DKIE CH7: That Day

This mutual harm ended with mutual victimization.

Thanks to a ruined quill pen, Luka now had to change his clothes.

“Melodramatic.”

Upon hearing this complaint, the quill’s tip turned as cold as ice.

A simple cleaning spell could remove the bloodstains on his clothes, unlike the quill, whose soul, tainted by milk burps, could not be cleansed even with ten cleaning spells.

Luka couldn’t use magic, so he planned to seek out Maya.

The quill suggested he check his pocket first.
— Cleaner than his dignity.

The guild offering him accommodation didn’t mean they would endlessly cover his expenses.

Luka felt no shame, nor did he fear being exposed. When he found Maya, he maintained a leisurely demeanor:
“Excuse me, is there a place that sells affordable fabric? I’m new here and worried about being ripped off.”

Maya assured him that his concern was unnecessary:
“In Boulder City, prices are always clearly marked.”

Luka nodded, turned to leave, but suddenly stepped back:
“Beautiful lady.”

Maya: “…”

“Would you consider securing a naming right?” Luka sincerely recommended, “I’m about to write a bestselling novel that will sweep the continent. I can sell you a minor character role. With enough tips, even an important supporting role is possible.”

There was no such concept as “minor character” on the Holy Magic Continent. Maya curiously repeated, “Minor character?”

Luka explained, “It also implies outsmarting the dragon race. They’ll love this novel.”

Maya secretly thought that this young man’s brain must be malfunctioning.
No, she couldn’t think that way. Otherwise, it would imply that the guild master who allowed him in was also brainless.

She kindly warned, “Dragons are known for holding grudges. Don’t speak ill of them.”

Though dragons were rare, encountering one would be disastrous.

Luka obediently nodded.

Seeing that she had no interest in playing a minor role, Luka prepared to leave again.

Maya suddenly called out, “Wait.”

Luka: “Beautiful lady, have you changed your mind?”

Maya’s mouth twitched.

It wasn’t that she’d changed her mind. Rather, a shadow guard sent by the master was floating atop the tallest ancient tree, holding a magically conjured sign that read: “Agree with him. Test him.”

Worried Maya wouldn’t understand, the guard even took off a piece of clothing on the spot.
The master had instructed them to pay special attention to the ornaments Luka wore. This was a golden opportunity.

From his high vantage point, the guard was seen by several passing attendants outside the guild, who exclaimed, “Pervert!”

Maya understood and changed her tone:
“There’s a hot spring nearby. Guild guests can enjoy it for free.”

She subtly hinted that the bathhouse would provide robes, which were of higher quality than Luka’s current attire.

Luka smiled happily, as if unsurprised by her sudden change of heart.

“Lead the way, please.”

Luka stepped forward, and the shadow guard followed closely behind.

Just as they exited the guild, the guard suddenly stopped, scanning the surroundings with vigilance. He had sensed a faint magical fluctuation, but upon careful inspection, found nothing.

Once the guard disappeared, a shadow emerged from the corner.

“As expected of the Rhine Trading Company.
Even an ordinary guard is a seventh-tier mage.”

The shadow trailed the guard, curious about what made this young man special enough to catch Cullen’s attention.

Before long, the still air rippled again as a dark elf stepped out from the void.

“It seems I’m not the only one watching that boy.”

The dark elf had another reason for targeting Luka.

Their race had a natural affinity for space magic, and in the Rhine Trading Company, the dark elf sensed a familiar spatial fluctuation from Luka.

There were two possibilities:

First, the boy was a space mage.

Second, he carried a precious spatial scroll that wasn’t stored in a dimensional ring.

The latter was more likely.

The dark elf was determined to obtain the spatial scroll and cautiously followed the mage ahead.

After the dark elf vanished, a bird that had flown away earlier returned and landed on the shoulder of a dwarf hiding in the shadows.

The dwarf was still bitter about his encounter at the trading company:
“So many people are after him… Seems that boy is hiding a big secret.”

Lacking strength himself, the dwarf ordered the mechanical bird to follow the dark elf while he trailed from the rear.

…

The hot spring bathhouse was less than a kilometer from the guild.

Luka was surprised that the quill had remained quiet the whole way.

Looking down, he discovered that the quill’s tip had automatically turned backward, as if peeking behind them.

“What are you looking at?”

Quill: “Playing word chain.”

“?”

Maya handed Luka a leaf-shaped badge:

“This serves as proof of your guest status at the guild. Just show it, and you can enter directly.”

