Chapter 305
Chapter 305
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Representative Outpost
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"Rishir?"
"Yes? Ah-"
Rishir realized his mistake and looked around.
The master's dwelling after so long.
The emotions it stirred were something special.
With all these people around, to get lost in thought like that.
"Sorry. With all of you here, how could I-"
"No need to worry about it. We gathered around you of our own accord in the first place."
Everyone present nodded eagerly at Karoer's words.
"..."
Rishir felt his chest swell with their complete trust.
-As expected of the vermin handpicked by the young master! They know their place perfectly!
'What are you talking about, Dangaleona.'
Rishir snapped back to attention at the spirit's(?) voice burning through the moment.
He looked around.
Numerous expedition members.
People from Gus Mansion.
And even city council officials.
Groups of wildly different temperaments and personalities that would never mix under normal circumstances, all gathered in one place.
The link binding them was just one person: himself.
Rishir felt that responsibility once more.
At that moment, the image of an office desk buried under mountains of paperwork flashed before his eyes.
"Ha..."
His vision was already going dark.
The perfect amount of tension.
"Alright."
Rishir gathered his thoughts and stepped forward.
Rishir first wanted to check the World Tree's condition, so he entered Gus Mansion with Karoer and Lunadien—the two high elves.
Palrag and the others from Gus Mansion guided them.
"What in the-"
The moment they entered the mansion, Rishir couldn't hold back his shock.
He had already vaguely anticipated it from the eco-friendly essence of Gus Mansion's exterior, but reality far surpassed imagination.
The interior was fully integrated with nature, as if built inside a massive tree.
If anything, it wasn't the World Tree that had grown inside the mansion—
the mansion had grown inside the World Tree.
Was there ever such a reversal of priorities?
"In a way, it's only natural. No matter how luxurious the grand mansion, it can't help but seem insignificant before the great World Tree-"
Palrag's breath muttered in awe, and the two elves nodded in satisfaction.
Watching the superhumans, Rishir felt a suffocating frustration, like his clothes were about to burst.
No.
The entire house has become fertilizer for an enormous tree, you know?
The owner looks like he's going to suffocate.
While everyone else exclaimed "Wow, the World Tree," Rishir alone checked the merchant's complexion.
"Mr. Gus! How in the world are we going to-"
How to compensate.
That was what Rishir was about to bring up.
Either way, it was his fault that the World Tree had barged in and taken up residence.
"Ah! Rishir-nim! No need to worry! Even I know how to do business properly~ I've got it all figured out!"
"Oh, as expected-"
With Gus quick-wittedly jumping on board, the frustration eased a bit.
Separately, the other looming headache was unavoidable-
'How much will it cost to compensate for all this...'
Gus's massive mansion, with more than four annexes, had been meticulously affected by the World Tree everywhere, without a single empty spot.
In other words, the baby World Tree had pointed at an expensive house in Bondalles and pulled off a "Mommy, I want that one."
Rishir instinctively sensed an unprecedented crisis for his spine.
He might even have to break his personal rule of not seeking material gains from the spoils obtained through his abilities.
"Then, until when-"
Rishir cautiously asked Gus's intentions.
"Ah! If Rishir-nim wishes it, I can compensate right now!"
"Gasp...!"
For a moment, Rishir felt his heart drop.
He thought Gus meant to compensate immediately.
"Huh?"
But wait-
Something felt off upon reflection.
"You'll compensate me?"
"That's right!"
"Not receive compensation?"
"Pardon? Receive it? Me?"
Why me?
Pure bewilderment showed on the merchant's face.
Rishir was simply confused.
A man who could make black mages click their tongues in admiration for his profit calculations.
Why would he offer compensation when his house was ruined?
"Do you see this?"
+ Outpost Defenses [Enhanced]
+ New Facilities Unlocked
+ Continental Recognition
"..."
"..."
Their expressions were as discordant as ink drawn on a blank sheet of paper.
A pair of expressionless man and woman strolled through Bondalles's streets.
This street was Bondalles's religion district, where no official faith was established—
allowing preaching activities for all religions without discrimination.
It was their hunting ground.
They were scouting for believers as targets for this operation.
"Over there-"
The expressionless woman nodded toward it.
"The Lord created light through holy fire, bringing morning to the originally dark continent! You too can become the Lord's holy fire and illuminate the world!"
A priest from the church was in the midst of evangelism there.
"No."
The man shook his head.
Creating light?
A religion with such unrealistic doctrines was unsuitable for their purposes.
"Look over there."
The man pointed out a new target.
Were the priests particularly attractive?
The largest crowd on the street had gathered there.
"The Great One wielded both holy sword and magic sword, cleaving the night sky! And so morning arrived!!!"
"The Great One purifies all unclean beings! He purifies demons and commands them as spirits!!!"
The woman's brow furrowed.
"Isn't the light-creation one more realistic?"
"..."
The man's brow furrowed.
Now that he thought about it, it did seem that way.