Chapter 183
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 183
Chapter Title: Kingdom - Lv. 215 King of the Northern Slums (4)
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The God of Magic was tenacious, obsessive, and meticulous.
As is usual with those deeply engrossed in a single pursuit, their conversation branched out endlessly in a thousand directions.
Once one topic wrapped up, a new one sprouted from it.
They delved into applications of existing spells, as well as ideas for magic in various fields that had been conceived but never realized.
Amusingly enough, it had been ages since I'd met someone I could get this genuinely invested in, and I found myself completely absorbed.
Even after Hiu and the little one returned from wandering the streets, stuffing themselves with snacks and having a grand time, I had no desire to leave.
In the end, I had to bring them both along.
The pantheon administrator guided the two girls inside with a peculiar expression.
"It's the first time so many people have come in here. The gods must be mighty interested."
Before long, other gods began to show up.
The Goddess was the first to project her image.
"Oh! It's the real thing!"
The Goddess seemed delighted by her new angel, who had left her side.
The two sat facing each other and whispered away, though I couldn't quite catch what they were saying.
The God of Magic's presence was too overwhelming as he fervently sketched spells in the air with total dedication.
A bit later, the God of Nature appeared.
"What's this? Planning a board game tournament or something?"
"Perfect. Haven't seen that mug of yours in ages!"
"The God of Magic... has lost his mind."
"Let's leave him be."
"Yeah, mind if I hear about these heroes you've been watching?"
The God of Nature and the Goddess of Chaos summoned the snacks offered to them, kicking off tea time.
Meanwhile, the God of Magic and I continued our academic back-and-forth.
By the time the number of magic circles and spells hovering in the air surpassed thirty, the God of Nature quietly shifted over.
"What've you two been chatting about so animatedly?"
The God of Magic launched into a rundown of our entire conversation so far, complete with explanations for things that hadn't even been asked.
I glanced around and slipped away.
The God of Nature looked flustered.
"H-Hey, where are you going?!"
"I'll be back, O Nature."
"Wait, hold on!"
He said that, but their relationship seemed amicable enough from the start, and soon they were deep in discussion.
"Whew, I'm beat. The God of Magic this run is one hell of a guy."
"A mad wizard. You know, the type straight out of a novel."
"Goddess, it's an honor to meet you like this. You're radiant."
"You look even better in person."
Things stayed lighthearted on this side—no headaches here.
The snacks stamped with federation lettering and marks were plenty tasty, as was the tea.
The little one grinned and vanished to the side.
The God of Nature plopped her right on his knee and dove into a heated debate with the God of Magic.
I doubted she understood a word, but her earnest listening was adorable.
"She didn't go over there because she hates me, right?"
"Then maybe treat her better on the regular!"
"What'd I even do?!"
The Goddess giggled.
"Workaholic. Workaholic. Can't neglect the family like that."
"Gotta bring home the bacon as the head of the house."
"Half of what you're making now would be plenty!"
"Tricky dilemma."
It was silly banter, but apparently that topic had already run its course.
The Goddess asked,
"So, what's your plan?"
"Plan for what?"
"I know about the main dungeon too. Tried it myself. You can't clear it the normal way."
"For starters, I'll take this kid and the little one."
"Not enough."
"Gotta recruit more party members."
Blanche first, then probably warriors or something close.
We've got the little one for blasting magic from the backline.
Mages ultimately support the team with utility, when you push it to the extremes.
"Care to elaborate on the short-term plan?"
Come to think of it, I hadn't told anyone. They could probably guess by now, though.
"Take over the slums, set up your church there. We'll be busy leveling up for a while."
"Turn those slum rats into believers? Hmm."
"Your goblin-handling skills were impressive. And they've got neat doctrines ready-made. Why not use 'em as is?"
The youngest brought plenty of scriptures to form the church's foundation. Heck, she was enthusiastic about it herself.
The Goddess replied with a somewhat dubious look.
"If you ask whether I truly believe that stuff..."
"Doesn't matter. Shun evil, do good. That's the gist, right? If it's rules to impose basic order, who cares if it's law or doctrine?"
"True... Running a church in real time—been a while."