Luka stepped forward, and sure enough, the guards allowed him through upon seeing the badge.

The bathhouse consisted of private pools, separated by bamboo fences, and was nearly empty during the day. Luka first changed his clothes, naturally locking his enchanted inner garments in the cabinet.

“Not having a storage ring is such a hassle.”

Fortunately, the bathrobe was long and loose, allowing him to carry the quill and conceal the spatial scroll without drawing attention.

The courtyard was filled with steam, and the overhead canopy blocked part of the sunlight.

The hot spring water was smooth and warm, causing Luka’s hair to tremble with comfort.

He spread his arms along the edge of the pool, appearing to be resting with his eyes closed.

In reality—

He was secretly transmitting his voice.

“As per our agreement, you still owe me one fight,” Luka whispered. “Go and catch the bastard spying on me.”

This was a critical part of his plan.

Back at the Rare Treasures Pavilion, Luka had deliberately revealed his enchanted bracelet to attract Cullen’s attention. Coming to the bathhouse now was giving the other party the perfect opportunity to investigate him.

Maya’s recommendation to visit the bathhouse was no coincidence—it was a setup for this exact moment.

Luka planned to use this against them, accusing them of voyeurism and seizing the moral high ground to gain more leverage.

Quill: “I’m at a loss here.”

As soon as the words fell, a dense mist rose across the bathhouse, carrying a faint scent of blood that stung the eyes.

Luka covered his eyes with his hand. Moments later, he heard several muffled groans in the air.

Wait…
Several?

Bang!
Thud!
Smack!
Squeak!

The sounds of various heavy objects hitting the ground echoed nearby. Luka’s first thought was:

“Please, just don’t fall into my bath.”

When the blood mist cleared, a flash of blue light flickered above the bathhouse. Luka opened his eyes, barely catching sight of lightning flashing in the distant sky.

But what truly caught his attention was the scene before him.

About ten meters away, there lay men and women, young and old, and even a half-dead bird flapping weakly.

The “old” referred to the dwarf, whose skin was wrinkled like tree bark.

At this moment, Luka finally understood why the quill said it was at a loss.

It wasn’t just one person spying on him—

The quill had taken out an entire squad of perverts in one go.

“You… No, all of you…”

Before Luka could finish, the sound of synchronized footsteps came from outside.

Within seconds, the entire bathhouse was surrounded by layers of city patrol guards. Luka watched helplessly as a dozen armored soldiers encircled his private pool.

…Great. Now there were even more people.

The patrol captain locked eyes on Luka with a fierce gaze:
“How dare you use harmful magic in Boulder City. Do you know your crime?”

Luka had anticipated being discovered before making his move, but he hadn’t expected it to happen so quickly.

The quill, being more knowledgeable, explained:

 “There’s an ancient beast circling above Boulder City that usually sleeps. If it detects combat magic, it alerts the patrol guards.”

No wonder there was lightning earlier.

Due to their blood contract, the quill’s magical signature was identical to Luka’s, so the blame naturally fell on him.

Luka raised his hands:

“There’s a reason for this. A legitimate reason.”

Under normal circumstances, the patrol captain wouldn’t listen to a single word of explanation.

However, considering Luka was the only surviving witness of the Storm Dragon incident and clearly lacked magical abilities, the captain reluctantly allowed him to speak.

“Someone was spying on me while I was bathing,” Luka said with a serious expression. “If I am guilty, does that mean from now on, thieves can break into houses, and the victims aren’t even allowed to fight back, all in the name of ‘appreciation and observation’?”

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the surrounding guards became quite interesting.

“Spying?” The captain glanced at the disheveled individuals on the ground. “Which one of them was peeking?”

Luka: “All of them.”

The dark elf was the first to protest:

“I wasn’t spying!”

Luka calmly asked, “To enter the bathhouse, you need a guest badge. Where’s yours?”

The dark elf was speechless.

She had indeed snuck in and couldn’t refute it.

The others were in the same situation. There was no way they could prove they had legally entered the bathhouse.

The shadow guard was the most miserable. He had been exposed.

However, having experienced countless storms, he remained composed:

“This bathhouse is ridiculously expensive. I just sneaked in for a soak, but I was suddenly attacked.”

The patrol guard stared at him for a few seconds before signaling his subordinates to search him.

Soon, they pulled out a recording stone from the guard’s pocket.

