Magic Is Learned For Nothing [EN]: Chapter 134

Magic is Learned in Vain – 135

# 135

The Dark Elf’s City 2

Legion casually placed his hands on the Dark Elves’ shoulders and steered them toward a nearby tavern.

Nataly was still reeling, likely from the shock.

‘30,000 gold?’

She couldn’t fathom such a sum. It was an enormous amount, beyond anything she had ever imagined.

Elves, by nature, had little interest in material possessions.

Dark Elves were somewhat more inclined towards possessions than Wood Elves, but not to the point of being considered truly greedy.

Legion retrieved a contract from his subspace pocket [a pocket dimension used for storage].

“Here, read this.”

Mamon’s primary role was usually drafting contracts.

He would create contracts and imbue them with curses. This contract contained a curse from a 7th Circle Lich [a powerful undead sorcerer]. Once signed, it would be difficult to break without risking one’s life.

The moment Nataly grasped the contract, she sensed the magic.

It radiated an incredibly ominous energy.

-Amount of Debt: 30,000 gold.

Repayment Period: None. Until fully repaid.

Interest: 30 gold per day from this moment.

Name: Nataly.

“Hah, 30 gold a day?”

“Yeah, I’m being very considerate, right? You stole 30,000 gold, but the interest is only 30 gold a day. If you went to a loan shark guild, they would easily charge 300 a day.”

Nataly was stunned.

Even 30 gold was an exorbitant amount for her. The money she had painstakingly saved was only 30 gold. She would have to work herself to the bone just to cover the daily interest.

“Here, this is for you guys.”

Legion placed a contract in front of each of the remaining three Dark Elves.

“W-What is this?”

“Joint guarantee.”

“W-What’s that?”

“I’ll explain it simply. It’s a guarantee that if this woman doesn’t pay and runs away, you guys will pay instead.”

“W-Why would we?”

“You’re the same race, aren’t you?”

“What does that have to do with paying back money?”

“It’s 30,000 gold. There has to be a minimum safety net, right?”

“B-But…”

One of the men glanced at Nataly’s contract.

His jaw dropped. The interest alone was 30 gold a day. Even if the four of them worked tirelessly, they couldn’t even cover the daily interest.

And to repay 30,000 gold?

It was an unimaginable sum.

Legion leaned in with a grin, glancing around to ensure no one was listening.

“Then, shall we reduce the debt with a deal?”

The eyes of the four sparkled.

“A deal?”

“Yes, a deal. I heard that among the Dark Elves, there is a technician who can increase height.”

“A technician who can increase height?”

Nataly tilted her head.

“Yes, a technique to make you taller. Magic or something. I definitely heard that there is a Dark Elf who can do that.”

“W-Well, we don’t know.”

Did such a bizarre magic even exist?

Dark Elves used both black spirits and black magic. But they had never heard of black spirit magic or black magic that could increase height.

Male Dark Elves were never under 180 centimeters [approximately 5’11”].

Female Dark Elves were never under 168 centimeters [approximately 5’6″].

There was no need to learn such magic, nor was there any reason to create it. That’s why Nataly was tilting her head.

“Yeah, yeah. You might not know.”

Legion smiled.

He had located the Dark Elves more easily than he anticipated. They might not know, but if he ventured into the village, someone would definitely know.

That was sufficient.

The strange energy in the city?

The bizarre scams circulating through the city?

The continuously spreading drugs?

What did he care? If things escalated, Heinz would intervene.

Encountering the Dark Elves reminded him of his true purpose.

The revival of the ‘Exploding Coolness’ passive skill and the acquisition of a new staff.

So, he reordered his priorities.

Let’s deal with the Dark Elves first.

“Among your tribe members, isn’t there anyone with such skills?”

“I don’t know.”

“Not even one?”

“No.”

Nataly lowered her head. She wished she knew something, but she genuinely couldn’t recall anything.

“We are still young…”

“How old are you?”

“Sixty-six.”

“…”

Legion suddenly felt a pang of guilt. Was it right to talk down to them? Had he been too harsh when he hit her earlier? But he couldn’t retract it now, so Legion calmly inquired again.

“Then I’ll ask you one more thing. Do you happen to know an old man named Bidet?”

“Bidet?”

“Yeah, I heard he’s a Dwarf.”

“Ah…”

Nataly remembered something.

It seemed like she was referring to the Dwarf who had appeared in the village about 30 years ago. She didn’t remember much because she was just a snot-nosed kid back then.

“I don’t know if it’s Bidet… but I remember seeing a Dwarf a long time ago.”

“30 years ago?”

Nataly’s eyes widened. How did he know?

“That’s right. About 30 years ago.”

“Oho.”

He hadn’t expected much… 30 years ago was too distant a past for humans. But it seemed like it wasn’t that long for the Elves.

“Is that Dwarf still there?”

Dwarves also had much longer lifespans than humans.

If he was a laid-back Dwarf, he might still be in the Dark Elf village.

If there were plenty of the minerals he wanted there.

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know? If he’s not there, he’s not there, if he is, he is, what do you mean?”

