Those Who Seek Randolph
‘True masterpieces, perfected over long ages until they themselves became complete.’
Just as creatures that lived for hundreds or thousands of years were called spirit beasts, and trees or rocks that endured ten times longer were regarded as sacred, so too did the equipment in this treasury brim with that same sanctity and spiritual power.
And the span of time woven into these pieces was incomparably older still.
What name could possibly fit them?
Divine relics.
Everything here was a divine relic. Most of them even concealed their own worth. They had never been made to flaunt their value in the first place.
‘Ordinary observation skills wouldn’t even be able to see them.’
Most Unique-grade items were like that, but the treasures here were far worse. The level required simply to observe them was absurdly high.
But that rule did not apply to me.
…Because I could see them.
The information of every single object in this place.
It had to be thanks to the evolved Eye of Truth. Something like the ability to master and pierce every truth.
I moved slowly past the mountain of treasures. Among all the ‘information’ my eyes could read, the most peculiar of all waited just ahead.
Primal Grade
A wooden stick that once carried the ‘First Fire’ in the primordial age.
‘The embers carried from this place gave birth to countless civilizations and became the origin of all creation. Dare we not call it the Mother of Creation, a Chief God itself?’
‘Even Ruin could not extinguish the fire clinging to this mere wooden stick. Once spread, the fire burns immortal and eternal; so long as this exists, the world shall continue.’
…Its appearance was wretched.
A roughly hewn log, surface scorched black, no wider than an average adult man’s shoulders.
And yet it was different.
Among every original treasure in this place, this wooden stick stood out as the most peculiar and exceptional.
It felt as though someone’s voice was speaking to me—a man’s voice thick with self-mockery and regret.
But the fire that had once clung to the stick was gone.
‘Fire is a kind of symbolism. The civilizations of countless races that began with fire continue even now.’
Not literal fire, but the symbolic fire of civilization. Ruin had destroyed the world again and again, yet civilization always rose once more. That was why it was called ‘the fire even Ruin could not extinguish.’
‘This wooden stick is the very thing Ruin fears most.’
Still, a doubt remained. The stick itself possessed no special function. Beyond its grade and description, it offered no real advantage—no stat boosts, no unique skills attached.
Had it simply been given this grade for pure ‘symbolism’?
‘In the Ancient Dragon God’s treasury, I can choose only one item.’
I had to be careful. Ignoring every other Unique-grade piece of equipment and picking this stick solely for its rank and florid description was close to a gamble.
Yet my hesitation did not last long.
Reward selection complete.
You have selected the ‘Wooden Stick Containing the First Fire’.
Even if it was pure symbolism, that was fine.
This was hope itself. Leaving it to rot here would have been far too great a waste.
That was the moment.
Fwaaaaaah!
The ‘First Fire’ rises from the wooden stick.
You have acquired the qualification to carry the ‘First Fire’.
Hidden Quest — Relocate the ‘First Fire’.
The place where the First Fire is relocated will not be easily touched even by ‘Ruin’.
Furthermore, you may reforge the wooden stick using the First Fire.
Fire took hold of the wooden stick.
At a glance it looked utterly ordinary, yet this was the very fire that had become the origin of every civilization and all creation.
The First Fire that rose only for the one who chose it!
Then it happened.
‘What is that?’
A small dragon of hazy form floated before my eyes. For an instant I thought I had misseen it, but no.
Seeing my reaction, the little dragon spoke as though astonished.
-You… can you actually see me?
Honor requirement met to converse with the ‘Soul of the Ancient Dragon God’.
High Dryad Rommel began every day by examining the greenery.
‘My brother’s condition seems fine today!’
It was a routine that had started the moment he learned the greenery was linked to Randolph. His brother Randolph was the benefactor of both Rommel and this forest. He had returned the spirits to the dying Basrak Forest and given it life; not content with that, he had planted greenery and filled the woods with vitality.
If the greenery ever sent a danger signal again, Rommel would not look back—he would set out at once with every dryad of the forest to save Randolph.
