Eryuentiu was a place both familiar and unfamiliar to Fluder.
Nearly two hundred years had passed since he last set foot here.
Fluder.
This old man, who had lived for more than two centuries, had been born in a small village called Belmous on the outskirts of the Empire.
As far back as he could remember, the first magic he had ever witnessed was cast by the village spellcaster.
But why had he chosen to pursue magic in the first place? Why had he become so utterly fascinated and obsessed with it?
The answers to those questions had long since been buried beneath the dust of time. Even Fluder himself could no longer remember them clearly.
Perhaps it had simply begun with the pure, burning love for magic deep within his heart.
To Fluder, loving and pursuing magic was like an instinct he had been born with. It needed no elaborate reason or explanation.
Over the course of his long life, many memories had gradually faded with the passage of time, while others had disappeared entirely.
Yet some experiences remained deeply engraved upon his Soul, becoming memories he would never forget.
Eryuentiu was one of them.
Looking up, the sight before him seemed like something out of a dreamlike fairy tale.
A massive, inverted triangular landmass floated steadily in the sky, surrounded by numerous fragments of land of varying sizes scattered unevenly around it.
Some were small and delicate, resembling exquisite gemstones, while others were as enormous as mountains, creating an overwhelming visual spectacle.
The entire scene looked as though some drunken God had torn a chunk from the earth and casually tossed it into the sky.
The upper surface of the floating land was a broad, level expanse that immediately put one at ease. Lush grass covered the ground like a thick green carpet.
Amid the greenery lay a beautiful pond that looked as though it had been carved from jade. Elegant pavilions and covered walkways stood above the water, blending perfectly with the surrounding scenery.
More remarkably, the water in the pond naturally divided into five streams of different widths.
They rushed down from the left side of the floating land, forming five magnificent silver waterfalls that poured endlessly through the sky above the center of the city like flowing ribbons.
Despite the vast amount of water spilling over every moment, the level of the miraculous pond never decreased in the slightest.
For five hundred years, the waterfalls had never stopped flowing, maintaining the same abundant and steady flow without interruption.
Numerous roads paved with white stone slabs also stretched across the strange floating land.
They twisted and wound their way between the grassy fields and the pond.
Almost every one of those white stone roads led toward a magnificent structure at the very center of the floating land.
It was a towering Gothic castle that seemed to pierce the clouds.
It was none other than the stronghold of the Eight Greed Kings recorded in history, the [Floating Castle].
"Magic... truly is wondrous, isn't it~"
Fluder gazed upward and sighed from the bottom of his heart.
Images of the past surfaced from deep within his memories, and he felt just as he had when he first came here a hundred years ago.
The only difference was that back then, he had been forced to leave disappointed.
This time was completely different.
Under the guidance of the Clear Light Dragon Lord, the two of them entered the territory of the Floating Castle with ease.
[What incredible mastery of space!]
Fluder was inwardly startled.
He had heard that the Three Supreme Beings had surrounded the Floating Castle.
Yet this being, who appeared to be a True Dragon Lord, treated the defensive and detection magic surrounding the area as though it did not exist, entering and leaving with effortless ease.
And he was doing so while bringing Fluder along.
"Hmph. What's there to be so surprised about? To this Dragon Lord, the world is vast, but there is nowhere I cannot go."
Sensing Fluder's gaze, the Clear Light Dragon Lord proudly raised his head.
Fluder gave an awkward smile but said nothing.
The Clear Light Dragon Lord had been waiting for him to ask questions so he could continue showing off, and Fluder's silence immediately left him feeling bored.
Outside the Floating Castle, in a pavilion beside the pond, a figure had already been waiting for quite some time.
"Fluder-sama."
A gentle-looking elderly Elf stood with his hands behind his back and greeted him with a calm smile.
"Dixiaor-sama. I never expected we would have the chance to meet again. I thought the meeting a hundred years ago would be both our first and our last."
"Life... heh. It truly is unpredictable."
Fluder stroked his beard and replied with a smile.
About a hundred years ago, in his desire to peer into the abyss of magic, he had come here hoping to borrow some of the legendary magical artifacts.
