Chapter 114: The Wizards’ Burial Ground
Nick arrived at Black Castle that night.
As soon as he entered, before he could even greet Moki Moki, Byron and Saul dragged him into a small dark room.
"Nick, did you issue a written mission order for Saul to investigate Grindstone Town?" Byron got straight to the point.
Upon hearing this, Nick immediately lowered his eyes, raised both hands, and made a surrendering gesture.
"No," he said in a deep voice. "I admit it, the covert investigation was actually a task I assigned to Saul myself."
"For what purpose?" Saul stepped forward.
Nick pursed his lips. "Lately, it has become increasingly difficult to apply for Grinding Sound Fruits from the tower. When I inquired, I was told that the tribute supply itself had decreased. I originally took on a mission from Mentor Rum to go to Grindstone Town, hoping to privately obtain some Grinding Sound Fruits while I was there. But something came up on the way, and I had to leave unexpectedly. That’s why I asked Saul to figure out why Grinding Sound Fruits were in short supply."
He looked up at Saul. "It was a spur-of-the-moment decision. Sorry about that. But I’ll give you extra compensation. Did you find out the reason, Saul?"
Saul exchanged a glance with Byron and shared part of the truth. "The wizard in Grindstone Town is refining vengeful spirit in an attempt to advance. Some of the reduced Grinding Sound Fruits were used to help him maintain his sanity."
"Some?" Nick immediately picked up on the wording.
"The townspeople also trade Grinding Sound Fruits with the barbarians in exchange for the town’s safety."
A hint of doubt appeared on Nick’s usually expressionless face. "Barbarians? Why would barbarians want Grinding Sound Fruits?"
"Do barbarians use Grinding Sound Fruits to maintain their sanity?" Saul countered.
"No," Nick shook his head. "Barbarians thrive on madness. Even barbarian priests have their own methods to stay clear-headed."
Then why do the barbarians need Grinding Sound Fruits? Or are they just a front?
Seeing Saul frown in thought, Nick lowered his eyes again and remained silent.
Byron suddenly asked, "What made you leave halfway through your mission?"
Nick glanced at Byron and didn’t hide the truth. "My father died. My family called me back to sign a waiver for inheritance rights."
The reason was solid and easy to verify, so Saul couldn’t determine whether Nick had left intentionally or not.
For a moment, the room fell into silence.
Nick looked at the two silent men, spread his hands, and said, "I'm not sad, so don't worry."
Byron suddenly stood up. "In that case, once we return to the tower, you need to transfer the promised payment to Saul."
Nick immediately replied, "That’s no problem. However, one of the rewards isn’t something a First-Level Apprentice can claim. I can exchange it for something else—"
"No need, Senior Nick," Saul raised his hand. "I broke through to the Second Level while fighting the barbarians in Grindstone Town."
Nick opened his mouth, but the words got stuck in his throat.
After a brief silence, he suddenly placed a hand over his chest. "I'm not surprised."
After a pause, his hand pressed slightly harder. "I'm not jealous."
"Then it’s settled!" Byron made the final decision. "Get ready tonight. Tomorrow, we set off for Hanging Valley."
After saying that, he walked toward the door, then turned back and ushered Saul and Nick out of the room.
That night, Saul lay in a long, coffin-like room with barely enough space to turn over, contemplating Nick’s words from earlier.
Based on Nick’s explanation, this mission really might have been a last-minute decision.
After all, the reason for his sudden departure was quite legitimate.
But when Saul mentioned that the fields in Grindstone Town had been destroyed by barbarians, Nick didn’t show the concern he should have.
That reaction didn’t align with his supposed interest in Grinding Sound Fruits.
Even if Nick was an extremely reserved person, his attitude toward Grinding Sound Fruits had shifted significantly.
Was he trying to convey a hidden message through this Grinding Sound Fruit incident?
Saul closed his eyes, and a series of faces flashed through his mind...
