Chapter 126
RMSBS - Episode 126 . Travelers of the Blue Sky (1)
The fact that the Starling Party was planning to clear a Level 3 Shadow World with just four party members shocked many people .
Wherever they went, people gossiped in hushed voices .
“I can’t believe that a party that was established less than a year ago is already trying to face a Level 3 Shadow World . ”
“And with barely four people on top of that . Wouldn’t that be too difficult?”
“If they pull this off, doesn’t this mean we may see a second Hebrion Academy party knighted?”
If a group were to single-handedly clear a Level 3 Shadow World, their power and teamwork would be officially acknowledged by the empire, and they would be empowered with the same authority as a knight of the empire . This was common knowledge amongst the citizens of the Hebrion Empire .
A party of students being no different to a real party meant that this rule naturally applied to parties with the Hebrion Academy .
An added bonus was that any party that gained this qualification did not need to worry about completing their schooling and could accept work outside of the academy . In other words, they would immediately become independent .
Currently, the only party that had this privilege was the Blue Moon Party . Thanks to that, they were able to freely take on various jobs not available to the other students .
Desir highly valued this authority .
‘The future is constantly changing . Unless I know with certainty what is about to happen, the power to go independent will be a vital tool . ’
If they could successfully clear a Level 3 Shadow World this time and obtain the opportunity to work without any restrictions, they would finally be able to move forward with several projects that he had painstakingly planned .
This was why defeating a Level 3 Shadow World was his highest priority on the to-do list for this year .
The Shadow World that they were about to enter was one that dealt with a historic event in the Ethena Region .
Desir had already pieced together some basic intel on this Shadow World, based on what he remembered of his previous life .
‘They said it would be rather easy to clear . ”
He didn't remember all the details but unlike last year's Shadow World, this year's would be more straightforward and basic .
Although a Level 3 Shadow World would be a cause of alarm for Desir, he was confident his party would have the power to clear it at their current level .
‘Although it would have been much better if there was an artifact or two in this Shadow World… ’
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From what he remembered, there was only one other Shadow World in this batch or the last that had the potential to drop an artifact on a perfect clear .
Desir actually had experience with the artifact in his previous life . Both Kelt and himself had experimented with it and used it while sparring with each other . It had the ability to apply spiritual magic to an area as large as a city . Depending on how well it was used, it had power equal to tactical-level magic, making it one of the main sources of power in future raids on Shadow Worlds .
‘If things are proceeding like the original timeline, then Kelt should have it by now . And if my past life is anything to go by, he will be able to use it effectively . ’
In his previous life too, Desir felt that it would be better for Kelt to use the artifact than himself .
Shadow Labyrinths weren’t something that Desir could take on single-handedly, which was why he always needed to consider the most effective way of clearing them while taking steps to minimize the risks involved . He also had to think long-term and consider the best approach to allow for the parties to continue growing and reach their maximum potential for future Shadow Worlds .
“For real . I never dreamed that I would be standing here like this . ”
While Desir was consumed in his thoughts, Romantica mumbled as she stared at the Gate 1 which had already arrived, unbeknownst to them .
Gate 1 was only used by those who were targeting Level 3 Shadow Worlds . In other words, those that used this gate were pitting themselves against Shadow Worlds of the highest occurring difficulty level .
For that reason, Romantica’s reaction was to be expected, and Pram’s nervousness was apparent .
“Desir Arman, Pram Schneider, Romantica Eru, and Adjest Kingscrown . These are the members that will attempt clearing the Level 3 Shadow World that has opened up in the Ethena Region . Is this correct?”
“That is correct . ”
“Do you agree to all the clauses related to the participation of Shadow Worlds?”
“I agree . ”
“Then I will now open the Shadow Gate . The connected destination is Ethena Region . Please note that you may experience momentary dizziness after the teleportation . ”
The gate opened . And the blinding light encompassed them .
[You’ve entered the Shadow World]
When Desir re-opened his eyes, he was standing on the deck of a ship with a cool breeze blowing across the bow .
As he attempted to make out the rough noises around him, he studied his surroundings closely . Looking around, he saw some old-fashioned engines powered by magic stones on either side .
On closer inspection, what could be first mistaken as a ship clearly wasn’t . Of this, Desir could be certain . There was no mast, and above all else, they were not at sea .
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Desir headed towards the railing and looked down .
It was a vast desert . Desir guessed that it was the Padunsa Desert that spanned the Ethena Region . The occasional villages that they sailed past looked like miniature models on a table; they had to be incredibly high up . .
