Chapter 31
Chapter 31
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 31
Chapter Title: Knight and Noble Lady
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『Knight and Noble Lady. One is far, one is near. Decide: will you take the long way when rushed, or go straight? Remember, taking the long way may grant you something great, but you could lose something precious. Rushing forward may grant you something small, but you could obtain something precious.』
After checking his Death-Ground Fortune, Lee Si-woo furrowed his brow, lost in thought.
He understood the general gist of it.
His path would split in two depending on his choice.
So, what was the Knight, and what was the Noble Lady?
And what were the great things, the small things, and the precious things?
‘Hmm…’
The Death-Ground Fortune was merely a hint; the interpretation was entirely up to him.
The problem, however, was that this message was too ambiguous to gauge which option was better or worse.
‘The last fortune was straightforward and easy to interpret. If I overthink this one, I might fall into a trap. So, let’s keep it simple. The most precious thing to me is, of course, my life. As for ‘great’ and ‘small,’ they probably refer to the gains…’
Lee Si-woo’s index finger tapped restlessly on the table.
‘Could lose, could obtain… The difference in nuance seems to express probability, doesn't it? In other words, taking the long way offers a great gain but a higher chance of losing my life, while going straight offers a small gain but a higher chance of saving my life.’
Lee Si-woo couldn’t be certain his interpretation was correct, but with problems like these, it was always easier to sketch out the big picture first and then fill in the details with clues obtained later.
‘Then what are the Knight and the Noble Lady? And which one is the long way, and which is the straight path? This part… I suppose I’ll have to enter Barathrum to find out.’
Lee Si-woo tapped the key application on Barathrum’s liquid-crystal display to begin his connection.
In the end, he decided that only Barathrum could show him a way to either avoid or deal with Harman.
* * *
As if they had already anticipated his arrival, the Butler was waiting for him in the village.
“Welcome, my Lord. I have been waiting.”
“Is the construction of the Castle and the Sky Corridor complete?”
“Yes, please have a look.”
When the Butler gestured upward with his palm, Lee Si-woo looked to the sky, his eyes widening in surprise at the sight.
A vast blue sky and clouds.
At the center of this scene, like the surface of the sea and the foam of the waves, stood a mountain.
‘No, that’s not a mountain.’
It didn't take long for him to realize that the object, shaped like the peak of an inverted mountain, was the underside of a floating island.
A colossal island, swallowing a piece of the firmament as it drifted through the sky.
Strangely, however, despite such a massive island blocking the sun, there wasn't a single shadow in the village.
The Butler spoke.
“That is the floating island where your Lordship’s Castle and Sky Corridor are located.”
Looking slightly overwhelmed, Lee Si-woo said.
“Ha, it’s magnificent, but… is there any way for me to get up there? I don’t see an elevator or anything of the sort.”
“You worry about such trivial matters. Simply gaze upon it and wish to go there. It will be so.”
With a dubious expression, Lee Si-woo lightly wished to go to the Castle.
In the next moment, he was standing at the entrance of a castle that looked as if it had just popped out of a fairy tale.
A castle so elegant and beautiful it made his eyes widen on sight.
But something was strange.
The castle’s design was incredibly familiar.
With a hesitant look, Lee Si-woo said.
“This looks a lot like something I’ve seen somewhere…”
The castle that appeared in every movie from that world-famous company with a mouse for a mascot was standing right before him.
And that wasn’t all. The gate was adorned with the familiar mascot, but instead of a mouse, a white squirrel was striking a pose.
“The castle is very much to that Bbi-bbi’s taste, but I believe your Lordship will not dislike it. As Barathrum is a world that belongs to you, the castle's design was drawn from your own subconscious.”
“Yes… well, I don’t dislike it. No, it’s fine.”
In truth, it wasn't his preferred style.
The movies from that company were far too bright for his taste.
It was just that she had loved them so much, and after watching them with her, he had come to like them as well, as if by osmosis.
Was it because it was a memory he didn't want to recall?
Forcibly shutting the floodgates of memory, Lee Si-woo asked.
“What are the Castle’s functions?”
“The Castle has various functions, but the most useful ones for you right now are ‘Invitation’ and ‘Contract.’”
“Invitation and Contract? I can’t quite grasp it from the words alone.”
“For now, please think in your mind that you wish to go to the Audience Chamber.”
Following the Butler's words, Lee Si-woo found himself in the Audience Chamber in the blink of an eye.
A chandelier like a crystal cloud, a seven-colored carpet adorning the floor, and towering bookshelves that left no room to see the cool-textured walls.
