Chapter 473 – Albireo’s Jinx

Roman is walking through the forest at night, leaving footprints.

Nema Natas’ laboratory must be somewhere in this large forest.

I searched in this vague way every time, but my keen senses quickly caught the hidden warlock.

The uncleanness that warlocks keep stinks so much that it cannot be ignored or passed over.

Jeez. Jeez. Jeopuk.

Although there is not a ray of light that can be called a guide, in Roman’s eyes, it is a place that is no different from broad daylight. There was no caution or hesitation in his steps forward.

– Awww!!!

The monster’s cries penetrate Roman’s ears.

It is characterized by an overwhelmingly louder voice and longer breathing than the gray wolf commonly seen in the forest.

Since howling itself is a skill that inflicts a status ailment called fear on those around it, it even contains a small amount of mana.

‘Is this an area eaten by werewolves?’

Seeing that there are rare and precious ones, I feel like I have reached the outskirts.

I end my thoughts with that and start walking again.

In the first place, the level of danger in the forest at night has long passed, so the roars of beasts and monsters only tickle the ears.

It won’t harden the body or tense the nerves of a veteran adventurer who is more accustomed to remote areas than crowded cities.

“Hmm.”

The night breeze caressing my skin. There are swaying tree branches and leaves. Nocturnal creatures that hover around and then disappear.

There was a lot of information coming to his sensitive senses, but Roman moved in the pitch-black forest, focusing on his sense of smell rather than his sense of sight or hearing. There was a plant he was looking for and that plant had a unique scent.

‘Was it when you were playing adventurers with Ricke and Seria…? It reminds me of sleeping weed.’

This was also a type of plant whose possession itself was illegal for the public. It is a herb that cannot be used for any purpose other than for specific purposes in the Empire and Federal States.

If a collector finds this plant, he or she must sell it to the government, and the same goes for purchasing it. If you are found to have violated this and used it yourself or sold it to others for a premium, you will be put to death without warning.

Sleeping plant is banned because it has a high possibility of being misused by others, but if we were to broaden the scope and make a fuss, it would be a plant that would be classified as a narcotic.

Among foragers, there is a separate slang term mixed with profanity, saying that if you touch it out of curiosity or fall into it, you will be finished, but alchemists gave the official name of this plant ‘Kilton’.

The reason why kilton was banned in the country was simple.

Because we left it without much thought, we experienced the bitter taste of the workers, who are the cogs of society, being spread and the country coming to a standstill.

There is no need to dry or refine it, just chew it and you will experience a hazy and strange pleasure. The addiction that came from that was strong.

In addition, not only humans but also certain monsters show symptoms of addiction to Kilton, so even if a colony is discovered, it is usually inhabited by powerful monsters, so even casualties were unusual at first.

It was not the adventurers who received the request, but the serfs addicted to Kilton who rushed at the monsters with farming tools such as scythes and hoes.

In independent countries such as Limno, there are still cases where private use is permitted, but I heard that they are on the verge of banning it, following the same steps taken by the losers on the continent.

‘Around here… Where the soil is wet…’

Anyway, the reason why Roman looked for a colony where kiltons grew was simple. He doesn’t intend to use it himself.

Simply an elf who is the current ruler of Nema Natas and a master of black magic.

Albireo was a Kilton addict.

– Once Albireo enters the lab, he does not come out for at least a week. So, not only before he starts researching for a long time, but also when things don’t go as planned, he always consumes Kilton’s vitality.

– Such a person has very picky tastes, so he is reluctant to cultivate artificially… And prefers things grown in the wild. Anyway, that’s the story.

The location marked on the map by the mediator is a place with a climate and characteristics that allow kilton to grow naturally.

Considering Albireo’s level, the hazy sensation that Kilton gives won’t be felt in his body, but the reason he insists on it is. I can’t escape the feeling I experienced in the past and the pleasure of finding the answer to the experiment right after doing the kilton.

Clearly, that is a habit and one of Albireo’s jinx.

‘It’s unlikely that he hung up. There won’t be any problems with your body… And you won’t lack anything to enjoy it.’

In the end, what the intermediary informed Roman was the totality of this information.

Wild kilton will definitely grow near the site where Albireo is located.

‘You’re saying that digging a seat in a corner like this wasn’t about preventing screams or making it easier to dispose of corpses?’

