Chapter 65
Chapter 65
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 65
Chapter Title: An Audience with the King
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“As for the compensation for the airship you rented from the Keyman Guild, that's been resolved, so you don't need to worry. I also received a positive response from Mr. Loxley.”
The conversation with Hunt also proceeded quickly.
Just as Kang-seok had expected, Hunt didn't press for details about the World Quest. In fact, he asked so little that Yang Jun-gyu was taken aback.
When the most official matter—the airship compensation—was brought up, Choi Yu-ra smiled brightly.
“Hunt, did Mr. Loxley say anything else?”
It was obvious what answer she was hoping for.
Seong Yu-jin gently tugged on Choi Yu-ra’s arm, and Kang-seok took another deep breath.
Fortunately, Hunt was a man who understood proper business.
“Just a message congratulating you on becoming a hero, that's all.”
Choi Yu-ra pouted as if she found that boring, but in contrast, Kang-seok's expression brightened considerably.
Kang-seok asked.
“Hunt, does the Keyman Guild have a branch in this city?”
“We do have a branch, but… Is there something you wish to purchase, perhaps?”
Instead of looking around, Kang-seok met Hunt’s gaze.
“I’d like to purchase an airship.”
Hunt did not look away either. He narrowed his eyes slightly and asked.
“A small one, you mean?”
“I’m looking for a medium-sized one or larger.”
Kang-seok still didn't avert his gaze. He simply held out the pouch filled with the gems Seong Yu-jin had appraised.
Hunt glanced down at the bulging pouch and let out a long sigh. Without even needing to open it, he gave a wry, slightly troubled smile.
“You must have a great deal of trust in me.”
Even a small airship was an incredibly expensive item.
And yet, he wanted a medium-sized one.
The cost of a single galleon was beyond the imagination of ordinary people, and a medium-sized airship cost several times that of such a vessel.
It hadn't been long since Kang-seok had passed the tutorial. Back when they had handled the Keyman Guild’s business in Roselburk, he hadn't possessed the wealth to buy a medium-sized airship.
But now, he said he wanted to buy one that was medium-sized or larger.
What he had gained from defeating Andras.
That was the only possible conclusion. Unless Kang-seok had monopolized the payment for disposing of Andras's body, the only other explanation was that Andras had left behind some kind of item.
This fact was not known to the public.
The general consensus was that not a single Player had obtained an item from defeating Andras.
But that wasn't true. Kang-seok had acquired immense wealth or something equivalent to it.
It was a rather dangerous truth.
No matter who said what, Kang-seok and his party had made the greatest contribution to Andras's defeat, but few people remained rational in the face of immediate gain.
One wrong move, and Kang-seok's party could become public enemies among players blinded by greed.
Despite that, Kang-seok had spoken.
Just as Hunt said, he trusted him. He wanted to bring him into the guild someday.
Hunt took another breath. He scratched the back of his head once before slumping his shoulders.
“I suppose there’s nothing to be gained from being an enemy of the Dark Destiny Lord. Understood. I won’t ask for specifics. Confidentiality is an essential requirement for a good broker, after all.”
Hunt didn't ask a single thing about Andras. There was no better way to keep a secret than to know nothing at all.
“What you want from me is to negotiate with the Keyman Guild, correct?”
“Yes. We’re acquainted with Mr. Loxley, but we can't return to Roselburk right now. You’re the only one we can trust with a transaction like this.”
It wasn't just flattery; he meant it.
Hunt gave a slight nod.
“If I were to consider the client’s needs a little further… would you like me to draw up the paperwork to make it seem like you're leasing it from the Keyman Guild? It would also be good to add a clause stating that the Keyman Guild is supporting you. After all, you're the saviors of Aachen.”
If Kang-seok were to buy and fly around in a medium-sized airship, the fact that he had obtained immense wealth would eventually be revealed.
So, they would frame it slightly differently.
A lease, not a purchase; a long-term contract with the Keyman Guild.
In reality, six-star or seven-star adventurers often signed long-term contracts with merchant guilds or wealthy patrons and operated with their support. It was a kind of sponsorship.
Kang-seok smiled, pleased.
“It was an excellent choice, indeed.”
Seong Yu-jin and Choi Yu-ra thought the same. Only Yang Jun-gyu, not understanding what was being said, darted his eyes around.
Hunt continued.
“Well, for me, brokering a deal like this becomes a quest in itself, so it’s good for me, but… there is one problem. As you may have already realized, airships are not a common mode of transport in this world. The proof is that there isn't a single airship in Aachen.”
Aachen didn't have even a small airship, let alone a medium-sized one.
“The military and strategic value of a medium-sized or larger airship for long-distance travel is truly immense. That’s why, as I mentioned before, there are several restrictions, such as the prohibition of armaments. And one of those restrictions is that they are ‘made-to-order’.”
“Made-to-order is a restriction?”
