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Translator: CinderTL
"A second-circle spell?"
Roland quickly scanned the commission request, his gaze locking onto the reward section.
"Zone of Truth, huh?"
He stroked his chin, memories of the spell gradually resurfacing.
Galvis had indeed mentioned this spell during his boastful tales of continental travels.
Though classified as a second-circle spell, it wasn't particularly difficult to learn, nor was its effect particularly powerful.
It simply created a domain or barrier after casting, within which all spoken words were guaranteed to be truthful.
Sounds promising, but it lacked any coercive force.
While it ensured truthfulness within its area of effect, it was utterly useless against those who remained silent.
Its only redeeming quality was perhaps its area-of-effect nature.
Precisely because of its limited utility, the spell was unpopular among spellcasters, bordering on obscure.
Legend had it that before the Final Epoch, only one type of transcendent professional would cast this spell, bound by moral or dogmatic constraints.
"A holy knight in the Golden Valley Kingdom who gains power through faith? Wait..."
Roland's eyes narrowed slightly as he focused on the client's name:
"Gloria."
Recalling the golden-haired girl's appearance and related information, he raised an eyebrow.
"Could this Imperial princess be a holy knight? Or perhaps..."
Considering he had never sensed the unique aura of a transcendent on her before, Roland considered another possibility.
"Could she have obtained this second-circle spell through her position as the saintess of the Blazing Sun Church?"
"Roland!"
Darco's voice interrupted his thoughts.
Turning, Roland saw his companion holding a tray piled high with food, looking puzzled.
"What are you looking at? My order is just missing dessert. Should we start eating now or..."
"Let's eat first."
The sight of the tender, stewed meat chunks on the plate and the rich aroma filling the air instantly awakened Roland's appetite.
Putting the commission aside for the moment, he followed Darco to a window-side table and sat down.
The clink of silverware against porcelain plates echoed crisply in the air.
The moment the meat touched his tongue, Roland savored it meticulously.
"Venison. Slaughtered and cooked within fifteen minutesāno wonder it retains such exquisite freshness."
"Perfect. I have tomorrow free. I'll bring Theresa to try it."
As he chatted and laughed with Darco, Roland subtly eavesdropped on the conversations of nearby adventurers and mercenaries. Gathering intelligence at the Adventurer's Guild had long become an ingrained habit.
While Roland chewed on the venison, the boisterous chatter from a nearby table drifted over.
"Princess Gloria's commission? Get real, Hank. You? Don't even dream about it."
A scar-faced man scoffed, taking a large swig of ale.
"Forget how impossible the mission is. Even if you somehow luck out and complete it, the reward is a 'Zone of Truth' spell scroll. What's a clueless oaf like you, who can't even sense magic elements, going to do with that? Wipe your ass with it?"
The burly man named Hank mumbled a retort, but his voice trailed off.
Another voice chimed in, tinged with a mysterious tone.
"Hey, that news is outdated. I checked this morning. princess Gloria is desperate, and she's changed the reward again! It's not explicitly stated, but the clerk at the counter hinted that she'd even offer treasures worth a second-circle spell if the task is completed."
"Tsk, how many times has she changed the reward now?" Scarface shook his head.
"Speaking of which, have you noticed? Golden Grain City has been getting weirder lately. His Majesty Monen's newly constructed High Tower keeps emitting strange lights at night... My cousin, who works in the palace, let slip while drunk that some real wizards might be living inside."
"Seriously? Then why would princess Gloria come to the guild for help instead of asking those wizards directly?"
The conversation gradually shifted to speculation about the King's new tower.
Roland's fork paused mid-air.
"What's wrong?" Darco asked, looking up in confusion when his friend suddenly stopped eating.
"Nothing," Roland replied with a slight shake of his head, turning his attention back to Darco's animated retelling of anecdotes from the Knight Academy.
Perhaps due to their long separation, the young noble was unusually talkative. Roland listened quietly, without interrupting.
After a hearty meal, Darco affectionately draped his arm around Roland's shoulder as they strolled out of the Adventurer's Guild together.
"Just you wait, Roland! Next year, I'll be representing the Golden Valley Kingdom on a study tour of the River Domain Nations. You'd better treat me well when I visit!"
