Chapter 777: People Leading the Era (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 777: People Leading the Era (1)
Honka became the newest member of the Barmul Alliance.
Valeria was the one who had asked him to join. Honka hesitated for a moment but ultimately decided to leave the island and stay by her side. He felt it was the best way to honor the will of his friend, Maliet Hister.
“First a whale monster, and now a toad monster! You're so cute! Welcome to the Alliance, Lord Honka. I'm Enya, a mage.”
[It is… a pleasure.]
“Greetings. I am the Ghost Captain, Rata Prochi.”
“And I am Valkas, the Black King Commander.”
One by one, the companions introduced themselves.
Honka seemed flustered by the sudden barrage of voices. After so long with only Maliet for company, even a simple conversation required a significant effort.
“By any chance, do you know Lord Mort? He’s a toad, too!”
“That’s right. Since you’re both toads, you might be friends.”
[...That one is a divine being. I am merely an inner core monster. I wouldn't dare claim to be his friend.]
“Mort isn’t that intimidating, though.”
Watching Honka, Valeria was reminded of her past self. A faint, bashful smile touched her lips, and her companions watched her with curiosity.
Valeria knows how to make an expression like that? I think I’ve seen it once or twice before, but still.
Doesn’t she seem a bit… softened?
The atmosphere between her and the Young Master feels even more peculiar, too. Hmmm, our Young Master is quite a catch, but if it’s Lady Valeria, well…
Watch your mouth, Jet. It’s a good thing Sandra isn’t here. She’d be throwing a fit.
“I can hear you all.”
“Oops.”
“Haha, you have sharp ears, Lady Valeria.”
Bo-ooong—!
Right on cue, Mort appeared in the front yard of Tikan Castle, letting out a cheerful croak. Siris, riding on his back, had a face flushed with excitement.
“Welcome, Lady Siris.”
“Jin! My mother is finally regaining consciousness! I just heard the news while stopping by the Holy Kingdom.”
The eyes of Jin and his companions widened.
It had been nearly half a year since Holy King Rani began treating Talaris. In all that time, she had only regained consciousness for brief, intermittent moments.
Normally, she should have recovered much sooner, but progress had been slow because Zito’s Eye had been showing ominous signs recently.
“Phew, is that true? Finally.”
“They said she might wake up as early as tonight, or by tomorrow at the latest. I came right away because I thought you should know as soon as possible.”
“Thank you for telling me. I've had a heavy heart this whole time, since she was injured trying to save me. I’m so glad she’s finally waking up.”
Talaris’s return meant that Misha could soon resume her duties as Solderet’s proxy. Consequently, Murakan, who had been filling in for Misha, could also return to his companions.
In the current situation, Murakan’s return would be an invaluable asset. If he returned with most of his prime power restored—like when he manifested at the Land of the Malevolent God—Runcandel and the Barmul Alliance could gain the upper hand over every other faction.
Even if he hasn't fully regained his old strength, just having Murakan around will be incredibly reassuring.
More than anything, everyone missed Murakan. Gilly, in particular, was often seen tidying up the room he used to stay in during her breaks.
[Bo-ooong? Bo-oo, bo-ong.]
Mort immediately recognized Honka and patted his shoulder with a foreleg. It was a gesture of congratulations for his decision to leave the island and live among others. The two toads had actually met three times before: twice before Honka gained an inner core, and once after he became Maliet’s companion.
[What? You’ll help me become a spiritual creature if I get along with humans?]
[Bo-ong.]
[Why show me such kindness? What do you mean, toads have to stick together…?]
And just like that, Honka and Mort became fast friends. While the quick-witted Jet hurriedly brought out celebratory drinks for the group, Hedo and Sandra stepped out into the garden.
“My darling! It looks like you’ve brought back the communication devices!”
“You’ve worked hard, Jin. It’s good news that the Palace Master is waking up soon.”
“But why is that red-head smirking so unpleasantly? I was already furious that you and my darling went to an island alone together. Fine, let’s settle this today. Do you want to follow me to the training grounds, or shall we fight here? I'd love to crush you right in front of my darling.”
Naturally, the moment Sandra noticed the change in Valeria’s aura, she started hurling insults.
A tense silence fell over the companions. The good day and pleasant atmosphere were on the verge of being ruined.
However, unlike her usual self, Valeria simply stared at the threatening Sandra before speaking.
“You should really get a grip, Sandra Zipple.”
“Wow, I’m speechless. Truly. What did you just say? Are you crazy? Do you want to die?!”
