'Are you sure this is the right place?'
They didn’t head outside the warehouse. Instead, they moved deeper inside.
Puzzled, I followed after them.
Tall shelves lined both sides, along with empty oak barrels.
There was nothing particularly special about it. It just looked like an old warehouse.
“What’s supposed to be here—”
Clunk.
That was when it happened.
The man casually pulled on a faucet attached beside an oak barrel.
It clearly looked like some old-fashioned device for draining water.
Clank, click.
Along with a heavy vibration, as if some machine were activating somewhere, the sound of chains turning came from beneath the floor.
And then the floor began to open.
Thud.
The dust-covered floorboards split in two, revealing a dark staircase.
With a sound like air escaping, a chill slowly rose up.
“Whoa…”
“Awesome…”
Sairun and Aileen let out quiet exclamations.
I, too, silently stared at the entrance.
A staircase leading into darkness, where not even an inch ahead could be seen.
Was this really the path to the information guild?
‘Wow, this is seriously like something out of a movie.’
I swallowed unconsciously.
It felt as though a door to a new world had opened.
I’d thought this was a world somewhere around the Middle Ages, and yet there was a mechanism like this. How fascinating.
The man glanced at us in our surprise, then gave a faint chuckle and disappeared down the stairs first.
“Is hiding things like this the trend these days?”
Sairun muttered in disbelief.
“How should I know, you brat?”
Baldik replied with a sigh in his voice.
The two of them were still whispering as if bickering, but my gaze naturally turned to one side.
At the top of the stairs, there was one person still watching us, neither coming up nor going down.
She stood with her back against the wall beside the entrance. She wasn’t holding any weapon, nor did she give off a threatening air, but
that only bothered me more.
‘Why is she just standing there watching?’
She didn’t speak to us, nor did she follow us down.
She simply watched in silence, as if measuring us.
“Who is that?”
When I asked quietly, Dardan flinched and answered.
“S-she’s the one in charge here… Um, sort of like a guide. I don’t really know her name either.”
“You really don’t know anything.”
Baldik grumbled.
With an expressionless face, she pointed toward the stairs.
Without a single word, just one quiet gesture of her hand.
Even that seemed quite practiced.
Surely, she must have let countless people in and out of this underground place.
People who speak little are more dangerous than those who talk too much.
I gave a slight nod and moved toward the stairs.
Aileen, Baldik, and Sairun followed carefully behind me.
The stale smell of dust and dampness, and beyond it, the faint scent of people living.
‘Seriously… can we trust this?’
The underground of a suspicious warehouse.
Normally, this would be the kind of situation where I would have run away long ago, but right now, we were the ones who had come seeking them out.
At the bottom of the stairs stood a large metal door.
A thick, heavy-looking door.
There was a small window set at eye level, and beyond it, the guide was exchanging a brief conversation with someone inside.
Clank—creak.
Along with the sound of something being released from within, the door slowly opened.
Beyond it stood a man with a rough-looking face.
He quietly looked us over as we entered.
The space we encountered as soon as we passed through the door was a small, low counter.
Behind it, a narrow, long corridor stretched into the darkness.
Candles were fixed at regular intervals along the gray stone walls, and beside them were closed doors, one after another.
There were no names or markings on the doors, but the traces of people going in and out were clear.
‘…This atmosphere is no joke.’
For some reason, it reminded me of when we had raided the Black Hand’s hideout before.
A long, narrow corridor, and a layout intentionally designed to blur one’s sense of direction.
A space like sealed lips, where you couldn’t know what might be behind each and every door.
Sairun silently pressed his lips shut, and Aileen nervously examined our surroundings.
Baldik looked indifferent, but his hand was resting on the dagger at his waist.
“Is this really the right place?”
When I asked in a low voice, Dardan mumbled softly.
“It should be… probably.”
“…Probably?”
Just as I was about to let out a short sigh, a low, refined woman’s voice rang out from the end of the corridor.
“Please be quiet.”
We turned our heads reflexively.
A black silhouette approached from beyond the dark corridor.
Light yet regular footsteps.
When she reached the light, her appearance seemed less like that of an employee and more like that of an assassin.
Sleek daggers hung quietly at her waist, and on her face was a plain wooden mask.
That face, revealing neither expression nor emotion, silently stared at us.
‘…She’s scary. Seriously.’
