Chapter 75: The Path to Priest Delwing

I took a deep breath and checked the map one last time. Jumping was certainly a more economical method than walking the long, winding path down. I was doing things in Zelpia I’d never dream of in real life—like bungee jumping without a cord. I cautiously climbed onto the railing and leaped.

The wind whipped fiercely against my cheeks. The moment of falling was technically a split second, but that second felt remarkably long. As my body succumbed to gravity, I felt an unpleasant sense of detachment, like my stomach had stayed behind on the plaza. If I were Han Gyu-tae, who lived for every thrill ride at the amusement park, I might have enjoyed it. But for me? Not so much. Just end already. I squeezed my eyes shut.

Thump.

Instead of the hard ground, something solid and firm caught me. Fearing the worst, I opened my eyes.

“What are you doing?”

“A princess carry.”

“Put me down.”

Sephiroth had caught me perfectly. Somehow, he’d timed the angle exactly right to support my back and legs. I had the sinking feeling this wasn’t the first time I’d been carried like this by him. Feeling utterly disgruntled, I wriggled out of his arms and stood on the pavement.

“How did you know about this path?”

“Found it back when I was doing quests. It’s a pain to spiral all the way down every time you come out of the Warp Gate.”

“Fair enough.”

Even if I had other quests here, I didn’t think I’d have much business in the high-end residential district. Maybe the Zelpia developers left these shortcuts intentionally for players who prioritize efficiency. Or maybe there was a hidden secret tucked away somewhere.

Following Sephiroth through a few more back alleys, we reached the Central Market in no time. The distance I’d seen on the map was much further; this was definitely a “true” shortcut.

The three-story stone building still stood in the market square, with ivy snaking its way up toward the spire. Usually, it would be bustling with players, but thanks to Sephiroth’s notoriety, most users had cleared out the moment they spotted his black armor.

“Let’s go in.”

“Right.”

The male elf was still sitting at the first-floor reception desk. He looked up from his paperwork with a weary expression, and our eyes met just as I was looking around. He stood up slowly.

“Welcome, heroes. Lord Doltec is expecting you.”

“He’s waiting for us?”

“Yes. He gave strict orders to send you up the moment you arrived.”

It seemed coming back to Doltec was indeed the correct trigger for the next stage of the quest. Having secured a “Free Pass” to the third floor, Sephiroth and I headed toward the drawing room. I couldn’t help but notice Sephiroth fidgeting with the pommel of his axe. He looked like a man ready to start a bloodbath at the slightest provocation.

“Ooh, welcome, welcome! I’ve been waiting.”

The blue slime expanded its body the moment it saw us, as if trying to offer a grand welcome. Not being well-versed in slime culture, I just felt like the blob had gotten bigger. Ignoring my internal critique, Doltec hopped off his chair and bounced toward us with a rhythmic boing-boing sound.

“Did you have a successful trip to the Sea of Phantoms?”

“Yes. We’ve returned.”

“I see. And the pearl? Did you find it?”

The center of the slime curved slightly, folding into what looked like a greasy, middle-aged man’s squinty-eyed smile. Its “mouth” curled so high it almost touched the edges of its eyes. Its voice was coated in an oily, manufactured friendliness. If this were a real person, I’d avoid them like the plague. Then again, I suppose that’s what makes a good villain.

“Unfortunately, there was no pearl.”

“Is that so…?”

The slime’s voice turned icy in an instant. He bounced slowly toward me, circling around as if inspecting a piece of merchandise. He was looking for any sign that I was hiding something.

“No pearl at all? Surely those mermen would have hidden it away?”

“We searched everywhere, but found nothing.”

As I said it, I felt a slight twinge of guilt. Sephiroth and I had cleared the tower, but we’d been pretty lazy about actually investigating the rest of the Sea of Phantoms. I glanced at Sephiroth. I couldn’t see his eyes behind that black visor, but I felt his gaze on me.

“…Strange. Truly strange.”