---
The next morning, the three of them bid farewell to the guardian of Black Castle early.
Instead of taking the cramped wizard tower carriage, they used a local Black Castle vehicle—a Wooden Spider.
When Saul saw the Wooden Spider, he thought he was looking at a giant house on eight legs.
Their destination this time was Hanging Valley, a place where multiple wizard factions had once waged war. It was a place where ordinary people couldn’t even set foot.
Because of this, wizards never brought servants when heading there.
Large enchanted tools like the Wooden Spider were their most commonly used means of transportation.
But even then, they had to be careful while driving it—damaging one would be costly.
Saul carried down his full set of soul research tools from the carriage.
Nick brought a lot of ropes and metal rings from the electric induction chair.
Byron carried a bunch of odd components and several specially-made bottles—soul containers designed to capture evil spirits.
To physical beings, soul bottles were fragile, but to spirit entities, they were inescapable.
Regular vengeful and malicious spirits, once trapped inside, would find it nearly impossible to break free.
This time, Saul and Nick were assisting Byron in capturing vengeful.
At the same time, they would take the opportunity to conduct their own research.
The three of them seemed to have forgotten last night’s minor friction, now working together in apparent harmony.
Hanging Valley—the former wizard battlefield, the wizards’ burial ground.
The reason behind the war was long lost to history. All that remained was the knowledge that so many wizards had perished in the battle that the western region of the Northern Continent was nearly wiped clean of wizard factions.
For a time, there weren’t even any Second-Level Wizards left in the western region.
But this situation didn’t last long. Soon, factions from the eastern part of the Northern Continent and the Southern Continent set their sights on this power vacuum.
After a series of open conflicts and covert struggles, new wizard factions moved into the western region.
One of them was Gorsa’s Wizard Tower.
Because of this, the wizards of Gorsa’s Tower held significant authority in the western wizarding community.
As long as they didn’t actively seek trouble, Saul and his companions could practically walk unchallenged.
Sitting inside the Wooden Spider, they gradually approached the entrance to Hanging Valley.
"Hanging Valley is also the gateway to the Wild Mountains of the western region. After the war here, one of the pathways into the Unclaimed Lands was sealed off," Byron explained, pointing to their destination.
"Unclaimed Lands?" Saul had heard the term in his Natural Knowledge class but only in fragments.
"Yes, it’s a place even official wizards must tread carefully. I’ve only heard about it in passing," Nick added.
"It’s better not to go there," Byron ended the discussion.
The Wooden Spider finally reached the edge of Hanging Valley and began its descent.
Saul could no longer imagine what the valley originally looked like, but the entrance resembled a steep, giant slide.
Countless broken stones cascaded like a waterfall, dropping sharply from the plains where they stood.
The angle of descent was nearly seventy degrees, like a person who had collapsed against a wall, their arms hanging weakly.
Such a path was impossible for an ordinary carriage, but the eight-legged Wooden Spider could climb up and down like a real spider.
Moreover, the vehicle’s cabin automatically adjusted its orientation, keeping the floor level at all times so the passengers wouldn’t tumble around.
As the Wooden Spider crawled downward, Saul saw a valley wedged between two towering mountains.
A gust of wind swept past, carrying a lingering scent of blood that had never faded.
The temperature inside the cabin dropped with their descent, and Saul unconsciously clutched his sleeve.
“No need to be nervous,” Nick reassured Saul. “The depths of Hanging Hand Valley were the true battleground of the great wizard war. We’re only capturing vengeful spirits at the outer edges—we won’t encounter too much danger.”
Byron was also gazing out the window, searching for a suitable campsite.
Hearing Nick’s words, he nodded and gave a simple “Mm” in agreement.
However, Saul’s gaze secretly shifted toward the diary.
The moment they entered the valley, a tingling sensation spread across his entire body.
It felt as if countless eyes were watching him.
“It must be…” Saul tugged at his collar, trying to breathe more easily. “Just an illusion, right?”
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