"Of course."
The two continued their leisurely conversation as dusk deepened, until nightfall finally prompted Darco to bid a reluctant farewell.
Watching the noble youth's silhouette disappear down the street, Roland unconsciously stroked his smooth chin, the guild's earlier words resurfacing in his mind.
"All that's required is to analyze the source of that mysterious liquid..."
The commission's requirements seemed straightforward, piquing his interest.
Initially, the somewhat lackluster second-circle spell had made him hesitate, unsure if accepting the commission was worth his limited time before leaving the Golden Valley Kingdom.
But if the reward truly matched its stated value...
Though the nature of the mysterious liquid remained unknown, Roland's innate abilities as a chef, combined with various enhancements, made analyzing such substances a trivial task.
This reward was practically free money.
With this thought, Roland quickened his pace.
Back at his lodgings, he changed into clothes he had never worn outside, covered his mouth and nose with a thick scarf, and extended his mental power like tendrils, carefully probing his surroundings.
Confirming he had attracted no attention, he silently melted into the night, stealthily making his way toward the Adventurer's Guild.
The Adventurer's Guild was far quieter at night than during the day, with only a few figures lingering near the notice board.
Roland lowered the brim of his hat and walked straight to the counter, his finger precisely pointing to Gloria's commission. He altered his voice to a slightly raspy tone.
"I'll take this commission."
The clerk behind the counter, accustomed to all sorts of strange mercenaries and adventurers, asked no further questions. She simply retrieved a small, wax-sealed crystal bottle with practiced ease.
Inside the bottle was a small amount of viscous, deep purple liquid that seemed to contain shimmering starlight.
"This is the sample. The client requires analysis of its origin. Once completed, return with this token to submit your report."
The clerk handed over the bottle and a bronze mission badge.
After receiving the items, Roland didn't return to his lodgings. Instead, he sought out an extremely secluded abandoned building.
Far from any crowds, this location minimized the risk of complications.
Under the moonlight, he broke the wax seal on the bottle.
A bizarre aroma, a blend of sulfur and cloying sweetness, immediately filled the air.
Roland frowned deeply, refraining from tasting the unknown substance as he would with ordinary ingredients. Instead, he retrieved a heat-resistant mithril dish from his small pouchāa standard tool for potion brewing.
He carefully dripped a single drop of the deep violet liquid into the dish, took a deep breath, and focused his mind.
His high mental power attribute, combined with the fire element affinity granted by Furnace Heart, allowed him to wield Fire Arrow with masterful precision. In an instant, a faint flame materialized at his fingertip, slowly enveloping the mithril dish in a simple "cooking" process: heating.
Compared to the harmful but guild-certified potions brewed by Dannyāwhich at least weren't immediately lethalāthis mysterious liquid exuded a raw, undisguised malice through its very scent.
While any cooking method would inevitably alter the material's essence, Roland considered no reward worth the risk of the unknown.
At his mental command, Universal Harmony activated.
In his perception, the sharp, tainted energy threads within the liquid gradually smoothed and became inert, as if ironed flat.
Only when the energy field of the liquid in the dish stabilized and ceased emitting a dangerous aura did Roland extinguish the flame at his fingertips. He waited a moment longer for the liquid to cool completely.
Then, he dipped a fingertip into the "harmonized" liquid, which now appeared slightly paler in color, and brought it to his mouth.
Taste Synesthesia, activate.
In an instant, countless streams of information flooded his consciousness, weaving into a disturbing tableau.
The base was a highly concentrated organic solvent, mixed with the bizarre taste of decaying star moss spores and Styx River sediment.
At its core lay an unidentifiable, tar-like substance brimming with negative energy.
This was no natural brew or alchemical product, but rather the crude secretion of some powerful entity, only roughly purified.
Its mana composition was chaotic and defiled, its icy stillness concealing a seething, corrosive energy. Utterly unlike any elemental magic he knew, it seemed to originate from a dark, inverted realm where order had been completely overturned.
Though the toxicity had been neutralized, he could still sense its deep-seated spiritual corruption and energy pollution properties, as well as a faint yet profoundly compelling pull.
As if connected to some distant, ravenous dark consciousness...
(End of the Chapter)
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