Lost Items
Sub quest complete! Rank: SS
You defeated or converted 92 Hogrifons without a single casualty!
As a kill reward, you gained a total of 325 KP. Remaining KP: 725
As a rank reward, you gained 50 EP. Remaining EP: 540
As a completion reward, you may receive additional supplies. The rank bonus has been applied, greatly increasing the quantity and quality of the supplies and adding extra items.
“Thank you, Count of the Border Region!”
“A great blessing to House Tamer!”
The people of Kihara Barony, having escaped a terrible crisis, were chanting Joren Tamer’s name.
“Think nothing of it. Just, please, do not start cheering me by shouting long live this and that.”
Good news had come one after another, but Ho-yeong had no time to rejoice.
Respond to the Summons from the Capital
📍 Location: Kainea
🎁 Reward: Unknown
Quest incomplete alert! <Respond to the Summons from the Capital> / Time remaining: 3 days 2 hours
Hurry to King Daisy at once. Right now it is the king who is calling the Guardian, but later the day may come when the Guardian is the one summoning the king.
If you fail to complete the quest within the time limit, numerous negative events will occur.
There was something even more important than the Hogrifon defense waiting for him.
“Three days?! Even if I rode without rest, day and night, it still wouldn’t be enough. Give me a little more time!”
The original time remaining was only 1 day. However, Chief Steward Duonoraong soothed King Daisy’s anger and secured extra time. Please note that quest deadlines can lengthen or shorten due to various factors.
Daliha consoled him with the explanation.
“Oh, nice work, Chief Steward! Good thing I sent him ahead. Still, now I need to find a way to get to the capital in one go... I hate to do it, but I’ll have to rely on everyone here. Hm.”
However, the Kihara siblings looked troubled.
“Straight to the capital? The only one in our house who can use spatial transfer is my sister. But even she can’t manage a distance that long.”
“My younger brother speaks the truth. It’s shameful, but my ability can only carry someone as far as Rainpa.”
That was very bad news indeed.
“Don’t you have any scrolls or something?”
“Unfortunately, not at the moment....”
“Haah. All right, then.”
As Ho-yeong sighed, Shrakhim glanced at him and added his own thoughts.
“Still, if you set out from Rainpa, wouldn’t that at least save some time?”
Rainpa was a gateway city at the western end of the Podwor Highway. Beyond it, there were no major cities until the western border was crossed, so Rainpa was packed with adventurers exploring the unmapped frontier and merchants buying their spoils.
“Well, if I could depart directly from there, that would be much better.”
Of course, it wasn’t as if there were no cities at the far western edge of the Kain Kingdom. There was (former) Auphocalypse City, now Tamer Territory.
It wasn’t nearly as large or as bustling as Rainpa, and because the unmapped frontier lay right before it, monsters from the Dark Red Land and the Serak Mountains would pop out whenever they pleased.
The citizens would likely have no complaints about why the four angels had not laid a highway all the way to this place.
But for the same reason, there were also quite a few people who made their final preparations here.
The city was not large, which also meant it was quiet, making it a good place to rest for people who disliked crowds. Its location right before the unmapped frontier was also a plus when planning a route. Monster appearances were both a source of work and a warm-up exercise for adventurers.
“From Rainpa to Kainea, there’s a straight highway, no, a paved road running all the way through.”
But from Rainpa to Tamer Territory, they would have to detour around rough terrain, and, crucially, ever since the great monster assault a few years ago turned the place into a field of scallion cultivation, far fewer people came there.
“Hmm. If I use a bunch of acceleration scrolls and keep feeding the horse mandragorani hornleaf cookies, could I make it to the capital in three days? Maybe I could. If I ride alone, I might just manage it....”
“Lord, are you planning to make that long trip by yourself? Wouldn’t it be better if we accompanied you as retainers?” asked Yak and the Tamer Territory guards, who had been thinking the same thing.
“Hmm. I appreciate the thought, but you all need to return to your posts. There’s work to do and never enough hands.”
“Then what about those two Minocentaurs?”
“Ah, right. They were there. Hey, Spotty and Minho! Come here.”
The converted Minocentaurs came running at once.
- Minooo~? (Did you call for us?)
The one with cow-like spotted markings was named Spotty.
- Minoho! (I’m here.)
The one with the especially loud cry was named Minho.
“You two can listen to people well enough even when I’m gone, right?”
- Minoom! (Yes!)
- Minoho! (Just give the order!)
Thanks to Ho-yeong personally applying healing ointment to treat them and then feeding them carrots and fruit to restore their strength, their conversion levels were high.
“Then you can take them with you. Since you came on horseback anyway, the Minocentaurs can get along nicely with—”
Warning. The converted Hogrifons in Tamer Territory have not been converted for long. If the Minocentaurs and Hogrifons notice each other, there is a high chance they will fight.
Daliha pointed out what he had forgotten.
“Huh? Come to think of it, that’s true. They really hate each other, don’t they? I can’t believe I was stirring them up just a moment ago and then forgot. Hmm. The Hogrifons in the territory right now are herbivorous and pretty docile, so maybe it’d be fine?”