“Hmm? Our brother seems to be in a foul mood today.”
Yet today the greenery’s sound was strange. The branches and leaves felt rough and stiff. Was it a sign that Randolph’s mood was bad?
“No…”
The child who always stayed glued to the greenery—the one who sang nature’s song—suddenly spoke.
But if it was not Randolph’s mood, Rommel could not understand why the greenery made such a noise.
“No? Then what?”
“The elves…”
Elves. Not long ago elves had come here. Elder Aruwen, was it? They had sought Randolph and left soon after. Was the child speaking of them?
The child continued.
“The elves died. Lots of them. Mother Tree is sad. So the greenery is sad too.”
Mother Tree meant the World Tree. Every greenery was a child of the World Tree, so they were grieving together.
High Dryad Rommel asked in alarm.
“W-what are you saying? The elves died?”
“‘Despair’… ‘Despair’ has awakened… I-I’m scared.”
“Despair…?”
He could not understand at all—neither why the elves had died nor what it meant that Despair had awakened. Yet one thing was clear: this was no joke.
Hwoooooooong!
Krrung! Krrrrung!
Soon the sky darkened, a typhoon rose, and lightning began to fall. Rommel’s expression hardened.
‘Something serious is happening.’
His premonition was bad. He almost thought he could smell thick blood on the wind of the storm.
Rommel quietly looked up at the sky.
…It seemed he would have to prepare.
The Demon of Pride, King Friedrich.
Lord of the Iron Kingdom and a war maniac who was toppling neighboring nations one after another, he sat upon his throne and burst into mad laughter.
“Haha! Things are getting interesting!”
“……!”
“……!!”
His vassals trembled. On days when he laughed like this, blood was always spilled. They were so terrified they could not even open their mouths.
King Friedrich, already master of more than twenty cities. At this rate he was an iron-blooded monster who might even challenge the Empire itself.
‘The Black King has joined hands with the dark elves. And now Despair has awakened as well. What is there left to fear?’
What was the Black King’s true goal? At first Friedrich had thought it was simply to kill his old rival, the White King. But watching the way the creature moved, that no longer seemed to be the whole of it.
‘The Empire’s Palga Knight Order has also begun to move.’
And that was not all. The Empire’s movements were strange. He had thought they were wholly absorbed in purging criminals, yet the Empire’s greatest military force—the Palga Knight Order—had started to stir.
Because of the Black King? Or because of Friedrich himself, who was playing the part of a conqueror king?
But the Palga Knight Order was the Emperor’s personal force. They moved only on the Emperor’s command or against enemies who threatened the Emperor. For the past hundred years there had been no precedent of them moving at all. The last time had been a century ago, when they killed the ‘Mad Demon’.
‘Has the Emperor himself awakened?’
…He did not know. Even as the Demon of Pride, Friedrich knew nothing of the Emperor. The man slept in the deepest place of the Empire, a place even the gods could not peer into.
If the Emperor had awakened…
The Demon of Pride, King Friedrich, shook his head. Whatever the case, the mere fact that the Palga Knight Order was moving would shake the entire continent.
Was all of this coincidence?
He felt as though the pieces of a puzzle, the cogs of a machine, were locking into place one by one. He did not know what would be completed at the end, yet—
‘So the real beginning has come.’
The demon’s smile deepened. It was entertaining. All of it. The unstoppable Black King, the Palga Knight Order and the sleeping Emperor, the Demon of Greed finally awakened, and perhaps even the Demon King himself.
Everyone seemed to be dancing to different rhythms, yet when gathered together the grain was the same. Only one final central puzzle piece remained.
‘Who will that last piece be?’
Of course it was not yet decided. The last piece could be anyone. One thing alone was certain.
“Raise the banners. I myself shall march on the Balan Kingdom.”
For that day, he needed to grow his power further. He would settle matters with the King of Balan in person.
…Unconditional surrender, or death.
The man would be allowed only one of those two choices.
Returning to the Labyrinth City, I was forced to face a surprising sight.
