199
Stone: “Thank you for your hard work.”
Hans nodded in greeting and wiped the blood from his robe.
‘Anyway, those wizards.’
He let out a muttered voice.
Since magicians are born from lack, all magicians are full of greed and have more doubts.
Plus, he was stubborn, so I couldn’t help but get annoyed even though I knew he would eventually give in.
There was even a saying that magicians were more difficult to deal with than merchants.
‘Still, you managed to tie it up somehow.’
Bringing the wizards together into an alliance was the hardest thing Hans had ever done.
Even the top players were all straining their necks, so some had to be replaced with those with more flexible necks.
‘Seongsu helped.’
Hans nodded, tapping the product. Surely, without it, it would have been difficult to replace the mattops.
No matter how grumpy and old they were, they were all clearly strong. Even for Hans, who used ancient magic, they were difficult people to deal with.
“He has come.”
Hans’ expression crumpled at her soft words.
It was obvious who it was. There weren’t many people who would enter the office of the Gray Tower Master without permission.
I thought I was getting some rest, but I started getting annoyed.
“sorry.”
“Okay.”
Hans put his index finger to his lips and shook his head. The elf was definitely listening to the conversation.
I had to be careful with my words.
‘···It’s a bit awkward, you know.’
Hans grumbled to himself. She was the most difficult person to deal with.
Just thinking about having to face this while I’m so tired is exhausting.
However, I couldn’t refuse.
He was also a person Hans needed.
Hans adjusted his clothes, took some perfume out of his bosom, and sprayed it liberally.
After checking the spell I had memorized and placing the wand in a convenient location for easy access, I grabbed the doorknob.
after.
Hans took a deep breath and opened the door.
There was no need to clean up the room, so the traces of the previous magic tower remained.
She sat among a pile of papers. Her brilliant green hair swayed even though there was no wind.
“What’s going on here, Selena? If you had called me, I would have gone.”
Hans greeted with the corners of his lips raised with difficulty.
Only then did the woman raise her head.
Even though he must have known this from the moment he came up, his attitude was truly shameless.
The woman, who had been studying Hans for a moment, opened her mouth.
“The Emperor’s coronation ceremony will take place. Did you see it?”
As expected from Selena, she got straight to the point.
Hans nodded at her. It was something he had expected from the moment he heard she was coming.
“yes.”
“Did you succeed?”
“···.”
“You failed. Why?”
“I am the master of the sword.”
Hans answered obediently. It was clear that trying to trick others would have the opposite effect.
“You said you were defeated, but now you’re making amends.”
“The realm has been raised.”
“Well, he was a genius. I have to reduce the number.”
Was even failure within the expected range? Selena answered dryly and spun her hand around. The bracelet on her wrist sparkled.
Hans glanced at her.
Her face was unreadable, but Hans knew her plans. No, he had seen them.
She was packaging the empire. No, she was deboning the fish, making it edible.
It was an act simply motivated by love, but ironically, it was more threatening to the Empire than anyone else.
Unlike Selena, who was indifferent, Hans’ mind was complicated. He clearly thought he had prepared perfectly, but he failed.
The sword’s master was the problem. Rather, all of the sword’s plans were cut off by the sword’s master who had reached a higher level.
As she said, we had to reduce the number.
“He?”
A moment later, Selena asked in a different, softer voice.
When he raised his head, Selena was smiling shyly like a woman in love.
Hans, who knew her plan, muttered a curse under his breath.
“···Probably, he will come.”
“maybe?”
“I don’t see him anymore. He seems to be avoiding me.”
“Hmm.”
At her soft moans, Hans twirled his hands.
“I don’t know when it will come… I’m already excited.”
Selena smiled shyly as if she was really looking forward to it.
‘···Crazy bitch.’
Hans muttered a curse.
As rumored, elf love was truly romantic.
Of course, Hans hated the word romantic.
***
‘The religious order made an announcement to the royal family. Of course, the religious order couldn’t just sit still.’
Pulita Restrone, head of the Frederick Guild and one of the leaders of the revolutionary army, quickly looked over the papers.
The situation was changing every day. The eight magical communication tools that Pulita possessed were never at rest.
He continued to hold onto the communication device while breaking up his sleep.
‘···The empire is shaking.’
Pulita’s hands were trembling.
