Chapter 49
Chapter 49
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 49
Chapter Title: Master of the Direct Territory (1)
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Windler didn't know what the notification said, but he was certain of one thing.
'Whatever it is, it's something good for me. I don't know what, but it's definitely good.'
Those strange characters were undoubtedly the dragon tongue used by Arcana's dragon descendants.
'If that emperor bastard who wants to transfuse dragon blood into his imperial family knew about this, he'd be insanely jealous, right?'
Windler was single-handedly pulling a massive cart carrying Dphelus, who was the size of a wyvern.
It was made by connecting multiple carts together.
Was it because he was looking forward to what lay ahead?
For some reason, it didn't feel tiring at all.
"Hey, you idiot knight. Even a Swordmaster shouldn't look this unfatigued while pulling that massive thing all by himself."
"I am Arcana's sword, Mr. Cheok Jun-kyung."
"I get it, I get it. Lord Cheok."
Windler could recognize that as time.
He didn't know why, but power surged through his entire body.
'Every time the giant robot mode ended, I felt an indescribable lethargy. But now it's different!'
The exhaustion he always felt after Giant Form ended.
It wasn't true fatigue.
After freely wielding the power from a massive size and returning to his original state, it was the frustration from that relative difference.
'It seems like from now on, when I return from giant robot to mini-master, my strength and stamina temporarily increase. The Lord has recognized my loyalty.'
-Grrr...
Dphelus, eyes closed, let out a low, sleep-talking roar.
The knights and soldiers were on high alert, but Windler, pulling the cart alone, turned back with a pleased smile.
'Sleep well, boy.'
The Arcana army had moved deep toward the center of the lake as per the prince's orders.
The rear units joined them, bringing the captured young Pinia King and his entourage.
"His Highness has decided to rest here today! Everyone, prepare camp!"
"Yes, sir!"
By the time camp preparations were complete...
Windler felt the buff time hit zero, and a sense of powerlessness washed over him as if all strength drained from his body.
To be precise, it was the illusion that his body had grown heavy as the buff faded.
'My body feels heavy. It's like rust has settled into every muscle.'
After reaching Swordmaster realm, he'd always felt his body brimming with power.
But after experiencing a higher realm and returning, the Swordmaster body felt utterly inadequate.
'No transformations for the next three days...'
It was already torture.
I selected the skill I'd planned in advance.
First, two new intermediate skills.
Plasma Lance: Intermediate
Throws a lightning plasma spear, inflicting piercing and electrocution damage.
Arc Surge: Intermediate
Released electricity paralyzes the target's magic defense and unleashes continuous bombardment.
Having jumped from level 52 straight to 70...
I also picked up advanced skills available from level 60.
Thunder Storm: Advanced
Lightning continuously strikes a wide area.
Judgment of Thunder: Advanced
Multiple holy lightning pillars fall from the sky, judging several enemies at once.
Coulomb's Barrier: Advanced
Strong electromagnetic repulsion blocks enemies. Explodes to powerfully repel foes.
'Now I finally feel like a high-level mage.'
By the way, Windler... chain power at 99%? How did that happen?
Chain power is like slave experience points.
It represents the slave's mindset of taking pride in the chains that bind them.
As far as I knew, no user had ever raised a slave gladiator's chain power beyond 10%.
Not even me.
But Windler hit 99%.
Strength, vitality, and speed tripled for 30 minutes after Giant Form ends?
This is way too good.
'Who knew Windler had such outstanding slave qualities.'
Should I leave the armor on him and keep him like this?
I doubt putting it on Baron Caron would hit 99%... No, Caron might be easier and faster.
Anyway, for Windler, after squeezing as much as I can from the emperor as planned, strip the armor, get the final ransom, and hand him over.
'The Hessian Duchy should be enough as a Swordmaster's ransom.'
With Windler's tremendous exploits in Hessian and Pinia, the emperor will now show obsessive interest.
He'll probably try to steal him behind my back.
I need to interrogate anyone who approaches Windler thoroughly.
"Well then, Your Majesty Leonhart. Care to explain yourself?"
I politely invited Pinia's pint-sized king to my tent.
The young king had dropped his head in shock upon seeing the spy who approached Silvret and the letter.
"My sister's marriage is under my authority as head of the royal family, yet Your Majesty tried to elope with Raisha behind my back."
"E-elope?!"
"Is that not the case? Do you deny the contents of this letter?"
"Th-that was the overzealous act of my subjects! I'll apologize and make reparations, but please understand it was not my decision!"
Daring to seduce my sister with a mere Relic (B)-grade item!
According to Silvret, Raisha had the qualities to become the continent's strongest mage (excluding Silvret herself).
Why would I leak such a strategic asset to another country?
Raisha will never leave the capital.
I'll keep her by my side and later get her a handsome, slender pretty boy son-in-law who listens well.
'Ideally one who can use magic too. That way, the family line will prosper.'
"Very well. I'll take your word for it. So, how do you plan to make reparations?"
"The Relic-grade mage staff artifact mentioned in the letter..."
"That's a given. Anything else?"
"Wh-what do you want?"
"I want this place—the entire Pendragon Lake. All the areas that originally held water."
"That's an excessive demand!"
The king cried out desperately.
I could understand his struggle.
Pendragon Lake was vast.
So large it could be mistaken for the sea, comprising over 80% of Pinia's total area.
