Chapter 39

Chapter 39

⟬The Architect of the Skyscraper of Suffering explains how that structure was built over three hundred years ago, and that when we consider how limited technology was back then, it is quite an impressive tower in its own right.⟭

I see. Then I guess I’ll have to take that into consideration.

⟬The Architect of the Skyscraper of Suffering adds that even though the building is old, it is also in a prime location. The property would cost around the same price as a genre exchange ticket.⟭

I guess the god’s career in architecture made them interested in the real estate business as well.

“Make sure you hold my hand so you don’t get lost. Allie, your hand.”

“Here!”

“Rinz, you too?”

“No, I’m okay.”

Prinz had grown much taller over the past few months and his mentality had matured to follow suit. Those tonics and supplements I fed him were well worth it.

There were a lot of canals in Feronsa. As we waited for the ferry to pick us up so we could cross the bridge, a group of people dressed in lavish, green robes came to wait alongside us.

They’re alchemists from the Golden Ivory Tower. I instinctively turned my head to see how my dad was doing. He pulled his hood over his face, concealing his handsome and intelligent features.

The alchemists chattered noisily.

“Did you hear? Professor Hikeem hit the jackpot again for his research funding.”

“Oh, that’s hardly surprising. Almost half of all of the research funding that comes into the tower is funneled into Professor Hikeem’s pockets.”

“He isn’t making much progress nowadays, but he is still the authority on regenerative potions.”

“The next head of the tower will probably be Professor Hikeem Sarmatan.”

I could feel a faint trembling pass down through Dad’s hand as it gradually grew clammy with sweat. Well, at least that answered one thing that I’ve always been curious about.

Hikeem Sarmatan. I was certain that this particular individual was the dirty, no-good, parasite of a teacher that leeched off my dad’s research.

⟬The Voice that Shapes the World says this is the very man who screwed over the tower through his corruption and embezzlement in the original story.⟭

I was already familiar with all of Dad’s alchemy recipes, including his regenerative potions. It seems this creep has been claiming my dad’s research as his own even after kicking him out of the tower. This guy was your typical villain. He was living the high life, all while earning a fat paycheck by submitting someone else’s work.

I resolved to myself as I clenched both of my fists, The sworn enemy of my dad. I’ll get him someday.

⟬The Voice that Shapes the World is deeply touched by your filial devotion.⟭

The ferry finished sailing past the bridge and the raised drawbridge was lowered back to its original position. Dad only smiled weakly long after the group of alchemists went away.

“Allie, Rinz, aren’t you two hungry? How about we grab something to eat first?”

“Okay!”

We deliberately answered with more enthusiasm than we normally did. We followed Dad’s lead into the depths of the capital. After filling our bellies with some delicious, fluffy pancakes and bacon from a famous brunch cafe, we toured every corner of the street lined with artisans’ workshops and bought some souvenirs.

“A-Allie! R-Rinz! Aren’t your legs tired?” our father asked, while panting himself.

The stamina of two children buffed with an aura package was nothing to laugh at. Prinz and I were still raring to go, but we agreed to stop somewhere and rest before our father collapsed from exhaustion.

Dad’s legs trembled as he walked, but we made it into a small cafe on the most remote corner of the street. It was a quaint little dessert cafe that was decorated with flowers. We soon discovered why he brought us here.

After taking a sip of black tea, Dad began to explain, “This was one of the places your mother and I went to when we were dating.”

Prinz and I were scarfing down the fondant au chocolat we ordered but stopped mid-bite to listen to Dad’s story.

“It was a popular dating spot at the time, but I needed a lot of courage to come here back then because it cost practically an entire week’s paycheck. But it still wasn’t enough for your mother. She complained that she didn’t care for these desserts and that I should just eat them all myself.”

Wow. That’s just awful. How could she say that to someone who squeezed his wallet dry to take her out on a date? Just as my opinion of her began to plummet further, Dad continued his trip down memory lane.

“She would feed me herself, one bite at a time. And then once the dessert was about done, she would say she wanted a taste and... Ahem! I’ll tell you the whole story once both of you are older.”

Guess we weren’t going to hear any PG-13 details today.

“Your mother would always tell me dining out made her lose her appetite and so she would only eat the smallest portions, but she’d complain about how hungry she was the moment we got back home.”

I guess she was just one of those types that didn’t eat in public.

“But one day, after we got back from our date, she said she was so starving that she went out into the woods in the middle of the night and brought back an entire turkey. I cooked the whole thing for her that night. She even gave me a drumstick to eat. It was for my troubles, she said...”

What? She shared a leg with him? Maybe Mom really did love Dad?!