That’s right . The thing that he was riding on was floating midair .
If so, then the thing that Desir was standing on was obvious .
‘An airship, huh?’
An airship .
Using an engine powered by the magic of these stones, it was a method of transportation fit to represent the technological level of a civilized society . In terms of status, it was comparable to that of trains in modern society .
The biggest advantages of airships were that unlike trains, they were able to pass over mountains, and they weren’t restricted by railways .
However, due to the large amount of investment that was needed to produce engines that could float, they were impossible to mass-produce, and each country only produced them for military purposes .
In modern times where the number of wars had decreased significantly, they were merely seen as relics of an age long past .
‘It wasn’t too long ago when airships were still being used actively . ’
Using the airship as evidence, Desir was sure that the time period he was in wasn’t too different from what he had recalled .
The airship itself wasn’t very big, but that didn’t mean it was shabby . The size was small, but the interior seemed rather modern for its time .
Just as Desir was examining the airship, people in military uniforms roamed around the deck .
“Check the coordinates!”
“Damn it! I told you to keep an eye on the fourth engine as it’s running low on power! If we had left it any later, we would have had a problem!”
“The route to the capital Alteia is clear!”
The quest hadn’t been activated . This meant that there was a condition he hadn’t met yet .
As Desir was pondering about the quest that wasn’t activating, someone spoke to him .
“Desir?”
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When he turned around, Romantica was standing in front of him .
Once she confirmed that it was indeed Desir, her face lit up .
“Haah, I’m so glad! You don’t know how nervous I was, thinking that we might’ve been completely separated like last time . ”
As if she’d recalled a bad memory, Romantica shook her head in distress .
Desir responded to her in a solemn but serious tone .
“Did you pick up any information?”
“No, nothing in particular . What about you?”
“First of all, the time period of this Shadow World is roughly 120 to 140 years in the past . ”
“Really? How’d you already figure that out?”
“The airship we’re on is heading towards the capital Alteia . ”
“Isn’t Alteia the city-state where the Magic Tower is?”
“It is . ”
As if receiving some inspiration, Romantica sorted through her memories in search of anything relevant . After a short moment, she exclaimed in surprise .
“Oh, there was a time when Alteia was the capital, right?”
It was as she said .
In modern times, Alteia was a city-state so it wasn’t referred to as the capital of anything, but at the height of its prosperity, there was a time where it was an important part of a magic empire .
“Right . This Shadow World is based on an event from 120 years ago, before the collapse of Kuma Merilson, the Magic Empire . Considering that the airship was invented 140 years ago, we should be somewhere in between those two dates . ”
“A Shadow World intertwined with a Magic Empire… ”
“We’ll have to wait and see what other details we can uncover . ”
In less than ten minutes, Desir had managed to gather information on their surroundings .
To Romantica, that was an admirable feat .
“So here you were, mercenaries . ”
A man clothed in what seemed to be an officer’s uniform headed towards them .
Like his attire, his gait was extremely disciplined, but his expression was pleasant like that of a traveler exploring the azure sky .
Desir naturally responded to him .
“The view from here is quite spectacular . ”
“The view that we see from the sky is truly marvelous . Even more so with a beautiful woman . ”
Despite his mischievous joke, he still addressed Desir and Romantica in a respectful manner .
Through this exchange, Desir had confirmed that they had taken the identity of mercenaries, and his polite attitude was evidence that they held power that couldn’t be discounted .
“Unfortunately I’ll have to ask you to save the view for later on . The Major is looking for you . ”
The room that the officer led them to was organized neatly, and the big windows allowed them to enjoy the outside scenery .
As Romantica was looking around the room, she stopped in surprise . Pram and Adjest were inside, waving softly .
Who knew that the four of them would be able to meet up this quickly? They were off to a good start .
“Major, I’ve brought in the rest of the mercenaries . ”
Inside the room, there were two other people beside Adjest and Pram .
One was an old man sitting on a hammock and blankly staring off into space, eyes out of focus, as he muttered unintelligibly . The other was a very handsome young man . His clear-cut features resembled a sculpture and his excitement was palpable .
The young man wore a white uniform, and a long sword was sheathed on his waist .
[You’ve encountered the unique hero, Grand Master Kei Hazmaryoon]
[He is one of your ‘most powerful’ helpers in this quest line and he is one of the important characters in your scenario . Make sure to maintain a good relationship with him . If you are unable to receive his help, the difficulty level of your quests will increase . ]