Chapter 25
Chapter 25
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 25
Chapter Title: The Guide's Pocket Watch
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"Heh heh. That cheeky mouth you had in the gallery is now completely shut tight. Why? Now that you've met me in person, it's finally sinking in?"
The identity of the old man mocking me was the Red Tower Lord.
But his mockery didn't even register with me.
"...A person. There's a person here?"
Muttering to myself, I slowly reached out toward the old man.
It was to check if he was really human.
Seeing this, the Tower Lord...
"W-What are you doing?!"
Freaked out and slapped my hand away.
That was enough.
The brief contact and the warmth I felt were proof enough.
He was a real person.
"You really escaped from the Abandoned Continent... How on earth...?"
"Curious? I'll tell you."
With that, the Tower Lord held out his hand.
Resting proudly on his palm was an old pocket watch.
"Do you know what this is?"
"No idea. Just an old watch, right?"
The old wizard's face twisted in irritation at my words.
"Tch. Stuck in the Abandoned Continent, no wonder your knowledge is lacking. Listen up. This is one of the divine tools crafted by Hero Yomi."
Hero Yomi.
A name I couldn't possibly forget.
It belonged to the man who had driven the dinosaurs onto the continent.
With that much information, I realized what the object before me was.
"The Guide's Pocket Watch."
One of Yomi's thirteen divine tools.
Once a month, it could open a path anywhere in the world to summon a target or teleport the user.
And it had been in the Red Tower all this time.
"Finally figured it out, eh? Well, thanks to the barrier's effect leaving part of your soul behind in the Abandoned Continent, you'll be heading back soon enough."
I let out a sigh at the thought of escaping only to get sent back right away.
"Do you understand why I'm telling you all this?"
As if I wouldn't.
"You're threatening me. Telling me not to get cocky."
He could summon me anytime.
So don't even think about rebelling once I'm back.
If I didn't want to get summoned again, that is.
"Heh heh. Just like I saw on the broadcast. A sharp one, you are. You'd make great progress in magic."
"Magic... not really interested in learning it."
I'd added magical talent when creating my character.
But the penalties I had now were already too much to handle.
Adding more on top?
"...I don't want to end up with dementia."
But that was just wishful thinking on my part.
My instincts were telling me otherwise.
To survive, I'd have to learn magic.
"Dementia is the last thing I want."
"...Why's a young punk like you going on about dementia?"
I looked up at his irritated tone.
The Red Tower Lord was frowning.
"Did I hit a nerve? Well, you are at that age where dementia's a worry."
"...Shut up and get ready. We're starting."
With that, he gripped his staff.
"I'll drill it into you so thoroughly you'll never even dream of growing mandrake again."
The moment he slammed his staff into the floor, dozens of magic circles floated up around us.
Sneaky bastard had drawn them in advance before I arrived.
But seeing them, I felt no particular thrill.
"Why are you just standing there? Having second thoughts and regretting it now? Too late. Get ready."
He manipulated the floating magic circles this way and that as he spoke.
Watching him, I scratched the back of my head.
"You know elves scattered across the world after losing the World Tree, right?"
"What does that have to do with anyth—"
Before he could finish...
Bang—
The door burst open violently.
A robed man rushed in, his face full of urgency.
"T-Tower Lord! Big trouble!"
"Big trouble?"
"The elves are attacking!"
"Elves? Why?"
"W-Well..."
The man trailed off and glanced at me.
"They want the World Tree..."
At that, the Tower Lord blinked and looked at me.
I shrugged under his gaze.
"You kidnapped me during the broadcast. Of course it's live."
He knew that much, too.
He'd been watching the stream himself.
But he hadn't expected the elves to come charging in.
Even so, he soon shrugged it off as no big deal.
"Even if they gathered in this short time, how many could there be? Just drive them off..."
Before he could finish telling them to drive the elves away...
Bang—
The tower wall exploded inward.
The startled Tower Lord looked toward the hole.
An arrow was embedded there.
An elven arrow.
But more shocking was the chant echoing through the breach.
"Hand over the World Tree, you bastards!"
"The World Tree is ours!"
Stunned by the massive roar, the Tower Lord peered outside.
His jaw dropped.
Nearly a thousand elves had already gathered.
And that wasn't the end of it.
Clank—
Doors to houses in the village corners opened as fully armed elves stepped out.
Neigh—
Elves on horseback charged across the forest toward the city.
And even...
Whiiiirrr—
Massive portals ripped open, elven legions marching through.
Peerlessly beautiful men and women swarmed toward the tower with zombie-like fanatic expressions.
"Hurry up and hand over Lord World Tree!"
"Smash it? Blow up the tower? We'll really do it!"
Eyes bloodshot, gripping bows and weapons, threatening to tear the tower down.
Witnessing this, the Tower Lord's pupils shook violently.
"See? Why'd you have to mess with me during the broadcast? My viewers are a bunch of obsessive weirdos."
His pupils shook even harder at my words.
He knew the elves were obsessed with Shihanbu.
But he hadn't imagined they'd assault the tower over it.
"Why... why go this far..."
His confusion lasted only a moment.
His brilliant mind kicked into gear, searching for a way out.
And soon, he found the answer and spoke up.
"Q-Quick, turn off the broadcast! Post on the gallery that you teleported away! This situation's bad for you too, isn't it?!"
"Oh!"