How many times have they knocked on the empire so far? Yet it was an empire that had not even the slightest tremble.
The giant, which seemed as if it would never fall, was shaking violently.
And, ironically, the starting point of this shaking was a castle on the eastern frontier.
‘···Who pushed away the master of the sword?’
Pulitya knew through the five eldest sons, Skataph, that the master of the sword had come to Cassadic.
Then, the defeat of the Master of the Sword must have happened in Cassidy, but I had no idea who the opponent was.
If there is such a strong person, we must somehow recruit him into the revolutionary army···.
“I have received a call from Baron Fullfoot.”
The man next to me spoke in crude Imperial language.
“i get it.”
Pulita got up, thinking that it had taken longer than expected.
‘We have no one else to rely on anyway, so why are you wasting time…? Did you think we’d be impatient? You’re a dumber guy than you look.’
Thinking it was a natural result, I led the escort and headed towards Pulpouts.
Fullfoot was in the conference room as usual. Judging from the piles of yellow papers around him, he seemed to be quite busy.
‘···Your complexion has gotten worse. Well, you must have been worried a lot.’
Those who entered the Allied Forces were diverse.
Most of them, like Pulita, were blinded by anger at the fall of their kingdom to the Empire, but occasionally, nobles from the Empire also came.
Among them, there were those who were blinded by power, saying that it was a new trend, but most of them came in to reduce taxes while shouting about the injustice of the empire.
And finally-.
‘They came in to survive.’
Pulita nodded, looking into Pulputz’s eyes.
He wasn’t blinded by anger, there was still a little fear, and there was still hesitation. But his eyes were still clear. They were good eyes that suited the Allied Forces.
They were the most helpful to the revolutionary army. Pulita slightly raised his evaluation of Pulpouts.
It was just a look, but as the saying goes, the eyes are the mirror of the soul, and nothing is as important as the look in the eyes.
“Have you eaten?”
Pulpouts was the first to greet him. Contrary to expectations, he was not humble. Pulitta raised the corners of his lips slightly.
“Not yet.”
“Then let’s eat first.”
Fullfoot gestured to the side.
Food began to be placed on the table. When the other nobles dined with Pulita, the master of Frederick’s Guild, they would fill the table to the brim with food to show off their power.
In contrast, the food on the table now was just the right amount. It wasn’t anything special, but Pulita didn’t refuse.
Because Pulita, who had lost her kingdom, ate delicacies from the mountains and the sea, but they tasted bitter, like she was chewing dirt.
“Have you made up your mind?”
“First, let’s eat and talk.”
Pullita clicked her tongue at Pulpouts’ firm answer. The relationship had already been established, so it was a useless fight.
Anyway, the nobles of the empire…
Pulita muttered and tore at the meat.
After filling our bellies and even drinking some wine, the food was quickly cleared away.
Then Pulpouts snapped his fingers, and the woman next to him brought him a bundle of envelopes.
“···What is this?”
“Since you’re joining a group, it’s a bit awkward to come empty-handed, right? That’s why I prepared this gift.”
Fullfoot waved his hand lightly as if it were nothing.
Pulita frowned at the unknown trick and checked the envelope.
‘···The coat of arms of Count Behart?’
The sentence at the very top was clearly that of Count Bechardt.
I sent several attempts to negotiate, but there was no response to the letter from Count Behart, who was a very closed noble family in the East.
‘···What are you thinking?’
Pulita looked at Pulpouts with narrowed eyes, opened the envelope, and checked the contents.
It was a long letter about the strong alliance between Baron Pulpouts and Count Bechardt.
Pulita’s eyes widened as she read him.
‘An alliance with Count Behart? Then these are···.’
Pulita put him down and hurriedly checked the rest of the envelopes.
It was a series of letters from nobles, starting with the Viscount Bonita. They were from nobles who accounted for roughly one-third of the eastern part, and their content was no less than that of the Count Berhard.
There were a large number of nobles who had a hard time keeping up with the line that Pulita had tried to join.
Of course, even if it was a personal letter, it was only effective enough to prevent a territorial war that lasted about ten years.
But even such a letter had a different weight when it was linked to the Allied Forces, whom they called rebels.
‘So that’s the method I used against Baron Fullfoot. So, is this why you postponed your judgment…?’
