Paladin of a Fallen Order (Novel) - Chapter 46 - Bet

Chapter 46 – Bet

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Translated by Pratt

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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After hearing the rumors about the Central Mage Tower Lord from Rombel, Elbridge offered a prayer to the Goddess of the Rusty Shield.

“Goddess. Are you listening to my prayer?”

—Of course, Elbridge.

This time, too, the Goddess’s reply returned immediately.

Elbridge was glad inwardly, but at the same time, he became a little anxious.

“Goddess. Though it is presumptuous, there is a part that is a little worrying.”

—Elbridge. What makes you anxious?

“The fact that you hear my prayers so well even now when our believers have increased greatly. While this is a matter of utmost joy as your sole paladin, I worry whether you might be unable to look after other believers due to watching over me.”

—There is no need to worry about that, Elbridge. Even if your Goddess looks after believers who are not in battle, there isn’t much she can do for them. She is just focused on looking after you, who can help.

“…”

—To be sure, if there were a way for me to look after and help them, our order would not have fallen…

Since the Goddess of the Rusty Shield seemed to suddenly grow gloomy, Elbridge hurriedly brought up his original business.

“There is no need to worry, as you only shine brighter in times when there are many desperate people than in peaceful eras. At any rate, Goddess. The reason I offered a prayer to you is because there is something I am curious about.”

—Elbridge. Your Goddess is ready to tell you anything, as long as it is something she can tell.

“That is fortunate. In that case, would you be able to tell me about the Central Mage Tower Lord?”

However, the reply that returned was not a very satisfactory one.

—But that is indeed something I cannot tell you, Elbridge. Disclosing information about another god on earth without the party’s consent is a heavenly taboo. Even if he has descended to the earth now, it is the same.

“…I understand.”

—I am sorry for not being of help. Still, I can give you at least one clue. Strictly speaking, it is not sharing his information.

“What is that?”

—It is the fact that your Goddess knows almost nothing about him. The same will go for other gods, too.

“…?”

—I hope this story is of at least some help to you, Elbridge.

Elbridge obtained puzzling information.

*

The next day. As soon as Rombel woke from his sleep, he disappeared, almost dragged out by those who were either engineers or mages.

How passionate their momentum was, to the point where Elbridge and Marcus could not restrain them.

But at the same time, the people of the Mage Tower had surprisingly absolutely no interest in Elbridge and Marcus.

After rolling around in the luxurious room for about half a day, Elbridge spoke.

“While the soft bed and luxurious furniture are good, having absolutely nothing to do is a torment in its own way.”

“I think the same.”

Marcus, playing with the bridge of his nose, made a proposal to Elbridge.

“Since it has turned out like this, shall we go out to gather information together?”

Gathering information was the excuse Marcus brought up whenever he wanted to go to a tavern.

If it were the usual Elbridge, he would have answered to go alone, but now the proposal felt tempting. It was not a dangerous situation, and there was no task he had to do.

“…Shall we?”

A broad smile bloomed on Marcus’s face.

“You aren’t joking, right?”

“Joking about what? Let us go right now.”

Elbridge threw off his armor and rose from his seat.

*

There are numerous taverns in any city. And the atmosphere of every tavern is slightly different.

A place where one can drink expensive alcohol while putting on airs, a place where one can stop by briefly on the way home from work to enjoy a light meal and a drink. And a place that is slightly untidy, noisy, and where mercenaries gather.

And it is not difficult to find a tavern where many mercenaries gather.

Since more than nine out of ten are next to the Mercenary Guild.

As such taverns were mostly managed by the Mercenary Guild directly, they were usually used like waiting rooms for mercenaries. The tavern where all kinds of information circulated the most was also such a place.

“Here it is.”

The tavern Elbridge and Marcus entered was exactly such a place.

A place where mercenaries were overflowing, where a slightly stale smell rose from the wooden floorboards, and where even strangers could easily strike up a conversation.

And there is an unwritten rule in such establishments. Knights and paladins are banned from entry.

