< Chapter 27 - Kaplan Effect >
Chapter 27 – The Kaplan Effect
Even Uther had a conscience.
“really?”
“Why are you pretending it’s someone else’s business? You’re an accomplice too.”
“Cordelia doesn’t know anything. She just followed her father.”
Cordelia was openly acting cute and joking, but Uther couldn’t help it.
“Hehehe, you’re so cute, what can I do?”
“No way?”
“Hehehe.”
Cordelia smiled mischievously and tapped Uther on the chest.
“Anyway, there is such a thing as conscience here too.”
The conscience of the yude.
That’s right. Even Yuder had a conscience.
After receiving the protection of the earth and receiving over twenty magical tools from both sides in succession, it was impossible for even a sage to ask for something from the Fairy Queen as compensation for another request.
‘Actually, there’s nothing more to tear out.’
If it was treasure, there would have been more, but even the Fairy Queen had some things she could and could not give away.
There was no need to ruin a good relationship(?) by being greedy.
“So this is what you got?”
“Not enough.”
Yuder answered with a smile and spread out the map he had received from the Fairy Queen.
“Magellan of the Magic Kingdom.”
A powerful magical kingdom founded by high elves, also known as ancient elves.
The map detailed the geography of not only the Blade Beak Canyon, but also the former capital of the Magic Kingdom – Magic Endymion.
“Lena might be around here somewhere?”
“Maybe. Even if there isn’t… I need to know about Endymion to save Lena.”
Cordelia nodded at Uther’s words, turned her gaze to the left corner of the map, and smiled from the bottom of her heart.
“This is the hot spring we’re in now. And this is a sign for a bathhouse… Hehehe, there are more than ten bathhouses in Endymion alone.”
Although it wouldn’t be as completely preserved as the past, managed by the Wild Fairies, the fact that there was a bathtub was still important.
“That went well.”
“Yeah, yeah, that’s really good.”
Seeing Cordelia smiling brightly also made Uther feel happy.
“Let’s stop by on the way. Anyway, it was a very fruitful meeting.”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
A map of the magical tools, including the Earth’s Protection and Echo of the Spell, and the Magical Endymion.
‘Information there too.’
What kinds of creatures live in the Blade Beak Canyon, are there any terrains around here that I should be careful of, etc.
It was Uther and Cordelia who gained more than they expected.
“Let’s start by changing the equipment settings. Let’s set them to maximum efficiency, excluding any offsetting factors.”
“Leave it to me. I’ll set up yours for maximum efficiency.”
While Cordelia, her chest pounding, sorted through the equipment she had brought, Uder approached Kaplan, who was still unconscious on the floor.
“How about Kaplan?”
“You look fine. You’re just sleeping.”
After answering Cordelia, Uder took a look at Kaplan’s pulse and then released the rope.
‘Indiana Kaplan.’
An adventurer and archaeologist from the Argon Empire.
He was a character you would meet at least once while exploring ruins in the Argon Empire. He was always causing accidents and incidents, so he was called the God of Disaster by beginners and the God of Happiness by the rotten ones.
“Wake me up?”
“Because we need to talk.”
Why did Kaplan come to the wild land?
How much does he know about the magician Endymion?
“Just a moment. If you want me to wake you up, I’ll wake you up with magic.”
Cordelia poured the equipment she had been sorting into her newly brought magic bag and quickly approached Uther.
“Awake.”
As I whispered and gently stroked Kaplan’s flowing hair, the effect took effect.
“Ugh… Ugh….”
Kaplan opened his eyes with a groan, seemed half-asleep for a moment, and then quickly sat up.
“Huh?! Here?! A monster?!”
Leaving Uther and Cordelia alone for the time being, Kaplan took a deep breath, looked around, and then calmed himself down.
“Mom, a bathhouse? High elf style?”
As expected, an archaeologist.
Uder, who smiled without realizing it, spoke to Kaplan, who was covered in cold sweat.
“Sir Indiana Kaplan. Is that right?”
Kaplan flinched at the soft call, but soon nodded.
He was so flustered that he couldn’t even look at Uther and Cordelia, who were sitting right next to him.
“Indiana Kaplan. This is… Oh, no. I remember. When we were being chased by a white giant bear….”
“Yes, we saved Lord Kaplan.”
“We saved you. If it weren’t for us, you would have been eaten by the white giant bear.”
It was Cordelia who emphasized the fact that she had foolishly saved him without him even asking her to.
