Chapter 69
Chapter 69
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 69
Chapter Title: Royal Favors and a Surprise Encounter
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“Today, I hereby grant the official title of Dark Destiny Lord, Savior of Aachen. This title shall be equivalent to that of a ‘Meister.’”
It was the kind of proclamation that made one want to shut their eyes tight, but surprisingly, it wasn't much of a shock. In fact, given the flow of the conversation, an official title was something of a foregone conclusion.
What Kang-seok questioned was the latter part.
‘Meister?’
From the context, it was likely an existing title, but he couldn't guess what it might be.
Meanwhile, Galahad’s voice continued.
“Furthermore, I grant dominion over the Sauerland Mountains, a direct domain of the royal family. I have heard that the Earth Dragon Andras proclaimed itself the master of the Sauerland Mountains. Is it not then fitting that the one who defeated Andras should claim them?”
As he finished with a grin, a small stir spread among the nobles.
It was a strange murmur, a mixture of surprise, relief, and ridicule.
The surprise was due to the fact that land—the vast Sauerland Mountains, no less—had been granted. The relief came from the fact that, from the nobles' perspective, the Sauerland Mountains were utterly useless.
The Sauerland Mountains, a day's journey from Aachen, were neither a transportation hub nor a treasure trove of resources.
On the contrary, they were a barren land teeming with so many monsters that even slash-and-burn farming was impossible.
What could one possibly do with such a place? With no subjects, it couldn't even be called a fiefdom. In truth, it was a piece of land that was worthless in name and in substance, both then and now.
That was why a few of them scoffed.
While the feat of defeating the Earth Dragon Andras was great, to the ‘central nobles,’ it was perceived as nothing more than killing a rather large and strong monster.
They were already displeased that he was receiving various rewards for ‘merely’ such an accomplishment, and now His Majesty the King had bestowed a reward that was all show and no substance.
However, contrary to the nobles' thoughts, Kang-seok struggled to suppress the smile that threatened to spread across his face.
Within the Sauerland Mountains was Andras’s lair, the very place Kang-seok had earmarked for his guild’s base.
Now that he had been granted dominion over the entire mountain range, it would even be possible to build a fortress of sorts, centered around the lair.
Of course, a fortress was getting ahead of himself, but it was true that his freedom and range of movement within the Sauerland Mountains had expanded significantly.
Moreover, it was the icing on the cake that his party now had a legitimate reason to reside there.
While Kang-seok and the nobles were lost in their different thoughts, Galahad announced the final reward.
“Lastly, I shall grant each of you a pouch of gold coins, along with an item that will be most useful to you adventurers.”
Galahad paused and gave a nod, and three members of the royal household staff stepped forward, carrying large trays.
“These are the finest potions, a vial of elixir, and a magic bag whose capacity has been expanded by magic. I am told there is no adventurer who does not covet these things.”
There were five pouches of gold coins, each the size of several adult fists clenched together, and ten potion vials of various colors. Among them was a particularly luxurious purple vial, which appeared to be the ‘elixir.’
But it wasn't the elixir or the gold that caught the party's eyes. It was a single shoulder bag resting alone on one of the trays.
Galahad had clearly said, ‘a magic bag whose capacity has been expanded by magic.’ As it was a common item in games, the party immediately recognized its convenience and utility.
Seeing the party’s overwhelmingly positive reaction, Galahad smiled with satisfaction. He spread his arms wide and addressed everyone in the audience hall.
“The gods have foretold the Great Summoning. Therefore, I choose to accept the appearance of Players in this world as the will of the heavens.”
Who had caused the Great Summoning?
It was unknown. But it was clear that the gods had delivered an oracle about it.
And now, Players—Kang-seok’s party—had defeated the Earth Dragon Andras, a menace to the people of this world.
Though the Players fought monsters ‘to survive,’ this was also a benefit from the world’s perspective.
He had bestowed lavish rewards upon Kang-seok's party and declared that he considered the Great Summoning the will of the heavens.
It was tantamount to the King of Britain expressing a favorable disposition toward all Players.
“Adventurers are like the wind. I hope our next meeting will be as pleasant as this one. That is all. You may withdraw.”
With a brisk wave of his hand, Galahad settled back onto his throne.
After paying their respects to Galahad, Kang-seok’s party was led out of the audience chamber by the household staff.
Instead of escorting them directly out of the palace, the staff guided them to a luxurious room near the audience chamber.
“Please wait here for a moment. We will send someone shortly with the documents and your rewards.”
The staff member bowed politely and left, leaving Kang-seok’s party alone in the room.
They had anticipated another meeting after the audience, so the current situation wasn't bewildering.
Once they were alone, Abigail spoke in a tone of uncharacteristic excitement.
“Oh, my word. His Majesty the King was truly generous.”
