Chapter 134
Chapter 134
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 133
Chapter Title: The Prima Donna of the Great Hall
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‘Ah, I miss having soldiers who’d run around diligently at a single command. I’m an emperor in name, so how long do I have to keep dashing around alone?’
Grumbling, I farmed items. I stashed legendary and heroic-grade ones in my inventory, picked up only the lightweight rares, and fed bulky, heavy stuff like iron armor to the Landworm.
“Eek!”
“Huh?”
“...?”
A sudden scream made me turn my head. There was a girl staring wide-eyed at the massive boulder I’d lifted.
I ignored her and set the boulder down.
Thud.
I used it to cover the spot where I’d buried the remaining items. It could serve as a landmark too, so when I claimed this place later, I could move the rock and dig them up.
I knew monsters made use of items, so leaving a pile behind was definitely risky.
“Are you feeling okay?”
“Thank you for saving me. I never imagined I’d survive...”
The woman I’d rescued looked to be in her late teens or early twenties.
She’d seemed like a girl at first because of her emaciated frame, the result of prolonged starvation and hardship.
“How’d you get caught? Actually, more importantly... how did you survive alone?”
Skeletons were piled like mountains. Tens of thousands of people had been burned alive.
For just one person to survive that was downright suspicious.
‘Like some Holy Empire saintess? That’s why the Flame Demon King left her for last?’
But I sensed no supernatural aura from her at all.
‘No matter how dull my senses, I wouldn’t miss that.’
Supernatural power dwelling in the body always affects the flesh somehow—breathing, body temperature, posture, skin condition, and so on.
By my standards, at least, she was just a regular person.
“I... sang. Those demon bastards... said they wouldn’t kill me as long as I could sing. They beat me a little, though...”
“...”
“I thought I’d die singing...”
Come to think of it, her voice had been hoarse earlier. It was much better now, but still raspy.
“Well, for now.”
I pulled two return scrolls from my inventory.
“We’ll head back together.”
I eyed the dungeon, standing tall alone after its monsters were wiped out.
I could clear it in thirty minutes, two hours tops, but obviously, that wasn’t the plan. Taking it now would just mean more territory to defend, and it’d set my return point here.
My last returns had gone Storm Castle then World Tree Castle in sequence, so that’s where the scrolls dropped me.
Flash!
We crossed space to our destination. Considering the hex distance between branch points was six spaces, we’d leaped past Storm Castle for a straight shot of 1,200 kilometers.
“Kirrrk!”
“A human’s appeared!”
I sighed at the lizardmen gathered smugly on the jade throne.
“Ha, these pests...”
The fight didn’t last long.
There were so few lizardmen I couldn’t even build up a full sword stack that split heaven and earth.
“...Hm?”
But when I returned from battle, something looked off. The woman—whose hair had been matted with blood and oil, skin crusted with scabs and sweat—had transformed beyond recognition into someone pristine.
“You washed up? In that time?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. A new plain emerged as the land shifted, but the pond and the elves’ perfumes were still there.”
Even in her ragged state, she’d boasted considerable beauty. Now she flaunted a stunning allure rare even on the 34th Earth.
‘No, this isn’t normal...?’
Not her looks, but her attitude toward them in this situation.
Just dozens of minutes ago, she’d been captured by demons, subjected to brutal torture and beatings. Even with songpyeon and potions healing her wounds, for her to immediately seek water, wash her body, and even shampoo her hair...
The battle hadn’t taken long, and even healed, her stamina shouldn’t be fully recovered. It bordered on madness, this self-care.
‘No way she’s totally fine? Nah, her legs are shaking.’
Yet her expression remained composed amid it all.
She was a bizarre character in every way.
“What’s your name?”
“I’m Harmony, prima donna of the Great Hall, Your Majesty.”
“‘Your Majesty,’ huh... You know who I am?”
“No one here doesn’t know the rumors of the Human Empire. Most dismiss them as nonsense, but no one can ignore the divine words floating in the sky.”
I pondered as she explained.
‘Prima donna, huh.’
Prima donna meant the lead soprano in an opera. A concept not well-known in underdeveloped arts scenes like the Eight Kingdoms or Ming Empire.
Meaning she hailed from the Holy Empire.
‘An actress and singer.’
On Earth, celebrities held immense status.
Beloved by masses, raking in huge profits, wielding social influence stronger than most high officials.
‘That’s why so many dream of showbiz.’
It wasn’t odd for good singers to become vocalists or good actors to become thespians—they’d found their talents.
But reality?
People smart enough for professorships turned to it if they could. Diplomacy material did too. Business whizzes, or those who could hit master-class supernatural power young—they all jumped in if capable and opportuned.
No need to go far: even 5th-class mage Lea had become an idol.
If they could. If they could succeed. Everyone wanted in. Because it offered money, fame, and self-actualization—the dream job.
‘But Ardania’s different.’
Here, even with artistic talent, you suppressed it to survive.
This wasn’t a world that revered artists.
