A magic merchant infiltrating Fairy Tail

Chapter 571 Departure and a Sudden Mood

At that moment, Kira thought of many things.

Perhaps this is a magic notebook containing some powerful ancient magic?

Or is this a historical document, recording some unknown part of history from the past?

It's also possible that it's the same as the library I used to leave in the Demisor Magic Academy, a prank left behind by someone from the past, specifically for playing tricks on future generations.

Kira thought the first two possibilities were more likely, as for the third...

Hmph! Not everyone can do what I do! Even those legendary beings revered as 'gods' are no exception!

Kira's chest was filled with boundless pride, and a sense of "even God cannot defeat me" surged through his entire body.

"Come on, let me see what's written on this little thing of yours!"

Kira removed the sheepskin rope binding the manuscript and gently touched the ancient manuscript.

Based on its feel, it can be determined that the material is similar to a parchment scroll, but the production method is quite ancient, even more rudimentary than the oldest recording methods currently circulating on the market. However, due to magical protection, its overall appearance is not dilapidated.

He slowly unfolded it, and as expected, it was some kind of ancient script, so old that he couldn't decipher it.

"Ugh... I went through so much trouble (inner struggle) to get my hands on this, and now I can't even understand it! Nothing could be more tragic than this!!"

Wait a minute! This text... doesn't it look familiar?

The smooth curves, the clever corners, the circles and dots...

As if he had thought of something, Kira opened his spatial backpack without hesitation and took out his 'Book of Wisdom', which had been stored in the warehouse for a long time.

"As expected... they are the same language!"

"Then they must be products of the same era?"

"Given the book's sophisticated magical techniques, unless it's some kind of prank, like inventing a new, special language, then the things in it might actually be quite powerful..."

Take it, take it! I, Kira, never leave empty-handed!

The original copy will definitely be taken, but a handwritten copy should also be kept. If it's a historical document, it might be useful to someone in the future. As for why not keep the original copy…

Of course, it's because if there's some powerful magic on it, only the original might be effective!

Kira quickly made a copy and put it back in the iron box. Then, using the same trick, he buried it deep underground with spatial magic, leaving the original notebook and the 'Book of Wisdom' together to gather dust in the warehouse.

……

Kira left the town and embarked on his journey again.

Although he had a pleasant chat with the girl named Zena last night, unfortunately, she wasn't right for him...

No, no... Kira is a gentleman, he doesn't have a penchant for one-night stands, he's not like Gildarts, that womanizing old man! The two have only met three times at most, they're not even friends, how could they do anything out of line?

You know, even among the girls in the guild, Kira has known them for so long but they haven't developed into a romantic relationship. How could he let a girl he's only met three times in this unfamiliar place have the chance to be with him?

He's not the male lead in a harem novel!

Kira had originally planned to leave after attending the festival, not to mention that he had taken things from the locals. Although it wasn't the first time he had done something like this, he still felt somewhat ashamed.

In the time that followed, Kira continued to roam the mountains and fields, flying around in his small magic airship, fighting beasts in the mountains and catching fish in the water, immersing himself in the natural scenery of the Alvarez Empire.

One day, Kira suddenly felt a stirring in his heart, as if a mysterious force was drawing him from afar. After a struggle with his thoughts, he turned the steering wheel and flew the airship to a deserted valley.

The valley is lush and green. Although it is almost winter, there is no trace of the desolation of autumn. Instead, it is as vibrant as summer.

The ancient tree, with its gnarled roots and lush foliage, rustled softly. Countless branches crisscrossed, swaying and dancing in the changing light and shadow. Numerous birds circled around it, making it seem like a bird paradise. The fragrance of green leaves and grass mixed with the earth wafted through the dust of long-untouched places and slowly entered Kira's nostrils, bringing a sense of tranquility and peace.

"People used to say that if flowers and plants bloom out of season, there must be something sinister going on. But this is a world of magic. Shouldn't things that bloom out of season be caused by magic?"

The bizarre sight before him instantly put Kira on alert.

Even though he didn't sense any danger despite fully unleashing his magical perception, he still felt he should be cautious.

"What is it that drew me here? It's...that direction!"

Kira admired the scenery for a while before looking in a certain direction. "It's still quite a distance away, but it feels like it's urging me on. How suspicious..."

However, lacking information, he couldn't figure it out even after thinking about it for a long time.

"Never mind, let it wait for now, there's no rush!" Kira slapped his forehead and made a decision. "Let's just wander around this valley and walk there slowly!"

Day 1 in the valley: Wandering around... Climbing trees... Eating... Sleeping...

"This place is so peaceful, I'd like to stay a few more days!"

Come here quickly... come here quickly...

There was no sound, but a consciousness that inexplicably welled up from within Kira kept urging him on.

Day 2 in the valley: Wandering around... Climbing trees... Eating... Sleeping...

"Since there's no one else here, let's go down to the river and take a bath!"

Come here quickly! Come here right now!

Day three...

Camping is so comfortable!

Why aren't you coming over yet?!

A week later...

"We've explored the surrounding area enough, let's head to the center of the valley today!"

