Eye of the Storm (3)

I tried offering Ggobongi a bite of the ambergris, but unfortunately, the attempt fell through.

He had happily wolfed down everything I gave him until now without a second thought, so his refusal to touch the ambergris meant he must have sensed something about it. Perhaps it was that distinct animal intuition.

Well, fair enough. Aside from smelling amazing, the texture itself is pretty gross.

It went beyond squishy straight into slimy. I considered pushing a little harder, but even Bbarmbo reached out to stop me as if telling me to drop it, so I decided against forcing the issue.

For now, let's keep the ambergris packed away.

I stored it inside the subspatial backpack. Leaving it out in the open risked drawing ants and all manner of pests. While I did have repellent, I couldn't rule out the possibility of ants powering through it.

Because it weighed next to nothing, storing it was easy enough, but it came with an unexpected side effect.

Drift—

At some point, the subspatial backpack had begun to float into the air.

It startled me at first, but guessing the cause wasn't difficult. The fish that had eaten the ambergris flew around like a glitching video game, so it wasn't weird for a backpack containing the stuff to lift off as well.

Still, good thing it's inside the subspatial backpack, or keeping track of it would've been a nightmare.

I secured the floating bag tightly with rope. Losing the ambergris was one thing, but losing the subspatial backpack itself would be an astronomical loss. Wonmo occasionally showed curiosity and batted at it with his paws, but I had factored that in and tied it down firmly, so it held fast.

That aside... a flying Magic Tower, huh...

Setting the ambergris aside, I turned my attention to the topic currently setting the Gallery on fire. Barely an hour or two ago, the symbol of the Iris Kingdom—the Magic Tower—had floated straight into the sky.

A massive architectural structure taking flight was an unprecedented phenomenon, and the forum was completely flooded with discussion.

Even reading through the highest-voted posts on the forum, I couldn't fathom what had happened. Back on Earth, structures didn't just bob around in the stratosphere. It was so surreal that it felt impossible to believe without seeing it with my own eyes.

Then again, people here can't fake images or edit video.

Earth had AI churning out bizarre and marvelous fabrications, but this world lacked ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠such technology. What you saw and heard was the raw truth. If photo manipulation were possible, the Gallery's credibility would have hit rock bottom long ago. Even so, processing the reality of a soaring tower was a tall order.

Not that it has anything to do with me anyway.

It felt like news from an entirely different realm. To put it in Earth terms, it felt like hearing an earthquake had struck Japan. Aside from the Iris Kingdom itself, most other nations probably viewed it with the same detachment. Still, I quietly hoped no one got hurt and the situation resolved peacefully.

Wait... could ambergris actually lift a whole building like that?

The thought crossed my mind out of nowhere. Ambergris had lifted my subspatial backpack, after all. The sheer scale difference made the comparison absurd, but the basic floating property was worth considering.

Nah, no way. If that were the case, Allfather would've messaged me immediately.

If ambergris were behind an incident of that magnitude, Allfather would have been the first to blow up my inbox. Yet my notifications remained quiet. He was probably just buried in his research on the specimen. The Magic Tower could handle its own business; I needed to stick to mine.

It's getting dark out. Time to pack it in.

Since my next expedition was scheduled for tomorrow, I gathered my tools and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠finished tidying up. My plan for tomorrow morning was physical training, followed by scouting in the afternoon. The target area was the vicinity of paths I had already walked.

Previously, I had moved in straightforward lines, but now my objective was to comb through the terrain thoroughly. There were bound to be spots I had overlooked—essentially clearing the fog of war on a map.

Father Raccoon consistently brought back valuable herbs, meaning there had to be a fertile patch growing nearby. Finding it myself would be great, or perhaps I might stumble upon more strange anomalies like the ambergris. Now that I could control my internal frost and the weather had softened, I needed to make moves while the window was open.

Of course, I had zero intention of going anywhere near the gorillas' territory. At most, I might sneak a peek at what the kangaroo mob was up to.

Maybe I should scout them out?

Come to think of it, their territory wasn't far from here. That meant they could wander into my perimeter at any moment. Any beast crossing the fence without my permission was an enemy. If they were human, we could hash things out with words, but beasts were another story. I finalized my mental checklist, resolved to head out fully prepared tomorrow.

Work's done, so now...

Time to scroll the Gallery. Nothing beat browsing the boards during downtime.

When I refreshed the feed, a flood of new posts about the flying Magic Tower washed over the front page. While a few users posted updates regarding the riots in El Dorado, the airborne tower clearly held the spotlight. Personally, I preferred bizarre spectacles like flying buildings over tedious political drama.

Aside from the Magic Tower, other topics were gaining traction—specifically, threads regarding the Crown Prince of the Messiah Empire. It had actually been circulating for days. Buried under the El Dorado drama, it hadn't peaked, but the forum had buzzed about it periodically. I had been too busy dealing with Ggobongi back then to pay much attention.

Is this kind of like a superpower on Earth getting a new president?

The Messiah Empire was a colossal power; they didn't slap the title of 'Empire' onto just anyone. Even if it held little relevance to my survival, curiosity got the better of me, and I clicked on the thread.

Come to think of it, when foreign presidents got elected back on Earth, leaders sent congratulatory wires; they rarely attended inaugurations in person.

Did Ming and Joseon envoys do that back in the day...? Can't quite remember.

Either way, none of it mattered to me. It wasn't like my name was being tossed around among the aristocracy. Whatever happened out there was their problem to sort through.