He glanced around and lowered his voice, which showed he still had the presence of mind to be cautious. Choi Yu-ra, lowering her voice as well, asked.
“Abigail, what’s a Meister title? Is it like a knighthood?”
“It's similar, yet different. If you had to classify it, a Meister is an honorary position.”
“If it's an honorary position, isn't that a bad thing?”
Yang Jun-gyu tilted his head. In his understanding, an ‘honorary position’ was a title in name only.
Abigail waved his hand and even shook his head.
“Not at all. On the contrary, it comes with the freedom of not being tied down. This might be a bit complicated to explain. Let me start with the origin of the Meister title.”
Abigail paused to catch his breath. With the face of a grandfather telling an old tale, he began.
“This happened three hundred years ago. His Majesty King Palamedes, the ruler at the time, had his life threatened by rebels. He had gone out for a casual hunt, only to be surrounded by over five hundred rebel soldiers.”
“And someone saved him?”
Choi Yu-ra cut in impatiently. It was enough to dampen one’s spirits, but Abigail simply smiled and continued.
“Exactly. Back then, there weren't as many monsters as there are now, but there was plenty of work for mercenaries. In today's terms, you'd call them adventurers. Anyway, a mercenary named Lohengrin saved the king's life with his incredible prowess.”
The details of his heroic deeds weren't important right now. Kang-seok and Seong Yu-jin’s attention was focused on what came next.
“Naturally, His Majesty Palamedes intended to bestow a great reward and a noble title, but Lohengrin staunchly refused, saying he didn't want to be tied to one place. So, His Majesty Palamedes created the honorary position of Meister. It's an honorary title that, while not making one a noble, grants treatment equal to that of a noble.”
They were starting to get the picture of what the position entailed. Choi Yu-ra asked again.
“What kind of equal treatment? Like tax exemptions?”
“That’s part of it, but for an adventurer, the best part is not having to bow your head to nobles, wouldn't you say? It's practically the same as receiving the rank of a Count.”
Once again, the party’s faces brightened. In truth, only Kang-seok had received the Meister title, but not just Seong Yu-jin and Choi Yu-ra, but even Yang Jun-gyu was delighted as if it were his own achievement.
Inwardly pleased, Abigail let out a hearty laugh.
“The Kingdom of Britain today is one where the nobles hold great power, so the number of nobles cannot be increased carelessly. I believe that is why His Majesty granted the Meister title. And that’s why I say it's all the more amazing. It means His Majesty truly took a liking to you, Kang-seok. The feat of defeating Andras is remarkable, but whether it merits a Meister title… frankly, it’s a decision that would give one pause.”
The Earth Dragon Andras was certainly a powerful monster.
But whatever it had been in the past, the newly awakened Andras hadn't destroyed so much as a small village, let alone Aachen. Therefore, defeating it was an ambiguous accomplishment to be called a ‘tremendous feat.’
Yet, Galahad had granted Kang-seok the Meister title. The implications of this were significant.
“The only thing that’s a bit of a shame is the Sauerland Mountains… They’re not very useful, but still, to get a piece of land that size, where else could you find such a thing?”
Abigail said it as if to console him, but Kang-seok just grinned.
Moreover, even Seong Yu-jin and Choi Yu-ra looked quite pleased.
Seeing the three of them quickly exchange glances, Abigail tilted his head.
“What’s this? Is there something I don't know?”
“Not at all. We’re just happy to have gotten some land. And the potions and the magic bag are really wonderful.”
“Since they’re from His Majesty, they must all be top-quality, right?”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m so happy too.”
Kang-seok smoothly changed the subject. Seong Yu-jin and Choi Yu-ra chimed in, and the conversation naturally flowed in a new direction.
As Galahad had said, potions were invaluable items for adventurers. Furthermore, for those who had to enter places with limited food supplies like dungeons, a bag with magically expanded capacity was truly a dream item.
Abigail lightly rubbed his hands together.
“Looks like I got a nice cut just for tagging along. That fellow Curious is going to be green with envy, isn't he?”
While the Meister title, dominion over the Sauerland Mountains, and the magic bag belonged to Kang-seok's party, the gold had been provided in five pouches from the start, so that all five of them could share it.
Though it was just a rough estimate, it was clearly a large sum even for a five-star adventurer like Abigail, so his beaming expression was only natural.
Amidst their cheerful laughter and chatter, a polite knock sounded at the door. A member of the household staff entered, handed over the documents and rewards they had brought, and finally presented a single letter.
“A letter from Vivian, the head magician of the Kingdom of Britain.”
The letter was handed not to Abigail, but to Kang-seok. With a slightly tense expression, Kang-seok accepted it.
***
While Kang-seok's party was going through various events at the royal palace, Kim Kang-san and Park Han-yeong were leisurely sightseeing in the capital.
