Chapter 296: A Changed World
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 296: A Changed World
“For Strength, Wisdom, and Honor.”
A thunderous voice erupted.
“I didn’t expect to see you here, Giant Scream Apachi. Isn’t this a rare vacation for you?”
“I came running the moment I heard we could fight alongside the humans. I want to thank Blood Dagger for this opportunity.”
“Where’s Little Finger?”
“L-Little Finger is somewhere else for a moment.”
“Stop avoiding her so much. She’s your wife now, isn’t she?”
“Uhm… b-but… Little Finger is too scary…”
The voice of the one called Giant Scream, who had been looking for a party near the entrance, echoed through the hall. True to his epithet, his massive voice drew the attention of everyone around. From those seeking parties to those drinking and chatting, even the Fairy and the elite Orc swordsman at this table turned their gazes toward the entrance.
Lee Sung-eun also turned to look. Large horns, a long tail that looked like a weapon, and a body that seemed built for battle. Having participated in the Continental War, Lee Sung-eun knew that man better than anyone.
Unconsciously, Lee Sung-eun muttered the name.
“Blood Dagger…”
Blood Dagger of the Brother’s Land had come to the Adventurer’s Guild.
The surroundings naturally grew clamorous, and every Green Skin raised a hand to their chest in a show of respect for the figure before them. Like the parting of the Red Sea, the crowd began to make way for the demon. For a brief moment, Lee Sung-eun shuddered at the sight of elves flocking to Blood Dagger, taking his armaments and luggage.
And that wasn’t all. Behind him, acting as his retinue, were other Green Skins Lee Sung-eun had only heard of in rumors.
‘Orbo of the Shield.’
A Minotaur carrying a colossal shield. There were a few other Minotaurs here, but the Blood Dagger Clan had only one. Orbo of the Shield, said to be able to block any attack with his massive shield. The image of him from the Continental War, blocking countless magical attacks with that great shield, was still seared into Lee Sung-eun’s memory.
‘Mirror Blade Hark.’
The Orc with twin swords at his waist and a banner bearing the image of a dagger on his back was Mirror Blade Hark, the one who stood at the pinnacle of the elite Orc swordsmen. His explosive muscles and the fearsome way he scanned his surroundings showed his dedication to his duty. A Named Green Skin. The other chieftain, Half Blade Gark, was likely back guarding the tribe.
But even more eye-catching than them was the woman clinging to Blood Dagger’s side. There was definitely someone with him. She had skin as white as snow and a face anyone would call beautiful. The woman, caressing her greatly swollen belly, looked strangely familiar. She would occasionally lean on Blood Dagger’s arm, speaking to him with a loving gaze.
Yet everything about her—her large belly, her seemingly uncomfortable gait—appeared noble. She was dignified and majestic, completely different from an ordinary human. It took him a while to realize it because of her pregnancy, but he knew that face as well. Someone else muttered it before Lee Sung-eun could.
“So the rumors about the relationship between Blood Dagger and the Queen of the East were true…”
“It’s really the Queen of the East. Sh-she’s really pregnant.”
“So that’s why she hasn’t shown herself all this time…”
The news that the Queen of the East was pregnant with Blood Dagger’s child had been dismissed by some as nonsense, while others claimed it was a rumor intentionally spread to improve relations between humans and Green Skins. But seeing the two of them together like this, it was impossible not to realize the stories were true. Above all, her swollen belly was the greatest proof.
The most important question was why they were here. There was no reason for a pregnant Jang Ye Ri to accompany Blood Dagger to this place. Even if they had truly promised their futures to one another, they wouldn’t have come all this way for a date.
Lee Sung-eun believed their visit was a form of demonstration. There were still humans who didn’t trust the Adventurer’s Guild. While there were no official protests, many stories were circulating behind the scenes. In such a climate, Blood Dagger, the leader of the Eastern Green Skins, and the Queen of the East, the queen of the Eastern humans, had visited the Adventurer’s Guild. It was surely an intentional move to publicly display their bond and amplify trust in the alliance. The gossips and pundits would undoubtedly debate this story endlessly today. Today’s information would be treated as a precious scoop in the occasional gossip rags.
“O-Oppa…”
The voice of his younger clan sister from beside him made Lee Sung-eun jump and look forward. He had been rude to the Fairy before him. But the Fairy seemed even more flustered than he was.
“Human! It’s a shame, but let’s postpone our match for a bit!”
“Yes. Yes!”
The Fairy hastily gathered her cards, stuffing them into her clothes as if she’d been caught stealing. It didn’t look like she was intentionally ruining the game to avoid a loss; rather, she seemed to be desperately trying to hide the fact that she had been playing cards at all.
A quick-witted man like Lee Sung-eun couldn’t fail to understand why the Fairy was acting this way. He immediately swept up his own cards and shoved them into his pockets. The Fairy saw this and nodded in satisfaction.