Unfortunately, he had been rejected outright.
And the one who had refused him back then was none other than the elderly Elf standing before him now, an NPC belonging to the Eight Greed Kings.
(P.S.: According to the original setting, Fluder really did come here.)
"So, why did you call me here today? This old man doesn't believe there's anything I can do for you."
Fluder spoke without the slightest restraint.
There was a faint but unmistakable note of resistance in his words, clearly expressing his attitude.
There was no friendship between them.
They were neither friends nor enemies. They were merely strangers who had met once and exchanged a few words.
Normally, Fluder would never speak so aggressively. It simply did not suit his personality.
But he held grudges.
Even after all these years, he still had not forgotten being turned away at the door.
Besides, he no longer had anything resembling worries about his own safety.
Death was no longer much of an obstacle to him. If circumstances required it, he might even willingly embrace death himself.
"Don't be so quick to refuse. I only want to make a deal with you. How does a Legendary-class weapon suited to you sound as payment?"
Dixiaor, the elderly Elf, spoke softly.
He understood what Fluder was thinking.
Part of it was lingering resentment from being rejected all those years ago.
Another part was envy.
Envy toward the captain of the 13 Heroes, who had succeeded in borrowing magical artifacts after Fluder himself had failed.
To be fair, Dixiaor was helpless about the matter as well.
Had the current circumstances not forced his hand, he would never have resorted to such a measure.
The information brought back by the Clear Light Dragon Lord not long ago had been far too shocking.
The Platinum Dragon Lord appeared to have already sided with the Sorcerer Kingdom, while the Guild Weapon had fallen into the hands of Players just like their own Kings.
Those two facts alone were enough to give these NPCs a tremendous headache.
And that was without even mentioning the Kuyō emissary that the Clear Light Dragon Lord had spoken of afterward.
The Clear Light Dragon Lord might not understand what that represented, but how could these NPCs possibly fail to understand?
After all, back then, their Eight Kings had precisely because of...
Everything they had done over the years, including cultivating a special existence like the Clear Light Dragon Lord, had been for this very reason.
"A Legendary-class weapon?!"
Even Fluder was taken aback, wondering whether he had misheard.
After receiving a thorough education in Nazarick's knowledge, Fluder now had a clear understanding of equipment tiers.
From lowest to highest, weapon tiers were:
Lower, Intermediate, Advanced, Supreme, Rare, Legacy, Relic-class Item, Legendary-class Item, Divine-class Item, and World-class Item.
A Legendary-class weapon lived up to its name. It was something that existed only in legends, the sort of treasure one could encounter only through extraordinary fortune.
After all, the finest equipment Fluder currently owned was merely a Legacy-class Item bestowed upon him by Nazarick.
"...What do you want me to do?"
Rather than immediately agreeing, Fluder asked a question in return.
He desperately wanted a Legendary-class weapon, but he had not allowed greed to cloud his judgment.
Nothing that valuable simply fell into someone's lap for no reason.
Equivalent exchange.
It was one of the simplest principles in the world.
"As you can see, it's inconvenient for us to leave this place. Clear Light can bring people in and out freely, but his ability isn't completely without restrictions. Besides, leaving carelessly may cause unnecessary misunderstandings."
"So I hope you can make an introduction for us and have Clear Light deliver a recording to the Three Majesties of the Sorcerer Kingdom. The weapon is merely your compensation. I have separate gifts prepared for the Three Majesties."
Dixiaor explained.
As he finished speaking, he quietly glanced toward the grass in the distance.
There, the Clear Light Dragon Lord, currently in his Dragonoid form, was feeding a Gigant Basilisk, completely oblivious to their conversation.
Was Fluder tempted?
Without question.
His mind raced as he rapidly weighed the advantages and disadvantages. In an instant, he reached his conclusion before speaking in a deliberately vague tone.
"You should know that the Three Majesties aren't people you can simply meet whenever you please. Even I'm no exception."
"Are you refusing?"
"No. What this old man means is... you'll have to pay more!"