Chapter 20
“This place…!”
As I stepped out of the carriage, a majestic royal city unfolded before me.
Tall-roofed buildings were densely packed together, and the streets were neatly paved with gray bricks. But what stood out the most was the enormous ‘Cathedral’ towering at the center.
That very building was the symbol of Centinium.
Compared to the city we stayed in before arriving here, that place looked like a rural village in comparison. The overwhelming scale of this city was on a completely different level.
‘It’s just like in the game.’
I knew the streets and geography like the back of my hand, yet I had never been here. It felt simultaneously unfamiliar and familiar.
Have you ever experienced déjà vu?
“Are you okay?”
Angela asked worriedly when she noticed I was spacing out.
“Ah, I’m fine. It’s just been a while since I’ve been in the central area.”
“…Is that so?”
Angela let out a small giggle.
“Don’t worry! Even though I might not look it, I’ve been here many times. I’ll take care of showing you around!”
By the way, Angela had her face completely covered with various hats and cloaks.
If it were the outskirts, it wouldn’t matter, but here in the central area, it was likely that someone would recognize Angela.
‘Even though I’ve been here hundreds or thousands of times and know it like the back of my hand.’
Seeing Angela hopping around with joy, eager to be helpful, I couldn’t bring myself to refuse.
“Alright, then I’ll rely on your guidance this time.”
“Leave it to me! I’ll lead like a proper lady!”
And so, I began following Angela around.
We got lost for two hours.
…But it was a minor issue.
***
“I-I’m sorry… hic…”
Fortunately, we found a suitable inn before nightfall.
But Angela’s sense of direction was truly astonishing.
How does one end up taking a path that leads from the city to a mountain trail in the countryside?
-‘Huh… I-I’m sure if we go this way… it should come out…?!’
Luckily, I recognized where we were halfway through and managed to get us back on track. We almost ended up leaving the central area entirely.
“Ah… I’m really sorry….”
Angela covered her face with her hands, her ears turning red.
“I’m fine, Princess.”
“…Couldn’t you just scold me instead…?”
“How could I dare to do such a thing?”
I wouldn’t want to risk being executed for insulting the royal family.
After comforting Angela as much as I could, I headed outside to begin my real activities.
“Now, let’s see… I have to wait until night for ‘that’ to appear….”
In the meantime, I’ll take a look around the area.
With the mod installed, there might be some differences compared to the Centinium I knew.
“Freshly made stamina potions! Only 3 gold each!”
“Magical devices powered by refined mana! Get a 10% discount if you buy now!”
“We have various scrolls, spellbooks, and wands for sale! Come and check out our new arrivals~!”
The marketplace buzzed with activity.
‘The locations of the shops are more or less the same as I remember.’
Especially the potion and magic device shops, which are frequently visited in the game, looked identical to how they were depicted.
The only difference I noticed was—
‘Everyone’s a woman.’
The shopkeepers, customers, even the passersby—every single one of them was female.
‘…It’s not just a simple reversal of positions, is it?’
No matter how you look at it, “Valdeon Saga” wasn’t a game with such an extreme gender imbalance.
If I reversed the genders here, then all the people around me would be men.
‘Why would anyone play a game like that?’
It seems like this mod also affects the gender ratio.
Just look at this—
“Hey, look over there, it’s a guy….”
“Go talk to him! How do I look right now?”
“…Did I just make eye contact with him? He must be interested in me, hehe.”
All I’m doing is standing still and breathing, and yet the whole area is abuzz.
Thankfully, this is the central area, so I’m not being harassed or hit on indiscriminately, but…
It doesn’t feel great to be treated like an animal in a cage.
I tried my best to ignore the heavy, sticky gazes around me and focused my attention on finding something.
‘It should be around here….’
In the game, it was located somewhere nearby.
The place that would be more useful to me right now than any weapon or potion….
“…!”
I found it.
A faintly painted sign with four letters inscribed on it, barely readable on an old, worn-out board.
[Manchaek Bookstore]
Seeing it made my heart race.
Unlike the other neat shops around it, this place was shabby, with no customers in sight.
It looked like such an old, rundown secondhand bookstore that it wasn’t even clear whether it was open.
‘I’ve found it, my treasure trove.’
In my eyes, this place was like a paradise flowing with honey and milk.
Why hesitate? I opened the door and stepped inside without delay.
Jingle~
The cheerful sound of a bell echoed, contrasting sharply with the shop’s dreary atmosphere.
What greeted me was a labyrinth of bookshelves and a thick layer of dust.
“Cough, cough! Agh, gross.”
Just how long has it been since they cleaned in here? The dust swirled like a mist, making my mouth and nose feel stuffy.
“Agh, I’m going to get a runny nose….”
“Oh my? A customer?”
A soft, ethereal voice interrupted my struggle with the dust.
“It’s rare to have a customer… Oh my, what an adorable young man.”
As expected, she was unchanged.
As the owner of [Manchaek Bookstore] and an NPC, she’s definitely an important character.
“Hehe, did you get lost? If you’re looking for a teahouse or dessert, you need to go further inside.”
“No, I’m in the right place.”