That was the reason Elbridge showed up with his armor left behind.

Today, the paladin Elbridge did not exist in this tavern. Only the young mercenary El.

Instead of a separate table, Elbridge and Marcus took counter seats facing the tavern owner.

“El. Is there anything you want to eat?”

“Anything is good, so let us start with a drink first.”

“A drink? You seem to not know well since you are a greenhorn, but in a place like this, you start with three cups laid out.”

When Marcus placed a few coins on the table and pushed them to the owner, six small glasses filled with transparent liquid came out. Three glasses in front of Elbridge, three glasses in front of Marcus.

Without saying a word, Elbridge and Marcus tossed down three cups of the drink, which was merely strong, one after another.

The feeling of the alcohol soaking into the body was intense. A feeling as if they could draw the shape of the esophagus and stomach just by the sensations in them.

“El. You drink well?”

“A degree like this is nothing…”

Marcus smiled warmly.

It seemed he liked this situation where he could leave behind titles like Mr. Elbridge or Lord Elbridge and treat him comfortably.

Inwardly, Elbridge also found this more comfortable. It must be because, in appearance, Marcus looked about ten to fifteen years older than Elbridge.

Elbridge and Marcus sat askew and looked around.

Gathering information was half an excuse. But turning it around, the two also had about half an intention to sincerely gather information.

Currently, Elbridge and Marcus’s interest was one thing. Why Middlemarch had become a separate world far removed from other cities.

Marcus lowered his voice slightly and spoke.

“El. You said Middlemarch wasn’t a city like this two hundred years ago, right?”

“That is correct. Although the characteristics of each region of the continent are distinct, there was no place this heterogeneous.”

A horseless carriage? The unusual attire of the people?

Such things were not important. The most important thing was the entity holding power.

In Elbridge’s experience, every city revolved around faith and the religious order.

Neither people with enormous money nor those called nobles could transcend the authority of the religious order. There were no exceptions.

But Middlemarch now was different. The Mage Tower was overwhelming every religious order.

This could be known just by looking at the layout of the buildings. Only the Mage Tower existed in the center of Middlemarch, while the temples were scattered sparsely on the outskirts, unable to even approach the vicinity of the Mage Tower.

‘It is a truly strange city.’

After looking around for a moment, Marcus discovered a person sitting in a corner of the counter seats, sipping alcohol alone. The age was roughly sixty years or so. Judging by the impression, he was nine times out of ten a retired mercenary.

There is one thing in common among retired mercenaries. The fact that they are anxious to tell their old stories to others.

They had seen many things over a long time, and were ready to say anything, so they were perfect as informants.

Marcus and Elbridge rose slightly from their seats and moved to the side of the retired mercenary.

Marcus placed a new cup of alcohol in front of the retired mercenary and greeted him.

“Hello, elder.”

Without refusing, the retired mercenary tossed down the drink first and then answered.

“It’s a face I’m seeing for the first time. Are you transients?”

“That is correct. We came from eastern Solenion. Both I and this fellow… Ah, I am Marcus, and this fellow next to me is called El.”

“I thought the accent was from that way. What’s the matter?”

“After staying in the East and coming here, the city’s atmosphere was strange.”

The retired mercenary laughed.

“You came to the right place. I am not a Central native but from the North. Thanks to that, I know exactly how you feel.”

“Is that so?”

“You mean the appearance of everything revolving around the Mage Tower instead of the religious order is unfamiliar, right?”

“That is correct.”

As Marcus spoke, he pushed a silver coin to the tavern owner.

A whopping nine small glasses came out. And a bit of fried pig skin that could be eaten as snacks.

The old man drained a cup of strong liquor into his mouth, and then pointed at Elbridge and spoke.

“I was just like that young man… You said El?”

“Yes.”

“Right. I came to Middlemarch at about your age. Even then it was a strange city, but it wasn’t to this degree. Hearing from the people at the time, they said it became like this after the current tower lord descended from heaven and took the position of the tower lord.”

Elbridge asked back.

“Are you saying the tower lord pushed out the temples?”

