Chapter 71

Chapter 71

Why was Capella called an Observatory despite being a tower of Mages?

The reason was that: the Relic resembling a massive Telescope located at the top of the tower.

The name “Observatory” had been given entirely because of that Relic.

It was so old that it was covered in Vines, and no one even knew whether it still worked.

However, because its exterior clearly showed that it was meant for astronomical observation, this place had been called an Observatory since ancient times.

‘Though I do not know why there is an Observatory deep underground.’

Even on the surface, the sky had vanished long ago due to Downfall. So no matter how one looked at it, the existence of an Observatory inside the Dungeon, deep beneath the ground, was unnatural.

Why was something like this in the Dungeon?

Unfortunately, no related setting had ever been revealed.

All I could guess was that it was an Ancient Relic from a time similar to the puppet’s era.

RUMBLE—

After crossing the spacious Outer Garden and stepping inside, the tower’s Main Gate detected visitors and opened with a heavy sound.

I held on to Persica and hurried inside as if running.

At last, the moment I stepped onto the ground inside the Observatory, a refreshing energy wrapped around my body and mind, and I felt the fear and panic that had been eating away at my mind vanish as if washed clean.

“Haaaa…….”

“Haaah…… Haaah…….”

I frantically exhaled the breath that had been trapped in my chest.

I wiped away the cold sweat running down my face, and Persica simply collapsed where she stood.

‘So this is the Observatory’s side-effect mitigation field.’

Inside Capella’s tower, there was Magic cast to suppress the Dungeon’s side effects.

It did not make them disappear completely, but it reduced them enough for a 3-Star to endure, which was far better than nothing.

[Oh-ho, to cast something like this over the entire tower. How fascinating.]

‘Because they would be in serious trouble if they did not.’

Capella mainly dealt with offensive and destructive Magic, so if the Mages there lost their minds, a catastrophe would occur.

Rather than something for the sake of the affiliated Mages, this was a Safety Device for the entire Observatory.

“In any case, this is Capella Observatory.”

The inside of the tower was far larger than its outer scale suggested.

The hall visible before us alone was about the size of an average soccer field, and when I looked up, the ceiling seemed impossibly distant.

As I looked around the splendid interior, which resembled a “city” in itself, I found myself dazed.

[A high-level Spatial Compression Magic has been cast over the entire tower. I do not know who the caster is, but they must be a Mage of considerable realm.]

Hyeollyeo was openly impressed.

Of course, I was the same.

A space larger on the inside than on the outside. It was like seeing something from a science fiction film with my own eyes.

“Then we will be going now…….”

“Hey, Bernard, do not ever call me again. I nearly died.”

“……I will take my leave.”

The Mages who had been part of Bernard’s group all left while spitting curses.

Naturally, being the ill-mannered people they were, they did not even greet us.

The only one who bowed politely was the single Mage in a Robe.

After everyone left, Bernard turned back toward us.

Despite being cursed at so much, this Mage bastard did not seem to have taken the slightest damage to his mentality, as his expression had not changed at all.

“Then please follow me, you two. I will guide you to my Workshop.”

“Your Workshop?”

“I told him in advance. I said we would stay there briefly until we found lodging.”

Ah, so that was it.

This was a good decision.

Because of the side effects we had experienced for the first time, both Persica and I were exhausted, and we had no room to wander around looking for lodging.

While heading to Bernard’s Workshop, we heard about the structure of Capella Observatory.

“The Observatory consists of seven floors in total. Among them, only up to the Second Floor is open to the public. Commercial facilities, lodgings, and event facilities are mainly included there. It also has the largest area.”

“What about the remaining floors?”

“From the Third Floor to the Sixth Floor, there are Workshops, large-scale laboratories, and so on…… The top floor is the private space of the Master of the Observatory, Lord Panini Roche.”

The Master of the Observatory, Panini Roche.

He was someone I remembered as well, a 9-Star Mage who handled all Five Great Elements.

‘In terms of realm alone, he is above even Zenom Draut.’

Of course, true combat power was not decided by Star Rank alone, but it was clear beyond doubt that he was one of the strongest people in Ebla.

Masters were beings outside the standard, so they were excluded from comparison.

Since he was not someone who left the Observatory under ordinary circumstances, we would not have to worry about being attacked while using this place as our base.

“……There is not much to see, but please come in.”

Bernard’s Workshop was, how should I put it, an extremely bleak place.

The household goods were plain, there were no decorations, and a strange smell of reagents drifted throughout the Workshop.

Even a cheap inn in Ebla would not be like this.

Even as we unpacked, we could not loosen our expressions at the unbelievable state of the house.

“Bernard, you…… how do you live in a place like this? Even a haunted house would not be like this.”

Was she throwing a straight pitch from the start?

At Persica’s extremely direct assessment, Bernard grumbled.

“All I need to do is research. The inside is fairly worth seeing, you know.”

The Workshop was divided into a laboratory, bedroom, living room, kitchen, and so on.

The place we were in was the living room, and apparently, the laboratory he usually used was farther inside.

The problem was that this nerd bastard stayed holed up in his laboratory so much that the other spaces had practically been abandoned.

“Haa……. First of all, Isran, you have to apply for the Competition, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Then let us meet later and find lodging first. I absolutely cannot stay here.”

It seemed this place was an uninhabitable wasteland in the eyes of a Noble Young Lady.

Leaving Persica behind as she looked utterly disgusted, whether the owner heard her or not, I headed straight back to the Central Hall on the First Floor.

