here to dine?”

“Yes. Can I pay with this?”

Rolten pulled a black card from his pocket.

A symbol only given to VIPs of the Verna Merchant Association.

Since Rolten wandered around gathering information, it seemed natural for him to have one.

Of course, Evan also had one thanks to the previous body’s persistent dealings.

“You’re a distinguished guest. Please come this way.”

Seeing the card, the proprietress politely led them inside.

They arrived at what looked like the kitchen.

The proprietress stepped on a foot pedal.

Clack!

The storage room for kitchen supplies slid to the side, revealing a door.

She handed them masks and bowed.

“Please, come in.”

Evan and Rolten put on the masks and stepped inside.

There, they saw a large, lavish hall filled with numerous nobles.

“From here, let’s split up for a bit.”

“Got it. I have some things to check on too. I’ll meet you later. I’ll be waiting in the center of the hall.”

Evan nodded and, as if familiar with the place, went straight to find the manager.

“What brings you here?”

“I want to buy information.”

Evan showed him the black card.

The manager’s attitude became even more respectful upon seeing it.

“I’ll guide you.”

Evan followed the manager to the VIP Administrator.

A young man with gray hair, dressed neatly in a suit, greeted Evan.

With no time to waste, Evan got straight to the point.

“I want to buy information. It’ll be quite a lot.”

He requested information about Estia and the Guild Currency.

“Yes. The price is…”

The administrator pulled out a booklet and started checking something.

“This might cost quite a bit. Is that okay?”

“Huh?”

“Information on Estia is high-level, but the details about the creator of the Guild Currency are extensive.”

Evan looked at him with surprise.

He had been curious about the Guild Currency since it was structured around building towers, so he wanted to buy the information.

‘Feels like I caught a big catch.’

Without hesitation, Evan decided to purchase the information.

***

At the site where the mage tower was being constructed, Darwen stood looking anxiously at the tower.

Around him gathered alchemists, magicians, and researchers from Lamakria.

They each explained themselves to Darwen.

“We’re not involved. Estia has nothing to do with our people; they’re a terrorist group!”

“This is unfair! How can you accuse us like this?”

All of them voiced their frustration to Darwen.

Recently, the atmosphere in the South had become tense.

The Holy Union had begun arresting Lamakria people under the pretense of investigations.

They didn’t discriminate against children or the elderly—it was indiscriminate.

It was clear they were being targeted deliberately.

Because of this, Lamakria refugees in the South started fleeing to the Central regions.

An uneasy tension and fear spread throughout the South.

“We can’t go back anymore.”

“Damn it! Those bastards! Why are they linking us to this?”

Darwen tried to calm them down.

“Don’t worry. It’s not that I don’t trust you because of these rumors. If you stand with me, I’ll take responsibility and lead you.”

Darwen sighed deeply and continued slowly.

“I’m worried about something else. This will limit our activities from now on, and we’ll have to keep our gatherings a secret. We don’t know what the Holy Union might do, and the king might not look on us favorably.”

Though there was a hint of relief in his expression, frustration and bitterness remained.

Some lowered their heads in despair.

Darwen calmly addressed them.

“What’s happening is already underway. Everyone should consider relocating here. Once the mage tower is completed, we plan to build lodgings nearby.”

All listened attentively, but no one replied.

This was likely their last thread of hope.

If Darwen abandoned them, they would have nowhere to go.

They could only feel deep gratitude for Darwen’s willingness to bear the risks.

“Wait a moment. I’ll go clear my head.”

Darwen walked toward the cabin where Elisa was.

There were still things he hadn’t told them.

“This will be hard to handle.”

Rumors said the Lupes Royal Family planned to exploit the Lamakria refugees for labor.

Their technology was renowned throughout the continent, making them valuable.

In fact, refugees were being placed in certain facilities as a condition of their acceptance.

Darwen feared what might soon happen to the Lamakria people residing within the kingdom.

