Something Happened

The most critical issue now was how to gain access to the Mage Association.

In theory, the Mage Association stayed open quite late.

Although closing times varied from city to city, there was generally a common timeframe.

This was especially true for civilian communication rooms.

Unlike the Alchemists' Association or the Adventurers' Association, the Mage Association was the only one of the three major associations to maintain a permanent communication room open to the public.

The ones in the Temple were usually for private use and rarely opened to outsiders.

As for the Alchemists' Association, it depended on the local situation.

Finally, there was the Adventurers' Association, where things were even more complicated.

Standard branches of the Adventurers' Association typically did not have communication rooms.

While these rooms seemed common enough, their construction costs were actually astronomical.

Maintaining and using a communication room was also very expensive.

It was usually far beyond what an average person could afford.

For adventurers, a group of people who lived on the edge and risked their lives for every coin, money was far more important than long-distance communication.

Unless there was a major emergency, the Adventurers' Association would not bother building one for themselves.

Therefore, in almost every major city, anyone wishing to send a message would use the Mage Association's communication room.

Upon entering the city, the first place Bernie thought of was the Mage Association.

Stargaze City was the largest city in the heartland of the Kingdom of the Moon.

Its prosperity exceeded Bernie's imagination.

It was indeed the grandest city in the entire Kingdom of the Moon.

Due to historical reasons, Stargaze City had existed for thousands of years.

However, it had been occupied by the demon race during the war of demon invasion.

Most of its culture had been severed during that time.

Driven by their most primal instincts, those demons had engaged in constant looting, burning, and killing.

For nearly fifty years, Stargaze City had remained under the control of the demon race.

As a result, its cultural heritage was almost entirely lost.

The current city was a new city rebuilt a thousand years ago.

Of course, it had been reconstructed on its original site.

It had to be said that the Kingdom of the Moon truly deserved its reputation as one of the largest human kingdoms.

Such a massive scale gave the nation immense potential.

Stargaze City was likely the most prosperous city in the Kingdom of the Moon today.

This was evident even from the nightly curfew.

In Brilliant City, the curfew usually began between eight and nine o'clock in the evening.

Most other cities followed a similar schedule.

Only in Stargaze City did the curfew not begin until half past three in the morning, only for the gates to reopen at four-thirty.

It was almost as if there was no curfew at all.

Yet, the local lord had not officially abolished it.

He likely had various factors to consider.

Bernie scanned the massive city.

He gazed at the bustling streets filled with crowds of people.

At that moment, he couldn't help but recall the capital of the Kingdom of the Sun.

Sunrise City.

There, too, there was never a curfew at night.

During festivals, the streets would be packed with people, and snack stalls would line the roadsides.

One could see massive fireworks soaring into the sky when the time came.

Thinking of his prosperous homeland, his eyes couldn't help but well up with tears.

Now, the Kingdom of the Sun had been devastated by the demon invasion, and most of its regions had fallen.

Sunrise City itself was located on the largest of the four islands, the main island.

By now, it was likely nothing more than a pile of ruins.

Bernie wasn't being pessimistic; he simply knew that after being trampled by the demon race, the once-prosperous Sunrise City could not possibly remain the same.

"No, no! Now is not the time for nostalgia."

Bernie's brow furrowed as he reminded himself of his mission.

He didn't dare forget Lord Musashi's instructions for even a second.

Those were the people of the Kingdom of the Sun!

They were his compatriots, and every day he delayed, the situation back home would grow more dire.

While he was reminiscing about his homeland, many people might be starving to death over there.

'I need to find the Mage Association first!'

Bernie took a deep breath to steel himself and began asking for directions.

As the largest city in the heartland of the Kingdom of the Moon, this place was prime land for commerce, agriculture, fruit, and minerals.

This led to a high population of outsiders and other races in Stargaze City.

For someone like Bernie, walking through the crowd was hardly noticed by anyone.

He approached a small stall that seemed to be selling fried chicken.