“We—”

“I can smell the scent of the pearl on you… and yet, you don’t seem to have it…”

The slime muttered to himself like a man possessed. If he existed in modern-day Seoul, he’d be the guy shouting nonsense on Subway Line 1. To snap him out of his internal monologue and get back on track, I spoke up.

“Excuse me, Lord Doltec.”

“What is it?”

“Do you happen to know a man named Priest Delwing?”

“Delwing? I know him. But why do you ask of him?”

Fortunately, it seemed Doltec knew where Delwing was. I forced a smile and let a lie slip through my lips with practiced ease.

“While investigating the Sea of Phantoms, we discovered a lead suggesting this ‘Delwing’ might have a connection to the pearl. We thought if we spoke with him, we might find out where it went.”

“Delwing? Related to the pearl? No, that’s unlikely. Are you sure you aren’t mistaken?”

“It could be a mistake, of course. But my investigation strongly suggests a link between him and the pearl’s history. I’m not saying he stole it, but he’s a thread we need to pull to find the truth.”

I felt like a professional liar. My skills in deception were growing faster than my actual combat stats. In Zelpia, the most important talent isn’t control or leadership—it’s the ability to lie to an NPC’s face.

“Wow, you’re getting pretty good at this.”

“Shut up.”

Sephiroth, who had been listening silently, let out a low whistle. Classic Sephiroth. When I glared at him, he just responded with a muffled kh-kh-kh—a stifled laugh that was incredibly grating.

“…Delwing…”

Doltec let out a groaning sound as if in deep thought. His physical form shifted; his translucent blue body curled into a tight ball, shrinking in size. As his density increased, his body became less see-through. I could still see the bookshelf behind him, but the titles were now just blurred shapes.

After a long silence, Doltec slowly uncurled.

“If I let you meet Delwing, will you truly be able to find my pearl?”

He must have been really torn. I put on my brightest “customer service” smile.

“Of course, Lord Doltec.”

How’s that? My smile, forged through years of part-time jobs.

Doltec nodded—or rather, the top part of his round body tilted downward. Either way, the giant slime successfully communicated his consent.

“Very well. I shall trust you one more time. However.”

“…”

“If you fail to bring me a proper pearl this time, I will consider it a personal deception and punish you severely. Understand?”

“…Yes.”

Is he serious? This guy is a total crook. We’d already given him a small pearl, and we went to the Sea of Phantoms at his request. Now he’s threatening to punish us if the Delwing lead turns out to be a dead end?

But since arguing with a quest-giver is never a smart move, I just nodded submissively.

Doltec slid over to his desk, opened a drawer, and pulled out a sheet of parchment. Grabbing a quill and dipping it in ink, he began to write in surprisingly elegant cursive. From what I could see, it looked like a letter of recommendation—verifying our identity and granting permission to meet Delwing.

Honestly, the slime had better handwriting than I did.

While I was admiring the penmanship, Doltec flipped the paper and scribbled something on the back. It looked like an address. Probably where Delwing was stationed.

Doltec tapped the desk with his body. It was fascinating how that squishy-looking form could make such a sharp, clicking sound, but I kept my face neutral. I stepped forward quickly, and he handed me the paper. I took it with both hands. “Thank you.”

“Be gone. I am tired.”

“Understood. Please rest well.”

I bowed my head and grabbed Sephiroth’s arm to pull him out. Sephiroth, true to form, didn’t bow even once. It was a relief that Doltec recognized me as the primary quest-holder; if he’d tried to boss Sephiroth around, I doubt the “Tyrant” would have taken it quietly.

“How can you be so polite to a blob like that?”

“I mean, he’s the quest-giver. If the boss says jump, you jump.”

“Don’t you just want to split that squishy shape right down the middle?”

“What?”

Where did that come from? I looked at Sephiroth with disbelief, but he seemed dead serious. His voice was unusually grave as he muttered:

“He looks like he’d have great impact feedback… I really want to take an axe to him just once…”

…Yeah, there’s no way Sephiroth would have left Doltec alone if he were the one in charge.

Looks like you’ve got a lead on Delwing! But before you head out, do you try to talk Sephiroth out of his “slime-splitting” urges, or just hurry toward the address?

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