Chapter 82
Chapter 82
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 82
Chapter Title: Reconnaissance Mission
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Adelrian might look sloppy, but he occasionally dropped sharp remarks.
Most of them came out when he was drunk enough for his inhibitions to loosen.
Like how you should always hide thirty percent of your true strength. When I asked what that thirty percent meant, he said it was three out of ten if you rated your power as ten.
Or talk of "verbal swordplay," sparring with words, or meditating to master your inner self and training through visualization.
He'd enjoyed the former while traveling with Luna and Zero, but now...
"That guy's closing his eyes again, trying to set the mood."
"Shh. Just leave him be. Didn't you hear how Tate ended up half-crippled after picking a fight with him without knowing better?"
The one fun thing in this boring place.
Cain had grouped Chaser and Repid into a party, set up attack rotations to keep them in check, and now began reading the mana flows inside the barracks with his eyes closed.
Mana that trembled every time someone harboring resentment toward him glanced this way, laced with faint killing intent.
Someone who'd tried and failed to suppress him just because of his lowly birth. Someone who'd schemed to trade future loyalty for honor based on bloodline.
Someone arrogant enough to think he was the best of this intake group, and someone who'd plotted behind Cain's back using him.
*It's been a while since I put that out of mind.*
Humans really are ugly.
To establish the pecking order, several had picked fights with Cain, only to end up with broken bones everywhere.
That had earned Cain some quiet nights.
Until tonight.
"Cain, the Third Subjugation Unit Captain is summoning you."
"Why call that guy out separately!"
"You asking because you don't know?"
Cain slowly opened his eyes and stared at the protesting man for a moment.
The man was grinding his teeth and glaring, but the Third Subjugation Unit consisted of veterans several times senior to this newly registered Twelfth Subjugation Unit intake.
"If you had the skills to match your attitude, you'd be the one getting called out instead of Cain."
At the Third Subjugation Unit member's words, the protesting man bit his lip. He probably couldn't protest any further.
That initial complaint had been his best shot.
But it wasn't Cain's concern.
As he rose, stretching his body stiff from sitting so long in response to the Third Subjugation Unit member's summons, Cain spoke.
"Should I go right now?"
"Yeah."
The man looked ordinary, but the aura he exuded was on par with the Twelfth Subjugation Unit Captain.
Following him, Cain noticed one or two had been pulled from each subjugation unit and were heading the same way.
"What? They even brought a chick?"
"Well... his mana fluctuations are stable. Must have some skill."
It seemed each subjugation unit had selected a few standouts without hindering their main forces.
Eight people had gathered in front of the Third Subjugation Unit Captain's barracks.
"Anything said inside this tent must be forgotten once you hear it."
"A special mission?"
At one man's question, the Third Subjugation Unit member lifting the tent flap turned his gaze slowly.
"If you're scared, you can turn back."
"As if."
Inside the tent stood a muscular woman a head taller than the others, arms crossed.
Part beastkin hybrid perhaps—her ears were rounded, fangs protruded, and unhealed scars marred her exposed arms and neck, giving her a fierce appearance.
Laila, Captain of the Third Subjugation Unit.
She eyed those entering her tent and spoke.
"Stepping into my tent means you've all sworn silence. You can hear the details and leave as is, so long as your mouths stay shut."
"Please explain."
At someone's words, Laila nodded once and placed a hand on the crude map hanging behind her.
"We've detected changes in the monster habitats inside the borderlands. Simply put, stronger monsters inhabit deeper inside, but their ranges have shifted back one zone each."
Someone let out a groan at Laila's words. Those gathered weren't just dumb brutes with high combat power—they grasped what she meant.
"We can't say for sure, but it seems one of the monsters in the deepest parts has stirred. Records indicate at least three Count-grade monsters in the depths."
In the monster borderlands, they graded and managed monsters by difficulty for efficient subjugation.
Among them, those classified as nobility were all powerful individuals.
From low-tier Barons to high-tier Dukes.
A Baron-grade required the full forces of a baronial domain to take down.
"Does that mean we need the full forces of a county to handle a Count-grade?"
At the question, Laila nodded.
"Yeah. One of them seems to have awakened..."
If a stronger Marquis or Duke-grade had broken dormancy, the alarm magic set up by previous generations at great cost would have triggered long ago.
Plus, minor monsters would have already surged out in waves before they could even gauge it.
"So you'll split into three teams and scout the inner borderlands. All the way to the depths."
One man raised his hand at the mention of venturing to the depths teeming with monsters no individual could face.
"I won't do it. My wife's due next month."
After he left, the rest fell silent. Cain watched them, then slowly nodded when asked if he'd participate.
* * *
Do dragons have a homeland? They're independent entities to begin with.
Even in polymorph form, their essence doesn't change.
So what happens if you make such a dragon swear an oath to a homeland?
I set an ink-drawn Taegukgi in front of the baffled Rachel and handed her a memo I'd prepared.
