20. it’s the devil’s smell
Paladin class subquest.
[Licorice in the Pharmacy]
Like the usual sub-quests, this pharmacy’s licorice sub-quest was also a mission that did not affect the main story of the main story.
Even after clearing it, it was a very absurd quest that ended with getting five potions.
Is it because the rewards are too small?
It wasn’t.
Due to the nature of Pao God’s world view, the potion itself was a very expensive item.
The quantity wasn’t infinite, so even if you had money, you couldn’t buy it indefinitely.
There were few people who could make it due to the setting.
So, unless you have to clear a no-potion in particular, it was recommended to take the quest to obtain a potion and pass it by.
However, the difficulty setting for this quest was a problem.
‘Because I had to pour six potions to get five potions.’
A situation in which the balance calculation did not fit at all occurred.
Besides, using those six potions was really minimal.
It was because it was possible to perfectly use the strategy that the deceased people found out through the best route.
Although there were experience points and small gold rewards through quests.
It was common for a person of that level to skip these sub-quests and pass them on.
However, there was only one additional variable.
‘If it’s a hidden quest, the reward will be different.’
If you play along the storyline, the timing to visit the small herbalist is always consistent.
Paladins, who have just started their adventure, arrive for the first time after escaping from the Archdiocese of Shiporeo.
It was just at that point.
Thanks to that, the quest itself wasn’t that difficult, but it wasn’t a well-developed state, so it was hard.
However, according to users who dug up the dummy data, the situation was a little different.
Originally, this small herbalist was planned to be visited midway through.
It was said that it was a point where you had to go far, go through various hardships, and come back to face it after leveling up a bit.
I heard that the line was deleted because it became too boring…
‘That’s not something I know.’
The important thing was that there was a way to get that reward.
That is, if the conditions are right.
Aren’t there some gamers who obsessively dig into a specific part?
Like me who was obsessed with the demo version.
It seemed that some users were obsessed with the licorice quest of this drugstore.
So, the hidden quest became known to the world.
It was Licorice in the Pharmacy, a hidden quest.
‘Actually, this must have been the original version, not Hidden.’
In order to activate this hidden quest, there were several conditions.
First, get the Black Thunder Ring.
Second, never visit a petty herbalist until you get the Ring of Black Thunder.
And there was one more final condition…
That was something that had to be resolved after entering.
I touched the ring on the finger of my left hand.
The first condition is completed with this.
The second condition was also met.
‘I just need to pass the last one.’
A one-time opportunity.
With the determination to easily succeed in the last condition, I entered a small herbalist.
* * *
profit.
Befitting the signboard of a small herbalist.
There, a small gate welcomed us first.
and.
“Drurling……Kek! Drurrung…”
I saw a familiar face.
And the sound of his little snoring followed.
The owner of this small shop, the youngest of three brothers.
It was Fernandez’s voice.
Diaz stared blankly at me.
With a look in his eyes, what the hell is there to live in a place like this.
But I didn’t think so.
At this time, there was no place as efficient as this in my standards.
‘I still wanted to lose my stamina.’
Diaz, feeling that my expression was firm, tapped the counter where the old man was lying with his finger.
smart.
“Are you Mom? Eh? Who?”
Who is definitely a guest?
Diaz replied with a puzzled expression.
“Isn’t this the herbalist?”
“Ah. Herbalist? Herbalist is right, but not anymore.”
I frowned.
I wonder what bullsh*t this is.
Fernandez rubbed his eyes and continued.
However, he gave a completely different answer than I expected.
“I can’t sell it, I can’t sell it. I can’t sell it, so what kind of merchant are you? Ehh.”
Diaz, who tried to answer again, I blocked with my hand and stepped forward.
“What are you talking about?”
“What are you talking about? Just like the other stores, I’m saying that I ate my life.”
“……”
Let’s stand with a face that I don’t understand.
Fernandez sighed and continued.
“Aren’t you from Rejeta’s side?”
“It’s on the way from the capital.”
“The capital city? Siphoreo? Ah…so you don’t know. I’ll give you one piece of advice. Just go back. The current chaos here is no ordinary chaos. Got it. If you want to go inside the city, you’ll have to go through it.
He sighed barely audibly and murmured.
“Because the mayor is crazy.”
What is this again?
I frowned.
Even in the original work, there was a memory of visiting Rejeta.
Even though it was the point after the Great Invasion, it was still lingering in my mind that they were holding up well after forming a defense line in their own way.
And the source of that power came from a market that had almost given up its authority.