“I don’t know whether he did it on purpose or if it naturally became that way. But it is certain that all changes started from the Central Mage Tower Lord.”

“Even if he is a great mage who was once a god, is it possible to change such a huge city?”

“He didn’t change the city by magic alone. Rather, the greatest weapon of the Central Mage Tower Lord is his resourcefulness.”

The tavern owner, who was wiping a plate with a dry towel, chimed in on the story.

“The tower lord is a clever one. After descending from heaven, he swallowed all businesses that could make money in Middlemarch using his magic skills and the prestige of having been a god. Neither the temple nor the nobles can budge before the Central Mage Tower Lord. As a result, the temples naturally withered to death.”

“Leaving aside the nobles, is it possible for temples to be pushed out? The people of Middlemarch must also need the protection of a god.”

“It is a city where the protection of the Mage Tower is greater than the protection of a god. This Middlemarch is.”

Was it possible for a mage to bestow protection upon a person?

As Elbridge tilted his head, the tavern owner laughed.

“Among the numerous items the Central Mage Tower Lord made, the one that changed this city the most is the magic power battery. Even just looking closely at the magic power battery, you can know everything about this city.”

“What is a magic power battery?”

“…You guys really haven’t been in Middlemarch long. That right there is a magic power battery.”

The tavern owner pointed to a box placed next to the counter.

A metallic box whose height was a span and length was about a person’s shoulder width.

However, Elbridge and Marcus could not guess its use at all.

At that, the tavern owner shouted.

“Hey, Milton!”

At that shout, a flushed, drunk person turned back.

“You’re behind on your drink tab, right? Come over here and charge the battery a bit!”

“Uh-huh.”

The person called Milton came stumbling over, and then placed both hands on top of the magic power battery.

Then, the needle on the battery moved on its own, slightly touching the number 15 before returning to its original position.

As if having done his part, Milton returned to his original position and began to drink alcohol again.

Elbridge and Marcus did not understand what had just happened.

“We don’t know what is what.”

“Milton is a mage, and the magic power of a mage can be stored in this battery. Just now, Milton stored fifteen gradations worth of magic power in this battery and left.”

“What meaning does that have?”

“The Mage Tower buys the magic power stored in the battery for money. Milton accumulated magic power in this battery, and I will reduce Milton’s drink tab by that amount of magic power.”

“What does the Mage Tower do with the magic power it takes?”

“It is used to maintain magic circles, move magic carriages, and accumulate magic power in knights while receiving a price… It is used in all kinds of things a mage can do.”

Elbridge and Marcus recalled the story Rombel had told yesterday.

That under the horseless carriage was a box storing magic power, and the magic power coming from that box was what moved the carriage, or something like that.

“…The important thing is, if you become a mage, you can earn free money every day like Milton. Even a lousy mage like Milton makes plenty of pocket money, and if you have decent talent, it is possible to make a living just by filling magic power batteries. If you are an outstanding mage, you can enter the Mage Tower and handle big money.”

Only then did Elbridge and Marcus understand the situation.

If you believe in a god, you can occasionally receive the grace of the god. But if you become a mage, a stable income is guaranteed.

Uncertain grace and certain reward.

Which way a person’s heart would lean could be known without thinking deeply.

Marcus asked.

“Can’t one become a priest and a mage at the same time?”

“They say divine power and magic power are incompatible. If there is divine power, the purity of magic power drops, so it is rather advantageous to accumulate absolutely no divine power at all.”

Even after hearing that story, Marcus did not seem to have much thought.

However, Elbridge felt a shock similar to when he was released from the seal and arrived in the Holy City Solenion.

‘It is a world where changing one’s faith following gain has become natural. If one can be guaranteed a gain even greater than having faith, does it mean one can even discard faith altogether?’

Elbridge munched on the fried snacks, drank the strong liquor, and fell into all kinds of thoughts.

In that case, are no paladins or priests born in this city?

What would the ratio of mages and non-mages be? The things to think about were endless.

