Chapter 89
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 89
Chapter Title: Count (2)
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Count Wolphausen wanted the magic stone.
More desperately than anyone else, to cure his daughter's illness.
But.
The others seemed to think differently.
"You should give up on conquering Dreamland."
"Dragred's absence is bigger than we thought. We're handling his duties for now, but it might take a lot of time to get back to normal."
"We lost a lot of soldiers this time too. Even if there's justification for the conquest..."
A considerable number of retainers opposed the dungeon conquest.
Because the risk was too great.
According to the report, Dreamland was a dungeon where one mistake meant death.
Unless the conqueror had substantial power.
They'd be cut down in one stroke by the Dungeon Master.
Therefore, they had no choice but to invest high-level resources.
But the information gained from sacrificing them was manipulated, leaving no real answers.
From previous failures, Wolphausen territory had lost around a hundred people,
eight knights, and a dragon—not a small loss by any means.
The death of a hundred people meant
economic and psychological damage to hundreds more—families, friends, and so on.
Moreover, aura-wielding human weapons
and a dragon far more powerful than them had vanished in an instant.
Their opposition was entirely reasonable.
They shared in the territory's vested interests.
Peace comes from strength.
To protect those interests, a powerful army was needed.
They had to defend their wealth from other raiders.
Knights were irreplaceable high-level resources.
Tactical weapons that could roam the battlefield freely, worth a hundred men each.
Thus, dungeon conquests were problematic.
If knights died, the losses would fall squarely on their shoulders.
That was the opposing side's stance.
"If we can just bring back the magic stone, it'll solve everything."
Even so, the count wouldn't budge.
And he had a point.
A magic stone was treasure worth more than hundreds of knights combined.
Depending on its size, even more so.
Not everyone opposed the Dreamland conquest.
High risk, high return.
As the count said, securing the magic stone would resolve it all.
It was akin to gambling,
but plenty of retainers thought it worth the bet.
"Didn't you bring back a lot of info on Zone 4?"
"There was definitely an incident last time."
"This time, it might actually be possible."
Meetings dragged on repeatedly.
Numerous possibilities were discussed.
In the end, the count won his retainers' consent.
But he couldn't celebrate yet.
The biggest obstacle remained.
"No."
"......"
"The Winter Wolf Knights have a duty and responsibility to protect the territory. They are not the count's personal dungeon raiding party. No matter who you are, outside of wartime, moving the knights is my domain. Please reconsider."
Captain Belluga of the Winter Wolf Knights.
Without convincing her, he couldn't take the knights into the dungeon.
Because she controlled their movements.
Belluga knew the count's circumstances well.
She cherished Aey too.
Even so, Belluga differed from Count Wolphausen.
Now was the time to see the forest, not the trees.
A lesson learned from childhood with her brother.
A magic stone? Sure, great if obtained.
But the odds were slim.
And it would require sacrificing numerous knights.
It was no different from self-destruction.
Anyone responsible for many lives
had to abandon the dungeon conquest.
Absolutely.
But.
"I won't reconsider."
"You must. To protect your position as family head."
Her brother was still stubborn.
He surely knew what truly mattered.
Belluga gazed at the count with cold eyes.
"The previous family head didn't give you that position to sacrifice wealth and territory folk to a dungeon. Please return to being a wise ruler."
Belluga's attitude was unyielding.
She persuaded him, showing no intention of yielding either.
"Even the space mages who went with you last time gave up. Your claim of 'possibility' lacks persuasiveness."
"......"
"I'm begging you. I've never opposed you this strongly before. I'm sorry for any past rudeness. But then and now, my thoughts remain the same."
"...Belluga."
The count, who had been silent, finally spoke.
"Me too—this is the first time I've been this stubborn, isn't it?"
"......"
"I know. I know better than anyone how dangerous Dreamland is. I was there on-site with the knights; how could I not know? Why else would I push like this?"
The count's voice trembled.
Quietly, like grass in a windy plain.
"When my wife died, when your sister-in-law died, I could do nothing. I just watched her writhe in pain, saying she hurt. You want me to do that again? Watch Aey die without lifting a finger?"
"......"
