Chapter 163: ……Huh? (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 163: ……Huh? (2)
The desert city of Colony had been incredibly noisy lately.
The reason was the capital’s reconstruction project.
Due to the attack by Scolpirion and Seolgak, the capital had suffered significant damage. While the blow wasn't enough to wipe out the entire city, a section of the outer wall had completely collapsed, and the royal palace had been shattered. Furthermore, the northern and eastern districts of the capital had taken heavy hits.
In the midst of this, Karmakeses III made a major decision: he would empty the national treasury to restore the capital.
Of course, it was obvious that this would have a negative impact on future state affairs, but thanks to that decision, the capital was being rebuilt at a very rapid pace.
However, Karmakeses III still had one more massive headache.
"……You’re saying the damage from the Exam Questions—no, the Strange Gates—is steadily increasing?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Phew—it’s just one disaster after another."
He let out a long sigh, pondered for a moment, and then asked, "What is the reported damage within Colony?"
"There isn't much at the moment, but it seems likely that news of damage will start coming in from all over soon."
"And the Babayagas?"
"……With the exception of the Golden Flash, they are all currently moving as we wish. However, if this continues, it will likely become too much of a burden for them."
At the secretary's report, the King fell back into thought.
As he said, the Babayagas were currently handling the Strange Gates according to the kingdom's wishes, but that wouldn't last long. While the five Babayagas could be considered Colony's greatest military assets, they were not officially part of the state.
They were merely fighters who competed in the Colosseum, meaning they were free to come and go as they pleased, unbound by the nation of Colony.
He scratched his head, letting out another sigh—he had lost count of how many he’d exhaled today.
Things were going so well until now.
Of course, there had been constant suggestions that it would be better to make them part of the state.
However, there was a reason why Karmakeses III—and indeed, every monarch since the first King—had spent lavishly to take care of the five Babayagas without officially incorporating them into the government.
It was for the sake of convenience.
The reason Colony, situated in the middle of a desert, had been able to prosper to this extent was none other than the Colosseum.
Yet, the first King, who had originally conceived the Colosseum and the Babayagas, had created them more for the purpose of securing military power than for 'prosperity.'
Colony possessed many undeveloped gold mines that other countries did not. Because of this, before it became part of the United Kingdoms, Colony had to endure threats of invasion from other nations while lacking almost everything.
Thus, the first King devised a method.
He established the Colosseum to gather the strongest individuals from across the land who were not affiliated with any specific country. Among them, those who ranked in the top five were treated better than nobles, even if they didn't belong to Colony. He even created the title of 'Babayaga' to light a fire in the hearts of the strong.
The first King's intention proved effective.
At the time, powerful individuals who were not yet affiliated with any nation flocked to Colony in pursuit of wealth, fame, and status. Colony bolstered its military strength—which had previously lagged behind other countries—with the fighters of the Colosseum.
Strictly speaking, it was closer to a show of force, but that was enough. The system wasn't meant for invading other countries anyway; it was strictly to prevent invasions of their own. The fighters and the Babayagas lived up to their names.
Beyond that, this system was actually very useful for Colony—or rather, for the King—in many ways.
Since they weren't part of the kingdom, complete control was impossible, but because they were receiving benefits from the kingdom, a minimum level of control was achievable. And even if they were to cause trouble, the kingdom had no obligation to take responsibility for it.
In other words, he could reap the benefits he wanted without weakening the royal authority by dragging the strong into politics.
However, that was the story until now.
Now that the Strange Gates had appeared, the situation had changed.
I need to bring the Babayagas under control…
Of course, it wasn't so urgent that every second counted. The Strange Gates that had appeared so far were a nuisance to the kingdom, but they didn't cause immediate, catastrophic damage.
However, just like himself, other kings would surely be worrying about the future of the Exam Questions.
The Exam Questions are steadily evolving.
Hadn't they already worsened into the Strange Gates?
But what if a form even more advanced than the Strange Gates appeared? Even if not, what if the Strange Gates began to cause massive damage instead of the minor incidents they caused now?
It’ll be too late to respond then.
Other countries might be different, but that was the case for Colony. Therefore, for Karmakeses III, bringing the Babayagas into the national fold was a matter that had to be achieved in the long run.
And the person he was most interested in was…
……Seolrang. I want to incorporate Seolrang into our ranks no matter what.
The Golden Flash.
The Golden Flash had already become an existence qualitatively different from the other Babayagas. In other words, she had become someone he had to capture by any means necessary.
However, it was by no means an easy task. To begin with, she wasn't moved by things like money or fame.
The only thing that could move Seolrang was…
Only Marquis Palatio.
Since he couldn't bring Seolrang over without first winning over Marquis Palatio, Karmakeses III, who had been agonizing over the matter, finally spoke as if he had made a decision.
"……How much time is left until the ball in Lartania?"
"Two months, Your Majesty," the secretary replied.
At that, Karmakeses III’s eyes shone with determination.
……I’ll settle it there.
* * *
At that same moment.
Lime, Seolrang's secretary, was standing atop a building that had already been partially rebuilt in less than two months.
"Mmm—that’s enough."
"……Was that not it?" Lime asked, removing her hands from Seolrang's ears.