Now that over 90% of the water had drained, rivers had formed around the small central pond (tens of km in diameter).
Once the mud dried, this area would become incredibly fertile farmland.
"Your Majesty, I seek just reparations for Pinia's nobles daring to steal Raisha."
I deliberately pressured him a bit menacingly.
'I lacked justification to demand too much after secretly watching the monster subjugation, but you've handed me perfect pretext.'
Even the imperial emperor drooled over Raisha, and they tried to steal her.
Even if I jacked up the ransom holding their king captive, other royals wouldn't think it excessive.
"If you promise reparations, I'll immediately help you return to your castle."
"..."
The young king knew.
He couldn't escape my grasp without ceding Pendragon Lake.
'He doesn't know I have no choice but to release him eventually.'
If this kid dies or loses the throne, heirless Pinia would descend into noble civil war chaos.
It would remove a key human frontline from the monster horde storyline at the start.
From the perspective of pursuing Arcana's prosperity amid the coming great chaos, I couldn't allow that.
"I'll give you plenty of time."
"...No. I'll sign now."
He knew well that if he didn't get out fast, his capital would fall apart.
"...Signed. From now on, Pendragon Lake is Arcana territory."
Of course, I didn't plan to keep it forever.
Managing and developing a lake (former land) inside Pinia borders would be inconvenient.
'Later, I can swap it for border territories, and they'll love it.'
Once I have enough resources to demand from Pinia Kingdom additionally, I'll negotiate.
Got to make a profitable deal.
Until then, use it as a hunting ground.
"I'll send a knight for the Relic-grade artifact."
"No need. Return to your capital now and send it to Arcana's royal castle."
"...You're releasing me without even receiving the artifact?"
"Did you plan not to give it after returning home?"
"..."
The king swallowed dryly.
He'd already seen Windler (giant form).
And witnessed Arcana's full might.
"We've already documented it between kings, so the promise will surely be kept."
"I'll escort you back immediately."
"Wait. If you're subjugating more, may I watch a bit longer?"
"Of course. Whenever you wish to return home, we'll escort you comfortably at once."
The king sent his escort knights and mages to the capital to bring people to guard and attend him.
Effectively promoted from prisoner to honored guest, so the capital nobles would relax now.
"Your Majesty, please witness Arcana's monster subjugation prowess to your heart's content and spread word far and wide to other nations.
Arcana's sword stands ever ready to fight monsters and protect our neighbors."
I could see the king looked a bit aggrieved.
His expression screamed regret for not boldly requesting to accompany us from the start.
The next day.
My army found a high, expansive plot of land even in the drained lake.
"Build a pioneer city here. Install a semi-permanent teleportation magic circle and begin reclamation."
"Yes, Your Highness!"
I planned to trade it with nearby territories later, but it'd serve as a hunting ground for quite a while.
So, establish a base city for the interim.
"Canelian, Silvret. See that small pond over there?"
"...How is that a pond? It's a massive lake."
"Your Highness, compared to Pendragon Lake's original scale, it's modest, but that's a lake rivaling any other."
That was originally the 'Dphelus's Small Pond' dungeon.
Users complained about the naming, saying it wasn't small at all.
"Dphelus is subjugated, but the pond's evil has not been purified."
"So what happens?"
"Powerful boss monsters or monster hordes will periodically emerge from that pond.
I'll station troops here and have Windler take them down whenever they appear for a while."
A classic EXP and item farming spot.
Windler's kills funnel EXP to me.
"This will become blessed land yielding massive monster byproducts and grain."
Baron Caron jumped in, eyes gleaming.
"Your Majesty, then wouldn't it be wise to appoint a capable, powerful noble to manage this direct territory and boost yields?"
"Baron Caron, I'm not king yet."
"Won't you ascend the throne soon? You are already this Caron's liege and king."
"Father is merely frail, still hale. He's entrusted state affairs to me, but..."
"Ah, aaah! Forgive me! I didn't realize and committed blasphemy!"
Caron paled, knelt, and slammed his forehead into the ground repeatedly.
His forehead was bloody in seconds.
'This guy thought I was an orphan who just hadn't been crowned yet.'
Dphelus huddled under a massive tent Windler had personally made to shield him from rain.
Recovering his strength, he watched Windler train with sword, shield, and special bolt crossbow in hand.
Passing knights and soldiers occasionally stole glances at Windler, immersed in relentless training.
"Lord Cheok is incredible. Never seen him rest."
"Always polishing Dphelus's scales, maintaining the temporary stable, or training."
"A Swordmaster who traded intelligence for swordsmanship. His movements are so fast they're invisible."
But unlike the knights' and soldiers' admiration...
Windler was suffering.
'Heavy... so heavy. Driving me mad. Why is my body this heavy? I'm clearly stronger and faster than before...'
Through life-or-death battles, he'd grown stronger and faster many times over.
Yet his body felt unbearably heavy.
'Feels like my whole body is wrapped tight in heavy orichalcum chains.'
To forget his unease, Windler swung his sword even more frantically.
Once the 24-hour cooldown passed, Windler's unease finally subsided.
His mini-master body still felt heavy and sluggish compared to Giant Form.
'At this rate, I might take down a corrupted earth dragon's claw alone?'
Windler eagerly awaited the next battle.
'Who knew life-risking fights could be this thrilling and exciting.'