A place where it wouldn’t be strange if one slip of the tongue cost me my head.
I could feel it on my skin—that dealing in information meant holding people’s lives in your hands.
Just then, one of the doors along the corridor opened.
A figure slowly walked out.
He, too, was wearing a mask, but judging by his hunched shoulders and the way he looked around, he didn’t seem to be one of the people here.
‘…A customer?’
A masked customer.
Masked employees.
In this place, no one asked for names, and no one revealed their face.
‘Masks for the sake of privacy, huh… Should I have worn one too?’
It seemed like a reasonable rule, and yet it was a structure that made me even more uneasy.
A world designed so that no one could know who was who, or when and what information was being bought and sold.
Without realizing it, I tightened my grip on my staff.
Then I looked again at the masked woman who had spoken to us.
She was still standing there silently in the shadows of the corridor.
Just as we stood there unable to hide our tension, someone suddenly popped out, breaking the awkward silence.
“Ah, you’ve arrived. Welcome!”
An unfamiliar voice. It was a tone far too cheerful and frivolous for this dark, quiet place.
Our group stared at him in silent confusion. Perhaps even he wasn’t so oblivious that he couldn’t sense the atmosphere, because he smiled sheepishly with crescent-shaped eyes.
He was wearing a mask as well, but his was a little different.
Unlike most of the others, who wore expressionless masks covering their entire faces, his mask was a half-mask that covered only the upper part.
His mouth and chin were exposed, and his rounded jaw carried a strangely comical air.
“It must feel very unfamiliar since it’s your first time, right? No need to be alarmed. I’m the staff member in charge of guiding guests here.”
His tone was light and friendly, but there was an awkwardness to it that, strangely, kept the tension from easing.
Was it because he stood out too much, or… because friendliness itself was strange in a place like this?
“…So, what do we do first?”
I asked in a reluctant tone.
Sairun was hiding behind Baldik with a strange expression, and Aileen was still looking around without letting down her guard.
“I’ll explain. This is the Mondark branch of the information guild known as the Black Serpent’s Archives. We buy and sell information, whether it’s documents, rumors about people, or simple surveillance reports.”
As he spoke, he took a small badge from his waist.
An old metal badge engraved with the image of a black serpent coiled in a circle.
It looked like some sort of proof that he was a member of the organization.
“Under normal circumstances, you wouldn’t have been able to enter like this, but esteemed guests like yourselves are different.”
…Just what kind of treatment am I getting?
Rumors had probably spread about me as something like “the mage who defended the wall.”
So this guild seemed to be seeing us as more than ordinary customers as well.
“Have you come to buy information, or to sell it?”
“To buy. There’s something I’d like to know.”
When I answered carefully, he nodded as if pleased.
“Excellent. Then I’ll guide you to a consultation room. Of course, your names, your faces… and if you wish, even memories will not remain.”
“…Memories too?”
“Yes. In our own way, we’re quite a technically capable organization.”
He smiled at the end as though it were a joke, but instinctively, I could tell it wasn’t merely a joke.
The weight hidden within his light tone.
I let out a short breath.
Now that I’d come this far, there was no reason to turn back.
Following his guidance, we moved deeper into the dark corridor.
Only after we went all the way to the deepest part of the corridor were we finally assigned a room.
At a glance, it was just an ordinary door. There were no special mechanisms or decorations.
“Please enter.”
The masked employee said in front of the door.
“…Am I the only one going in?”
“Yes. It is our guild’s rule. Customers enter alone and are handled individually. The others, please wait in the lobby.”
The others nodded reluctantly.
Sairun poked his head in as if disappointed, only to be caught by Baldik’s hand and dragged away, while Aileen briefly looked toward me before quietly nodding and turning around.
I took a moment to steady my breathing in front of the door.
This atmosphere was completely different from the mercenary guilds I’d grown used to.
This was, quite literally, a place that bought and sold secrets.
‘Let’s be careful.’
When I opened the door, the inside was much simpler than I had expected.
One small desk, with a lone chair placed before it.
Across from it was another identical chair.
A heavy curtain hung halfway down one wall, and beyond it, I could sense the presence of a person.
A faintly flickering candle illuminated the edge of the curtain, giving the room an atmosphere like a confessional.
A complete closed room, with no windows and no decorations.
A structure where it seemed no sound would leak out.