No, perhaps it was not exactly straight.

Because this new space was so fascinating that my feet had unknowingly carried me here and there.

[Isran! What is that? A box-like thing is flying around!]

‘It seems to be transport equipment used inside the tower.’

[Look over there! Something like a shop is hanging upside down from the ceiling!]

‘You are right. That must be the Commercial District.’

Hyeollyeo and I were busy looking around with sparkling eyes.

Everywhere my gaze touched, there was something fascinating.

Had I not seen it in the game already?

There was a difference as wide as heaven and earth between seeing something through a monitor and seeing it directly with both eyes.

No matter where I looked, everything was filled with things I had never seen before.

Like country bumpkins visiting Seoul for the first time, we wandered around the First Floor, and after straying again and again, it took a full hour before we finally reached the Central Hall.

“Let me see, the place to apply is…….”

I had heard that applications to participate in the Capella Competition could be submitted at the Information Desk in the Central Hall.

They said it was an Artifact shaped like a large white Stone Monument…… and finding it was not particularly difficult.

[It seems to be that.]

“You are right.”

A great many people had already gathered in front of it.

And perhaps they had the same purpose as I did.

“When can we apply?”

“Hey, keep your place in line.”

“Do I submit the application like this?”

“A Recommendation is needed? I was never told that!”

It seemed all of them had come to apply for participation.

At a glance, there seemed to be hundreds of people.

Just thinking about forcing my way through made my head spin.

‘Waiting like this will never end.’

I had not known that the Capella Competition was an event this popular.

In the end, I tried to squeeze my way through the gaps, but since the people were submitting their applications so aggressively, even that was not easy.

“Please let me pass for a moment…….”

“What? Keep your place in line first!”

There was no opening to slip through.

Someone even reached out and shoved me roughly.

Of course, I was stronger and was not pushed back, but the problem was that I had been struck.

SHING!

Ishara, drawn at lightning speed, aimed the tip of her blade at the forehead of the person who had pushed me.

The person who had shoved me stumbled backward in terror at the sudden threat.

“Ugh!”

“Wh-What is this? The sword moved on its own—”

“Is that Sword Control!?”

I told you it was not.

This was merely Ishara’s conditioned reflex…… but those who did not know that clamped their mouths shut and slowly moved aside to the left and right.

Since Sword Control was a 7-Star technique, they seemed to have mistaken me for some extraordinary Swordsman.

First, I hurriedly put the sword back into its Scabbard.

After all, drawing a blade recklessly in a residential area like this was unlikely to earn me favorable treatment.

‘I am glad I came dressed in a Robe.’

To prevent my face from spreading around, I normally wore a Robe and Hood when going to crowded places, and this time, I truly felt glad that I had done so.

Otherwise, I might have suddenly been branded as a 7-Star Adventurer who used Sword Control.

“……It is not that kind of technique. In any case, thank you for making way.”

After asking for their understanding, I approached the Stone Monument.

A voice flowed from the Stone Monument after it confirmed a new person.

─Please state the purpose of your visit.

“I would like to apply for participation.”

─Applications to participate in the Capella Competition require a Recommendation from a certified family.

“I was told that showing this would be enough.”

When I took out the Black Card I had received from Robert, the Stone Monument emitted light and scanned it.

─……Please wait a moment.

Perhaps because I had neither an appointment nor properly stated my purpose earlier, murmurs began rising around me again.

“Th-That is an Ortanis card. That person has a Recommendation from Trinity……!”

“Who is he? Could he be from the White Night Knights?”

“Who was the bastard who shoved him earlier? That son of a bitch should not think he will leave alive.”

No, I would absolutely let him live.

I was not that cruel a person.

Because of my strange first impression, they kept making strange misunderstandings, and I did not know what kind of expression I was supposed to make.

─A reply has returned.

Then, the Stone Monument continued.

─Your application has been received. We welcome your participation.

Once the application was complete, sharp gazes stabbed into me from every direction.

I had drawn a huge amount of Aggro in a strange place.

No, can you not see the Apprentice Badge on me? How does anyone look at me and misunderstand me as that kind of person?

Before I drew any more Aggro, I left the Central Hall.

No, I tried to leave.

“……Hm?”

Before I could even take a step, a bright cluster of light wrapped around me, and before I could say anything, the scenery around me changed.

The large plaza vanished without a trace, and an antique reception room appeared before my eyes.

“What is this now?”

The crackling sound of a Campfire tickled my ears.

Books filling every wall, a glass window illuminating the entire Third Floor, a table polished as smoothly as a mirror, and the High Seat before it.

Someone was sitting there.

“Excuse me, who might you be……?”

“Something outrageous has entered my tower.”

It was a man.

A middle-aged man in a neatly fitted suit, with dignity present in every movement.

Quickly searching through my memories, I soon remembered who he was.

“Surely, Panini Roche?”

“It is fortunate that you know me.”

Panini Roche.

The Master of the Observatory of Capella Observatory.

A 9-Star Mage was staring straight at me with hollow eyes.

“When I saw that you had come with Ortanis’s card, I looked into you. You are not human.”

“Pardon? What do you—”

“Did you think I would be deceived just because you wrapped yourself in human skin and pretended to be a human?”

“Pardon?”

“Do you intend to pretend ignorance until the end? You shameless monster centipede.”

“?”

Monster centipede.

At those words, Hyeollyeo’s gaze and mine met in midair.

It seemed this person.

Apparently, he had mistaken me for someone whose body had been stolen by Hyeollyeo.