Chapter 159 Scroll Tube

The ruins of Palo City were situated on an open plain, surrounded by a number of modern houses likely used as residences for the staff.

The strict measures taken to protect the ruins were evident from the lines of tourists waiting to enter.

Clearly, the number of people allowed into the site at any one time was limited, and their time inside was likely regulated as well. This system not only eased the pressure on staff overseeing the site, but also prevented overcrowding.

Despite such restrictions, there are still so many people coming even in the off-season, which shows how attractive the Palo City's ruins are.

Law and Sanbica stood side by side and blended into the crowd. Among the throngs of couples dressed in winter attire, their presence was barely noticeable. To an observer, they, too, might have appeared as just another couple.

Law took a quick glance at the security personnel stationed outside and saw that the level of vigilance was very high.

This was just the perimeter, so the inside was likely even more tightly guarded.

'Well, there's no chance during the day. I probably won't even get to touch anything.' Law mused silently.

The ruins of Palo City are one of the country's major sources of revenue, so it is normal to have protective measures in place.

On one hand, they are afraid that the ruins buildings will be damaged. After all, it was already so many years old and are already quite dilapidated.

On the other hand, it is also a precaution against thieves with bad intentions.

In this world, black the black market was thriving, with countless buyers and sellers trading in all manner of peculiar items. From rare artifacts to the bizarre, even something as strange as the excrement of a duke's pet dog from a century ago could find a buyer.

Wherever there was demand, there was money to be made.

The ruins of Palo City, with their ancient stonework and sculptures, were no exception. Even something as seemingly insignificant as a vaguely carved stone flower could fetch a decent price from collectors on the black market.

Generally speaking, as long as someone in the black market needs something, even if it is illegal or even requires risking one's life to obtain, there will be a lot of people fighting for it.

The ruins are so heavily guarded that Law concluded he would have to return at night.

For now, Law and Sanbica patiently waited in line. At this time, even if Sanbica showed her Hunter License, they could not cut in line.

Time passed as group after group of tourists entered and exited the site. After waiting for nearly two hours, it was finally Law and Sanbica's turn.

The Palo City's ruins allowed 300 visitors at a time. After paying the entrance fee, the staff gave a brief rundown of the rules, several of which were strictly non-negotiable, before letting people in one by one.

Visitors can only stay in there for half an hour, and that's only one of the many restrictions.

Law and Sanbica followed the crowd through a stone archway and entered the ruins.

The tourists, almost uniformly, walked straight down the central path leading into the heart of the ruins, barely glancing at the crumbling remnants of walls and buildings on either side.

Palo City was once a thriving city, but war had reduced it to ruins, and the passage of centuries had eroded it further, leaving only a relatively intact section.

Most of the tourists who come here go to the statue of the Goddess of Love in the center of the area, while a small number of people would go to the city lord's mansion.

But Law's target was different. He's looking for Verdin, a craftsman who once had some fame in this ancient city.

"Much of the city has disappeared, hopefully Verdin's house is still there."

Law took Sanbica around and carefully noted each cluster of collapsed structures.

Uniformed guards were stationed everywhere, making it impossible to approach any of the structures. So for now, all Law could do was scout the area.

As time was limited, Law walked very quickly and checked half of the area in a short while, and then came to where the statue was.

It was a female statue with many fine scratches on the surface. She wore a flowing gown of thin silk, holding a harp shaped like a heart in her hand. Her serene smile and loving gaze were so lifelike it was as if she were alive.

Both the statue and the harp were exquisitely detailed, showing the exceptional skills of the sculptor.

As he walked along, Law could vaguely see various reliefs on the walls and stone carvings that served as decorative arts on the ruins of the collapsed buildings.

Seeing this statue and recalling the fact that Verdin is also a stone sculptor, it became clear that stone carving had once been a thriving art in Palo City. However, the city's reputation as the 'City of Love' had overshadowed this legacy.

"Sanbica, do you want to explore on your own?" Law suggested. He was feeling a bit guilty about making her follow him as he briskly navigated the ruins.

"By myself?" Sanbica's gaze remained calm.

"Uh..." Law glanced around at the couples everywhere and realized it might not be appropriate to leave Sanbica wandering alone.

Dropping the suggestion, they left the statue area, avoiding most of the other tourists as they headed toward another part of the ruins.

The fragments of memory Law had obtained from Verdin were limited. While he could visualize what the room looked like, but identifying its location amidst the ruins was proving difficult. After all, most of the buildings were little more than rubble now, making it nearly impossible to pinpoint Verdin's home.

Moreover, the scene related to the Sonata of Darkness is that of Verdin burying a scroll tube in bricks near a fireplace before sealing it away.

Law hadn't seen what was inside the painting tube, but a vague feeling told him that the Sonata of Darkness might be in the scroll tube.

While he wasn't certain of the exact location, focusing on fireplaces might help narrow the search.

Seeing that time was almost up, Law quickened his pace.

Suddenly, a strange feeling like the treasure hunting instrument appeared after a long time, guiding Law like a compass.

Following this uncanny feeling, Law looked towards the ruins of a building on the side of the road. Though barely recognizable as a building, it had crumbling walls, stone columns, and most importantly, a partially intact fireplace.

'Is that the place...'

Law raised his eyebrows. He fully trusted in the treasure-hunting ability of the white smoke font and felt relieved.

From this point of view, the Sonata of Darkness is likely to be hidden in this vicinity.

"What's wrong?" Sanbica noticed Law suddenly stop and stare at the ruins, her expression tinged with curiosity.

"It's nothing, it's almost time, let's go."

Law retracted his gaze and saw that the security guards in the ruins had already begun ushering the crowd and were confirming the number of tourists.

When the half-hour limit was up, Law and Sanbica left the ruins with the crowd and returned to the rented wooden cabin by the lake.

With the location confirmed, all that was left was to act under the cover of night.

…

That night, Law and Sanbica made their way back to the ruins under the shadow of darkness.

When they arrived, the security outside the ruins was even tighter than during the day, so they had no idea what the situation inside was like.

Regardless, Law was determined to retrieve the item hidden inside the brick near Verdin's fireplace. Avoiding the surveillance, he relied on Sanbica's Nen Ability to quietly incapacitate the guards outside. Then, Law uses his Nen Ability to cut through the barbed wire fence silently, slipped through, and then restored the fence as though untouched.

Having memorized the location during the day, Law led Sanbica straight to Verdin's residence.

It didn't take long for them to reach the ruin where Law's treasure-hunting instinct had flared strongest earlier.

As they got closer, the sensation became stronger, making Law even more certain that the object was indeed there.

Sanbica observed quietly as Law crouched in front of the deteriorating wall. She felt puzzled but refrained from asking any.

"Gotcha."

Law ran his hand along the bricks, and then stopped at a specific spot.

Without needing further evidence, Law was certain the scroll tube was hidden there.

He immediately activated his Nen Ability to separate the scroll tube hidden inside, and then restored the brick wall to its original state.

"There really is something..." Sanbica looked at the ancient scroll tube in Law's hand.

Under the faint moonlight, Law examined the scroll tube closely, and confirmed that it was the same as the one in Verdin's memory fragment.

He immediately felt a sense of satisfaction, though his success was largely thanks to the treasure-hunting ability of the white smoke font...