‘The city has developed considerably while I was gone.’
It finally looked like a proper city. Most of the citizens were monsters rather than humans, but still.
“Labyrinth City! Good place to live!”
“Work! Plenty! Magic stones! Lots of pay!”
Just like Cramdel, it was becoming a city where monsters of every race gathered and lived together. No doubt because the Labyrinth City had been declared one of the Five Forces’ cities.
“Kwahahaha! You’re finally back!”
Thud! Thud! Thud!
A massive goblin came running toward me. The Golden Goblin King!
“Look! Treasures the golden goblins and I found in the labyrinth!”
Kik!
Kikikik!
Warps opened in the ground and a host of golden goblins appeared. They untied their bundles and countless gold and treasures poured out without end.
He had been commanding the golden goblins and hunting treasures in the labyrinth. Originally Hudson would have handled it alone, but the goblin had clearly wanted to show off to me as well.
“Mm. Good work.”
“Twenty percent of this is mine!”
“Fine.”
I nodded. We had agreed that, in exchange for guarding the labyrinth and finding treasures himself, he would receive twenty percent of whatever he discovered. Even after that cut, the pile easily looked worth tens of millions of gold.
“Kwahahahaha! Eighteen percent of this is mine! I’ll find even more!”
“Eighteen percent? Didn’t you just say twenty?”
“Mm. Suddenly I felt like eighteen percent would be enough.”
…Had having all his previous treasures stolen by me driven him insane? He had voluntarily shaved two percent off the twenty, and even that made the Golden Goblin King happy. It was probably because of Honor or some trait related to me.
‘The First Fire really should be left in the Labyrinth City.’
In any case, the city was flourishing at a rapid pace. There was nothing wrong with a growing power base. If I relocated the First Fire and installed a few special buildings, it might even grow into the greatest city in the world.
‘I have to move the fire first before I can use the wooden stick.’
The First Fire could reforge the stick. Lighting the fire was therefore the priority.
I was still deciding where in the city to place the First Fire when a familiar voice called from afar.
“Lord Randolph!”
Hudson was rushing toward me in a hurry. I murmured under my breath as I watched him.
“So you were here.”
“Yes! No—that isn’t the problem!”
“What is it?”
Hudson drew close and spoke quietly.
“…The White King has sent an official summons to his main forces.”
“The White King?”
“Yes. And Marquis Waiser has also sent a letter. He must go to see the King of Balan and asks that you accompany him…”
“Does it have to be me? Serenghetti is there, isn’t she?”
“I do not know the detailed reason. He only said he strongly hopes you will come with him. And…”
“There’s more?”
“A letter has arrived from Priest Andrew.”
Hudson handed me a single letter. I broke the seal at once and checked the contents, then frowned.
The elves, including Elder Aruwen, have not arrived at the Primordial Forest. I am heading to the Primordial Forest and will be unable to return for some time. Please understand…
Priest Andrew had finally entered the Primordial Forest. Moreover, the tone faintly suggested he hoped I would come as well.
The White King, Marquis Waiser, and Priest Andrew who had gone to the Primordial Forest—all of them were seeking me on the same day. Yet I had only one body. I could choose only one of them.
And that, it seemed, was not the end.
“…Lastly, a letter has also arrived from the Empire.”
“From the Empire?”
“Yes. It was sent to my trading company. The letter appears to be sealed so that its contents cannot be read unless the matching seal is pressed against it.”
Another letter stamped with the Empire’s seal. A letter that would burn its contents if forced open without the matching seal.
I took out the Emperor’s seal and pressed it to the letter’s seal. The entrance slid open, allowing me to read the message inside.
And as I slowly checked the contents, I could not help but swallow a quiet breath.
On the night of the full moon, in accordance with the will of the ‘Great Moon’, we intend to hold a special Sashin’s Banquet.
As this is a special banquet, all guardians of the Orthodox must prepare the finest offerings.
Afterward the ‘Palga Knight Council’ will also be held, so be sure to attend, Golden Goat.
— Golden Mask