Through the gap, the curtain moved slightly, and the figure inside faintly revealed themselves.
A dark gray robe, and an expressionless mask completely covering the face.
In their hands were a thin notepad and a pen, and their posture was perfectly upright.
They slowly opened their mouth.
“Are you purchasing information, or selling it?”
A refined tone, a voice utterly devoid of emotion.
It was like a mechanical 안내, and yet, strangely, there was pressure in those words.
A stiff way of speaking, as if mistakes or jokes would not be tolerated.
I carefully approached the seat, sat down, and spoke.
“…Purchasing.”
“Please state your request.”
I slowly exhaled and said,
“First, are there any safe regions where one can do mercenary work?”
“…”
At my question, he fell into thought, as if recalling information.
After remaining silent for a while, he eventually nodded and spoke.
“Since this is your first question, I will answer it without payment as a special courtesy. About a week’s journey to the west, there is a region called the Radin Plains. The density of monsters is low, and patrols by the guard and the city alliance army are frequent.”
“Is there demand for mercenaries there as well?”
“Of course. Merchant escorts, searches for missing persons, and even the occasional wandering bandits. Days without requests are rare. However…”
“However?”
“There’s no need for gold badges. Most of the mercenaries there are bronze badge rank. The profits are lower to that extent. For people with a high price on their services, it could be called a rather bland land.”
“I prefer bland.”
For the time being, I wanted to rest somewhere even a little quiet, taking on requests at a relaxed pace.
He handed me a map and pointed to one corner of it.
“Then pass through here and cross this bridge. The village at the entrance to the Radin Plains, ‘Beldor.’ That will be your starting point.”
Along with his words, he slid a small piece of map out from beyond the curtain.
It would be perfect to hand this over to that Sairun guy.
“Do you require any other information?”
“…”
There were many things I was curious about.
The state of the world, stories about Drek, or information about “me”—that is, about the existence called Libra.
But asking about those things would be too sudden, and it felt like it might make me look suspicious somehow.
So in the end, I brought up the thing I was most curious about first.
“I’d like to know about the Magic Tower. In particular, methods or conditions for outsiders to enter.”
I felt as though the gaze beyond the mask fixed on me.
Without a word, he began moving his hand, and the small notepad made a scratching sound.
“That information is classified as high-grade information. The sale price is twenty gold coins.”
‘…That really is expensive.’
It was a larger sum than I’d expected.
It was the moment I truly felt why this place was called an information guild.
“Is there no cheaper summary version, or reference information?”
"A summary does not exist. However, fragmentary information at the level of related keywords is available. Thirty silver coins per item."
'Thirty coins... I can afford that much.'
I lightly stroked my chin and thought it over.
Information was the sort of thing whose weight changed the moment a price was attached to it.
But in this situation, there were things I had to know even if I had to bear that weight.
I nodded.
"Just one piece of fragmentary information, please. A fragment about the conditions for an outsider entering the Mage Tower."
"Confirmed. Will you pay?"
I quietly took thirty silver coins from the pouch at my waist and placed them on the desk.
A hand reached out from beyond the curtain and took them.
A brief silence passed.
Then he spoke.
"An outsider's entry into the Mage Tower is, in principle, restricted. However, exception clauses exist. One of them is 'when the Mage Tower designates the outsider first.'"
I narrowed my eyes.
"...The Mage Tower first?"
"Anything beyond that exceeds the scope of this information, so I cannot explain further. That is the end of the fragmentary information."
It was a short sentence, but the meaning contained within it was heavy.
The Mage Tower "designating" an outsider.
That could mean the Mage Tower was not simply a building, but an existence with some kind of will.
"Then, about any recent incidents that happened in the Mage Tower—"
"I cannot provide you with information on that."
I had been about to get to the main point.
But he cut me off, and with that, his intent became clear.
There had been a recent incident, and he was telling me not to ask any further.
"Then can I obtain fragmentary information about the Mage Tower as well?"
"If it is superficial information, one silver coin will suffice."
I quietly handed over a silver coin, and the moment he received it, information flowed out of him like a vending machine.
"The Mage Tower generally refers to a tower where mages gather, but in practice, it is closer to a kind of mages' guild. Most are established with the approval of the kingdom in question, and in some cases, they are operated almost like state institutions."