They did mention that the Gallery is tied directly to personal privacy, so nobles hate bringing it up in real life, right?

Honestly, commoners hated bringing up their internet activity too. Nobody wanted to suddenly get hit with a horrified look and a whispered, "Wait... you browse that stuff?" Dirty little internet secrets were better off buried deep in the forum.

"Kyuu. Kyu."

As I browsed through the posts, Wonmo gently patted my knee with his front paws. It looked just like a kitten making biscuits, bringing an instinctive smile to my face.

"What's up, Wonmo? Want to play again?"

"Kyuuu!"

Evidently, he had gotten a taste for floating through the air. Unfortunately, I was all out of ambergris incense, and asking for more would mean messaging Praise the Sun. Bugging him again felt awkward, so I improvised an alternative solution.

"Hup. There, this should do it, right?"

"Kyuuuu!"

I decided to use the floating subspatial backpack. Strapped to it like a kid hitched to a helium balloon, Wonmo drifted gently off the ground. Thrilled to soar wherever he pleased, the little cub paddled his paws, drifting lazily all around the cavern ceiling.

Thwack!

"Kyuuuu?!"

"Oof?!"

There was a minor collision along the way, but he looked so adorable floating there that I let it slide.

While Grylls enjoyed his peaceful domestic evening, the Messiah Empire was in a frenzy of preparation for the upcoming imperial succession ceremony.

An imperial ascension marked the turning of an era. Across the empire, citizens made ready to catch a glimpse of their future sovereign. Commoners paved and scrubbed roads or prepared flowers to welcome arriving guests, while the nobility scrambled to assemble lavish wardrobes for the grand banquet following the ceremony.

For the aristocracy in particular, an ascension heralded the birth of an entirely new power structure. Naturally, securing face time with the incoming monarch was a matter of political life and death.

"Mom! Do you know where my dress uniform is?"

"Why are you asking me? You must have hung it up somewhere."

"You took it to wash it, Mom!"

Even Ash, the Empire's renowned Swordmaster, was not exempt from the chaos. Once an ordinary commoner, Emperor Robert had recognized her peerless talent and sponsored her rise. Though currently living in self-imposed seclusion, merely showing her face at this ceremony held immense political significance. It would signal to the realm that she remained loyal to Robert's legacy and stood as a steadfast pillar behind the incoming Emperor Arnold.

The political acumen she had honed since her commoner days was meant for moments precisely like this.

"Mom, seriously, I can't find it."

"And what do I get if I find it?"

"My eternal love?"

"Good grief, always with the smooth talk. Here, take it."

Ash blinked in astonishment. The immaculate dress uniform her mother held out had been nowhere to be seen just seconds ago. Shaking off her bewilderment, Ash gazed down at the crisp, wrinkle-free fabric and fell into quiet reminiscence.

It's been so long since I wore this.

The memory of receiving the uniform remained as ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠vivid as yesterday. Bestowed the title of count, she had been appointed directly to the Imperial Guard. Back then, political factions seeking to undermine her lurked around every corner, but Emperor Robert had shielded her from all of them.

Eventually, hitting her thirties without getting married had sent her spiraling into an existential slump, prompting her retreat from public life. But the garment remained timeless.

She examined the coat from every angle before slowly sliding into it. Despite the hiatus, it fit without a single pinch. Blessed with a constitution that grew stronger with every breath, her body maintained peak physical conditioning without touching a single training weight.

Mmm, perfect.

Ash appraised her reflection in the mirror. The shut-in couch potato had vanished without a trace, replaced by a commanding, breathtaking knight. The pristine white trousers accentuated her powerful, sculpted thighs, while the matching ivory tunic radiated spotless dignity.

She almost wanted to snap a picture and upload it to the Gallery on the spot. It was the absolute pinnacle of martial elegance.

Well, almost anyone looks good in this uniform.

Strictly speaking, the ceremonial mantle symbolizing the Commander of the Guard belonged with the outfit, but she had already retired from active duty. She double-checked every seam and button for flaws.

After an exhaustive inspection, exactly one thought crossed her mind.

Ugh. I really don't want to go.

The instinct of an unrepentant homebody flared to life. It was a cruel irony—dreading an event she had no choice but to attend. God only knew how much hassle awaited her there. People would undoubtedly hound her about returning to active service.

I'll just put in an appearance, wrap things up fast, and scurry back home, she resolved.

"If you walked around outside dressed like that, men would be lining up around the block... Actually, scratch that. I'd settle for you just bringing home any decent man..."

"..."

"Use this chance to scout out a sensible husband. If you come back empty-handed, don't even think about stepping foot inside this house."

"Oh, come on, Mom!"

Swordmaster or not, to her mother, Ash was simply an unemployed daughter loafing around the house.

While Ash bickered with her mother across the capital, a similar scene played out elsewhere.

"Selena. Must you truly attend? Your health is still..."

"I am fine, Father. This is the perfect opportunity to show the court that I have fully recovered."

"Your father can handle the explanations. Your mother agreed on this, remember?"

"I cannot allow that. Besides, I need to officially introduce Mary, do I not? I am going, no matter what."

The Starlight Princess, Selena, was also throwing herself into preparations for the succession.

Unlike the tranquil isolation of the Forest of the Four Seasons—resting quietly like the eye of a hurricane—the winds of the outside world were shifting at a terrifying pace.