Episode 242. Invading! (3)
Totema, who had suddenly come looking for us, started talking nonsense about the things he had experienced.
It is said that after the Magic Banquet incident that day, he went on a trip again to practice.
As the days go by, his proficiency in spirit magic increases and he is now said to be strong enough to form a personal legion.
`This is the original talent.`
I was happy that I was able to develop the talent that had been sealed due to my family environment.
But memories of his old life as a prince came back to him and he headed towards his hometown.
The Kingdom of Papyrus. A small country established by mercenaries from all over the continent gathering together to gain wealth and profit.
The policy there is so brutal that might is often treated as justice.
Therefore, the royal family also had to be strong at all costs. Otherwise, they would be eaten by the bugs that tried to crawl up from below.
Maybe his father, Talema, also forced him to train for that purpose.
Totema paused for a moment, intoxicated by the nostalgia of his memories, thinking that it must have been so.
I don’t plan on staying long anyway. I just want to check on how the kingdom is going while I and my father are away.
Even so, since he is a commoner, no one will recognize him.
It was then that I felt it. The screams of the divine beasts echoed from the underground of the kingdom.
`Spirit and excellent sensitivity… that’s not all of Totema’s talents.`
Besides spirits and psychics, he can also feel great rapport with divine beings.
The reason Angela went berserk during the Gumiho incident was also because of Totema’s excellent sensitivity.
Therefore, the totema’s ability also works on the divine beasts. Therefore, it can read the minds of the divine beasts that were invisible to it.
“The moment I set foot on that place, I could realize that there were gods on that land. I am of a constitution that can resonate with them even though I am not of the same species.”
“Resonance?”
“Yes, they were hidden underground and kept sending out requests for help. I can still feel their resonance.”
“….”
When Ruska heard that, she closed one eye.
Now I think I know why my eyes have been starting to sting a little bit since earlier.
“I think I felt that resonance too.”
“Huh? Oh… Now that I think about it, Mr. Ruska is a Yoho who inherited the blood of the Shinsoo.”
That rescue request also reached Ruska. She was poking her eyes out, asking him to quickly recognize their crisis.
“And there was something I really wanted to say to Mr. Ruska when I met him.”
“yes…?”
Totema suddenly bowed down in front of Ruska and buried his head in the floor.
He shouted with a deep bow.
I suddenly wondered why I was committing a grave sin, and then I realized there was something I had forgotten.
For now, there was no Talema, and Sister Ruska had already taken revenge, so there was nothing to think about.
What did Talema, Totema’s father, do to her sisters?
“Although it was late in apologizing, I also heard what my father did to you two.”
Her mother was used as a test subject for the Shinsoo under Talema’s orders.
He tricked young Ruska and used her as a soldier, and left newborn Angela lonely for the rest of her life.
In the end, he even killed their mother.
Totema had been constantly worried about the fact that such a murderous blood flowed through his body.
Perhaps the punishment was too light to end with dethroning him.
After all, it was none other than Totema himself who caused the gumiho to go berserk.
“Raise your head.”
“….”
“You are only related to that demon by blood. You have nothing to do with the crimes he committed.”
At that time, he was just a student at the academy. Rather, he was just a victim caught up in the turbulent currents surrounding him.
“Rather, I’m the one who wants to apologize. At that time, I joined hands with Envy and deceived you.”
Every time Ruska thought back to that day when she was obsessed with revenge, she felt guilty.
Because I got someone involved who had nothing to do with cutting off Angela’s tail.
In order to get revenge on Papyrus, she mentally threatened Totema.
Not caring that he was a good person.
“I am the one who… is sorry.”
Ruska also bowed her head and apologized politely.
In fact, it had been almost a year since the Gumiho incident that the two had met face to face, so there had been no opportunity for this.
The good news is that it’s not too late.
The feelings that had built up between the two were resolved in a short period of time.
“Um… I’m sorry for ruining the mood.”
At that time, it was Jenny who cautiously intervened despite the inconvenience.
Actually, there wasn’t really anything to be said about it being a nuisance.
“Can I ask how you found out where we were and why you came to see us?”
“Ah…! I forgot!”
I was so caught up in apologizing that I was putting off the important facts for a moment.
There must be a reason why he went out of his way to find them and come all the way here.
“It’s all thanks to Shaikhar that I found you. He and I were allowed to communicate telepathically.”
To be exact, it was a way to communicate with spirits of the life series.
It seemed that Shaikhar was quite fond of the totema, as it had excellent sensitivity.
Judging from the fact that they came running all the way here, they must have found us in a hurry.
To be more precise… .
“More than that… I have something urgent to tell Mr. Radon Crowler!”
“To me?”
Totema was the one who came to our mission to find me.
After a while, he took a picture out of his pocket and showed it to us.
I was wondering what it was, and it turned out to be a picture of my face.
It was exactly like the picture of me that Harkel had when I first came to this village and met him.
I had a bad feeling about this.
“This photo is….”
“This is a photo that has been spread throughout the Kingdom of Papyrus. Along with a flyer offering a huge reward to whoever catches this boy….”
“yes?”
The moment I heard that sound, my mouth couldn’t help but drop open.
Not only me, but Jenny, Ruska, and Mary also opened their eyes wide in shock.
“Uh… why? For what reason did you use radon…!”
