Otaku Translation: The Amber Sword V3C129

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Chapter 129: The Market of Green Tower – Part 2

The Stone Key.

Legend had it that this artifact was used to open the gateway between the plane of Earth Element and the world of Vonder. In Amber Sword, it also served as a tool for establishing cities in the wilderness. Paired with the Primal Ember, the key represented the foundation upon which order and elemental stability were built.

This principle—law governing magic energy and elements forming the world—was established by Marsha at the dawn of creation.

In the game, the Stone Key was worth a fortune, often sought after but rarely found. High-level quests involving earth-related domains frequently required it as a core item. For instance, Brandon’s upgrade quest for The Sword of the Earth Harangya demanded its use.

When Brandon saw the shield-shaped stone fragment nestled in the box, his heart skipped a beat. A single thought echoed in his mind:

"After much searching in vain, it comes without effort."

"You’ve got quite the luck, young one," Otaris murmured, roused from slumber by Brandon’s emotional spike.

Brandon nodded but kept his expression neutral. "What is this?" he asked casually.

"The Stone Key," the centaur merchant replied. "Legend says it opens a portal connecting our world to another."

Brandon feigned impatience. "Another world? What’s there?"

"Uh..." The centaur faltered. He had only repeated what the witch who sold him the key had said—and she had taken his finest tree gem in return.

"I heard it might be the plane of Earth Element," he ventured cautiously.

"Earth Element plane?" Brandon frowned, feigning ignorance. "Why would I go there?"

"Young one," Otaris chuckled inwardly, "your act rivals Erlanta’s. If she saw you now, she’d surely admire your audacity."

"Erlanta, the Sage?" Brandon asked silently.

"Yes. Among Geert, Fainzan, Saint Orlso, and Erlanta, she was the eldest. During their adventuring days, she handled most of the negotiations with employers and merchants."

"The leader, then?"

"More or less."

As Brandon conversed with Otaris, the centaur merchant grew visibly uneasy. It seemed Brandon’s interest in the Stone Key was waning, leaving the merchant disheartened.

"Sir," the centaur pressed, "the witch claimed this holds immense value for elementalists."

Brandon inwardly agreed. Using the Stone Key to open an Earth Element channel could expand an elementalist’s Elemental Pool capacity a hundredfold for twenty seconds. Within that time, casting two or three dozen earth spells posed no issue.

Such a state turned an elementalist into a veritable powerhouse—if they had the mana to sustain it. But using such a priceless item—a core artifact valued at tens of millions of torr—as a disposable consumable? Only the wealthiest players could afford such extravagance, and even Brandon had never witnessed it.

Still, the centaur’s bold claim amused him. Pretending mild interest, he asked, "How much is it worth?"

The centaur hesitated, debating whether to demand the flame-patterned agate Brandon had placed on the counter earlier. A single agate could buy half his shop, but he feared such a steep price might drive the buyer away.

Before he could decide, a hand suddenly reached out and snatched the Stone Key.

"I’ll take this," the voice declared softly, tossing a flame-patterned agate onto the counter.

But Brandon wasn’t about to let the prize slip away. As the hand touched the shield-shaped stone, a bolt of lightning shot from Brandon’s hand, knocking the Stone Key out of the box.

He extended his arm to catch it mid-air, but his opponent was no amateur. "Tch, an elementalist," the voice muttered. A sword flashed, striking the Stone Key and sending it flying into the shop. It collided with a wooden shelf, bounced off, and soared toward them again.

The interloper moved to seize it, but the Stone Key abruptly halted in mid-air, caught in a swirling vortex of wind before drifting toward Brandon.

"Wind Bind, dual-elementalist," the opponent grumbled, abandoning her attempt to retrieve the key. Instead, she lunged at Brandon with her sword.

Brandon, however, welcomed the attack. Before she could strike, thick vines erupted from all directions, entangling her completely.

A druidic barrier spell—

Clang! Her sword clattered to the ground.

"Ow, ow... it hurts!" she winced.

Only then did Brandon take a moment to study his unexpected rival. His eyes widened slightly. She wasn’t a Tanian or a tree elf but a pure-blooded Cruzean noble. Her golden hair and emerald-green eyes marked her unmistakably as a descendant of King of Flames’ first followers—the lineage of the Eagle Knights.

Yet this young lady, clad in a pristine white princess gown, black leather boots, and sporting twin braids tied elegantly at the sides of her head, writhed indignantly in the vines’ grasp. All Brandon could think of was one phrase:

Golden-haired twin-tails.

Bold, indeed, to start a fight in the druids’ territory.

"How dare you, you shameless brute!" she spat, glaring at Brandon. "You stole something from a lady!"

"Hold on," Brandon interrupted. "Since when was it yours?"

"I-I already paid for it!" she sputtered, then quickly added with forced confidence, "Give it back, you despicable bumpkin!"

Brandon glanced at the flame-patterned agate. "My lady, just because you paid doesn’t mean the seller accepted. Forced transactions are hardly noble behavior."

"You—"

The girl’s chest heaved with anger, but with her limbs bound, retaliation was impossible. Glancing behind her, her emerald eyes lit up.

"Faina, what happened?" A black-haired youth in the distinctive long black coat of a Cruze Royal Alchemist rushed over. Brandon blinked in surprise—only those with Level 10 alchemy skills or higher could join the Royal Alchemists. This boy looked barely fifteen. Was this some kind of prodigy?

To Brandon’s further surprise, the youth assessed his companion’s condition before turning to him. "You harmed my comrade. I challenge you to a duel."

Then, addressing the ancient trees above, he declared loudly, "Spirits above, I vow not to harm this man’s life, only to teach him a lesson. This is a personal dispute—I ask others not to interfere."

A flash of green light illuminated the canopy.

"The pact is sealed."

Brandon recognized the glow—it signaled the lifting of the druids’ peace barrier. He sighed inwardly. A seasoned challenger, and a child at that.

Before he could respond, Cinnabar stepped forward, leveling her Halberd of Thunder protectively in front of Brandon. The red-haired girl with her long ponytail glared coldly at the pair. "My lord, allow me to handle this."

"Mountain folk?" The youth raised an eyebrow at Cinnabar’s fiery red hair. "You’re not locals?"

"They’re Eruinians," the noble girl, Faina, huffed. "A bunch of despicable bumpkins." She struggled against the vines, but the more she resisted, the tighter they constricted.

"Ow, it hurts—"

"Faina, stop moving. It’s useless," the youth sighed, clearly exasperated by his companion’s impulsiveness. "It’s the effect of the druids’ peace barrier. Why did you have to be so rash?"

"It’s all these bumpkins’ fault!" Faina’s eyes welled with tears. "Rono, teach them a lesson! Show them the inviolable dignity of the Cruze Empire!"

Antietta frowned at the words.

Brandon, already irritated by the repeated insults, finally snapped. He had little patience for the so-called dignity of the Cruze Empire. Hearing the final remark, he raised an eyebrow.

“Haha!”He smirked coldly. "The inviolable dignity of the Cruze Empire, is it?"

The youth glanced at Cinnabar standing before Brandon, sneering disdainfully. "A man who hides behind a woman has no right to speak to me like that."

Brandon felt a nerve twitch in his temple. Turning to Cinnabar, he said, "Step aside, Cinnabar. Let me see how invincible the Cruze Empire truly is."

As he spoke, he noticed more knights rushing toward them—all Cruzeans.

Odd. What were they doing here?

---

TLN: The entire third volume has been completely translated. You can read all of it through the links below.

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