I walked toward where the sound was coming from.
The overall atmosphere here was heavy.
A far cry from the glittering Etherópolis beyond, thanks to its magic circuits.
"Waaaaaah!!"
A scream echoed through the otherwise quiet space.
The voice carried age and experience.
"Put your hands up! Can't you hear me!? Face down on the ground!"
"Do you want me to put my hands up or lie down?!"
"How dare you talk back! You were hiding and sneaking around, getting ready to ambush us, weren't you!"
"What ambush?! And this is my house..."
*Click!*
"Whoa! A-a gun!"
Cold sweat ran down my back.
Come to think of it, I hadn't seen our little friend for a while.
He must have gone out scouting.
Elia and Kamela clicked their tongues and shook their heads.
"I told you, master. We need to keep those crazy lunatics locked up. Madmen belong in cages! That's been the unchanging truth for three thousand years!"
"I agree as well. A vengeful ghost is nothing compared to a mad ghost."
"What are you two talking about?"
"Wah!"
Elia and Kamela flinched and stumbled backward.
Luckily, it seemed he hadn't heard them since he'd just arrived.
Khancho, who had come right up to us, saluted sharply.
"Reporting! Khancho, squad leader of the Yodel Rangers! Completed apprehension of a suspect during reconnaissance mission!"
Apprehension?
There was no one...
A single rope dangled from Khancho's hand.
I quickly followed it and found an old man sitting there, looking resigned.
"And who are you? Is today some special day? Why are there so many visitors?"
"I'm sorry!"
The old man looked completely harmless, so I quickly untied him.
And of all things, he'd used a butterfly knot. I taught him how to tie shoelaces, and he used it in the wrong place.
The old man stood up and leaned on his cane.
"Are you the owner of that crazy raccoon?"
"Hey, old man! Watch your mouth before I break that cane!"
Seira stepped forward and quickly grabbed Khancho.
I gave her a thumbs up and spoke.
"Yeah. I was on my way to Etherópolis when I heard a noise and came to check."
"Hmm..."
The old man looked at the city and frowned.
"Why would you want to go to that rotten city?"
"A rotten city?"
"Not physically rotten. Everything else is. I'd advise against it, but if you insist on going, be careful. It's not a normal place. Anyway, is that a gun that raccoon is holding?"
"Yes. It's an assault rifle made specifically for him."
"Could I take a look?"
"Look at what?! A gun is precious... Huh?! Where did my gun go?!"
While Khancho was scrambling around.
Momo walked over proudly and held out the assault rifle.
"Momo's hands are faster than eyes! How about that!"
"Oh my, when did this child get here?"
The old man was startled by Momo's sudden appearance.
I hope his heart can handle it.
"Grandpa! Here's the gun!"
"Right, right."
The old man reached out with both hands to take the gun, then looked confused.
He was holding his cane with one hand, so how were both hands free?
"Khancho! I traded it for the gun!"
"Where did you sell my gun and bring back this dying stick?!"
Momo started swinging the cane around, playing with it like a sword.
Jinhyeok and the old man both swallowed dryly.
I don't know about anything else, but my head was starting to hurt.
The old man sat down heavily and examined Khancho's gun.
"Hmm. This gun is made with very outdated technology."
"Do you have guns here too?"
"We did, a long time ago. But now everything's been replaced by magical engineering."
Even as he spoke, the old man expertly disassembled and reassembled the gun.
His skill was so refined you'd believe he was a former soldier.
"Well, it's usable for outdated technology. Lightweight for the materials used. I've seen enough. Take it back."
The old man handed the gun back, and Jinhyeok turned his head.
"Wait a moment. I'll get your cane."
"It's fine. Let her play with it. Canes are everywhere."
The old man picked up a metal rod from the ground and stood up.
"What are you doing here?"
The old man reached into his pocket and pulled out a flashlight.
It had magic circuits engraved on it, emitting a blue light.
A click sounded.
*Whoosh!*
The entire area lit up brightly.
Probably because it was made with magical engineering, the performance was excellent.
But I couldn't focus on the flashlight because the pile of debris revealed before us was too overwhelming.
"There are limbs piled up!"
Khancho and Momo gasped and stepped back.
Jinhyeok approached and examined the debris.
"Are these... dolls?"
They weren't the plastic or wooden dolls I was used to.
They had skin similar to humans, though slightly different.
If you couldn't see the seams, you'd believe they were real people.
"That's right. They were used carelessly and then thrown away. I've been cleaning them up."
"By yourself?"
"It's my job."
"Hmm. They're all made with magical engineering, huh?"
Elia, who had been examining the dolls for a while, looked at the old man.
"They're incredibly well-made, aren't they?"
"You have a good eye. Have you studied magical engineering?"
"I haven't studied that. I'm an alchemist."
For a moment, the old man's face twisted.
"It's been a while since I've seen one. A pseudoscientist who bets everything on luck without any principles or logic."
"Hmm. It's been a while since I've met one in person too. An incompetent engineer who can't make anything without blueprints, parts, magic power, and everything else."
