City of Desire: Chapter 568 Golden Scroll

Proofread By Thomas F

“You don’t have to come, my lord,” said Vance, my scout. “I want to,” I replied.

It is one of the things I am excited about. Margaux and Zela are coming despite having busy schedules.

We sat in the carriage, and it moved.

Soon, it had moved on to the Lightway, and its speed increased.

I watched the city along the magic road, admiring its marvels. It’s our fourth day, and I am still in awe.

There aren’t just sky-breaking towers and lightways, but gardens, museums, and many other things.

I attended the party thrown by the King of Ilazad in the historical district yesterday. The place was beautiful, and I will try to revisit it before I leave the city.

After a few minutes, the carriage came to a halt before a large structure—a towering blue building that loomed twelve stories high and stretched impressively wide, commanding an entire city block with its presence.

I could see the excitement in everyone's eyes. However, I am definitely the most excited one.

Jill pushed my wheelchair forward, and soon we reached the door.

“Welcome to Daryan’s Emporium, Lord Silver,' welcomed the elf in his early thirties who was waiting for us.

“Thank you,” I replied.

A surprise flashed in his eyes, but he recovered quickly and let us inside.

The moment we did, I heard the gasp. Even I was barely able to stop myself from reacting.

Everywhere I look, there are baby monsters of every species and trait. From pure to mixed blood to dilute, they are all here.

The incredible thing is that they are not in cages but on platforms. They remain there because of training and the skills applied to them.

It is another type of cage, but it is better than regular cages.

“The emporium has one of the largest collections of monsters and beasts.”

“We had nearly everything on your list and a few of those we didn’t have. We have something similar or better,” informed the elf.

They actually did seem to have everything, and I wanted a few for myself before I dismissed that thought.

It was painful to give Fang away. I don’t want to do that with another monster.

We have a lot of monsters and beasts to buy. One group is for the army, while another is for the girls. Many wanted pets after seeing Gloria with Fang and could afford to have them.

“I will take you to the first items on your list. Halmks,” the elf said, and we moved toward the section where the birds were.

Soon, we appeared in front of the cloud-surfing sparrows.

“As you can see, we have all three types of them,” he said as he stopped in front of three stands, each holding a type of Halmk.

“They are so cute,” Margaux exclaimed, her eyes following the birds as they fluttered gracefully around their stands, their delicate wings catching the light in a mesmerizing dance.

The world has three distinct types of cloud-surfing sparrows, a rare marvel among species. While they share nearly identical genetic codes, subtle variations set them apart. These differences are so faint that all three are collectively referred to as Halmk, or cloud-surfing sparrows. Each type, however, stands out with its unique size, making them distinct within their shared identity.

The two Halmks Eli has are Skyseekers, birds less than a meter long.

Skeyseekers are used for medium-range reconnaissance.

A group of them are flying in the middle platform. They are babies, but a projection of adult size is floating in front of the platform.

These birds will not grow more than fifty inches long. Eli has two of them, so we will not buy them.

I turned to the stand on the left—the one holding Skywhisperer cloud-surfing sparrows.

Skywhisperers are birds that do not grow over ten inches long.

They are the smallest birds I have ever seen.

They looked like the Halmks in the middle, but they were only half a finger long and looked much leaner.

They do not grow longer than seven inches.

They are useful in small-range reconnaissance and meld so well in the clouds that even sensory skills have trouble detecting them.

I looked at a cute little bird before turning to the right—the platform with the Skyborne.

They barely fit into that category. A bird must grow to at least three meters long to meet this category. These grow between two and a half and three meters long.

Once fully grown, these can support a rider.

Among the three types, this one stands out for its remarkable growth. These little white birds, already larger in their juvenile form than the others are at adulthood, measure around two feet long as chicks and grow to an impressive three meters as adults.

Unlike the other two types of cloud-surfing sparrows, which are seldom used due to more practical alternatives, these majestic sky-born creatures have captured widespread popularity and become a favored choice.

“What is their pedigree?” I asked.

“The ancestors of Skyseeker and Skywhisperer cloud surfing sparrows were from the menagerie, while the Skyborne is descended from the cloud surfing sparrow of sky rider Kijos Dalk, Class A.”

“That bird itself is descended from a bird used by Birdkeeper Marva,” he replied.

The Menagerie is one of the most renowned spirit legacies, a domain where every monster is unparalleled in its prowess. The creatures found there are the ancestors of the monsters we see today. However, I must ask about the specific generation to better understand their origins.

These stores like to quote big names and inflate their value.

‘Do you know Kijos Dalk?’ I asked Jill.

The name seemed familiar, and I might have remembered if I could use the Instant Recollection skill, but unfortunately, I could not.

‘He was a monster rider from Geim. He died sixty years ago,’ replied Jill through the telepathic connection she had kept open between us since I couldn’t.

