Chapter 97
Chapter 97
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 97
Chapter Title: The Trillion-Won Commission
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Yoo Seongwon's trailer.
Even while Yoo Seongwon slept soundly, the knights lingered around the trailer, each tending to their own duties.
The sanctuary of the knight order, manifested by his skill, made for a fine resting spot, but the newly joined Merblin couldn't enter it, and at Yucheong's insistence that they couldn't just abandon their sleeping captain, everyone was milling about the trailer—inside and out—maintaining their gear or chatting among themselves.
"So? Wizard Merblin, His Majesty may have accepted your surrender, but we're not letting our guard down. Learning the language is a given, and we'll stay vigilant until you and your empire prove your true loyalty to him."
"I understand the Prime Minister's concerns fully. But our empire does not speak empty words. We surrendered of our own accord, and the tall Golden King graciously accepted us. We will not betray him."
"Anyway, don't defy His Majesty's orders. Master the language as quickly as possible. Here's the alphabet for now. I know you won't understand phonetic symbols, so I'll repeat them a few times—write them down yourself."
"Thank you, Prime Minister!"
Merblin was learning Korean in more detail from Yucheong, while Gaulf, the abyssal being, sat atop the trailer keeping watch over the surroundings. Akaron patrolled the skies for a broader perimeter, and Seom-myeol guarded the trailer interior at the entrance to Yoo Seongwon's room.
Meanwhile, Krokbane and Jinseong were sweating it out again, arm-wrestling with some rope they'd scrounged up from who-knows-where.
[Grrr... Not bad... for a human!]
"Oho! As expected of dragonkin strength! Hm? Smells like company."
[Scent... incoming.]
As the knights went about their business, someone approached the site.
Noticing it, they drew their weapons alongside the Cheongeomgun soldiers and went on high alert.
But the figure emerging from afar was none other than Shin Somi, the former guild master who'd been hanging around with Yoo Seongwon.
Yucheong and the knights all recognized her and lowered their weapons to greet her.
"I thought I sensed someone—it's you, Guild Master Shin Somi. I figured you'd be holding down Iron Fortress."
"Yucheong, you've finally emerged from the dungeon, I see. No word, so I came in person. So, how's Yoo Seongwon doing? Is he in bad shape? Critical injuries or something?"
"Oh, no~ His Majesty is perfectly fine. He's just exhausted from a month of nonstop combat inside the dungeon, so he showered and crashed right away."
"Phew~ Glad it's nothing serious. Mind if I see him now?"
"I'd rather not disturb His Majesty's rest if possible. Is it that urgent for him? If it's not pressing, why not come inside and wait until he wakes?"
Yucheong calmly explained his reasoning and escorted her into the trailer.
Shin Somi, who'd been about to brief them on the outside situation, paused for a moment.
'Right. He'd definitely...'
These knights thought in absolutes with Yoo Seongwon at the center, and they knew his temperament well.
So even if she told them the country was in peril, with Scavengers led by this pastor and a coalition of malevolent constellations launching attacks, they'd likely dismiss it as unimportant.
As everyone knew, Yoo Seongwon felt disillusioned with the government and society, so he'd probably react with apathy even if she informed him of the crisis.
'What, you came all the way here for that? You big shots can handle it yourselves. I need more sleep. Yawn~'
"Yes. I'll wait inside, then."
The outcome was obvious as day, so she couldn't very well insist on waking him, and with confirmation he was safe, she could relax and wait.
Once inside the trailer, Shin Somi slipped into an empty room, glanced at the one guarded by Seom-myeol, then contacted Elder Baek Gayeon.
"It's me, Elder."
(Oho! Made it? How's the kid holding up? Pretty rough?)
"No, he's fine, they say. No contact because he conked out right after emerging, worn out from the prolonged battle. None of the knights were set up to relay messages for him."
(Figures... Hm? Sleeping? Well, we might need to wake him anyway. The government's floating a 'request' they want him to take.)
"...A request? You mean that one-trillion-won job?"
(That's the one. Should be reason enough to rouse him, right?)
Shin Somi was floored. The government was actually offering that 'one-trillion-won' request she'd figured they'd never follow through on.
Anyway, as Elder Baek said, it was plenty of justification to wake him—but rousing him before he was fully recovered felt off.
Of course, that didn't mean doing nothing else.
"Yucheong, something critical has come up with him. To save time, mind if we drive there? I can handle the wheel."
"Hm, yes. Let's do that."
With Yucheong's approval, the other knights returned to the knight order's sanctuary on their own, and she took the trailer's controls to head out.
The plan was to get back to Iron Fortress so he could dive straight into 'agreements' and battle prep the moment he woke.
***
A few hours later.
Man, how long's it been since I slept like the dead?
I'd passed out the instant my eyes closed—no dreams, just deep sleep—and when I opened them, time had warped around me, my whole body throbbing.
It was like a month's worth of delayed muscle soreness had accrued interest into outright agony.
"Ugh... Even with high stats, muscle pain sticks around? Should I really hunt down some regen or body recovery skill? Nghhh, throat's parched anyway—gotta grab something to drink... Huh?"
Rising to hit the fridge, I caught a glimpse out the window: the scenery had changed since I dozed off.