Over the past few days, Kira has basically explored the entire outer perimeter of the valley. There are not only flocks of birds, but also wild animals such as bears, rabbits, and deer. The valley's unique climate has allowed it to maintain a wild and natural ecosystem for a long time.

Kira's comments on this were: "The spicy rabbit head is not bad, the legendary bear paw is indeed difficult to make, the fish in the mountains are easy to catch, and there are all kinds of birds in a big forest."

The urging consciousness came from the center of the valley, the only place Kira hadn't gone.

Kira stood in the forest and looked out into the valley. The river formed by the mountain waterfall had been diverted there, encircling a stone wall to form a moat, and was also channeled into the wall as the main water source.

He discovered this city wall on the first day. It was very high and wide, with an inner wall inside. Within the inner wall, a town had developed, and traces of human habitation could be vaguely seen, although that must have been a long time ago.

This is what Kira saw when he flew up on the first day, but he didn't choose to go and investigate it directly at the time.

Adventures always have to be taken one step at a time!

With its mottled stone walls and orderly houses, this ancient site, built in the valley and dating back countless years, still retains some of its original appearance despite the relentless erosion of time.

There are trees in the town, though not as many as those outside, but still majestic; there are squares, large or small, located in different parts of the town, with fountains and other facilities, though they are now dry; there are also tall buildings in the town, though their construction techniques are not as advanced as those of this era, but their ingenious designs are unique.

All of this demonstrates that this ancient site once experienced a glorious era.

As for how it later declined—whether it was due to population migration, disease extermination, or invasion by outsiders—Kira needs to investigate further to find out.

"An adventure in an ancient capital? That sounds intriguing!"

You've finally arrived! Come quickly! Follow the guidance of your heart!

As soon as he finished speaking, the voice that had been urging Kira to come over these past few days appeared in his mind again, and this time the voice was louder and closer.

Chapter 572 An Ancient Town Built in the Mountains

"That's really terrifying!"

Feeling the restlessness within him, Kira clicked his tongue inwardly, "It's just like an internet cafe or karaoke bar luring minors in for a quick look..."

"Could it be that some great demon was sealed away, which is why the people here moved away?"

Kira once again fell into a fixed mindset, speculating that there might be a great evil here who wanted to destroy the world, perhaps even a being from long before Zeref, known as the 'most evil in the world'—a demon, an evil god, a dragon, or some unknown race, all were possible.

Follow your heart's guidance... follow...

"Just wait! We've already waited seven days, so what's one more?"

To be on the safe side, Kira thought they should first survey the surrounding area to see if there was any useful information. At the very least, they should find out where this place was, who had lived here, what legends existed about it, and what books or records it had left behind.

And so a day passed.

"Phew... I'm so tired!"

The town was quite large, at least a quarter the size of Magnolia. Kira was alone, so he was meticulous and careful in his actions, which naturally made the search very slow. It wasn't until dark that he had barely completed more than half of the search.

"We'll deal with the rest tomorrow. Now, let's eat and sleep!"

Kira chose the top floor of a high-rise building, where the view was open, the air was fresh, and he could respond promptly no matter what happened.

"Speaking of which... although this town is ancient, the architectural design is not old-fashioned at all! Despite being an open-air design, there is no standing water on the ground, not even a stinking ditch. Its drainage system must be very well done!"

Not only is the drainage system excellent, but the ventilation system is also very good, as are the scattered vegetation and greenery. Even though no one has taken care of them for who knows how long, they still live tenaciously, which is simply a miracle.

After using magic to cut some branches and start a fire, Kira roasted the food he had stored in the valley over the past few days while reflecting on the day's harvest.

The original inhabitants mostly used stone and wood for their furniture, and occasionally hemp rope and straw rope products could be seen. Cloth was rare, which shows that they existed for a very long time, since cloth existed at least four hundred years ago.

There were no exposed bones, and the surrounding buildings were not obviously damaged, but rather aged naturally. Therefore, it can be inferred that the genocide was not caused by an invasion from an external force or a viral outbreak.

There was no haphazard placement of personal belongings, and the number of items stored in shelves and cabinets was significantly less than the number of living facilities needed for the expected population, indicating that the place was well-organized when no one was around...

"So... was it a large-scale migration?"

"But since this town is built in a valley, it means that the people in the town probably live a self-sufficient, secluded life, right? Why would they need to go out?"

"Either the production here was no longer able to provide enough food and other necessities for the population at the time; or something threatened their safety..."

Kira couldn't help but think again of the thing that had called him: "Could it be because of that thing...??"

It's me! It's me!! It's definitely me!!!

"Ta-da... Safety sleeping bag!!"

Kira jumped up and, like Doraemon, pulled a simple sleeping bag from his personal storage space. He then quickly opened it, crawled inside, zipped it up, and covered himself with the blanket in one smooth motion.

Never mind, I'll deal with it tomorrow!

Three seconds later, Kira's steady breathing could be heard in the air.

【…】

The next day, the sky was clear and blue again.

After tidying up, Kira finally arrived at the place that had always guided him there.