Chapter 252: Open World (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 252: Open World (1)
It was a small earthquake. Tables vibrated but the cups on top of them did not tip over nor was the sound of something breaking heard. The most that happened was the pile of chips falling down.
"An earthquake?"
Although momentarily surprised by the sudden natural phenomenon, when the shaking stopped, the nobles went back to gambling as usual—except for one person.
"Wait, young master, where are you going?"
"I just remembered something I had to do. I'll just fold this round."
The man flipped over the cards in his hands and took his chips as he bowed out. Then he took off the mask he was wearing. The concept of a gambling house you could enjoy while wearing a mask was quite fun.
No matter how I look at it, that couldn't have just been an earthquake.
Baekho walked out into the dark street and sat on the first bench he saw to calmly assess the situation. The other nobles didn't seem to notice because of how noisy the gambling hall was, but he had heard the huge wave of energy rolling through the ground beneath his feet.
It was like a mixture of mana and divine power.
He wasn't a wizard, but he had highly attuned senses and considerable aptitude for mana, so there was no way he was mistaken.
If that's the case... They were always talking about breaking the protective barrier, but I guess they really did.
Before long, Baekho reached the truth. These bastards couldn't be more relentless if they tried. It couldn't be a coincidence that they'd made their move at midnight right when the labyrinth opened.
Sneaking in under their noses, huh?
Now that he'd left the palace, he had no way of knowing for sure, but Noark's side would have entered the labyrinth. They'd probably dedicated all their energy into preparing for this month's expedition, never imagining that they would fall victim to their own tactics.
This could end up wiping out all those assholes down there.
To Baekho, that wasn't a good thing. He had been considering clearing the game with the bastards from Noark if he ran out of options later.
I have nothing to do anyway... Should I go down and help?
The thought came to mind, but Baekho smirked and shook his head. That didn't suit his play style. Instead, he had a better idea.
The palace must be empty right about now, no?
Baekho's smirk deepened.
***
The face of the Royal Guard and Knight of Light, the captain of the First Royal Guard, Jerome Saintred, was covered in deep wrinkles due to the news he'd just received.
"The palace is under attack...?"
At first, he thought it might be a counterattack from Noark, but that made no sense. The palace had gathered troops, pretending that the labyrinth was their aim, and had taken so much care to be secretive that they'd only revealed that the true target of this campaign was Noark two hours before departure. That, coupled with the fact that the protective barrier around Noark had only been opened just now, meant there hadn't been nearly enough time for enough troops to escape and attack the palace.
"Have we received orders to retreat?"
"Not yet."
"Then the plan remains unchanged. The battle will continue."
Jerome quickly led the army down the sewers and as time passed, he received news about the identity of the person who had dared to attack the palace.
To think it wasn't a group.
He briefly wondered if this was the work of the Fallen Scholar, whose danger level had been elevated recently, but even that hypothesis proved to be incorrect.
"Baekho Lee."
Once a more promising adventurer than anyone, he had brought on a catastrophe once he was discovered to be an evil spirit. Of course, very few people knew about said catastrophe. The incident was thoroughly covered up by the palace, who valued his talent, and he had been given a new identity.
What a headache. How the hell did he know that even I would be out with the rest of the troops for the military campaign?
As far as he knew, Baekho currently had no means of obtaining information. In the past, he had communicated with an outside collaborator at an evil spirit gathering, but he was currently banned from the gathering. This was also the work of the palace. They had slipped information about Baekho's identity to the evil spirit named the GM, and when there had been no signs that he'd been ousted, they sent him to Noark to make him an enemy.
Then did he just guess on his own?
Jerome groaned. He had heard an earthquake had occurred aboveground after the protective barrier was destroyed, but there was one part he didn't understand. Inferring what was going on from the earthquake? That much was understandable, but taking action was another matter. If he had guessed wrong, he could have been caught again, so why would he take on a gamble like that?
...That man is the type to do things like that.