‘why?’
‘No, I’m proud.’
You’ve grown up well.
Although, I felt a little sad at the thought of corrupting an innocent child.
In any case, Cordelia’s emphasis on grace was effective.
“Oh! You two were my benefactors! Thank you so much! I survived thanks to you two.”
“yes that’s right.”
“Ahem, anyway.”
Uder stepped forward, slightly stopping Cordelia, who nodded immediately.
Because Kaplan wasn’t a fairy.
Emphasizing grace was good, but if it was too obvious, it could have a slightly counterproductive effect.
“It is an honor to meet the renowned archaeologist Sir Indiana Kaplan.”
“Haha, I just got a little bit of fame.”
Kaplan stroked his beard as if embarrassed, but as expected, praise makes even a whale dance.
He felt much better.
“I am Uther, and this is my fiancée, Cordelia.”
“Cordelia, it’s an honor to meet you.”
Kaplan’s face grew warmer as Cordelia offered her example.
“Your fiancée is truly a great beauty. I envy her.”
“Hahaha, thank you.”
In fact, Cordelia didn’t know because she didn’t think much of it, but whenever she met someone, Uder would always emphasize the fact that she was his ‘fiancée’.
Anyway, in the midst of the friendly atmosphere, Kaplan said:
“But… you two don’t seem like people who live in the wild.”
“Yes, we are from the Kingdom of Seilun.”
“Huh! Seilun! The Kingdom of Seilun has been at war with the barbarians for a long time, so why did you come all the way here······.”
“There were various circumstances, but the biggest reason was to explore the ruins.”
“Relic exploration?”
“Yes, exploration of the ruins.”
Kaplan’s face, which had been just laughing at Uder’s answer, showed a mixture of curiosity and tension.
“Those relics are······.”
“The capital of the Magic Kingdom of Magellan. Magic Endymion.”
“Oh! As expected!”
As Kaplan stood up from his seat with his eyes sparkling, Cordelia immediately added.
“Have you come to investigate the Kaplan Endymion?”
“Yes. I was a bit lost because I didn’t know the exact location… but seeing you two gives me hope.”
Endymion is somewhere around here.
“Yes, Endymion is real. And this place you are in right now is also a part of Endymion, if you look at it in a larger context.”
“Ohhh! As expected! Is this really the high elf bathhouse?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Wow!”
Kaplan, very excited, ran straight to the wall and carefully began examining the murals, the reliefs, and the decorations for the bathhouse.
“I’m so excited.”
“Because I’m an archaeologist.”
It wasn’t an unpleasant sight, but Yuder had to finish the story he was talking about anyway.
He approached Kaplan and continued speaking.
“Cordelia and I are researchers at the academy located in the royal capital of the Kingdom of Cailun. By chance, we came across a map of the Bladebeak Canyon and the Endymion area, and came here.”
“A map? Are you talking about a map?!”
“Yes, a map.”
As soon as Yuder took out the neatly folded map, Kaplan rushed over.
But Uder did not give up the map.
“Before that, Lord Kaplan. There’s something we’d like to know as well.”
“What is it?”
“It’s nothing special. I just want to exchange information.”
What does Kaplan know about Endymion?
Was the reason he came all the way to the wild lands just because he wanted to see Endymion?
“Um… As you both know, the Kingdom of Magellan is a legendary being. It’s not that there are no records at all, but they are so poorly written that it’s questionable whether it actually existed.”
That was right.
Even Uder and Cordelia didn’t know about the existence of the Magic Kingdom until they heard about it from Gounnunbaram.
“It is a kingdom whose very existence is questionable, so the cause of its downfall is also only told as a legend.”
Long, long ago.
The great lords of hell who descended during the era known as ancient times.
“According to legend, the last queen of the Magic Kingdom, Anjerone, gathered all the power of the kingdom and stood against the overlord of Hell. However, in the end, it was too much. The Magic Kingdom was eventually destroyed by the demons.”
But it wasn’t just being trampled on.
Magellan’s high elves succeeded in fatally wounding the overlord of Hell.
“Furthermore, it is said that the war between Magellan and the Overlord of Hell did not occur in a day or two. During the war that lasted at least a year… or even several years, Magellan’s magicians studied and studied methods to fight the demons.”
It was a convincing story.
It was clear that Lena had come here to obtain the counter-demon strategy developed by Magellan’s high elves.
