Extreme Night City

It was late in the afternoon when Leylin walked out of the slave bazaar. Two Knights wearing solid plate armor flanked him, and a delicate yet pretty maid followed closely behind.

The maid's eyes were green and her hair was of a chestnut color. She wore a mid-size black dress; nothing too revealing but also not a nun's habit. All around, she seemed like a cute and pleasant girl anyone would like to have in their bed or doing chores for them. According to Dylan, this slave had received extensive training since she was but a child. She was more than capable to take on the role of an assistant for elementary and basic experiments, hence meeting Leylin's requirements without trouble.

Furthermore, she had taken the Mandara Flower's essence, which could counteract the mana radiation Leylin constantly emitted. This also kept her looking youthful for the rest of her life. Although, she only had half of her lifespan left, since the flower limited one's life to 30 years and she was 15 years old. That said, Leylin couldn't care less.

When they saw Leylin and his party entering the VIP Portal Room, the surrounding Magi patrons inwardly acknowledged him as someone worthy of shopping there.

'The Redbuds did pretty well with their customer service. I could even freely choose my place of exit thanks to their short-range teleportation sigil.' -Leylin was gratified with his last visit to Ellinel Market.

When he and his servants appeared, they were no longer at the small riverside village; they were near the outer walls of a large city. It was an exclusive service provided by the Ellinel Market to clients who had spent more than 1000 magic crystals in one visit to the elite floor. He had also received a pass that prevented him from being scrutinized by the guards in both levels of the market.

"Master!" -The Knights and the maid knelt.

Leylin waved his hand indifferently: "Do you have names?"

The maid shook her head and indeed resembled to be rather docile. The two Knights looked at each other, and their eyes dimmed eventually.

"We do not... Please grant us one, Master." -Said one of the Knights in a quiet tone.

"Who are you to make requests, slave? I was planning on dignifying you with a real name as a show of my goodwill, but you seem to think yourselves worthy of my favor simply for existing. You are mistaken. If you want something from me, then prove to me in service and loyalty that you are deserving of it." -Leylin stated coldly.

"We apologize for our rudeness and not knowing our place! We pledge our lives to your service, Master!" -The three slaves crawled on their knees and reached to kiss Leylin's shoes.

He simply sidestepped them and stood behind them.

"I see you were trained sufficiently. I expect you'll do better from now on. Get up and get to work." -Leylin waved his hand again, prompting them to follow his command immediately.

The guards clutched their shields and resumed their task of protecting their Master. The maid simply bowed deeply and then remained with her head down as a sign of submission.

When he was satisfied with his slaves' attitudes, Leylin began to scan his surroundings.

It seemed to be a small forest, and there was even the outline of a large city ahead. It was, at least, ten times bigger than the slum he first visited in his travels. The entrance had carriages and carts going in and out. It seemed to be flourishing.

"Since I left my other horse behind to die in the forest and burned my camping equipment, go buy the best carriage they have in that city. Also, buy some essential goods for my journey, as well as some clothes for you and the maid so you can blend in if needs be. I'll wait for you here." -Leylin tossed a fat brown purse to Guard 2 as he gave his instructions.

The guard took the money and bowed right before leaving.

Seeing the figure of Guard 2 leaving, Leylin suddenly turned and asked his maid: "What lessons have you taken before? How much do you know about the arcane arts?"

Maid's skin was extremely white and gave off a milky glow. It made Leylin impulsively want to ruin her. Her face too was extremely exquisite like a doll's. This sparked his desire to watch her face contort in pain, but that would come later.

"I have learned everything related to housekeeping and assisting with elementary and basic experiments, but for anything that requires the use of mana energy, I am useless. My apologies, Master..." -Maid's fingers clenched her dress as she resembled to be discomfited.

"That will do." -Leylin was satisfied to confirm what Dylan had told him about his acquisition. He had many secrets. Letting an outsider join his experiments would be nothing short of stupid. Having her take care of the basic tedious work was already good enough.

If he wanted a Magus assistant, he or she must be at least acolyte level. However, a slave of those characteristics would be ridiculously expensive and would be inherently riddled with problems related to the slave's health. Even if he did not see any in the bazaar, Leylin knew that somewhere in Ellinel they would sell acolytes as slaves.

'If Abyssal Bone Forest loses the war, the idiots who survive will unavoidably end up as thralls. Who knows, I might eventually come across one of my 'friends' in one of these markets. Ha! I would find it hard not to laugh at that sight.'

[Aren't you a bit too lax with the matter, Doctor? It is in your best interest that Abyssal Bone Forest manages to hold off its enemies, or even win.]

'Whatever. As long as I am alive, I will get what I need eventually. With the right amount of crystals, I can pave my way to breaking through to an official Magus, Abyssal Bone Forest or no.'

Catching a glimpse of their Master become pensive all of a sudden, Maid and Guard 1 lowered their heads again, not daring to utter a word.