“If you really want to fight me, I can spar with you, provided we don't kill each other. But not today. You’ll have to wait.”
The companions’ jaws dropped. Until now, Valeria had always ignored Sandra as if she were a bug, dust, or something even less significant.
The most surprised person was Hedo.
He had assumed that as long as Valeria was in Tikan, a confrontation was inevitable. If their relationship broke down completely, he would have to side with Sandra, and Jin would be forced to protect Valeria.
But now, for the first time, Valeria had shown something other than pure hostility. The woman who always spoke as if she'd kill Sandra one day was now talking about a spar that wasn't to the death.
Even Sandra was internally flustered by the unexpected response. After huffing and puffing for a few more moments, she snapped her head away.
“A fight like that would just be a buzzkill, anyway. Hmph, I’ll let it slide for today. But you can’t fool my eyes. As long as you’re constantly eyeing our Mr. Jin, we cannot exist under the same sky.”
“Now, now, let’s not be like this. Everyone, have a drink.”
Once the chaotic moment passed, Jet finished handing out the celebratory drinks.
Now it was time to inspect the rewards from the heritage site. Siris had ridden Mort to the Land of the Sword Emperor to bring Quaul back.
“Ooh, so this is the ultra-long-distance communication device… It’s quite similar in form to the one Valeria and I have been developing. As expected, we were on the right track.”
Quaul spoke as he examined the device and its blueprints. For a while, he was so engrossed he couldn't take his eyes off the designs.
“Mmm, oh. To think of using this here… Zen Rootber truly was an incredible fellow.”
According to Quaul, the communication device was based on ‘wavelengths,’ just like the Red Owl or the wavelength tracking synchronization device.
“Jin, the biggest challenge in developing a communication device is accurately matching the wavelengths of each device across different spaces every time. Zen succeeded by using wood as a catalyst. As long as you can insert the same type of wood into the device, communication becomes possible.”
The manual from the heritage site included bark from trees native to Honka Island. When Quaul inserted a piece into the device’s slot, a blue light flickered.
At the same time, a hidden button popped up. It represented a connectable device. Since bark was currently inserted in only two devices—this one and the one on Honka Island—only a single button appeared.
When Quaul pressed the button firmly, the bark slowly began to char in the blue light as a pleasant, resonant hum filled the air. It was the sound of a communication request being sent to Honka Island.
{[This is Honka Island. Successors, you are checking the communication device.]}
{[Oh, a call from them already!?]}
{[Did it work, kids?]}
The voices of the golem, Zen, and Teben came through the device simultaneously. The companions blinked, momentarily speechless at the device's formidable performance.
It was a moment where they truly felt the world was developing at a breakneck pace. Airships had become common, space-jump ships had been created, and now the era of ultra-long-distance communication had arrived.
“Yes, thanks to you all.”
For a while, greetings were exchanged between the companions and Honka Island. The bark burned very slowly, so a single piece was enough for a long conversation.
“Hey, Zen Rootber. And Teben Hister. You two are geniuses that even I, Quaul, must acknowledge. Thanks to you, my research is getting a huge boost! To think you’d track wavelengths using a catalyst like this.”
{[Ho-oh, seeing as you’re talking about wavelengths, it seems you’re at a level where you can understand our blueprints.]}
“Khahaha! The moment I saw the blueprints, I found parts that could be improved. Just by changing the type of iron, we can lower production costs and increase stability. However, even I don't quite understand the golem’s blueprints. I’ll need you guys to help me with that part.”
If even Quaul said as much, it was safe to assume that no human currently alive could understand the golem’s blueprints.
{[The golem is impossible because we didn't make it.]}
“What? Then how am I supposed to build this? If I research it alone, it’ll take at least several decades.”
{[My brother, the production, I, will help. Master, to me, all related knowledge, recorded. For a day like this, in preparation. The successors’, approval, is all that is needed.]}
After asking a few questions to gauge Quaul’s level, Iello declared that with his help, they could create a golem within three years.
“Three years? You’re underestimating Quaul. I’ll finish building your brother in just one year.”
[I will, look forward to it. By the way, successors. The storage paper, have you, tried using it?]
“Storage paper? What’s that?”
“Young Master Jin, was there something else you obtained besides the communication device and the blueprints for the ultra-high-performance golem?”
Jin answered with a smirk.
“I tested one of the papers on the way back. From now on, they will be used to create the Magic Knight Units for Runcandel and the Barmul Alliance.”