The Abandoned City (3)

Bifron is an abandoned city.

It used to be the 14th district of Ravigion, a residential area with a dimensional square. But long ago, the protective magic circle that blocked the witch’s poison malfunctioned, and the entire district was sealed off.

And then—

“It became a prison camp.”

Rather than discarding an entire district, the royal family separated the 14th District, gave it the new name “Bifron,” and repurposed it into a different kind of city.

Idealists dreaming of revolution.

Thinkers with progressive ideologies.

Or those who harbored grievances against the city’s system itself, and so on.

The royal family locked away all such “reactionaries” in Bifron. As a result, they gained far more benefit than they would have by simply hanging them.

But…

Right now, the royal family must be feeling uneasy.

When the Noarkians left the city walls, they proved that the witch’s poison that melts your body upon contact is a myth. It doesn’t exist.

However, regular citizens still treat it like a rumor since access to information is limited.

Anyway—

“Whew…”

That’s all I know for now about Bifron.

So why has this place suddenly become so important?

Is it politically significant to the royal family?

Is that why Noark is trying to use it?

That was my first thought, but the more I thought about it, the more it didn’t add up.

If that were true, the royal family would’ve at least sent forces to protect it. They aren’t idiots, and they would’ve thought of what I thought of too.

“…I’ll just keep investigating.”

With that in mind, I continued investigating Bifron even after leaving the checkpoint.

I organized a search team to scour the city and asked residents if any legends or stories  passed around.

Also—

Swooooosh—!

I finally climbed up the city wall, something I hadn’t done before due to the palace knights.

Somehow, I ended up going up there with my companions.

“Wow…”

“It’s different from what I imagined the outside world to be like when I was a kid. I thought it’d just be a dark, barren wasteland…”

“Hmm. It looks… surprisingly peaceful…”

The view of the outside world from the towering city walls was nothing short of breathtaking.

Lush forests, mountains, and valleys stretched beyond the horizon, hinting at a vibrant natural world beyond what was visible.

“Mister, should we just jump off here?”

“Huh…?”

“Just saying. What would it matter if we went out there? Noark, the royal family… who woud care?”

I didn’t think it was a joke.

In fact, the moment I looked down that wall, I had a similar impulse.

What if we just walked out there?

If I’m not going back to the world I came from anyway, maybe that’s not such a bad idea.

Then I wouldn’t have to scramble toward the Gate of the Abyss, or be terrified of the royal family watching my every move, or obsess over getting stronger.

I wouldn’t have to lose anything to move forward.

All of it—gone.

As that thought bloomed in my mind, I shook my head.

“We can’t.”

“Huh?”

“The protective magic circle must still be working.”

“What? But Bifron’s magic circle is supposed to be broken…”

“How can you trust the royal family’s word?”

I told her to try shooting an arrow outward. Erwin, with a tense expression, drew her bowstring.

And then—

Thunk—!

The arrow struck something invisible in midair before falling to the ground.

“Still intact, huh.”

“…Yeah.”

Erwin looked disappointed but then casually asked me,

“Maybe if I shoot harder, a gap will open?”

“You can try, but it probably won’t work. The magic circle is the legacy of the Last Great sage, Gabrielius.”

Besides, I didn’t say it out loud, but…

There’s no guarantee that stepping outside would lead to the life I want.

Right?

Why did the Noark bastards who went beyond the walls come back into the city?

They must’ve had their reasons.

And beyond that…

“Running doesn’t suit me.”

After living like a barbarian for so long, my body and soul are completely dyed with that way of life.

I don’t want to hide like fugitives.

No—if anything—

“I’d rather flip the whole board.”

If I destroy everything and become king, I won’t have to build a house on some empty plain, right?

It might not be realistic, but…

“Maybe it’s not entirely impossible?”

If I’m thinking like this, I really have turned into a barbarian.

On the second day of my investigation into Bifron, I ran into an old acquaintance.

“You’ve grown a lot.”

“Hello, Baron.”

“Hello, Baron.”

The ten-year-old boy who had boldly approached me on the day I was exiled to Bifron, offering to guide me in exchange for 100 stones.

That kid had since grown into a young man.

I wouldn’t have recognized him if he hadn’t greeted me first.

“You were eleven back then, right?”

“You remember that…”

“You also said the qualification test was possible at fourteen.”

“Yes. That’s correct.”

“Then why are you still here?”

At my question, the kid shrugged with a faint smile.

“I failed. To prove my worth.”

“…I see.”

“I guess I didn’t have enough time. It couldn’t have been lack of effort.”

“So you’re planning to try again?”

“You really don’t know, Baron. The qualification test is only possible once—when you’re exactly fourteen. If you don’t leave then, you lose the chance to leave forever.”

The kid spoke indifferently, leaving me at a loss for words.

Should I say it’s a little sad?

Ah, I should just say what I’m feeling honestly.

“That’s unfortunate.”

“No. I actually think it turned out for the better.”

“……?”

“Now, I help younger kids pass their qualification tests. So at least they can get out.”

“Doesn’t it feel unfair?”

At my question, the kid just smiled faintly, said he was grateful I remembered him, and left, saying he had to go teach the younger ones.

I asked if there were any local legends or mysterious places in Bifron, just in case, but he said there weren’t any.

‘So there’s really nothing here…?’

The longer the investigation went on, the more impatient I became.

Honestly, I thought if I searched the city thoroughly, I’d find something.

