Chapter 87
"The mission has been fully completed."
[Report received. Not only did you help Rania hunt the Kraken, but you also conquered the archipelago.]
An indescribable pressure weighed down on the castle interior.
[My son. It seems you still don't fully grasp the rules. Reports to Ulan are delivered in person. Right before me.]
It felt as if the very air itself had grown heavy and still.
"I'm sorry. I completed the mission, but some related matters arose, so I had more work to handle."
'He's insane... Reporting to Father through the magic orb. That's practically begging for death.'
Rania couldn't bring herself to look at Hien's face in the orb and bowed her head low.
'I heard Father went to the Forbidden Zone... Even through the magic orb, his presence is overwhelming. It looks like he's achieved yet another breakthrough.'
She had thought Hien had already reached the limits of humanity, but now he had ascended even further, leaving her with a bottomless sense of awe.
'But that guy standing calmly in front of such a father is a monster in his own right.'
She glanced at Adel, who stood with a serene expression before Hien.
[More work, you say...? Are you telling me there's something more important than reporting to me?]
"Yes."
'D-Damn it...!! I have to stop him.'
Rania felt her lifespan shortening with every one of Adel's replies.
[Will you come report once that's done?]
"Probably. Of course, if more issues crop up, I'll have to handle those too. But if that happens, I'll let you know then as well, Father."
[And you'll just say you have work to do again, without telling me where you're going or what you're doing?]
"Yes. But in exchange, I'll report the definite results once it's finished."
[Kuh, kuhehe...]
Hien let out a hollow chuckle.
[In the end, you're telling me to wait for you.]
"It means I'll act on faith. Has anything from the missions you've given me so far ever displeased you?"
[None.]
"Then please wait."
Rania unconsciously swallowed dryly.
[Fine. How was the Archipelago King?]
"He was truly a powerhouse. He'd even reached the stage of fusing with an ancient beast, the Kraken, through contract."
[Hmm, and?]
"But thanks to Sister Rania's thorough preparations for the Kraken hunt, the battle went smoothly. We even acquired a talented engineer called Bucket Serpent, which will bring even greater prosperity to the desert."
Rania looked flustered at Adel's praise.
[Well done. Rania. I can entrust the Garam Archipelago to you. What you've earned is yours.]
"Th-Thank you!"
[Rule it well. Among your eight brothers, you're the only one to seize territory on your own. Impressive.]
She couldn't lift her head at Hien's response, torn over whether to confess how close she'd come to death while trying to behead the Archipelago King.
'Shh.'
As if sensing her dilemma, Adel silently gestured for her to stay quiet.
[You carried out the mission well.]
"Yes. Though it looks like you failed, Father."
"Wha— Mmph."
Rania was stunned by Adel's casual reply to Hien, nearly shouting before clamping her hands over her mouth.
'Are you out of your mind?! Saying something like that...'
She shot a bewildered glance at Yong-a standing beside Hien. Even the desert's unchallenged conqueror heeded his advisor's words.
Yet despite the tense atmosphere, Yong-a seemed to watch the two with keen interest.
'This isn't my place to intervene...'
A chill ran down Rania's spine; she desperately wanted to flee.
"I heard you went to the Forbidden Zone."
[Who told you?]
"I heard Cratel's information guild has been established. I got lucky and have a bit of a connection with them."
[From Ruinxen's thugs to Cratel's slaves—you really know every kind of person.]
"To advance the desert toward the center, you have to widen your network."
[Thinking of the center before even unifying the desert is foolish.]
"Call it confidence. There are many tribes in the desert, but none can defeat Ulan."
[Before worrying about them, you must settle the competition within Ulan.]
"I'll keep that in mind," Adel said.
"According to the information guild, the energy in the Forbidden Zone is still strong, so it seems the temple hasn't been conquered."
[So? Are you saying you could destroy the Forgotten Ones' Temple?]
"Of course not. How could a mere nobody like me do what even you couldn't, Father? However."
[However?]
"If it's an order, I will."
A faint smile tugged at Hien's lips in the magic orb.
[Those words make it sound like even the temple where I failed is now your goal.]
"Think of it as for the tribe and the desert."
Adel shrugged at Hien's rebuke.
