Chapter 108
Chapter 108
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 108
Chapter Title: The Two-Faced Vassal
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<Territory Quest – Count Rodin's Revenge(2)>
The second quest appeared as part of a chain.
Of course, Lee Shin had no intention of completing the quest properly.
'I can't just side with one of them.'
He had to maintain a careful balance so neither side gained too much of an advantage.
At the same time, he needed to maximize their hostility toward each other.
Jeong Yu-ra asked.
"Why?"
"So that when the territory war breaks out, they'll fight to the death. If they just skirmish and it ends, it'll be awkward for us to get involved."
"Can it just end with a skirmish?"
"It can."
That's how most territory wars went.
The nobles had too much to lose.
Unless one side had a decisive military advantage, it was rare for them to go all the way.
"Is that so?"
"That's why I'm doing this. I'm provoking them so they'll fight to the bitter end."
"I just thought you were doing it for fun."
"Hm? No, if I were looking for fun, I would've joined the riot as soon as it started and stormed the lord's castle. Killing soldiers, killing knights, killing the lord..."
"....R-Right."
Jeong Yu-ra quickly covered Lee Shin's mouth.
Following that, Arthur asked.
"So what's the plan for the quest?"
"We'll just pretend to do it properly. We'll have them set fire to the guild hall or somewhere similar, and then we'll slip away."
Then we report them to the guards and have them arrested.
It would be even better if we joined the guards during the arrest.
"Then Count Killaim will think we're the ones who caught them, right?"
"...Aha!"
"What if the soldiers snitch and say you ordered them to do it?"
"That doesn't matter. My affinity with the count is high, so he'll believe me anyway."
The effect of high affinity!
Losing so many soldiers would lower his contribution points a bit, but in absolute terms, he still had an enormous amount, so it wasn't a significant impact.
"Ah..."
"And from then on, it's simple."
We get soldiers from Count Killaim, who wants revenge.
This time, we go to Ampiri Territory and do the same thing.
We keep repeating this, going back and forth between the two territories.
Until their malice for each other builds up and a territory war breaks out.
* * *
Lee Shin immediately put his plan into action.
And it was extremely successful.
"F-Fire! The hall is on fire!"
"Who dares...!"
"...It's them! Get them!"
Thwack! Thwack-thwack!!
"Gah!"
"...Wait, Lord Arthur!? What are you doing...!"
"You bastards... How dare you set fire to another's territory!"
"...Y-You're the one who ordered us to, sir."
"Silence!"
"......!?"
"......!?!?!?!"
The soldiers were utterly bewildered, but Lee Shin cleanly ignored their cries.
He then beat them relentlessly, giving them no room to breathe, let alone speak.
Thwack! Thwack-thwack-thwack!!
...Crack!
"Kuaargh!"
"Aaaaaargh!"
The sound of bones breaking and flesh tearing.
The soldiers' desperate screams echoed.
It was so severe that even the captain of the guards, who had been watching Lee Shin with satisfaction, eventually had to step in and tell him to go easy.
However.
"I-It looks like they're already subdued. You don't have to be so harsh..."
"What are you talking about!!!"
"Uh, um?"
"These are men who dared to set fire to another's territory! We have to teach them a lesson!! Am I wrong?"
"W-Well, you're not wrong."
Lee Shin paid him no mind!
He continued the beating even more severely, only stopping after he had physically silenced them for good.
[The soldiers have sustained severe injuries.]
[The soldiers have fallen into a coma.]
"Phew."
"......"
"......"
Lee Shin refreshingly wiped the sweat from his brow.
The guards watched him, breaking out in a cold sweat.
They weren't the ones being beaten, but witnessing such overwhelming violence firsthand had filled them with fear of Lee Shin.
Thanks to that, the subsequent conversation was easy.
Lee Shin approached the guard captain, whose face was stiff as a board, and spoke.
"Excuse me..."
"Gasp! Yes?"
"......?"
"Ah, I mean. Ahem! What is it?"
"I believe this incident should be reported to the count. May I do it?"
"You? Normally, as the captain of the guards, I should be the one to do it..."
"Is that a no?"
"...It's not that you can't! You did contribute the most, so go ahead."
"Thank you!"
* * *
"Well, you're back already?"
Perhaps thanks to his high affinity, the count greeted Lee Shin with a smile.
"Yes."
"Haha, impressive. You're certainly capable."
"Thank you."
[You have completed <Territory Quest – Count Killaim's Revenge>.]
[You have gained experience.]
[Level Up!]
[Count Killaim's affinity... ]
"......Wait a minute, I see you've lost all your soldiers? What happened?"
"There were some complications."
"What kind of complications?"
"...It's a bit hard to explain in words, but that's not what's important right now!"
"What?"
"Actually, this is what's happening outside..."
"...Hm? Huh? Wha-!?"
[The count is enraged.]
"...How dare that bastard Rodin!?"
"Don't worry. I have a good plan."
"What is it?"
"If you just give me a few soldiers, I will..."
It wasn't difficult to persuade the count, who was already seeing red.
On top of that, Lee Shin had earned so much of the count's trust that the count gave him soldiers without much hesitation.
"Do as you say."
"Thank you!"
* * *
[You have completed <Territory Quest – Count Killaim's Revenge (2)>.]
[You have completed <Territory Quest – Count Rodin's Revenge (5)>.]
[You have completed <Territory Quest – Count Killaim's Revenge (6)>...]