“What the hell is this guy worth?”
Jenny and Ruska argued, saying they couldn’t believe it.
It seemed like Ruska was secretly trying to get me to do something about it, but honestly, I felt the same way.
What on earth does a guy like me have… .
Totema knew the atmosphere well, having once been born and raised there.
“If you want to survive, you have to be strong.” This is an unspoken rule given to the people living in that area.
That strength also includes performance, so the better your performance, the better your mercenary group can become.
“No matter what, they will get it done. That’s the spirit of the Papyrus people. Besides, the level of the request to capture Mr. Radon was quite high.”
If it is a high-level request, it can lead to good performance.
As the mercenary PMC grows into a nation-state, each individual resident values their own interests.
If you become the target of their request, it’s as if the entire population has become enemies.
I’m in that exact situation right now, with my name and face revealed like a wanted person.
In short, something fucking stupid happened.
“The current Mr. Radon will be chased by soldiers dispatched from Papyrus. I came to see Mr. Radon to inform you of that fact.”
“I’m going to turn around.”
Harkel too, why are there so many things trying to catch me?
My guess is that this incident was also most likely led by Grisha.
What the hell does that damn elf bastard want from me?
“no way….”
Suddenly, I turned my eyes to the materials I had taken out from the ruins research lab.
Wasn’t there something like this in the document that came out there?
The blood of one who broke the taboo is said to be the most suitable vessel to summon the god of destruction.
“Are you trying to use me as a vessel…!?”
I think I have a rough idea why this ridiculous situation happened.
Grisha, that damn elf, it seems he’s designated me as the medium for the God of Destruction.
So, he must have asked for cooperation from various nobles like Harkel and kings of small countries.
But how could such big shots have been seduced? It is easy to understand when you consider the current political situation of the empire.
`Is this a struggle for power?`
There is probably no author among the nobles who would not want to ascend to the throne of the emperor.
If I had to pick someone who doesn’t have any attachment to that kind of position, it would probably be Gerard Chainsilver.
However, most nobles always have a longing for high positions.
Even though he knows that the higher he goes, the more blood he will shed, he continues to engage in mud fights.
That can never be done in a normal way.
They are trying to somehow rise to power while hiding such inhumane acts.
“Jenny, what do you think would happen if Chainsilver ascended to the throne?”
“Huh? Why are you suddenly asking that?”
“Should we assume that all those who have harassed Chainsilver up until now have been purged?”
“…Huh?”
Jenny makes a face like, “What are you talking about?”
Jenny tilted her head in thought, but she could easily understand what he said.
“Well… there are more than one or two enemies in our family. But if my father ascends to the throne, wouldn’t he naturally be eliminated? My father is not a man who wants senseless slaughter.”
“Of course. Duke Gerard is a good man.”
“Why are you suddenly praising me….”
“But the bugs underneath won’t think so.”
They must have thought that their throats would be cut.
Because they feel such a threat to their survival, they must be plotting a plan to remove Chainsilver from the throne.
There is no sharp edge to it, so it will lead you down a path you should never take.
In the form of participating in the revival of the God of Destruction under Grisha’s leadership.
“That’s why they’re so hell-bent on catching me.”
Because I am a vessel of the god of destruction.
That means… the families stationed in Silvertown may also be targets.
“Oh, come to think of it… Mr. Radon has the same blood as Demon King Machia. I heard that from Lord Shaikhar back then.”
“yes?”
“That means….”
The root of our family’s genealogy is Crown Prince Rodan, Makia’s younger brother.
Even if he is not as powerful as Machia himself, he will not be lacking in summoning the god of destruction.
“Wait a minute. There are a lot of mercenaries coming and going from this town. Some of them might be affiliated with Papiyas.”
“Then it seems dangerous to stay here too long. Let’s return to the academy as soon as it’s light tomorrow morning.”
I wanted to go right now, but I had to agree with Jenny and Ruska.
Because I shot Diora’s destruction beam, I don’t have the strength left to move today.
I’m not sure what level of information this worldview conveys.
If this were the world I lived in, I would have been exposed nationwide through internet articles, SNS, and YouTube cyber wreckers.
Although there are telecommunications and communication tools, they are not at a level where they can be transmitted nationwide in a short period of time.
So the people of this town won’t know my face.
`I thought it was inconvenient because there was no internet until now.`
It was ironic because I thought it was fortunate that it wasn’t there.
There is an archive that looks quite similar, but it is only for use within the Academy.
What if it could be used in imperial units?
“Huh? Dude! What’s that scar on your neck?”
Mary, who was picking up bugs and eating them, looked at Totema’s wounds and said:
Then Totema opened his mouth in surprise as if he had forgotten again.
“Ah, actually, I was chased from Papyrus and came here. There was a force trying to capture me because I was a former prince.”
“It’s like walking into a tiger’s den with my own feet.”
“I was relieved because a year had passed since then. But it was my fault. Anyway… Huh?”
Totema, whose words suddenly became unclear, carefully opened the window.
He was helped by spirits while being chased from Papyrus, and is still being helped today.
The spirit was now yelling at me to look out the window.
“this…!”
The entrance to the village was visible outside the window.
There, soldiers stationed in Papiyas were seen gathering together, holding hands with other mercenaries.
Surviving as an Academy Fraudster
