The Eccentric Dwalve Public Servant, Renoir (2)
You’re probably wondering why I went to such lengths to secure the Ether Web ahead of time.
‘Someone will invent the Ether Web in the near future. The real problem is that several houses stand to gain a massive advantage in the Life Tree War because of it!’
In the original story, the protagonist’s role was to mediate conflicts with those houses and restore balance. A classic guardian of humanity who always tried to keep the world in equilibrium.
‘But I’m different. I’m going to monopolize this and give my own house the upper hand.’
Of course, I had my reasons. It wasn’t because I loved the family so much.
As long as I couldn’t be sure where Alonzo’s loyalties lay, I couldn’t risk another house getting their hands on this technology.
‘What if that house uses the Ether Web to gain supremacy and then feeds false information to spark wars between the others?’
The world might end even sooner than it did in the original timeline. So I had to stop it before it happened.
How? With money!
A crooked smile tugged at my lips. I offered an amount they couldn’t possibly refuse.
What would Renoir say?
“I’m sorry, but… I have to decline.”
I blinked. What did she just say?
Renoir hesitated, then sighed and looked away from me.
“Huh? Why? Is it not enough? I can give you more. Enough for any research you want!”
She looked startled for a moment, but her expression quickly darkened again, like someone who had just witnessed the end of the world. What kind of trouble was she in?
Honestly, this was completely unexpected. I had a bad feeling about it.
Usually when you possess a character in your favorite game or novel, everything goes according to your plans. But things were starting to veer off course. What the hell?
‘This is bad. In the original story she agreed right away. Why is she acting like this now?’
While I stood there flustered, Winz spoke up in my place.
“Could you tell us what the problem is? We’ll help you solve it!”
She sounded confident. More than that—she sounded genuinely cheerful. Why was she so bright?
‘Wait, does she already know what’s going on?’
I felt oddly tense. Finally, Renoir opened her mouth.
“Actually, the Ether Web… it’s already reached the final stages before commercialization.”
I doubted my own ears. What? It wasn’t still in early development?
It was almost finished?
“Really? As expected of the genius eccentric Renoir!”
“Eccentric…?”
She frowned and glared at me, eyebrows twitching. I coughed and looked away.
“Ahem, I just meant you’re amazing. Renoir-ho!”
“Anyway, right before commercialization I ran a few test operations. I gave some of my acquaintances devices with the web code embedded in them and asked them to share any news.”
I had no idea what she was talking about. This was strange. How could the promising hero I was supposed to be be this clueless about magic engineering? That couldn’t be right.
“Haah, but then…”
Renoir pressed a hand to her forehead. Her sigh was heavy, as if weighed down by deep worry. Every time she exhaled, the air in the room seemed to grow heavier.
She touched the base of the antenna where the parts were gathered and gave a bitter smile.
“But I heard something from someone who works at the guild.”
She tapped the platform beneath the antenna. Suddenly a burst of static came from it, followed by a recorded voice.
“Recently a swordsman came to the eastern district claiming to teach martial arts. You’d recognize the name. But instead of teaching, he keeps disappearing somewhere. He sighs a lot too. I followed him just in case, and it led me to the underground passage!”
The cities of Ysgard were all connected by an extensive network of underground passages. Beneath any place with traces of civilization, you could expect something like catacombs.
“He was opening a passage that leads outside! And do you know what I saw down there?”
She paused. I was impressed. She’d already developed recording technology. At this rate, it was practically ready for commercialization like a computer or phone.
The pace of development was far ahead of the original story. What on earth was going on?
Winz’s ears perked up in admiration.
“That’s amazing! I can hear the voice perfectly!”
“It’s called recording. Anyway, let’s keep listening.”
Click. Static.
“There were monsters! More than I could imagine—enough to remind me of the raid twenty years ago! That’s right, the passage happened to connect to a monster danger zone!”
I swallowed without realizing it.
‘I know all about the Womanchester raid. In the original story it was only mentioned briefly as background.’
Twenty years ago, monsters had suddenly attacked western Womanchester, killing thousands. That disaster was the main reason the west had fallen behind the east. Originally the two regions had been equal.
They’d suffered enormous losses before finally driving the monsters back.
Winz shook her head in disbelief. She must have known the story too.
“That can’t be… Then why was he…?”
“We all thought he was going there to kill himself. Including me.”
“Who exactly is this person?”