"Count on you. And don't worry too much about my stuff."
The rift difficulty for a prepared trip to the intended spot is lower than our tutorial.
After grinding this insanely broken game, normal difficulty feels like a breeze.
"You're the only one who'd think that."
I turned. Hiu was listening intently.
"Anything from that you don't get, ask away."
"Uh... So, like with the goblins, set up a church to take over the slums and run it like an organization? You gonna keep distributing drugs and stuff too?"
"Banning it outright would spark backlash."
"But that's... super bad."
"Better than banning it cold turkey without alternatives. Slum gangs have trash finances. Can't keep bumming off goblins forever."
Hiu looked lost in thought. The Goddess chimed in.
"Strong exiles rake in the cash. But feeding every straggler solo? Absurd. Teach 'em to fish instead."
"No idea how."
"The kingdom's got more untapped land than you'd think. Why?"
She had to figure it out herself to grow.
Not just the kingdom—rift environments often tangle in complex dynamics.
You need a sharp instinct for the split-second call that maxes gains.
If I lost Hiu this run, maybe next...
But would she even have a next run?
As gloom crept in, Hiu scowled and answered.
"Rift rewards are way bigger, so no reason to bother clearing monsters for development?"
"One more. Even bigger reason."
The Goddess watched patiently. Hiu fidgeted like a job interviewee.
"No clue!"
"Good enough. Big step up from coasting brainless."
"Hey! I think a ton!"
She probably did. Just mostly about optimal kill shots and such.
"My neck's prickling. High-rankers stick around the kingdom long... and rack up grudges."
"That brutal?"
"Power-chasers don't always aim to clear. Just wanna be on top. Addicted to levels and strength. They'll cull rivals anytime."
Hiu rolled her eyes, pondering.
"Dunno. Why bother?"
"Violence gives the primal edge."
Surprising she didn't know. Good upbringing? Or born so overwhelmingly strong she never needed that high?
Hiu nodded quietly, then summed up.
"So we're developing land, getting them farming or whatever."
"Not just farming—plenty profitable ventures. Goddess'll handle it."
"Huh? No idea."
"Didn't you run a huge church?"
"Back then, we just looted servers."
"Plunder economy rears its head again."
Hardlock's the problem. Other nations do it moderately.
Muscleheads only think rifts and raids.
Our Goddess was a pure warrior too, come to think.
"You're thinking something blasphemous, great warrior."
"We're off rift-leveling anyway. Don't need to know the deets."
"Don't dismiss me!"
"Youngest Uncle, Remi, and that angel sis aren't sticking together, right?"
"That'll suit them fine."
"Stop dismissing me!"
Party reshuffle was inevitable. A hint of sulk crossed Hiu's delicate face.
It was bizarre.
Exiles pride themselves on using any means necessary, yet here they all stood, mere spectators to the duel.
That was the atmosphere we'd crafted.
Remi felt a slight chill.
This shouldn't happen. Not rationally.
Yet under the radiant angel wielding her greatsword as referee, they all shared a common sentiment.
The victor here becomes ruler of the north.
Objectively weird, but they all bought it.
Maybe from exhausting them with impossible gains and spectacle.
Like they'd fallen into mass hypnosis, witnessing a sacred tradition that never existed.
They watched the duel in solemn silence.
Todays events were pure bluffing from start to finish.
Whether we could truly overpower the King of the North head-on? Unknown.
If the slums would buy this vibe? Unknown.
Objectively, Angel's Tear guild wasn't that strong, nor flush with cash.
But it looked that way. Convincingly, inevitably so—even Remi, who'd orchestrated it per the leader's orders, felt swayed.
Angel's Tear seemed insanely rich and powerful.
Despite the three of us not being all that strong.
"Never piss off the leader."
"Oh? Same thought here?"
The angel sidled up slyly.
"Our leader's ridiculously amazing, right? Sigh, the talented ones. World's so unfair."
"Really? I think Remi's impressive too."
"I just followed orders."
"Unrealized plans mean nothing. You made it happen, Remi. Good job—praise for you."
Her beaming smile lifted Remi's mood unexpectedly.
What was that queasy gut feeling earlier? Inferiority?