His expression changed instantly.

The recording stone was filled with footage of Luka entering the bathhouse.

The patrol captain’s face turned cold as he stepped forward and delivered a brutal kick to the guard’s stomach.

In Boulder City, resisting arrest would be considered an insult to the city lord, so the shadow guard had to endure the blow without fighting back.

“Not only did you spy, but you even secretly recorded it.”

The shadow guard: “…”

He was wronged. He only wanted to see if he could record the inscriptions on the boy’s accessories.

The captain ordered a search of the other three.

“This too.”

A female patrol guard found a man’s inner garment on the dark elf.

Luka: “My clothes!”

The captain’s gaze paused briefly when he saw the enchantment inscription on the inner garment. The next moment, he stepped in front of the dark elf: “What kind of pervert are you?”

Dark Elf: “…”

She was wronged as well. She merely wanted to search for the spatial scroll but was captivated by the enchantment on the clothing and decided to take it for research.

Now, only the dwarf and the silent man remained.

The dwarf had a clear motive due to his previous conflict with Luka. As for the silent man, knowing that the more he said, the more mistakes he’d make, he simply admitted to the peeping accusation.

At this moment, he deeply regretted coming to investigate why Cullen, the president of the Rhine Trading Company, had personally received this boy.

He still had no idea who had ambushed him earlier and suspected that this seemingly weak boy had a powerful bodyguard lurking in the shadows. All he wanted now was to leave the city to avoid future retaliation.

“The Storm Dragon just wreaked havoc last night. Everyone’s on edge and prone to accidental attacks.”

Using this as an excuse, the man continued:

“How about this? I’ll pay ten gold coins—five as compensation to the young man for the disturbance and five as a city fine.”

Under normal circumstances, this would be unacceptable.

But this was destined to be an unclear situation where neither side was entirely in the right.

Boulder City was known for its rough and straightforward nature. The typical handling method for the patrol guards was to arrest everyone involved. However…

The captain glanced at Luka.

The news that the president of the Rhine Trading Company had personally welcomed this boy had already spread like wildfire.
Catching four spies in one go and using enchanted clothing as a binding magic tool…

With all these factors combined, the captain felt it was worth showing some leniency within his authority.

“What do you think?” the captain asked.

Luka raised the stakes: “Ten gold coins from each of them.”

The man agreed without hesitation: “Deal.”

The dark elf also handed over ten gold coins.

The dwarf cursed under his breath as he reluctantly pulled out his money.

When it was the shadow guard’s turn, Luka suddenly said, “You don’t need to pay.”

The guard froze, becoming even more uneasy.

This one was dressed in combat gear and clearly had a different aura from the others. Among the four, there was undoubtedly someone from Cullen’s side, and this one was the most likely suspect.

Luka rose from the hot spring and walked over barefoot to collect the money.

His wet clothes clung to his slender frame, and water dripped from the fabric, outlining his lean waistline. However, given the bizarre situation, everyone looked at him as if he were a “landlord collecting rent.”

After collecting the gold coins, Luka stood in front of the shadow guard and flicked his finger lightly.

The gold coin traced a perfect arc in the air before landing steadily in his palm.

“Tell your master that if he’s in a hurry, he can come for an early reading of my new book tonight.”

The shadow guard’s expression shifted.

As the farce came to an end, the patrol guards prepared to leave. Before leaving, they heard Luka mumbling to himself:

 “Should I also demand mental compensation from the bathhouse owner? What kind of security is this?”

In just one bath, he encountered spying, secret recording, and even theft of his clothes…

“…”

As soon as they stepped out of the bathhouse, a muscular patrol guard couldn’t hold back:

“Captain, this kid’s not right. Should we report it to the city lord?”

Even the captain knew he couldn’t handle four spies at once.

“Reporting what? That someone got ambushed while taking a bath?”

The patrol guard shrank back under the captain’s glare.

The captain snorted:

“He’s already involved with the Rhine Trading Company. There’s likely some kind of deal going on. He won’t leave the city anytime soon.”

If there’s something wrong with him, it will reveal itself sooner or later.

The captain’s gaze shifted to the retreating figure of the shadow guard. He had already guessed the man’s identity:

“The most embarrassed person right now is probably the esteemed President Cullen.”

The shadow guard returned to the trading company and hesitated outside the door for a full minute like a quail.

A fellow guard passing by asked, “Why aren’t you going in?”

The shadow guard remained silent.

