Chapter 78: If You’re Curious, Bring Me Five Million Gold (5)

“That’s strange. It should be around here.”

Luke felt as though he had been wandering in circles for a while. He had already reached the tower where Keter’s office was located, but no matter how hard he searched, he couldn’t find an entrance or a way to ascend. Running his hands along the walls yielded no results either. After all, Luke was a knight, not an expert on mechanisms or an adventurer.

“Ugh, this is eerie.”

Liqueur in darkness felt like an entirely new city. Multicolored lights flickered here and there, dazzling his eyes. Yet, the darkness wasn’t dispelled; instead, it seemed to blend with the lights, creating an unsettling atmosphere. Luke’s misfortune detector was acting up like a broken compass, spinning wildly without pointing to something.

Luke glanced into the darkness beyond the streets, and he could sense someone’s gaze fixated on him.

“...”

A fear of the unknown began to creep over him. Even though he tried to brush it off, it showed—his eyes trembled, his posture stiffened, and his movements became awkward. Then, figures cloaked in darkness began to close in on him.

Luke noticed them but refrained from making any sudden moves or attacking. He had an instinctual feeling that he shouldn’t leave this area. It wasn’t a sense driven by his special ability but pure intuition.

At that moment, one of the shadows made a direct move toward him. Realizing it too late, Luke panicked and raised his bow, only to be met with a startled voice.

“Mr. Knight, what are you doing here?”

It was Daat—the young boy whom Keter casually referred to as Dork. He carried bags filled with groceries, resembling a homemaker returning from getting groceries.

His calm demeanor, which felt so out of place in Liqueur, made Luke briefly wonder if this was a ploy to catch him off guard.

“What did Keter send you to do?” Luke said, full of suspicion, but Daat just smiled.

“You’re adjusting to Liqueur quickly, I see. Keter asked me to pick up some portable gear.”

“

Phew

, so it really is you, Mr. Daat.”

“And you’re clearly Sir Luke. But why are you here alone? Where’s Big Brother?”

“Well... it’s too dangerous to explain here.”

Luke gestured toward the darkness with his finger.

Daat glanced behind him and replied, “Ah, those people.”

Luke could feel the shadowy figures flinching as Daat glanced at them. Soon after, they reluctantly retreated deeper into the darkness.

W-what just happened? Why did they back off so easily?

Luke looked at Daat. From the first time they had met, Luke had been certain that he was an ordinary person.

Is it possible that he’s actually powerful without him realizing it?

Noticing Luke’s stare, Daat chuckled.

“They’re not retreating because of me. Keter assigned some escorts to watch over me.”

“Escorts?”

Luke glanced around Daat and the surrounding area but saw no one.

“Don’t bother looking,” Daat said, walking past Luke. “They don’t like being seen. Anyway, shall we head inside?”

Daat pressed a hand against the flat wall. Suddenly, a hidden space was revealed. It was an elevator, a product of mechanical arcane engineering, powered by magic.

“What is this?”

“Think of it as a very slow teleportation device. Hop in.”

Luke was stunned to realize the wall he had been circling earlier was actually a concealed entryway. And he didn’t understand what Daat meant by a “slow teleportation device.”

As Luke stepped into the elevator, the doors closed on their own. With a rumble, the elevator began ascending.

Luke was startled by the unexpected movement.

“Is someone pulling us up? Is there someone above?”

“Haha, it’s magic doing the work. More precisely, a mana stone. It’s ridiculously expensive, so Keter doesn’t use it—only I do.”

“Wow...”

Luke leaned against the elevator wall and exhaled deeply, the tension draining from him as relief washed over him. At last, he felt he had reached a safe place.

Ding.

The elevator doors opened, releasing a stale, damp smell into the air. It wasn’t a pleasant aroma by any means, but to Luke, it smelled like heaven.

“After being down there, this place feels like paradise.”

“Make yourself comfortable. I’ll put these things away. Oh, and don’t snoop around too much, okay?”

As Daat began organizing the groceries in what looked like a kitchen, Luke collapsed onto a nearby sofa. He had neither the strength nor the will to maintain any knightly composure.

“Ugh, I’m aching all over.”

Luke was physically and mentally drained; the aftereffects of his ordeal hit him hard.

“I brought you some tea. Even if you’re sleepy, take a sip before resting. It’s jasmine tea—it’ll help calm your nerves.”

“Is Keter not here?”

“He doesn’t usually show up at this hour.”

“Ugh...”

Forcing himself upright, Luke sipped the tea Daat had prepared.

“Wow, this is good...”

With just one sip, he slumped over and passed out.

“Liqueur is a place where you can’t even trust your own allies, Mr. Knight.”

Daat slipped on a thin pair of gloves, pulled out a beak-shaped mask, known as a plague doctor’s mask, and put it on.

“Good thing I caught this early. What was Keter thinking, letting such a rookie roam free?”

Daat began meticulously examining Luke. He sorted through Luke’s equipment and carefully cleaned each item with fresh water.

“The contamination level is low. It’ll purify on its own.”