“Oh my.”
With her brown hair tied up in a neat ponytail and wearing round glasses—
“Even though she’s not a heroine, she’s quite a popular character among players.”
‘Anna.’
She adjusted her glasses and smiled pleasantly.
“Did our young master really come here to read books?”
“Yes, I just arrived in this area and was looking for a bookstore.”
“Oh my, what a nice hobby you have! There aren’t many people these days who enjoy reading books.”
Anna’s face lit up, and she suddenly began talking about various topics.
“I read the latest book by Romalio recently. Oh, how beautifully it was written….”
“<The Peony Flower and the Falling Raindrops>, right?”
“Oh my! You know about it!”
I had to keep up with Anna’s endless book chatter after that.
The key is to give ‘correct’ answers to Anna’s questions.
‘In the game, the answers appeared as choices, so you could rely on luck.’
Real life is truly different.
If I weren’t such an experienced player who memorized all the answers, I wouldn’t have been able to pull this off.
“Oh my, I can’t remember the last time I had such a pleasant conversation!”
Anna’s face brightened up, clearly satisfied after I gave all the correct answers.
“Talking to such a charming young man made me lose track of time. Did I bother you? Surely it wasn’t fun talking to such a boring woman….”
“No, it was fun for me too, sis.”
“Oh my… oh my goodness….”
Anna blushed at the word “sis.”
“To thank you for keeping me company, I should give you a little present. Hmm… how about letting you freely read any book in this bookstore?”
“Really?! Thank you so much!”
With that, the ‘first day’ was completed.
‘The secret quest at [Manchaek Bookstore] is a 7-day linked series.’
The condition to unlock the quest is to converse with Anna and always provide ‘the correct answers.’
If successful, you get to read all the books in [Manchaek Bookstore] for free that day.
By consistently keeping up with Anna for a week, you can receive the final quest.
[Tip #7 for Beginners]
If you head to the marketplace area in Centinium, there’s a place called Manchaek Bookstore.
Make sure to talk to Anna there and receive her quest.
But since it’s a secret quest, you need to go every day for a week and chat with her.
It might be tedious, but if you want to play the game easily, you have to do it.
Below are the answers to her questions:
- <The Peony Flower and the Falling Raindrops>
- <The Final Breath>
- Writer Anderli.
.
.
.
My personal tip, which isn’t listed here—
“Let’s see… this is it!”
It’s to utilize the hidden gems in [Manchaek Bookstore].
I wandered between the bookshelves, pulling out the books I needed.
[Three Elements Swordsmanship (三才劍法)]
[Basics of Swordsmanship]
[Internal Energy Manipulation: Basics]
[Steel Qi (罡氣): The Invisible Armor]
This bookstore is filled with random books collected by Anna, who loves books themselves.
So, if you search carefully, you can find these third-rate martial arts manuals mixed in.
‘You think they’re just third-rate manuals?’
That’s right.
Normally, these kinds of manuals wouldn’t even be treated as martial arts manuals and would be discarded.
Who would gain any insights from such low-quality books?
“Except for me.”
I smirked as I opened a book.
[‘Intelligence’ grasps the truth contained within this book!]
[‘Swordsmanship Genius’ fully comprehends the essence of the martial arts manual!]
No matter how powerful a weapon is, it’s useless if you can’t wield it.
On the other hand, a master at the pinnacle can defeat a thousand people with a mere tree branch.
‘It’s the same here.’
Ordinary people might only grasp a single concept from these books.
But for someone overflowing with talent like me—
“You see a thousand truths from just one.”
[You comprehend the fundamentals of swordsmanship.]
[All swordsmanship skills are integrated into ‘Sword Mastery’ Lv.0.]
[Skill level has increased!]
‘Sword Mastery’
Lv.0 -> Lv. 3
‘Sword Mastery’—a growth-type skill that is essential for reaching the ultimate swordsmanship build.
The condition for acquiring it is to possess three or more swordsmanship skills and achieve ‘enlightenment.’
[You slightly grasp the truth of Qi!]
[You have obtained the skill ‘Steel Qi.’]
I also acquired ‘Steel Qi,’ a skill used by Marco to surround the body with Qi, reinforcing defense like an invisible armor.
Whoooom—!
I tried using it, and a faint blue aura enveloped my body.
‘…This is a success!’
This is a gain that can’t be measured in gold.
With just a few books, I laid the foundation for the ultimate build.
‘Though I really need to clean up soon.’
I focused so much on reading that dust piled up on my head and shoulders like snow.
Attaining enlightenment in such a dusty corner makes me feel like some kind of martial arts master.
‘I wonder if Anna’s lungs are okay.’
I massaged my eyes and glanced out the window, noticing that dusk had settled along the streets.
It would soon be night.
“It’s about time for it to appear.”
The hidden piece that allows you to customize your appearance—
A special item that can only be obtained here.
I stretched and began tidying up the books.
– ‘When certain conditions are met, a mask vendor appears at night in Centinium.’
And among the items the mask vendor sells—
Is exactly what I’m looking for.
“Let’s go.”
The arduous preparation for academy admission begins now.
—
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