Chapter 322
Chapter 322
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 322
Chapter Title: Treasure Hunt (1)
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The reconstruction of the Dragonkin kingdom proceeded smoothly.
The Dragonkin, who had collapsed on the streets like soulless specters after the death of their Dragon God, sprang to their feet as if that had never happened and threw their efforts into rebuilding the kingdom.
The Dragonkin were a race fundamentally capable of freely wielding powerful mana and a variety of magic.
Though they lacked modern construction equipment, their magic-fueled reconstruction was faster than anything that could be achieved with Earth's latest machinery.
“Damn it… Am I Rapunzel or something? These punks have me locked up at home, not letting me lift a finger.”
Ha-eun pounded her chest, clearly frustrated with being confined to the house.
Given her personality, she would have much preferred to be outside breaking a sweat than cooped up quietly at home, but the Dragonkin's overprotectiveness meant she couldn't even touch the reconstruction work.
“From the Dragonkin's perspective, you're basically a god.”
You can't very well ask the god you serve to carry bricks.
“Hey, they say Jesus was a carpenter.”
Well, he had a point there.
“Are you that frustrated?”
“I'm about to die. Seriously, these guys foam at the mouth and try to stop me whenever I even attempt to train.”
Perhaps the trauma of losing their Dragon God once still lingered.
Even to Oh-jin, the Dragonkin's behavior seemed a bit excessive.
“Well, you don't have to worry about that.”
“Huh? Why?”
“I was planning on making a move soon anyway.”
With things more or less settled in the Khan Kingdom and the Dragonkin Kingdom, all that remained was to head to Niflheim, the kingdom of the Majin.
“So, are we heading straight to ‘Nippleheim’?”
“What's Nippleheim?”
“You know, *Nifl*heim.”
“Nope.”
Had she finally gone mad from being cooped up at home?
A chuckle escaped Oh-jin's lips.
“Ah, jeez… I shouldn't be laughing at stuff like this.”
“Hehe. How's my sense of humor?”
To be honest, that one was pretty funny.
“…Honestly, Ha-eun. Why must you make such vulgar jokes?”
Isabella sighed and shook her head.
“What? I'm already frustrated being stuck at home, and now I can't even make a joke?”
Ha-eun sprawled out on the sofa, propping her slender legs on Oh-jin's lap.
“Anyway, is it okay to leave when the reconstruction isn't even finished?”
“Are we heading straight to Nipple… Ugh, now you've got me thinking about it.”
“Hehe.”
What's with the "hehe"?
“Ugh. Anyway, we're not going straight to Niflheim.”
They still needed more preparation to face the Majin head-on.
“But after fighting them this time, I feel like we could just take them on. For all their talk about receiving the Heavenly Demon’s power, they didn't seem all that strong.”
“The ones we faced this time were low-ranking among the Majin.”
“Huh? Really?”
As they say, when you rewatch a movie knowing the ending, you start to see the foreshadowing you missed.
Now that he knew the events in the Dragonkin Kingdom were a "scam" orchestrated by the Heavenly Demon, things that hadn't made sense before began to click into place one by one.
‘First, not a single executive-level Majin came to the Lair.’
The Majin already knew of the Lair's existence.
They couldn't have been unaware that the tide of battle would turn against them the moment the Dragon God awakened, so why hadn't a single executive-level Majin like Kallike shown up?
‘Those at the executive level and above must have known.’
They knew that this whole thing was a 'show' designed to strengthen Ha-eun's power and create a faction of followers for her.
Besides that, the surveillance on the castle walls had been overly lax, and they had retreated as if on cue the moment Ha-eun absorbed the Dragon God's power.
Looking back, the Majin's movements were full of questions.
‘What's the point of thinking about it now that it's all over?’
Oh-jin shook his head with a short sigh.
“Then where are we going?”
The Dragonkin still needed time, and the Beastkin couldn't be deployed at full strength just yet.
“I'm thinking of going to meet Elder Cheongwonseong.”
“…That weird old geezer?”
“Yes.”
He knew the only reason Cheongwonseong was ranked first among Deneb's Apostles was that he was the first to become one.
Still, to be counted as one of the "Seven Stars," his level couldn't be low.
‘I can't go to Niflheim while leaving a Seven Stars-level asset behind.’
The Khan Kingdom and the Dragonkin Kingdom were one thing.
But when heading to the kingdom of the Majin, the source of all the problems in the Demon Realm, Oh-jin's group couldn't just sneak in alone as they had been.
That place would be more deeply touched by the Heavenly Demon's hand than anywhere else.
“But didn't Elder Cheongwonseong say he was looking for some treasure?”
No matter how desperately Oh-jin's party needed more strength right now.
Cheongwonseong wasn't the type to be persuaded by words.
“So I'm thinking of helping him find it. That treasure.”
“Ah.”
“…Yeah. Now that I think about it, there is that option.”
He didn't know what Cheongwonseong's "treasure" was.
But if the man had been wandering the Demon Realm for the past several years searching for that one thing, he must have made some progress.
If they helped him find the treasure.
‘We could bring him over to our side.’
Last time, he hadn't had the luxury of helping Cheongwonseong's treasure hunt because he lacked information about the Demon Realm and every second was critical. But things were different now.