“But then she said she had a change of heart and took it right back and ate the whole turkey by herself.”

Hmm. Of course. Why am I not surprised? Just as I sighed in relief, comforted by the fact that I was right about her, Dad continued his story with yet another twist.

“Later on, I realized that was when she was pregnant with Rinz! That’s how your mother and I became a family!”

I struggled to keep up with the rapid twists and turns in his story, but Dad just sighed contentedly as he reminisced about the good old days. I only had one thing to say about this story of a man and woman who lived together that had and ended up with a premarital pregnancy.

That’s what happens when you mess around instead of studying! I had mixed feelings about this one as his daughter. I chugged the cup of black tea in one gulp.

Unlike my cynical self, Prinz was deeply invested in Dad’s little story. He shouted with his lips smeared with chocolate, “I want to hurry and visit the home we used to live in!”

“Yes, I think we’ve seen enough of the capital. Let’s start heading over there.”

We agreed to rent a commercial carriage before setting out.

“Will you take us here?” Dad handed a rough map of our old home to the coachman who claimed to be a native of these parts.

The carriage slipped out of the capital’s gate and went over and around the sloping roads. As we rode in silence, I imagined my father as a poor working student who had to get up at the break of dawn every day to report to the Golden Ivory Tower.

We arrived at what seemed like a small, shabby village. A mountain loomed in the background, but it seemed like an overstatement to even call the collection of homes a village. There weren’t very many houses, to begin with, and most of them appeared to be abandoned.

“Prinz! Allie! We’re here!”

We walked past most of the homes until we arrived at the farthest corner of the village that bordered the mountain. Dad pointed at a modest two-story cottage with a triangular roof.

Unfortunately, time had not been kind to the house. It did not look nearly as nice as it did in our memories. The house had been abandoned for six long years and practically looked haunted at this point. All of the household goods were missing and the floor was littered with traces of animal prints.

Dad paused for a moment. I was worried he’d be devastated by his worn-out and ruined memories. Prinz and I exchanged glances and immediately began to clean up the house.

“It’s such a small house, we’ll be done with cleaning and repairs in no time! I’m going to let in some fresh air!”

“I found a rag. I’m going to scrub the floor with this!”

“Huh? O-okay. I will clear up the shrubs and weeds in the front yard!” Dad shouted. He joined our cleanup crew, and we began tidying away vigorously.

After some time spent, we finished cleaning the ruined house—it was so clean that we decided to spend the night. We all brought our sleeping bags and it was a little exciting to think of it as a camping site with a roof.

“Dad, look at this! I found some treasures in the attic!”

“Goodness. That’s the old ball that you used to play with. That thing’s still here?”

“There’s a lot of things like this up there. Come quick!”

“I’ll be right up!”

I guess some of our stuff managed to stay hidden in the attic and avoided getting stolen. I shouted toward the attic, “Dad! Prinz! I’m going to have a look around the house.”

“Don’t wander off too far, Allie!”

“Okay!”

I circled the entire cottage and let out a woeful groan.

“Ugh...”

I was faced with a serious issue. I looked through every corner of the house while cleaning.

⟬«Quest» Hometown Exploration (Difficulty Level: D)

Explore your old home where your family once used to live happily together.

Reward Upon Success: 30 Packs of Divine Ginseng Extract

Failure Penalty: None⟭

The quest still remained incomplete. I immediately made an inquiry. Lord Voice, are you there? Do you know why the quest hasn’t been marked as complete?

⟬The Voice that Shapes the World pretends to look elsewhere.⟭

Hm? Blink twice if this is because of Lord Confidentiality.

⟬The Voice that Shapes the World starts to blink like crazy.⟭

⟬The Advocate of Confidentiality shoots Lord Voice a dirty look.⟭

This means that there’s something Lord Voice has prepared for me. I turned on the system map to get a wider scope of the area.

What’s this place? There was a suspicious-looking plot of empty land in the middle of the forest leading to the mountains. With the way it formed a perfect circle, it seemed more like a crater than just some random land. My necklace pulsed as I stared off into the forest.

«Are you thinking about going in there?» Agnes asked from beside me.

“Aw, no way. Prinz and my dad will get worried if I just suddenly disappear like that.”

«You’re a good girl.»

“Of course.”

✠

Later that evening, I waited until I heard the rhythmic breathing of deep slumber before getting up. I slipped out of my sleeping bag silently so as to not wake up anyone, put on my necklace, and slung my satchel over my shoulder before successfully sneaking out of the house.

“Phew! Let’s go now, Agnes.”

She didn’t respond, but I could sense the exasperation in her silence.