Chapter 269
Chapter 269
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 269
Chapter Title: Genos's Proposal
"...Old man, are you Genos?"
A mysterious elderly man had appeared out of nowhere. Ibarella swallowed dryly and calmly asked him in return.
No matter how much ambition she harbored to devour the world, she couldn't fully maintain her composure in the face of a living legend from history.
Moreover, the fact that this legend had sneaked into the imperial palace so covertly made it even harder.
Of course, she had been desperately searching for this old man, but now that he had infiltrated the palace in secret, she couldn't assume his intentions were pure.
The Kaiser shared her thoughts, keeping his hand on the hilt of his sword as he focused all his attention on the old man.
"Heh heh heh! I've only come this way to avoid unnecessary hassle, so please don't be so wary."
Even at Genos's laughter, neither of them relaxed their expressions.
"Oh dear. His Majesty the Emperor is quite suspicious. This old man has merely come to propose a deal."
"...A deal?"
"I couldn't help overhearing your conversation while on my way here, but it seems you have reason to win me over? I don't know the details, but if you need this old man's knowledge, I can lend my aid. In return, support what this old man desires."
I'll give you what you want. So give me what I need. It was a clean, straightforward proposal.
But Ibarella couldn't readily take the hand Genos extended.
Genos was a mage who had been exiled from the Holy Empire long ago.
What he wanted was likely the materials needed for creating dragons.
And Ibarella knew why Genos was so obsessed with dragon creation.
'Revenge against the Empire.'
She was well aware of that. In fact, her initial plan to seek him out and win him over had accounted for it.
But now that he had come to her first, his motives seemed highly suspicious.
"Heh heh heh! Why, is Your Majesty afraid this old man might seek revenge on the Empire?"
"Old man! Mind your tongue!"
The Kaiser shouted at the provocative words toward Ibarella, but Genos ignored him entirely, fixing his gaze only on her.
"No need to overthink it. Your Majesty, take what you desire from this old man. All I need is to achieve my own aspiration."
"......"
He wasn't wrong. The old man's knowledge of chimeras had been unparalleled in the past. His research notes alone formed the foundation of her monster army plans—what more was there to say?
Moreover, after centuries of research in the solitude of the Dragon Mountains, who could even guess how far his knowledge had advanced?
"...First, let's make this clear. Can you swear not to seek revenge against the Empire?"
"Your Majesty!"
"Heh heh heh! This old man has no interest in such trivial matters anymore. I only wish to fulfill my aspiration. As long as Your Majesty doesn't stab me in the back, my magic will never turn toward the Empire."
Shuuuuu!
She could feel the mana resonating from Genos's heart region.
He had made a mana oath.
Surprisingly, Genos had truly sworn not to seek revenge on the Empire.
A monster of his caliber wouldn't break his own oath and return to nature.
Finally, words of acceptance slipped from Ibarella's lips.
"...Very well, tell me what you want first."
"Heh heh heh! A wise decision. It shouldn't be difficult for the Emperor of the Empire."
Genos let out a satisfied chuckle and began listing his conditions.
"This old man's desire... yes, first, I hear the Empire has created something amusing called a Demon Jewel? Provide that for me."
The Demon Jewel. It was the gem that had transferred the dwarf Kazalim's soul into the body of Ogre Tia, who had ambushed Jerome's group on Duke Camille's orders.
It was merely a byproduct discovered during monster army research, so that condition wasn't hard to meet.
"Consider it done. Anything else?"
"Heh heh, the next request might be a bit trickier..."
Genos scratched the back of his head awkwardly and continued.
"Among the Black Lions, bring me the one who 'can wield the power of all beasts.' Those are my only two conditions." ◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Genos, the mage of the Holy Empire who had spent long years researching dragons in the solitude of the Dragon Mountains.
After attempting the fusion of soul and corporeal soul, he had slumbered for an incredibly long time.
To prevent his corporeal soul from becoming a bloodthirsty monster, his soul had devoted itself fully to the fusion.
He had awakened just a year ago.
Upon opening his eyes, he hadn't become a blood-mad monster. But that wasn't the end of it.
A higher realm.
Having lived separate lives for so long, the reunion of his soul and corporeal soul had transformed him into an entirely different being.
Already half-shedding his human shell, revenge against the Holy Empire—the nation of humans—held no value to him whatsoever.
Just as no human exterminates all ants in the world because one bit their neck.
All that remained for him was the pursuit of truth to elevate his realm even higher.
The creation of dragons.
Genos instinctively knew that by creating that mythical, fantastical lifeform from legends, he could ascend to greater heights.
Swish!
He pulled out the magic stone he had extracted from Gula's head.
The culmination of research that transcended species boundaries.
Upon awakening, Genos had pondered how to use this sole clue—the gem—to draw closer to the truth.
After a year of contemplation, he reached a conclusion.
'I can't start from scratch and create everything anew.'
Thus, it made sense to use the magic stone on the lifeform with the highest 'potential.'
With that decision, he abandoned the dungeon and reentered the world to make the most of his one chance.
To find the best method.
"Fortune smiled on me. Learning about the Demon Jewel."
Wandering the world—and the Empire in particular—Genos learned of an intriguing creation by the Empire.
The Demon Jewel.
A gem with an ominous name unbecoming of the Holy Empire, but Genos saw in it a key to the truth.
