ALL NOVEL Chapter 40 : Arclens City
Mansion of Marquess Reinhard, June 28, 03:00 AM.
In a room, Marquess Reinhard is seen holding his son's very weak hand. Marquess Reinhard's son, named Ronald, and only around 8 years old, suddenly fell ill at the age of 6 without a clear reason, which was quite unusual.
Marquess Reinhard is a doting parent, especially because his son is his only child, and his wife passed away during Ronald's birth. Marquess Reinhard is willing to do anything for his child's future and safety.
Various physicians, wizards, and others have been brought in to heal his son, but all efforts have been in vain. His son's illness cannot be cured, and for two years, he has been in a state of unconsciousness, albeit still breathing. To meet his son's nutritional needs, Marquess Reinhard must hire a wizard who can provide the necessary nutrients to sustain his son's body.
The disease afflicting Ronald, Marquess Reinhard's son, is very similar to the Sleeping Beauty syndrome. His son can still breathe but remains unconscious, effectively in an endless coma. However, his condition worsens over time.
His son's breathing becomes increasingly unstable and irregular, indicating his deteriorating condition. One night, the physicians predicted that his son had at most 2 days to live, and at the very least, only a few hours. Despite their efforts, the physicians, who were emissaries of Princess Ivy, could do nothing to help.
After the physicians left the room, Marquess Reinhard remained inside, continuously shedding tears as he gazed at his unconscious son. Marquess Reinhard's hands tightly grasped his son's right hand, which seemed devoid of strength.
"Stay with me, my child. Please don't leave this sorrowful father alone."
With deep sadness, Marquess Reinhard continued to hope that his son would survive, even though he knew his son's time was running out. Ronald showed no response to Marquess Reinhard's words, but Marquess Reinhard was convinced that their hearts were connected.
Usually, parents and children share a deep bond in their hearts, enabling them to communicate indirectly through their feelings.
Ronald's room could be described as luxurious and spacious, much like the chambers of nobility. From a young age, Ronald was a cheerful child who loved to draw, evident from the many drawings adorning the walls of his room.
With profound sorrow, Marquess Reinhard continued to pray and hope in his heart for his son's recovery.
"If the Gods truly exist, please heal my son."
Suddenly, the calm air was replaced by a strong gust of wind, and a white light began to emanate next to Marquess Reinhard, startling him.
"I can heal your child."
From the white light emerged a mysterious figure.
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2 kilometers from the gates of Arclens city, June 26, 06:00 AM.
This morning, the sun had already begun to rise.
Alice, Arina, and Clarissa were currently on a dirt path in a flat landscape. Their attire made them look like travelers, with Alice wearing a white mask adorned with black patterns, and Arina creating a high-level illusion on her face.
Clarissa also had a high-level illusion on her face since the three of them wanted to explore the human world with new and different identities. They appeared as wanderers from a distant land.
They wore regular clothing to avoid drawing too much attention. Alice donned a black coat with gold trim on the edges, gloves, black trousers, and black shoes. Alice's attire covered almost every inch of her, and she went by the alias "Arthur."
Under Alice's coat, she wore a tight-fitting white garment that slightly emphasized her chest. Although Alice had no gender, she still had a chest, albeit a small one. Arina wore a brown coat and used the alias "Ariel."
Clarissa's attire resembled that of a village resident as she played the role of a carrier of goods. She appeared to be carrying a large and heavy bag, but Clarissa could handle it easily as if she possessed physical strength beyond the ordinary.
The three of them were gathered and engaged in a discussion.
"All right, this is a human settlement, part of the Igrasian Empire. I want you all to be careful; we don't know what to expect."
"Understood, Alice-sama."
"As you wish, Your Excellency."
Alice nodded and glanced around at the seemingly deserted surroundings. While it was quiet, a few people were still active outside the city walls.
They were mostly farmers who had fields outside the city and needed to work there. However, knights patrolled to protect them from wild monsters.
Alice, Clarissa, and Arina are currently walking, with Alice in the lead, while Arina and Clarissa follow behind Alice.
When they spot the city wall, Alice is quite surprised. The information provided by Clarissa is entirely different. According to Clarissa, the walls of Arclens are very large and robust, resembling an impenetrable fortress.
However, Alice's hopes of seeing a sturdy wall vanish into thin air. There are only ruins and debris on the outskirts of Arclens. Alice is certainly taken aback by this sight. One thought crosses Alice's mind:
(Despite using metamagic [Central] to focus my magic, the impact still extended hundreds of kilometers from the explosion site.)
(Next time, I need to be cautious when using destructive magic.)
A question arises in Alice's mind:
(What would happen if I didn't use metamagic [Central] when using [Hydrogen Explosion]? Could its effects potentially devastate a portion of the continent?)
Yes, it's a question that can only be answered through experimentation, but Alice is reluctant to try it because it could mean turning this world into ruins.
On the other hand, Clarissa is also shocked to see the once-sturdy wall she observed before her abduction reduced to ruins and debris. They fall into silence for a moment, and it appears that many people are working to clear the debris from the ruined city wall.
"Alice-sama, I believe the destruction of the wall was caused by the magic you unleashed at that time," Arina says while pointing in the direction of the wall. Alice, of course, doesn't dispute Arina's statement because that's the fact.
