Chapter 88
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 88
Chapter Title: Two Orbs Spinning Round and Round
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Steron sorted through the refugees, treating the patients. He couldn't handle severe injuries or fatal illnesses, but he could mend light wounds or set bones. He even helped restore their stamina.
'Medic Steron.'
Roginin guided people to the residential areas. Even the roughnecks among the refugees turned into meek lambs before the hairless, bear-like Roginin.
'Guard Roginin.'
Fred led the rowdy ones with his light. Ronin who slipped away from Roginin's watch tried starting knife fights, only to get a solid beating from Fred.
A mercenary band hoping to settle down volunteered for guard duty, so Fred inspected them.
'Guider Fred.'
For the ex-soldiers, Yuderg checked their specialties and skills before assigning them to suitable posts.
'Yuderg is just Yuderg.'
Kruk took charge of management, handing out tasks to those who could handle documents or money—former mercenary guild staff, merchant company clerks, and the like.
'Beggar King Kruk.'
Mixed in with the refugees were spies from Brad's group, Fiore, and the Drawnven Federation.
With their deliberately smudged soot and grime, plus their awkward beggar cosplay, there was no way they wouldn't stand out.
We pretended not to notice and took them in anyway.
Requiya greeted each spy with a pat on the shoulder, leaving behind a demon's mark.
'Damn you, Requiya.'
The demon's mark was something only high-ranking demons could use, but Requiya had grown enough to plant it without even realizing—apparently now he could wield it.
'True Demon.'
There was no lie in Requiya's words.
Anyone who lies before me is a heretic.
Heretics deserve only death.
Requiya was the type to thrash about desperately just to survive after losing all his kin. He had no reason to lie to me.
It'd be nice if we could spot anyone versed in black magic too, but black magic was so secretive by nature that it couldn't be detected until it manifested.
'Tracking those bastards would be ideal, but nothing comes easy in any world.'
Who says you can't have your cake and eat it too?
Ah, I want some raw fish.
And so another week passed.
Rustle rustle—
Gazing down at the world with hollow eyes, I heard footsteps approaching.
'Idiot smell, Ibu.'
Footsteps I could hear, but his scent I could smell. Sniff sniff.
"Boss, you not sleepy? Boss, how many days you been up?"
"How'd you know?"
"Ibu can tell just from your breathing. Whether this guy's asleep or that one's sneaking a snack."
"I see..."
My body and mind were utterly exhausted.
I could've slept safely until the queen stirred again with the cold, but sleep wouldn't come.
I'd lost a bit of weight.
Lost my appetite too.
No sex drive either, which I was fine with.
I figured it was because the vessel for divinity had expanded.
That must be how Luke could face his trials so calmly. His expanded vessel had neutered his desires. Or not.
My days were spent glaring at the stars, checking on Luke, peeking at how much my old world had changed, then observing the sanctuary again.
"Ibu sleepy. Super sleepy even though it's daytime."
"Sleep then."
I offered my legs as a pillow for Ibu's head, then turned my gaze to the plaza.
The haggling over ogre parts for sale was in full swing.
Not just Brad and Fiore's merchant groups—traders from farther lands had stopped by neighboring countries, heard the news, and come running.
Competition was fierce, with merchants grabbing each other by the collar.
"Anyone causing a ruckus in the sanctuary will have their goods confiscated and be exiled!"
Confiscate then exile? Profitable business.
Roginin's thunderous warning quickly silenced the chaos.
No matter how many escorts a merchant group had, facing a giant holy knight's threat turned them into drowned puppies.
Erathkals climbed the platform to introduce the ogre parts.
"Straight from the source! Freshest quality, top-grade goods! Hunted personally by our boss, Holy Knight Kalruk Seid—"
"Straight from the source" meant pricier than with distribution margins—totally opposite from what I knew.
Yet all the merchants nodded in agreement.
Weirdos.
Or am I the weirdo?
"Thus, based on standard gold coins, we've set the appraisals as follows. Ogre leg bone: gold coins—"
Five times the price they'd reported to me.
And I was the only one with my jaw on the floor.
'Why are you nodding, you idiots!'
Yeah, I'm definitely the weirdest one here.
Maximm stepped up as auctioneer—a thief built like a bodybuilder, with bulging muscles and nimble moves.
"I am Maximm Grakus, former gladiator from the western kingdom of Romeria. I offer my deepest respect and gratitude to all you distinguished guests gracing us today."
You weren't a gladiator.
You sold stamina pills while doing strip shows.
Said you'd never even held a sword.
"See this scar on my forearm? Got bit fighting seventeen lions, bled so bad I cauterized it with fire. Haha!"
What a con artist.
That was from scraping scales off a dying monster serpent and getting burned, you hack.
Messing around trying to snag one scale from snakes scorched by magma's power.
I saw it clear as day.
Still, I just watched from afar, blinking, without interfering.
The merchants were glued to Maximm's showmanship.
And there's a bigger reason I didn't step in.
