Chapter 49

Level Up Heretic Judge – Episode 49 (49/227)

Episode 49: Silence and Such (5)

“Alright, alright. If I just sell this batch, my skill level will go up.”

A man driving a wagon was humming a little tune.

Although he was technically a swordsman by trade, with a sword sheathed at his waist, the truth was he didn’t really know how to swing it properly in battle.

Dangerous and difficult hunting just wasn’t his thing, and he’d gotten hooked on Warode’s trading content, leading him down the path of a merchant.

When those no-good bandits robbed him, it put him in a terrible mood for the whole day, but when everything lined up perfectly for a sweet profit, it brought an indescribable thrill.

The goods piled high in the back of his wagon would bring him some nice gold and trade experience points.

“It’s not time for prices to change drastically yet. Still plenty of time to get there leisurely.”

He glanced at the time again, reassured.

Warode’s trading system wasn’t as simple as buying goods, transporting them, and selling them.

Prices and demand fluctuated by region and time, requiring constant attention.

It was a pretty realistic system that suited his calculating nature perfectly.

KUH-OOM!

Suddenly, the horse pulling his cart stopped as if it had hit something invisible.

There were no visible obstacles on the well-paved road, yet something clearly wasn’t right.

Jumping down from the wagon quickly, the merchant calmed the spooked horses.

“What in the world is going on here?”

Not only was the horse acting strangely, but the merchant himself had felt the impact through the reins.

As the horses settled under his touch, the merchant wiped nervous sweat from his brow and stepped forward cautiously.

“Huh… there’s definitely something blocking the way.”

His eyes widened in shock.

Reaching out his hand, he froze mid-motion like a mime, looking absolutely ridiculous.

He could distinctly feel some kind of transparent wall against his own palm.

“A bug? Surely not…”

“Hey, what are you doing over there?”

A voice called out from beside him.

Turning his head, the merchant saw a man stepping out from the forest beside the paved road.

“The road’s suddenly blocked. I can’t see anything, but I can’t pass through.”

“Are you aware there’s a barrier around here?”

“A barrier?”

The merchant’s eyes widened in surprise.

The man chuckled and explained.

“Heh, looks like you didn’t know. There’s this place called the Spirit Grove ahead, surrounded by a circular barrier that prevents anyone from entering. To get to the other side, you’ll need to take the long way around via Leaf Hill.”

As he said, the area was indeed impossible to cross for players, NPCs, and even monsters alike without special permission.

From afar, there was no noticeable sign of the barrier, making it especially notorious.

“If you’re a merchant, you should always plan your route carefully in advance. Now that you’ve come this far, you’ll have to turn back quite a ways.”

The man clicked his tongue sympathetically.

“Ah… Is there no way to pass through?”

“Consider it impossible. Unless you have a special quest, you can’t enter due to those Rotum dwarves or whatever they’re called.”

“Ugh, this is troublesome. The market prices might change while I’m wasting time.”

“Market prices… You’re impressive. Trading gives me a headache, so I can’t do it myself. Anyway, good luck to you. We low-level players need to help each other out, but there’s nothing I can do for you here.”

“Are you also into lifestyle skills?”

“Sure am! I was gathering alchemy materials in the forest.”

While they were chatting, another figure approached silently from behind, passed through the barrier without hesitation, and disappeared inside.

Staring at where the man had vanished, the merchant pointed in disbelief.

“Eh? That person went right through!”

“Huh…?”

The other man looked equally baffled, staring blankly at the barrier.

* * *

“So he really went straight in after saying he’d let them know about me.”

Ail walked through the supposedly impenetrable barrier surrounding the Spirit Grove, marveling at the ease.

This powerful barrier was supposed to be impassable without special permission, confirming Alunde’s message had been successfully delivered.

Inside the barrier, the paved road was overgrown with grass, likely neglected for many years.

Ail entered the lush forest beyond and soon spotted small spirits flitting between the trees, curious about the rare visitor.

Some shy elemental spirits hid their glowing forms upon meeting his gaze, while others zipped past, inspecting him.

This “Spirit Grove” was truly a magical place where spirits and Rotum coexisted, filled with numerous elementals even though Ail wasn’t a summoner.

He briefly considered capturing one as a pet.

“Should be arriving soon.”

Checking his map casually, Ail thought to himself.

According to the marker, he should be reaching the village any moment now, and true enough, the scenery soon changed to reveal a charming little settlement.

The soft glow of street lamps illuminated modest buildings and pathways.

What stood out most were the residents.

“Visitor!”

“Really?”

Two Rotum came rushing over eagerly.

Though small-statured like children, these beings had childlike features except for their slightly pointed ears.

“That’s the human Alunde mentioned.”

A young Rotum holding a basket of herbs looked up at Ail with wide, shining eyes.

“Uh… Hello?”

Ail greeted awkwardly.

If they were normal children, he might have ruffled their hair affectionately, but knowing Rotum lived for hundreds of years made him uncertain how to interact.

“What’s your name?”

“Ail.”

“Hi Ail! I’m Peren, and this is Piko!”

“Glad to meet you!”

Peren introduced himself first, followed by Piko waving enthusiastically.

As expected, the Rotum were exactly as described – pure-hearted and welcoming despite their adorable appearances.

Their trusting nature had unfortunately led to repeated betrayals by humans and other races in the past, prompting the forest spirits to create the protective barrier.

Though unusual for spirits to protect rather than harm, the Rotum’s harmonious relationship with nature explained it.

While grateful for their protection, the friendly Rotum reportedly missed visitors.

“But without the barrier, the village probably wouldn’t have survived this long.”

With adventurers and players roaming the world, the barrier was likely all that kept this place safe.

Indeed, very few players from Esmaier had ever entered this area, making Ail rather lucky.

Peren and Piko immediately took Ail’s hands and began showing him around the village.

Other Rotum they encountered reacted with surprised delight, and the air was filled with the fresh scent of herbs drying everywhere, reflecting their herbalist lifestyle.

“Um, what about the supplies?”

While being shown around, Ail inquired about the delivery request.

Though enjoying the tour, he was here on behalf of the High Elves.

“Oh, about that…” Peren hesitated.

Piko continued, “There’s been a small issue with the items destined for White Forest. We’ll probably need to gather them again, so it might take longer than expected.”

“Could you wait a bit?”

“Of course, how long do you think it’ll take?”

“At least a day. Maybe more.”

“One day…”

Ail paused.

He wasn’t sure exactly what the problem was, but the delay was longer than anticipated.

Abandoning the quest at this point would be a loss, leaving him wondering how to spend the unexpected free time.

There weren’t any suitable hunting grounds nearby for his level, and the Spirit Grove itself lacked regular monsters.

Doing nothing for a day seemed wasteful.

Just then, Peren and Piko tugged at his legs.

“Do you have time to help us with something?”

“Could you scare off some bad spirits drifting in from outside?”

The Rotum looked up at him with bright, hopeful eyes.

Their request reminded him of something important.

“Ah, that’s right…”

Areas inaccessible to most players often contained excellent quests, much like the elf territories.

Smiling warmly, Ail replied, “If you have a favor to ask, just say the word.”