It hurt his pride, but Jerome could admit it. Baekho was a beast-like man. Whenever an opportunity presented itself to him, he was the type to snap his jaws around the enemy and not mind the risk of getting bitten himself.
And it had to be now, when the Order of the Rose is vacant...
Jerome worried about the situation aboveground, but there had been no call to withdraw yet, so there was only one thing he needed to do now: fulfill his duties as a knight and execute the palace's orders.
"We have arrived."
Passing through the underground maze, the army finally reached the final gateway to get to Noark, a stone gate enchanted with dozens of ancient spells. How many hours had it taken to break down this wall alone during the last campaign?
"Luckily, it looks like they haven't properly fixed it yet. Begin."
At Jerome's orders, the Wizard Corps began to draw a massive eight-pronged magic circle on the floor.
Kabooom!
A long while later, the magic circle flared with a powerful light and shot pure waves of mana at the stone gate.
Shaaa!
Beyond the cloud of dust, the underground city was once again visible.
"Come on, let's go. It's time to defeat these wicked rebels and restore peace and stability to this city." Jerome pulled out the Sword of State the king had bestowed on him and, before anyone else, stepped into the beyond. "For the eternal prosperity of Rafdonia." There wasn't a hint of hesitation in his steps.
***
The portal in Dimension Square had closed. However, I stayed there for a long time after that in the hopes that I might be able to get some useful information out of those knights.
Jerome quickly led the army down the sewers and as time passed, he received news about the identity of the person who had dared to attack the palace.
To think it wasn't a group.
He briefly wondered if this was the work of the Fallen Scholar, whose danger level had been elevated recently, but even that hypothesis proved to be incorrect.
"Baekho Lee."
Once a more promising adventurer than anyone, he had brought on a catastrophe once he was discovered to be an evil spirit. Of course, very few people knew about said catastrophe. The incident was thoroughly covered up by the palace, who valued his talent, and he had been given a new identity.
What a headache. How the hell did he know that even I would be out with the rest of the troops for the military campaign?
As far as he knew, Baekho currently had no means of obtaining information. In the past, he had communicated with an outside collaborator at an evil spirit gathering, but he was currently banned from the gathering. This was also the work of the palace. They had slipped information about Baekho's identity to the evil spirit named the GM, and when there had been no signs that he'd been ousted, they sent him to Noark to make him an enemy.
Then did he just guess on his own?
Jerome groaned. He had heard an earthquake had occurred aboveground after the protective barrier was destroyed, but there was one part he didn't understand. Inferring what was going on from the earthquake? That much was understandable, but taking action was another matter. If he had guessed wrong, he could have been caught again, so why would he take on a gamble like that?
...That man is the type to do things like that.
It hurt his pride, but Jerome could admit it. Baekho was a beast-like man. Whenever an opportunity presented itself to him, he was the type to snap his jaws around the enemy and not mind the risk of getting bitten himself.
And it had to be now, when the Order of the Rose is vacant...
Jerome worried about the situation aboveground, but there had been no call to withdraw yet, so there was only one thing he needed to do now: fulfill his duties as a knight and execute the palace's orders.
"We have arrived."
Passing through the underground maze, the army finally reached the final gateway to get to Noark, a stone gate enchanted with dozens of ancient spells. How many hours had it taken to break down this wall alone during the last campaign?
"Luckily, it looks like they haven't properly fixed it yet. Begin."
At Jerome's orders, the Wizard Corps began to draw a massive eight-pronged magic circle on the floor.
Kabooom!
A long while later, the magic circle flared with a powerful light and shot pure waves of mana at the stone gate.
Shaaa!
Beyond the cloud of dust, the underground city was once again visible.
"Come on, let's go. It's time to defeat these wicked rebels and restore peace and stability to this city." Jerome pulled out the Sword of State the king had bestowed on him and, before anyone else, stepped into the beyond. "For the eternal prosperity of Rafdonia." There wasn't a hint of hesitation in his steps.
***
The portal in Dimension Square had closed. However, I stayed there for a long time after that in the hopes that I might be able to get some useful information out of those knights.
Welp, I just wasted my time.
