Chapter 16 - {The Grand Duchy's Treasure Warehouse}
{The Grand Duchy's Treasure Warehouse}
Translator : Elizabeth
"Kueoooo…."
A massive vibration occurred on the parade ground.
The fainted Mammoth Prime, as if trying to regain consciousness again, squirmed its mountain-like body.
With just that minute movement, the ground shook, and soldiers standing nearby lost their balance and stumbled.
"Th-That bastard is waking up!"
"Everyone prepare for battle! Widen the distance!"
The knights screamed, turning pale.
As the bastard, which looked like calmly delivered cargo just moments ago, moved, the fear called 'Calamity of the North' possessed by the bastard assaulted the soldiers again.
The long trunk squirmed and thrashed in the air, and the closed massive eyelids trembled as red light tried to leak out.
"Where do you think you're going."
Kang Jin-ho clicked his tongue as if annoyed.
As if he had no intention of even taking his hands out of his pockets, he lightly took a step closer.
And indifferently slammed his fist downward.
Thwack—!
A dull impact sound rang through the parade ground.
Kang Jin-ho's fist struck Mammoth Prime's glabella, specifically the vital point where brain cells were gathered, once again.
"Kueu…."
Mammoth Prime's massive body bounced up as if convulsing, then soon sank heavily to the ground.
The squirming trunk went limp.
It fainted again.
"Phew, I thought it would sleep for a few days, but it's waking up already. Its recovery is really good too."
Kang Jin-ho said while shaking off his fist.
The surrounding knights and wizards watched that scene blankly.
An ancient demonic beast was suppressed like turning off an alarm clock.
In front of that overwhelming martial power, even a calamity was treated like a pet.
"What are you doing? Is there a show?"
Kang Jin-ho scolded the Northern personnel standing blankly.
"I can't keep putting it to sleep forever. Hurry up and bind it or lock it up, figure it out."
Only then did Knight Commander Bent, coming to his senses, issue orders urgently.
"Magic Unit! Sealing Team! Deploy immediately! Restrain the bastard!"
As the order fell, dozens of waiting wizards and engineers rushed at Mammoth Prime.
Direct sleep magic or binding magic were useless in front of Mammoth Prime's high magic resistance.
But to bind it with physical ropes, the bastard's bulk was too large, and its strength too great.
However, they already knew that much.
"Hurry!"
Engineers used massive winches to drag over black chains as thick as a forearm.
They were special alloy chains mixed with Adamantium, a rare metal even in the Empire.
Knights rushed in and wrapped the chains around Mammoth Prime's neck, torso, and the four legs already broken by Kang Jin-ho.
"Connection complete!"
"Magic Unit! Deploy output!"
Vwoom—!
Magic circles were drawn on the house-sized steel weights hanging at the ends of the chains.
Dozens of top-grade mana stones emitted light and poured out energy.
Output amplification and mass enhancement magic were being unfolded.
Boom—!
As the magic activated, the weight of the steel weights increased exponentially.
Simple lumps of steel came to possess weight comparable to a mountain.
The ground couldn't withstand the weight and sank deeply.
Creak, creak!
The tautly pulled chains pressed down on Mammoth Prime's massive body.
The chains themselves would also not break due to being reinforced by magic.
Now even if the bastard woke up, let alone raising its body, it would be difficult to even turn its head.
It was a perfect seal combining physical strength and magical weight.
"Work complete! With this, even a dragon couldn't move!"
At the Magic Unit Commander's report, Kalian nodded.
He turned to Kang Jin-ho only after confirming Mammoth Prime was completely suppressed.
"Good work. Thanks to you, the long-cherished desire of the North has been resolved."
"Forget the words."
Kang Jin-ho extended his hand.
He had already secured the blank check, but there was still something left to receive.
"You have to keep the promise, right? Treasure warehouse."
Kalian nodded.
"I know. Follow me."
"Kalian."
It was then.
Frederica, who was watching the situation from the side, stepped forward abruptly.
"I'll do the guiding."
She had taken off her dust-covered coat unnoticed and returned to her neat suit attire.
A strange vitality circulated on her face as she swept back her black hair and smiled.
"There's no need for you to go personally, right? You have to direct the cleanup and report to the Magic Tower too."
Frederica's proposal was reasonable.
Currently, Winter Castle was practically in a state of emergency due to the issue of housing Mammoth Prime.
There was a mountain of administrative work for Kalian, the Grand Duke, to handle to leave his post.
But Kalian's brow narrowed minutely.
'Sister personally?'
Kalian looked at Frederica.
She was smiling, but her eyes were fixed on Kang Jin-ho.
Like a child who got an interesting toy in her hands, or like a beast eyeing prey.
Kalian didn't like those eyes.
"…Kalian?"
