The Sewer Mage (1)
As he stepped into the study that doubled as an office, a familiar scent of tea welcomed him.
Sienna, with practiced ease, measured out the tea leaves and set them to steep in the pot.
“A hunter of the lower streets, you say? What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You didn’t know? That’s the nickname they’ve given you.”
Dalen shook his head, puzzled. This was news to him.
“You’re always prowling the lower streets and back alleys, catching bounties. It’s no wonder you’ve earned a nickname, considering you venture into places others avoid for being filthy and dangerous.”
For the past week, Dalen had been frequenting the Crow’s Nest daily.
Preparing for the apocalypse was one thing, but the need for immediate cash was unchanging.
Sienna consistently handed him similar assignments: capturing people or beasts with bounties on their heads.
Fortunately, there was never a shortage of work.
Falcion was a sprawling city with millions of inhabitants.
Its deep alleys and lower streets were a constant source of bizarre happenings and minor incidents.
Even among bounty jobs, the targets varied widely.
Some days he hunted down petty criminals like murderers or robbers, while on others, he dealt with packs of wild dogs or oversized sewer rats.
Still, it didn’t quite add up. Dalen scratched his chin.
“There must be plenty of bounty hunters besides me, right?”
Clink.
Sienna set a teacup on the table. A dandelion petal floated on the surface of the tea.
“Ever thought that maybe your size makes you stand out?”
“Well, I suppose.”
After all, a muscular man over two meters tall wasn’t exactly common.
And not many bounty hunters chose to roam the back alleys or lower streets.
“Don’t worry. The rumor hasn’t spread far. Only a few informants like me know about it.”
At least for now, she added, sipping her tea.
Dalen watched her, thinking, She’s as sly as a fox.
“Do you think I don’t appreciate such rumors?”
“Well, it’s just a guess. Warriors from the north are all similar, aren’t they? Sometimes fame can be a hindrance in a fight.”
Her feigned ignorance was impressive.
Having a capable ally wasn’t a bad thing. Dalen chuckled softly and changed the subject.
“So, what’s this special request about?”
“Oh, that.”
Sienna pulled a few request forms from a drawer beneath her desk and spread them out for him to see.
This was how she’d been assigning him tasks over the past week—showing him a selection and letting him choose.
It was a marked change from when she’d simply handed him a single assignment, indicating a growing level of trust.
Sienna handed Dalen the request at the far end.
“This is it. A special request addressed to you.”
Dalen examined the document she handed him.
“The Mage Tower?”
“Yes. The Elgaia Mage Tower in the Silver District is looking for you.”
What on earth could this be about?
In this world, mages were highly valued. A skilled mage could excel not only in battle but in any field.
When Dalen had played as a mage character, he’d amassed wealth and fame as a lord’s advisor or a royal mage.
‘Not that it ever stopped the apocalypse.’
Regardless, the Mage Tower was a collective of such mages.
The presence of numerous Mage Towers in the Silver District spoke volumes about their prestige.
In contrast, the Bronze District had only a single branch building established by the Mage Tower Alliance.
“To be precise, it’s not the entire Elgaia Mage Tower, but a request from a senior mage. Still, the seal is from the tower, so you won’t be cheated out of your reward.”
“The reward isn’t the issue. How did the Mage Tower learn my name?”
Dalen was well aware of the Elgaia Mage Tower. It was one of the top ten towers in the Silver District.
The odds of Dalen’s name naturally reaching their ears were slim to none.
“Apparently, one of your clients recommended you. Even if you dislike being known, there’s nothing you can do about that.”
“Hmm.”
“From a client’s perspective, they at least need to know who completed their request, right?”
True enough. But one question remained.
“Did any of my clients hold such a high position?”
Dalen recalled the requests he’d received. But he soon realized it was a futile exercise.
Who would reveal their real name when dealing with a back-alley broker?
Sienna’s answer was unexpected.
