{Delivery Has Arrived}

Translator : Elizabeth

"Phew…."

Kalian, standing by the office window, washed his face with trembling hands.

The memory of a month ago.

That fear was still deeply engraved in his bones.

"Your Highness, are you alright?"

Knight Commander Bent, who was standing next to him, asked with a worried face.

Kalian smiled bitterly.

"I showed you a disgraceful sight. I was lost in old thoughts for a moment."

At those words, a light of understanding hovered in Bent's eyes.

If it was an old thought Kalian would be lost in, there was only that.

At that time, he was also at the scene.

"No. The retreat at that time was a wise judgment."

"Wise, huh… it was a cowardly flight."

Kalian clenched his fist tightly.

The gray sky visible outside the window was heavy like his heart.

"Will the Fist Emperor really be able to pull it off?"

Honestly speaking, he was skeptical.

He acknowledges that Kang Jin-ho is strong.

Just seeing him endure his spirit as if it were nothing was amazing.

But the opponent is Mammoth Prime.

A bastard with hide and flesh that even his Aura Blade couldn't penetrate deeply.

To tell him to capture such a bastard alive, not kill it.

Thinking about it now, he wondered if he had entrusted an overly unreasonable request.

"Should I have just told him to kill it and bring the hide at least…."

Capturing alive was greed.

If the bastard got provoked and advanced this way, Winter Castle would be finished.

But… there is someone he wants to save.

To save him, and for the future of the North, a living Mammoth Prime was needed.

However, it was the moment undeniable anxiety was assaulting him.

Weeeoooo—!

The magic detection crystal ball placed in a corner of the office began to spew out red light madly.

Simultaneously, an alarm sound rang out loudly.

"Wh-What is it!"

Bent was startled and ran to the crystal ball.

Bent's face turned pale upon checking the crystal ball.

"Your Highness! A massive magic reaction is approaching from the northeast!"

"Don't tell me…."

"This wavelength… is Mammoth Prime! It is coming toward the castle at tremendous speed!"

Kalian's heart sank with a thud.

The thing he worried about had erupted.

"He failed!"

Kalian gritted his teeth.

The Fist Emperor succeeded in provoking the bastard, but it seems he failed to suppress it.

It was clear that the enraged Mammoth Prime was chasing him and running toward the castle.

"The speed… is too fast! It's not a speed of running on the ground!"

"It's an emergency! Everyone to battle stations! Assemble at the city wall!"

Kalian snatched the sword on the desk and ran out.

In the hallway, soldiers startled by the emergency siren sound were already running about in confusion.

Kalian, Frederica, and the wizards ran up to the top of the city wall.

"It's over there! It's coming from that side!"

A soldier in the watchtower pointed to the northeastern sky and screamed.

Kalian narrowed his eyes and stared at that spot.

The sky where the blizzard raged.

Beyond that, a massive shadow was visible.

"…Sky?"

Kalian doubted his own eyes.

The ground didn't shake.

There was no earthquake.

Instead, the bastard was flying in the sky.

"What… on earth…."

What revealed itself breaking through the clouds was not an airship.

A massive hairy mountain.

It was Mammoth Prime.

The bastard was floating in the sky like a balloon and flying over.

And looking closely under that massive bulk, a very small dot was visible.

A human supporting that mountain while emitting blue light.

"Fist Emperor…?"

Frederica muttered blankly.

Everyone on the city wall froze.

It was a collapse of common sense.

"He really brought it?"

"Oh my god. Really?"

Although they heard it in words, they couldn't believe it was really possible.

To lift an ancient demonic beast weighing hundreds of tons with Aura and fly over?

However, that was happening in reality right now.

Shooooom!

Kang Jin-ho reached the sky above Winter Castle at tremendous speed.

He checked the wide parade ground in front of the castle, reduced speed, and descended.

"Move! If you don't want to get crushed!"

Kang Jin-ho's voice rang out loudly from the sky.

Soldiers who had been dazed screamed only then and scattered in all directions.

"It's falling! Dodge!"

Boooom—!

A massive mass collided with the earth.

An impact as if a meteorite had fallen.

The entire Winter Castle shook, and dust rose up to the height of the city wall.

Soldiers fell on their butts from the shockwave.

"Ugh!:"

"Mommy!"

A moment later, the dust slowly settled.

And within it, a massive silhouette was revealed.

Mammoth Prime filling the parade ground.

The bastard was lying down quietly(?) with foam at its mouth.

And in front of it, a man walking out while dusting off the snow on his clothes.

"Phew, this was a bit heavy."

It was Kang Jin-ho.

With an unscathed appearance not even panting once, he waved his hand ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠toward the frozen Kalian and Frederica.

"Delivery is here. Check the goods."

"……."

Kalian couldn't close his mouth.

It was unmistakably that calamity that gave him a painful defeat and sense of helplessness a month ago.

But now, it was sprawled like a lump of meat at that man's feet.

The bastard's hide, which even Aura Blades couldn't penetrate deeply, was intact, but the bastard fainted and didn't look like it would wake up.

"Ah, and."

Kang Jin-ho tapped the broken legs of Mammoth Prime.

"It would be trouble if it woke up on the way, so I fixed the legs a bit. Attach wizards to fix it or whatever. Anyway, the condition was bringing it alive, so I won't accept claims?"

At his nonchalant tone, the silence on the city wall deepened further.

That indifference expressing breaking the limbs of an ancient ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠demonic beast as 'fixed a bit.'