As it happened, Bernie hadn't eaten properly in two days and nights.

Although his foundation as a Fidelity Knight allowed him to endure for a short time, it would be disastrous if he actually collapsed from exhaustion.

Thinking of this, he pulled out a silver coin.

"Give me a serving of fried chicken."

"Coming right up! Please take a seat, traveler. I'll fry it for you now."

Faced with Bernie's slight foreign accent, the stall owner showed no suspicion whatsoever.

In such a bustling city, there were countless people just like him, so there was no reason to be suspicious.

There were tables and chairs set up next to the stall.

They were simple, cheap pieces of furniture. Looking down the street, there were at least thirty to fifty stalls just like this one.

Clearly, most people didn't mind grabbing a bite to eat on the roadside.

Bernie sat down and glanced at the owner, a middle-aged man in his forties.

Though not particularly handsome, he was clean and well-groomed, and his clothes were tidy.

He seemed like a diligent worker.

"Boss, I have something I'd like to ask you about."

"Ask away, traveler! No need for formalities."

The owner used tongs to drop the prepared chicken into the pot. He listened to the sizzle of the oil and flipped the chicken as he looked back to respond.

"I've lived in Stargaze City for over forty years. There's almost nothing here I don't know."

Bernie smiled and considered his approach.

In a city with so many foreigners and outsiders, being indirect might actually make him look suspicious.

It was better to be straightforward, like a typical traveler.

"Boss, I wanted to ask where the local Mage Association is? I need to use their communication room."

"Oh? The Mage Association? It seems you're here on business, then?"

The owner chuckled as he turned the chicken floating in the oil, glancing at Bernie with a smile.

"Haha, you caught me."

Since the owner had assumed as much, Bernie simply went along with it.

Hearing Bernie confirm it, the stall owner's smile widened even further.

He looked like he was showing off his intuition.

"Of course! I've lived for over forty years; I have that much insight. With your air, you're clearly not an adventurer or a laborer. And if you were a noble, you wouldn't be eating here."

The owner paused to catch his breath before continuing.

"Only merchants like yourself would ask such a question."

"Haha, you have a sharp eye, boss."

Bernie didn't say much else, simply offering a polite compliment.

The fried chicken was almost ready. The owner scooped it out, placed it on a plate, and brought it over to Bernie.

"Enjoy your meal, traveler. Careful, it's hot. Here's some parchment; it's best to wrap it while you eat."

After giving the careful instructions, the owner added with a smile.

"If you're looking for the Mage Association, that's easy. Do you see this main street? Follow it all the way to the end until you see a sign for Central Square. Follow the arrow on that sign, go straight for two more blocks, and you'll be there."

The owner placed the light but hard copper coins on the table while continuing to ramble.

"Our city is huge. If you're walking, it'll probably take you twenty or thirty minutes to get from here to Central Square and then to the Mage Association. But if you just need a communication room, look to the right once you reach that sign. That's where the Adventurers' Association is."

"The Adventurers' Association?"

Bernie blinked and asked instinctively.

"Does the Adventurers' Association here have a communication room too?"

"They do, they do! And it's not just them; even the Alchemists' Association has one. But the Alchemists' Association is probably even further from here than the Mage Association."

"I see. Thank you very much."

"Don't mention it! Take your time, traveler. I'm going to look after the other customers."

"Go right ahead."

Seeing Bernie eating with gusto, the owner didn't say anything more and turned back to his work.

Bernie scanned his surroundings while he ate the chicken.

He mentally reviewed the directions the owner had just given him.

He finished the chicken quickly and stood up.

Then he looked in the direction the owner had pointed.

He casually swept the copper coins from the table into his pouch.

The coins in this world were not pure gold, silver, or copper.

Instead, they were alloys mixed with other metals.

They were extremely hard and thin.

Moreover, they were very difficult to melt down, utilizing both gnome technology and dwarven craftsmanship.

This was to prevent counterfeiting.

These fifty-some copper coins were small and light.

They didn't weigh several pounds as one might expect; they were barely half a pound.