"In the Mage Tower, they primarily train students of magic, while skilled mages share knowledge or devote themselves to research and training. Documents, legacies, and traditions related to magic are stored within, making it an object of admiration for those who wish to learn magic."
"What is especially important is that most Mage Towers possess exclusive magic. Because there are lineage spells passed down only within the Mage Tower and impossible to learn outside, many people knock on their doors."
So it was a kind of magical cartel.
"When it comes to famous Mage Towers, the ones generally called the 'Five Great Mage Towers' are named. The Red Mage Tower, the Blue Mage Tower, the Green Mage Tower, the Yellow Mage Tower, and the Gray Mage Tower. These five are the representative Mage Towers with long histories and traditions, as well as powerful magical lineages."
"Of course, there are also small and medium-sized Mage Towers established on a regional level. However, in terms of influence or technical depth, it would be fair to say none can aspire to surpass these five."
So the difference between major corporations and small to medium-sized businesses.
It was an explanation that was easy to understand in many ways.
"Then can I get information about mages too?"
"Mages... What information exactly do you need?"
"Just what kind of people they are."
The other party gave a slight nod and named ten silver coins.
Only after I handed over the silver did he speak.
"Generally, those who use mana to cast magic are called mages, but in reality, they are a fairly subdivided occupational group."
He paused to catch his breath, then continued his explanation.
"For example, sorcerers mainly handle offensive elemental magic and are specialized in converting mana into explosive forms. They are usually skilled in elements like fire or lightning."
"On the other hand, wizards use magic circles or runes to cast precisely structured magical formulas. Barriers that are difficult to undo once caught in them, or sustained spells, are mostly used by wizards."
"Sages are... to put it simply, scholars of magic. They are more research-oriented than field-oriented, but in special situations, they do participate in combat. However, most of them operate only as members of Mage Towers."
He stopped speaking for a moment, then carefully added,
"Other rare systems exist as well. For instance, special types like 'Enchanters,' 'Elementalists' who receive the aid of spirits, or 'Psionics' who handle both mind and body. However, such people are rare, and most operate as members of individual sects."
I quietly nodded.
In other words, not all mages were the same.
Then what on earth am I?
For starters, I don't use runes or magic circles, so I'm not a wizard...
As for a sage, far from conducting research, I haven't even read nearly enough books, and I'm definitely not an enchanter.
I can barely make use of my own staff, let alone infuse tools with magic.
If anything, I guess I'm closest to a sorcerer.
"Then are these kinds of mages affiliated with the Mage Tower?"
"That is correct. If someone handles magic professionally, most of them have ties to a Mage Tower. Otherwise, they belong to an independent family."
If most were affiliated with Mage Towers, was the fire mage I encountered in that dungeon also someone from a Mage Tower?
The thought suddenly crossed my mind.
"Is there anything else you are curious about?"
I hesitated for a moment, then quietly spoke.
"...Do you have information about me?"
When the question ended, he laughed briefly and snapped his fingers.
"...One gold coin."
"...I'll pay."
When I took out a gold coin and handed it over, he pulled out a black ledger and quietly began turning the pages.
And soon, as if reciting lines from an old play, he began speaking in a low, refined voice.
"Name, Liv. Place of origin unknown. No identity registration. Classified as a mage. One record of arrest in the Barony of Protain. As a special note, confirmed to have a connection to the Nightmare of Karhal. In addition... formerly of the Blue Mage Tower, later permanently expelled due to an incident."
He stopped speaking for a moment.
I felt as though something inside me was slowly tightening.
"The incident in question—"
His hand stopped as he was turning a page of the ledger.
For the first time, his eyes trembled faintly.
"...I do not have authority to view information beyond this point. It is marked with the phrase 'Security Classified Level — Access restricted for ranks below executive.'"
"...What did you say?"
"Yes. In other words, there is currently some officially processed record between you and the Mage Tower. However, I cannot view its contents with my authority."
The Mage Tower.
As expected, I was entangled with that place in some way.
He quietly closed the ledger and continued.
"It is rare for confidentiality to be applied to this degree. At the very least, it is not a level applied to a mere magic trainee or an ordinary citizen."
"Then... what exactly did I do?"
He shrugged.
"That, I do not know either. It is something I cannot know."
At those words, I bit my lip without realizing it.
It seemed that my sense of unease had not been wrong.