Choi Yu-ra tilted her head, not quite understanding.
Hunt explained.
“It means they build them as orders come in. They are forbidden from building several in advance. And there are only a few workshops that can even build them like this. It’s partly a technological issue, but they also need a manufacturing permit from the state.”
In short, it was a way to control the production volume while keeping a list of buyers.
Kang-seok narrowed his brow. Something other than the made-to-order system was bothering him.
“Hmm… Will it take a long time to build?”
“It doesn't take that long. They do prepare some of the parts in advance. I understand it takes about a fortnight to build a medium-sized airship. There's a workshop in Roselburk, too. Factoring in the time for placing the order, getting the permit, and so on… it should take about a month.”
“That amount of time should be fine.”
The stage for the first World Quest, the ‘Tower of Raum,’ would appear in about two months. If it took a month to build, their plan to ‘go to the Tower of Raum by airship’ would not be disrupted.
Hunt stood up from his seat.
“Then let’s go to the Keyman Guild branch together. We should be able to get an airship catalog. The owner should be the one to decide which one to build, after all.”
There was no reason to refuse the offer, so Kang-seok nodded.
* * *
After ordering the airship from the Keyman Guild and visiting the Adventurer's Guild, the party's schedule remained quite tight. They had to hurry on their journey to the royal capital.
The group, now including Kim Kang-san and Park Han-yeong, decided to travel by a combination of carriage and boat, with Abigail joining them as their guide.
And so, on the fourth day of their journey, the party was riding in a carriage driven by Yang Jun-gyu.
“Our Jun-gyu is a real treasure, isn't he?”
When Choi Yu-ra leaned her head toward the driver's seat and said this, Yang Jun-gyu smiled happily. He scratched the back of his head shyly and replied.
“Hehe. This is all part of a quest.”
[Escort the party to Visbaden, the capital of the Kingdom of Britannia.]
This was the quest Yang Jun-gyu was currently undertaking. Kim Kang-san, sitting across from Choi Yu-ra, commented.
“Come to think of it, there have been a lot more of these minor quests lately.”
Yang Jun-gyu wasn't the only one who had received sub-quests during the four-day journey to Visbaden.
The rest of the party had also completed several minor quests, such as ‘Prepare a delicious dinner’ or ‘Defeat the monsters appearing nearby and safely cross the mountain pass.’
The amount of Kron from each quest was small, but it added up to a considerable sum.
Park Han-yeong nodded.
“We’ve also been getting more Kron from battles without even realizing it. It was on a downward trend every time we leveled up, but lately, it feels a bit more generous. Of course, with the daily Kron expenditure, we haven't been able to save up a huge amount.”
Both Kim Kang-san and Park Han-yeong had stockpiled over two months of remaining survival time.
“So, as long as you’re willing to put in the effort, you can secure your remaining survival time, huh?”
If other Players were also being given minor quests like Kang-seok’s party, it was certainly possible.
As Choi Yu-ra said, if one was willing, they could easily earn two or three hundred Kron a day.
Since it took one hundred Kron to live for a day, earning two hundred Kron meant you could ‘save’ one hundred.
‘Is the remaining survival time really intended as a strong motivator?’
It was a perspective he had considered since his time in the dungeon Labyrinthos.
System Yggdrasil demanded that Players continuously fight and grow stronger.
Considering the expiration date of Kron, its uses, and its supply, no other conclusion could be reached.
“Anyway, in game terms, it means there’s been a balance patch, right?”
As Choi Yu-ra summed it up simply, wry smiles spread across everyone's faces.
Abigail, the only non-Player in the carriage, scratched his chin.
“I find your conversations so hard to follow sometimes.”
Talk of their origins, games, and patches was all gibberish to a native of this world.
Instead of explaining, Choi Yu-ra changed the subject.
“Anyway, Abigail. Is Visbaden still far? You said we’d arrive today or tomorrow.”
“Ask Jun-gyu, not me. He’s driving the carriage and sailing the boat at a speed that defies my common sense, so my calculations keep getting thrown off.”
Naturally, everyone's gaze turned back to the driver's seat. And as if on cue, Yang Jun-gyu raised his hand and pointed ahead.
“I can see the castle!”
“Wow.”
Everyone, without exception, let out a gasp of admiration. The towering castle walls and spires, visible even from this great distance, were a magnificent sight.
It was the capital of the Kingdom of Britannia, the Sun City, Visbaden.
* * *
Two days after Kang-seok's party arrived in the capital.
Despite the sun being high in the sky at noon, King Galahad Euster Britannia of Britannia showed no sign of leaving his bedchamber.
The palace officials were anxiously wringing their hands because of the ceremony scheduled to begin in the afternoon, but there was only one person in the palace who could control the king once he became stubborn.
“Your Majesty, it is time to rise.”
The old court official, bowing low before the firmly shut bedroom door, pleaded in a pitiful voice.
