The historical records encompassed a wide array of subjects beyond the continent's history, including wars, diplomatic relations between kingdoms, new magics, and mana stone devices. In this archive, there was a particular record book that Gravel had been poring over with keen interest lately.
While searching for accounts of the war between the Krukuut and Esteta kingdom, he had stumbled upon this record book, which contained information on all manner of artifacts, holy relics, grimoires, secret treasures, and ancient legacies existing across the continent.
Curious about what items might exist in this other world, Gravel began reading the record book, and several days passed. His steps had solidified into a daily routine; whenever he came to the library, he invariably headed straight for the record archive.
"Ghost Bone Ring... A ring that restores itself to its original state, even when scratched, and adjusts its size to fit the wearer's finger, expanding or shrinking as needed... An elven treasure that erases scratches from the passage of time when sung to... Yawg's Harp is an instrument where the carved hand at the end moves in unison with the player to perform."
Sters's Box, small yet capable of halting the flow of time for objects stored within; a mystical beast statue that drips a cup of flaming oil from its mouth each day; the Necklace of Serenity, which prevents the wearer from sweating on sweltering summer days and eliminates the need for an overcoat in the biting chill of winter.
As Gravel perused the records of countless treasures with their mysterious abilities and effects, his eyes suddenly widened.
A passage about a legacy from the past, one that could break the monotony of his repetitive days in Ves-Dinas, caught his gaze.
"The Mirror of Nerodia. By grasping one of the beads adorning the mirror's frame and gazing into it, it reveals what the user desires most. The golden needle within the grasped bead always points toward the location reflected in the mirror, guiding the owner to where their deepest desire lies..."
To examine the sentence in the open record book on the desk more closely, Gravel rose from his chair and traced the description of the Mirror of Nerodia with his finger.
Calming his trembling fingertips, Gravel read the contents of the record book once more. His heart began to pound with the anticipation that this might finally reveal the location of the Skyhold he had been searching for so desperately.
'Discovered in the burial chamber on the 4th floor of Aquiln's Labyrinth, this mirror was found by the labyrinth explorers Lanbel, Mokomo, and Mataa. The Mirror of Nerodia, harder than black steel, was unearthed without a single scratch or even a speck of dust. At the time of discovery, out of the 24 decorative beads on the frame, 9 had fallen off, leaving only 15 beads intact.'
As he turned the page, the words inscribed in the record book came into sharp focus in Gravel's eyes. He held his breath and followed the letters with his gaze.
In the breathless silence, the sound of Gravel swallowing echoed from his throat.
'It was later sold at Aquiln's auction house to Benarr, the merchant magnate of Damu... With the power of this mirror, I can find out where the Skyhold is!'
Gravel was certain that if he stood before the mirror right now, it would reflect the image of the Skyhold.
That was how firmly the location of the Skyhold—where his companions might still be slumbering—occupied his heart. By obtaining information about the Mirror of Nerodia, which could serve as the key to reaching the Skyhold, Gravel felt as though he had taken a massive step toward his goal. In that moment, an irreplaceable sense of relief filled his heart.
'It said Benarr, the merchant magnate of Damu? Damu... That's south of Froikton, even further south to Tollu, then through the Latulle cave path westward to Aquiln, and from there further west to Damu, the city of the Dawi and Muwa...'
Pulling a map from his bosom and unfolding it, Gravel traced the journey from Ves-Dinas to Damu with his fingertip.
"Whew... It's going to take quite a while."
Leaning back in his chair and gazing up at the library's ceiling, Gravel let out a long sigh.
'I need to plan this carefully. And I have to get to Damu as soon as possible...'
Winter had only just begun, but he wanted to stand before the Mirror of Nerodia a day sooner if possible. There were many factors to consider. Beyond the long winter journey, there was another issue altogether.
It was uncertain whether the mirror's owner would allow him to borrow its power as he wished—especially since 9 out of the 24 uses had already been expended, leaving only 15 beads.
In the worst case, those remaining 15 opportunities might have vanished from the world by now, rendering his entire arduous journey futile. Sinking into a mire of ominous thoughts, Gravel countered them by considering the opposite: perhaps the merchant magnate Benarr would gladly permit its use for a reasonable sum or exchange, and since the path to Froikton was familiar, the journey might not be as grueling as it seemed.
"(Places I need to stop by... Lacha-Walia, Valla Glas... Froikton? Villages... Cities... Wait!) That's it! The dimensional portal! There are portals! How did I forget about that?"
In Grand World Online, casting portal magic required having visited the destination village at least once, but aside from that restriction, as long as one had sufficient mana proportional to the distance, one could open a portal from one end of the continent to the other. Paths that would take six months or a year could be traversed in mere steps toward the portal.
