Chapter 71

< Wizard of Destruction >

Guild Village.

This is the name for the residential area located 1 kilometer south of Soren’s Adventurer Guild.

That place was Soren’s representative slum. The reason was because it was close to the Adventurer Guild.

Novice adventurers trying to form new parties and start labyrinth adventures, outsiders, party exiles, ex-convicts, vagrants, and others gathered one by one, turning it into a slum.

People raising children in such places inevitably become tenacious and defensive.

Like Mrs. Lenik.

“I came to buy some vegetables.”

When shopping at the market, she usually puts strength in her eyes.

This is the most basic bargaining skill for people living in this neighborhood.

But that day was somewhat different.

“Aren’t you that Monk’s wife?”

The grandmother selling vegetables directly slashed the price dramatically.

“Take it for half price. That’s the cost price I’m getting.”

“What…?”

“Our grandson lived thanks to your husband.”

That day was the day right after Aimus returned from the 3rd floor of the labyrinth.

Everyone she met at the market told similar stories.

“Our husband came out alive thanks to Aimus’s party. He got hurt quite badly, but they say he’ll recover if he gets proper treatment at the temple.”

“Huh?”

“Mrs. Lenik! Thank you so much! Our sister almost died on the 3rd floor this time! But your husband cleared the exit room for her!”

“He did?”

Until then, it was news to Mrs. Lenik as well. She hadn’t heard about the Monster Wave because she was home taking care of the child, her husband came home late at night and fell asleep like he’d passed out, and Mrs. Lenik had left early in the morning.

“Everyone on the 3rd floor lived thanks to Uncle Lenik. Of course, there were some who couldn’t return.”

Most of the Guild Village residents were low-floor adventurers, so there were particularly many people who came out thanks to Caleb’s party.

“Our brother’s party was about to freeze to death because their wizard died and they couldn’t handle the cold. But then Aimus appeared.”

That Monk with half his hair gone is what they call him in the Guild Village these days.

‘Aimus of the Torch.’

A shepherd and savior who shows the way to the flock facing mortal danger.

Although instead of a staff he carried a giant iron rod, and instead of healing the wounded, he preferred to smash the heads of exit bosses.

The Monk with that shiny bald head—no, shiny torch helmet—who brightly illuminated the darkness of the night when the Monster Wave struck, erased confusion, drove away the cold, and rallied people together.

That is Aimus of the Torch.

‘Who is that…‘

It was very unfamiliar to Mrs. Lenik.

The Aimus she knew was a bottom-tier adventurer who got kicked out of parties on the 1st floor every time.

“Thank you so much for saving our husband, Mrs. Lenik. I made some cake at home.”

Even the neighboring residents who came to her house to shower her with gifts were too unfamiliar!

The people in this neighborhood weren’t this warm-hearted bunch, were they?

“Aimus is Guild Village’s greatest adventurer!”

“Is that so…?”

Is this really my husband?

Mrs. Lenik’s confusion didn’t easily fade, and the next day, an even more shocking event occurred.

“This is our eldest’s school tuition.”

“…Gasp.”

“And the remaining house loan balance.”

“…Ugh?”

“And the rest is this much.”

“This can’t be!”

Aimus had brought an enormous amount of money. Even after deducting the 10,000 gold contract money, this much remained.

Mrs. Lenik was shocked by wealth she’d never seen in her life. Her eyes doubled in size and her hands trembled as she counted the money.

“Honey!”

She wrapped her arms around her husband. He was a husband she loved even when he was incompetent, but now…

“You, you suddenly… Look handsome.”

Mrs. Lenik fell for that middle-aged Monk with advanced male pattern baldness all over again!

Aimus, feeling good, even gave his wife some spending money.

“Ahem. Buy yourself some clothes or something.”

“…!”

“Your skirt is quite worn out.”

“Yes… A fourth…”

Mrs. Lenik opened her eyes sleepily.

“Want to make a fourth child?”

Flustered, Aimus quickly stood up.

“I have a meeting with Caleb, so I’m off!”

A married man must be swift. He must always be prepared for evasive maneuvers.

Aimus fled, avoiding the mandatory defense battle.

