Chapter 408: Maria
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 408: Maria
“Well… it’s good that its power has increased, but…”
The strain on my body would be just as severe, so I wouldn’t be able to use it as often as before. I didn’t know if Levatain was aware of this or not, but I smiled as I looked at the greatly changed sword.
[ Levatain - Sword of the Enraged Surtr. ]
[ An ancient weapon with a blade made of flame. Rather than a successful enhancement, it would be more fitting to say a hidden seal has been broken. Having previously regained a portion of its power, Levatain has once again perfectly reclaimed its former appearance through the emotion of rage. Levatain is grateful to you.
You gain perfect resistance to the fire attribute. Your fire-attribute attack power increases. You gain control over fire without consuming mana. Consume all of your mana to generate the Flame of Ruin that will burn the world. Consume all of your emotions to summon the unquenchable Flame of Rage. ]
[ Strength +5, Stamina +5, Mana +10 ]
- Not necessarily. I'm leaving. See you next time.
‘That’s certainly true.’
Becoming one with it might be too much, but it had become much more efficient for normal use. It had always been this way, but Levatain was just so satisfyingly easy to use. I raised the corners of my mouth and tucked Levatain away again.
- What?
‘Just kidding.’
- You…
Contrary to my expectation of hearing a rather harsh voice, nothing followed. Perhaps the others had stopped Levatain. It had been a rather amusing moment. Just as I let out a short sigh, I heard Choi Seulgi’s voice.
“How strong are you planning to get, Kim Taesung?”
It was her honest impression of what others considered a miracle.
“As strong as I can be.”
I answered curtly.
*
“W-Will it really be okay?”
“It will definitely be fine. I told you I’d have your back, didn’t I?”
“If what you say is true, there will probably be repercussions. But…”
“Are you saying you can’t trust me?”
“Until I see it with my own eyes… it’s hard to believe that such a thing is really happening as you say. It’s not that your words lack persuasiveness, but there’s no physical evidence… It could just be circumstantial…”
“I suppose you could think that. However, the information I’ve brought you is the absolute truth, without a shred of falsehood. I can state this with certainty, staking my name on it.”
At the blonde woman’s words, Jeong Jina slightly raised her head and began to look at her. It was hard to describe, but she gave off an impression of being both gentle and arrogant.
‘Maria Trump.’
She was the de facto ruler of the Western Continent. Although they were said to be in an alliance with the dwarves, the woman before her held all the real authority. The information Jina could gather was quite limited, so she didn’t know the extent of her strength or what abilities she possessed, but one thing was certain: she was an incredible operator.
She was competent. The Western Continent that Jeong Jina had seen for herself was proof of that. Grand and magnificent castles, overwhelming military might and forces. The dwarves, with their advanced technology, were by no means weak either.
They said Green Skins were born warriors, but the same was true for these people. Their small frames were packed with muscle, and their fundamental combat abilities were on a level incomparable to that of humans.
“But…”
But she couldn’t help but worry. She thought she might be cast aside after the job was done. The dog is eaten after the hunt is over. Jeong Jina was currently contemplating that possibility.
“I have shown you a great many things. I personally gifted you our weapons and have supported you in various ways. I even showed you our continent. I didn’t even say anything when you leaked some of our information to the humans of your continent. If you still cannot trust me… I’m not sure what stance we should take…”
A look of disappointment flashed across her face, and Jeong Jina swallowed hard.
Everything Maria said was true. She was the one who had secretly cared for the alienated people of the South and West, and she was the one who had helped Jina grow this strong in such a short time. Jeong Jina shook her head and opened her mouth.
“That’s not what I meant. It’s not that I think you’re lying… It’s just… I don’t understand why you’re being so good to us…”
“You don’t need to understand. Goodwill needs no reason.”
She knew those words were a lie. What Maria had given her was far too much to be called simple goodwill.
“I generally understand what you’re saying, but… you’re not unaware, are you? I believe I told you myself.”
“Unaware of what?”
“Choi Seulgi of the North and Jang Ye Ri of the East are that Green Skin’s women. The Queen of the East even has his child. I don’t know the details, but there’s a high probability they know about this matter. Perhaps… they might even be directly involved. Personally, I’d lean toward the latter. The Choi Seulgi I know is a renowned psycho, even in the North.”
“I have met her.”
“You have?”
“Of course, my head was cut off the moment I started to speak.”
“Ah…”
That sounded exactly like something Choi Seulgi would do.
“Then what about Han So-Hye?”
At the woman’s question, Jeong Jina nodded slightly.