After packing away the remaining fifty or so copper coins, Bernie followed the owner's directions to the intersection.

He looked left and right.

It was just as the owner had said.

A large vertical sign stood just around the corner.

The words Central Square were clearly engraved on the sign in continental script, along with a massive arrow.

According to the owner, the Mage Association was located near Central Square.

He could get there quickly from here.

However, Bernie was no longer in a hurry to reach the Mage Association.

Now that he knew the Adventurers' Association also had a communication room and was closer, only a fool would go the long way when a shortcut was available.

Recalling the owner's instructions, Bernie walked straight ahead.

After only a few minutes, he saw the large sign.

The words Adventurers' Association were clearly engraved on it.

In front of the building, a few people were currently in the middle of a fight.

For people who lived on the edge, a brawl was a perfectly normal daily occurrence.

Bernie wasn't surprised by this.

He steered clear of the brawlers and went straight to the main entrance of the Adventurers' Association, pushing the door open.

As soon as he entered, he was met with the overwhelming stench of alcohol.

Bernie's brow furrowed slightly.

Alcohol was forbidden in the military, and he wasn't a drinker himself, so the smell was a bit much for him.

Composing himself, Bernie looked around the hall.

It was completely different from the Mage Association or the Alchemists' Association.

The halls of the Adventurers' Association were roughly the same regardless of the location.

The first impression upon entering was that of a tavern.

That was right—it was a bar.

The obsession with alcohol held by those who struggled on the path between life and death was something ordinary people couldn't understand.

However, Bernie was mentally prepared. He didn't say anything and looked directly toward the counter.

There were two beautiful waitresses behind the bar.

A few people were sitting at the counter, chatting occasionally.

The entire hall was very noisy.

Profanities would occasionally ring out.

It was, to put it mildly, a bit chaotic.

Carrying the scent of wine on him, Bernie approached the bar and looked at one of the waitresses.

"Hello, I'd like to use the communication room."

The waitress pointed toward a hallway on the side.

"Go down that way. It's the room at the very end."

"Thank you."

Bernie took a silver coin from his pouch and placed it on the counter.

The waitress pocketed it with practiced ease.

That was just how the Adventurers' Association worked.

Following the hallway to the end, he found a large door.

Next to the door was a small booth.

An old man appeared to be sitting inside.

Bernie made his inquiry and provided a gold coin as a deposit before the man allowed him to enter.

After all, communication rooms were expensive to build and even more expensive to operate.

Without a sufficient deposit, no one was allowed to use them.

Otherwise, if someone finished their call and had no money to pay the fees, the Adventurers' Association would be at a loss.

Having paid the money, he entered the room.

He looked at the equipment inside.

It was no different from the communication rooms he was familiar with.

He quickly reached into his pocket.

He pulled out the slip of paper Lord Musashi had given him before his departure and handed it to the mage managing the room.

The mage took the paper, glanced at it, and nodded.

"Go wait over there. Video or audio?"

"If video is possible, then video. If not, audio is fine."

"Understood."

The mage nodded and turned to fiddle with the equipment in the back.

Bernie moved in front of the screen and waited for about fifteen seconds.

The screen suddenly lit up.

Immediately afterward, a voice came through.

"Who is this? This channel... it's not Musashi's communication room? Who are you, and how do you know this frequency?"

The moment the voice spoke, Bernie recognized it as his princess's voice.

"Your Highness! It is I, Bernie, a Fidelity Knight under Lord Musashi."

Hearing those words, Momoka, who had been resting with her eyes closed, snapped them open.

She scrutinized the image transmitted through the communication stone.

Evidently, she wasn't particularly familiar with the man before her.

However, she had a faint impression of him.

He seemed to be one of Yanagi Musashi's trusted subordinates.

She would occasionally see him when she met with Yanagi Musashi.

"What happened? I haven't received any word from the front lately, and I haven't been able to contact anyone. Is there a problem?"

"Your Highness, something big has happened."