NOVEL WEB Chapter 19
Entering a nearby magic item shop.
Ding-ding!
“Welcome!”
I wish I could find what I need in one go.
Since I knew nothing about magic items, I approached an employee and asked, “Hello! Do you happen to have any magic items related to curse spells?”
“Well, we do have some… but what kind of curse are you looking for? Lately, human hunters have been rampaging, and the guild has been regulating it, so for a while, you can only buy weak curses.”
“I’m looking for a magic item related to the tracking arrow curse. Do you have it?”
The employee looked through something like a catalog and shook their head.
“I’m sorry. It’s a curse that can be easily misused. If it’s written by a person, that’s one thing, but the sale of magic items itself is regulated.”
Damn it.
“Okay, got it. Thank you for your help.”
I opened the door and let out a sigh.
“Well, there are a few more magic item shops around… should I check them out?”
I nodded. I might as well grasp at straws.
I walked again.
*
“It’s regulated, so if you sell it, you’ll be caught by the guards.”
“Our shop doesn’t handle those kinds of magic items.”
I’m doomed.
The 4th district is so vast and the distance between shops is far, that I managed to visit only two more places; one flatly refused, and the other didn’t even have it listed.
‘As expected. If they say selling it gets you caught, of course, they wouldn’t sell it.’
If someone asked why I foolishly checked two more shops despite the regulations, well…
‘Since I’ve put off finding a true curse user, what else was there to do but visit magic item shops? Maybe there was a shop that would take the risk and sell it for a much higher price.’
Originally, the justification for the regulation is that ‘it can be misused, so sales are prohibited,’ but there’s no way I’d be caught just for asking.
Given that the shops are connected, even if they report me as suspicious, what charge could they bring against me?
“Hey Aren, the sun is setting. How about we head to the inn first?”
“Sounds good, right? We’ve been wandering for hours, and since everything is blocked off, we’ll give up on buying magic items. It’ll be tough, but we should try to look for a dark magician or curse user starting tomorrow.”
After saying that, I approached a nearby wooden building that looked like an inn and opened the door.
As soon as I entered, it looked just like the scenes that would pop up in one’s mind when thinking of a fantasy inn.
Buzz-buzz.
The spacious interior was bustling with lively sounds.
Various people sat at the tables, eating and sipping beer while chattering about their own stories.
A big fireplace took up one wall of the inn, where logs crackled, adding a cozy warmth to the chilly evening air.
“It’s warm.”
I made my way through the tables, avoiding the busy waitstaff, and approached the counter instead.
“I’d like to book a room. Do you have any available?”
“It’s 20 coins for a night’s stay. A meal costs an additional 5 coins.”
Since this is the 4th district, it’s probably not cheap. There’s no choice.
“I’ll take two rooms and dinner for two.”
I handed over a silver coin and received 5 large coins in exchange. So, one large coin is worth 10 small coins?
“Aren, let me cover my share. I have enough funds too!”
I smiled and waved him off.
“I’ll take care of this since you helped me all day. Please don’t feel burdened.”
“Okay. Then I won’t refuse. Thank you!”
After we finished talking, I received two room keys and we each went into our rooms on the 2nd floor to unpack before coming back down.
As we sat at an empty table and waited, our meals soon arrived.
A steaming potato soup, fresh bread, and a large piece of deliciously roasted meat were tempting me.
“Let’s eat well!”
As I took a steaming spoonful of soup, all my fatigue melted away.
Mmm.
Tearing off a piece of bread and dipping it in the soup made a nutty flavor linger in my mouth.
I then cut a piece of meat and put it in my mouth; the juices burst out, bringing happiness to my weary body and mind.
This is truly a life outside the Knights, staying in an inn now.
After a pleasant meal with Yeriell, we headed to our rooms.
“Tomorrow, let’s go to the Guild for training and ask about curse users at the reception.”
As I closed my eyes, sleep washed over me right away.
*
After finishing breakfast with soup and bread, we headed to the Guild for today’s training.
“Ugh, I’m still mad. How am I supposed to face that face for a few days?”
Yeriell kept glaring daggers at Isaac, which was kind of funny as it calmed me when I looked back on it after training ended.
We went down to the 1st floor and stood in the shortest line, and soon it was my turn.