Pulita sighed softly. It seemed as if he had roughly figured out how much money and valuables it would cost to receive this personal letter.
Even if there is a high ranking, it is clearly a big gamble for a castle in such a remote area, and he is unfolding it without hesitation.
‘Baron Fullfoot… How amazing.’
When I turned my gaze to him, Fullfoot was looking down from his slightly high chair.
Pulpouts’ tired eyes seemed to know Pulita’s answer.
A subtle silence followed.
“Good.”
“What a troublesome resin. But I’m glad you like it.”
Pullita laughed lightly at Fullfoot’s sharp remark. It was true, but to bring him out in front of him so confidently-.
‘You’ve got some spirit. You’re definitely a tough guy.’
It was a matter of dealing with the Empire. Even if it was a bit presumptuous, that level of spirit was necessary.
After making a quick judgment, he delayed the time and called out his size. He was a man who was good at thinking and knew his place.
He was a much-needed talent. He was a person too valuable to be tied down to a castle in the outskirts. Cassidyck was not particularly desirable, but Pulpouts was.
‘The walls of Cassidy were stronger than those of the city. It was also a strategic point where the nobles of the East were tied up···.’
Pullita nodded at the slightly uncomfortable look in Pullputz’s eyes.
It was definitely a bad start, because Pulita didn’t attach much importance to Cassadic, but things are different now.
Moreover, considering the various circumstances, Cassidy was suitable as a strategic point for the Eastern Allied Forces.
There, Scatap also wanted to stay in Cassidy-.
‘Then you have to pay the price.’
After a quick calculation, Pulita opened his mouth.
Pulita also needed to be bold.
‘It would be enough to declare it as the Allied Forces’ Eastern Command and Frederick Guild’s strategic point…’
When Pulita was about to open her mouth after finishing her calculations.
Fullfoot raised his hand first.
The corners of his lips were subtly raised.
“Have you heard the news about the master of the sword?”
Pulita frowned at the sudden remark.
‘···Are you showing off your information power?’
Of course, if you’ve already heard the news in this remote area, it’s definitely not bad information.
However, the story had already spread widely in the capital.
“Are you saying that you were defeated?”
“Ah, defeat…! I guess the rumor has spread.”
The reaction was subtle. It seemed like he really liked it, or maybe he was in despair. The expression quickly disappeared.
‘···I guess it spread?’
It was a strangely irritating remark.
“Ahem···, it’s nothing.”
Fullfoot frowned, slightly avoiding eye contact.
Pulita’s face hardened at that embarrassed reaction.
“But it’s a sword made from ground dragon bones that the emperor gave to its owner. It doesn’t produce fire like the legend says. I guess rumors tend to get exaggerated.”
The words of the following full-footed man were a wedge.
“iced coffee······?”
A stupid sound came out of Pulita’s mouth.
To that, Pulpouts nodded as if he understood.
***
“Arong, please have some of this.”
“Oh, thank you.”
I picked up the meat that Hannah had offered me and ate it. It had a strong smoky flavor, as if it had been smoked. It was like chewing on fire.
“···I told you not to eat during meetings. Hannah, you should stop feeding Aaron too. He’s not even a kid, what are you feeding him?”
Nova scolded her with sharp eyes. Hanna smiled softly and held out the next piece of meat.
“Karzan consumes materials quickly, so we need to increase the cycle from now.”
“Really? Then we need a little more manpower…. Okay, I understand.”
Just then, Dante reported and Nova turned his head.
“Countess Bonita wanted to help in the Territorial War.”
Following him, Brock Lesnar reported-.
“I would like to help with the Territory War, but I don’t have the luxury of doing so in the current situation…”
Nova shook her head slightly.
That was right. If it was a territory war, it wouldn’t end in a short period of time. If you get tied up for no reason-.
“So I won!”
“······Huh? What did you just say···.”
“There is no defeat at the top of our Aaron’s star.”
Brock Lesnar shrugged at Nova’s stupid answer. When I told him not to call me master, he changed his title to “Top Star.” But I left it as it was more poetic than “Master.”
“These guys are experts at killing people. They’re really good at it.”
I nodded at Nova, who was looking at me with blank eyes.
“Haha! No matter what, Aaron is the best!”