"Read it."
"What is this...?"
"You haven't forgotten our deal, right?"
She scowled at my smiling words.
"Of course not! But this doesn't look like anything the Empire uses. You know a promise you just made up won't hold, right?"
Probably. A dragon's oath would be karmically enforced to the extent of her sincerity. Per our agreement.
It had to resemble a national pledge.
"I pledge to the proud Taegukgi... What's a Taegukgi?"
I tapped the ink-drawn Taegukgi.
For the eternal glory of our homeland and nation.
A dragon with no concept of homeland or nation had no choice but to base it on me, the contract holder.
"To offer my body... Huh? Body, no way—do nations really use pledges like this?"
"Ah, just read it already."
Prodded, Rachel growled but read on.
"...and pledge unwavering loyalty with body and soul for its boundless glory."
"Perfect."
"Perfect?"
Ah, slipped out naturally.
The flag pledge had changed a few times, and before I came here, it was something about the free and just Republic of Korea or whatever.
*But that's not the wording I wanted.*
So I'd deliberately used an old version.
"...forever enduring. What? It is a real pledge."
After Rachel spoke, I felt an invisible thread form and vanish between us.
The homeland and nation she'd sworn to here were Kang Suho—me. It wouldn't bind her forever to anyone else. And with body and soul pledged in loyalty...
*I won't die to Rachel.*
I grinned confidently before Rachel, who trembled with indignation at feeling tricked.
[Rachel—]
"What was that? What did you do?"
As expected, Rachel couldn't see the trait window.
And when I used User's Eye on her, killing intent flared in her eyes.
"What's the problem?"
A crunch from her hand as her fist clenched. While Rachel and I made the oath contract, the kids who'd kept their distance rushed over and grabbed my shoulders.
"No, I was just talking to that person?"
"But why clench your fist like that?"
"Relax your grip first."
—Oppose violence. Ah, where's my pen?
Rachel shuddered as if her fist had a mind of its own, watching Luna, Zero, and Rif block my front, then finally loosened and forced a smile while glaring at me.
"No, let's talk for a sec. What did you just do to me? What did you make happen...?"
—You smell like me?
I raised one arm and sniffed my sleeve.
"No!"
—My mana's scent!
I shrugged like I had no idea, grinning at Rachel snorting in fury.
* * *
Mana's scent, huh.
Even using User's Eye, I couldn't see Rachel's trait.
And the moment I did, she noticed and said her mana scent was coming from me.
I'd suspected, but this confirmed Rachel brought me here.
*But a few things nag at me.*
First, Rachel gave me User's Eye, yet she can't see others' traits.
*Her actions prove it.*
Plus, I can see traits on anyone—not just from the original story or game, but confirmed on everyone—which means I can view traits of everyone on this continent.
Even if Rachel was Dragon Lord, is that possible?
Dragging me from another world, granting special powers to discern all talents—even hidden traits temples can't detect.
With that power, why did the original story end with her ruined?
Something I don't know is certain, but figuring it out right now is impossible.
Even if I cornered Rachel and spilled everything, what would current Rachel know?
I'd probably know more.
If Rachel were omnipotent and knew what I didn't, she wouldn't be punching monsters for fun here—instead, she'd have crushed the evil god cult and averted the future apocalypse already.
*Her nickname 'Brainless Rachel' wasn't for nothing.*
No solving it now.
I sighed briefly, and Cain, speaking via siren, hilariously picked up on it.
[Why the sigh?]
"Ah, nothing much. Just the new party member."
[So the martial artist joined after all.]
I gave a vague reply to Cain and started counting ceiling patterns.
"Yeah, something like that. Anyway, Cain, you're heading to the border depths?"
I pondered a bit. The timing wasn't exact, but the original mentioned a massive monster wrecking the borderlands. Scraping my memories...
[Yes. Three routes total: lakeside, cliffs, and hills. They suspect a dormant Count-grade on each.]
I get it. Not now, but later the other two would emerge too. Pushed out by even deeper Duke-grades stirring.
"Take the hills."
[The hills?]
If my memory's right, hills it is. The Count-grade Cain mentioned—the raid boss I'd targeted.
Both point to the same one.
The Cyclops.
"Zero, let's have midnight snacks!"
"No."
"Senior Zero, midnight snack please!"
"What would you like, Junior Rachel?"
Using Zero and Rachel's senior-junior banter as BGM, I continued with Cain.
"The awakened monster is probably the Cyclops on the hills. It hasn't fully woken yet."
[Understood. We'll confirm presence and return. Then a proper subjugation unit will form.]
I spun the Kruger ring with a clink and exhaled.
"Might be mass desertions before that. Be careful out there. And whatever you do, don't cook food on the hilltops."
Unlikely, but Cain getting hurt or dying here would be trouble.
[Food? Why?]
At Cain's question, I dredged up memories and spoke.
"The entire hill is the Cyclops, with dirt piled on top."