Chapter 62: Autumn Continent, II

The following evening after Louis devised their plan…

“A-a city!” Pablo cheered at the sight of the city walls ahead.

He felt exhausted as he recalled the frantic two days they’d endured to reach this point. From what he could tell, it appeared to be quite a large settlement. A city of that size meant they would likely find some comfort here more easily than expected.

Louis interrupted the emotional Pablo with his usual gruff tone. “Quit daydreaming and let’s get moving.”

“Yes!” Pablo replied cheerfully and started walking.

As always, upon reaching the city entrance, Louis and Pablo were stopped for questioning but managed to enter without issue by pretending to be uncle and nephew once again.

After checking into a simple inn, Louis looked disapprovingly at Pablo’s emaciated frame.

“Tsk. You stay here and rest. I’ll get the intel we need.”

Pablo had endured two months of barely eating anything while battling seasickness. The last two days on the run were also taking their toll, pushing his body to its limit. If Louis dragged him out now, Pablo would likely pass out before they took more than a few steps.

Louis’s consideration caught Pablo off guard, but he was grateful for it. “A-are you sure that’s okay?”

“If I take you with me, you’d drop dead right there on the street. Stay here and rest with your sister.”

“Yes, sir!” Pablo immediately agreed, as resting sounded like heaven at this point.

Shortly after…

“Bye, Louis!”

“You better bring back some yummy treats!”

With the twins’ cheerful farewells ringing behind him, Louis stepped outside the inn.

Louis stepped outside and looked around.

“Hmm… Where should I start?” Although he asked himself aloud, his feet were already moving. He strolled through town, taking it all in.

The Fall Continent differed greatly from the Winter Continent in many ways. It boasted plenty of sunshine with crisp air, and pedestrians dressed much lighter compared to those in the Winter Continent. There was also an abundance of street food stalls selling grains and fruits that weren’t commonly found in winter.

I see why they say the Fall Continent feeds the Winter Continent.

Perhaps due to this abundance, Louis felt a vibrant energy throughout the city.

Fall Continent has such a laid-back vibe. It’s definitely different from the Winter Continent.

Louis had always felt a certain intensity from the Winter Continent. It was barren soil where only specially adapted crops could grow easily. With snowfall year-round, those who couldn’t acclimate to the harsh cold were weeded out. The tough living conditions shaped its inhabitants to be resilient and tenacious. Many people turned to hunting for sustenance, which further honed their fierce nature.

On the other hand, there was the Autumn Continent. Its mild climate and abundant sunlight throughout the year allowed crops to flourish, earning it the nickname “the blessed continent” due to centuries of bountiful harvests. Agriculture thrived here, making grain one of its primary exports. Since over 70 percent of the landmass consisted of flat terrain, much of it was utilized as farmland, with most residents working as farmers.

With plenty of food to go around, the people seemed relaxed and carefree.

How fascinating. Is this what they mean by “traveling for pleasure”?

Louis strolled with a smile until his steps came to an abrupt halt.

Huh?

His gaze shifted toward something that caught his attention: a small shop sign.

[Clover’s Bookstore]

The words on the sign and the faint smell of books coming from inside compelled Louis to push open the door after a long time away from such familiar scents.

Tinkling bells.

“Welcome!” The woman who greeted him warmly looked slightly taken aback at the sight of the child entering her store.

Louis slowly approached her and looked up to ask, “May I look around?”

The woman smiled brightly at Louis’s pale face with jewel-like purple eyes. “Of course! Feel free to browse as long as you like.”

“Can I read some of the books too?”

“You can read?”

“Yes!”

“Heh-heh, go ahead and enjoy yourself.”

“Thank you!” Louis bowed politely.

As he started to leave after expressing his gratitude, Louis paused and turned back. “Oh, by any chance, do you have any books about talismans here?”

“Talismans? What kind?”

“Um…like a list of the most powerful talismans in the world? Do you have something like that?”

“Oh! For that…”

The woman had an idea and rose from behind the counter. It had been quite some time since she’d last entertained such a young customer, so she decided to personally guide him. Louis followed her closely.

A moment later, she handed him a rather thick book.

“This might be what you’re looking for.”

“Thank you!” Louis accepted the tome almost as big as his own body and found a spot nearby to sit down.