Brock Lesnar laughed heartily and raised his middle finger. I corrected him, saying it was a thumb, not a middle finger.
“The Territory War… Why did you participate in it…?”
“Our Aaron the First Top does not buy or sell war!”
“When did that happen···?”
“Don’t worry! You got what you paid for!”
Brock Lesnar laughed heartily, patting Nova’s shoulder as his face paled.
Nova looked at me.
I gave him a thumbs up.
“I’ve prepared the following items. However, I think we need to increase the size of the upper floor because we’re running out of space. There’s also the issue of theft. ···Of course, no one will steal the Aaron upper floor items. Just in case.”
Hannah said, winking awkwardly.
It was the so-called Aaronic Upper Prosperity Council.
Brock Lesnar and Choco attended as worker representatives, along with Dante from the Karzan branch, Hannah from the upper division, and Nova, an outside advisor.
Although it continued somewhat crudely, it was progressing well.
“War is momentum! We must advance with this momentum!”
“Hey… Did you explain to him that we’re the top? I think he misunderstood something.”
Nova, still holding Brock Lesnar’s shoulder, asked me in a slightly trembling voice.
“Yeah, many times.”
In the Middle Ages, there was no difference between a thug and a thug. The only difference was whether they rode in a carriage or paid money to a nobleman.
“Calm down, Second Slave. In war, rest is also important. Have you forgotten why you failed time and time again in the desert?”
Choco said, pushing Brock Lesnar’s hand away.
“I know. But now is the time to advance. Aaron’s first slave.”
“Wait a minute. For now, the uptrend is the priority. Right now, filling the empty spot at the top of the Gyarrot is the most important thing.”
“Wise words.”
Nova mediated the argument between Choco and Brock Lesnar. Dante praised Nova with his usual flattery. He was strangely on Nova’s side.
“So when will the order to advance come down? The upper ranks are in full force! In full force!”
“That’s somewhat true. We need to take advantage of the moment when the Gyarot guys, who were the losers of the region, are hesitating.”
“Aaron. Explain…”
As Brock Lesnar and Choco teamed up, Nova tapped me. His eyes looked quite desperate.
He nodded and stared at the noisy two.
“Shut up, both of you.”
Brock Lesnar and Choco shut their mouths.
“That’s much better.”
“······hey!”
Nova screamed.
He got kicked out after telling a nagging Nova, “Orange, shut up.”
It was the right time because I knew they would do well without me and it wasn’t fun.
at that time.
“Hello! Aaron!”
Park Daegari greeted me brightly. As always, he had a bright smile on his face.
‘···You’re handing out food again.’
Judging from the sauce and oil stains on his clothes, he seemed to have been in a castle.
‘That kid is really kind.’
Even the word “kind” doesn’t quite do it justice. No matter how kind a person may be, how could he possibly cross the castle every night carrying leftover food?
Thanks to that kind of Park Geun-hye, the public’s support for the Flying Baron was at an all-time high.
Every night, Young-ae would climb over the walls and hand out free food to the hungry. The residents could not help but blink in horror at her legendary behavior.
“Yes, good evening. Well, that’s all.”
As I was about to bow my head briefly and pass by, Park Dae-gari suddenly grabbed my arm.
“Oops! I just grabbed it!”
“···.”
I clicked my tongue as I looked at the forearm with the Park Dae-gari handprint carved into it. It was truly a strange power.
“It’s okay. Why are you doing that?”
I waved my hand at Park, who was jumping around as if his hand had been ripped off and didn’t know what to do.
“Oh, by the way… can I talk to you about this?”
Park Daegari hesitated and pointed to the back.
Unlike his usual bright and cheerful face, his expression was filled with worry.
What a worry for Park Daegari…
I nodded my head after pondering the incongruous sentences.
“Thank you so much! Aaron is so kind! So nice! So cool!”
Park Dae-gari, who had been showering me with blunt praise, dragged me along.
The place we arrived at was the room where we had previously come to choose a gift for Park Daegari’s birthday.
There was a wider variety of items than before. There were some items that looked like they would be quite expensive, and there were also small stones.
It was a bizarre collection, the criteria for which were completely unclear.
“No matter how much I think about it, I can’t choose! Please help me!”
Park Daegari immediately bowed his head deeply and asked energetically.