“Versil, any luck contacting the outside world?”

“No. It’s still difficult. The protective magic circle creates a dimensional-severing phenomenon.”

“I see.”

“We can only use physical means to communicate, yet no matter how much we wave a flag from the walls, they don’t seem to notice. Oddly enough, the houses near the walls are deserted, and there’s no one on the streets either. It feels like the whole place has been evacuated.”

“Evacuated, huh…”

As time passed, I became more curious about the world outside than the situation inside.

Hah, is there really no way to get any news?

If the ghostbusters hadn’t been shut down, I could’ve prepared something while waiting.

One day, two days, three…

Time passed without any real progress, and the explorers who followed me into Bifron gradually grew accustomed to the place.

They couldn’t sleep in the square, so they stayed with residents. In return, they repaired worn-down buildings, exchanged goods from the outer districts, had priests heal the sick, and more.

Eventually, the explorers gradually stopped treating the residents like plague victims and began seeing them as ordinary people.

As someone who once ruled Bifron, it was a heartwarming sight.

But—

Badump.

The more peaceful it got, the more uneasy I felt.

No leads in the investigation.

And with neither the royal family nor Noark making any moves, strange thoughts kept swirling in my head.

Rustle—

I got up from bed, put on my coat, and stepped outside. My body was stiff, and I couldn’t sleep no matter how hard I tried, so I decided to take a walk.

Step. Step.

Bifron may be cleaner now, but its nighttime streets felt different from other districts.

Darker—much darker.

They lacked resources, so it was unavoidable.

“Well, at least it’s quiet and atmospheric.”

I walked for a while and eventually arrived near the walls.

I hadn’t planned to come here, but…

I considered turning back, but curiosity about the view beyond the walls at night got the better of me, so I climbed up.

Whoooosh—!

The crisp night air blew past.

But the nightscape below the walls was nothing like what I’d expected.

“I can’t see anything.”

Only pitch-black darkness stretched below.

Staring down, I felt as if something might leap out and drag me in.

‘…The sky’s just black too.’

Maybe I picked the wrong night—there weren’t many stars out.

So I just stood there, letting the wind brush past me, before finally deciding to head back—.

Tap

I felt a presence behind me.

Even my dull barbarian nerves couldn’t mistake it.

Whoosh—

I turned around and saw a hooded figure standing on the wall like a ghost.

“Baron Jandel, listen.”

I didn’t need to ask who it was.

The wind blew fiercely at that moment.

Whoooosh—!

Past the fluttering hood, I noticed light armor, a shortsword hanging from the belt, and the outline of a woman’s form.

“What’s the Rose Knights doing here?”

I asked casually. The woman pulled a rolled-up scroll out of her coat and unfolded it.

“By the King’s decree.”

Hah, what kind of business is this in the middle of the night?

***

The Rose Knight’s message was simple.

To summarize…

“They’re temporarily opening the checkpoint in the 4th District, so we should escape then?”

“My duty is only to deliver the message.”

“You’re not very chatty, are you?”

She didn’t respond.

No small talk, huh?

Well, that doesn’t mean I can’t try.

“Your job is to relay the king’s message accurately, right? Then answer this—”

“The scroll says to bring the explorers from District 7. But not the Bifron residents?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“A strange question. They were never permitted to enter the living districts in the first place.”

“What if I insisted on taking them?”

“That’s meaningless. As I said, they do not have permission.”

In short, they’ll block them no matter what.

And this opponent isn’t someone I can muscle through.

“Unless… you plan to defy the king?”

“Of course not. Just curious.”

“Then there’s nothing more to say. Bring the District 7 explorers to the checkpoint at the appointed time.”

I asked her more questions but got nothing useful.

“Why is the checkpoint still shut down? You could’ve used Bifron to attack Districts 7 and 13.”

“I don’t know.”

“When did you find out we were here?”

“I don’t know.”

“Do you know what Noark is planning to do with Bifron? Does the royal family know?”

“I don’t know.”

“You really don’t know anything, huh?”

She smirked at my sarcasm.

But I wasn’t done.

“Then what’s your name? Don’t tell me you don’t know that either.”

“I don’t know.”

Huh. She’s got

Wow. She seemed absolutely set on this.

Sensing she wouldn’t be easy, I tried provoking her a bit more.

“What happens if we don’t show up at the checkpoint on time? Not that I plan to disobey, but you never know. Something might come up.”

She didn’t respond.

She just stood there, thinking for a moment, then—

“See that star?”

She pointed to the sky.

“…So?”

“If you were looking from up there, we’d look just as small. Even someone like you, Baron, known as the giant.”

What was she trying to say?

I frowned as if I didn’t get it, but I did.

From the royal family’s point of view, I’m just one small piece on the board.

“You only need to remember one thing, Baron: obey the king’s order. Be at the checkpoint with your people, on time.”

Most would’ve backed down at such clear lines.

But I tilted my head like a true barbarian.

“…So what happens if I don’t?”

Just as she wasn’t someone I could reason with, I wasn’t someone who could be reasoned with either.

Maybe she got tired of my persistence or was intrigued. After staring at me intently, she replied coldly.

“You will come. For your own sake.”

An authoritative statement that explained nothing.

But in those final words, I instinctively sensed something.

I couldn’t back it up with evidence, but—

“You people…”

“……”

“Are you seriously planning to blow up all of Bifron?”

For some reason, my hunches like this had a way of coming true.

.

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