The Hogrifons have been converted according to the Guardian’s intent, so they no longer regard horses as prey. However, the Minocentaurs still harbor hostility toward the Hogrifons.
“Then what should I do? Should I keep them separated for now?”
Separating the flying Hogrifons and the Minocentaurs, who possess tremendous strength, is extremely difficult. Confining large monsters in a narrow space risks a major drop in conversion rate, so take care.
The best method is for the Guardian to bring the monsters face to face personally and mediate between them.
Ho-yeong’s sigh grew deeper.
“You want me to organize a meeting between Hogrifons and Minotaurs when I’m short on time? Haaah. Wait. Speaking of which, there are Hogrifons here! I can just pick the fastest one and ride it to the capital, right? If I use an acceleration scroll or ask Meyril to help with wind magic, I think I could get a pretty good speed going!”
Having found a method, he set it in motion at once.
“Lady, you said you can use spatial transfer as far as Rainpa, so Tamer Territory should be even easier, right? It’s much closer.”
“Yes. Of course.”
“Then could you move me, the soldiers, and the Minocentaurs?”
“If that is what you wish, I should naturally do so. You are not only my son’s benefactor, but also the benefactor of the territory. Though... didn’t you say you had to hurry to the capital?”
“I have something in mind. In any case, I need to send the soldiers and monsters back to Tamer Territory.”
While Olfia prepared the spell, Ho-yeong looked down over the town in the fortress.
I thought this barony would be nothing special, but it’s actually pretty lively. There are a lot of people here, too. Is all that wide plain farmland? And the place with the white horses must be a ranch. There have to be dozens of them. Since they’ve got that many horses to spare, they could have made all the dispatched guards into cavalry.
If he could turn Kihara Barony into an allied power, that would be useful in many ways.
Olfia Kihara currently feels favorably toward the Guardian. If the Guardian were to take her as a wife, he could further expand his influence through ties by marriage with House Kihara.
At Daliha’s words, Ho-yeong recoiled in shock.
“Take her as my wife? You mean marry that woman? No, no matter how you put it, that’s a bit much.”
Analyzing the Guardian’s type, an older, strong woman appears to be the ideal match. Olfia is an excellent mage and a beautiful woman. Do you not like her?
“There’s an age gap! I mean, sure, I admit she’s beautiful and looks young for her age. But the age difference is just... too much.”
Olfia married at 18 and gave birth to her first child at 19.
“She married early. But if that eldest son, Shrakhim, looks well over thirty, then his mother has to be at least fifty.”
Shrakhim is 20 years old.
“What?! That’s impossible!”
It was a reversal he had never expected.
“Then his mother is 39? We’re the same zodiac sign... so she wasn’t an auntie, she was a noona. Twelve years older is fine, I guess... No, what am I even talking about? No, no. Marriage is absolutely out of the question until I’ve raised my younger siblings.”
What is the reason? This place is only partially connected to your world, but it is still a game. Wouldn’t it be best to think of this as an event line meant to be cleared?
“Hmm... that’s not completely wrong, but even so, in a game or not, I don’t like the idea of suddenly getting married, especially through a political marriage.”
And the thought of becoming Shrakhim’s stepfather was grotesque beyond measure.
During that exchange, Baron Kihara approached.
“I was so flustered I could not even greet you properly.”
“Baron, how old are you, by any chance?”
“Hm? I’m thirty-seven this year, but why do you ask all of a sudden?”
Not forty-seven? Well, if his sister was 39...
If Shrakhim was twenty, then there was no reason the baron’s wrinkled face couldn’t belong to a man in his thirties.
People in their twenties and thirties from old photos all looked insanely old anyway. Maybe it’s the same kind of thing here? If I made sunscreen or lotion, it would sell like crazy.
More likely, though, the Kihara family’s early-aging trait was inherited mostly by the men.
“In any case, I thank you again. I should properly host you in grand fashion, but since you must leave in such haste, I can’t very well keep you here.”
“There are still things I need to sort out with you, Baron... but for now, the immediate fire has been put out, so let’s deal with the rest later.”
There was reason to argue, but no room for delay. They would leave the rest for another day.
The baron looked deeply apologetic.
“Is there nothing this man can do to help?”
“Aside from spatial transfer, I can’t think of anything... unless I can! A territory this size should have communication parchment, right?”
Communication parchment. A major magical item produced in the Kain Kingdom. It was also called parchment-letter.
The method of making and using it was as follows: a lamb’s hide was washed in mana water, processed, and then cut in half. If you wrote on one side with magical ink, the same content would appear on the other.
If you wanted to write something new, you had to wait for the ink to dry. That was the drawback, since unlike a mage’s “message spell,” it could not be used for simultaneous two-way communication.
“Tamer Territory had some too, but they said it was lost in the chaos a few years back.”
Even so, being able to send news instantly regardless of distance, and the fact that non-mages could use it as long as they had magical parchment and ink, made it extremely useful.
It was one of the reasons the Kain Kingdom could exert administrative power across so many cities and territories throughout its vast lands.
