Chapter 229 The Golden Coffin
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Translator: JayM
Chapter: 229
Chapter Title: The Golden Coffin
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Two days had passed.
Ellasein was satisfied with her life at the inn.
The Silver Forest next to the city was the most comfortable to her, but this inn wasn't bad either.
In a few more days, the summit meeting would begin.
There was nothing to be gained from wandering the streets, so she just observed the half-barbarian.
It wasn't that she deliberately moved to see him.
He was just wherever her eyes landed.
The deadline was clearly approaching, but there was no change in the half-barbarian's life.
'Is he not in a hurry?'
The black-haired man would wake up at dawn and come out to the yard to train.
After lightly warming up, he would run around the yard.
Then, he would swing his sword without rest, stopping only when dawn broke.
She didn't know anything about swords.
She wasn't interested in what kind of life this man lived either.
But…
Was it said that you can know ten things by seeing one?
Seeing him move with a familiar posture and without any wavering, she realized…
'He trains without a single day of rest.'
Even with a big event ahead, when he could have rested comfortably to prepare himself mentally, he never stopped.
Leaning against the second-floor window, she watched the black-haired man, then quickly turned her head away.
It was because she had seen him suddenly take off his shirt.
She hadn't been caught, but her face flushed.
The muscular body that had once entered her sight remained stuck in her mind.
As she was spending her time like that.
The end of the bet approached.
'It's today.'
Ellasein suppressed the rising corners of her mouth. The servants were watching. She had to maintain her dignity as a queen.
Bendrick was so busy that he disguised himself and went out to the streets again.
Ingrid had left for the Silver Forest for the final coordination of opinions. She knew that Ingrid's daughter had also been staying in the Silver Forest for the past few days.
Now, the final day…
But the barbarian sat at the counter all day, holding his single-edged sword with his eyes closed while muttering something.
Except for the occasional twitch of his body, as if he were meditating, he seemed completely detached from the world.
'How strange.'
However…
No matter how strange, a bet was a bet.
She already called a servant last night and had given an order.
To prepare a leather collar.
Ellasein returned to her room and opened the box.
A leather collar made of soft material came into her view.
She closed the box and looked out the window.
She had lived for a long time.
But today, time felt especially slow.
Finally, the sun set and the stars came out.
Ellasein sent all the servants out and remained alone in the room.
The servant had said that the barbarian had left the inn for a while and had disappeared somewhere.
'It's no use.'
She didn't know what he was up to, but it didn't seem like it would work on her.
Knock, knock.
She heard a knock.
Ellasein gave a triumphant smile.
"Your Majesty, it's Skar-nim."
"Come in."
"Yes."
Creeeeak.
The black-haired man came in. His face was a little red, and he was wearing a coat as if he had just returned from a busy trip outside.
He seemed to have left the single-edged sword he always wore at his waist somewhere, as his waist was devoid of a weapon.
'As expected.'
He hadn't brought anything.
"Sit."
Ellasein pointed to the other side of the table.
"Y-Yes."
The barbarian sat down cautiously while avoiding eye contact.
Ellasein was sure.
He couldn't meet her eyes?
It was as good as admitting defeat in the bet.
She shook off the lingering hesitation in her heart and opened the box.
Creak.
Inside the box was a brown leather collar.
The barbarian's eyes widened.
To think that the man who had been acting so calmly until now was flustered.
A strange pleasure shot up her spine.
"Wear it."
"...Pardon?"
The barbarian asked back.
"Put on the collar, then kneel and lick my feet."
"..."
The black-haired man closed his mouth and slowly picked up the collar.
As a strange heat rose from her lower abdomen, Ellasein quickly crossed her legs.
"Why should I wear this collar?"
Was the black-haired man's question.
Ellasein's fine eyebrows furrowed.
Had he still not grasped the reality of the situation?
"Because you lost the bet."
"..."
"If I lose the bet, do I have to wear this collar and lick Your Majesty's feet?"
"That's right."
The barbarian looked down at the collar in his hand and then laughed.
"Ha!"
A laugh of disbelief. Ellasein's expression hardened.
What…
What was that laugh?
"It's a pity, Your Majesty."
The barbarian replied with a sly smile.
"...What do you mean by that?"
The barbarian took a small bottle from his pocket without answering.
It was filled with a white liquid.
"I got it. The bodily fluid of a half-incubus."
Ellasein's pupils widened.
What did he say?
Did he mean that he got the half-incubus's bodily fluid, which even Astaroth had difficulty finding, in just three days?
No.
That wasn't the bodily fluid of a half-incubus.
It was something else.
"Are you trying to deceive me?"
"Please confirm it."
Ellasein ground her teeth and called the servant who was waiting outside.
A female elf in a robe came in, placed her hand on the bottle, and muttered something.