“Hello! How can I help you?”
“I’m looking for either a curse user or someone who can use curse magic for my party’s purpose or this labyrinth trip. Is there a way to get help from the adventurer’s guild?”
The receptionist frowned.
“Well, usually it’s about personal information, and it’s difficult for us to casually reveal who among the guild adventurers is a curse user or can use curse magic.”
Damn it. It’d be a problem if I got stuck here too.
“Posting your name, party info, and what kind of role or job you’re looking for on the party matching bulletin board would probably be the fastest way.”
I said my name and objectives, agreeing to do just that.
“Compared to damage-dealing mages, it’s generally easier to find those specialized in curses or utility spells. … Of course, mages are rare in general.”
“Got it. Thanks.”
Even though magic items containing curses are regulated due to the potential for misuse, they can’t stop a curse user from casting their spells in personal spaces.
Managing and suppressing all people who can use curse magic, including dark magicians and curse users, is simply unreasonable and feels like treating them as potential criminals.
What are they going to do? Cast a spell on everyone? Supply magic items that alert the guild or subject you to restrictions for using certain curses?
Unless the budget is overflowing, it would be difficult to extend this to adventurers barely scraping by on the 1st and 2nd floors.
‘And even if that were the case, I need to first meet someone who can use curses. After all, there’s no other way to deal with that guy if he gets tracked down and killed.’
Isaac has to enter the labyrinth on the same day and follow right behind; if he spawns randomly in the starting area inside the labyrinth, it’d all be pointless.
I went to the table where Yeriell was sitting alone.
“How did it go? You don’t seem too cheerful.”
“I posted about looking for curses on the party matching board. I doubt it’ll go well, but I guess we’ll just have to wait.”
While I was feeling down, I overheard two guys who looked like a warrior and a rogue gossiping at the next table.
Curious about their conversation, I leaned in to listen.
“Wow, look at the tits. Hey, check that out!”
“Ugh, idiot. Come on. Can’t you see her ears and eyes are different? Plus, the outfit? That’s clearly the rumored Arar.”
Rumored Arar?
“Why? Isn’t she just a beastkin? With that robe, she looks like one of those rare mages. Shouldn’t we try to invite her to the party?”
Thwack!
The warrior, trying to intervene, smacked the rogue on the head seriously.
“Are you out of your mind? It’s not like you ate something weird; why suddenly smack me?”
“Shut up and listen. Not all beastkin are the same. Among them, some are rejected because they’re cursed, known as Arar.”
“So what’s Arar?”
At the rogue’s question, the warrior launched into a long explanation.
“Long ago, girls born in the monster tribe began to have black hair and jewel-like eyes after incurring the wrath of the Dark God.”
The Dark God, huh? Well, there’s a Light God worshiped by the Light Church, so it’s expected there’s a Dark God too.
“As long as they just look like that, it wouldn’t be an issue. But getting close or being with those girls brings misfortune to whoever does.”
He trailed off, shaking his head in fear.
“People die, plagues spread, monsters flocking in, and villages burning. Eventually, they couldn’t bear it and started to kill or cast away the cursed children.”
“…”
“They even coined a derogatory term, Arar, just for them.”
I can’t believe such a grim tale was springsing up.
“What the hell. What crime did those kids commit?”
“It’s unfortunate, but what can you do? Fortunately, some of the abandoned kids survived and grew up to establish a village somewhere on the continent. A village where only a few cursed children reside.”
“Surviving and creating their own community. That’s really fortunate.”
The warrior nodded.
“Right. Though that might have come at the cost of being cursed, they’re said to have immense talent in dark magic, so they call themselves witches and have chosen that path.”
He stopped speaking and grimaced, speaking in a low voice.
“But regardless of that, if you excitedly invite that person into our party and actually manage to bring her, what do you think will happen to us?”
The rogue hesitated, sweating.
“Ugh, I’m sorry. I almost got us all killed with stupid decisions. Damn, after this labyrinth trip, I’m going to live in a library!”
“As far as I know, that witch… just arrived in the city, and there have already been two parties wiped out on the 1st floor while she survived by herself.”
Don’t even go near; just go buy a drink later, the warrior laughed.