With the noise of rolling wheels gradually getting closer, Leylin was pulled out of his reverie.

He could see his Knight slave driving a horse carriage: "Master, it is done!"

It was pitch black in color and did not have much in the way of patterns on it. However, it looked extremely sturdy. A couple of large black horses were pulling it, dashing rapidly towards Leylin.

Guard 2 got off the carriage and handed the money purse back to Leylin with both hands and a respectful bow.

Leylin climbed the carriage in one jump and then threw the money purse to the girl: "In the future, you will handle finances when dealing with mortals. This is a great honor and responsibility since you shall represent the good name of your Master. Do your job well, and you shall be rewarded with a name. Fail me, and it will be the last thing you do."

"Th-thank you, Master! I will do my best, I swear!" -The maid was quick to nod eagerly and bow, and then she carefully stored the money purse. It was filled only with gold and silver coins used by normal humans, or 'mortals', as referred to by the Magi and acolytes. Considering he had thousands more gold coins in reserve, Leylin could easily get as much as he wanted in mortal settlements.

After thinking for a while longer, Leylin took off his hood and revealed a dashing face. His appearance, however, was still in its altered state.

"Pay attention, my slaves. Because it is on this day, the same I bought you into my retinue, that I will grant you the privilege of taking a glimpse at my true identity. You will repay my trust with efficiency and devotion, I am sure."

These people would have to see Leylin daily for 3 years, so they would unquestionably discover his real appearance at some point. Also, he wanted to start manipulating them right off the bat.

After Leylin removed the Transfiguration spell, the muscles of his face twitched and returned back to his original youthful visage.

Seeing Maid and the Guards kneel with solemn expressions, Leylin commanded: "Very well then, let's set off towards Eastwoods Province. Since I want you two as my personal bodyguards, I'll need more hands to protect my estate in the near future. Maid, I want you to hire the best group of mercenaries as soon as we come across an employment house or tavern."

"Your will is our command, Master!" -The three slaves bellowed in unison, causing Leylin to smirk. Having been away from the academy for so long, he missed having loyal disposable pets at his beck and call.

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Two days had passed and after visiting Roran City, which was the town they had teleported close to.

Maid was quick to find and hire a band of experienced and capable mercs known as Roran's Hawks. They were locally famed for taking any well-paying contracts and having leverage with the local lord, which meant they went unpunished for any crimes they committed in Roran.

Leylin fancied having a bunch of disciplined killing machines with a reputation as his enforcers, mainly due to the fact that most bandits and other scum on the road to his destination wouldn't make nuisances of themselves.

Maid had also hired a downtrodden housekeeper after she discovered he had been swindled out of his property by a merchant. Not out of pity mind you, but because he was enthusiastic to kneel before her Master and sell himself as a slave in exchange for his family debt being paid off. Leylin did not hold back his smirk as Maid threw 6 gold coins at the geezer's face and ordered him to get to work immediately.

The housekeeper would free up Maid's schedule so she could serve Leylin in whatever required a more delicate or precise touch. Furthermore, he would act as her escort whenever she went into the shadier parts of a town. He may be old, but his body was strong and robust.

The next day, it was early in the morning. While the mist still had not completely dissipated, there was still some frostiness lingering in the cold morn air.

Roran City's gates opened slowly, and a group of horses emerged from between them.

About twenty or so armed men, wearing steel heavy armor and bearing a variety of weapons, escorted a large horse carriage as it slowly left the city.

In front of the horse carriage, the leader of the mercs who was named Fayern, was leading the caravan in a brown-colored impressive steed. Behind him was a young mercenary carrying a red flag. On it was embroidered the image of a hawk; the insignia of the Roran Hawks mercenary group.

Guards 1 and 2 rode close to the horse carriage, having given up the driver seat. The person who sat there instead was a white-haired geezer. Although he faced the wind and his hair was blown about wildly, his clothes were impeccable and without any creases. He was the housekeeper that Leylin got - Old Welker.

The Roran Hawks mercenary group was worthy of Leylin's content nod. They were extremely familiar with the roads and could even find lodging along the way, saving them from the hassle of setting up camp. Any foolish bandits encountered by Leylin's caravan were effortlessly dealt with.

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7 days later, the group safely arrived at Extreme Night City.

Leylin lifted open the hanging screen on the horse carriage and saw that the clouds ahead were rather dark. The layers of cloud were crowded together, completely blocking any sun rays. There was also a shadow cast on the surrounding bushes and grasses, which made it look very gloomy. It seemed that rain was imminent.

"Fayern! I heard that Extreme Night City has a large area of vegetation that mysteriously decayed. Where is that region?" -Leylin called to the Roran Hawks' captain as he looked out the window to analyze his surroundings.

Fayern grasped the reins firmly and reduced the pace of his mount to match the pace of the carriage.

