Chapter 37: Since I've Transmigrated, I Must Do Good Deeds and Leave No Name — Damn, That Feels Good!
In the year 832 of the Falling Stars Era, in the month of Shallow Reflection, the Ares Fortress in the southeastern part of the Northern Empire on the Continent of Strife fell due to an attack by an unknown creature. Within the fortress, fifty-eight thousand civilians, three thousand two hundred regular soldiers, one hundred and forty Silver-rank Knights, and two Gold-rank experts wielding the power of Glory all vanished without a trace, presumed dead.
On the Continent of Strife, even among the common folk, many possessed strength at the Black Iron rank. Nearly three thousand five hundred regular soldiers were more than enough to clear all magical beasts within a radius of dozens of miles. With the addition of two Gold-rank experts, unless an Ancient Dragon attacked, the Ares Fortress, with its forty-meter-high walls and being armed to the teeth, should have been as stable as a mountain, impossible to destroy. Moreover, even an Ancient Dragon couldn't have prevented everyone from even sending out an alarm.
But that was exactly what happened. When the Imperial Capital discovered that the fortress had lost contact and urgently dispatched personnel to investigate, what they found was a shattered ruin. The tall walls had collapsed and crumbled, leaving only a few broken stone pillars standing. The fortress itself looked as if something had rolled over it, with almost no intact buildings to be found.
Around the fortress, the investigators discovered numerous enormous, dark caves dozens of meters in diameter. On the edges of the stone walls, there were remnants of slime and bodily tissues, emitting a stench so foul it was nauseating and dizzying. Moreover, not long after, these caves lost the support of some unknown power, collapsed naturally, and destroyed all clues.
This was the world-shaking [Fall of Ares]. Upon learning of this, the high-ranking officials of the Empire were collectively enraged. The five legions directly under the Emperor swept through the southern border eight times, flattening thousands of square kilometers of the Black Forest. But no matter how much they retaliated and vented their fury, no one knew the truth of the matter.
In his previous life, in the game, [Fall of Ares] was narrated as a pure background story. But at that time, the players' range of activity hadn't yet expanded to the border fortresses, so everyone knew very little about it.
However, at the end of the third expansion, the seal of the Abyss was broken. Amidst sulfurous smoke and ash that blotted out the sky and mountains, a colossal Terranian Giant Devourer Worm, hundreds of meters long, accompanied by a meteor shower of fire, burst forth from the ground, carrying countless demons. It spewed nitric acid and venom, and its very appearance triggered an earthquake that affected several cities, shattering their walls. Its foul, stinking slime splattered everywhere, and the chaotic magical energy it emitted interfered with all magic used for communication.
As soon as they saw this monster, everyone understood. Without a doubt, it was this creature that had destroyed Ares Fortress twenty years ago.
But regardless, the Giant Devourer Worm was an aboriginal species of the Abyss. When the entrances and exits were sealed, those who could summon them…
Now, in the year 831 of the Falling Stars Era, in the main city of Moldavia, within the study of the mansion of the head of the North Frost Merchant Guild.
"Alfonso, I've already given you the letter of introduction for the dwarves. Now, I require you to do one thing for me."
Sitting comfortably in his chair, Joshua spoke seriously to the middle-aged merchant sitting across from him, who held paper and pen. "You're going back this time, and you should be passing through the Imperial Capital to buy and sell some goods, right?"
"Yes, that's correct. I'll probably stay in the Imperial Capital for about a month and a half, complete a few transactions there, and then head further south."
Alfonso nodded, a hint of confusion in his voice. "Does my lord wish for us to bring back some local specialties? There's no need to be so formal about it. If you desire it, I can present you with quite a bit right now."
"Yes and no."
Shaking his head, Joshua frowned, then gestured for the other man to hand him the pen and paper. After the middle-aged merchant passed them over, the warrior quickly began to draw and write, saying at the same time, "I do need you to bring me something back, but it's not a specialty… Alfonso, you should know that in the month of Fragrant Green in March, to celebrate the passing of winter, the Imperial Capital holds a spring auction every year."
"Of course I know, but that auction is purely celebratory. No one brings out anything truly precious. It's mostly nobles buying and selling some books or antiques for fun…"
At this point, Alfonso suddenly understood. "Does my lord want me to bid on something you need at the auction? But…"
"I don't need that kind of thing."