Removing his mask, Daat wiped the sweat from his brow. Just then, a green liquid oozed out of a crack in the ceiling, dripping toward Luke’s face.

“Popo. This one’s a guest. You saw him earlier, didn’t you? No eating.”

The slime, Popo, paused right before Luke’s face before retreating back into the ceiling with a disappointed slosh.

* * *

“Agh... Uh... I can’t breathe...?”

Luke woke up abruptly, his chest tight and breathless. As his eyes opened, he saw a green blob clinging to his neck.

"Aaaah! It's eating me! I'm being devoured!"

He thrashed about wildly, channeling his aura in his desperate struggle. Yet, the slime didn’t budge; instead, it tightened its grip.

“Popo! Come here!”

Daat rushed in from the adjacent room. At his command, the slime finally detached itself from Luke.

"Hah... hah... I thought I was going to die."

“Popo tends to show affection a bit... excessively. Anyway, how are you feeling?”

“Surprisingly good. But I only remember drinking tea last night... Why do I feel like I keep passing out here?”

“That’s normal in Liqueur. Over there’s the bathroom, so you can freshen up, then we’ll have breakfast.”

“Breakfast sounds gre... Wait, breakfast? It’s morning already? I could’ve sworn I just closed my eyes for a second.”

The office windows were sealed shut, with only luminous stones on the ceiling lighting the room, making it hard to discern day from night. Seeing Luke’s confusion, Daat kindly opened a window, allowing faint sunlight to filter in.

“...Where’s Keter? I need to see him. This is urgent. There’s not much time left.”

Cork had started now and would reach his destination by tomorrow afternoon, returning the same evening. That left less than two days.

Daat, leisurely brewing tea, responded casually, “What’s the matter?”

“Well...”

Luke began explaining the situation from the start: how Keter had decided to participate in the Sword of the South Tournament and how three specific conditions needed to be fulfilled for his entry—one of which involved capturing the Red Comet.

“...So that’s why we need to hurry and catch the Red Comet.”

Daat sipped his tea with a slurp, seemingly uninterested.

“Keter returned last night but left about an hour ago. He mentioned he was off to collect some debts he had put off.”

“Debts?”

Luke knew what collecting debt meant, but in his dictionary, it was a terrible, lowly word.

“Well, I guess it’s more like reclaiming bonds? I don’t know why he’s suddenly interested in that. He usually doesn’t care whether he gets paid or not.”

“What does that have to do with catching the Red Comet?” Luke asked.

“Beats me. I gave up trying to understand Keter’s motives ages ago. You should too—it’s easier that way.”

“Did he say where he was going?”

“I would love to know that myself. He’s always missing when you need him and magically shows up when you don’t. Makes you want to tie a bell around his neck.”

“I’m taking one.”

Frustrated, Luke grabbed a large piece of bread, shoved it into his mouth, and hurriedly wore his gear. He stood before the elevator but found it unresponsive.

“That only works for me.”

“...Could you open it for me?”

“Just jump down. Keter doesn’t like others using his stuff.”

“...Okay”

Wanting to get down to ground level comfortably, Luke reluctantly made the terrifying leap from the tower, just as he had the day before. It was still scary, but he landed safely on the ground, catching his breath.

“Why does it feel like it’s easier to breathe than yesterday? Is it just my imagination?”

Inspecting himself, Luke was startled to discover that his condition had genuinely improved—not just a little, but significantly. His aura reserve had grown dramatically, equivalent to half a year’s worth of training in just a single day.

“How is this even possible?”

There were only two known ways to increase aura. The first and most common method was through rigorous physical training. While straightforward, the process was painfully slow; the maximum amount of aura one could gain in a day was exactly one day’s worth, and beyond that, the amount gained was miniscule.

The second method was through enlightenment. It wasn’t something that could be taught; it simply came to those who waited. It was so elusive that it was considered a stroke of luck among knights.

But I didn’t have any kind of revelation yesterday... did I?

Luke dismissed the thought, though deep down, he knew otherwise. In truth, he had gained profound insights. They were simple in hindsight, yet difficult to actually realize.

"First, let’s find Keter."

With his energy restored, Luke activated his special ability and started moving. However, he soon came to a halt.

“Keter must be on the move too. The distance is increasing.”

After a brief pause, Luke began sprinting again.

“Then I’ll just move faster.”

Though he was confident, it took him a full hour to finally catch up to Keter.

"

Huff... Huff...

Keter!" Luke called out urgently, worried that Keter might slip away again.

Keter waved back at him nonchalantly.

"Oh, still alive, Luke?"

"I don’t know what that’s supposed to mean, but listen to me first. This isn’t the time to waste here."

"You say that so often it’s starting to make my ears bleed."

"I got some intel from the Hunter’s Guild..."

"Let me guess—you’re going to tell me it’s hard to find?"

"That’s true, but hear me out. What if we search the area where the Red Comet was last sighted? It’s a monster, so it must have a lair. We could find it by tracking that."

Luke’s plan was the most logical one he could come up with. However, Keter seemed indifferent.

