Free City of Lindel (2)
“Oh, my…”
“Wow…”
Both Park Deokgu and Jung Hayan looked at the Free City of Lindel with awe plastered on their faces. The executive members of Blue Guild couldn’t help but smile at their reactions.
As soon as the western gate opened, we walked into a majestic-looking city.
The basic architectural style seemed to be based on Western culture, and the whole place buzzed with people I knew all came from Earth. Above all, I noticed that the majority of the people had dark hair.
“The Free City of Lindel is where most of the Koreans are located.”
“Alas. After that, I heard that people from other countries are also being summoned.”
“Yeah. In the case of tutorial dungeons owned by the Holy Empire, the Koreans, Japanese and Taiwanese are being summoned. They too are living with their roots in cities within the Holy Empire. You can also see Japanese and Taiwanese people in Lindel. Because they are from the same district, they live in exchange with each other.”
“I see.”
True to this fact, I could see Japanese people within the bustling crowds. Even some of the Blue Guild members, I had noted, were Japanese.
“The Republic…”
“The Chinese and Russians are being summoned.”
Still, it felt better being summoned here than there. I looked around again and let the bustling scenery please my eyes. There were multiple stalls with their respective owners, and I could even see a party going out to hunt.
“I’m looking for a priest.”
“I’m looking for a priest to go hunting with.”
“Who wants this? It’s a rare, one-of-a-kind item!”
Even the main square reminded me of reality. The whole city made me feel like I was back on Earth, albeit a different time period.
This was probably the reason why Park Deokgu and Jung Hayan kept looking around in awe. There were no high-rise buildings. Instead, the infrastructures had an antique and rustic touch. I could see gorgeously-decorated shops and restaurants with people eating out on the terraces.
It didn’t feel like I was in another world. It felt like I had gone overseas. Laughter erupted from the crowds of people, and I caught a hint of a language I did not understand.
Of course, the city wasn’t all just riches and glory.
“Hmm… There are also slums.”
“Yeah…”
In the direction opposite of where we were supposed to go, I caught sight of rundown buildings and people wearing clothing of less quality than the rest. I couldn’t see enough to observe how they lived from this distance, but I could already guess what it was like.
Even the gap between the rich and the poor existed here.
“The city has its own welfare policies, but its effects are insignificant, as you can see.”
“Ah. No wonder.”
It had nothing to do with me, so I shook my head and averted my gaze.
As we left the entrance and passed through the plaza, a large building came into view. Lee Sang-hee, who had been looking at Park Deokgu’s awed expression, smiled.
“Welcome to the Blue Guild.”
“Oh! Oh, my!”
The Blue Guild owned a building that was of a larger scale than I was expecting. It did not appear to be a guild that was facing the possibility of ruination. I could think of why, though. They might be more peculiar with their appearances, especially now that their status was sinking.
Lee Sang-hee looked over at the rest of us, the smile on her face never leaving.
“I will guide you directly.”
“Alright.”
“The first floor has a lobby and a shelter. It would be convenient to think of it as a place where you usually receive requests from other guilds or groups. Not only that, it also has a place where you can relax. If you’re going for a simple dinner, you can do it at the tavern on the first floor. Other parties and guild members often gather there, so I hope you use them often.”
“Alright, thank you. That’s noted.”
“Oh… Oppa, it looks like you can drink alcohol here.”
“Yeah. You can be confident that it will be much better drinking here than at a random bar. There is a guild restaurant in the basement, so you can use it anytime. Of course, it’s also free.”
“Okay, that’s good…”
“Since you’re the seventh generation, you can also use the second floor.”
“The second floor?”
“Yes. Let’s go up together.”
This felt like we were visiting our new home.
We nodded in response to the receptionist’s greeting, standing quietly in the main lobby on the first floor and went up to the second floor. A fairly large space entered our line of sight.
“There are many empty rooms, so you can choose the one you like.”
“Thank you.”
I had expected that the second floor would also be large from what I could see on the first floor, but I didn’t expect it to be of this scale, either. The corridor itself was widely-spaced, and even the rooms did not disappoint. Of course, this was probably because our party was still small. The space seemed too big for a four-person group.
The interior of the room, I noted, also looked pretty good.
Some beds seemed like they could accommodate two people instead of one. The room seemed a little open as there were only basic furniture installed, but knowing that we could personalize it sooner or later made me feel better.
“Oppa…” Jung Hayan stared up at me expectantly. Did she expect us to share a room?!
“I think there are too many rooms… I think we can only use three. Don’t you think?”
“…”
“I think it’s perfect if I and Kim Hyunsung get our own, and if Jung Hayan and Hyung Kiyoung use one together.”
‘Park Deokgu, you pig!’
“Ah… It doesn’t matter if you do that, but…”
“Greatness… I think the room next door would suit the two of you better.”
“Yeah. You can do whatever you are comfortable with doing.”
I struggled to contain my emotions. One look at my face made both Jung Hayan and Park Deokgu anxious.