A knight who gives up privileges and fights on the front line against citizens.
From the Mayor of Rejeta, Baron Romhardy.
Was the so-called high-ranking man crazy?
It was an incomprehensible situation.
“I can’t pay my taxes right now, so I’m tied up with shops and everything. So I can’t sell anything.”
Diaz tilted his head.
“You mean taxes are overdue?”
“Because it is.”
“I can’t do that…”
At Diaz’s words, Fernandez’s voice rose.
“There’s no way that would happen. Special tax, transaction tax, toll tax. Sooner or later, you’ll be asked to pay the breath tax even if you just breathe. You don’t even know. Tsk.”
“No matter how much the mayor is, he can’t tax that badly. Something…”
“Something, I guess. It’s just that I’m not full enough. Viscount Morden has now properly gripped the hilt of his sword. Anyway, the great Viscount Morden has issued a suspension of business right now, so I have nothing to sell. My older brothers pick it up themselves. I’ve been there…but still no news.”
Viscount Morden.
When the name came up, Diaz and I looked at each other.
‘Viscount Morden? As far as I know, the mayor of Rejeta City is Baron Rom Hardy…how is it going?’
But it was not the first time he had heard the name Viscount Morden.
It was definitely a name I had heard before.
The city I stopped by right before Siphoreo, Oryton.
From the mouth of the mayor there, Baron Lofenser.
[Wait a minute! If you kill me, Viscount Morden will not stand still!]
Right before he died, he clearly uttered the name.
It must have been quite a celebrity.
‘I’m curious… what kind of guy he is.’
* * *
The last condition to activate the hidden quest.
It was Fernandez’s purchase of an herb to cover the dumplings with.
When you randomly buy something, you come across an herb that costs a surprisingly high price.
If you purchase it as it is, the last condition was completed.
So I actually thought it would end very easily.
That much money was already enough support from the church.
By the way……
[I can’t sell anything unless Viscount Morden lifts the business suspension.]
what kind of lightning is this
In the end, I had no choice but to get out of the petty herbalist without earning any income.
immediately after coming out.
Diaz’s expression upon hearing Fernandez’s complaint was very hardened, just like mine.
“This… seems too much.”
I nodded.
“Well.”
After hearing all of Fernandez’s grievances, I too was dumbfounded.
According to him, no matter how hard he tried to find and sell herbs, the structure was designed to end up bankrupt.
In such an environment, no matter how diligently he lived, there seemed to be no way to continue his livelihood.
Read at noblemtl.com
Just because it was so unjust didn’t mean I had the right to change the system in this city.
Somehow, as an apostle of justice, borrowing the reputation of the seven knights and rampaging in the name of a paladin, something might change, but…
In the future, you will often encounter such unreasonable things, but it is not possible to step out and act out every time.
There was no time or space for that.
The era of the Great Invasion will soon arrive.
‘Still, I’m going to have to pay some attention to this place.’
This will be my biggest outing.
The flower of the phoenix was an elixir that I needed even if I had no sense of justice.
I remembered the name Fernandez had said.
“Did you say the Karcus mercenaries?”
“Yes that’s right.”
According to Fernandez, most of Rejeta City is currently in charge of security with the Carcus Mercenary Corps.
“It seems that Viscount Morden has recruited them because of the law that cannot have a large number of soldiers.”
“Does the mercenary have anything to do with it?”
“For now, according to the laws of Laderun Kingdom, there is no problem.”
“Right.”
“But…as Mr. Fernandez said, if they are imposing double taxes like tolls apart from the existing law, that’s a problem.”
Taxes were also a matter directly related to the church.
After all, the church was also a place where it was operated with taxes.
So Diaz seemed to be familiar with the relevant laws.
“If you continue to impose such high taxes on the citizens, the city itself will eventually fall.
I nodded.
“First of all, let’s go into the city. I’ll have to meet that Viscount Morden myself. I need to investigate the situation a little more.”
“All right.”
That’s how Diaz and I went straight to Rejeta.
Of course, thanks to his status as a member of the Seven Knights, there was no surprise at the toll.
But on the other hand, something frightening happened to me.
A stench that stings the nose.
A disgusting smell wafted through.
Diaz doesn’t feel it, no, nobody seems to feel it.
Only I could definitely sense this rotten smell.
And at the same time, he was convinced of the cause of the stench.
Because I’ve been through it before.
‘……It’s the devil’s smell.’
But in the middle of the city?
What the heck…what’s going on here?
I frowned and took in the panoramic view of the city.