“No, I mean… um… there’s a dungeon on the outskirts of the village.”

“A dungeon in the village?”

“Yes. It’s a very old dungeon. I heard it was there even in my grandfather’s grandfather’s grandfather’s time.”

“Oho. And?”

“That Dwarf went into that dungeon. He hasn’t come out since.”

“He hasn’t come out?”

“Yes. Not only our tribe’s Elves, but also other tribes, and quite a few humans have gone into that dungeon… and they’ve all disappeared. So the elders have sealed the dungeon.”

“So… you’re saying Bidet is in the dungeon?”

“No. I’m saying he died in the dungeon.”

“There’s still a possibility he’s alive, right?”

“It’s close to zero.”

“Hmm. Good. Guide me.”

“Yes? Where to?”

“To that dungeon.”

“Absolutely not. The elders have designated that place as a forbidden area. Moreover, the road to get there is very dangerous. It’s swarming with monsters.”

“Do you know the way?”

“I’ve been there once when I was very young…”

“That’s enough. If you guide me there…”

“If I guide you?”

“I’ll deduct 20,000 gold. No interest either. Just pay back the principal. Catch your sibling and return my money. How about it? Isn’t this a huge concession?”

Nataly asked with desperate eyes.

“A-Are you really going to deduct 20,000 gold?”

“I’m not a man who says one thing and does another. 20,000 gold! What are you going to do?”

Legion shook the contract.

A contract with as many as five curses on it.

The moment they put their stamp on it, their lives would plummet into a swamp. Legion, shaking his triple chin and laughing, looked like a devil.

It felt like they were caught in a snare.

The more they struggled to escape, the tighter it became.

“I-I’ll do it.”

Legion turned to the remaining men.

“What about you guys?”

“I-I’ll do it.”

They also lowered their heads. They had just come to help Rene and say hello… They thought they might be able to trade with the village if he was a trustworthy human…

But-

They were screwed.

Because of that damn Rene.

* * *

“They call it the Devil’s Forest, and the scenery is really amazing.”

“I know. The Dusselruf Mountains are not the same as the Dusselruf Mountains [likely a local expression meaning ‘unique and incomparable’].”

Steel and Hymo shook their heads in amazement.

Huge trees, deep basins, and steep cliffs.

콰콰콰콰콰콰! [Sound of a waterfall]

A waterfall appeared with a tremendous roar. At first glance, it seemed to be 500 meters high. The sight of the huge stream of water pouring out was an incredible spectacle they had never imagined.

It was the same for Hymo and the priests.

As a former mercenary, he had traveled quite a bit, but he had never seen such a magnificent sight as the waterfall cascading from the Devil’s Forest.

“It’s really amazing.”

“It’s called High Hell Falls. It’s 2 kilometers wide and 500 meters high. The river flowing from here is the lifeline of the kingdom.”

Nataly said, trembling.

It wasn’t just her. The other Dark Elves couldn’t even lift their heads.

They glanced at Legion.

He was riding in a slightly shabby palanquin [a covered litter carried by poles].

Pulled by two Minotaurs with three horns.

The two huge Minotaurs had attacked as soon as Legion’s party entered the forest, as if they had been waiting. The area was supposedly safe.

Nataly, caught off guard, shouted at the group.

“Everyone, run away! It’s a Three-Horned Minotaur!”

Minotaurs with an extra horn on their foreheads were known to be more than twice as strong as normal ones. Moreover, they were ambushed! If they got hit even once…

But-

The time it took for the Minotaurs to be captured by Legion and become palanquin bearers was less than 10 minutes.

Nataly and the Dark Elves realized definitively.

There was no way they could swindle that man’s money.

“That’s plausible. It’s really a breathtaking sight. There was a place like this. It’s really big.”

“It is big. In fact, this forest alone has a radius of more than 50 kilometers.”
Hull! It’s really big.

If they lost their way, they wouldn’t be able to find their way out.

“We almost couldn’t have entered the Devil’s Forest without a map or a guide.”

Hymo said quietly.

Legion nodded.

He was right. If they had come in overconfidently, they would have been in serious trouble.

“How far is it from here to the village?”

Legion asked.

“W-We have to travel for half a day.”

“It feels like we’ve already been here for half a day?”

“It’s still the entrance.”

“Okay. Wake me up when we get there.”

Legion took out the steel staff from his chest and struck the back of the Three-Horned Minotaur’s head hard.

빠아악! [Sound of a thwack]

-Moo(It hurts)!

“I’m going to sleep, so if you jolt me awake, I’ll make beef sirloin out of you.”

-Moo(I will serve you with all my heart).

Ogres and Minotaurs seem to have roughly similar vocalizations. They can communicate roughly.

Legion smiled contentedly and lay down in the palanquin.

It would have been nice to have a blanket. Was it too much to ask for that? He fell asleep as he was.

Looking at Legion, Hymo and the priests clicked their tongues.

“Really, our boss seems to be more amazing the more I see him.”

“I agree. He transcends imagination.”

Mizsett also shook her head.