Eventually, Jung Hayan took over the room next to me, and Kim Hyunsung and Park Deokgu took the rooms across from us. I was a little worried that Jung Hayan would be sleeping in the room next to mine, but I was careful not to show it. It would be better to check up on her while the rest were busy or asleep, but I hoped she wouldn’t sneak into my room.
“The training room and grounds are behind the building. There is no private practice room, but there is a joint training center that can be used by the seventh generation. If you want to use the studio personally, you can apply at the lobby and use it.”
“Ah… I see.”
“And Mr. Kiyoung…”
“Yes?”
“There is a separate space for you.”
“Wait, really?”
“Let’s go. I’ll show you.”
“Yeah, okay.”
I followed Lee Sanghee with a slightly pleased expression. Park Deokgu, Jung Hayan, and Kim Hyunsung trailed behind us with curious expressions on their faces.
Upon entering the room at the end of the second-floor corridor, my jaw unconsciously dropped. This was the first time I was truly in awe after entering Lindel.
“You can work here in the future.”
“Wow…”
There was a mountain of books stacked on one side of the room, but what stood out more to me was the multitude of alchemy equipment that filled the space. There were items used back in modern times, such as beakers and flasks and basic alchemy tools that I was already knowledgeable about.
On one side, the catalysts and other materials were systematically organized according to their types, and I could see other bits of machinery that I was not yet familiar with.
Most of the items presented by Cha Hee-ra were neatly placed in the room. The ancient republic’s drug-making alchemy kit was also properly stacked on one side.
This place…
“This is the alchemy workshop you will use.”
“Ah.”
“In fact, I wanted to increase the scale a little more, but it was the first time I had prepared such a place for non-combatants…”
“No… This is… This is actually more than enough…”
“I was told that the experiment shouldn’t contain other impurities, so I installed artifacts that included disinfection magic throughout the room. It’s at the end of the room and has other artifacts installed to make it easier to ventilate, so you’ll be able to use it comfortably. Defensive magic is also installed by default because there may be unexpected accidents.”
“Thank you.”
I couldn’t understand what I was feeling. It was my first time having my own space. I never had one back on Earth.
“It feels like a laboratory used by scientists, Hyung.”
“It looks so cool, Oppa!”
Cha Hee-ra’s gifts were still the most valuable items here. However, the Blue Guild had also done its best to make me feel like I wasn’t being neglected. I suddenly wanted to find out if any alchemists had also managed to start this well.
There were hero-grade books, hero-grade alchemy kits, plausible workshops supported by guilds, as well as numerous materials and catalysts given to me not just by one, but by two guilds.
I knew that if I couldn’t produce results with such high-level equipment, there would be serious consequences. However, the atmosphere of my workspace made me feel like I could achieve anything. My confidence had been boosted.
I knew everyone here considered alchemy as an inefficient skill. The gold required to craft items were not worth the results, and other forms of magic were more desirable to the townsfolk than this. I knew Lee Sang-hee had taken quite the risky jump of investment for me.
However, she wouldn’t need to be disappointed. I could make anything with the equipment that was provided for me!
“Hyung! We’re heading out to eat now.”
“You can all go ahead first, Deokgu.”
“Huh?”
“I want to experiment with a few things. I’ll catch up with you later. Please take Hayan with you.”
Park Deokgu showed a slightly regrettable expression. Nevertheless, he nodded. Lee Sang-hee, however, was pleasantly taken aback. From her motherly point of view, her newest child had just shown enthusiasm to work, which pleased her greatly.
How could I not? They had arranged everything in such a motivating manner that eating was the least of my priorities now. A day off sounded nice, but my excitement proved too much to resist. There were a lot of things I wanted to try out right away.
“No… .”
“Actually, I was thinking of hosting a simple dinner today, but I think I should put it off for next time. All the other parties are present, so these times seem most appropriate. If you need anything, please tell us in the lobby on the 1st floor. We will explain the various facilities in the guild that we could not explain today by then. I will be taking my leave.”
The giddy smile on her face seemed cute.
“No. I need to do some training too. I also need to organize my stuff. What will Jung Hayan do?”
“That… Well… Me, too, I’m also going to practice…”
“What about Hyung Kim Hyunsung?”
“I think I would want to look around the city.”
“Huh?”
“I want to take a tour and see everything, from the temples right to the slums.”
“Hm…”
I felt a little worried. I would be too weak to defend myself if I dared to venture to the slum area by myself and met with some ruffians. However, I knew Kim Hyunsung was strong enough. I had a lot of trust in both his intellect and strength.
“And…”
“Yeah?”
“I saw a lot of people in the plaza earlier.”
“I think most of them are people who are also looking for party members.”
“Ah.”
“Yeah. We might find our newest member there.”
It was only then that I could roughly understand what he planned to do.
‘Oh…’
Whether he found the person from the temples or the slums, I somehow knew Kim Hyunsung would look for the fifth member of our party.
The only question was whether he would be able to find him right away.