Class A means he was a Lv. 40+ powerhouse, but the question was the cloud-surfing sparrow he was using.

These creatures trace their lineage back to Birdkeeper Marve’s renowned collection, though that was over a thousand years ago. Notably, Marve had a particular fondness for eagles.

She might have had them in her collection, but eagles were her favorites.

“We will take the best grade, skyborne and three sky whisperers,” stated Vance, and moved with the old man toward them.

We hired The older man to check on the monsters and beasts we would buy.

They won’t exploit the legacy itself; their schemes are aimed at fleecing the nobles, not the host of a legacy. While we can influence their reputation, precision isn’t a strict necessity—our actions can be bold without risking too much.

They selected the four birds, and we moved to another floor.

There are a lot of monsters. The more I looked at them, the more I wanted them. It’s hard to control the urges. That's why I obtained a monster for my sister.

She wanted it because some of her friends had it, but I didn’t give it to her because she was not doing well in school.

She is improving, but not enough to give her the monster.

The reason is simple. It’s an apology for not being able to get our mother.

Soon, two hours passed, and it was time for me to leave. Others will stay and choose the monsters while I will attend a meeting.

It is with the legacy masters of the empire.

…

Alex Rutto

I flashed the medallion and entered the archmage tower.

“Lord Ruto,” greeted a half-elf mage as I stepped inside. “I am Visiting Yatgar Hall,”

“Of course, my lord. Please follow me,” he replied and led me toward the elevator.

He didn’t talk on the way, but I could see the judgment, jealousy, and sparks of anger in his eyes.

I am used to it.

Seeing people like me angers these people. They believe they would have done much better if they had been to our places and had the ancestry.

Soon, the elevator stopped, and we got out.

We walked until we stopped in front of a vast bronze door.

“The Yatgar Hall,” he said, pushing the massive doors open. “I will be waiting outside,” he stated. I nodded and walked into a vast hall.

It is oversized, and at the end is a giant statue of a burly bearded man wearing a mage robe and holding a massive sword.

Yatgar Rutto, Archmage of Cleaving Earth.

I am a descendant of the Archmage, one of the legendary founding members of the Harsoth Empire, and one of only three true archmages to emerge from the Zenid in this era. This legacy defines my heritage, binding me to a lineage of unparalleled power and wisdom.

An entire region of the empire bears his name.

“Your supremacy,” I said, kneeling in front of the statue with a heart filled with shame.

The man rose himself from nothing. His parents were porters.

He joined the army at fourteen and got Soldier Class when he was fifteen. In the beginning, he wasn’t a mage, as one would expect.

His extraordinary talent was only discovered when he was twenty-three. Despite the immense challenges, he ascended to the rank of Archmage, a feat made possible in part by the advantage of his bloodline. Yet, even with that lineage, we couldn’t hope to rise as high—becoming even High Mages remains beyond our reach.

Like everyone in the house, I dreamed of following in his footsteps as a child, but the reality dawned on me despite all our advantages.

Even after over a thousand years, every descendant of House Rutto is born with a magical talent. However, in recent generations, none have risen beyond the Mage rank. This isn't due to any inherent restriction—members of House Rutto have, in centuries past, achieved the titles of High Mage and even Great Mage. Yet, for reasons unknown, such greatness has eluded the house in modern times.

He stayed here in the tower for a decade before disappearing. He left a legacy big enough to have them name the entire floor of the Archmage Tower after him.

I remained kneeling for several minutes, absorbing the silence, before rising to my feet and approaching the statue.

I stopped close to it and placed the medallion between the feet of the statue.

The archmage had left things for his descendants. Sometimes, they came out. These are the things that kept our house from dying out.

A month ago, I was desperate to come to this place.

Hoping to get something, but now I am here just to pay my respect to my ancestor.

I am now rich!

I have more wealth than I know what to do with. Silver has kept his promise. He paid in emotion essence for each book I gave him.

He didn’t jail me or torture me. If he had, I wouldn’t have been able to resist.

I haven’t used even a single bottle of essence until now, though I plan to use it.

I have contacts, and they are willing to pay a high price for them.

I am being smart and cautious about it. I plan to sell only a small monthly amount and invest that money in other things.

Hun!

Lost in thought, I suddenly noticed the medallion gleaming, and in an instant, the entire statue was bathed in a soft, earthy golden glow. It wasn’t simply light—it was an aura rich with power and presence, as though the very essence of the statue had come alive.

It is as vast as the continent and sharp as a blade, but as it enveloped me, all I felt was the warmness.

“Archmage,” I said, with tears streaming down my face.

There was no reply, but I felt the aura entering me, scanning every part of me before the golden light came out of me.

It didn’t go back to the statue. Instead, it gathered and formed into a golden scroll.

The scroll appeared before me as I stood there, levitating in the air with ethereal grace. In a flash, it transformed into a radiant golden beam, streaking through the air with blinding intensity before piercing my mind.