Chapter 272 - 271: Magic Robe
"A misunderstanding... It’s all a misunderstanding... Ma’am, we’ve had too much to drink..."
Seeing their boss chicken out, the other mercenaries all let go, wishing they could raise their hands over their heads to prove their innocence.
"Good."
Hill flicked her wrist, and the cold, deadly Flying Saber vanished back into her sleeve. The suffocating killing intent dissipated along with it.
She had no interest in going on a killing spree here.
The Security Team might not bother with a common brawl, but if someone died, the situation would become much more serious.
Although she could get away with it, it would still be a hassle.
Then...
SHINK.
Hill yanked out the dagger that had pierced the skinny man’s metacarpal, wiped it on his clothes, and put it away.
"Hssss...!"
The skinny man clenched his jaw so hard the muscles bulged, veins popping on his temples, as he forcibly suppressed a howl of pain.
Long after Hill left the tavern, no one at that table dared to make another move.
The mercenaries looked at each other, their backs soaked in cold sweat, as if they had just crawled back from the gates of hell.
A chilly gust of night wind hit her in the face, instantly blowing away the reek of alcohol.
"Ah..."
Gazing at the streets of Blood Fang Town, where only a few scattered wind lanterns swayed, Hill let out a soft sigh.
’Sure enough, staying in a place like this for too long makes even my methods more violent.’
’I’m actually starting to miss a simple place like Black Stone Town.’
Hill shook her head with a self-deprecating smile.
She took a delicate parchment scroll from her robes; its edges were even hemmed with gold thread.
This was what she had taken from the wealthy merchant, the owner of Wangyou Court. It still bore bloodstains that had not yet fully faded.
After unfurling it and studying it for a moment, Hill carefully rolled it up again.
Out of professional habit as an Assassin, looting the spoils after a job was standard procedure.
But inside the safe of that wealthy merchant, the owner of Wangyou Court, there were none of the gold and treasures Hill had expected.
Instead, there was a Treasure Map—or rather, a map to a set of ruins.
She didn’t know what might be at the location marked on the map.
But anything a wealthy merchant deemed worthy of locking in a safe was bound to be valuable, and that piqued Hill’s interest.
However, exploring ruins was nothing like a typical assassination mission.
It would be teeming with Demons and fraught with danger; it was impossible to do alone.
She would have to form a sufficiently strong and reliable Adventurer Squad.
Hill’s thoughts drifted back to the story the skinny man had told earlier.
’Barging into a noble’s residence and capturing the Patriarch...’
’Heh...’
Hill let out a soft laugh.
’It seems Zelir’s strength has really improved a lot while I’ve been away.’
...
「Black Stone Town.」
「Dawn.」
"Ugh..."
After a strange cry and a series of reluctant, convulsive twists, Zelir slowly sat up in his warm bed.
After glancing at his stat panel, he scratched his bedhead.
Spirit: 139 -> 140
Intelligence: 144 -> 145
’Ah... Heart Sleep is pretty great. It gave me another two Attribute points.’
Only about half a month had passed since Zelir learned Heart Sleep.
Heart Sleep had already increased his Attributes by six points.
’The efficiency is actually quite high.’
After a quick wash-up and a hot breakfast of bacon bread downstairs, Zelir arrived at the Mage’s Guild.
Today was the day he had arranged to meet with Barrett.
Pushing open the shop door, Zelir rubbed his hands together and blew a puff of hot air into them.
’Frost Moon, indeed.’
’It’s gotten really cold outside.’
The weather had been growing colder and colder lately, and even Zelir, whose Constitution was higher than a normal person’s, was having a hard time withstanding it.
"Barrett," Zelir called out tentatively into the shop.
"Coming."
It was Barrett’s magnetic voice again. "Good morning, my dear Mr. Zelir!"
His outfit was as flamboyant as ever.
This time, it wasn’t red or purple, but a pure, immaculate white, which was paired with his bronze-colored muscles.
It made for quite a visual impact.
"Good morning..."
Zelir nodded slightly, trying his best to focus his gaze on the man’s face rather than his pectoral muscles.
"So, how is it? Is my Magic Robe ready?"
"I knew you’d be eager."
Barrett flashed a confident smile. "I rushed to finish it yesterday. Please, follow me!"
In that small, luxurious, and stately room.
"This is the final product."
Barrett walked to the center of the room and stood before a mannequin covered by a deep red velvet cloth, his voice solemn.
"Please, take a look."
As the cloth was whisked away, a garment was dramatically revealed.
It was a long, trench-coat-style Magic Robe.
The Magic Robe was a deep, pure black, yet it wasn’t drab.
A dark luster, like that of Obsidian, seemed to flow across the fabric’s surface—proof that precious Magic Materials had been woven into it.
Its cut was exceptionally sleek and slim-fitting.
The high, stiff collar was tall enough to block the cold wind, and the waist was tapered to better accentuate a tall, straight posture.
Faintly visible along the hem and cuffs were intricate and mysterious dark-silver patterns.
From any angle, it was an incredibly magnificent garment.
Zelir’s eyes lit up, and his breathing quickened.
He couldn’t help but take a step forward, reaching out to lightly touch the black hem of the robe hanging on the mannequin.
The sensation was as fine and cool as touching liquid mercury, and it felt extremely comfortable.
The smoothness seemed to seep through his fingerprints and right into his soul.
’This is Flowing Light Silk, alright. Worth every penny.’
"It seems I don’t need to waste my breath. I can already see the satisfaction in your eyes, Mr. Zelir."
Barrett said cheerfully, "Go on, try it on."
Taking it from the mannequin, Zelir stood before a mirror and skillfully draped it over his shoulders, slipping his arms through the sleeves.
There wasn’t the slightest feeling of restriction.
After the last button was fastened, Zelir turned to face the full-length mirror.
For a moment, even he was stunned.
The young man in the mirror stood as tall and straight as a pine tree.
The pure black, slim-fitting coat perfectly outlined the lines of his shoulders and back.
The high collar framed Zelir’s handsome face, making his jawline appear even sharper and more severe.
Wearing it, he exuded the mysterious dignity of a Mage, the sharp competence of an Adventurer, and the high-spirited vigor of youth all at once.
Thanks to the custom tailoring, the Magic Robe fit Zelir’s body perfectly.
There was no excess, baggy material, nor was there any sense of tight restriction.
Whether raising a hand for Casting or swinging a sword to strike, his movements were completely unimpeded.
"As per your request, in addition to the most Basic Magic amplification, this Magic Robe is also inscribed with Rune Circuits that reduce Magic Power consumption."
Barrett explained enthusiastically.
"As long as you wear it while Casting, it will allow you to last longer in battle and be ever-victorious!"
Zelir tried circulating his Magic Power.
On top of the amplification from his Magic Wand, the overall speed had indeed increased a little more.