Sitting in the hall of the White Tower, Punk sat before a beautifully crafted table, assembled through improvised magical techniques. On the table rested a few bottles of fine wine—sent by Luo Taran—accompanied by large pieces of ordinary white bread.
The table was illuminated by brilliant magical light, woven entirely from green vines, radiating a vibrant aura. Bright red flowers decorated its corners, adding a faint touch of vitality to the otherwise grim atmosphere of the White Tower.
At the head of the table sat Punk, having just finished his latest experiment. Across from him, occupying the guest seat, was a slender blonde girl. If one ignored the "background" behind Punk, this banquet might have even appeared elegant.
That background was nothing special—just a young man strapped to a test bench, his skull peeled open to expose his brain. For a mage obsessed with knowledge, such a sight was hardly unusual.
"Miss Erinka-Doctor, my experiments keep me quite busy, so I'll speak plainly—what brings you here?"
Punk took a sip of magically infused tea, his deep gaze fixed on Erinka, who was already beginning to break into a cold sweat.
She had not come when he first arrived. Instead, she waited until now. Did she expect him to believe that the communication network of Dolazi was so poor that a message required more than half a year to reach her?
"Respected Master Punk-Sai'an, I am the Countess of Niailan Town, Esser Town, Le Sos Town, and Ansha Town. I heard that a master mage had taken residence here, so I came to pay my respects."
Erinka deliberately ignored Punk's indifferent stare, doing her best to prevent her gaze from drifting toward the twitching figure on the test bench. Maintaining her noble composure, she addressed him with aristocratic grace.
On the surface, her words sounded like a simple greeting. But the hidden meaning was clear—she was reminding Punk that Niailan Town belonged to the Doktor family.
By the unspoken rules of the Faerûn Plane's nobility, a lord theoretically possessed ownership over all unclaimed land and property within their territory.
Master Punk, you have occupied something belonging to us without permission—is this not a slight against the Doktor family?
Punk remained expressionless, though inwardly he sneered.
Nobles and their endless posturing—how tiresome.
A mage of a more benevolent alignment might have apologized and even offered a few alchemical potions as compensation.
But Punk simply cast a cold glance at Erinka and replied:
"This place is mine now. Do you have any objections, Miss Erinka-Doctor?"
Erinka had expected an apology, perhaps even a gesture of goodwill. Instead, Punk's blunt dismissal caught her completely off guard, rendering all the diplomatic pleasantries she had prepared utterly useless.
Inside, she was screaming:
Is it really acceptable for an official mage to be this blunt and unreasonable?!
"…No objections," she finally forced herself to say.
What else could she do? The young man before her was clearly not the amiable recluse she had hoped for. And when the situation favored the stronger party, she had no choice but to retreat.
"Then, Miss Erinka, is there anything else? I doubt you came all this way just to visit."
Punk's direct manner, which completely ignored traditional noble etiquette, left Erinka feeling utterly powerless. She had no choice but to abandon her facade and get straight to the point.
"Master Mage, I will speak frankly.
My grandfather, the last patriarch of the Doktor family, disappeared in the Luxuriant Forest forty-two years ago. He was an official mage of the eleventh level. Our family has always valued the idea of returning to one's roots, yet my grandfather's remains have remained in a cave within the forest, exposed to the elements.
Due to the decline of the Doktor family and the incompetence of the last two generations, we have been unable to hire a powerful professional to retrieve his remains.
Moreover… most warriors and adventurers have no interest in the notes he left behind in that cave, so—"
Her voice gradually became more sorrowful. The performance was masterful. On Earth, such acting might have earned an Oscar.
A lesser man, seeing such a beautiful woman in tears, might have vowed to move mountains for her.
But Punk was not that kind of man.
He looked at Erinka calmly and said:
"So… you came to me."
Then he continued in a flat, emotionless tone:
"Next you will tell me that your grandfather died because of an old injury, that the cave is completely safe, and that he left behind personal notes containing vast magical knowledge. And as long as I retrieve his remains, you would be willing to 'gift' those notes to me as compensation.
Is that correct?"
His words struck directly at the core of her plan, leaving Erinka momentarily speechless.
She had been about to say exactly that.
"…You… are you a prophecy mage?"
Erinka stared at him in shock. She suddenly realized she had completely lost control of the conversation. In front of a prophecy mage, an ordinary person had no secrets.
Punk, however, made no effort to correct her misunderstanding.
In truth, he was not a specialized prophecy mage, and divination spells rarely provided detailed answers.
However, his analytical ability was simply too sharp. By observing patterns and motives, he could deduce facts with almost prophetic accuracy.
There was no need to explain that.
After a moment of stunned silence, Erinka finally abandoned her act.
In reality, she had not come to ask Punk to retrieve her grandfather's remains.
Although the old mage had indeed disappeared, the Doktor family had never actually attempted to find him.
The real reason she needed Punk's help was something else entirely.
Since last year, the number of Duowei Flowers—a key product of the Luxuriant Forest—had begun to drastically decline.
The speed and scale of the disappearance were unnatural, as if an entire field of plants had vanished overnight.
Anyone could tell that something was wrong.
Duowei Flowers were the primary ingredient in a cheap perfume, commonly purchased by low- and middle-class citizens. Though inexpensive, the enormous demand made the product extremely profitable.
The Doktor family, despite ruling only four small towns, had maintained their upper-class lifestyle entirely through the trade of this perfume.
In fact, ninety percent of their income depended on it.
But now, within only a few months, the once-abundant Duowei Flowers had nearly disappeared.
Desperate, the Doktor family spent a large portion of their savings to purchase an official-level prophecy scroll.
Through its divination, they received a vague clue.
The disappearance of the Duowei Flowers was connected to a strange cave in the Luxuriant Forest—a place ominously known as the "Spider Cave."
Strangely enough, this was the same cave that Erinka's grandfather had investigated before he vanished.
Any place capable of claiming the life of an official mage—especially one with years of experience—was obviously extremely dangerous.
Even if the old mage had suffered from hidden injuries, the threat posed by the cave could not be ignored.
As expected, none of the combatants in Dolazi City were willing to take the risk.
Not even for the lure of official-level spell notes.
And so, with no other options remaining, the Doktor family had pinned their final hopes on Punk—desperately grasping for their last lifeline.