"It's inevitable. We can't defy the God of Oblivion's will. I must cherish the territory. As Wolphausen's lord, I have to prioritize the people. Yes, I know. It haunts me every night without you saying it. But tell me—can anyone live purely rationally?"
Belluga's expression soured.
It was the first time.
Seeing her brother bare his emotions like this.
He resembled a man on the verge of collapse.
No different from a condemned prisoner before the gallows.
His pitch-black eyes mirrored his rotting insides.
"Aey is my everything. The only trace left of Anemone and me. Anemone asked me to protect Aey. I don't want to be a worthless man who can't even keep his promise to his late wife. Belluga, please. I'm begging you. Understand my heart."
The count knelt.
And bowed his head to Belluga.
Belluga bit her lip.
She had expected this.
When reason and logic fail,
humans resort to appealing to emotion.
Belluga cherished Aey too.
She's the kind of child you'd gladly put your eye out for.
With her bright, sunny smile,
saying she wanted to become a knight like Belluga once she recovered.
Belluga hated the thought of such a vibrant child dying too.
She knew better than anyone
what feelings and expressions drove her opposition.
Pathetic.
A utterly pathetic man.
The worst kind of brother,
turning his sister into the villain.
"......"
"I'm sorry."
Belluga turned her back to him again,
as if she didn't want to hear it.
"This is the last time. Your final chance. There's no more money or lives left to waste on escape scrolls in Wolphausen. What you're trying to do now is drag people into hell. Remember that."
"......"
Last try.
The count seized his final opportunity.
.
.
.
.
.
Count Wolphausen assembled the knights.
And purchased scrolls.
Aside from the space mages who had left before,
he hired new mages as mercenaries
and prepared for the dungeon conquest.
The justification remained the same.
The potential catastrophe of Dreamland,
for the North Kingdom—no, the world.
They headed for Frostthorn Mountain.
A micro slime watched the scene.
Newbie-nim
I'm saying this out of real worry
ㅠㅠ So Count Wolphausen had this backstory
Is there no way I can share my magic stones to help? ㅠㅠ
You didn't think of that, right...?
What if he did??
Call the squad leader to beat him up
and tell him to swing the bat ㅇㅇ
Hmm lol
Aren't you seeing it through colored glasses??
Newbie's no matter what
not some total pushover bastard
Newbie's lv124 now
No treating him like a kid
He's the type who handles it himself
But it's a reasonable suspicion
Honestly a bit uneasy
Show up and explain ㅇㅇ
If so, gotta stop him
Can't share magic stones anyway
Even if could
Why share life with a total stranger
Especially one gunning for your life?
What
I get the count's motives.
But why solve it with our lives?
What the hell did we even do ㅅㅂ
What are Dungeon Masters, some herb?
A plant that regrows after uprooting?
Honestly pisses me off seeing those fuckers act like that
To them, we're not even human
Now you wanna bitch about it? lol
Those chew dogs been like this one day to the next ㅇㅇ
It sucks, yeah.
The more they act up, the more we gotta crush 'em.
Agreed.
Gotta stomp 'em so hard they never dare touch us.
He'll handle it fine.
No need to worry
.
.
.
.
.
I stretched.
"Squishy. Good work."
"Ack."
The observer role was perfectly executed.
I ruffled Squishy vigorously.
"They're coming in after all."
I had no intention of becoming a mandrake or elixir for the count.
His plight was touching.
Pretty sad.
But hey.
Asking me to die for his daughter?
Who'd agree to that?
And not even as a favor.
At least when they draw swords
and treat my life like some useful item—well, that's another story.
Honestly, it rubbed me the wrong way.
My job this time wasn't much different.
Nothing but despair lay ahead.
I'd make sure they etched that into their minds.
That was the only way I could coexist with this world.
Alright, live broadcast time
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Been waiting for those words...
So, no need to worry too much.
I won't go easy.
.
.
.
.
.
[The wave begins.]
[Intruders enter.]
[Confirmed intruders: 13 entities.]
[Humans: 13.]
Intruders entered.
I stared at the monitor.
They looked at the poster I'd attached before the spawn zone.
5. Only deep nightmares exist ahead. Even after reading this notice...
It was my final ultimatum, in my own way.
-...
-Let's go.
They advanced.
Without the slightest hesitation.
A pity.