Chapter 242
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 242
Chapter Title: Third Season
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“It hasn’t been officially announced yet, but... His Majesty has begun to make his move.”
“You mean the subjugation of the Firmament Cult?”
“That’s right. He seems to be taking this northern incident especially seriously.”
Up until now, Blackout—excluding the ‘Dimension Reverse’—hadn’t posed any real threat to the surface world.
But with the Firmament Cult starting to move in earnest and the emperor confirming the details of the northern incident, he didn’t appear to be dismissing it as a one-off event.
“However... as you know, war always comes at a great cost.”
“You’re anticipating strong opposition, then.”
“Especially from the noble faction. Word about the Firmament Cult has been spreading quite a bit among the nobles lately...”
It seemed their ranks were more rotten than anyone had imagined.
“There are far more involved than just a handful.”
“For nobles who’ve already lost much of their influence, this is a fatal blow.”
“Exactly. With so many unwittingly tangled up with them, they’re banding together to keep their weaknesses hidden.”
For that reason, the emperor planned to proceed with utmost secrecy and simultaneity.
“How did you come by this information, Javier?”
“From my eldest brother.”
“You mean Dexter.”
Come to think of it, Jun hadn’t seen Dexter’s face since arriving at the imperial palace.
He could understand the crown prince not venturing outside lightly, but even after their arrival, there’d been no sign of him.
“My eldest brother... is fully immersed in the succession process now.”
“Ah, so that’s why...”
“He’s spending far more time with His Majesty.”
“Hmm...”
If this was true, it was no light matter.
It was a prelude to a massive incident erupting within Blackout.
“When do you think it’ll happen?”
“Even I don’t know that far ahead.”
“I see...”
“The reason I’m telling you this... is so you don’t get caught in the aftermath.”
“Thank you for looking out for me.”
It wasn’t empty words.
At least now he had time to consider his stance when the crisis hit.
“I hope it helps.”
Jun expressed his deep gratitude once more to Javier.
“Good morning, sunbae.”
“Hey, Aiden. Your face looks a bit better.”
“Yes. I’ve sorted out my thoughts some.”
“Good. Still, it’s not something you’ll resolve in a day. Take your time.”
“Thank you, sunbae.”
“Alright. The other two are downstairs. You ready to head out?”
“I’ve packed everything.”
They’d received the long-awaited imperial rewards, and now it was truly time to depart.
“Oh, but before we go to Blackout, there’s somewhere we need to stop.”
“Somewhere?”
“You’ll like it. Promise.”
Jun grinned and strode ahead of Aiden.
“Everyone ready?”
“Yup. All set.”
“Me too, all done.”
Downstairs, Eleanor and Maya eyed Aiden with mischievous smirks.
As if they were up to something.
Aiden tilted his head repeatedly.
“S-sunbae, where are we going today...?”
“You’ll see when we get there. I bet your eyes will pop.”
“...?”
What could it be to get them this excited?
Seeing his companions’ reactions, Aiden started to feel that his late-night brooding had been a bit pointless.
His heart raced with curiosity, like a kid waiting for a gift.
They left the palace and hailed a passing carriage.
Heading east through the capital.
It was a hub of artisans, bustling with trade thanks to the Abyss Gate in the city.
True enough, crowds milled around countless forges, with barkers drawing them in left and right.
“A smithy...?”
Aiden asked, but his companions just smiled without answering.
The carriage pressed deeper into the artisan district before finally stopping.
“Where is this...?”
“Our destination today... and where we’ll claim the fruits of our hard labor in the north.”
“The north?”
Hearing that, something clicked for Aiden.
His face flushed red.
“Y-you mean the Millennium Iron?”
“Bingo.”
It wasn’t just any rare ore; finding a smith skilled enough to work it was notoriously tough.
As recompense for the northern incident, Jun had demanded Millennium Iron from Count Camille.
“We split the haul equally by weight, but who among us really needs it?”
Jun only needed a small amount for magic experiments, and Maya just enough for her darts.
Eleanor had no use for it at all and wasn’t about to sell it on the market.
“So we decided to put most of it toward your gear.”
“No, but...”
Millennium Iron.