There was a throne at the head of a central wooden table, with luxurious sheepskin chairs lined up below it.
A room for a king to receive his subjects.
Lee Si-woo let out a gasp of admiration at the splendor of the Audience Chamber.
“This… it’s so magnificent it’s almost overwhelming.”
“Its splendor is not all there is. Now, please look here.”
The Butler opened the only door in the chamber, and the blue sky filled his vision.
Momentarily mesmerized by the boundless expanse, his eyes soon fell upon a stone roof and brick floor cutting through its center.
Looking at the bridge-like corridor set against the sky, Lee Si-woo said.
“The Sky Corridor?”
“That is correct. This is the passage through which you may invite those with whom you share a ‘connection.’ The Sky Corridor.”
“Invite those I share a connection with?”
“Yes. Fortunately, there are such individuals at this very moment. Please, look.”
The Butler took out two cards from his coat and placed them on the wooden table.
One card depicted a man in armor holding a sword and shield.
The other depicted a woman in an elegant dress, strolling through a garden with several handmaidens.
Seeing the two cards, the words ‘Knight’ and ‘Noble Lady’ flashed through Lee Si-woo’s mind.
“The two with whom you share a connection. The Knight and the Noble Lady. You may only invite one of them, and after inviting one, you cannot invite another until the proper ‘time’ has come. Furthermore, please note that there is no guarantee you will be able to invite the one you missed when that time comes.”
Lee Si-woo narrowed his eyes and said.
“So, I invite one of these outsiders and form a contract with them. That is the function of the Castle and the Sky Corridor.”
“Correct. But do not forget that the success of the contract depends entirely on you, my Lord. Therefore, you must carefully weigh what you can give and what you can receive.”
In short, Barathrum could only bring them here; persuading them and securing a contract was his responsibility.
“As I am now, I don’t have much to offer… This will not be an easy process.”
“My Lord, if I may be so bold, you must not miss this opportunity. The energy required for this invitation function increases exponentially with each use, regardless of success. This first time required only a 1st Circle magician, but even I do not know how valuable a price will be demanded next time.”
“So I must secure a definite gain this time?”
“Yes, you must. My Lord, please look at the back of the cards.”
When he flipped the cards over, he saw a number of stars and a brief description.
「Knight」 ★★★★★★★☆☆
Race: Human
A sword that leads the dawn, a shield that blocks the night.
A dreamer walking a thorny path, dreaming of an ideal that will never come.
The easiest to use, yet the hardest to defeat.
A kingless knight, wandering without purpose.
To obtain, pay with an ideal.
“Seven stars…?”
At the mention of seven stars, the Butler let out a low hum.
“Seven stars on the first draw. Should I call it beginner’s luck? Or misfortune? Although talent awakening and skill are not always proportional, it is certain that a seven-star talent is considered one of the most gifted individuals in the entire Main Dimension.”
“Which means making a contract will be that much harder.”
“Yes. But should you succeed, the benefits you reap will be as immense as a tiger growing wings.”
“Alright. Next…”
「Noble Lady」 ★★★★★☆☆
Race: Elf
Princess of the Tower, an Agwi who feeds on greed.
A locomotive, rushing to fill an unfillable hunger.
One born noble, yet who has lived basely.
One who has, yet is empty; who is not alone, yet is lonely.
To obtain, pay with greed.
“Five stars.”
“Five stars? Excellent. As expected of you, my Lord. It is no easy feat to encounter such a fine connection from the very beginning. You are truly blessed by fortune.”
Lee Si-woo gave a bitter smile.
“I wonder. They may be fine connections, but I can’t tell if I can satisfy what they desire.”
“Nevertheless, you must try.”
“You’re right. On that note, I have a few questions.”
Afterward, Lee Si-woo meticulously questioned the Butler about various things.
What outsiders experience when they enter this world, and what kind of influence he could have on them.
And the detailed functions of the Castle and Sky Corridor.
After gathering the information needed to form a proper plan, the Butler asked him.
“My Lord, any further delay and you may lose them both. It is time to decide. Whom will you choose?”
Some people say to take the long way around when you're in a hurry.
However, Lee Si-woo thought differently.
When you were in a hurry, you had to go straight.
What if you took the long way and missed your last chance?
Who was to say you wouldn't face an irreversible end?
“I choose…”
* * *
Ruins so ancient it was impossible to guess how many years had passed since civilization vanished.
In a place that felt more like an archaeological site than an old city, a woman stood blankly before a temple.