"Yes, I didn't expect the effect to reach Arclens City," Alice admits.
Clarissa is somewhat confused by Alice and Arina's conversation, but Alice quickly realizes Clarissa's confusion and instructs Arina to explain the incident to her.
"Arina, please explain it to her."
"Of course, Alice-sama! So, Clarissa,"
"Yes, Arina-sama?"
"The destruction of the city wall was caused by the magic Alice-sama unleashed while fighting the dragon, and it resulted in the entire Abyssal Forest being destroyed, along with the city wall."
Naturally, Clarissa is very surprised and almost can't believe it, but considering that Alice has many monster subordinates, she finds it quite plausible that the destruction of the wall due to Alice's magic makes sense.
"I see, Your Excellency is truly extraordinary."
Clarissa tries to praise Alice with a slightly trembling voice, but Alice ignores it, and they continue their journey.
As they approach, Alice sees some people lining up to enter Arclens City. Clarissa remembers that she hasn't explained the system and rules for entering a city yet and decides to explain it to Alice.
"Your Excellency, to enter the city, a fee of one silver coin will be charged. However, if you don't have an identification token, the fee will be two silver coins."
After hearing Clarissa's explanation, Alice stops walking again and notices three leaves lying on the ground.
"What will happen if I use teleportation magic or skills?"
Alice asks while glancing back at Clarissa, who is behind her.
"In that case, it would be quite inconvenient because Your Excellency doesn't have an identification token, making it difficult to access some essential facilities in the city."
Alice nods in understanding and concludes that entering the city using teleportation doesn't offer many benefits. However, Alice also realizes that she doesn't have the money to pay the entrance fee.
There is the option of using gold coins or gems belonging to Azaroth, but they are too valuable to be used casually.
"Clarissa, do you have any money?"
"Sorry, Your Excellency, but ever since I was kidnapped, I have nothing left."
"Alice-sama, I suggest using an illusion spell."
Arina's suggestion makes Alice think again as she looks at the three leaves lying right in front of her.
"An illusion spell, huh..."
Alice then takes the three leaves and immediately uses a spell on them.
[Long Time Magic: High Illusion]
Instantly, the three leaves transform into three gleaming gold coins. Alice also employs metamagic [Long Time], allowing the magic's effect to last much longer.
"It should last for four months before turning back into leaves,"
"You're amazing, Alice-sama,"
"Incredible magic, Your Excellency,"
Praise comes from Arina and Clarissa, making Alice lift her head slightly, feeling proud.
"We'll queue up to enter the city, so don't do anything unnecessary,"
"Understood!"
Arina and Clarissa respond together.
Because the walls of Arclens City are currently in ruins, including the city gate, entering the city is done through various checkpoints. Each checkpoint has plenty of guards, and people are required to pay an entrance fee.
In short, the three of them patiently start queuing up, but because it's a regular day, the line to enter the city isn't too long. Some horse-drawn carriages are also waiting to enter the city.
Now, it's Alice's turn to be inspected, and a soldier approaches Alice.
"Do you have an identification token?"
Alice shakes her head, and the soldier understands that Alice doesn't have an identification token.
"Very well, the entrance fee is two silver coins,"
Without hesitation, Alice immediately hands a gold coin to the soldier, who appears surprised.
"Oh! Very kind, sir. Please enter this tent to get your identification token."
The soldier's demeanor changes from normal to highly respectful after Alice gives him a gold coin. After that, Alice, Clarissa, and Arina each create their identification tokens, and the process is quick, lasting only a few minutes.
Identification cards can be collected at the knights' office tomorrow.
Now the three of them have entered the city and are quite amazed by every detail and design of the city buildings, especially Alice herself.
"This design... It's a gothic architectural style!"
Alice stops on the side of the road, continually looking around with her eyes. The city atmosphere also seems very lively, with many horse-drawn carriages passing by, and many residents engaged in their daily activities.
"It's truly the medieval period."
One thing on Alice's mind right now is the medieval period. In her previous life, Alice was a history teacher and taught about the medieval era. Now, she's quite surprised to see it firsthand.
Not long after, a few children approach Alice.
"Sir and Miss, I am a tour guide in this city. I can take you to many places, such as the best bars, the best brothels, and more,"
(Tour guide? That's interesting.)
After observing the children for a while, Alice feels a bit sorry for them because their clothes look very shabby and dirty, and instead of playing, they're working.
According to Alice, cute children should spend their time playing. Alice has also been an older sister and has a servant in the form of a child, so she understands the children's feelings.
(Is there an adult forcing them to do this? If it's not their parents, I might turn them into undead for making children work.)
Alice then crouches down, startling Arina and Clarissa. A black portal appears near Alice, and Alice quickly takes a very small gem.
"Take this, it's for you to buy food, snacks, or clothes."
Of course, the children are very surprised to see Alice wanting to give something that looks very valuable.
"Uh, but, sir - I mean, ma'am, it's too valuable,"
The children refuse, but Alice insists that they accept her gift. After that, Alice gives them some protective spells. Alice is the type of person who can be cruel and sadistic towards anyone who obstructs her goals or is her enemy.
However, on the other hand, Alice is someone who loves children very much because she believes that children have no place in the cruelty of the world. After this incident, the three of them continue their journey in Arclens City.