‘The flow across the continent isn’t looking good.’

As an archaeologist studying history, he knew that although civilizations varied greatly in level, human nature never changed.

No matter how advanced civilization became, humans repeated the same mistakes.

Greed and desire brought about destruction.

History endlessly repeated itself, with cycles of rise and fall, often stagnating or regressing.

‘If it weren’t so, we would have achieved a tremendously advanced civilization by now.’

Darwen gave a bitter smile as he reached the cabin.

He opened the door and saw Elisa working on some documents.

“Sorry for burdening you with family matters.”

Elisa looked up as she noticed Darwen.

“No problem, Father.”

Without much expression, she resumed her work.

Then, as if she remembered something, she spoke again.

“Oh, wait. I just received a telegram. Count Kerthen is asking for you.”

“The Count?”

“Yes. He said it’s urgent.”

“Understood. I’ll go immediately.”

Darwen left the cabin right away.

“Is something wrong?”

He had often seen such messages related to estate business.

He thought it was nothing unusual, but upon arriving at Valles, he had to discard that thought.

Darwen’s eyes widened.

“…What on earth is going on?”

From afar, the Valles Castle was under siege.

An unknown group clad in black armor was attacking the castle.

Clatter!

Clack!

A carriage sped swiftly along the trade route.

Inside were Evan, Rolten, and valuable guests of the merchant guild.

Currently, Evan and Rolten were traveling under the hospitality of the Adman, receiving VIP treatment from the merchant guild.

“It’s climbed a lot! I told you, the Semble Guild is fundamentally different from the others.”

“I should have bought more.”

“I shouldn’t have sold. Who could’ve known it’d turn out like this? Damn it, the Semble Guild had serious clashes with workers not long ago.”

“You idiot. That’s why the Semble Guild announced that among Guild Currency holders, those supporting tower construction will be paid twice the wages in Guild Currency according to daily performance.”

“I know! Honestly, paying in Guild Currency instead of money is such a gamble. Who knows if it’ll rise or fall. How can anyone be sure enough to work for it?”

“But despite that, people flocked enthusiastically.”

Listening to their conversation, Evan clicked his tongue.

They were discussing the topic of Guild Currency.

From their words, Evan could grasp how the trend was moving.

‘Guild Currency’s influence is bigger than I thought.’

He recalled the information he had acquired at the Verna Merchant Association.

Guild Currency began with the Holy Union of Bellium in the South.

The largest merchant guild alliance in the South was Adela.

The guild master was publicly known as Baron Jedraf, but the true owner was the Pontiff, the head of Bellium.

‘Those guys are moving enormous amounts of capital.’

The South was almost united under one banner.

Only guilds affiliated with the Adela alliance were permitted to build towers and create Guild Currency.

Guild Currency started to circulate, and as other guilds joined, it grew larger.

It was now expanding slowly beyond the South to the Central regions.

Currently, only the merchant guild was joined in the Central, but Evan expected all guilds would join soon.

Of course, this wasn’t welcome news for Evan.

‘Who could restrain Bellium as it grew ever larger with vast resources?’

Even the height of towers was evaluated and approved by Adela.

‘It’s not just about building tall towers; they said there must be no deviation in the special architectural style.’

Because the value of Guild Currency varied with tower height, many wanted to keep raising their towers.

‘It’s as if they’re emphasizing this trend.’

Evan felt something suspicious.

One common discovery in ancient ruins was towers built by people.

‘Maybe it’s happening as recorded in those ruins, or history is repeating in a different form.’

He decided he’d have to visit the South for an investigation.

“Evan.”

Rolten’s call snapped Evan out of his thoughts.

“Yes?”

“Get your sword ready.”

“What? Why all of a sudden?”

“Look outside.”

Evan followed his gaze.

A large fortress leading to the Roheim Duchy was under attack by countless Dark Knights.

The scale was immense, reminiscent of war.