"I-It's genuine. It's the baby-seed of a half-incubus!"
The elf in the robe shouted.
Grind!!!
Ellasein ground her teeth and glared at the barbarian.
"Get out."
The elf in the robe hurriedly left the room.
Creeeeak.
Thud.
The door closed.
Only Jeong Yoo-shin and the elf queen Ellasein remained.
"What do you want?"
"What I want…"
Jeong Yoo-shin muttered while fiddling with the leather collar.
"Speak quickly. I’ve already made a promise on my honor!"
Jeong Yoo-shin shot up from his seat and approached Ellasein.
Ellasein instinctively flinched.
What was he trying to do?
Click.
The clasp of the leather collar came undone.
Ellasein's breathing gradually quickened.
No way.
It couldn't be.
It couldn't.
"Your Majesty, don't tremble and stay still. Stretch out your neck. Yes. Good."
The barbarian approached her with a villainous smile.
A strong anger and shame surged up from her stomach.
How dare he?!
A mere human who hadn't even lived half of half of her life.
Was he going to put a leather collar on her, the master of the noble Five Trees family and a high elf?!
And a collar used for fawning in a master's arms at that!
Her emotions were in turmoil and her heart tightening.
In between, a strange feeling she had never felt before in her life bloomed within her.
Was this the desperation of hanging on the edge of a cliff while hoping for salvation?
Similar, but…
No.
It felt as if her fate was entirely in the hands of the other person.
She was scared and flustered.
'Scared?'
Of what?
Ellasein stopped thinking. Her mind went blank.
The leather collar had come right in front of her eyes.
Ellasein's breathing became ragged and hot.
Jeong Yoo-shin stopped.
'She's too scared.'
Getting the bodily fluid of a half-incubus was a piece of cake for him.
He just had to take his own bodily fluid.
The problem was what to put it in.
After finishing his basic training, he had sat at the counter and pondered it over and over.
'Put in your semen. Among the bodily fluids, that's the best. Your opponent is a queen. If you're going to give something, it's only right to give the best.'
Beatrice had strongly demanded that.
He thought it was a bit much.
He had originally planned to put in his blood, but because of Beatrice's strong insistence, he had no choice but to put in his semen.
He had felt a sense of resistance, but he believed that there must be a reason why Beatrice had spoken so strongly about it.
The process after that was simple.
No matter how much he tried to cover it up, he couldn't just grab his cock and shake it inside the inn, so he went to a secluded alley corner, pulled down his pants, and shook it hard.
Feeling like a pervert, he filled the bottle with a lot of his baby-seed and brought it before Ellasein.
However…
Seeing the leather collar that Ellasein had prepared for him, he felt resentful.
He was about to put the collar on her in anger, but he stopped when he saw Ellasein's teary eyes.
‘This is as far as it goes, huh?’
"It's a joke, Your Majesty."
"...What?"
Ellasein stared blankly up at Jeong Yoo-shin and then bit her lip.
"Kuk! You win. Barbarian, I’ve lost. What do you want?"
Jeong Yoo-shin placed the leather collar back on the table.
"By any chance…"
Jeong Yoo-shin, hesitating for a moment.
Ellasein looked at the barbarian with sunken eyes.
A moment later.
Jeong Yoo-shin opened his mouth.
"Um... do you have something like a magic bag? One that can hold a lot of things?"
The strength drained from Ellasein's body.
"..."
An unexpected request.
She didn't know what this man was thinking.
Ellasein avoided the barbarian's eyes and was lost in thought.
Since she had decided to give him something, she decided to bestow him a good item.
Just because she had lost the bet, she couldn't give him a worthless item. She wouldn't allow it.
Moreover, it was the baby-seed of a half-incubus, which was so hard to get.
'The best for the best.'
Having made up her mind, Ellasein opened her mouth.
"Skar, it's not a backpack, but I have something similar."
Something similar.
"Does it hold a lot?"
"I don't think you'll find the capacity lacking. Although the shape is a bit of a problem."
Shape?
It wasn’t like he was going to a fashion show.
As long as it could hold a lot, that was all that mattered.
Jeong Yoo-shin immediately nodded.
"The shape doesn't matter."
"Alright."
Ellasein called a servant.
"Bring that 'coffin'."
"...I understand."
The servant was silent for a moment, then immediately went outside.
A coffin?
Isn't that something used to hold a corpse?
"What do you mean by a coffin?"
"You'll know when you see it."
A moment later.
The servant brought a small box.
Ellasein opened the box on the table.
A small ring came into his view.
"Your Majesty, is this by any chance a magic tool?"
"It is. It will sting a little when you first put it on. Because it binds to the user through their blood."
Jeong Yoo-shin put the ring on his hand.