Lee Shin went back and forth between the two territories, clearing quests at an insane pace.
He completed at least three a day, and on good days, more than five was no problem.
Considering each quest was substantial enough to grant one or two level-ups, this was a tremendous speed.
But despite clearing so many quests so quickly, the chain quest showed no signs of ending.
The reason was simple.
"...What? The enemy sent soldiers into our territory again?"
"Yes, the damage wasn't severe, but..."
"Whether the damage was severe or not is irrelevant. What's important is the fact that we were attacked."
"Which means?"
"...I can't let it end like this."
[The count offers a quest!]
<Territory Quest – Count Rodin's Revenge (7)>
A chain of revenge, one link after another!
Or perhaps it was the mentality of needing to get the last hit in, even if it was ending.
Since Count Killaim's mentality was not much different from Count Rodin's, the chain quest continued on and on.
[You have completed <Territory Quest – Count Rodin's Revenge (18)>...]
'...Even I've never seen it go to 18 before.'
Enough to make even Lee Shin let out a dry laugh!
Even Lee Shin hadn't expected things to go this far.
However, even this seemingly endless chain quest was finally starting to show its end.
"Are they really determined to see this through to the end?"
"It seems so."
"Hmph...!"
Because both counts were starting to grow weary of this endless cycle of revenge.
But ending it here was impossible, as their animosity for each other had grown far too large.
Thus, their line of thinking shifted toward the idea that it would be better to just fight openly.
Count Rodin muttered grimly.
"If they want to go all the way, I can't be the one to back down."
"Which means..."
"War. I must send a messenger to Count Killaim."
[Count Rodin declares a territory war!]
Count Rodin declared war.
Count Killaim, upon receiving the message, had the same reaction.
[Count Killaim declares a territory war!]
[You have instigated a territory war by pitting two counts against each other! This is a great achievement. You have acquired the title, <The Two-Faced Vassal>.]
[Your notoriety increases.]
[As both counts have declared a territory war, one will soon occur.]
[Time remaining: 3 days]
[Be warned!]
[The winds of war now begin to stir in both territories.]
This last message wasn't just for Lee Shin's party.
As a territory war affects the entire domain, it appeared for all players belonging to the two territories.
* * *
[The winds of war begin to stir in the territory.]
[Be warned!]
"Hm?"
"......?"
A sudden warning message.
Most players tilted their heads, unsure of what was happening.
"Winds of war?"
"What's this?"
"I don't know. Are they talking about the protests? No, but you don't get messages like this for protests..."
Most of the players in the territory were just temporarily settled there, looking for hunting grounds suitable for their level.
Or they had come from other kingdoms because of the main quest that had just started.
They had no idea what was happening among the territory's leadership, nor did they particularly care.
"...Is the Eteun Kingdom always like this?"
"Ah, I guess so."
"Makes sense. This place is supposed to be lawless, right?"
Most players dismissed the situation as nothing important!
It couldn't be helped, as they didn't know the details.
However, a few who had been active in this territory for a long time were different.
They didn't know the specifics either, but they had an idea of the cause.
"Huh?"
"This is..."
As soon as they received the message, they flocked to the vicinity of the lord's castle.
And today, too, they muttered as they gazed at a familiar figure inside the castle grounds.
"...It's got to be him, right?"
"Probably."
Count Rodin.
And standing right beside him, strolling through the garden, was Lee Shin.
* * *
Now, with the outbreak of the main quest, many players had flocked to the Eteun Kingdom, but before that, there were hardly any players here.
It was only natural.
The kingdom lacked infrastructure, the security was poor, meaning one had to be wary of PKs everywhere, and even the quest rewards weren't any better than in other kingdoms.
An environment full of disadvantages!
For practical gains, and to play in a comfortable environment without worrying about being backstabbed, there was no reason to be in a kingdom like this.
It was much better to be active in other kingdoms.
Nevertheless, the players in the Eteun Kingdom were largely divided into two types.
First, there were those who liked the harsh and rough environment itself.
Most marauder-type players belonged to this category.
There was no better place than the Eteun Kingdom to enjoy PKs with relatively little worry about notoriety.
This was the reason the Eteun Kingdom's image had soured among players.
The second type was for growth.
To be precise, for 'explosive growth.'
This might seem to contradict the earlier description of having no infrastructure and poor quest rewards, but if one condition was met, the story changed 180 degrees.
A main quest just needed to occur in the Eteun Kingdom.
In fact, this wasn't the first time talk of a main quest had come up in the Eteun Kingdom.
Long ago, when Lee Shin killed the 8th Prince and countless quests vanished in the aftermath, that was when the topic of a main quest first emerged.
And back then, too, numerous players had flocked to the Eteun Kingdom.
Of course, the bubble burst quickly, and most returned to their original regions, but...
Not everyone did.
Those desperate for growth, or those who firmly believed a main quest would eventually occur in the Eteun Kingdom, remained in the kingdom, building their foundations.
The Phoenix Guild was one of them.
A guild with a solid force, with most of its members being high-ranking players.
Despite that, they had no ranker-level players, making it ambiguous to call them a top-tier guild.
A quintessential A-tier guild, forever stuck just shy of the S-tier!
'Hmm.'
In that situation, the guild master thought.
He was an ambitious man.
What do I need to do to get ahead from here?
We don't have the funds to recruit a ranker, nor are our individual members exceptionally talented...
There was only one answer.
'The answer is the main quest!'
'Sir?'