“What are you talking about?”
“This is a birthday present for Kanna!”
My head stopped at Park Daegari’s scream.
“···Kanna’s birthday?”
“Yes! It’s the day after tomorrow!”
The color drained from my face at Park Daegari’s sincere nod.
For some reason, this morning Kanna kept staggering and taking two steps at a time.
I held my head.
***
In the Middle Ages, when two out of four children died, the meaning of birthdays was quite heavy.
It was a world where surviving a year was an achievement in itself. That’s why celebrating birthdays had a special meaning.
Even commoners who had a hard time making a living would spend money to celebrate their birthdays.
‘···This is fucked.’
I took stock of the situation while washing my face dry.
Yes, Kanna was born too, so she must have a birthday. I didn’t ask because I didn’t attach any significance to birthdays.
It was unlikely that Kanna, who had only recently started talking, would have spoken first.
Then there was a possibility that the day after tomorrow would be Kanna’s birthday.
It was a perfect syllogism.
“Kanna has never had a birthday party before! So I specially asked my father to throw one for her!”
I washed my face again at the sound of Park Daegari’s energetic voice.
‘Even a first birthday party?’
Yeah, when did a kid who was in a gang den ever have a birthday party? His color was gradually fading away. His skin was turning milky.
Items quickly came to mind.
‘Practical gold? Cassady shares to reduce inheritance tax? Or…’
All sorts of gifts came to mind, but none of them seemed appropriate for a child.
She seemed like she might like gold coins, but it didn’t seem good for her mental health to give her gold coins already. No, to begin with, Kanna had a lot of gold coins from the ice beer business with Ha-na.
‘A magic book? No, the level is already too high. And there’s also Guobarou. Then, if I give you Guobarou, the wizard······?’
Even though slavery was illegal, it seemed like it would be okay to just call them magic graduate students.
But Kkwobarou had already been bitten by Kanna. Whenever he saw Kanna, he would laugh stupidly and mutter, “Kanna is Kanna!”, so there was no need to give him a gift.
“······Aaron? Are you okay?!”
I came to my senses at the sight of Park Dae-gari’s face, which was so close that I could smell his breath.
“Oh, yes. It’s a gift from Kanna.”
I pressed and pushed that round forehead.
“Yes! I’ve collected all the things I treasure, but I don’t know what to give them. I want to give them all, but I think Kanna will reject them… Can you help me?”
Park Head, who had his forehead grabbed, wrinkled his nose and asked. He checked the items on display again.
There was a fancy dress that clearly belonged to Park Dae-gari, delicious-looking bread and meat, a bundle of paper that seemed to have a handle-with-care instruction written on it, and even a star-shaped rock.
“···So you’re saying you’re going to choose a gift there?”
“Yes! I’ve collected them all! My father has been wearing the seals lately…”
Park Daegari’s condition was more serious than mine.
What does he think of the gift?
“This is what I wore when I was Kanna’s age, it’s comfortable to run around in! It doesn’t squeeze me, so I really like it! Also, this is bread and meat that our chef put a lot of effort into cooking, and Kanna really liked our cooking! Also, this is something my father kept hidden, so I brought it here···.”
The paper that Park Daegari held out had the words, ‘Baron’s appointment letter.’ written on it.
‘crazy···.’
When I saw the bright smile of Park Dae-gari holding the letter of appointment, my head started to throbbed.
Despite the Flying Baron’s great ambitions and abilities, the Fullfoot family did not seem likely to last long.
However, since it wasn’t someone else’s story, I squatted down in front of the items.
“How about this? It’s a rock we found during the sewer construction. Doesn’t it look like a cat’s paw?!”
“It’s a bit much to give a stone as a gift… Oh, really.”
“Right? It’s my treasure! I treasure it a lot, but if it’s a gift for Kanna······. Should I just give it to you?!”
I couldn’t understand why he hid the stone and handed over the letter of appointment, but I didn’t try to understand it.
“Why don’t you sell the letter of appointment to another noble and give him the money?”
Park Dae-gari stared at me with eyes full of astonishment.
“Hahaha…! Haha! Aren’t we running out of time?”
Park Daegari’s awkward laugh felt strangely unpleasant.
How long did the two of them hold each other’s heads and chat?
The door opened roughly and a pale Nova came in.