But the only response was the sound of women's moans and heavy breathing.
The official was frantic. There were only a few hours left until the scheduled afternoon ceremony, yet the guest of honor, the king himself, had not even washed his face properly.
With a long sigh, the old official opened his mouth to plead once more, knowing it was futile.
But just as he was about to speak, the tightly closed bedroom door swung wide open. It hadn't been opened from the inside, but forced open from the outside.
The startled official and maids simultaneously looked toward the end of the corridor leading to the bedroom. As expected, there stood the one person in the palace who could control the king.
The First Mage of the Kingdom of Britannia.
Vivian, the Witch of the Lake, strode forward, striking the ground with her ash wood staff. Startled by the sound, the official and maids hastily bowed in respect.
The moment she finally stepped into the bedroom, Vivian stopped striking the ground. Her forceful knocking had already had its intended effect.
“Vivian. My wet nurse, my love.”
Galahad Euster Britannia.
The young king of Britannia sat naked in the middle of a large bed, his arms outstretched. Vivian stared at the king with undisguised displeasure before striking the ground hard once more.
The king’s concubines, barely covering themselves with blankets and clothes, shrieked in surprise and fled the bedroom. There were no fewer than six of them.
Vivian sighed again.
Her king, Galahad, now thirty years old and growing daily toward his physical and mental peak, was a handsome young man by any standard.
His red hair and stylish beard overflowed with vitality, and his large, blue eyes held a strange power that drew in those who looked at them.
With the shoulders of a bear and the waist of a leopard, his body possessed both grandeur and agility, exuding the charm of a wild beast.
But even so, to Vivian, he was always and forever ‘my little king.’ It was only natural for Vivian, who had watched over him since he was a baby.
“Enough of this nonsense. It's time to get up.”
Galahad chuckled charmingly at the scolding, which was rather unbecoming of an Archmage's dignity.
“You’re the one who said it was important to produce many royal heirs.”
“You have more than enough.”
He had three sons and two daughters with the queen alone, and including his concubines, he had well over ten, nearly twenty children. The number of children was so great that she feared disputes among the heirs.
But Galahad paid no mind to such things.
Rising as naturally as the wind, he approached Vivian until he was right in front of her and lightly wrapped an arm around her waist. He brought his face close and whispered.
“I want to have a child with you, Vivian.”
Legend had it that the royal family of Britannia carried the blood of a forgotten ancient god.
It was a story whose truth even Vivian couldn't confirm, but sometimes, when she faced Galahad, she felt that it might be true. Galahad's eyes held a strange power that could sway even Vivian the witch.
Vivian gritted her teeth and gave a fierce smile. She pushed against the king's hard chest with her palm and retorted.
“A witch's child would only bring chaos to the royal family.”
“Wouldn’t a child of you and me become a guardian of the royal family? Following in your footsteps, I mean.”
It wasn't an entirely incorrect statement. At times, she even found it a tempting offer.
But this time, too, Vivian refused. Instead of pushing the king away again, she looked him straight in the eyes. She spoke as a mother, a sister who had watched him since childhood, and as a long-time friend and teacher.
“Galahad.”
“I'm not a child forever, you know.”
Galahad released his hold on Vivian's waist. He took a step back and stretched lightly.
“Is today the day we meet the saviors of Aachen? That, uh, what was it? Dark Flame Master?”
“It is the Dark Destiny Lord. Edward Price, the Captain of the Knights Templar of the Gawain Cult, will also be there.”
“Oh? So that fellow is coming too?”
The youngest Captain of the Knights Templar.
Many mocked the Gawain Cult, saying they had no talent and had to appoint a greenhorn as their Captain, but he was the Captain of the Knights Templar nonetheless.
It was not a position that someone without skill could attain.
A young, energetic man whose competitive spirit was as strong as his youth.
Galahad, who had been chuckling at the thought of Edward's face, suddenly frowned.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Your Majesty, ever since you were a child, you've always caused trouble whenever you make that face. Trouble that's difficult to clean up, at that.”
“Didn’t I say I'm all grown up? Anyway, would you help me get dressed for a change?”
Galahad spread his arms wide with a smile, and Vivian, with an annoyed look, brandished her ash wood staff.
The complex clothes, which seemed impossible to put on without help, moved on their own, and in an instant, Galahad was in his formal attire.
“Let us go.”
Vivian stated flatly, then turned on her heel and left the bedroom.
Left alone, Galahad shrugged. Instead of looking at the court official and maids who were just entering the bedroom, he watched Vivian's retreating back.
“I can never win against her.”
The ones he was meeting today were the Player, Dark Destiny Lord, and the Captain of the Knights Templar, Edward Price.
Many others would be there, but those two were the main event.
‘This will be interesting.’
The proposal he would make during the formal ceremony, the situation that would arise from it, and the look of surprise on Vivian's face—all of it.
Imagining the events of a few hours later, Galahad wore a childlike smile.