A jewel capable of transferring souls to other lifeforms.
And the magic stone produced by Gula, who had reached the pinnacle among the lesser dragonkin.
With these two, he believed he could fulfill his aspiration.
"That empress bitch will probably hand over the Demon Jewel but won't deliver the person I requested."
It was obvious without seeing it.
The one he wanted was counted among the continent's top powerhouses.
To capture him, at least two figures on the level of grand dukes would need to move.
But those guarding the borders had no reason to stir.
In the end, like a thirsty man digging his own well, he would have to act himself.
'I'll leave identifying him to the Empire.'
The continent was vast.
Even with his elevated realm, finding one person amid its breadth was arduous.
But with the Empire's intelligence network, locating him wouldn't be impossible.
Once the Empire pinpointed his whereabouts, Genos would personally retrieve him.
And use him as an excellent specimen for pursuing his truth.
The awakened Genos.
He hadn't become the slaughter demon his pre-fusion soul had feared.
But in venturing into uncharted realms, he had completely lost all human dignity. ◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ A month had passed since wrapping up discussions on the Jackson, Mano, and Sapan territories' heirs and the Mirage Mine.
Given the importance of the matter, Jerome would have preferred to head straight to the capital, Edirne, to coordinate with Prince Julius on the Mirage Mine.
Unfortunately, he couldn't move right away.
After the Korantos naval battle's conclusion, countless archipelago pirates had been captured.
Jerome had promised Valak to embrace all but the most grievously sinful among the archipelago pirates on Korantos’s seas.
True to his word, he intended to give those without heavy karma a chance at a new life under Martel, excluding the worst offenders.
Even excluding those killed in the battle and the Mermaid Pirates, the captured numbered a staggering 20,000.
Some wished to settle in Olivia instead of returning to the archipelago, so Jerome had to decide their fates personally.
Moreover, while Jeremiah and Martel had negotiated trade goods, Jerome, as lord, had to set the standards himself.
On top of that, from land reclamation projects with Philador Kingdom to compensation ratios for allied nations' support via archipelago trade goods.
Olivia was developing day by day, but with so many unstable areas, Jerome couldn't afford to step away even briefly.
'Well, mine development doesn't happen overnight, so it's not a big issue.'
Even with magic, mine development was a massive undertaking requiring years.
Thus, there was no urgent need for Jerome to rush to Edirne.
Honestly, though, he yearned to escape this maddening mountain of paperwork.
"Sigh, what kind of fate is this."
Flip!
As he sighed and turned to the next page of reports from Jeremiah and Dwain, as usual.
Bang!
"Hahaha, how have you been?"
A special guest had arrived from the archipelago.
Jingle jangle!
A handsome man in typical parvenu fashion, draped in jewelry from head to toe, burst energetically into the office with a greeting.
"An lord's office isn't meant to be flung open like that."
"Aw, come on, between us."
"What 'us' is that?"
"Hm... the kind who got stabbed by pirates together?"
The man winked and plopped into a chair, his ornaments jingling nonstop.
Despite his gaudy, tacky attire, he exuded an oddly refined air. This was Tessai, vice-captain of the Mermaid Pirates.
'No, now it's the chief steward of the Mermaid Merchant Group.'
After the war and negotiations with the archipelago ended.
Martel, upon returning to the archipelago, swiftly annexed the remaining forces and transformed it into a massive merchant group.
Her bold moves, as if she'd been waiting for this day, had even surprised Tessai and Bonima, who had suggested the path.
'Well, it's only natural.'
Her administrative prowess rivaled Jeremiah's, but with the Pirate King and admiral gone, no pirate could withstand Martel's rapier.
Chomp, chomp!
Tessai frowned at the sound beside him.
"Hey, vice-captain. You'll get cavities. Ease up on the candy."
"Tessai, nagging. Too much."
"It's not nagging, it's for your own... Whoa, put the knife away. You know I can't keep quiet. I'll tell the captain?"
Decisively, the small woman next to Tessai, munching candy. With her attached to Martel, the archipelago's annexation by the Mermaid Merchant Group was inevitable.
Sorceress O'Malley.
She had surrendered to Martel after the naval battle.
Rumor had it her sense of good and evil was childlike, making her easy for Martel to persuade.
'Nothing more dangerous than a child with a knife, but it's not my place to meddle in others' affairs.'
Watching them bicker like a comedic scene over a candy was amusing, but the looming pile of documents demanded he intervene.
"Alright, Tessai. What's the occasion? For the chief steward to come in person, it must be important."
"Oh right, look at me."
Tessai, who had been pushing Sorceress—no, vice-captain O'Malley's forehead to snatch her candy, pulled a box from his bosom and set it on the desk.
"I usually don't move myself, but this cargo is special. Can't risk the deliverer reverting to old habits and bolting."
Click!
As Tessai opened the lid, the office filled with a clear, refreshing fragrance.
"!"
Jerome shot up from his seat the moment he caught the scent.
He had no choice.
Only one spirit herb he knew carried such an aroma.
It was what he had so desperately sought in the archipelago.
"Paeonia...!"
The spirit herb that could cure the mineral poisoning of his mentor Karma and Ishwar, the Great Mother of Osiris Kingdom.
Before Jerome's eyes lay the two sprigs of the spirit herb he had longed for so dearly.