"You want us to do that together?"

"What if I find the Red Comet on my own? They say it’s incredibly fast. If it runs, we’ll lose it for good."

"Speaking of finding things... How did you manage to find me, anyway?"

"With my ability, of cour..."

Luke froze mid-sentence, as if struck by lightning. He began to tremble.

"Why... why didn’t I think of something so simple before?"

If my ability to detect misfortune could locate something, then it should also be able to find the Red Comet!

Excited by this realization, Luke closed his eyes and focused, picturing the Red Comet as described in the books.

Red Comet. A Named Monster. A white bat. I want to find it.

Just as he felt like he had found a solution, dizziness overtook him. The world turned a bright yellow before fading into darkness.

Keter stood over Luke dumbfounded. Luke had collapsed backward with a nosebleed.

“What the hell?”

He slapped Luke’s cheek and pried his eyelids open.

“Probably tried using his ability and failed. Seriously, these ability users always think their powers are foolproof.”

Scratching his head, Keter pressed his fingers firmly against Luke’s temple.

“Ack!”

With a strange yelp, Luke woke up, clutching his head as he looked around in confusion.

“Ugh, what just happened? Why do I keep passing out all the time!?”

“You know your body better than I do. Next time, pass out somewhere else, not in front of me.”

"I was trying to find the Red Comet, but I couldn’t sense anything!"

"Now you’re ignoring what I say, too. Fine, I’m leaving."

Luke grabbed Keter’s wrist.

“Don’t be so cold. This is important to you, isn’t it? If you don’t intend to catch it, just say so. I’m dying from the pressure here!”

“I’ll catch it, but not now. It’s not ripe yet.”

“Ugh! I don’t get it! Just tell me what you mean!”

Desperate, Luke ran his hands over his face, practically begging Keter.

Keter, however, pried Luke’s fingers off one by one as he replied.

“If you’re that curious about my plans, bring me five million gold.”

And with that, Keter left the dazed Luke behind, returning to his tasks. He had scattered debts to collect, and it was clear he would need plenty of money soon.

If you’re too frugal, it’s wasted.

He already knew this, but he couldn’t use the power of money in his past life. Back then, opposing the queen meant even the simplest purchases cost three times as much. After all, a bottle of water in the desert wouldn’t sell for the same price as one in the city.

Money was a potent tool, especially when it came to saving time. The best method to gain aura and mana for free was through elixirs. Armor and gear had limitations, but elixirs were boundless in their effects. They were extremely expensive, but they were incredibly effective. Keter’s plan was to liquidate the debts and buy elixirs in Liqueur.

There probably won’t be as good as the World Tree elixir that Grandpa Volkanus gave me, but I need to scrape together whatever I can. I’m going to drink the best ones myself and sell the rest to people I can use.

If Luke had known Keter was having these thoughts, he would have raised his hand and asked whether Keter even had a plan to catch the Red Comet. Luke had no idea, even until the next day, why Keter was not going after the Red Comet, something he had to take care of right away.

Luke spent the entire day going back and forth between Liqueur and Keter’s office to find the Red Comet himself, but to no avail.

It was finally the day that Cork was going to return. He would return this evening—no, perhaps even faster—after finishing his request. Luke bit his nails in anxiety. Keter was still going around Liqueur, but it wasn’t to find the Red Comet.

Unlike Luke, who was in agony, there was someone who was relieved.

“I thought so. How could he catch the Red Comet? Kahaha!”

Cork breathed in a sigh of relief after hearing that Keter did nothing. It hurt that his ambush attack failed and he lost a lot of his magic tools, but he thought that maybe that was why Keter wasn’t able to capture the monster.

“He took it as a warning. He understood my message telling him not to try anything stupid.”

Cork, who was so nervous he wasn’t able to sleep, felt a lot more comfortable.

“I’m almost there. From the start, I was going to win one hundred percent. Now, it’s more like two hundred percent.”

Cork had no reason to rush anymore. Keter wouldn’t be able to catch the Red Comet even if he was given a week or a month. Still, Cork had no intention of actually giving him more time; he wanted to finish this battle with Keter and drive him to demise.

“No one can stop me now!”

As Cork held up his arms, congratulating his own victory, the communication orb vibrated loudly. He stopped laughing and cleared his throat.

“What’s going on?”

“Sir! Where are you?! Hurry up, damn it!”

His subordinate who was monitoring Keter sounded urgent. However, Cork, who was confident in his victory, didn’t feel the need to rush.

“You’re acting stupid. Why do I have to hurry?”

“K-Keter! Keter is! Ha...”

His subordinate was breathing so hard that he couldn’t finish his sentence. Cork was irritated, having to hear a name he didn’t want to hear.

“What about Keter! He made a pact to not get in my way. What, is he going to interfere all of a sudden?!”

“He’s fighting the Red Comet! Damn it!”

Cork’s eyes widened when he heard it. He didn’t care about checking the validity of the information.

Holding the communication orb, Cork shouted, “Stop Keter at all costs! Stop him from capturing the Red Comet!!!!”