Vol 3 Chapter 34

Kapros's sword, which he had drawn to block Caesar's sudden attack, shattered after just one exchange due to the impact. It was a sword he had bought from the store Yu-wan had recommended, and he had liked it because it was light enough for even a mage lacking in strength to use. The more he thought about it, the more regrettable it felt. It seemed that feeling the absence of something that was once beside you was the same whether it was a person or a sword. He needed to get a new one, but it would take a long time to find a special sword light enough for him to use. Rather than that, it seemed better to leave Bistale as quickly as possible and head to Kizalkirstum.

Kizalkirstum was one of the five major cities in the Mist continent, located in the north, and it was also Kapros's original destination. If the need for supplies hadn't become so urgent from clearing every dungeon on the way for magic training, he wouldn't have had to come to Bistale. With his current feelings, he thought he should have just passed by this place then, but...

'Come to think of it, Torelit in the east, Tolang in the south, Zagreb in the center, Bala Monyak in the west, and Kizalkirstum in the north. I'll have visited all the major cities in Mist once now.'

Although he hadn't had a goal like touring the continent, seeing how things had turned out made him wonder if the quest itself might be related to a continental tour.

Kizalkirstum was the only city adjacent to his fourth quest site. The moment he saw the red dot marked on the northern mountain range, known for being the most treacherous and uninhabited, he had a premonition that this quest wouldn't be easy either. That's why he had felt the need to train his skills as much as possible on the way here, but after nearly dying to Caesar this time, the thought that he should focus on completing all the quests first became stronger than anything else.

At that moment, Un-o, who had gone downstairs briefly and returned, opened the door and spoke.

"I've checked out of the room, so let's depart."

Although they hadn't stayed that long in terms of time, it felt like they had been there for a very long time, perhaps because of all the events that had occurred, from the free-for-all tournament to the fight with Caesar.

They left through the north gate of the city, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible, and finally reached a forest where hardly any users were visible. Kran, who had been walking silently, sat down with a sigh of relief as the tension eased.

"Oh my, I thought I was going to die from tension. I'm really glad no one picked a fight with us."

As the owner of a pretty boy face that inexplicably provoked hostility in men wherever he went, Kran seemed to have been quite tense, worried that unnecessary trouble might arise again this time.

"I don't think that's how you use that expression... Anyway, it seems it was easy to get out because the whole city is made up of alleys."

Un-o commented while still not letting his guard down, sharply eyeing Bistale visible through the forest trees as if someone might chase after them. Standing beside him, Kapros pushed up his hood that had been pulled down almost to the tip of his nose and looked at Bistale, feeling as if it was so distant that he wondered if he had really been there just moments ago.

For a while, they looked at the panorama of Bistale viewed from a slightly elevated position, and the colosseum in its center, well-restored and boasting the same grandeur as before. Then, as if by agreement, they all turned around. Their next destination was the cold northern metropolis.

Among the numerous cities and villages in Mist that captivated users with their unique landscapes, the five major cities where warp portals were installed, allowing travel between each city, were particularly large in scale and had high floating populations.

However, there were slight differences even among these major cities. Torelit in the east was the smallest among the five major cities, but in return, it was famous for its beautiful scenery ideal for taking screenshots or videos, attracting mostly low-level users or those who wanted to enjoy the game peacefully. Bala Monyak in the west had a strong mystical image due to its uniqueness as a desert city, along with its maze-like dungeon that seemed to have popped out of an Arabian fairy tale, and the special item markets that came from there.

Tolang in the south was known to all as the city of commerce, with all item prices being reestablished and spread from there almost daily, making it the most vibrant and populous. Although it wasn't yet fully utilizing its waterways, it was home to the Moldin River, the largest river on the continent, making this commercial city endlessly promising for the future. At the same time, it was also the headquarters for thief-class users who were the enemies of merchant-class users, making it a place where incidents never ceased.

Compared to these distinctive cities, Zagreb in the center seemed to lack any uniqueness with its ordinary surrounding natural environment. However, it was actually the city with the most permanent users, boasting the most majestic city walls, well-organized urban landscape, and the presence of White Castle, situated separately in the northeast like a picture book, making it worthy of being called the capital.

White Castle, the unknown castle that no one had ever entered, was generally speculated to be the castle that the victors would possess when siege warfare was updated in the future. As everyone accepted this as the established theory, it was no exaggeration to say that most guild headquarters, from famous guilds to nameless ones, were located in Zagreb.

Moreover, with the recent sudden appearance of the temple of Skaga, the battle goddess, along with the pre-existing grand temple of Lugh, it had also gained the image of being the headquarters of all temples, truly deserving to be called the heart of the continent.

However, Kizalkirstum, where they were heading now, was surprisingly not as famous compared to all these major cities. Despite boasting the largest land area among the major cities, it had no particularly famous buildings or spaces, and its barren surroundings, devoid of even a single blade of grass, were far from being called beautiful. Nor was it a place famous for commerce or populated with many guilds.