The reason the two were moving separately from the rest of the party was not for simple tourism.
“I think that’s the building over there.”
As it was the capital of a kingdom, there were many people and buildings. After navigating through a bustling main street, Park Han-yeong pointed to a small building in the distance.
When it came to the field of ‘navigation,’ Park Han-yeong was among the top class of all Players, so her words were trustworthy.
“But Han-yeong.”
“Yes, oppa.”
Kim Kang-san lowered his gaze, and Park Han-yeong, who was clinging tightly to his arm, answered firmly.
Kim Kang-san glanced at Park Han-yeong for a moment before asking.
“Don't you think you should let go of my arm?”
Instead of answering, Park Han-yeong pressed her lips together and hugged his arm even tighter.
Though she was so timid in front of others that she would stutter, she somehow became stronger in front of Kim Kang-san.
“Alright, my mistake. Let's go.”
In the end, as usual, it ended with Kim Kang-san’s surrender. Park Han-yeong smiled prettily and pulled him along by the arm.
The Adventurer's Guild.
As a guild created to manage adventurers across the country, it naturally had a branch in the capital.
Ordinary guilds often had their largest branches in the capital, where there were more people and money. But the Adventurer’s Guild was the exact opposite.
Like any other adventurer’s guild, its exterior was immaculate, but the interior was far too small. It felt like stepping into a little tavern on some quiet alley.
The notice board, where requests should have been posted, was almost empty, and the only adventurer inside was a man slumped over a table in a corner, dozing.
As Kim Kang-san and Park Han-yeong looked around the guild with bewildered faces, the guild employee who had been reading a newspaper with his chin propped on the bar spoke up.
“The capital’s Adventurer’s Guild is more or less just a formality. It’s only natural for it to be quiet.”
He was a rather handsome, well-dressed young man. As Kim Kang-san and Park Han-yeong approached, the young man folded his newspaper and offered a handshake.
“I’m Rowen, from the Wiesbaden branch.”
“I’m Kim Kang-san.”
“Park Han-yeong.”
While Kim Kang-san readily accepted the handshake, Park Han-yeong, as usual, hid behind his large frame.
Smiling as if he found her cute, Kim Kang-san gently pulled on Rowen’s arm to draw his attention back and spoke.
“I’m curious about what you mean by it being a formality. Could you perhaps explain?”
“The capital has good security. There are almost no monsters nearby, and it’s hard to get personal protection jobs for nobles or wealthy merchants here. There are specialized guards for that, and besides, the clients themselves aren't keen on using adventurers as bodyguards.”
In short, there wasn't much for an adventurer to do in the capital.
One of the several reasons Kim Kang-san and Park Han-yeong were acting separately was to visit the capital's adventurer branch and assess the situation, but it felt like a wasted trip.
‘No, just finding out that there’s nothing to see is enough of a result.’
And they had only just arrived. If they talked a bit and looked around more, they might uncover some surprisingly useful information.
After looking up Kim Kang-san and Park Han-yeong’s names, Rowen’s voice rose with interest.
“Oh, you’re the Players from Aachen. I heard there was a big fight with the Earth Dragon Andras, right? Did you both participate?”
It seemed Rowen was the one thirsty for information. Or perhaps it was more accurate to say he was dying of boredom.
Kim Kang-san replied with a wry smile.
“I was the only one who participated. This child was injured at the time.”
“Oh, I see. Could you perhaps tell me a little about what happened? I only heard that it was defeated, but I know almost nothing about the details.”
Rowen even licked his lips as if starved for a story. After exchanging a brief glance with Park Han-yeong, Kim Kang-san cleared his throat.
But just as he was about to begin, a voice interrupted.
“Did you say you’re from Aachen? And that you participated in the fight against the Demonic Beast Andras.”
At the unfamiliar man’s voice, Kim Kang-san turned around. It was the man who had been dozing at the corner table.
“I did, but may I ask who you are?”
The man was nearly as tall as Kim Kang-san. He wore a cowboy hat pulled low over his gray hair, and his drooping eyes were quite striking.
The man extended a hand from beneath his gray cloak, offering a handshake.
“I am Antonio Choi. By any chance, do you know Choi Yu-ra?”
At the words that followed the handshake, Kim Kang-san’s eyes narrowed. The man, still holding Kim Kang-san’s hand, narrowed his eyes as well.
“So you do know her.”
“May I ask what your relationship is?”
Thanks to the World Quest announcement, the names of Kang-seok’s party were widely known among Players. He couldn't trust this person just because he mentioned the name ‘Choi Yu-ra.’
The man—Antonio Choi—was the first to release his hand. He nonchalantly stroked the brim of his cowboy hat and answered.
“She’s my cousin.”