Chapter 81 Ten thousand leaves(1)

Translator: BaeBae Editor: BaeBae

Juan was kicked out of the guild building by the female attendant.

A guild rank was not something that could be attained by beating down someone else with that particular rank. Only through a combination of reputation, credibility and skill could it be earned.

Attaining a silver rank seemed out of the picture since Juans name wasnt exactly a name with a credible reputation among mercenaries nor did he have time to accomplish some deeds to boost his fame.

Much pickier than how I remembered them.

Mercenaries in Juans memory were simple beings that were crazy for only money, women and booze.

Back then, it was a frequent sight, seeing ex mercenaries enlist in Juans army. They had been a naive systemless bunch, but it seemed many things had changed.

Anyways thats that. How do I get to Drugal.

The only thing Juan found out about Drugal was that it was a countryside town hiding somewhere in the Manas mountains.

An infamous rumor followed the towns name.

In the past, a group that had been preparing to revolt against the empire were butchered after falling into a trap.

But soon following came a piece of news, that the remnants had a sizable treasure stashed somewhere underground. This story had mercenaries eagerly searching for the location of the treasure.

Considering that the indeterminate polyhydron was believed to have been found there, rumours of the treasure seemed credible.

The rumours ended there. For Juan, Drugal was a place hed never heard of. He presumed that it was a land that didnt exist during his reign or it had been so insignificant that hed never heard of it.

Time was of the essence and he couldnt waste it on finding a village deep in the mountains.

Hey you, black haired young master.

He heard a voice from over his head.

From the second story of the guild building, a slender looking silver haired woman with a bobbed cut was smiling down at him from above.

On her back was a giant crossbow that seemed to be made from the horns of something.

Why are you looking for Drugal?

You know where it is?

If youre looking to go there for fame or fortune then forget it. Theres nothing like that there.

Sounds like you know the place well.

Maybe?

The woman lifted her hair. Underneath her hair was what looked to be what was left of her ear which had been severed. The women giggled then continued talking.

I got more thats worse underneath my clothes, but I wont show you that in the middle of the day. I was lucky that the bastard who sneaked up on me was an asshole with an ear obsession.

You got those wounds from Drugal?

Yeah. Im one of the few that have returned from there not long ago.

Certainly looks like a dangerous place.

Dangerous? Hehe. You really dont know much, do you. The one who took my ear was someone that I was confident in putting my back against.

What? Then why?

Dont know.

You dont know?

I also want to know. All I can say is that land is cursed. From the several that departed with me, I was the only one who managed to return alive. I cant help but feel that I dont want to go back to that place. I couldnt care less about some treasure when your lifes on the line. Id say less than 1 out of 20 come back with some gold and riches upon going there.

Its surprisingly more than Id expected.

And about four out of five that return with gold, find themselves lured back to that place. All in all, only around 1 out of 100 truly free themselves from the clutches of Drugal. Theres a reason why the guild has put a silver rank restriction for Drugal travel.

The woman jumped down from the terrace. Seeing her swift movements and quiet landing, Juan then noticed that he was talking to an elf.

Because she was dressed in human attire and her ears cut, hed been slow to realise. The fact Juan had been slow to see through the cover up made him think that it was enough to fool most people.

The elf woman circled around Juan and grinned.

So? Why are you trying to get there?

Whats it to you?

Depending on your answer, Ill guide you there. Personally.

Juans eyebrows twitched. He didnt really like the fact that hed have to explain everything to her but something about a crazy elf woman occupied a soft place in his heart.

And plus it was going to be difficult trying to navigate his way to a hidden countryside village on a mountain range.

Im trying to kill someone there.

The elf womans mouth turned into a O shape as she clapped.

Well, its the perfect place for something like that. I wont ask who as it sounds personal.

So youre willing to guide me there?

Yup. If you pay the right price, sure. I am a mercenary afterall.

Juan crossed his arm and sighed. He didnt care about having to pay but there was something about talking to this woman that made him tire.

How much do you want?

10,000 gold leaves.

The female elf was full of smiles as she answered. Then she quickly jumped two steps back away from Juan.

Juan had his hand on top of his dagger.

The female elf was still smiling brightly as ever as she shook her head.

Oooh, trying to cut my throat so suddenly!. Well, if you dont have 10,000 gold leaves then your head would be enough. Arent I right, Mr 10,000 gold leaves? I know youre the one that the church is so desperately looking for.

Juan bleakly smiled.

Im not exactly trying to hide. Although it was strange to hear that they were still looking for a young boyHow did you know?

Lets just saythat Ive got my connections that keep me up to date.

The female elf giggled as she continued to speak.

Especially in Hiveden as theres lots of work over there. I heard a very interesting story from a friend. Though I dont know how a thirteen year old could have possibly grown into an eighteen year old, I know from my experiences at Drugal that there are things best left undiscussed.

If youre wanting my head, youre free to try. I wont try and persuade you otherwise.

Ah, no no.

The elf shook her head.

I dont want to fight, Mr 10,000 gold leaves. How could I possibly be a match for a 10,000 gold leaf suspect.

So then?

Ill be so kind to guide you to Drugal regardless if you dont have the money now. If you die, Ill make sure to escape after I cut your head off, just like my ear. Ill put it on the tab.