‘Well, the conversation seems over. But dark magic…’
I shifted my gaze from the two men and surveyed the surroundings.
Not only them, but others were whispering about the witch too.
Wow, some even clicked their tongues in disdain while stepping away from the line she was in.
“Even so, this is a bit too much… I mean, just by hearing the stories, isn’t it fine to stay close for a bit?”
Yeriell, who had been listening to the boys’ conversation, grumbled.
“It really looks a bit rough. That person must have gone through this situation many times.”
“Yeah. I really feel for her. I wonder how much she’s suffered up until now?”
The line had been quite short, but as more people stepped away, it was my turn, and I headed straight for the reception with the witch.
Sigh. She’s pitiful, but just watching won’t help at all; what can I do? Anyway, it seems like I’m having a tough time today.
“Aren, don’t be too down! There’s still time before the labyrinth opens, so if we search a bit longer, something might come up.”
“I really hope so.”
I took a final glance at the witch before exiting the guild.
As a fellow low-tier adventurer, I might end up crossing paths with her later, so I should at least roughly assess her abilities.
────
[Lumia]
[Strength: E] [Agility: F+] [Durability: E-]
[Health: E] [Mana: D-] [Luck: F]
[Traits] (Fold)
Punishment of Darkness
Basics of Dark Magic
Mask of Deficiency
Senses of the Monster Tribe
────
────
[Punishment of Darkness] [P]
A powerful curse laid upon the monster tribe by the Dark God.
The darkness that isolates the cursed target constantly circles invisibly around the user, spreading out to a certain radius.
─Luck decreases by four levels.
─Anyone who touches the darkness around the user is overwhelmed by misfortune based on how long they have come into contact with it.
─Takes additional damage from all light-related attacks.
─Adequate correction for dark magic.
─All attacks are fixed to the dark property.
────
Tsutsutsu.
Wait a minute. Am I sensing something unusual around her?
[Chaos is gazing at the darkness.]
“What’s that?”
“Huh? What?”
This wasn’t the time to answer that.
The dark aura emanating from the witch named Lumia began to appear hazily.
Oh my. Is that the source of darkness and misfortune?
Now that I think about it, there was indeed something like that in the chaos’s content.
─See things that aren’t easily seen.
‘It feels like I’m trying to see something I shouldn’t. Staring any longer won’t bring any good.’
Just as I hurriedly turned my head, did she feel something odd? She turned to meet my gaze directly.
What’s she saying? I can’t hear her.
Looking at her lip movements.
You. No way. Can you see me?
As she stared intently into my eyes, she suddenly shoved through the crowd and rushed towards me.
Patter-patter.
‘What? Why is she suddenly running at me?’
The forceful energy rushing towards me felt like a monster, making me instinctively back away.
‘Don’t come near, you crazy girl!’
In a moment of panic, I was trying to escape when it happened.
[A record of confirmed misfortune has been applied to the user recently.]
[The Heart of the Abyss resists the Punishment of Darkness trying to bring misfortune to the user.]
[Weak power reacts to the darkness.]
[Due to the fierce backlash, the ‘darkness’ within the Punishment of Darkness becomes inactive in the user’s vicinity.]
Whoosh!
“Ah, ah.”
The sudden emergence of a system window before me.
At that moment, Lumia froze mid-charge, trembling.
“What is happening right now?”
“I don’t know. She suddenly ran towards that guy and stopped! What’s going on?”
Damn it. The adventurers’ attention was already drawn.
“Yeriell, let’s get out of here. We should leave the area.”
“Okay. I felt sorry for her earlier, but she seems strange now. Let’s not get close and hurry.”
Yeriell grabbed my hand and led the way to the exit.
“Don’t go—!”
Lumia shouted and lunged at me with all her might.
Fucking hell. Yeriell’s right behind me.
It was too late to dodge, so I took the hit head-on.
“Seriously, I don’t feel the darkness.”
She ended up clinging onto me like a koala after muttering that.
I tried to shake her off but gripped tightly, bare teeth and all.
“I won’t let go.”
After several rounds of that, Yeriell whispered with a troubled expression.
“Aren… let’s just take her with us. Everyone’s staring.”
Shit. What the hell are we doing right now?
Sighing, I supported the clinging Lumia and managed to leave the guild.