"No."
"……I thought I did it very similarly to how he does it."
"It’s not—it’s different from when my Mentor does it."
"……In what way?"
"Mmm—when Mentor does it, how should I put it—"
Seolrang furrowed her brow as if searching her memory.
"There’s this firm, pressy feeling."
She lay back down on the spot, covering her own ears tightly, and muttered in a strangely dejected voice.
"I miss Mentor……."
Lime withdrew her hands and scratched her head.
……Somehow, she seems to be in worse shape than before. Or is she? Should I say she’s actually better in this situation?
Lime thought back to Seolrang before the incident. In the past, unless there was something special going on, she would spend all day lying down with a bored expression, doing nothing but exercising or standing on her hands.
But now?
After personally digging graves and burying every single guild member who had been inside the guild when the incident occurred, Seolrang’s life was mostly the same as before, except for honing her newly acquired abilities.
However, two things were definitely different.
"I want… an ear-press."
She would often say things like that.
And unlike before, she had a smile on her lips more often than a bored expression.
Lime leaned over Seolrang, who was lying alone with her ears covered.
"Shall I try it one more time?"
"Mmm—it’s not really the same……."
"……Just how different is it?"
"If Mentor’s ear-press is a 1, then Lime’s is a 0.3?"
"……That is quite a difference."
Lime unknowingly made a slightly pouting face, wondering what could possibly be so different.
And then.
"……Should I go visit him in secret?"
Seolrang, who had already forgotten Lime was there, whispered quietly to herself.
* * *
The journey back to the Marquis Palatio estate was smooth.
"Stable."
[Lethal.]
"Alibi."
[Icon.]
"You snake-headed bastard."
[? Why are you picking a fight when you’re the one who suggested the game?]
"……Just because?"
Evan and Basiliora bickered occasionally, but other than that, there was plenty of quiet time to spend under the sunlight filtering through the leaves in the forest.
Thanks to that, Alon was able to leisurely organize his thoughts.
……First, I’ve obtained the Feet Running Through the Past, so I’ll head to Lartania soon to use it.
Recalling the conditions for using the 'Feet Running Through the Past,' he pulled out the Staff of the Holy One from his coat.
Though it was named a staff, the Staff of the Holy One was actually in the form of a gauntlet. It was an item he desperately needed.
……So, its abilities were Array Stabilization and Magic Power Enhancement, right?
They were simple abilities, but for that very reason, they easily surpassed the performance of other staves.
Originally, it was an item I wanted to get from the very beginning.
However, since obtaining this relic required 'Rumielle's Oath,' which Perion had possessed, he was only now able to get his hands on it.
I have no idea what kind of logic made that the key item, though.
Concluding that it probably had something to do with the Primordial Elf, Alon absentmindedly slipped the gauntlet onto his right hand.
It was loose at first, but as time passed, it naturally contracted to fit Alon's hand perfectly.
"Hmm—"
He smiled with satisfaction, looking at the gauntlet, which was black with gold embroidery as an accent. Then…
"Wait."
A certain fact suddenly occurred to him.
……Doesn't this originally have a race restriction?
The reason he had kept the gauntlet in his coat without wearing it until now, even after obtaining the Staff of the Holy One. It was because the race allowed to equip this artifact was restricted to Elves.
Because of that, when playing the game, a player who obtained the Staff of the Holy One had to complete another quest for the artifact in Lartania to remove the race restriction.
That was why he hadn't bothered wearing it, but he had accidentally put it on without thinking.
Puzzled, Alon tried using magic just in case.
……It’s true. The array is more stable than before, and the magic is noticeably stronger even when I use less mana.
The effect was clear.
"??"
He examined the gauntlet in confusion for a moment, but he soon became satisfied.
……This is good.
In the end, the result was all that mattered. It wasn't a bad thing that he could now wear the item regardless of the race restriction, even if it was unexpected.
Just as a slight smile was about to form on his lips…
Still, I should look into it just in case.
After organizing his thoughts once more, Alon cast his gaze blankly at the forest outside the window.
It was an afternoon where the leaves were shining like jewels.
* * *
It took about another week to arrive at the Marquis Palatio estate. Before Alon could even rest comfortably, he had to receive a guest.
"……."
"……."
A beautiful woman was staring intently at him in front of his office, with a man standing behind her.
Alon stared blankly at the pair, who were so stunningly attractive that anyone would be left agape, and suddenly remembered what a servant had told him.
‘A group called the Azure Forest Merchant Guild says they wish to speak with you, My Lord, regarding the exclusive distribution rights for gold handicrafts. What should I do?’
‘If it’s gold handicrafts—’
Gold handicrafts were sold as extremely high-priced items, both in his previous world and this one. Even if the territory was currently earning a stable income on its own, it was worth listening to the details.
However…
……These two don't exactly look like merchants.
Just as Alon was finding himself captivated by the woman's appearance—a beauty that surely everyone would praise—he saw it.
Drip.
"?"
He saw a single tear suddenly fall from the woman's eye and roll down her cheek.
And then.
"Ugh—"
"???"
The beautiful woman, who had been staring at him with a stiff face until now, suddenly burst into sorrowful tears.