And if I dont die?

Juan wasnt intending to die anytime soon, so he asked by pure curiosity. With a meaningful smile, the elf looked back.

Then I suppose Id have to be content with that. So, are you willing to take me up on my offer?

The female elf smiled wide as she held out her hand. Juan noticed the madness and chaos revolving inside her eyes.

For some reason, he was often being acquainted with crazy elves. But he didnt think this was a bad offer. Juan could never imagine himself dying in some place he hadnt heard of before.

Alright.

Juan nodded his head but refrained from shaking her hand. The elf awkwardly pulled back her hand and laughed.

My names Swallen. Lets try to be courteous on our way there, shall we? Mr 10,000 gold leaf.

*****

Contrary to her loose way of speaking and weird behavior, Swallen was a gold rank mercenary, one rank higher than silver.

However, Juan wasnt surprised at all. He already knew at first glance that she was far more skilled than the person that hed pummeled back at the guild building.

But one thing he found unexpected was the attitude directed towards Swallen.

Juan, who was not of silver rank, was allowed onto a carriage heading for Drugal without any questioning, and his horse had been sold for more than the market price. Furthermore, the carriages departure time had been scheduled forward.

Any favours that were to surely cause problems were glossed over after a murmur well its Mrs Swallens favor so..

What exactly are you?

A competent mercenary. Do I seem qualified to be with Mr 10,000 gold leaves?

Swallen replied coolly then nudged Juan into the carriage. He suddenly found himself inside.

And so, Juan began his journey towards Drugal.

The wheels made a monotonous clattering sound. The view of the red wasteland steadily passed by.

Resting against the carriage window, Swallen was sleeping as if she was in her own bed.

The other mercenaries in the carriage were also sleeping. Mercenaries who often found themselves on the move, used a shared carriage to get to places. But Juan was disappointed with how fast they were moving.

He lightly kicked Swallen, waking her up.

Its too slow. Why arent we going by horses?

This is the right way to go. Mr 10,000 gold leaves.

Swallen stretched her arms as she yawned.

Its crazy to try to get to Drugal with just two people. The roads complicated. Youre more safe going there in a group on a carriage. So even Mr 10,000 gold leaves should better get used to a bumpy carriage ride.

Upon hearing his guide Swallen retort in that manner, Juan had no reply.

Then Ill use this time to check my current state.

Juan lightly checked the state of his mana heart.

When Juan had his body reconfigured back in Hiveden, the newly attained mana was acting separately. But now it was almost completely done fusing.

Inside was his original mana, Talteres blood, Grunvaldes grey cloak, and Nigratos mana as well.

For now, his physical body wasnt capable of holding everything. And though he was limited in how much he could hold, there were signs of improvement.

The mana that had been depleted during his spiritual transfers had largely recovered.

Problem now is that my mana aura has changed.

The convergence of these varying powers and his original mana had made his aura vastly different from how it was.

For example, Juan could now no longer use Talteres blood. That blood had been completely fused.

But if he wanted to, it was still possible to overdrive into the power albeit in a somewhat weaker state than before. This was the same for Grunvaldes grey cloak as well as Nigratos power.

It was fundamentally different to magic. And though limited, he now had access to those gods unique domains.

But it was a different direction to the power he had as the emperor. Juan didnt know whether this was a good thing or not.

And of course Juan wasnt going to let himself lose initiative either.

These were beings that had lost their identity.

What Juan felt was simply a mi-nute concern. That if his mana continued to converge with different powers, then it would eventually change into something different to his original state.

And to add to that, Im not sure what side effects it may bring.

As the nature of his mana had changed, Juan didnt know whether this would cause reaction down the line when hed eventually reclaim his corpse

Thinking that itd be better to just keep monitoring his body for the time being, Juan kept a tight lid on his mana in order to handle it more proficiently.

*****

Two days had passed since their journey began to Drugal.

The carriage was overflowing with boredom as the surrounding scenery consisted only of dust and red wasteland.

The mercenaries earnestly waited for the carriage to stop so they may stretch their tired bodies.

Whenever the horses needed rest, everyone inside the carriage hurriedly made their way out for a breath and stretch.

But excluding Juan.

Um, Miss Swallen.

While everyone was loosening their cramped muscles, one of the mercenaries called out to Swallen.

Huh, what?

So uh. Who exactly is that fellow traveller?

Why? Is he getting on your nerves? I thought hed been rather quiet till now.

No I mean, hes been quietbut isnt he too disturbingly quiet? Hes been sitting still with his eyes closed for two whole days. Except when hed drink some water.

Swallen flashed a grin.

And the fact his hair is black?

..I cant say that hasnt caught my eye. Yes. The others are also feeling a bit uneasy at seeing how hes been acting.

He wont cause harm so just ignore him.

The mercenary turned around with a dissatisfied look. Swallen turned her head and looked at Juan who was still calmly sitting inside the carriage.

Though his expression looked peaceful, she couldnt grasp what on earth was going through his head.

It was only natural to think that others would feel discomfort. Unless you went up close to him, it was hard to even tell whether he was breathing or not.

Swallen continued to stare at Juans face and then stretched her hand out towards his nose. Her finger tips had been about touch when Juan suddenly opened his eyes.

Someones approaching.