“After the tragedy of the Paragon Kingdom, demon followers began to run wild in the Argon Empire as well. There were also more people who feared the advent of a powerful demon.”
“so······.”
“Yes, finding a way to fight against the demons is not only for the Argon Empire, but for the entire world. As a scholar, there are more than enough reasons to act. Of course, there were requests from sponsors as well.”
The way he cleared his throat at the end was strangely cute, even though he was a dwarf.
“I see. It’s actually for a similar reason for us. The Kingdom of Seilun has also been plagued by demon followers, including the Hand of the Devil, for quite some time now.”
“Well… I see. Devil followers are a problem for the entire world. It’s not just a problem for one country.”
“Yes, then, Lord Kaplan. Come explore Endymion with us. Beyond the position of a citizen of the Kingdom of Cailun and the Empire of Argon, as a human and a dwarf, as a person who lives together in this era.”
“Oh… Okay. I will do that.”
As Kaplan nodded, grabbing Uder’s outstretched hand, Uder glanced back at Cordelia, who gave him a thumbs up.
‘As expected, there’s a scammer in our house!’
‘Please call me a magician of language.’
After finishing the eye contact, Uder unfolded the map and showed it to Kaplan, saying:
“Lord Kaplan, we will rest here for today and begin our exploration tomorrow. So Lord Kaplan, please rest well today as well.”
“Oh… I understand. I will do that. But can I look at the map a little longer?”
“Of course. Take your time and look at it.”
Uder, who had obediently handed the map over to the excited Kaplan, approached Cordelia again and spoke.
“Let’s take a rest now.”
“I need to take a bath and do laundry. You should wash up too. You smell of sweat.”
“Uh… Really?”
“Oh, really. So don’t stick it on before I wash it. Okay?”
Cordelia, who spoke sharply, turned around and walked towards the bathtub in the corner, and Uther sniffed around and hurriedly walked towards the bathtub on the other side.
And the next morning.
“Uh… is this how it goes?”
“Yes! This is how it goes!”
“This is how it goes!”
Entrance to the hot springs.
While Uther and Cordelia were close together, Kaplan was standing far away.
Maybe about 30 meters?
Moreover, it wasn’t just far away.
A rope was wrapped around Kaplan’s barrel-shaped waist, and Uther was holding the end of it.
“Don’t worry. If anything happens, we’ll save you like we did yesterday!”
“It’ll be okay since we’re connected by rope like this!”
“No, that’s true, but······.”
Kaplan leads the way, followed by Uther and Cordelia.
But with the rope tied around it, it feels like I’m bait on a fishing rod.
“Let’s go!”
“Let’s go!”
Kaplan made a subtle expression at Uder and Cordelia’s urging, but soon nodded.
In any case, they were two benefactors, and they even handed over a map to him as he took the lead.
The map detailing the geography of Madou Endymion was worth its weight in gold, so it never occurred to Kaplan that he was simply being used as bait.
‘I guess he has his own thoughts.’
There were two people who were so skilled in dancing that they were able to save themselves from a white giant bear.
There must have been a reason for following at this distance.
Kaplan, trying to convince himself, looked straight ahead with sparkling eyes.
Madou Endymion.
The capital of the fallen Magic Kingdom.
The last city.
How these words resonate with the heart of an adventurer and archaeologist.
‘let’s go!’
Kaplan confidently advanced forward, while Uther and Cordelia followed behind him at a distance of 30 meters.
About an hour like that.
Cordelia looked up, and Uther smiled heartily.
“Eww! It’s a monster!”
“Ooh! The rare monster, Ice Grizzly!”
“That’s a named thing too! It has two horns! It’s the Kaplan effect!”
The two men, laughing as Kaplan ran away screaming, pulled hard on the rope to retrieve him and then stepped forward, necks tilted.
Fishing for named monsters using Kaplan, the unlucky man who brings disaster.
You will encounter rare monsters that are normally hard to see.
Among them, you will encounter named characters that are even more difficult to see.
It’s called the Kaplan effect.
“Our princess, shall we go fishing for moonfish?”
“Yes, Dad. Let me try picking mulberries.”
The two rotten creatures stepped forward, smiling brightly at each other, and the named monster, sensing the ominous atmosphere, flinched for a moment, but it was already too late.
Uther and Cordelia.
The exciting fishing of the two rotten fish began.
&
< Chapter 27 - Kaplan Effect > End