It was something that completely shattered the standard of 'strength' Kalian held.

"The reward is ready, right?"

Kang Jin-ho grinned.

Seeing that smile, Kalian had no choice but to admit.

That man was truly a monster.

"What are you doing? Is everyone playing freeze tag?"

Kang Jin-ho pointed to the top of the city wall with his chin.

"Come down and inspect. I tell you, who knows when this guy will wake up? Although I knocked it out, it's a bastard with disgustingly good durability."

At those words, the first one to come to his senses was Kalian.

He swallowed dry saliva and ordered Knight Commander Bent standing next to him.

"…Open the castle gate. And accompany the wizards down to the parade ground."

"Y-Your Highness! It's dangerous! If by any chance the bastard wakes up…!"

"The Fist Emperor is there."

Kalian spoke firmly.

"He suppressed the bastard and brought it. As long as he is there, even if the bastard wakes up, it will be safe for now. And… anyway, if the bastard wakes up, being on top of the city wall is meaningless."

Kalian went down the wall stairs first.

Creaak— Thud.

The heavy castle gate opened, and led by Kalian, Frederica, the knights, and the wizards poured out.

The majesty of Mammoth Prime seen up close was even more overwhelming.

A bulk matching the height of the castle gate even while lying down.

The gust generated every time it breathed made the soldiers' capes flutter.

"Oh my god…."

"He brought something like this?"

The wizards clicked their tongues looking alternately at Mammoth Prime and Kang Jin-ho.

Ignoring laws of physics has its limits; lifting this with Aura was a phenomenon impossible to explain even magically.

"The goods are certain, right?"

Kang Jin-ho asked the approaching Kalian.

"Alive, breathing, well, except for the legs being broken a bit, it's an A-grade product. See, not a single scratch anywhere? The fur is fluffy too."

"…Indeed. It's a certain product."

Kalian looked up at Mammoth Prime's massive body and nodded.

That hard hide which he could only make small wounds on even with Aura Blade was clean without a scratch as Kang Jin-ho said.

Only the four broken legs were twisted miserably.

"As promised, a blank check."

Kalian took out the checkbook and fountain pen he had prepared in his bosom.

Perhaps because it was a world where magic developed, unlike the social atmosphere that seemed like quill pens would be used, fountain pens were developed.

And the blank check Kalian took out.

This was a real blank check issued by the Imperial Central Bank with the amount field empty.

Kalian's hand handing it over trembled minutely.

'Just how much will he call?'

Will he demand the entire budget of the North?

Or ask for half of the Northern territory?

Whatever amount the opponent wrote, Kalian had no justification to refuse.

Because the merit of capturing Mammoth Prime alive was truly a national feat.

Even if the pillars of the Winter family were pulled out, it was a share he had to endure.

"Lend me the pen."

Kang Jin-ho received the check and fountain pen calmly.

And wrote down the amount without hesitation.

Scratch, scratch.

The sound of the pen nib scratching the paper sounded exceptionally loud.

Not only Kalian, but also Frederica and Aide Lowell standing behind held their breath and watched that scene.

Finally, Kang Jin-ho lifted the pen and held out the check to Kalian.

"Here."

Kalian checked the check with a nervous heart.

"……?"

His eyes opened round.

There were indeed many zeros attached.

It was a large sum ordinary commoners ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠wouldn't see in their lifetime, and an amount that would bankrupt a small to medium noble family.

But that was all.

'…It's less than I thought?'

Of course, it was an amount that took up a significant portion of the Winter family's annual budget.

There couldn't be no hit to the finances.

It was bleeding enough to postpone the knight equipment replacement project right away and cancel festivals within the territory.

But it wasn't to the extent that 'the family would be ruined.'

If it was the Grand Duchy of the North, it was a level they could sufficiently handle if they tightened their belts a bit.

Literally, a reasonable price.

"Is this… everything?"

Kalian asked back as if he couldn't believe it.

Then Kang Jin-ho frowned.

"What? Too expensive?"

"N-No! Expensive, you say! Rather…."

Kalian couldn't continue his words.

He was about to say it was rather too cheap, but shut his mouth as there was no need to scratch and make a boil.

"I thought you would demand… Northern territory, or mining rights."

"Territory?"

Kang Jin-ho scoffed.

"Are you crazy? Why would I accept that."

"…What?"

"What's the use of receiving a chunk of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠land. Have to collect taxes, manage residents, block monsters, walk on eggshells around the Imperial Family. Why do that annoying stuff? To me, cash is just the best. It's better to spend when I want to spend, and leave when I want to leave."

Kang Jin-ho's answer was extremely like him.

Thorough pragmatism, throwing away desire for power or honor to the dogs.

A mindset that gold coins plugged into the pocket right away were more valuable than shackles like land deeds.

"And mining rights? If I accept that, are you telling me to pickaxe myself? Or hire workers and start a business? Ugh, just thinking about it makes my head hurt. Just give it to me cleanly in money."

"Ha…."

Kalian let out a hollow laugh.

It seemed he had thought too complicatedly.

This man in front of his eyes was just a strong person who hated complicated things.

"Understood. I will immediately request the Imperial Bank to lift the payment suspension on this amount and take measures so it can be withdrawn."

"Good. As expected, the Grand Duchy is easy to talk to."

Kang Jin-ho put the check into his pocket as if satisfied.

It was then.

"Kueeeee…."

A dull groaning sound was heard from behind his back.

The trunk of the fallen Mammoth Prime squirmed.

The massive eyelids were trembling.