“Ah… You screwed up, didn’t you?”

The other guard immediately understood and went inside to report: “Reporting to the president, Number Seven has returned, carrying deep shame and utter failure.”

Shadow Guard No. 7: “…”

The seven shadow guards of the Rhine Trading Company had grown up with Cullen, so they enjoyed a certain level of informality.

But when it came to official matters, there was no room for personal feelings.

Before long, the shadow guard stood before Cullen, head lowered and silent.

Cullen seemed to have expected this result.

“Don’t be too hard on yourself. One of the reasons I sent you was to see if you’d be detected.”

The seventh-tier mage was a clear boundary of strength.

“What I’m more curious about is… If Luka had the ability to detect you, why did he wait until now to expose you?”

The shadow guard gave a full report:

“I was caught recording him bathing… Along with a dark elf, a dwarf, and a merchant. But I’m not the most disgraceful one—

The dark elf was caught with a man’s inner garment. Anyone would call that pure perversion.”

Cullen’s handsome face cracked slightly.

The shadow guard hesitated before delivering Luka’s message:

“The boy also asked me to tell you… If you’re in a hurry, you can come for an early reading of his new book tonight.”

The words carried a subtle provocation.

The air grew terrifyingly still.

Cullen gently rotated the gemstone ring on his right thumb, his expression unreadable.

Finally, he glanced at the guard and instructed:

“In two hours, send a carriage to bring him to the trading company.”

The shadow guard was stunned.

Given the current tension between the two sides, the boy might not even dare to come.

Even if he did, he’d surely feel uneasy.

With countless thoughts swirling in his mind, the shadow guard returned to the guild and conveyed Cullen’s message.

“Great!”

By this time, it was already late afternoon—perfect for a free meal. How could Luka miss such an opportunity?

The shadow guard was left dumbfounded.

Not even a moment of hesitation?

Out of courtesy, Luka didn’t wear the bathrobe and changed back into his old clothes.

At the entrance stood a griffin with a massive, majestic frame and sleek white fur.

Luka huffed and puffed as he tried to climb up but failed.

 “Excuse me, a little help here?”

The shadow guard didn’t move.

The griffin lowered its large head and exhaled a breath of air, lifting Luka up and gently placing him on its broad back.

Luka then scrambled to climb into the carriage behind it.

At this moment, the shadow guard got a close look at the cheap bracelet on Luka’s slender wrist.

“What a unique inscription,” he thought in shock.

The structure was ancient magic, and just one glance was enough to stir an irresistible urge to study it.

On the Holy Magic Continent, people had an intense fascination with inscriptions, especially ancient magic.

In their eyes, ancient magic could only be described with one word: seductive.

“Whoa.”

The moment Luka settled into the carriage, the griffin took off.

Luka opened the window to enjoy the view outside.

The streets bustled with people, and the towering statue of the Saint stood below. Yet, from this aerial perspective, the statue seemed to stretch endlessly, as if it spanned a thousand meters.

This was the nature of a statue imbued with faith—

One could only look up in awe.

The Rhine Trading Company had impeccable taste.

In the rugged and rough-styled Boulder City, the company stood out as a unique sight.

It seemed the upper management had a particular fondness for griffins. Two golden griffin statues flanked the entrance, enchanted to withstand sun and rain.

No one guarded them, yet no one dared to lay a hand on them.

Following the shadow guard, Luka passed through several architecturally complex halls and finally arrived at the reception hall for distinguished guests.

The table was already filled with a lavish feast.

Cullen was a schemer, but he was also straightforward.

 Upon meeting Luka, he immediately invited him to dine and then expressed his apology for the earlier incident.

“There was some misunderstanding. However, what’s done is done. The trading company is willing to offer compensation.”

“No need for compensation,” Luka interrupted with a wave of his hand.
“Just give me a storage ring.”

While Luka could have extorted a large sum of money, that would’ve been out of character and made him seem petty.

A decent storage ring started at thirty gold coins, saving him a fair amount.

Luka then took out a parchment scroll and gently pushed it forward.

Cullen’s hand trembled slightly with anticipation as he picked it up.

There were few things in this world that could pique his interest, but the so-called “novel” Luka spoke of had him utterly captivated.

He had speculated that the story might contain some unknown magical elements, or perhaps even an undiscovered magic structure.

The quill shook its feathers mockingly.

“See? Not reading will haunt you for a day.
Reading it will haunt you for a lifetime.”