Muttering softly to himself, Joshua sighed, then raised the paper in his hand, showing the drawing to the middle-aged man in front of him. "It's probably one of these three things. I'm not entirely sure if they'll be there, but if you see them, buy them and bring them back to me. You will be handsomely rewarded."
"How could I possibly ask for a reward from you, my lord?"
Alfonso didn't take it seriously at all. He carefully looked at the items drawn on the paper, then replied confidently, "Nothing at that kind of auction is ever too expensive. Since you want them, there's no need to talk about money… A key, a skewed octahedron, and a book? The Book of… Ib? The drawing is really good. I didn't know you were skilled in this, my lord."
"I studied sketching for a while. As for the name, that's about right. I heard it from someone else." Joshua simply handed the drawing to Alfonso, then stood up and walked to the window of the study. "The key is silver, the octahedron glows, and the book has no particular features. But since I've given you the names, it shouldn't be a problem."
"Rest assured!"
Alfonso promised confidently. "If they appear at the auction, I will definitely bring them back and present them to you!"
"May it be as you say."
Waving his hand, Joshua's attention didn't seem to be on the merchant in front of him. His thoughts drifted back to the depths of his memory.
According to the meticulous research of players from his previous life, the destruction of Ares Fortress was entirely self-inflicted. Declassified imperial documents mentioned that at the center of the ruins, there were "traces of summoning demons, or even Evil Gods," and "Chaotic magical energy flowed like water, twisting the surrounding nature." From this, it was clear that someone had performed a ritual or experiment to call upon the Abyss, ultimately bringing about their own destruction.
The person presiding over the ritual might not have intended to commit suicide. It was probably just pure curiosity that led them to research, or perhaps they were seduced by beings like demons or Evil Gods. But regardless, the deaths of over sixty thousand people and the destruction of a fortress was an unbearable loss for the southeastern border of the Empire. If not for the five legions taking turns sweeping the area, the Black Forest would likely have spread thousands of kilometers inland, swallowing and polluting countless fertile lands, and the concurrent Black Tide would have engulfed countless manors and farmlands.
In Joshua's former battle group, there was an adjutant who was a dedicated lore enthusiast. He often heard him talk about this kind of thing while running dungeons and campaigns, so he remembered quite a bit of similar information. For example, right now, Joshua remembered that to cross the Abyss's seal and summon demons and other monsters, you needed some special artifacts. The most famous among them were the "Silver Key" and the "Shining Skewed Octahedron," along with various grimoires. Unfortunately, the warrior wasn't very interested in these things, and now he only remembered three. He had to tell all of them to Alfonso and let him try his luck.
(According to the records, when the chief mage of Ares Fortress came to the Imperial Capital to report for duty, he only went out alone once, which was to attend the spring auction. Then, not long after he returned to the fortress, this disaster occurred. The logic is so simple that you don't even need to think about it. He must have gotten some dangerous item at that auction and lost control while researching it.)
Standing by the window, lost in thought, Joshua now appeared very relaxed. (Having come to this world, I have to change something. The Northern Lands go without saying. Now, it's time to change some things I knew in my past life. The lives of sixty thousand people are worth a special word from me. Whether it works or not, I have to try.)
He looked out the window. The setting sun had completely sunk, and night had fallen. Apart from the howling of the northern wind, there was little sound in the city. Only a few streets in the distance still flickered with the light of lamps.
"This world is really interesting."
The warrior suddenly sighed in admiration. He turned around, looking at the somewhat bewildered middle-aged merchant, and smiled. "Alfonso, you and I are changing predetermined fate."
"Uh, what…"
Looking at the puzzled merchant, the warrior smiled and shook his head. "You don't understand, but it doesn't matter. It's getting late. I'm ready to go back."
The previous words were incomprehensible, but this sentence was simple and clear enough. Alfonso immediately straightened up. "Then I'll see you out, my lord."
"No need to be so formal. Just have your butler do it. You've been stealing his job all day, and I felt awkward watching."
Waving his hand, Joshua added another instruction. "Whether or not you get the items I asked you to find, send a magical message to Saint Lawrence Cathedral immediately after the auction ends. I will give you further instructions."
"Yes, Lord Count."