Since arriving in this other world, Gravel had been wandering in search of the Skyhold. Even while spreading his mana to sense wide areas and flying through the skies, places he'd visited once were marked in his mental map as 'no Skyhold here.' so his mindset was dominated by the need to visit new locations to find it. With scarcely any time to ponder ways to return to villages, he had only now realized he could create magical portal gates.
'If I make excuses, it's that until reaching Ves-Dinas, there was no reason to go back... If anything's regrettable, it's that when I went to Liant village recently, it was my second visit to Slerom, so if I'd known about portals then... Or at least on the way back...'
The time that had passed felt even more wasted. But he couldn't turn back the clock, and since he'd flown through the skies out of sight for reasonable distances, the loss of time didn't feel too severe.
With urgent strides, Gravel exited the Ves-Dinas library and hurried toward the city's outskirts. He wanted to verify as quickly as possible whether he could actualize the portal spell.
That urgency quickened his steps even more.
A short while later, Gravel stood in the midst of a serene forest.
"Alright... Let's give it a try. Hoo..."
Exhaling slowly to steady his breath, Gravel began to focus his mind. He closed his eyes, breathing out calmly as he prepared to cast his magic.
The forest leaves rustled in the wind, and the occasional chirping of birds created a tranquil atmosphere. Gravel inhaled the forest air that resonated with his inner calm, recalling the image of a small village he had visited not long ago.
A small village near the Ghost Spider Forest. From a nearby hill, the village's layout was visible at a glance—a quaint, peaceful settlement.
The small square bathed in warm sunlight, houses with red roofs, and stone walls encircling the streets... Gravel recalled the mana aura he had felt in that place.
A change he had only now recognized since opening his eyes in this other world. Knowledge etched into Gravel's mind belatedly. As a mage, Gravel possessed a special aptitude for casting portal spells.
The places he had visited lingered with him beyond mere memory. Any location where Gravel had lingered bore a unique mana signature that he could detect.
That mana held a distinctive resonance unique to each place. And those locations existed not just as visual information, but as magical wavelengths imprinted on Gravel's psyche.
Those imprints signified a connection between the caster and the location.
Gravel concentrated, recalling the magical wavelength he had felt in that village. He reconstructed in his mind the view of the village from the hill and manifested the thread of mana linking him to it. A slender flow of mana became palpable at his fingertips.
'It's definitely different from the game...'
From Gravel's fingertips emerged a thread of mana glowing in blue. This thread was a magical conduit to open a passage connecting his mind to the target location near the village.
Gravel slowly moved his fingers, beginning to draw a magic circle in the air. Unlike ordinary magic circles composed of circles or geometric shapes, this one visualized the unique mana wavelength, determining the circle's form and patterns.
As Gravel completed the magic circle with his fingers in the air, the mana of the recalled location felt even stronger. Opening his tightly clenched mouth from concentration, he chanted the incantation to activate the circle.
"Porta ad locum meae memoriae patere. (Gate to the place of my memory, open wide.)"
And in that instant, a portal opened before Gravel.
A massive oval portal, 6 cubits (3m) in size, shimmered with the mystical colors of the cosmos.
Vibrant lights—purple, green, red, blue, and more—intertwined against a deep black backdrop, radiating brilliance.
Approaching the brightly glowing portal with a step, Gravel gazed at the light, intuitively knowing his magic had succeeded, and a smile curved his lips.
'Alright, let's go.'
Gravel stepped slowly into the portal. Inside, it felt like a space where time stood still. The surroundings were utterly silent, and his footsteps made no sound. It was like walking through the void. A few steps ahead, a slender thread of mana approached him, guiding him as if welcoming his arrival.
Moments later, Gravel reached the other end of the portal. Emerging from it, he opened his eyes, which he had briefly closed against the flashing glare, and confirmed he was standing on the hill overlooking the village.
Below the hill unfolded the exact scene Gravel had visualized before casting the portal: houses with red roofs, stone walls, and the small square—all appearing peaceful, just as when he had left.
"Hahaha! It worked! Why did I only think of this now? Travel is going to be so much easier from here on out!"
Gravel felt profound satisfaction. He reveled in the realization that he had traversed a great distance in an instant. Now, he could move freely between places using portal magic.
"By casting a portal to Froikton, I can save a ton of time!"
With light steps infused with joy, he descended the hill toward the village.
Gravel now began preparing for his new journey. To meet Benarr, the merchant magnate of Damu who owned the Mirror of Nerodia, he would need to pass through Froikton, head to Tollu in the Baronetcy of Smolen to the south, then westward through the Latulle cave path to the labyrinth city of Aquiln, and further west to Damu, the city of the Dawi and Muwa.
Anticipating the new places he would encounter on the journey ahead, Gravel vowed to employ every means necessary to obtain the Mirror of Nerodia, which would guide him to the Skyhold.