When there was no answer, Frederica called again.
Kalian let out a short breath and composed his expression.
He had no justification to refuse right now.
She was the eldest daughter of the Winter family, and she also possessed the management authority of the treasure warehouse.
"Understood. I ask of you, Sister."
Kalian's voice was a bit stiffer than usual.
"However, entry to the section where family heirlooms are stored is absolutely prohibited."
"Don't worry. Do you think I can't even distinguish that?"
Frederica smiled with satisfaction and turned her head to Kang Jin-ho.
"Let's go. I'll guide you."
"Do as you please."
Kang Jin-ho noticed the subtle current between Kalian and Frederica but pretended not to know.
It didn't matter who guided him.
What was important was securing the item.
Frederica took the lead with a somewhat beaming face.
Kalian's gaze watching her retreating figure sank heavily.
Deep underground in Winter Castle.
Passing through a corridor where cold chill lingered, a massive steel door appeared.
It wasn't an ordinary door.
A massive wolf head crafted in silver was embossed on the door surface, and red rubies were embedded in its eyes, exuding an intimidation as if a living wolf were glaring at the visitor.
'Is this it.'
Kang Jin-ho faced in reality the place he had only seen in text in the original novel.
The Northern Grand Duchy's Treasure Warehouse, <Heart of Winter>.
Here, all sorts of treasures collected or acquired as spoils of war by the Winter family for hundreds of years slept.
"The method to open it is a bit tricky."
Frederica stood in front of the door.
She took out a small dagger from her waist, and without hesitation, slightly cut the tip of her index finger.
Slice—.
A red drop of blood formed.
She brought the finger with blood on it to the mouth part of the wolf statue.
"Only the blood of Winter can open this door."
Whoosh—.
As the blood seeped into the wolf's mouth, the statue's ruby eyes shone intensely.
Simultaneously, the sound of heavy mechanical devices turning was heard from inside the wall.
Rumble….
"It has defensive magic cast on it. If the blood of Winter's direct lineage doesn't touch it, a trap that melts the intruder activates the moment the door is forced open."
Frederica explained while wiping her bloodied finger.
"And it must be warm blood within 10 seconds of coming out of the body. It means the door won't open even if someone kills us, extracts blood, and brings it."
"Ho-oh."
Kang Jin-ho spat out an exclamation pretending to be surprised.
Actually, he knew.
Because in the original story, there was a scene where villains tried all sorts of things to open this door and failed.
It was that thorough security.
Creaaaak— Thud.
Finally, the massive door opened.
And from beyond it, brilliance that seemed to blind eyes poured out.
"Come in. This is the history of the North."
Frederica walked inside confidently.
Kang Jin-ho also followed behind her.
'It's wider than I read in the text?'
The interior was much wider than he thought.
It was as if a massive museum had been moved here.
On the high ceiling, magic stone chandeliers were scattering light as bright as daylight, and below them, numerous display cases were lined up in orderly fashion.
'It is splendid.'
Glittering gold bars piled up like mountains were basic.
Dragon Slayer Swords said to have been used by legendary dragon slayers.
Magic staffs made from branches of the World Tree during the era of the Ancient Magic Kingdom.
Armors made from the leather and bones of top-grade demonic beasts.
Even the walls were studded with exquisitely crafted gems like stars in the night sky.
It was a sight that would make an ordinary person roll their eyes back and foam at the mouth immediately.
But Kang Jin-ho's eyes were calm.
'Certainly, there are many expensive things.'
But gold, silver, and treasures no longer held significant meaning for him.
He secured money with the blank check just now, and weapons were weaker than his fists.
What he wanted was something else.
"Pick anything. However, as Kalian said, the section where heirlooms are gathered is a no-go."
"I know without you telling me."
Frederica pointed to the section cordoned off with a red rope inside.
Kang Jin-ho nodded and slowly scanned the display cases.
'It should be somewhere.'
He retraced the memories of the original story and headed to the section where clothing and armor were gathered.
He passed between splendid armors and cloaks.
And finally, a mannequin placed in the corner caught his eye.
'Found it.'
A coat was hanging there.
Dazzlingly white fur.
It was a pure white fur coat that looked as if the perennial snow of the North had been scooped up and made into clothes.
A subtle silver color lingered at every tip of the fur, emitting a mysterious radiance every time it received light.
The length was also long, coming down below the knees; it was an item that oozed class at a glance.
'It's cooler seeing it in person?'
Even though a long time had passed, there was no dust, nor was it worn out.
Rather, like a new product a craftsman had just finished stitching stitch by stitch, the texture of the fur was alive and glossy.
It looked so splendid that it seemed like a luxury item burdensome to wear to a battlefield.
"This is what I want."
Kang Jin-ho pointed to the coat.