I'd parked at the Goblin Empire Dungeon entrance amid dense forest, but now it was concrete buildings everywhere.
"This is... right, Iron Fortress? Someone drove here while I was out? Yawn~"
"You're awake, Captain?"
"Hm? Seom-myeol? Yawn~ So who drove us? Akaron, griping about laws and all that but did it anyway? Anyway, you could've woken me once we got here. Sleeping in my bed versus here ain't the same."
"Well, Shin Somi arrived. Advisor Yucheong greeted her, they talked, and with permission, she brought us here. Overheard something about a 'one-trillion-won' deal on offer."
Pfft!
Mid-sip from the fridge water, her words hit me like a bomb, and I spat it out.
What'd she say? One-trillion-won deal... proposed?
What the hell? Monsters invading Seoul or something? What's going on?
"Better hear the details from her directly."
"Ha, what is this? Proposing a trillion-won deal means it's no small mess... Where is everyone?"
"Probably all inside the Fortress. But Captain..."
"I'm heading there now!"
I blew past Seom-myeol calling after me and bolted from the room.
What could possibly make them request that trillion-won job I'd pegged as a total non-starter? Curiosity was killing me.
I rushed out of the trailer toward the central control room.
'What the hell happened to make them dump a trillion on me? Total curveball. What went down?'
"Captain... wait, in your current state..."
'Could be bait? Maybe a trap with other guilds to take me down. But with sharp-minded Yucheong here now, we can handle that.'
[Verifying temporary administrator and escort knight 'Seom-myeol.' Opening doors.]
My mind racing with possibilities from this unforeseen mess, I strode right into the central control room as the doors parted.
Inside were Shin Somi and her mother Shin Ayoung, Elder Baek Gayeon, and a pack of unfamiliar middle-aged men in suits.
"Yep, strangers in the mix—looks like the real deal. So, Elder, introduce these folks, will you?"
"...More like you still seem half-asleep, kid?"
"Huh? Nah, slept like a rock—I'm good now. Anyway, seeing suits here that don't belong kinda backs up what Seom-myeol said."
"Shouldn't you be the one checking yourself first? Your appearance?"
"Hm?"
At the Elder's nudge, I looked down at myself.
Buck naked except for blue trunks with a dolphin print.
Oh, right. Showered before bed, threw on just these, cracked a beer, flopped down, and zonked out.
Then bolted here straight after the news—no time to dress. Real-life nearly nude.
"...Er, is this really the Golden Dragon Knight?"
"What kind of guy..."
"Haa~"
Elder Baek Gayeon and the suits eyed me like I was a freak, while big sis Shin Somi flushed red and looked away, nowhere to put her gaze.
D-Damn! Damn it! What a screw-up!
No! Not yet! Panicking and backing down now—that's the screw-up.
"Thought maybe something was on me... Nope, all good. Heave-ho."
I casually pulled out a chair and sat, playing it cool as possible.
Backing off here would brand me the fool from the jump, let these suits mock the idiot who showed up naked—and Yucheong's gaze over there terrified me.
So I sat bold as brass like it was nothing, keeping my expression neutral as I scanned the room.
"...Are you right in the head? Manners exist for a reason. Put something on."
"Hey, after wearing gear nonstop for a month, a guy's gotta air out sometimes. If it's that big a deal, gimme a sec to change."
Phew~ Quick-witted granny saved my dignity.
It was a pissing contest, sure, but showing fluster in front of these suits would've stalled talks hard. No choice.
Anyway, post-stripper show, no point in formality now. I threw on a baggy old T-shirt and shorts before returning to the control room.
"...Didn't say be polite, but no decent clothes?"
"Nope. Got a suit stashed, but it doesn't fit anymore. Body changed after awakening and leveling up..."
"Haa~ Can't be helped."
Staff work was lighter, but post-awakening dungeon crawls and fights bulked me up more—no fighting that.
Never planned to wear 'em, but old clothes boxed up from years back weren't fitting this frame.
"Anyway, to the point—what crisis has you lot shelling out a trillion to hire a guy like me?"
"You really have no clue about the situation, do you?"
"Been in a B-rank dungeon solid month— I'd be a constellation if I knew. Spill it."
"A massive coalition assault from unprecedented malevolent constellations and Scavengers is underway. Centered on Slaughter King's apostle, SS-rank Demon Human Breeder Lee Moksa, it's threatening the entire Republic of Korea. Take a look at these reports."
The suits showed me data on their laptops.
A map of Korea dotted with countless colored markers—Scavenger and constellation incidents, from the look of it.
Nationwide chaos, no doubt.
"Same old, then. Toilet backs up from not plunging, shit overflows into a mess. So, what're you trillion-ing me for?"
"Naturally, a mission worth that price. Yours: 'Subjugate SS-rank Demon, Human Breeder Lee Moksa.'"
Knew it'd be big for a trillion, but yeah—Lee Moksa takedown.
Still stinks, though.
These suits proposing first? Can't be good.
Smarter, shadier than me—they'd schemed every way to exploit me before showing.
Keeping that in mind, their game started clicking.
'Hm, looks like a trillion-worthy gig on paper, but scratch the surface—it's a sucker play.'
At least their scam was basic enough for my brain to unpack.