He prepared himself before examining the title:

[Collection of the World’s 100 Most Famous Talismans - Revised Edition 3335]

Oh? This is only five years old.

In this world, considering the state of publishing technology, a book from five years ago could still be considered relatively recent. It was exactly what Louis needed.

Although there are many books in Father’s study…they’re all too outdated.

Louis was confident that countless archaeologists would be floored by this find. Although Genelocer’s study boasted numerous valuable books from ages past, Louis had been disappointed by the lack of recent information until now.

With great anticipation, he quickly flipped to the cover page. The book contained brief illustrations and descriptions of various famous artifacts throughout history.

Oh! This is actually pretty good.

The illustrations were well-drawn, and the explanations provided ample detail.

The first few pages offered a short introduction about the author, followed by detailed accounts of each artifact. Louis scanned the description of the very first item listed.

It seemed that as one progressed through the book from page 100 onwards, the listed talismans became increasingly superior. Louis eagerly flipped through the pages, anticipating what other treasures awaited him. He turned them so quickly that it appeared to the bookstore owner as if Louis was only glancing at the pictures. However, Louis didn’t miss a single word, absorbing all the content into his mind.

‘Fascinating!’

Louis’s eyes sparkled with excitement, fully engrossed in the book for the first time in a while. As time passed, the rank of talismans described within gradually increased.

From number 100 to 90… From 90 to 80… And then from 80 to 70…

The swiftly turning pages revealed various weapons and diverse functional talismans.

Some items were familiar from the book he had seen before, while others were completely new to him. He quickly reached the last page, and confusion spread across Louis’s face.

“Huh… That’s it?”

Despite being quite thick, the book ended abruptly with the item ranked only at number fifty. Feeling unsatisfied, Louis scowled deeply.

His eyes scanned the bottom of the final page:

[Continued in the next volume.]

Louis blinked rapidly, then grumbled irritably, “Oh for crying out loud… Another cliffhanger.”

His expression soured, as he hadn’t expected such a frustrating ending after experiencing similar disappointments in his previous life.

But what could he do? He was dying to read the next volume.

Louis sprang up and rushed over to the librarian who was organizing books nearby.

“Sis, Sis!”

“Hmm?” She smiled at the sight of the young boy tugging on her skirt. “What’s wrong?”

“Sis! The next book! Please, hurry!”

“Aha!” Chuckling, she retrieved the book from a shelf too high for Louis to reach.

He eagerly grabbed it, ran back to his seat, and plopped down.

The librarian watched him with amusement as he absorbed himself in reading before returning to her work.

Flip.

Meanwhile, Louis rapidly turned the pages.

It didn’t take Louis long to read through both books. Having examined all one hundred talismans from number one hundred down to number one, he felt slightly disappointed.

It’s not here…

Despite meticulously reading about each item, none matched the hidden piece Louis remembered.

Has it not appeared yet?

That possibility couldn’t be ruled out entirely, considering how much time had passed over those 250 years.

No, there are only 100 items listed here. It must appear somewhere else.

As he tried to set aside his disappointment and close the book…

“Huh?”

Louis noticed that several pages remained at the end of the volume.

As if possessed, his hand flipped through more pages.

Flick.

Appendix

The two items listed below were separated from the main list because I couldn’t determine their proper rankings. Depending on usage, they may perform better than the number one-ranked item or worse than the hundredth-ranked trascendence. Due to my limited understanding, I could not fully grasp their true nature and capabilities, so I have included them as an appendix.

“Huh?!” Louis exclaimed with surprise.

The reason why the author included this appendix piqued his curiosity. His eyes gleamed as he flipped to the next page.

Louis’s eyes lit up as he read about the first trascendence mentioned.

“…Not bad.”

He could guess why the author had excluded this particular item from his ranking. It seemed like a quirky object with uncertain capabilities, yet it was too intriguing to dismiss as junk.

It’s definitely ambiguous. Listing this among the others seems odd.

The author must have agonized over how to rank these artifacts.

With such an unusual start, Louis became curious about the final trascendence on the list.

I wonder what it is.

Full of anticipation, Louis turned the page.

“What?” His expression shifted upon reading the last entry. He quickly reread it several times before breaking into a smile.

“…Could it be?!”

His eyes sparkled as if he’d discovered hidden treasure.