***

“I heard Aimus has become almost a hero in Guild Village.”

I knew about that news from what I’d heard.

But in my case, the situation is a bit different.

“That guy is him.”

“Caleb.”

“The Destruction King.”

I felt piercing stares from around me at the university’s magic bookstore.

“He brings disaster wherever he goes.”

“The Wizard of Misfortune.”

“Destruction God Caleb…”

I could hear murmuring from all directions.

But when I listened, it was all true, so I couldn’t refute it.

In Windham, he supposedly killed a Yoho tribe companion and the party fell apart.

As soon as he joined the slave party, he encountered an exit boss with a back attack.

When he went to 1.5 floor, the Sanctuary Manager appeared.

When he went to the 3rd floor, a Monster Wave erupted and two aberrant bosses appeared.

And even outside the labyrinth…

“This time he went to a gambling den for the first time and the gambling den got shut down!”

The cursed detective wizard brings chaos wherever he goes.

Even on the day he first visited the gambling den, very coincidentally, Security Headquarters raided the gambling den, a Magic University professor died inside, the gambling den owner was arrested, and fierce rain poured in the building lobby, just ruining everything.

Roughly summarized, it feels like this.

So the historic gambling den that had been a major pillar of Black Dog’s finances for the past decade or so, now also called a casino, is completely closed for a while.

It’s forced to cease operations until they clean the interior, redecorate, and reopen.

Fortunately, I wasn’t charged, but Security Headquarters didn’t announce facts like me going in undercover or being next to Enver when he died, keeping quiet about them. They just wrapped it up as a new wizard cooperating with suspect apprehension through Cumulonimbus.

This was Security Headquarters’ effort to protect witnesses.

Black Dog probably already knows, but there’s nothing good about spreading it around anyway.

Thanks to that, I became the disaster wizard who visited a gambling den (probably to gamble) and immediately caused its closure.

“Now who’s going to spin the roulette…”

The eyes of some wizards are rather piercing right now.

Sorry guys. I didn’t want to become a symbol of bad luck either.

This incident started spinning strangely from another side, namely the Enver Club.

The so-called Abyss of the Labyrinth gathering.

Apparently, Black Dog’s strong protest flew there last night.

Roughly summarized, it felt like this:

‘Your gathering members Enver and Caleb incited Security Headquarters to raid our gambling den. So we killed Enver, and Caleb survived because Security Headquarters happened to burst in. For now, Enver paid the price and the incident is over, so to maintain our agreement, we won’t touch Caleb anymore. However, Black Dog will definitely remember this debt.‘

The gathering convened an emergency meeting, Izel, who was about to leave for the east, hurriedly returned to attend the meeting, and sent me a message in shock.

Along with the above content, plus the gathering’s absurd conclusion.

[The gathering now thinks Caleb has been recruited by Black Dog.]

What kind of nonsense is this again?

Black Dog protested saying I was a gathering member. But the gathering concluded I belong to Black Dog?

[Because Enver died but only Caleb survived from there.]

That was the problem.

From the gathering’s perspective, the usually timid, small-courage, and obedient Enver suddenly going berserk alone to attack Black Dog’s gambling den didn’t make sense at all.

Then why did he go there?

Enver had claimed at the last gathering that he would ‘recruit Caleb‘ and took on that mission himself.

That man went to Black Dog’s gambling den with Caleb a few days later and became a corpse?

And only Caleb survived?

The gathering didn’t believe Black Dog’s claim that Security Headquarters happened to attack at that timing and only saved Caleb.

Unless Security Headquarters had put a transparent wizard’s eye inside the gambling den’s 2nd floor meeting room and was monitoring from outside, how could that work?

The time needed for Chrome to swing his axe and chop off two people’s heads would be measured in seconds, yet as if measured with a ruler, ‘Now! Enver is dead so let’s immediately rush in and rescue Caleb! Everyone freeze!‘?

It made no sense.

So…

[The gathering thinks Caleb is already a Black Dog member, and Black Dog used Caleb to lure and eliminate Enver.]

From their perspective, it was quite a reasonable guess.