Nema Natas was deeply intertwined with the powerful and society, but the place for research and experimentation was located in a deserted place.

Roman’s prediction, which he thought was simply aimed at taking advantage of the development of black magic, was completely wrong.

If what the mediator says is correct, Albireo is simply in these outskirts for the sake of the wild-growing kilton.

“Oh?”

Roman, who was wading left and right on the grass, stopped his feet. He closed his eyes and focused on his sense of smell.

A musty smell is caught in the air.

‘Smells like vinegar.’

It’s just that Roman didn’t touch him, even though he was living an adventurer’s life. He was tired of Kilton before he came to this place.

Recently, I’ve been looking for Kilton every day, so I feel like a unique smell that can’t be called a scent has permeated my body.

He moved his stopped leg again following the direction of his nose.

He went straight through the grass instead of the road and arrived at a place where there were a lot of kiltons.

What catches the eye is a space that would have made gatherers drool if they had seen it.

I had no sense of accomplishment as I had seen this place more than 10 times recently. Do the following mechanically.

‘Where…’

Roman concentrated on finding something foreign that did not fit the landscape. To find human footprints or smells or objects that do not fit the forest.

Lesser-

First, the difference in the feet is due to abnormally sized bones. Looking at the thick neck bones and the shape of the legs, it appears to be a monster that walks on four legs.

It could be a monster that was sitting in Kilton’s native habitat. It may just be a monster that died after being hunted by a werewolf that was acting as the owner of this area.

Another possibility is that he was attacked by a warlock, but it was impossible to confirm accurately as so much time had passed.

Take a few more steps. Roman’s eyes narrowed as the scent of Kilton became stronger and more intense.

Roman, who was leaving footprints like that, saw something about him and sat down.

“···!”

This is something that would normally be overlooked as dirt. It was a miracle that I found it in such darkness.

Even though it is a plant, it is not a vibrant green. It didn’t turn brown after drying in the sun.

This was the stem of a kilton that had turned black. To put it simply, it’s like finding a discarded cigarette butt.

Put some pressure on your fingers. Crisp─ Crumbles with a sound.

It was the same form as when the mediator broke the reed and absorbed the life force. I felt the slight uncleanness that remained trapped inside dissipate.

“Okay. It’s around here.”

I shook my hands off and stood up. I couldn’t help but talk to myself as the frustration disappeared, and the anticipation disappeared.

I have a feeling that I have come to the right place this time.

I don’t know if it was just bad luck that I came across this at the end among so many signs, or if I was destined to clean up all the small things.

‘I should go right away.’

Now what to look for is clear.

You can capture the dark magic’s unique energy, or you can capture an artificially shaped structure.

“Whoa…”

The range of hunting is as wide as possible, based on Kilton’s native habitat.

Roman exhaled deeply and spread mana like ripples on the calm waves.

*****

“Hoo.”

Albireo didn’t bother to hide his energy because something was trying to read him.

A beast-like energy that gets closer as if leaping. The blade that was cutting the priest’s body apart for the experiment stopped for a moment.

‘What a great human being. ‘I got there faster than I thought.’

It was obvious who it was. Recently, there has been one person who has been grinding away the hidden branches.

But there is a question. How on earth did they know the location of the hidden place and come all the way here?

‘I’ll ask when I get there.’

Because I can’t help but wonder. It’s something that can’t be helped. There are more than one or two things I want to ask the other person.

“Ah.”

Albireo made a voice that reminded him and turned his head back to look at the study.

There are many journals that will shake the empire the moment they become known. While contemplating what to do, I put my head back with a calm expression.

I thought about waiting quietly, but I felt like I was wasting time, so I moved the knife that had stopped.

‘There is no need to clean up the materials.’

Isn’t he in a position where he has to reach a conclusion in one direction or another? He didn’t have to hide it.

If Albireo dies here, it doesn’t matter if it’s revealed to the public. If the other person dies, the case of being known disappears.

Is this someone I can really talk to?

As I read Albireogaroman’s traces, it seemed like it wasn’t enough to make his head spin. He also expressed the desire to have a calm conversation.

‘You’re here.’

The brisk pace that approaches without hesitation is impressive.

Kwaaang ───!!!

The door leading to the basement was shattered, and Albireo and Roman faced each other for the first time.