Show Me Your Stats!-Chapter 149

“Ugh, damn it’s cold.”

Kaikar cursed under his breath as he jammed his hat down tightly over his head. He’d thought it before on a previous visit, but Solar really wasn’t a place worth visiting in winter. It even felt colder than the last time he’d come—and it probably wasn’t just his imagination.

At least this time, a new tunnel road had opened that led directly to Solar, making the journey easier. Until just last year, only rabid Morunka cult fanatics or desperate people risked coming to Solar in winter. Even in the relatively safer summer months, it wasn’t uncommon for people to die while crossing the treacherous mountain range.

Kaikar looked slowly around as he passed on horseback. The houses built from Solar’s snowy-white mountain stone—which had risen in value recently—stood everywhere. But rather than beautiful, they looked clunky and crude. Compared to the splendid, scenic harbor city of Sobletz, these structures were absurdly simple. Kaikar let out a scoffing laugh and muttered disdainfully,

“What a backwater.”

“Of course, compared to Sobletz, this place is nothing but a backwater.”

The attendant trailing Kaikar quickly agreed. Kaikar sneered again—people here probably lived chewing on rocks. He and his attendant went on mocking everything about Solar: that it reeked like a sewer, there was nothing to see, even the livestock looked pitiful. Still, curiously enough, the streets that had once been full of thugs and beggars seemed surprisingly clean today.

Still joking with his attendant, Kaikar straightened his expression as they neared the lord’s castle. Chin lifted high, his gaze turned to the fortress. If there was one thing worth seeing in this backwoods land, it was that white lord’s castle. Towering sharply like the mountains surrounding Solar, the castle looked like a work of art.

When he arrived before the wide-open gates, a knight in full armor approached. Within the heavy helmet, sharp green eyes glinted coldly.

“Who are you? State your identity.”

“I am Trigiosus Kaikar of Sobletz, bearing a message from Duke Jumenie Orseng. I request an audience with the Lord of Solar.”

The knight looked Kaikar over carefully. Upon spotting the Sobletz insignia on his shoulder, he gave a nod.

“Follow me.”

Kaikar stepped through the open gates behind the knight. Though he’d been to Solar a few times before, this was his first time entering the castle. As he looked around the interior, he couldn’t help but be impressed. The place looked as if it had been carved from winter itself, or from a single massive pearl. Though it had stood for many years, there wasn’t a single spot that looked faded—it gleamed like it had been completed just yesterday.

What a waste, Kaikar °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° thought, clicking his tongue silently. This kind of castle didn’t suit such a podunk territory.

Like a beggar walking around with a priceless necklace.

He figured once his lord eventually conquered Solar in addition to Bolni, this place would make a fine summer retreat.

Once inside the inner citadel, the knight handed Kaikar over to a young chief administrator and departed. The administrator introduced himself as Hess Lu Jinas and led Kaikar to a receiving room. It was warm, well-lit, and offered a sweeping view of the city.

“The Lord is currently attending to official duties. Please wait here. Would you like something to drink?”

“Mm, something warm. Heated wine, perhaps.”

“Understood. You must be tired after such a long, cold journey. I’ll also bring something light to eat.”

The administrator gave a slight bow and left. A moment later, an older attendant brought in a warm pitcher of wine and a white bun about the size of a fist. Hungry as he was, Kaikar eagerly tore the bun in half—meat filling tumbled out, steaming. Blowing on it gently, he took a bite and was surprised at how delicious it was. It paired exquisitely with the hot wine. He was enjoying it so much that the attendant standing behind him visibly swallowed a mouthful of saliva.

Kaikar handed half the bun to the attendant who had faithfully served him all the way here, and they shared it while looking out the window. He’d thought it had snowed quite a bit on the way here, but compared to the current heavy snowfall, that had been nothing.

From this distance, the rough-looking buildings he’d scoffed at earlier looked surprisingly nice. As he was thinking that, the elderly attendant returned. Kaikar looked over, half-hoping the man had brought another one of those delicious buns, but instead he said respectfully,

“The Lord will receive you shortly.”

“Oh, I see.”

Kaikar immediately stood and straightened his clothing. His attendant, too, stiffened into a perfectly formal posture. A few moments later, the attendant opened the door—and the young Lord of Solar appeared.

Hoh...

Kaikar found himself letting out a quiet breath of admiration. He’d heard descriptions of the young man who had recently become lord, but the real thing was far more striking.