“Vivian. Right now, your mother is···”
Nova spoke breathlessly-.
Park Daegari dropped the stone he was holding.
A stone shaped like a cat’s paw hit the ground and shattered into tiny pieces.
***
“This is not good.”
I turned my head at the muttering.
Kuobarou was full of impressions.
His already ugly face became even more hideous.
“You’re still so ugly no matter when I see you.”
“······I don’t want to hear that from you.”
The guy who briefly showed his teeth at my review continued speaking.
“Right now, Vivian is barely holding on. If her mother dies, the current balance could collapse. ······She’s a woman so pure that it’s foolish. She probably wouldn’t be able to endure her mother’s death.”
I glanced inside. Through the slightly open door, I saw Park’s head smiling brightly while shedding tears.
Kuo Baorou’s words were not suitable for the current atmosphere, but they were also cold words. And usually, these guys lived long. Those who cried died quickly.
“What if the balance is lost?”
I asked, clicking my tongue.
“It will be an incomparable outburst from last time. This time, even Kannara won’t be able to suppress it. No, I won’t make it like that in the first place.”
At Kua Bao Rou’s irritated voice, I held out what I was holding.
“What is this? A stone?”
“It’s broken. Fix it.”
“Are you listening to me? Now is not the time to touch the stone···.”
“Can’t you stick it?”
The snorting man took him and held him with both hands.
Kkieeeek-. I felt quite relieved when I heard the bastard’s small scream. My dizzy head calmed down.
A moment later, a guy with a pale complexion handed me a stone.
It stuck, but it didn’t look the same as before.
It was an ordinary, sharp pebble, not a cat’s paw.
I rolled him out of my hands.
The hard thing felt quite nice to the touch.
After a moment of silence, Kuo Bao Rou opened his mouth again.
“···This morning, news came that the White Tower Master had died. He was a very tenacious old man, but I guess time is inevitable. Anyway, all the White Tower magicians were summoned for the White Tower Master’s succession ceremony.”
“Did the magician die again? He’s been dying a lot lately.”
The guy nodded slightly at my question.
“I also find it strange. Those wizards… especially the magician who lives to be over a hundred years old, but two of them have died recently.”
Then, the Flying Baron appeared.
“Thank you for coming.”
The Flying Baron spoke calmly and went inside.
The door was firmly closed.
Barley guarded the front.
When Barley saw me, he bowed his head deeply.
“Anyway, if Vivian falls, there is no way out in Cassidy. Since we have to go to the capital for the succession ceremony, I plan to take Vivian and Kanna with me. If it’s the White Tower’s facilities, we might be able to find a way.”
“You’re more enthusiastic than I thought.”
At my muttering, Kuabarou squinted his eyes. His face looked as if he had been stabbed by a knife.
“It is only a research subject.”
Kuobarou answered coldly, but his voice wavered somewhat.
‘The capital city···.’
I muttered as I stroked the stone.
This fucking place,
Does something happen when you try to catch your breath?
As I was grumbling like that, Yahoo came over. The face I mentioned above was the one he had when he reported my achievements.
“···I got a call.”
It was a short statement, but I knew what it meant.
There was only one thing I asked of Yahoo.
Bam-.
The stone in my hand fell out.
It hit the floor, but didn’t break.
“Here’s some information about Avery.”
I looked down at the piece of paper Yahoo had handed me.
I could tell from Yahoo’s face that Avery was alive.
I wouldn’t be so arrogant about giving out information about a dead guy.
In an instant, my mind became complicated. Their voices mixed together and rang in my head. Their screams combined and shook my head.
The paper Yahoo handed me looked cool.
‘If you read that-.’
I muttered quietly, but before I knew it, I was reading the paper.
‘Director of the Eastern Management Office… Was this also a management office?’
The empty space has finally been filled in.
Memories of the past came flooding back, quickly filling the void. ···I finally found it.
“I guess this is good news.”
My thoughts were broken by Kuobarou’s voice.
When I turned my gaze to him, the frowning man was pointing at me.
“You’re smiling.”
I touched my lips at the guy’s words.
It went up very deep.
Knock knock.
He nodded, stroking the handle of the knife as if it were his habit.
“I have some business to attend to in the capital.”
The handle of the knife fit comfortably in my hand.
