Chapter 35 : The Gnome, Trotus

To fellow followers of the Radiant Light, Moriah was especially warm and kind.

Li Wen had half a mind to ask—this man was clearly here for the ghost goblin, with a purpose of his own.

So why was he getting involved in her business?

But on second thought, she too was now part of the Radiant Light’s lineage.

No matter how eccentric Moriah might seem, there was no way he would treat her as a heretic.

Perhaps he truly believed that the place they were going was too dangerous and simply wanted to help.

And if someone this strong volunteered to carry her through a dungeon, why would she say no?

So Li Wen readily agreed.

“Thank you for extending your help, fellow believer. My companions and I will remember your kindness. You may call me Mephist.”

“No need for such formality. Just call me Moriah,” he replied, flashing a broad, cheerful smile.

“I’ve told you everything you need to know. I won’t keep you any longer. Go on, then.”

Granny Marsha let out a raspy, cackling laugh before vanishing into the mirror, clearly unwilling to engage with Moriah any further.

“Do you know where the ruin is located?”

Moriah finally asked the question.

“I don’t. But someone does,” Li Wen replied.

Stepping out of the treehouse, she saw two people whispering under the tree, acting suspiciously like they were planning something shady.

Coincidentally, she recognized them—they were the rogue mage and his partner who had been “fishing” earlier.

As for why they were here, Li Wen could only attribute it to Moriah’s doing.

“Who are they?” she asked.

Trailing behind her, Moriah let out a helpless sigh and rubbed his temples slightly.

“Them? Just two rogue mages blinded by profit. I was planning to bring them to Lester City. The Mage Guild there has a program to reform people like them.”

Without waiting for a response, Moriah descended the stairs and walked straight up to the pair.

“What are you doing?”

The two jumped at the sound of his voice, clearly spooked by the presence of the Temple’s eldest son.

“N-Nothing!”

“Good.”

Moriah smiled, seemingly satisfied.

“I’ll be taking you to Lester. Just behave, and everything will go smoothly. But before that, you’ll accompany us to the underground ruin in the Black Forest. Don’t worry—I’ll keep you safe.”

The rogue mages forced smiles uglier than tears.

Given a choice, they’d rather Moriah just let them go.

But clearly, that wasn’t on the table.

“You’re bringing them with us?”

Li Wen asked, frowning.

The two rogue mages—one male and one female—looked far from impressive.

The man was unshaven and dressed in tattered clothes, resembling a washed-up con artist more than any proper mage.

The woman was short and plain-looking, which made sense—she’d been the one to act first during the “fishing.”

Rogue mages were those who pursued magic without mentorship or formal guidance.

They were generally weak, and without proper instruction, many ended up on the wrong path.

A single fire mage from the Secret Academy, like the one Li Wen had encountered before, could easily wipe out a hundred of them.

And as for academic knowledge?

There was simply no comparison.

“Is that a problem?”

Moriah asked, puzzled.

Li Wen gave it a quick thought, then shook her head.

Since Moriah had claimed responsibility, she saw no reason to interfere.

She was here to watch the show, nothing more.

They made their way back through the fairground, heading for the gnome vendor’s stall.

Moriah followed without a word, and the two rogue mages exchanged a glance before tagging along as well, reluctant but unwilling to defy Moriah’s aura.

The gnome vendor was still at his stall, his wares unchanged—just the same pile of dusty trinkets laid out on a scrap of cloth.

Clearly, he hadn’t made any sales.

So when several people showed up at once, he didn’t look happy.

In fact, he seemed to think they were here to cause trouble.

“I have nothing worth taking!” the gnome stammered, trying to shield his stall with his hands.

“We mean no harm,” Moriah said quickly.

Dressed in the garb of a Temple knight, Moriah’s words held weight.

The gnome hesitated, then relaxed and crouched beside his stall, nervously wringing his fingers.

“I’ll do anything, just don’t take my stuff… at least not all of it.”

Moriah reassured him gently, “As I said, we mean no harm. We won’t take anything from you.”

Li Wen, growing impatient, cut in.

“Do you remember where you found these items? Especially that potion?”

The gnome licked his dry lips.

He still recognized Li Wen.

Her attitude wasn’t exactly friendly, but she didn’t seem like a bad person either.

“I remember a bit… It was dark, really dark. Only people like me could get in there.”

“Then take us there. I’ll pay you…”

Li Wen trailed off, suddenly recalling she had no money left.

Besides her staff, she had nothing worth trading.

So she quickly shifted the topic.

“This knight—my dear fellow believer—he’ll guarantee your safety.”

“And offer you a reward you’ll find satisfactory,” Moriah added smoothly.

The gnome hesitated, clearly reluctant to abandon his stall.

He had no companions here, and if he left, his goods would almost certainly be stolen.

Seeing this, Moriah offered directly, “I’ll buy everything you have. Name your price… actually, here—will this do?”

He pulled out a gold coin engraved with a sun-like crown.

This wasn’t any kind of ordinary currency.

It was a special token used in the hidden world, jointly issued by the Sunset Codex Society and the Alchemist’s Guild.

Known as the “Solar Crown” or simply “Sun Crown,” it served as a universally accepted equivalent voucher.

In the mundane world, one Sun Crown was worth roughly twenty-two gold pounds from Arthur’s economy.

In the secret world, it was worth even more.

The gnome swallowed hard.

He knew what this was.

One Sun Crown was worth far more than all the junk he had on his stall combined.

“T-This is too generous. Trotus is honored to serve… my lord.”

He hurriedly accepted the coin, clutching it like a rare treasure.

“Then, can you take us there now?”

Li Wen watched as Moriah casually handed over a Sun Crown, thinking to herself—this guy really does play the part of a Temple knight.

“Yes, yes! No problem! I’ll take you there, by the name of Trotus!”

The gnome—Trotus—replied cautiously, trying to wipe the dirt and grime from the trinkets he was handing over.

Moriah didn’t seem to care, stuffing everything into his pocket without a second glance.