The knights refused to engage in even the most trivial small talk with me and disappeared as soon as the clean-up in the square was complete, so I gave up and left. Instead of heading to the inn right away, I planned to stop by a tavern to hear what the other adventurers thought of the incident.
Should I go to Mr. Bear's place while I'm at it? Hmm, that would be a good idea.
Adventurers often visited his tavern too. It also didn't have partitions or rooms like more popular taverns so it was perfect for eavesdropping on conversations, although he'd get angry if I said that to his face.
"Oh, Yandel. What are you doing here at this hour? And without Missha."
"I was out and got bored. You seem pretty busy today so don't mind me. I'm going to drink quietly in the corner."
"...Can't you just call me over to chat? If it's you, my wife will probably say it's okay," Mr. Bear pled once he spotted me in the tavern, apparently sensing an opportunity to slack off.
Geez, don't you feel sorry for your pregnant wife?
"I want to just sit quietly today."
"...If you say so. Do you just need some snacks and drinks?"
"That would be great."
While I sat at an empty table and waited, Mr. Bear prepared a platter made of just meat for me. The drink of choice was the signature drink here—salt honey wine.
At first it tasted strange, but the more I try it, the easier it goes down.
Anyway, this was not my main reason for coming here. As I sipped my drink and kept my ears open, I could hear the conversations of nearby adventurers and ordinary citizens. Word spread fast in taverns, and as a result, most of the conversation in the room centered around the army the palace had formed.
Nothing of particular value.
That the palace had deliberately spread false rumors, that Noark was sure to be afraid—this was all information without substance that they'd cooked up in their own imaginations. Well, I hadn't expected information on par with the Round Table from a tavern, so I wasn't disappointed. My objective here was just to learn what public opinion was, anyway.
These days, even ordinary city dwellers don't view the palace in a good light.
After that I closed my ears and drank as I got my thoughts in order. A long while later, the tavern became less busy so Mr. Bear came over and took a seat in front of me.
"Yandel, what do you think?"
"About the army?"
"Yeah, you have unbelievable instincts when it comes to these things."
I thought it through before telling him about my hypothesis that the army might be stealthily infiltrating Noark right about now. I still wasn't sure I was right. I wondered what veteran adventurer Mr. Bear thought about the idea.
"...So was that what the earthquake was about?"
"Do you believe I'm right?"
"Isn't your explanation much more plausible? Definitely more than that bullshit idea that the palace is afraid of Noark." Having seen the palace's treasury once before, Mr. Bear was quick to accept my logic. He knew that the palace's potential was far greater than he'd imagined. "...It's possible that we might be able to enter the labyrinth next month." Before long, Mr. Bear voiced his prediction that the cold war might end much earlier than expected and also expressed his worries about the city's economic problems. "Yandel, doesn't that mean you should spend your cash instead of saving it like this? If the situation in the labyrinth settles down, the prices will return to normal."
I was a bit touched by the question. Was it because he was a veteran adventurer with a family to take care of? It seemed like Ainar and Missha didn't think about things like that at all.
"Let's just keep an eye on it for now. Tomorrow, we'll have a better sense of what's going on."
"Yes, I was too hasty."
Drifting away from that particular topic, I drank and chatted about various things with Mr. Bear.
Gong! Gong! Gong! Gong!
Then the alarms outside began to ring. This was the first time I had seen this happen in over a year of living in this city. Even when my carriage had exploded and the GM and Baekho made a mess, the city's alarm bells did not go off. But they were ringing now?
Clunk, clunk, clunk.
When I got outside, I could see guards from the Public Peace Agency running somewhere in their heavy boots. I grabbed one and asked about the situation. The guard told me he couldn't talk to civilians about it but his tune changed when I revealed my identity.
"My name is Bjorn, son of Yandel. I am an official nobleman who was bestowed the title of baronet by the palace. So tell me. What is going on?"
"...W-We don't know, either. We just received orders to provide support in Karnon. According to my colleagues, there was a big fire."
A big fire in Karnon at a time like this... It can't be a coincidence.