“The Queen of the North and Choi Seulgi are like real sisters. She trusts Choi Seulgi completely. I heard they’ve been together since she first came here. I think the Knight of the North is the same.”
“What do you think she would think if she heard about this?”
“I don’t know either. She might feel betrayed, or she might think it’s no big deal. She could just ignore it, but the Queen of the North I know is…”
“Are you saying it’s unlikely?”
“Yes… probably…”
The Queen of the North might not react. Jina had only seen her once from a distance, but she didn’t seem like the type to act for the sake of justice or humanity. Just as she let out a short sigh, the voice came again.
“What do you think about this matter?”
“Of course…”
“That is the reason you must do this. We were dropped here without knowing why and have been fighting ever since. Some fought the enemy, some reconciled with the enemy, and some fought until they were all dead. I don’t know why those who dropped us here did so, but humans must unite. Our continent joined forces with the dwarves out of necessity, to survive, but frankly, they are nothing more and nothing less than useful laborers.”
“Does that mean…”
“They think differently, and they act differently. The environment they grew up in is different, and their culture is different. Their perspective on the same things is different. If you were me, could you truly trust the dwarves?”
At Maria’s words, Jeong Jina shook her head. She had never thought about it deeply, but it was certainly a valid way of looking at it.
“Does that mean…”
“Your continent must be the same.”
“Yes…”
“People always favor their own, don’t they? It’s only natural to feel more affection for fellow humans than for dwarves living on the same continent.”
This statement felt incredibly significant. The situation in the Western Continent was very similar to her own.
“Some of the people living on your continent must surely think the same way. They just haven’t said their thoughts out loud. I’m not criticizing, but your continent’s choice is certainly more unrealistic than ours. Living alongside filthy Green Skins who are barbaric and might act on instinct. They even mix their bodies with them, living as lovers and family. It’s ridiculous.”
“……”
“Just a few years ago, they were enemies who fought to kill each other. With those who ate humans, tore them to shreds, and laughed with glee.”
“That’s…”
“They are a bomb.”
“……”
“A bomb that could go off at any moment. They may be controlling their instincts and living peacefully now, but they could change their minds at any time.”
Jeong Jina nodded. The woman before her certainly had a point. A society where Green Skins and humans coexisted sounded nice, but it wasn’t without its problems.
They were a race that lived for conflict. They taught their children to fight a day after they were born, and some even considered it an honor to die in battle.
“Haven’t you seen them consumed by their instincts before?”
“Yes.”
It had been a while, but it had definitely happened during an expedition with the Adventurer’s Guild. Although the rampaging Green Skin had been beheaded by one of his own kind, she had never felt such a sense of disconnect from them as she did at that moment.
As Jeong Jina swallowed once, Maria’s voice came again.
“I’m not telling you to make an incorrect or bad choice. Between those smelly, filthy monsters who think of nothing but fighting, and us… the answer is already clear.”
“……”
A brief silence filled the space. Just as Jeong Jina was about to slowly part her lips, Maria spoke again, her voice quiet.
“I’ll be waiting for good news. Well then… it’s time for you to wake up.”
When she opened her eyes, she saw the inside of her room.
“……”
Just as she’d thought, Maria had entered her dream. It was an incredibly convenient ability. The person with this power was likely responsible for at least eighty percent of what the Western Continent had become.
The surrounding scenery came into view. It was a building located in a part of the West—her own guild house. Though several luxurious items caught her eye, today was the first time she didn’t feel pleased by these gifts from the Western Continent.
“Haa…”
Sighing wouldn’t change anything. Choosing a side was an incredibly difficult task. But she already knew which way her heart was leaning. Maria’s voice from moments ago began to echo in her mind.
‘Just a few years ago, they were enemies who fought to kill each other. With those who ate humans, tore them to shreds, and laughed with glee. They are a bomb. A bomb that could go off at any moment. They may be controlling their instincts and living peacefully now, but they could change their minds at any time.’
“She’s not wrong.”
She didn’t know the facts of the past, as she had been summoned after the reconciliation between humans and Green Skins had been achieved. But she had heard many stories. There were countless tales from the time when humans and Green Skins had struggled and fought on this continent.
Finally, Jeong Jina sat up slightly and opened her mouth.
“Please convene a meeting with each of the clans.”
A voice answered from the other side of the door.
“The agenda is…”
“About the Eastern Continent and the Japanese that the East is hiding.”
“Understood.”
Jeong Jina needlessly stared at the mirror in her room and swallowed hard, hoping that her choice was not the wrong one.