An ultra-rare ore that could spark a bloodbath the moment it hit the market, priceless beyond measure.
These days, relics from Blackout fetched higher prices, but before that, weapons forged from Millennium Iron were unrivaled—truly living up to the name.
And now, his companions were yielding it to him.
“Is it really okay for me to use it...?”
“We’re not hurting for cash anymore, and selling it would take forever anyway. Who knows when the next big fight comes? Better to use it while we can.”
“...”
“Whoa, hey. Aiden. You crying? Are you?”
“My superior dynamic vision can’t miss a blade. Your eyes are definitely red. That’s a fact.”
“Everyone... thank you so much...”
Aiden probably hadn’t expected to receive anything from the imperial treasury.
In truth, no one yearned for it more than he did.
As a kid, how many times had he envied the heroes in adventure tales who entered the palace vaults?
He’d imagined himself as the protagonist dozens, hundreds of times.
But now, missing out didn’t sting.
He had far warmer companions—precious bonds no treasure could match.
Few smiths could handle Millennium Iron.
Even Count Camille of the north had called it a ‘useless lump’ for lack of one.
But they weren’t entirely nonexistent.
There were smiths who could work it.
They just belonged to exclusive guilds, demanding exorbitant fees.
It wasn’t something you entrusted lightly...
“You’ve come to the right place. Millennium Iron... I can’t even remember the last time I saw some.”
Jun had his biggest card for surface work.
The Gilenoi Merchant Guild.
Among the empire’s top guilds by scale, they’d capitalized on Blackout’s markets to plunder the surface’s gaps, growing to legendary proportions.
“An honor to meet you.”
“Hmph. Skip the flattery. You’ve brought such fine material—that’s what matters.”
The smith replied, eyes locked on the chest brimming with ore.
“This much at once. I swear, I’ve never seen a pile like it in my life.”
“Can you make armor with this?”
“Of course. More than enough.”
“Then use some for flying daggers too.”
“Will do. This’ll be a treat.”
Unfortunately, no instant results.
“Working Millennium Iron—from melting to finishing—takes months at least.”
“...That long, huh.”
“Naturally. This stuff won’t bend even after a day of hammering.”
It meant running the forge’s massive furnace at full blast for months.
“Then we’ll leave it to you.”
“Trust me. I’ll make it deflect even aura.”
Deflect aura?
It sounded like boasting, but well-refined Millennium Iron could manage that and more.
At minimum, it needed aura-infused intent to test it.
With the ore handed off, the group rested a day before standing before the Abyss Gate next morning.
For everyone but Eleanor, it was their third time seeing it.
True to form, they crossed—and beheld Bijou City after so long.
Newbies from their first Blackout trip mingled with residents, keeping the city bustling.
“Hmm. The vibe feels a bit heavy, doesn’t it?”
Jun remarked, surveying the scene.
“Yeah... it’s lively as ever, but... there’s a tension in the air.”
“Some other change?”
Jun’s gaze naturally drifted to the city’s grandest castle.
Home to Count Mordenaen, whose term ended this year.
“Feels like this year won’t be easy either...”
“Agreed.”
Leaving Eleanor and Maya—who got along so well—Jun headed straight for the Gilenoi branch.
“Welcome. Honored guests at our Bijou branch.”
The massive branch greeted them with a young, handsome staffer at perfect attention.
Jun cut to the chase.
“Good to be here. I’m Jun, captain of the White Whale Mercenary Corps.”
“Y-yes? Wh-White Whale...?”
“No need to freak. Is the branch manager in?”
“O-one moment. Sorry, but could you show your mercenary tag?”
He flashed it without hesitation.
The gold trim and special engravings marked it as no ordinary tag from the guild.
“It’s genuine... Please, follow me.”
“Lead on.”
In the branch manager’s lavish solo office, the man dabbed sweat pouring like rain.
Anyone’d think we were here to devour him.
It hit home just how famous they’d become.
Though Jun was getting used to it.
“Straight to business. The city feels tense. Why?”
“Ah... You haven’t heard yet.”
“Heard what?”
“It’s the issue we’re dealing with now... No, let me explain.”
“I’m listening.”
“Currently... an unprecedented crisis has struck. The checkpoints have vanished.”