The Dragonkin and Beastkin both needed time to bolster their forces anyway, and it wouldn't be efficient for Oh-jin's group to just sit around with them since there was nothing they could do to help. It was better to do something else in the meantime.
“Alright! Then let's head out right away!”
Ha-eun shot up from the sofa and let out a huff of hot air.
She already seemed excited at the thought of escaping this suffocating house.
Oh-jin chuckled and shook his head.
“We're not leaving right this second. I'm going to talk to the elder first.”
“With Gramps?”
“Yup.”
Kellion had said he was personally acquainted with Baek Mu-gang.
Perhaps he might know what this "treasure" Cheongwonseong was looking for.
“Then I'll go with you. I should at least see Gramps's face before I go.”
“Ah, I'll go with you as well.”
He had originally planned to meet Kellion alone.
But the two women naturally tagged along.
‘It's a good thing Vega and Riak are in the Sanctuary.’
The two had decided to stay in the Sanctuary until they left the kingdom, worried about the restrictions of the Law after having been manifested outside for too long recently.
“Alright.”
Oh-jin led Ha-eun and Isabella to where Kellion was.
“P-Priestess!”
“It's dangerous for you to come outside!”
The moment Ha-eun stepped out, the Dragonkin warriors guarding the house swarmed around her.
Ha-eun scanned the Dragonkin surrounding her and opened her mouth.
“I'm going to see Gramps. Move.”
“We will summon the elder here!”
“Huh?”
Ha-eun's expression soured.
The Dragonkin flinched at her fierce, beast-like gaze.
“You punks have the nerve to order an elder around?”
Though Ha-eun usually acted as if manners and etiquette could go to hell.
As someone born and raised in the Eastern country of etiquette, the suggestion of summoning an old man sparked a fierce protest within her.
“Move it before the Confucian Dragon inside me goes berserk.”
“Confucian Dragon…?”
“Is the spirit of another dragon besides the Dragon God dwelling within you?”
“Agh! So frustrating!”
Ha-eun charged forward like a lightning bolt and delivered a picture-perfect, soul-crushing dropkick to the Dragonkin warrior blocking her path.
“Keuk!”
“Are you gonna get lost or not, you punks?!”
Ha-eun rampaged like a drunken tyrant.
“Stop wasting time here and go work! Work!”
“We have the sacred duty of protecting the Priestess's shrine…”
“Cut the crap and go haul some stones, you punks!”
Ha-eun kicked the Dragonkin warriors' rears, breaking through their guard.
He wondered if it was okay for a priestess to act so willfully.
“Aah.”
“Huff, huff… Th-The Priestess… kicked me…!”
“To grant such a precious reward to us lowly beings!”
Uh, well.
“They're just like Lady Vega.”
Isabella cast a cold glance at the joyous(?) Dragonkin.
“…Just never say that to Vega.”
Oh-jin shook his head and headed toward Kellion.
Kellion was personally directing the reconstruction site, looking at a large blueprint created with magic.
“Gramps! I'm here!”
“Hmm? What brings you here?”
“Oh-jin has something to ask you.”
Ha-eun pointed at Oh-jin with her thumb.
Kellion dismissed the magical blueprint and approached them.
“Something to ask?”
“You mentioned before that you were acquainted with Elder Cheongwonseong, correct?”
“Cheongwonseong? Ah… you mean Baek Mu-gang?”
“Yes.”
Kellion nodded and continued.
“I've known him for quite some time.”
“How did you two meet?”
“He came to the kingdom once, saying he was looking for a treasure. He was a bit of a peculiar human, but he cleared out all the monsters inhabiting the nearby area, so I invited him to the kingdom.”
So that's why there were almost no monsters in the ravines around the kingdom.
It was thanks to Baek Mu-gang clearing them out once.
“Have you ever heard what this ‘treasure’ he's looking for is?”
“A treasure…”
Kellion stroked his long, gray beard and shook his head.
“He never told me specifically what treasure he was looking for.”
“Is that so?”
It seemed even Kellion didn't know the identity of the "treasure" Baek Mu-gang was so desperately searching for.
“Ah, but I do know who stole his treasure.”
“Who is it?”
“Deimos of Gold. One of the highest-ranking executives of the Majin.”
“A highest-ranking executive…”
Did that mean he was ranked even higher than Kallike?
“He is one of the three who hold the title of 'Grand Duke' among the Majin.”
“……”
In that moment, he understood why a powerful Awakened like Baek Mu-gang hadn't been able to retrieve his stolen treasure even after several years.
“Is he in Niflheim?”
“No, Majin of the Grand Duke class are granted their own territories to rule. That place, too, was once home to another minority race… but they lost it after being defeated in war.”
It was clear that the Dragonkin, being closer to Niflheim, had more detailed information about the Majin than the Khan Kingdom, which was located far beyond the Sky Mountains.
“Where is that place?”
“It's a place called the 'Black Rock Mine,' where a race called the Salamanders used to live. However… even if you go there, it will be difficult to find Baek Mu-gang. As you know, he's quite an unpredictable person.”
“You don't need to worry about that.”
Oh-jin smiled faintly and took a compass out from his pocket.
“I have a way to find him.”
As he channeled his mana into it, the spinning compass needle came to a stop.