“I have a guess. The Captain of the Silent Company in the Bronze Guard.”
”…That’s quite a figure.”
Someone of that stature could indeed have connections with the Mage Tower in the Silver District. He was someone you’d want on your side if possible.
Dalen downed his tea in one gulp and asked.
“So, what’s the request about?”
Forming ties with powerful individuals was always a double-edged sword.
Especially when you weren’t yet in a position to negotiate as equals.
That’s why accepting requests from such people required caution.
Sienna sipped her tea and spoke.
“It seems a senior mage’s only apprentice has gone missing. His name is Tommy Valentino. He disappeared in the sewers beneath the city. The reward is one florin. They’ll pay just for finding a trace of him, and double if you bring him back alive.”
“Not bad.”
A gold coin reward for a missing person search. And there was no condition to bring him back alive.
It wasn’t a request that would make enemies, and it was an opportunity to earn a favor from a senior mage.
‘In the culture of mages, a direct apprentice is considered akin to a child to their master.’
Rescuing his only child would leave the senior mage with a significant debt of gratitude.
And that was equivalent to indebting the Mage Tower itself.
‘When the time comes that I need the support of mages, this will surely be beneficial.’
There was no reason to hesitate. Dalen tucked the request into his coat.
“I’ll take it. A stroll through the sewers sounds like a delightful adventure.”
“Listening to you, one would think you’re off to slay a dragon.”
“Dragon Slayer has a nice ring to it. Better than Hunter of the Lower Streets.”
”…Honestly.”
Sienna shook her head in disbelief. Dalen chuckled and stood up.
“Get me a good guide. I don’t want to end up like a lost child.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll call someone right away.”
As Dalen headed for the door, he said,
“I’ll wait with a drink.”
The labyrinthine city of Falcion, home to millions.
The city’s sewers were constructed at its inception, expanding and being rebuilt over centuries.
As the city grew, the sewers stretched out over hundreds of years, their countless passages and side paths intertwining like a spider’s web, forming a maze.
At some point, monsters began to crawl in and roam freely, making it a place even the Bronze Guard avoided patrolling.
The only people who dared to reside here were demon worshippers or heinous criminals with nowhere else to go.
”…And this treacherous place is my workplace.”
Dalen chuckled at the guide’s proud declaration.
“You seem quite attached to your job.”
“Of course! What’s the backbone of a city? Advanced sewer systems are the foundation and symbol of this densely populated area. Managing them means I’m responsible for the city’s backbone!”
”…”
Living long enough, you see even sewer cleaners take pride in their work.
Dalen, who had spent years immersed in this game, found the sight amusing.
Life never ceases to surprise.
“Don’t you find it dangerous?”
Sewer cleaners were city employees tasked with regularly inspecting and cleaning the sewers to prevent blockages.
Their reality involved navigating the sewers, which were home to monsters and served as a refuge for criminals.
Yet, they weren’t particularly strong individuals who could traverse this perilous maze with ease.
Even in this world, government jobs were poorly paid.
“It’s dangerous! But there’s a reward after the hardship. They say the struggles of youth are worth more than gold, right?”
Well, I’m not sure that saying applies here.
Dalen shook his head, but it didn’t really matter.
What he needed was a guide, and she was undoubtedly a capable one.
From the lower streets to the upper levels of the labyrinthine sewers.
This energetic cleaner led him on the optimal route without losing her way once.
“How long have you been doing this?”
“About three years now.”
“That’s quite a while.”
Most don’t last a year before getting injured or worse. He kept that thought to himself.
If she’d been doing this dangerous job for three years, finding a better guide would be difficult. Her pride in her work was understandable.
At the same time, Dalen was once again impressed by Sienna’s ability to find such an excellent guide.
“You seem to know your way around this place well. What did you say your name was?”
“Dalen.”
“I’m Penny.”
She smiled brightly.
“Like the coin.”