I nodded in admiration at how he'd nailed the point.
"You're right. It is bad for me."
I'd get dragged off to some backwater the moment they caught me.
But.
"Why should I?"
"What? Didn't you just say keeping the broadcast going is...!"
"Yeah, it's bad. But you told me yourself."
He'd said it.
No matter how much of a hero's relic it was, it couldn't fully break the Abandoned Continent's barrier.
I'd be sent back soon enough.
"Eh, getting caught by the elves for a bit won't hurt."
At my words, the Tower Lord's pupils trembled mercilessly.
Then, as if realizing something, he shouted.
"What if they catch you and hand you over to the elves?!"
"You sure that's wise? What makes you think I'd say you did anything to me here?"
"...What? I haven't done anything to you yet..."
"Come on, between you, the Tower Lord, and the World Tree, who do you think the elves will believe?"
The Tower Lord reached an instant conclusion.
The World Tree, obviously.
Less than an hour after news of the World Tree's arrival, this many elves had gathered.
If word got out that they'd harmed it, the elves really would declare war on the Red Tower.
"Looks like you've finally grasped the situation."
Muttering that, I crossed my legs and sat in the chair in the Tower Lord's room.
"Got anything to drink?"
The Tower Lord just stood there dumbly at my words.
Watching him, I thought he seemed like a total hikikomori.
Holed up in his room doing research, clueless about reading human emotions.
In short.
He had zero social awareness.
"That's why he made the stupid choice of dragging me into his den."
He knew the word "obsession," but had no clue what it really meant.
Having sorted my thoughts, I decided to be more direct with him.
So I snapped my fingers and said,
"What are you waiting for? Bring me a drink. Right now."
"...What? How dare you—"
The Red Tower Lord's mustache quivered at my command.
I acted immediately upon seeing it.
Approaching the breached wall and poking my head out.
Then...
"Kyaaah! It's real... Lord World Tree for real!"
"Haa... He's breathing. He just blinked...!"
"That gaze is insane... Look at me like that too... Please..."
Like stalkers spotting their ultimate fave, the elves shrieked and flailed their hands.
I waved indifferently at them.
My mistake.
"...He waved... at us..."
"Let's go steal him."
"Steal him and hug him."
"Grab him and take him away."
"Hide him so only we can see."
"Tame him like a pet."
"Make him our exclusive World Tree..."
"Never letting him go now."
Madness.
Blind devotion.
And desperate obsession.
They looked just like cult followers beholding their messiah.
The elves' eyes no longer belonged to rational beings.
Chilled by that gaze, I whipped my head back to the Tower Lord.
"Not gone yet?"
"..."
"Beer."
"..."
"Answer me."
"...I'm going."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The Red Tower Lord, who had maintained an eighty-something appearance...
Now looked twenty years older as he slumped in the chair.
More importantly, the pocket watch was no longer in his hand.
"Daylight robber... You're a damn daylight robber. You'll end up in hell for sure, Shihanbu, you bastard!"
After venting his resentment toward Shihanbu for a while, he recalled their recent exchange.
He'd brought the beer and begged Shihanbu.
Please post something on the gallery.
But.
"With just your word?"
"Name your price... N-No, you can't!"
Asking what he wanted, the Tower Lord panicked.
Shihanbu's eyes were glued to the pocket watch with sticky greed.
"D-Do you know what this is? You can't ask for this!"
It was from Hero Yomi himself.
A memento passed down from the first Red Tower Lord, his comrade.
Priceless to the tower beyond its function.
"Heh heh. Who said anything about wanting it?"
The Tower Lord relaxed at that.
At least the guy had a conscience.
But that illusion shattered soon enough.
"I won't ask to keep it. Just loan it to me. Say, a hundred years? That should be plenty."
"That's the same as asking for it! You madman!"
"Huh? Is it? Then just give it to me."
"..."
"What's with the face? Keep scowling and I won't leave? The elves'll nab me?"
Under that pressure—and the tens of thousands of elves occupying the main street—he finally handed over the pocket watch.
"...Never thought I'd live to see someone hold my life hostage. Demonic little shit."
And it wasn't just that.
Money and teleport scrolls too.
"...Why the hell did I pick a fight with a demon like that?"
As the Tower Lord wallowed in belated regret...
Bang—
The door flew open without a knock.
The moment he looked up at the sound...
His dazed mind snapped back.
The golden-haired woman before him was that stunning.
And he knew who she was.
"H-High Elf!"
High Elf.
Elven royalty.
This one was Rachel, the Elf Princess.
Realizing her status, the Tower Lord dropped to one knee in greeting.
"The Red Tower Lord greets the noble blood of the elves..."
"Whatever! Where is he?!"
Rachel cut him off and demanded straight out.
No subject needed.
The reason for an elf's visit was obvious.
"...He's already gone."
"Gone?! Where?!"
"...To the Murim world. Said he wanted to go to a festival and eat dongpo pork."
She deflated briefly at that.
Then Rachel opened the gallery and posted.
📰 Gallery Post [Shihanbu-nim, come in!]
Author: [Baby Elf]
-You dared to run away? Go on, run to the ends of the earth! I'll chase you to the edge of the universe and drag you back!
Likes: 1402 / Dislikes: 1 Dislike by Shihanbu (Saw the blood-soaked Heavenly Demon at the Dragon-Phoenix Conference in Hebei)