Steel armor covered in countless scratches, like the rings of a great tree.
A bastard sword that looked more like a mace than a blade.
A tower shield that deserved to be called an iron wall rather than a shield.
Crimson hair that shimmered like silk woven from the sunset.
Sapphire-blue eyes and pink lips.
The woman, whose beauty could not be hidden by the freckles on her nose, placed a cigarette to her lips.
*Chiiik.*
As the woman lit the cigarette and puffed, a donut of smoke floated up past her cheek.
She looked up at a statue, so worn down that its face and form were unrecognizable.
“Why are they going around destroying these ruins? What harm could these ruins possibly… do to them?”
A black puma lying at her feet answered with a lazy yawn.
“Who knows. No one but them knows what they’re thinking.”
“We crossed the abandoned continent to reach this ancient city, and in the end, we’ve learned nothing.”
The black puma swished its tail and said.
“Well, you never know. Perhaps the connection just wasn’t there.”
“A connection…”
The red-haired woman turned around, the cigarette still between her lips.
The black puma followed her as she left the ruins without a second thought.
Suddenly, the puma’s fur stood on end, and it turned its head.
For some reason, it felt as if the gaze of the worn statue, which had lost its face and form, was tickling its back.
After tilting its head for a moment, the puma snorted, decided it was just a feeling, and resumed following the woman.
* * *
A short, shimmering golden bob, sharp eyes that contrasted with gracefully arched brows like a crescent moon on its side.
Emerald eyes and purple lips.
The characteristic pointed ears of an elf that drew one’s gaze.
Perhaps it was because her fierce, wildcat-like glare detracted from her beauty.
The woman, who evoked the word ‘fierce’ before ‘beautiful,’ spoke in a cold voice.
“Don’t let anyone else down.”
At the woman's command, a magician in a gray robe blocked her path and said.
“My lady, it was the Tower Master who forbade entry to these ruins. Even for you, my lady…”
The woman, called ‘my lady,’ Isabelle, twisted her uniquely charming purple lips.
“Hey, do you not know who I am?”
“Even if you are the Tower Master’s daughter, the Magic Tower has its laws…”
Isabelle snatched the magician’s gray robe and scoffed.
“A gray robe? A 2nd Circle, I see? And human, at that. Age… early forties? A 2nd Circle at that age. On top of that, a blockhead with no flexibility. I was wondering what kind of retard was being so nosy… turns out you’re just a piece of trash with no future and no social skills.”
“…My lady, your words are too harsh.”
Isabelle backhanded the magician across the face. The magician’s face, now bleeding from the nose, contorted with fury.
However, as always, he could neither vent his anger with magic nor spew curses.
Because the elf woman standing before him was the treasured daughter of Kenyon, the Master of the Senior Magic Tower.
“Isn’t the harsh one the one who can’t tell right from wrong at your age? Enough. Stop pissing me off and move. Before I rip that thick skull of yours out.”
The magician flinched at Isabelle’s murderous glare.
Unfiltered killing intent.
The pressure, as if she would seize him by the throat at any moment, made the magician swallow dryly.
Only then did the reality that Isabelle was not just the Tower Master’s daughter, but also a 4th Circle Master, truly sink in.
Still, his pride wouldn't let him back down gracefully. The magician added a final remark through clenched teeth.
“The Tower Master will not stand for this.”
“So what if my father won’t stand for it? Is he going to beat me to death? Stop spouting brain-dead nonsense and move, you moron.”
Isabelle shoved the magician’s face with her palm and walked forward.
Striding down the stairs leading to the underground, Isabelle threw open the massive doors without hesitation.
Was it the thrill of setting foot in the ancient ruins that her father had strictly forbidden entry to after discovering them?
Isabelle looked around with a satisfied smile.
‘Hmmm…’
Crumbling pillars, old buildings overrun with moss.
Just as she was about to be disappointed by the seemingly unremarkable scenery, a statue came into her view.
‘This is…’
A statue worn down by an immeasurable passage of time.
It had no name, no face, no form, yet it stood alone, proud and lofty. Isabelle stared at it, mesmerized.
Why?
It was as if she could see the images of ancient believers offering prayers in this very spot flicker across her eyelids.
‘Why did Father forbid anyone from entering this place? What in the world is that statue?’
At that moment, the faceless statue looked at her.
How could a statue that had lost its eyes, mouth, and nose to time possibly be looking at her?
But she was certain.
That statue was watching her.
*Whoosh.*
A gust of wind flowed from the statue and enveloped Isabelle.
And a moment later, she vanished from that spot.