Mockery and insults flew out like rapid fire, as if they'd been prepared.
Sparks flew between Elia and the old man as they stared at each other.
I knew it. I wasn't wrong.
The way Elia talked about magical engineering was laced with clear disgust.
By the way, where did she learn the word "engineer"?
"Hey, old man!!"
Khancho ran over quickly and held out his fluffy hand.
"That sharp, keen eye that recognized a pseudoscientist—I really like it. You probably can't run or hide well, so I'll accept you as an honorary Yodel Ranger squad member."
"No."
"Too bad."
The old man clicked his tongue and straightened his back.
"I have work to do, so I'll be going."
"I'd like to hear about the city, if possible. I'm looking for something."
"Sorry, but I'll have to refuse. I'm not interested in what you're looking for. And I especially don't want to talk about that damn Etherópolis."
"Then, since you were a magical engineer, could you at least take a look at this?"
I took out an unknown orb from my inventory.
"Didn't you hear me? I'm not interested in any... Waaaaaah!!!"
The old man fell backward as soon as he saw the orb.
"B-b-b-Bayla's heart!!"
"Hey, old man. Calm down. You'll have a heart attack."
The old man walked over, dazed, and reached for the orb.
"He said he wasn't interested, but that's quite the turnaround."
Khancho grumbled, but the old man didn't seem to hear him.
The old man carefully cradled the orb in both hands and closed his eyes.
"I can't believe it... I thought it was completely gone."
After a moment, he continued speaking.
"The combat doll Bayla. She's the hero who made Etherópolis what it is today. This is the heart that made Bayla move."
*Ding!*
[The identity of the orb has been identified! Recruit the old man who knows Bayla better than anyone as your guide!]
[If recruitment succeeds, the 20th floor of the Myth Tower, 'The Path to Etherópolis,' will be cleared!]
Jinhyeok smiled as he confirmed the message.
"I'm Yoo Jinhyeok."
"Rudolf."
"His name is Rudolph! He must be a reindeer!"
"My ears aren't clogged, Momo. He said Wolfgang. Like the steak."
While Momo and Khancho argued about who was right.
"Old engineer. So where is that doll Bayla? Don't tell me she's here?"
Elia pointed at the debris.
"Whether it's fortunate or unfortunate, she's not here. She's in Etherópolis."
"Could you guide us there?"
Rudolf stared at Jinhyeok.
"What do you plan to do with this?"
"I'm not sure. I came here following the tower's lead. I'll know for sure once I get there."
Jinhyeok, holding the Philosopher's Stone and Bayla's heart, curled his lips.
"If Bayla is the owner of this heart, I think we should return it to her."
Rudolf's eyes widened for a moment, then he shook his head.
"That's impossible. Bayla was branded as the main culprit who started the war and is treated as a weapon of mass murder. Etherópolis displays the motionless Bayla in the plaza, as if they defeated that weapon and ended the war themselves. The moment you touch her, you'll become an enemy of the city."
Elia clicked her tongue and let out a deep sigh.
"Such a predictable story. Use her as they please when needed, then discard her when the goal is achieved because they're afraid of her sharpness. It's the classic pattern of rotten, corrupt things."
"I'm ashamed, but I can't deny it."
Rudolf closed his eyes in pain, and Jinhyeok spoke.
"Returning the heart to Bayla. If it's possible, could you guide us?"
"Do you think I wouldn't want to? Bayla was created by my teacher, who was called the greatest magical engineer of his time. He poured his life's work into her, and with luck close to a miracle, he managed to complete her. She spent decades with me, so she's like a daughter to me. But as I said..."
"It's possible. We find a way to do whatever we set out to do."
Rudolf's eyes widened at the firm answer.
Barely ten minutes had passed since they'd met.
So it was hard to gauge how strong Jinhyeok was, or how realistic his words were.
Given that, refusing was the right call.
The chances of it being a pointless waste of life were high.
But he couldn't.
More precisely, how could he?
Someone was offering to help with something he'd given up on, using lack of strength as an excuse.
Rudolf took a deep breath and nodded.
"Alright."
He wanted to fight, even if it was a losing battle.
Even if it cost him what little life he had left.
Even if the odds were vanishingly slim.
---
* * *
The entrance to the magical engineering city of Etherópolis.
The guards at the gate tilted their heads.
Rudolf, the resident of the trash mountain, walking alongside a man they'd never seen before.
A guard blocked the way.
"Hey, old man Rudolf. What brings you here without a citizenship card?"
"Don't tell me you forgot? Your citizenship won't be restored until all that trash is cleared."
*Beep!*
"See? The magical engineering scanner is still red. Go back and clean it all up first."
The guards waved their hands dismissively and laughed.
The amount was absurdly large for one old man to clean up alone.
The scanner would probably never change color until he died...
*Booooom!!!*
The dark sky turned crimson.
*Beep!*
[Magical Engineer Rudolf Sargier. Citizenship confirmed.]
The scanner, which had been red, turned a bright green.
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T/N:
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