The first reason we accepted all the refugees.
'Autonomy.'
We're building this sanctuary into a city to be the thieves' home. Let them find their own way to survive—scam, steal, whatever.
Illegal?
This is lawless territory.
No laws yet, so nothing's illegal or unlawful.
"Act with conscience and common sense. Disruptors will be exiled, and those committing serious crimes will face fitting punishment!"
With Holy Knight Steron—scarier than Roginin—handling security, no one would dare mess around.
Laws and rules? We can make them as we go.
I have no intention of dictating them.
The early thieves, the joining refugees, and future arrivals should hash them out together. That's the right way.
"Let the first auction of the day begin!"
The warehouse was piled mountain-high with precious ogre parts, but they only pulled out about five percent for the four daily auctions.
Kruk's strategy.
'Cunning Beggar King Kruk.'
High demand for already expensive ogre parts, low supply?
Bids had to soar past Erathkals's appraisals.
The holy knight's blinding halo, plus Maximm's—salesman, not stripper—silver tongue turned merchants into fanatics.
They frantically waved their numbered bidding paddles, refusing to lose out.
After the auction, I couldn't take it anymore and called Maximm and Erathkals over for a word.
"Cut the scams to a reasonable level, you two. Keep it up and you'll end up in hell."
"Lord Yuderg and Vice Officer Kruk approved it."
"Approved?"
I was dumbfounded by Erathkals's explanation.
Kruk, fine—but scholarly Yuderg greenlighting scams? Whoa, check out Yuderg's dark side.
Maximm flexed his massive pecs left-right, thumping them with his fist.
"That's right, Boss. Resources are limited, but mouths to feed are growing. We need lots of gold until we ramp up production."
"Uh, yeah... right. Good job."
What, no need to micromanage if they're figuring out survival on their own.
As ogre parts sold, the warehouse filled with gold coins.
But these maniacs kept selling—until they offloaded the ogre hair too.
Apparently great for ropes or nets in monster hunts. Just hope no refunds come.
"That's the end of today's ogre parts auction! All sold out!"
Sold out to rave reviews.
When only ogre blood remained in the warehouse, we had plenty of food and clothes.
We distributed them on credit to sanctuary residents.
They could repay by contributing labor to city-building.
With only their lives to offer, labor was the only collateral.
For the sick or infirm, we gave long repayment terms. If they died without paying, oh well.
"Everyone's doing great."
"Ibu sleepy."
"Already?"
"Ibu super noble sleepyhead like that."
"Sleep then."
My spot was still the top of the central tower.
I leaned against the hammock, eyes closed, letting the long night pass.
Offering my legs as a pillow to the whining dragonkin.
Chasing stars with my eyes, stroking Ibu's round forehead.
Now it was ambiguous whether he saw me as an attachment doll or I saw him as my attachment dragonkin.
Huff—huff—
His breath was hot.
With nothing else to do but focus on mana cultivation, my cultivation realm had risen too.
I closed my eyes and concentrated on my breathing.
Peering inward.
A few more days passed, and the master of the plains outside the sanctuary had completely changed.
From darkness to light.
Not just because of starlight and moonlight.
They resembled fairies carrying lanterns.
Silver butterflies the size of a finger fluttered about, scattering something.
What they spread was sparkling pure white light dust.
Mystical stuff: light in the air, but fertilizer on soil.
At night, small white flowers bloomed across the grassy canvas. Moonflower butterflies, fed by dust from silver butterfly wings.
I kept my eyes closed in the darkness.
Hadn't opened them once since closing days ago.
'But why can I see?'
Without opening my eyes, I could sense the silver butterflies and moonflowers.
My eyelids warmed, vision tinting red.
The fuzzy guy was rising earlier than yesterday.
Warm and soft.
Bigger than the sun on my home planet.
Yet not hot.
Lazily warm, blissfully soft.
Slower pace than Earth's sun—from east to west.
'How sensitive have I become?'
Sensing time shifts down to seconds.
Worlds apart from daily seasonal changes.
But gazing inward with sharpened senses, I realized something.
'The vessel for divinity has grown...? Just from mana cultivation, why?'
I'd spent most of my self-imposed rest period on mana cultivation.
Simply put: meditation, contemplation, reflection. Yeah, thinking.
Easier: just breathing.
Deep inhales, shallow exhales.
Drawing vital energy from the air, filtering it through my lungs to store inside. Cultivation.
Insight brought another sense.
'This is the trinity. Or duality?'
Two orbs spinning around my heart felt clearer than before.
White and blue.
Divine Power and Toolsep.
'Let's take a closer look...'
Mana orbs absorbed, diligent cultivation—mana tank expansion made sense.
Toolsep permeating my body had formed substantially, easy to gauge usable power now. Good.
'No workouts, no fights—why'd Divine Power grow!'
Eyes closed, I exhaled hot breath through my nostrils—whoosh whoosh.
'Dig deeper.'
They say if you look, you'll see.
Man, I'm dying of curiosity.