[The temple in the Forbidden Zone connects to the demon realm. It's protected by the Forgotten Ones' barrier—a painstaking effort. Even the heads of the Ivory Tower and Spirit Formation have racked their brains for years without success.]
"I know."
[I sensed something unusual with the Forgotten Ones and entered the Forbidden Zone. I tried breaking the barrier with non-magical force, but failed.]
"Only you could even think of that, Father."
[No need to flatter. As you said, I failed. All I got was this wound from death qi. It'll take quite some time to recover.]
Hien rolled up his sleeve to show his arm, covered in bite-like wounds ranging from inflamed red to sickly blue, as if poisoned.
"I know the Magic Society and Knight Order once challenged the Forbidden Zone and were wiped out. Just returning alive from such a place is gratitude enough."
[I merely stepped inside the entrance.]
Hien downplayed it, but Adel knew returning from the Forbidden Zone was an extraordinary feat.
[For you to say you'd go there on my order... You must have something to rely on.]
"I'd simply follow the order."
[Enough, you rascal. Value your life. But someday, I might entrust that place to you.]
"I'll keep that in mind."
In his previous life, there had been a similar push to assault the temple, with a squad of ten high god contractors.
'The church's temple basement connects to the demon realm via a dimensional gate, but none reached it—they all died.'
'Even if it was just the entrance, Father returned alive. A monster among monsters.'
Knowing this, Adel couldn't help but genuinely respect Hien for coming back alone.
[So, what are your plans now? The desert is in winter. With the sweeps finished well, we can enjoy some peace for a while.]
"Peace means no restraints, right? If I can be free, I'll take a short tour of the continent."
Hien eyed Adel with interest.
['Touring' for you sounds like hunting for new prey to devour.]
"Not wrong. I'm a hunter, after all."
[True. Preparing for spring isn't bad for a hunter.]
He nodded.
[If you get the chance, visit Merka and Syrin too. It'll be good stimulation—for them and you.]
"Got it. Do you know where my brothers are now?"
[Syrin returned to his village. Monsters have been appearing there. I thought it might be demon spirit stones, but it wasn't.]
"Oh?"
[If you're curious, find out yourself. The one who needs to report is asking me instead.]
Hien smirked at Adel.
"Haha, think of me as a worried little brother fretting over his big brothers."
[Syrin's village is in the north of the desert. Reports suggest it's due to spirits. Out of respect for his position, I can't say more.]
'...Spirits?'
Adel racked his brain for any spirit-related sites near Syrin's village but came up empty.
[If Syrin asks about you, I'll reply the same way.]
"Do that. Though I doubt he will."
[Kekeke...]
Hien gazed at him.
[Find good prey. Fail to digest it, and you'll get sick.]
"I'll keep that in mind."
[When you return, stop by the Ancestral Tomb. I'll permit you entry—just once.]
"...!!!"
"...!!!"
The conversation ended there. The magic orb's light faded, but Hien's final words left both Adel and Rania stunned.
"D-Did Father really just permit the Ancestral Tomb...? That's a place only Ulan's leaders can enter."
Rania's voice trembled as she spoke.
"Adel, does he see you as his successor or something?"
"Who knows. If he does, will you be my backer, Sister?"
"Ahem..."
She coughed awkwardly. With Merka and Syrin around, openly declaring support could escalate into a full-blown faction war among the heirs.
"Just kidding. All I need from you, Sister, is what I asked. I'll replenish your broken ships soon."
"Still, it's unbelievable. Don't you want to go right now? See what it's like."
"The Ancestral Tomb isn't going anywhere. Besides, I need to prepare a few things before going."
"You talk like you've been there."
Rania eyed Adel curiously.
"No way."
Adel gave an ambiguous smile.
"Anyway, you said you were going after Leviathan. What's your plan? Their base, Sea Wave Island, drifts the seas. We don't even know where it is now."
"True. No coordinates, and finding it in the open ocean isn't easy."
"But you have a way, right?"
"Yes."
"...Figured as much."
Rania nodded at Adel, no longer surprised.
"How will you find it?"
"There's a being that can tell me where Sea Wave Island is, no matter where it drifts. They're in the sea, the sky, the land. I'll ask them."
"Something like that exists?"
She frowned, not understanding.
"Spirits."
Adel answered curtly.