Journey to Planar World

"So this is Twilight Manor?"

Twilight Manor can be described as a large building constructed on a small plot of land. Several tall towers overlap and support each other, with the central tower being the tallest.

Charlie was only slightly impressed. Compared to the architecture of modern civilization in his previous life, Twilight Manor was considered average.

As he and Aishia approached the entrance gate, two guards stopped them.

"This is the residence of Loki Familia. What is your purpose for coming here?" One of the guards asked, pride evident in his voice.

Loki Familia stands alongside Freya Familia as the top Familia in Orario. So it was no surprise that the members of Loki Familia displayed a superior attitude.

"I am Charlie Avalon from Hera Familia. Please inform Braver of my arrival."

Adventurers often refer to each other using their aliases rather than their real names. That's why Charlie mentioned Finn's alias, Braver.

"Hera Familia?!"

The two guards exclaimed in surprise upon hearing the name Hera Familia. After all, Loki Familia was one of the perpetrators behind the exile of Hera Familia.

As low-ranking members, they were unaware of Charlie's business dealings with the higher-ups of Loki Familia.

"Wait a moment, I will report this."

One of the gate guards hurried into Twilight Manor. Meanwhile, the other guard couldn't help but sneak a glance at Aishia.

Regarding this, Charlie could only let it be.

He couldn't gouge out the eyes of everyone who looked at Aishia, could he?

After all, admiring beauty is a human trait.

Before long, the guard who had gone returned.

"Captain Finn is waiting for you. Please follow me."

"Sure. Lead the way."

Then, Charlie and Aishia entered the Loki Familia residence under the guidance of a guard.

❀❀❀

Twilight Manor, Reception Room.

The room was dominated by an orange hue, styled with authority, directly facing the corridor.

Inside the room were several sofas and chairs that immediately indicated their expensive price, and a round table covered with a tablecloth. The decorations radiated a sense of luxury, ensuring that no matter the guest's status, they would not feel neglected.

Charlie and Aishia sat on the sofa, across from them were Finn and Riveria.

"Welcome, Charlie. I have been waiting for your arrival. So, is the Space-Time Cache finished?"

After a bespectacled girl served tea and biscuits on the table, Finn got straight to the point.

There was no other choice. He was very busy managing the internal affairs of the Familia.

The last expedition had not yielded profit; on the contrary, they suffered significant losses. The main cause of the expedition's failure was the emergence of an unidentified new monster.

The monster resembled a caterpillar and was the size of an elephant. It possessed acidic fluid that could easily dissolve weapons and armor. As a result, the members of Loki Familia were forced to end the expedition early due to their weapons and supplies being severely damaged by the acidic fluid.

It should be noted that every time a Familia undertakes an expedition, thorough preparation is necessary. For example, potions, equipment, armor, food, and so on. In short, a lot of money is needed as capital.

With Loki Familia's failure in this expedition and the damage to the adventurers' main weapons, Loki Familia faced a budget deficit and unpaid debts.

Finn was extremely busy dealing with the repercussions of this expedition failure.

"I have finished producing it. Please check the item yourself."

Under the gaze of Finn and Riveria, the space fluctuated like rippling water, and then a shoulder bag appeared in front of Charlie.

"This looks different from the previous one."

Riveria noticed that the other party was not using the same shoulder bag as before.

"As expected from the strongest Mage in Orario, you are very observant. This is the latest version of the Space-Time Cache."

Praising Riveria's attention to detail, Charlie displayed the silver bracelet on his wrist.

"How do you use it?"

Taking the shoulder bag from the table, Finn examined it carefully.

"Using the Space-Time Cache is not difficult. Just use Mana when you want to store or retrieve something." Charlie explained simply.

"This is amazing! You have created something extraordinary, Charlie." Finn expressed his sincere appreciation.

"Let me try it."

Seeing items in Finn's hands appear and disappear before her eyes, Riveria couldn't just watch.

"By the way, the Space-Time Cache has a storage capacity of 100 cubic meters." Charlie mentioned another advantage of his product.

"That's very spacious... With this, many problems will be resolved."

The storage capacity exceeded his expectations. Of course, Finn was very pleased.

"Riveria, provide the payment."

Now it was Finn's turn to see Riveria very focused on examining the Space-Time Cache as if she wanted to study it.

"This is the Grimoire. As a reminder, this Grimoire does not contain any specific magic within it. The magic that the reader obtains is driven by their desires, personality, and hopes. However, you may not necessarily acquire a spell after reading it." Riveria wore a serious expression.

Grimoires are spellbooks created through the use of the Mystery and Mage Development Abilities.. A Grimoire allows the reader to learn magic simply by reading it. A Grimoire can only be used once and will be empty after being read.

The Grimoire that Riveria used as a payment method was different from a regular Grimoire. This Grimoire was meant to unlock the hidden potential of its reader. In other words, she herself did not know what kind of magic Charlie would obtain.

Although it sounds impressive because it allows people to gain magic instantly, it's not that simple.

First, Grimoires are very expensive, and ordinary people cannot afford to buy them. The price starts at a minimum of 100 million valis.

And finally, there is a significant risk that the reader may fail to acquire magic even after reading the Grimoire.

In the original work, Haruhime read dozens of Grimoires but only managed to acquire one new spell. This shows how low her success ratio was.

Not everyone is a protagonist like Bell who gains magic from a single Grimoire.

With astronomical prices and slim chances of success, it is no wonder that Grimoires are not very popular among adventurers, even though they know that Grimoires can grant magic.

"Thank you for the reminder, Nine Hell. I appreciate it. As for luck... I am quite confident that my luck is good enough."

"I hope this Grimoire helps you."

Riveria said nothing more. Charlie appeared confident. Even if he failed, it was not her concern.

"It was a pleasure doing business with you, Braver."

"Likewise, Charlie. I hope our two Familias can coexist peacefully."

Charlie and Finn shook hands. Both parties felt they benefited from this transaction.

Declining Finn's offer to tour Twilight Manor, Charlie and Aishia left.

"It's a pity Aiz is out shopping with Tiona and Lefiya."

"That might not be a bad thing. If Aiz and Charlie met in this place, Loki would go crazy."

"That's true. It would be troublesome if Loki caused a commotion."

Finn agreed with Riveria.

It was common knowledge that Aiz had an interest in Charlie. It was just that no one said it openly, fearing it would hurt Loki's feelings.

"Do you think Charlie will gain magic from that Grimoire?" Riveria asked casually.

"Who knows? It depends on luck." Finn shrugged.