Maybe.
Thwack!
The youngest's solid right hook sent the king's tooth flying at Remi. The angel snatched it midair and chucked it to the ground.
Both duelists were battered wrecks.
But that very point appealed to everyone.
Few knew how much a top-ranker with an optimized mind map weakens without their main weapon.
To them, the youngest looked evenly matched in a brutal slugfest.
Whatever the reality, if they believed it, truth didn't matter.
Staging and bluffing.
Executing orders well was a talent too.
At least, she'd believe she had that talent.
Amusingly, even the final clash played out dramatically.
Cross-counters landed on both, and they crumpled.
The youngest rose first.
With skill buffs minimized this much... her natural size advantage shone.
Still, the margin boiled down to grit and will—razor-thin.
The youngest staggered over to the king, who clawed futilely at the dirt.
She stomped his head with full force.
The King of the North's skull caved in.
The youngest thrust her arms skyward with a roar—a staged war cry.
But with her warrior-perfect looks, it framed like a mythic scene.
Cheers erupted from somewhere.
Remi's pre-hired shills.
The roar spread naturally.
Even outsiders clueless to the action joined in.
Their joy was already brimming from abundant food.
Residents drawn by rumors piled on.
Before long, it didn't matter who started it.
Remi timed the release of the hidden booze.
Hype the crowd, weave today's events into their perception.
The merrier today, the better.
They'd remember this as something epic.
That memory would cement [Angel's Tear] as the north's rightful rulers.
Not hard at all.
The angel soared again, showering blessings of light.
Everyone howled and sang like honored Viking warriors.
No one who reached this kingdom wanted to end up scraping slums.
All this staging preyed on that psyche.
The play concluded.
By the time the little one clutched her head in undergrad-level confusion amid the professors' chat and flopped over...
The God of Magic noticed her too.
A random NPC with the [Archmage]'s unique skill.
Of course, he wouldn't blurt that out rudely.
He cooled her head gently, like a cute disciple—mild magical chill enveloped her.
Her vampire temp was running hot, though.
The God of Nature paused their talk, stood, and approached me.
"So, the real reason you came here?"
"You know I have to watch your faces a bit..."
"Overly cautious there. Think I won't back you?"
"Harder to read than a god's mind."
"I was a challenger too. One who wants to see the clear with my own eyes."
"Thanks."
The Goddess giggled. The God of Magic scooped up the little one and joined, his tone shifting to utmost respect. Felt awkward somehow.
Most of my feats were gamer-knowledge exploits anyway.
"Professor Orgol, today's chat was enlightening. Hope we can keep this regular if possible..."
"If you take my side, yeah."
"Of course. Not a challenger myself, but clears intrigue me plenty. Labyrinth delving is a mage's essence."
Curiosity struck.
"Mind if I ask... what you did outside?"
"Astrophysicist."
"Makes perfect sense."
I'd come mainly to gauge how much support I'd get from friendly gods.
Figured the God of Magic would be an easy pull.
Didn't expect utmost deference, though.
This pure magic-scholar type of magic god was rare even for me.
All outcomes positive.
Slum business wrapped up nicely too.
Luck exploding our way—Hiu must be at work.
Glanced over: she massaged the overheated little one with gloved hands.
God of Magic eyed the gloves curiously.
Too much time passed.
Time to move.
"My final warrior awaits. Fell the medieval emperor. Then I shall acknowledge you."
'God of War. Surprisingly chill about this.'
"I saw you wield the spear on the final floor... Different from Chaos's spearplay... But upon reflection, I cannot deny you're a fine warrior."
What exactly was he acknowledging?
"Chaos... might truly have a great warrior this time... Sigh..."
A faintly bitter sigh trailed off, and the troll warrior fell silent.
I decided not to let on that the God of War had subtly addressed me.
After all our clashes, a grudging fondness had formed.
Exiting the pantheon, it was midnight.
Kiriga waited with droopy ears.
"Couldn't come out earlier? Can't clock out."
"Got a bunch of god buddies."
"An exile tea-partying with gods. Never heard that one."
"Hahaha."
Rifts tomorrow.
Break's over.