Then how do they interpret Black Dog mentioning ‘gathering member Caleb‘?

They couldn’t interpret it.

That apparently consumed half the discussion time. However, they concluded to be cautious and keep watching since even that could be a trap.

Very much like wizards.

Being suspicious and thinking two or three steps ahead is basic, so this absurd conclusion emerged.

‘Those two think I belong to the other side.‘

And because of that, they’re not attacking me.

The current safety feels like entering the eye of a typhoon and enjoying clear, peaceful weather.

Move just a little from here and you’re immediately in the heart of the storm.

I really want to go to the labyrinth.

But there are definitely benefits gained from stirring up Black Dog.

Along with the important tip that White Lion might be a monster from the inter-floor village…

‘Ten chosen by the deep layers.‘

The content Enver mentioned before dying. Enver had talked as if entering those ten would let him return home.

Unfortunately, Izel knew nothing about either White Lion or the ten.

In a way, isn’t it natural not to know?

Izel isn’t a possessor so has no reason to return, and if White Lion’s identity was real and Izel knew, she would have reported it long ago and the university would have been turned upside down.

“Customer.”

While organizing complex thoughts, a bookstore clerk appeared with the items I was looking for.

I’d searched through all the displayed items but couldn’t find them, so I’d asked the clerk to look for them.

“Fortunately, we had one in stock in the warehouse.”

She held out two spellbooks.

One is 1st grade, one is 2nd grade.

***

“Memorize.”

I returned to the dormitory and opened the Memory Book.

[Memory Book]

▶Possessed Magic

-Dust, Heat Wind, Humidify

▶Registered Magic

–1st Grade Magic Slots (3/4)

① Dust

② Heat Wind

③ Humidify

④

▶2nd Grade Magic Slots (0/1+3)

① Dust Explosion

② Heat Wave

③ Cumulonimbus

④

I currently have one 1st grade magic slot and one 2nd grade magic slot.

First, I’ll put this in the 1st grade magic slot.

[Spellbook: Frost Ray]

I directly recite the spellbook’s incantation and slowly transfer it to the Memory Book. Then…

[Memory Book]

▶Possessed Magic

-Dust, Heat Wind, Humidify, Frost Ray

▶Registered Magic

–1st Grade Magic Slots (4/4)

① Dust

② Heat Wind

③ Humidify

④ Frost Ray

[Binding Grimoire of Dust, Heat Wind, Humidify, and Frost Ray acquired]

『Book of Hail Storm』

-3rd grade magic ‘Hail Storm’ has been recorded in the Memory Book.

Quad binding.

Frost Ray was added to the existing Cumulonimbus to create 3rd tier magic.

Good.

Now I’ve truly become a Destruction King who brings disasters.

And…

[Spellbook: Static Coat]

I also fill one 2nd grade slot.

It’s not magic I can bind immediately, but as a means of survival on the 4th floor.

“Shall we go now?”

In the living room, Yernil, who had finished preparing to go out, was waiting.

“Let’s go.”

First, I need to go to the Appraisal Department to collect the magic equipment I’d left there.

***

“Eeeek!”

As soon as we entered the Appraisal Department, Yernil suddenly screamed at something.

“What is it?”

Since Yernil was usually timid and quiet, I was startled as well.

“You… You…”

Yernil was pointing at a man in the Appraisal Department.

The race was the same as Yernil—an Elf.

That man also looked quite surprised.

A hometown person?

Since they’re both elves, that might be…

“Errand Center boss!”

Not a hometown person then.

Errand Center boss?

“Well, look at this. What a coincidence.”

That Elf also scratched his chin, finding it amusing.

Yernil had previously worked at an Errand Center in Plandor City doing logistics delivery work.

But it turned out that Errand Center was supplying drugs disguised as packages.

So Yernil, who was implicated as a carrier, received a fine, and unable to pay it, became a slave…

‘This guy is that bastard?‘

Then he’s a drug dealer?

Why is this bastard here instead of in prison?

“My goodness.”

The man approached with a giggle.

“What a coincidence. Yernil. You managed not to die and pay off your ransom, I see?”

Yernil seemed to be filled with renewed resentment, trembling.