“Vail Argentfang. The one known as the All-Crushing Sword. An Expert Mid-Rank swordsman.”
Winz’s mouth fell open in shock. She clearly recognized the name.
So did I. But something about it felt off.
‘Vail Argentfang? The old man who always laughed heartily and showed gentlemanly grace in the original story? Why is he being mentioned now?’
I barely managed to keep my expression neutral. If I hadn’t, Winz would have noticed how shaken I was. Honestly, I wasn’t sure what to think.
‘Something’s wrong. This world isn’t moving the way I remember. It’s diverging from the original story.’
I didn’t even know why this was happening. I was starting to doubt whether this was even the same world I knew.
“Haah… I’ve heard of him too. They say he lost his family in the raid.”
“It’s a famous story. It’s a miracle he’s still sane after all this time.”
Renoir nodded. I finally pulled myself together.
“But why would the lord just leave someone like that alone? Shouldn’t he at least offer support or compensation?”
Renoir’s expression turned ice-cold in an instant. She shot me a look that felt like an accusation. I flinched without meaning to, as if I were the one at fault.
“You’re human, so you should know. Do you really think they’d hand out support or rewards just like that?”
Her words carried a heavy meaning. I knew it too. Whether it was modern bureaucrats or nobles of this era, most of them wouldn’t move until the knife was at their own throats.
I answered calmly.
“I know. They won’t act until it threatens their own necks. Until they stand to lose something themselves.”
“Right. That’s why the west has been left to rot like this.”
“But what if a second raid happens in the east? He’s not going to commit suicide behind closed doors, is he?”
“Do you think they’d care? Haven’t you heard the saying? If you want to throw away a cheap diaper your baby used, don’t use the trash can—dump it in western Womanchester.”
Renoir’s self-mocking tone made it clear just how poorly the west was regarded. It was practically a proverb proving the nobles had abandoned the land.
I sighed and asked carefully.
“Wait, you’re refusing because of this? Seriously?”
“Yeah. I’m worried about him.”
“Why? Are you close?”
“When everyone else treated me like a bug, he was kind to me. If something happens to him, I’ll have to move my workshop.”
I scratched my head. Moving just because one acquaintance might die seemed extreme. Still, it showed how much she valued his kindness.
“Hold on, that’s way too drastic.”
“Dwalves are extreme by nature, all right? I’m leaving this place soon anyway. So stop trying to buy my talent.”
Renoir flatly rejected my offer. I was genuinely shocked. She was turning it down just like that?
This was bad. Very, very bad.
‘I can’t afford to lose Renoir here. Information monopoly is the greatest privilege in any era!’
That was why people said even modern wars were information wars. Whoever controlled the Ether Web would already have more than half the advantage in the Life Tree War.
And I was about to throw that chance away? No way. I had my pride as a man!
I stepped closer to Renoir. I had to say what needed to be said—seriously, with weight.
“I’ll handle it. I just need to convince Vail, right?”
Renoir snorted immediately.
“Are you joking? You’re barely even a late-stage Runner.”
“He’s only at that level because he regressed from Expert Mid-Rank. One good punch and you’re finished. You think a rookie hero like you can talk him out of it without getting killed?”
Of course she wouldn’t believe me. I wouldn’t have either. But I was betting everything on this.
‘That’s exactly why I came here!’
“I might not be able to convince him. I might even die trying.”
“It’d be a pointless death.”
“Even so, I’ll convince him. You’re worth risking my life for.”
I poured every ounce of sincerity into those words. That should be enough. Saying more would only make it worse.
Renoir suddenly looked flustered and stepped back. Her ears turned red and she clicked her tongue.
“What a show-off!”
“Whether it’s a bluff or not, just watch. I promise I’ll stop him. So entrust your talent to me.”
I turned my back on her. Now that I had something worth risking my life for, there was no time to waste.
Winz clasped her hands together and looked at me with a warm, delighted smile. For some reason her eyes seemed to have turned into little hearts.
“Oh my, my lady. You’re in forceful mode again…♥”
“Let’s go, Winz.”
Together we left Renoir’s house. I clenched my fists.
‘It’s fine. I know roughly what kind of person Vail is. I’ll definitely stop him!’
I steeled my resolve. Even so, a worry lingered.
A man who had lost his family and was drowning in loneliness had decided to end his life. How was I supposed to stop him?