Could it be that Noark had invaded the city? Well, I wasn't sure about that, but it was possible. If they had somehow learned about the palace's surprise attack plan in advance, they could have chosen to go with a war of attrition strategy.
Ha, those bastards from the palace can't do a single thing right.
As I quietly sighed to myself, Mr. Bear spoke up from where he was standing beside me, watching the guards run by. "A fire in the imperial capital? This doesn't seem like an ordinary situation... I wonder if Raven is okay."
Hm? Raven? Why bring her up all of a sudden? Oh, right. She said she was staying near the palace to learn magic. God damn it.
I had been fine up to this point but the second that realization hit me, my heart began to pound. An ominous feeling instantly welled up inside of me. These premonitions were never wrong, which just added to my anxiety levels.
"I hope it ends up being a simple fire—"
"Abman, I'm going to go."
When I got up, Mr. Bear stopped me. "Where are you going in the middle of all this? Yandel, listen to me. It's best to stay home at times like these."
"Don't worry. I'll find her soon and bring her back."
"Then I'll go with y—"
"What are you talking about? You should stay with your wife."
I told Mr. Bear to close up shop and head to my place with his wife, since Missha would be worried about me too, and I figured I should give her a heads-up. It would put me at ease to have everyone together too.
"...Be careful."
Afterward, I parted ways with Mr. Bear and got on the roof of the military carriage heading to Karnon, the imperial capital. The soldiers riding below kicked up a fuss, but when I revealed my identity, everyone quieted down.
After what felt like hours, the carriage finally arrived at its destination. "Baronet Yandel! We will be arriving in Karnon soon!"
Without realizing it, I stiffened. Even in the middle of the night, the sky was red. The tall, pristine castle walls were stained with black soot, and the surroundings were cloaked in an acrid, fog-like smoke. Beyond the hot flames, or perhaps outside the flames' reach, wails and screams overlapped.
Jesus Christ, what the hell happened?
Karnon, the city of nobles, was in flames.
Welp, I just wasted my time.
The knights refused to engage in even the most trivial small talk with me and disappeared as soon as the clean-up in the square was complete, so I gave up and left. Instead of heading to the inn right away, I planned to stop by a tavern to hear what the other adventurers thought of the incident.
Should I go to Mr. Bear's place while I'm at it? Hmm, that would be a good idea.
Adventurers often visited his tavern too. It also didn't have partitions or rooms like more popular taverns so it was perfect for eavesdropping on conversations, although he'd get angry if I said that to his face.
"Oh, Yandel. What are you doing here at this hour? And without Missha."
"I was out and got bored. You seem pretty busy today so don't mind me. I'm going to drink quietly in the corner."
"...Can't you just call me over to chat? If it's you, my wife will probably say it's okay," Mr. Bear pled once he spotted me in the tavern, apparently sensing an opportunity to slack off.
Geez, don't you feel sorry for your pregnant wife?
"I want to just sit quietly today."
"...If you say so. Do you just need some snacks and drinks?"
"That would be great."
While I sat at an empty table and waited, Mr. Bear prepared a platter made of just meat for me. The drink of choice was the signature drink here—salt honey wine.
At first it tasted strange, but the more I try it, the easier it goes down.
Anyway, this was not my main reason for coming here. As I sipped my drink and kept my ears open, I could hear the conversations of nearby adventurers and ordinary citizens. Word spread fast in taverns, and as a result, most of the conversation in the room centered around the army the palace had formed.
Nothing of particular value.
That the palace had deliberately spread false rumors, that Noark was sure to be afraid—this was all information without substance that they'd cooked up in their own imaginations. Well, I hadn't expected information on par with the Round Table from a tavern, so I wasn't disappointed. My objective here was just to learn what public opinion was, anyway.
These days, even ordinary city dwellers don't view the palace in a good light.
After that I closed my ears and drank as I got my thoughts in order. A long while later, the tavern became less busy so Mr. Bear came over and took a seat in front of me.
"Yandel, what do you think?"