”…Pleased to meet you.”
“I feel the same way.”
Penny refocused on the guide.
The deeper they went, the deeper the water beneath their feet became. What had started as mere puddles now lapped at their ankles.
The walls were covered in yellowish moss, and water dripped steadily from the ceiling. The distinct stench of the sewer assaulted their noses.
For Dalen, whose senses were particularly sharp, it was a grueling experience.
They continued on for a while until Penny suddenly stopped.
“This is about where it’s marked on the map.”
“So, this is where they went missing.”
“Yes.”
Fwoosh.
Dalen swept the area with his torch.
Though his night vision was good enough that he didn’t really need the torch, he still found it helpful given his lack of experience.
“The missing person is from the Elgaia Tower. A geomancer, no doubt.”
A disciple of the tower, especially one directly under a senior mage, would be formidable in their own right.
If someone managed to kidnap such a mage, it wasn’t the work of an ordinary serial killer.
“It must be him.”
Dalen had suspected the kidnapper’s identity from the moment he accepted the job.
His willingness to take on the task without hesitation was partly due to this suspicion.
“The masked cultists who create abominations. One of the most troublesome among them.”
Once fully matured, such a creature could be a one-man army.
But now was not the time for its power to be complete. There was still a year, maybe two, before it would become a disaster that could engulf the Bronze District.
“That’s why it’s crucial to crush it now, for the future.”
Dalen organized his thoughts and calmly extended his senses.
“The missing person is a geomancer. The underground sewers are an extremely advantageous environment for them. Even if they were ambushed, they wouldn’t have gone down easily.”
A fierce battle must have taken place.
And tracking a geomancer’s battlefield was relatively straightforward.
Given their combat style, it was only natural.
They would turn the ground into a swamp to trap their enemies and summon rocks from below to launch like missiles. A high-level mage could even reshape the entire area.
Splash.
Dalen’s heightened senses spread out in all directions. Relying on his superhuman perception, he walked slowly.
As expected, it wasn’t long before signs of battle began to appear.
Scattered bricks, a collapsed ceiling, and the dried black blood of a monster.
He stopped at a crossroads where two passages met.
Swish—
Dalen drew his sword and stirred the water beneath. Soon, a thin chain necklace caught on the tip of his blade.
Penny’s eyes widened as she asked, “What’s that?”
“A necklace with a one-time protective spell. It’s something the tower provides to its students for self-defense. I believe each student gets one for free.”
Dalen placed the necklace in his palm.
“And the fact that the small crystal’s light is out means the stored spell has been used up.”
“So that means…”
“This was the mage’s last stand.”
The evidence of battle was clear.
The mage had been ambushed here, fought back, but ultimately met their limit.
Dalen closed his eyes. In the darkness, other senses were more effective than sight.
He felt the direction of the breeze on his skin.
The subtle, musty scent of moss mixed with the sewer’s stench tickled his nose.
The sound of insects crawling within the walls whispered in his ears.
His heightened senses processed these stimuli, and his superhuman intelligence broke them down into information.
”…”
And then, something caught at the edge of his awareness.
“Penny.”
“Yes?”
“Are you any good in a fight?”
Dalen opened his eyes, unstrapping a shield from his back and holding it in his left hand.
He turned his head to peer into the darkness of the passage they had come from.
“Well… I can handle myself, I guess? I’ve been a sewer cleaner for three years, after all.”
“Good to know.”
As he squinted into the darkness, his near-superhuman vision pierced through the gloom, catching a faint, writhing movement.
A large amphibian head with bulging eyes and a wide mouth.
Its bluish-green skin was smooth, and its spindly limbs were disproportionately thin compared to its oversized head.
“Step back for a moment. I’ll handle this quickly.”
Sensing Dalen’s gaze, the creature rolled its large eyes to meet his. Its wide mouth opened.
Rumble!
It was the sound of a predator beginning its hunt.