A grand theater’s prima donna was little more than a high-class whore for nobles’ whims. In this barbaric medieval land, such talents and aspirations were worse than useless baggage.
Yet even in that world...
Someone could take pride in their gifts.
“...Don’t push yourself too hard.”
With that, I summoned the Landworm and headed for Storm Castle.
The battle was simple again.
‘Damn. Not even a hundred. To think I had to come myself for this...’
Even a heroic-grade castle needed troops garrisoned, small-scale or not. In the future, inland heroics would spawn legend-level monsters expanding influence, so eventually mythic upgrades... but like this, my feet were tied, accomplishing nothing.
Bzzz.
My waist pad vibrated then. Touching the screen brought up Flower on an accepted video call.
[Periodic report.]
“Anything notable?”
[The Chrome Kingdom has submitted to the Human Empire.]
I’d deliberately ignored Chrome. No value in it. Already swamped near death, what could I gain from a fallen kingdom’s few tens of thousands and meager supplies?
“The nobles wouldn’t go quietly.”
[Sir Hayes entered alone and handled it.]
A remnant kingdom toppled single-handedly.
Legendary feat, but expected. She’d already been famed in Chrome; now a player with stats, skills, and swordmaster realm—no one could oppose her.
“Hm. Current Human Empire population?”
[Including Chrome and the Ainfolk, total around six million. Refugees keep swelling our numbers.]
“Citizen cards?”
[1.7 million issued so far. Refugees prioritize them, so issuance is accelerating.]
“Monster attacks?”
[Occasional hundreds to thousands raid, but walls block and repel them easily. Landworm’s tunnel has slashed raid frequency. Farms take occasional hits, so sheep-herding brigades patrol regularly.]
Everything smooth.
Not entirely problem-free, though.
[Elite troops and brigades are clashing over wall duty.]
“Not shirking guard duty, but fighting to take it?”
[Wall guard’s the fastest leveling method available.]
“Ah, right... it stacks up like that.”
Death meant memory wipe and respawn for these fearless high-grade monsters, swarming en masse but blocked by walls.
Plus siege objects usable from the walls.
‘On second thought, no sweeter deal.’
In spec=level Human Empire...
Wall duty was endless power-leveling trigger—any player’s dream post.
“Require set hours in patrol and public order before wall duty eligibility.”
[I’ll relay to brigade commanders.]
“Contest?”
[82 entries accepted. Over 400 submissions, but filtering short ones per your orders.]
“Good. At least full-book length.”
I summed up the situation.
Then the key order.
“Prep expedition. Flags 1-3 to World Tree Castle. 4-6 to Storm Castle garrison. Fortify both castles afterward; if they hold superbly till residents can settle, promote them to Flag Divisions.”
[Announce then pass to Bigman Captain.]
“Thanks.”
[Yes, and, Your Majesty.]
I asked at her hesitant tone.
“Something wrong?”
[Your outing’s dragging too long.]
I smiled wryly.
“Things tangled up. Looks like a tempo slowdown; help Flags settle in, then return.”
[Yes! Executing immediately!]
Her delighted tone ended the call. I turned and spotted Harmony on a nearby bench.
Then froze.
“...What’s this?”
She’d changed again in the interim.
Golden hair neatly braided high, white silk dress, subtle makeup on cheeks and eyes.
“No, seriously... clothes are find-and-wear, fine, but makeup and hair too? How?”
I scanned around—no one. She’d done it herself.
‘Not trying to seduce me...’
Makeup and outfit screamed it: not for one heart, but to dazzle multitudes.
Like an idol ascending stage.
“Zzz... Zzz...”
And in that getup, she slept.
Absurdly, sitting bolt upright with nothing to lean on—like a habit to preserve hair and makeup.
“What kinda weirdo is this...”
No contrived concept; pure authenticity. Beyond fourth-dimensional, utterly inscrutable psyche.
Then Harmony’s eyes opened.
“...Ah. Your Majesty. You’re done.”
“Yeah. What’s with the outfit?”
“A kind of... battle uniform. For Ignition.”
“Ignition?”
She explained at my puzzled look.
“The Flame Demon King’s city. He herded all desert-zone humans there. Current population... about one million, they say.”
I paused at the staggering figure.
“One million...”
In this monster outbreak, impossible scale—absurdity made me ask.
“If the Flame Demon King vowed not to kill them, corralling’s easy... but that many in desert? Food issues?”
“His minions brought endless supplies. Makes sense—livestock owners feed fodder, right?”
Realization dawned.
‘No, these monster bastards run factories.’
Revenge didn’t limit food mats to wild boar haunches. Bison in southern Kinnel Plains dropped sirloin, many monsters dropped ingredients.
Endless supply from Flame Demon King...
“Hellhound meat, then.”
“Ah, yes. That’s the name.”
I nodded at Harmony’s confirmation. One million. No overlooking that intel. Human Empire needed endless population—especially so.
Gazing at her, I thought.
‘Can’t handle a million solo, but need to scout, take measures. Maybe gather them to castles for branch defense.’
Decision made.
“Tell me the location.”
Time to boost our population.