"About the army?"
"Yeah, you have unbelievable instincts when it comes to these things."
I thought it through before telling him about my hypothesis that the army might be stealthily infiltrating Noark right about now. I still wasn't sure I was right. I wondered what veteran adventurer Mr. Bear thought about the idea.
"...So was that what the earthquake was about?"
"Do you believe I'm right?"
"Isn't your explanation much more plausible? Definitely more than that bullshit idea that the palace is afraid of Noark." Having seen the palace's treasury once before, Mr. Bear was quick to accept my logic. He knew that the palace's potential was far greater than he'd imagined. "...It's possible that we might be able to enter the labyrinth next month." Before long, Mr. Bear voiced his prediction that the cold war might end much earlier than expected and also expressed his worries about the city's economic problems. "Yandel, doesn't that mean you should spend your cash instead of saving it like this? If the situation in the labyrinth settles down, the prices will return to normal."
I was a bit touched by the question. Was it because he was a veteran adventurer with a family to take care of? It seemed like Ainar and Missha didn't think about things like that at all.
"Let's just keep an eye on it for now. Tomorrow, we'll have a better sense of what's going on."
"Yes, I was too hasty."
Drifting away from that particular topic, I drank and chatted about various things with Mr. Bear.
Gong! Gong! Gong! Gong!
Then the alarms outside began to ring. This was the first time I had seen this happen in over a year of living in this city. Even when my carriage had exploded and the GM and Baekho made a mess, the city's alarm bells did not go off. But they were ringing now?
Clunk, clunk, clunk.
When I got outside, I could see guards from the Public Peace Agency running somewhere in their heavy boots. I grabbed one and asked about the situation. The guard told me he couldn't talk to civilians about it but his tune changed when I revealed my identity.
"My name is Bjorn, son of Yandel. I am an official nobleman who was bestowed the title of baronet by the palace. So tell me. What is going on?"
"...W-We don't know, either. We just received orders to provide support in Karnon. According to my colleagues, there was a big fire."
A big fire in Karnon at a time like this... It can't be a coincidence.
Could it be that Noark had invaded the city? Well, I wasn't sure about that, but it was possible. If they had somehow learned about the palace's surprise attack plan in advance, they could have chosen to go with a war of attrition strategy.
Ha, those bastards from the palace can't do a single thing right.
As I quietly sighed to myself, Mr. Bear spoke up from where he was standing beside me, watching the guards run by. "A fire in the imperial capital? This doesn't seem like an ordinary situation... I wonder if Raven is okay."
Hm? Raven? Why bring her up all of a sudden? Oh, right. She said she was staying near the palace to learn magic. God damn it.
I had been fine up to this point but the second that realization hit me, my heart began to pound. An ominous feeling instantly welled up inside of me. These premonitions were never wrong, which just added to my anxiety levels.
"I hope it ends up being a simple fire—"
"Abman, I'm going to go."
When I got up, Mr. Bear stopped me. "Where are you going in the middle of all this? Yandel, listen to me. It's best to stay home at times like these."
"Don't worry. I'll find her soon and bring her back."
"Then I'll go with y—"
"What are you talking about? You should stay with your wife."
I told Mr. Bear to close up shop and head to my place with his wife, since Missha would be worried about me too, and I figured I should give her a heads-up. It would put me at ease to have everyone together too.
"...Be careful."
Afterward, I parted ways with Mr. Bear and got on the roof of the military carriage heading to Karnon, the imperial capital. The soldiers riding below kicked up a fuss, but when I revealed my identity, everyone quieted down.
After what felt like hours, the carriage finally arrived at its destination. "Baronet Yandel! We will be arriving in Karnon soon!"
Without realizing it, I stiffened. Even in the middle of the night, the sky was red. The tall, pristine castle walls were stained with black soot, and the surroundings were cloaked in an acrid, fog-like smoke. Beyond the hot flames, or perhaps outside the flames' reach, wails and screams overlapped.
Jesus Christ, what the hell happened?
Karnon, the city of nobles, was in flames.