As Ellasein had said, his finger stung for a moment, and then the ring turned golden.
Ellasein stood up.
"You should test it in the yard. Go and wait first. I need to change my clothes."
"Yes."
Jeong Yoo-shin went out to the yard and waited for a moment while looking at the ring.
Ellasein, who had changed into white cloth clothes, came out and stood next to Jeong Yoo-shin.
"Skar, why are you standing there blankly? It should have activated by now."
As soon as Ellasein's words ended.
Jeong Yoo-shin's head throbbed.
Immediately, the usage information of the ring rushed into his head.
It was similar to when he had obtained the Zweihänder in the Swamp area.
"Summon it."
Following Ellasein's words, Jeong Yoo-shin raised his hand.
With a strong will, he shouted inwardly.
Come out.
[Eternal Ark]
A flash of light lit up the surroundings, and then…
A golden coffin appeared.
It was large enough for a sturdy barbarian to enter it.
When viewed standing up, there was a huge spike at the bottom of the coffin.
It seemed that it could be sufficiently fixed if it was stabbed into the ground.
Thud!!!
The coffin created in the air landed on the ground.
"The capacity and color of the coffin depend on the user's magic amount and wavelength. Golden. Don't tell me you received the blessing of the Earth Mother Goddess?"
"Yes."
"I see. There are a few things you need to be careful about. You cannot put living things inside the coffin. And although this coffin is sturdy, if it breaks once, all the items inside will be lost. Of course, the coffin will recover on its own after a certain amount of time."
"I see."
"If you have enough magic, you can summon the coffin anywhere. And the coffin spreads a blessing that increases strength, stamina, magic, and reflexes. The range is proportional to the user's magic amount."
Jeong Yoo-shin was at a loss for words.
"..."
This was no joke.
Wasn't this a cheat item?
An inventory that could be summoned anywhere, whose space expanded according to the user’s total magic amount, and which also served as a totem that spread buffs if you were nearby.
'I'm glad I'm alive.'
So the day for him to finally see the light existed.
Jeong Yoo-shin smiled brightly and opened the coffin.
Rumble.
The inside of the coffin was filled with a bright halo of light.
"D-Do I just put things in here one by one?"
"That's right. I don't know how much will go in, but at least it should have a space as large as a room of this inn."
"Hoo."
That was enough.
To conquer the deeper floors of the labyrinth, a lot of things were needed, from food to firewood, torches, various potions, and sleeping bags.
It was possible to replenish supplies on the 10th floor of the labyrinth, but you had to sell your loot at a cheap price.
Even if he replenished his supplies, he was always worried about the pressure on his inventory, but he had never thought that things would work out so well.
Jeong Yoo-shin turned his body and looked at Ellasein.
Why did she look so pretty right now?
He wanted to give her a kiss.
Ellasein blushed and stepped back.
"Y-You dare! Don't look at me with those eyes. I lost the bet, so of course I have to grant your wish. This coffin is one of the royal family's treasures. I'll come to retrieve it when you die, so keep it safe."
"Yes!"
At that moment.
One of the guards came running out to the yard in a hurry.
"Y-Your Majesty!"
"What is it?"
"The dwarves have arrived in the city!"
"Already?"
"But instead of the king, the king's chancellor has come with a delegation! A-And in that delegation..."
"Continue speaking."
The guard was so flustered that he stuttered several times.
"In the dwarf delegation, there is a m-man who claims to be the crown prince of the Empire!"
"..."
A momentary silence passed.
The crown prince of the Empire?
Just then, he heard a murmuring sound from inside the inn.
It seemed that the chaotic atmosphere was spreading from the kitchen to the yard.
Ellasein answered calmly.
"Where is that man who calls himself the crown prince now?"
"H-He has already entered the inn with the dwarf delegation."
"Let's go."
Ellasein's expression hardened as she moved her feet.
Jeong Yoo-shin scratched his head.
The chancellor had come instead of the dwarf king.
If he was the chancellor, he would be the second-in-command of the kingdom.
Did something happen?
And the crown prince of the Empire had suddenly appeared.
'I don't know what's going on.'
By the way…
How in the world do I unsummon this coffin?
No matter how much he replayed the information that had entered his head.
There was no way to put the golden coffin back.
In his haste, Jeong Yoo-shin shouldered the coffin and entered the inn.
"Let's go together!"
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T/N - Damn, that’s actually a pretty good magic item. It even has self-restoring features whenever the coffin gets destroyed and it also spreads buffs. The only inconvenient thing is that you need to summon the coffin whenever you want to pull out your items, so no instantly summoning weapons like throwing knives from the ring.
Also, the dwarf king didn’t come, but the chancellor really visited the inn along with the Empire’s crown prince. The MC really is a big shot catnip. 🤣