‘Gathering information was successful in its own way…’

In the noisy tavern, only Elbridge and Marcus fell into deep thought.

Meanwhile, the door of the tavern opened with a loud sound.

Slam!

At this degree, it was clear that the door had been opened roughly to intentionally draw people’s attention.

Everyone’s attention gathered beyond the door.

Standing there were a female mage and two men wearing armor.

The ones that drew Elbridge’s attention even more greatly were the men wearing armor rather than the mage. Because the emblem of the Central Mage Tower was carved largely on their armor and swords instead of a religious order’s emblem.

‘They are knights.’

Knights who took magic power as the source of their strength, not divine power.

But they were neither hedge knights nor belonged to a noble family; Elbridge was also seeing knights bearing the Mage Tower’s emblem for the first time.

A few people, as if such a situation was familiar, grumbled complaints.

“They came today as well. The atmosphere was just getting good…”

The reason the people complained could be known quickly.

When the female mage chanted a spell and waved her wand, the mind that had been slightly dizzy due to the alcohol cleared up at once.

‘…They drove away the people’s intoxication with magic.’

As the people’s faces filled with complaints, the knight next to the mage trudged over and placed a gold coin on the counter.

“I will leave the drink money here, so those who want to drink alcohol can drink again later, and for now, concentrate on my story.”

However, a sarcastic reaction returned this time as well.

“Ah, yes, yes. Speak to your heart’s content!”

The knight glanced slightly at the person who spoke like that, and then stated his business.

“We are looking for mercenaries to handle a request from the Mage Tower. The mission is simple search. However, we do not accept applications from those with lacking skills.”

Leaving aside the content, the knight’s tone felt considerably crooked.

As if asking if there would be even a single fellow among you who would catch his eye.

“The search location is Middlemarch’s underground sewers. The duration is within three days. The payment starts from at least one gold coin. We promise to pay a massive reward depending on the outcome. Those who will accept the request should wait at the Mercenary Guild tomorrow morning. We look forward to many applications from those confident in their skills. Riffraff won’t be able to receive the mission even if they come, so do not waste your time. That is all.”

The knight disappeared after finishing his words.

Elbridge let it pass, thinking ‘I guess so.’

But Marcus was different. His two eyes were shining like a person who had discovered a gold coin dropped on the ground.

Elbridge found it difficult to understand Marcus’s reaction.

‘Knowing that he can live his whole life just by selling the single sword in his hand, why he reacts like that to a single gold coin…’

Sure enough, Marcus spoke to Elbridge.

“El. Since we have nothing to do for the next few days anyway, how about we handle that request?”

“Well. I don’t feel like it.”

At that, the retired mercenary nodded his head.

“Good thinking. Don’t go and waste your time for nothing.”

“Why do you say so?”

“That is the seventh time I’ve seen them bring the exact same request from the Mage Tower.”

“The conditions are so good, yet you’re saying no one accepted that request?”

“No. Almost every mercenary in this tavern tried to take that request. But not a single person was hired. They said their skills didn’t catch their eye, or what…”

Only then did interest flicker on Elbridge’s face.

It was an request that was strange no matter who looked at it. Elbridge’s intuition was screaming. There was something to that request.

Looking at the gold coin the knight left behind, Elbridge muttered.

“Marcus, brother. I think accepting the request would be decent as well.”

However, the reaction returned not from Marcus, but from the mercenaries who were drinking alcohol in the back seats.

“Haha! Anyone want to bet on whether that friend can receive the request tomorrow? I’ll bet a gold coin on him not being able to receive it.”

“I’ll also bet a gold coin.”

The mercenaries playfully placed gold coins one by one on top of the tables.

If they could pull out gold coins so easily, they must be mercenaries with decent skills.

There was certainty in their actions.

Certainty that Elbridge would not be able to receive the request that they themselves could not receive.

And, Elbridge was not a person to back down before a winning bet.

Elbridge snatched Marcus’s coin purse, threw it to the tavern owner, and spoke.

“I will come to collect the pot before long, so please keep it for a moment.”