“Of course they do...”
The baron trailed off.
“Yes. So you could snitch on us to the capital in an instant, I suppose? I may not be a mage like you, but I’m not an idiot.”
The Count of the Border Region shot him a sidelong glance.
“...Ahem. My apologies.”
“Well, I wasn’t asking to call you out for that, so let’s leave it there. More importantly, Baron, I need you to use your talents and snitch on us to the capital once more, no, rather, send a report.”
“A report, you say. You mean about the battle with the Minocentaurs? Then what exactly would you like this man to write?”
“Yes. Please report the battle that just took place here. There’s no need to exaggerate or falsify anything. But you must make sure to write that Count of the Border Region Joren Tamer came to assist Kihara Barony. Also say that post-battle processing may delay our departure a little longer.”
“I shall do so.”
The baron nodded obediently.
“Count of the Border Region, how many days do you expect to be delayed? Since this is a report to His Majesty, I think it would be best to specify the time clearly.”
“Ah, yes, that makes sense. Then write three days... no, let’s write it like this.”
At first he considered setting the deadline exactly to match the quest time limit, but he changed his mind.
Baron Kihara fell into thought for a moment, then added, “Also... I shall write that there was a misunderstanding in the petition Kihara Barony had previously submitted. If His Majesty chooses to punish this man for it, I will accept it gladly.”
“Well, there’s no need to go that far. Don’t worry too much about it.”
“Something seems to have changed...”
“What was that? Why?”
“Nothing at all. Still, since you said you are returning to Tamer Territory, let this man offer some advice. Rather than going to the royal palace empty-handed, how about presenting something? I have heard that dandanium, mana water, and other rare goods poured down in the skies over Tamer Territory.”
At the unexpected advice, Ho-yeong tilted his head.
“Offer a gift? Hmm, I never thought of that. Would that be for the purpose of pleasing Her Majesty?”
“Not a gift, but tribute. It must be presented as tribute.”
Before Ho-yeong could ask whether gift and tribute were not essentially the same thing, Daliha explained.
To put it simply, a gift is something given out of goodwill, while tribute is a kind of tax. You can think of it as surrendering local specialties to the capital.
“But would Her Majesty even be pleased by that?”
“That is a secondary matter. The important part is the surrounding nobles and high officials.”
Ho-yeong had neither the knowledge nor the experience for politics.
“High officials? Do you mean the sort of people you were talking about before, the hostile faction and slander and all that?”
But as the young head of the household responsible for three younger sisters, he caught the significance of the baron’s words with a sharp instinct.
“Also, while the Count of the Border Region spoke of it as a gift, such a thing could easily be taken as an attempt to cover one’s tracks. If you truly mean to prepare a gift, it would be better to offer it to ministers or archbishops rather than to His Majesty.”
“Wouldn’t that be bribery rather than a gift? Anyway, the point is not the gift but tribute, meaning it should be offered officially, right? But why, exactly...?”
“As the Count of the Border Region surely knows, goods mined, gathered, or harvested from a territory must be offered in a fixed proportion each year. In Kihara Barony, we present white horses and horsehair every other year. I do not know the tax laws of Tamer Territory, but harvest time will soon be over, so should you not prepare?”
“Ah, right. I do have to pay taxes.”
He remembered seeing that in the appendix attached to the appointment letter for his title as Count of the Border Region.
“Damn it! How long have I even been lord, and they’re already after taxes? Would it kill them to exempt the first year? Like when they waive the toll on holidays, you know? But I heard our territory doesn’t really have anything else to present besides taxes anyway. And even those were cut way down by the queen.”
Former Auphocalypse City had no specialty goods suitable for tribute.
“But the situation is different now. You’ve obtained valuable goods. Whether or not they count as local specialties is another matter.”
At the baron’s words, Ho-yeong felt as if he had been struck on the head.
“Wait. Then you mean the supplies I received, no, the goods I acquired, should also be offered as tribute? They weren’t dug up from a mine or something. They fell from the sky or sprang out of the ground! Do you count that as mining or gathering?”
Seeing his confusion, the baron nodded.
“There is no precedent for this. All the more reason for the Count of the Border Region to set one. If you do not present those goods to the kingdom, they will become easy prey for those who enjoy tearing others apart.”
“Tsk. So what you’re saying is something like this: ‘Count of the Border Region Joren Tamer somehow obtained all kinds of rare treasures. He is hiding them, stockpiling them, and plotting something shady.’ But if I offer tribute in advance, that proves my loyalty, right?”
“Exactly.”
Achievement <Basic Social Skills> complete! You gained 20 EP as a reward.
Baron Kihara has given you highly valuable advice. Since it came from a baron skilled in social matters, please take it to heart.
When the conversion rate of a neutral or hostile figure rises, they may offer various kinds of help like this, so keep it in mind.
Just as Ho-yeong was thinking that helping the baron had been worthwhile, the status window began beeping.
“Yes, yes. I know time is running short. First I’ll return to Tamer Territory—”
Warning. You have lost ownership of Bakgyeokpo!
“Huh?”