After taking a moment to breathe, he looked around and saw that all the elite Orc swordsmen of the Blood Dagger Clan had their hands over their chests. The Green Flower, who had been radiating a cold aura, was quietly bowing her head, and the Fairy, Mev, had also stood up. Blood Dagger had arrived at their table with the Queen of the East.
“Mev.”
His voice was quite deep. Lee Sung-eun shot up from his seat without thinking and his eyes met with the demon known as Blood Dagger. Just making eye contact made his knees go weak.
‘He’s on a different level.’
It was the literal truth. The elite Orc swordsmen were one thing, but this demon before him was in another league entirely. The pressure was bewildering. Was this what a herbivore felt when it met a predator? A deer? No, not even a deer. Before this demon, he was nothing more than a rabbit.
He wasn’t emitting any killing intent, nor was he drawing on his magic. Just from meeting his gaze, his body began to tremble.
Just when he thought he couldn’t bear it any longer, Blood Dagger’s voice came once more.
“Good to meet you.”
“Ah… Yes! G-good to meet you! I am Lee Sung-eun of the Golden Eagle Clan!”
It was only natural that Lee Sung-eun snapped to his senses. Though he was a Green Skin, just having a powerful figure like this hear his clan’s name and his own was a huge gain. Even the Queen of the East, Jang Ye Ri, was nodding beside him. It seemed like all the humans around were looking at him with envy. It didn’t matter if they remembered him or not. He had made his name known and exchanged greetings. This brief encounter today would surely prove useful somewhere down the line.
“Have you decided to explore a dungeon together?”
If that were to happen, he would be ecstatic. Just as Lee Sung-eun was about to deny it, an unexpected answer came from the Fairy beside him.
“Uh… Yeah! Chieftain! We decided to go together.”
“Hmm… That’s a relief. I thought you were just wasting your time.”
They certainly hadn’t agreed to go together, but he could obviously read the situation. It was just a guess, but seeing how she had been coming and going from the Adventurer’s Guild for a while now, this Fairy and the elite Orc swordsmen must have been planning to go on a dungeon expedition.
The problem was that Mev hadn’t been able to find a party easily, which was likely why the Green Flower had suddenly joined them. The way she had hastily hidden her pack of cards just now seemed to prove his theory correct.
In short, this situation was the result of incredible luck piled upon more luck. Mev’s face looked anxious. He had heard that Green Skins don’t lie, but looking at the Fairy before him, it seemed that wasn’t always the case. It appeared a small lie like this was acceptable.
He had to provide backup here to gain more trust. Pillow talk was the most effective method, after all. Lee Sung-eun nodded and continued.
“It’s a place called the Spirit Dungeon, which we discovered recently. O-of course, only our clan knows its location. I heard a rumor that Lady Mev handles spirits, so I worked up the courage to ask, and she graciously accepted… I don’t know how to thank her.”
“Hmm, a Spirit Dungeon?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“You’ve chosen a good dungeon. It was worth the time you spent waiting. It’s much better to enter a related dungeon than any other. Mev, were you perhaps waiting for a dungeon like this?”
“Uh… Yeah!”
“I heard you haven’t been playing cards much lately. It seems that was true.”
Blood Dagger stroked the Fairy’s head with a satisfied look, and the Fairy beamed, happy to be praised. Seeing her discreetly give him a thumbs-up as if to say, “Good job,” he knew he had done the right thing.
‘It was a perfect tightrope walk.’
It was a little surprising that the Green Flower hadn’t revealed the truth, but thanks to that, he could get a rough idea of their relationship. At a glance, the Queen of the East Jang Ye Ri, Mev, and the Green Flower seemed like rivals wary of each other. But they also cared for one another.
The reason the Green Flower didn’t tell Blood Dagger that Mev had been playing cards just moments ago was probably because they were friends.
“Yeah. This is an important time now. I should cut back a little.”
“A good thought.”
The sounds of various conversations drifted by.
“So, when are you departing?”
Mev was suddenly speechless. Thinking this was his chance, Lee Sung-eun spoke up again. He had to move things along swiftly, in case the Fairy changed her mind.
“Ah. We actually decided to leave tomorrow morning. We wanted to take our time, but Lady Mev was so enthusiastic… We agreed to follow her lead.”
“Hmm…”
Once again, the Fairy secretly gave him a thumbs-up.
“That’s right, Chieftain. We’re leaving tomorrow. A Spirit Dungeon… I’m looking forward to it.”
Blood Dagger nodded, satisfied. Soon, the sound of Blood Dagger and Jang Ye Ri talking could be heard. Their voices were very quiet, but he could feel that the atmosphere was unusual.
It was best not to listen to such conversations. Even though Lee Sung-eun tried to block his ears, Jang Ye Ri’s voice sounded like she was complaining or dissatisfied. Finally, when he thought their conversation was over, the Queen of the East was glaring at Mev, and Blood Dagger turned to him and spoke.
“You should keep your evening free. How about we have a meal together?”
Behind him, his clan members trembled as if in shock.
He couldn’t tell if he was dreaming or awake. Lee Sung-eun nodded his head furiously and opened his mouth.
“O-of course! Th-thank you!”