"Extreme Night City is huge, Boss. These mysterious happenings only take place in a small portion of the easternmost grove. Normally, we try our best to detour around that area. The locals have also done their best to avoid danger..."

"Go on." -Leylin pressed for more information.

Fayern lowered his voice and said: "The eastern part of Dark Night Woods is closer to the core of the city. Dark Night Woods had an abundance of herbs. Ever since the withering started, however, the supply of herbs in Extreme Night City has decreased considerably."

"Is that so..." -Leylin smiled. Extreme Night City was considered a large city in Eastwoods Province, and one of the pillars of its economy was the herb industry. The city's Lord and his officers were surely worried about the situation.

"Did any of the herb gatherers disappear in the withering zone?" -Leylin asked with a raised brow.

"Herb gatherers? You mean hired hands, bandits, and adventurers? The woods are full of dangers, so a few people turning up dead is rather common." -Fayern shrugged his shoulders.

'How could I expect a sack of potatoes to be knowledgable...' -Leylin mused sardonically.

As the two conversed, the horse carriage slowly approached Extreme Night City.

The defensive walls were not very high, yet they were extremely thick. They seemed to be made by piling granite rocks, making them quite sturdy.

The guard at the city gates recognized Fayern and allowed the horse carriage to enter without payment of the toll fee.

"Anna, find us lodging. Greem and Fraser will escort you." -Leylin ordered briefly.

"Yes, Master!" -The three slaves responded as Anna climbed on top of one of their horses.

Leylin had granted them names during the trip here. He had predicted that doing so would guarantee their loyalty, and it showed since they now obeyed him with an earnest look on their faces.

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Evening approached, and Leylin was alone in his room. The outside was extremely dark, and there were few lighted lamps outside the inn.

Leylin closed the door to the hallway and took out a blue-colored crystal ball from the satchel he carried at all times.

This crystal ball was extremely small and let off a strange white glow. In the center of the glass were many golden specks of light that continuously rove about like little fireflies.

An eye-like symbol appeared on it as Leylin neared it to his face.

He then whispered an update on his academy quest and what little he had learned from Fayern. After he finished speaking, Leylin wiped the crystal ball with his fingers.

From within the crystal ball came a strange sound. Following this, the eye symbol flickered and disappeared, turning back into countless golden specks of light.

The crystal ball was given by the academy to Leylin to be used as proof of having undertaken the mission. This was why Abyssal Bone Forest Academy dared to allow their acolytes to go out on long-term missions without fear of being duped.

It was able to record a few scenes and voices. All that Leylin had to do was to record every important event during the mission. He could then hand it over as proof upon returning to the academy.

Naturally, the crystal ball's controlling right was with Leylin. As long as he did not want to activate it, the crystal ball would not be able to record anything.

[From Fayern's description, we can assume the withering danger zone is not as widespread as it is troublesome for the villagers. I suspect it could either be tree demons or any random organism that feeds on vital energies. A level 2 acolyte would be more than enough to deal with them.] -Aralis reported to her Master.

'I am in no rush though. I still have well over two years to complete the quest. The matter at hand is establishing my base of operations and making contact with the local nobility and acolytes, so that I start building useful relationships for the near future.' -Leylin weighed things carefully,

Although the location of Extreme Night City was rather remote, it was close to a few Magi resource points. There was even a magic crystal mine nearby that was being excavated. The resources were already exhausted, but they still attracted a good number of wandering Magi and small families. It even gave rise to a small-scale Magus market, which was indicated on the holographic map that Leylin currently viewed.

Moreover, while they were entering the city, Aralis had already picked out several energy waves emitted by other acolytes. There were quite a few living in this city. This was more usual than one would originally think, given how wandering magicians or those who were reclusive preferred remote towns to better conceal their identities.

Of course, due to having longer lifespans on top of their mana radiation emissions, they cannot stay in the same area for long. They often changed locations after a few years.

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On the following morning, Leylin had Anna accompany him to a visit he needed to pay. It was to one particular acolyte in Extreme Night City.

The settlement's construction was somewhat gothic with sharp spikes on the rooftops. The pavements were also layered with smooth rocks giving the impression that Extreme Night City was one of the wealthier cities around.

As Leylin and Anna neared the eastern side of the city, the people's outfits here became much more urbane than that of other places, and the decorations on the buildings became more gorgeous too.

'It seems like the east district of the city is where the nobles and scholars congregate. Nothing surprising that this scum lives in the most affluent part of town.' -Leylin held, referring to the contact Professor Kroft had provided in the quest card.

He glimpsed at the clusters of flowers on both sides of the road. There was even a small square with a marble fountain. He could not help but smile as he remembered his favorite mansion in his former world.

Afterward, the two of them came to a beautiful two-story villa. On the plate hung beside the door it said: 'Cecelia Main Street #59'.