Solar’s lord, Solar Sing Ayra, looked as if the castle itself had taken human form. Her hair fell long, all the way to her waist—silver, common among Solar natives, yet somehow more radiant. Her snow-white skin and gray-blue eyes were also common in Solar, but together the color combination was uniquely exquisite.

Kaikar stared, momentarily stunned, until the lord sat. Then he snapped back to his senses and bowed deeply.

“I am Trigiosus Kaikar, carrying a message from Duke Jumenie Orseng of Sobletz.”

“Mm. You may sit.”

As Ayra flicked a finger, a blanket fluttered in from somewhere and settled over her knees. The brazier, powered by glowing mana stones, slid forward with a soft shrrrk. Kaikar swallowed hard.

Normally, he would never show this much deference to the lord of a minor domain like Solar. He’d usually lounge arrogantly in his chair and give a lazy nod of greeting once the lord entered.

But this time, he was being careful—because his counterpart was a mage. Not just any mage—a labyrinth mage.

Kaikar, having traveled far and wide on Orseng’s orders, had only encountered labyrinth mages twice in his life. Both times had left a deep impression.

Seeing a giant metallic golem flatten a horde of magical beasts with a single blow, or watching a lord who foolishly provoked a labyrinth mage end up with their limbs grotesquely twisted, crawling and howling like an animal—those images taught anyone to be polite around such people. He’d heard plenty of other terrifying rumors about labyrinth mages, too. All of them were horrific...

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“So then, what is Duke Orseng’s message?”

“As I’m sure you’ve already heard, unfortunately an earthquake occurred in Bolni. Duke Nilma Arvalt and his heir, Nilma Argan, have both gone missing.”

“Yes, so I’ve been told. May the two of them find peace in the arms of Lord Morunka.”

Apparently devout, the lord raised a hand and traced a holy sign. Kaikar flinched—he’d noticed something strange brushing against Ayra’s hand. Now that he looked closely, a small translucent magical creature was curled in her palm. He straightened his posture further and continued.

“Yes. A truly tragic disaster. And because of it, the agreement signed here in Solar is now void...”

He was implying that since Nilma Arvalt—the primary party to the contract—was dead, the ownership of the silk spider forest should now fall to Orseng. The young and beautiful lord tilted her head slightly and took a sip of warm tea.

Kaikar went on about the earthquake and its casualties, then sighed deeply and finally got to the main point.

“However, it appears the silk spiders have all fled the forest due to the quake.”

“Hmm. If it’s the forest near Bolni... isn’t it quite vast?”

“Yes, precisely. Duke Orseng is deeply grieved.”

In truth, he had flown into a terrifying rage. No one had predicted that the spiders would flee after the earthquake. Orseng had even managed to secretly obtain information about silk spider rearing methods through backdoor deals with Solar, but in the end, he’d secured only three spiders. With that number, he could produce maybe five bolts of skitte silk a year. The precious, rare silk was practically gone overnight. Kaikar had come to this frozen land to somehow smooth things over.

“You are a labyrinth mage, are you not, Lord? Might there be any way... to locate the escaped silk spiders?”

“Hm...”

The Lord of Solar sipped her tea quietly, her expression unreadable. Kaikar, anxious to bring back results, considered laying on some more flattery. Finally, Ayra set the teacup down and nodded.

“There is a way. But it could be dangerous.”

“Ah! That’s fine. As long as you tell us what to do, we’ll gladly pay the price.”

At that, a faint smile finally appeared on the lord’s lips. Already beautiful, her face lit up like there was a halo behind her. She raised her hand and reached into the air—then, as if tearing into space, pulled something out. A complex-looking device and a potion bottle emerged. The magic of labyrinth mages was always astonishing.

“Attach the bottle to this tool and spray it around. The silk spiders nearby will be drawn to it. But there’s one problem—it also attracts all nearby magical beasts.”

“That... does sound dangerous.”

Kaikar’s brow furrowed. Beasts that leapt from the plains were already bad enough—but Bolni’s forest was home to even worse. Still, it wasn’t his job to fight them—he had soldiers and knights for that. Staring at the mysterious tool that looked as dangerous as its maker, he lifted his head again.

“And... there’s one more thing I’d like to ask. If you have any skitte silk in your possession, I would be willing to pay a higher price than the current market rate.”