Spent on Life Luck Enhancement - Chapter 60 (60/196)

Episode 14. Caron Independence: The Prelude to Liberation (2)

"Damn it! Damn, damn those bastards!!"

Minamoto Heavy Industries office.

The player Minamoto, having just emerged from the capsule, burst into rage and swung a golf club.

*Thud, thud, thud, thud—!!*

Bookshelves, sculptures, wooden drawers, and desks were smashed to pieces by the golf club. As if still unable to quell his anger, Minamoto threw the golf club at the window.

*Thud—!*

The window, made of reinforced synthetic plastic, repelled the golf club. The reason the window was plastic was because Minamoto had a habit of throwing things at it whenever things didn't go his way.

"These damned bastards…."

Soon, Minamoto sat down and placed a cigar in his mouth with trembling emotion.

He let out a deep sigh and savored the thick smoke of the cigar.

‘How much time and money I invested into that proclamation ceremony….’

It was a plan he had harbored since seven years ago when he had accidentally discovered ancient Pixie ruins. For years after that, he had invested tens of billions of yen into it.

A plan to elevate Minamoto himself as king of the , dominate the , and raise the guild —which had unified five houses—into one of the world's seven greatest guilds.

But that important proclamation day had gone completely awry.

If compared to a wedding, it was on the level of the bride's ex-boyfriend appearing and forcibly kissing her in her wedding dress.

‘I simply can't calm down… This shitty situation!’

The one fortunate thing was that he always took .

He would be able to return to the game in a few days.

‘The proclamation ceremony was ruined. And the building collapsed, and lastly, the low-level NPC inside died. The damage we've taken is limited to that. It feels disgusting, but it's not that great of a loss.’

At least, the ruined was not a huge loss in itself.

However, his mind was not at ease at all.

The NPCs and users of Caron, whom he thought he had almost completely broken in spirit, had begun to rise up.

‘Damn it! I have to stop that at least!’

There were two reasons they had been able to shatter and occupy the in a mere forty days.

One was the advantage in military strength. Whether NPC or user, the Pixie Kingdom side had superior numbers, and moreover, the ratio of high-level individuals was higher on the Pixie side.

The second lay in the fact that the NPCs and users of the had been too preoccupied fighting among themselves.

Already busy keeping each other in check, they could not properly cooperate even in the face of a common external enemy, weighing profit and loss.

Because of that, they could not weave together tightly like a net, and were defeated one by one by the Pixie Kingdom.

But now, the situation was different.

The forces moving underground in each territory of the Caron Kingdom had made secret pacts.

They who had been enemies to one another!

Their high-ranking officials were the same. Those who he thought only bit and tore at each other before the King of Caron every day had also ordered the with one voice.

And according to information obtained, it was revealed that even criminals belonging to Caron and the security forces had joined hands.

‘This is dangerous….’

Soldiers with high morale can fight one against a hundred.

If things continued like this, it would not end well.

The revived Tenno gathered various executives and held continuous meetings. Rankers of the five houses, staff officers, and even high-ranking Pixie nobles. And Tenno collected various opinions and designed several operations accordingly.

Among them, the most important thing he thought of.

It was to break Caron's momentum.

"Have the standby. That Musketeer of Caron. Yes, you said his name was Ted. If he appears, you must catch him first. And the intelligence unit, monitor Rudisa TV as well. Since he does personal broadcasts, somehow find out and report his movements in real time."

.

The greatest power he had created from ancient ruins.

And in his mind, it was also the power that could make the a true empire.

‘Ted must die.’

If they could just kill that Musketeer with the nickname , whom he couldn't even chew up and swallow with satisfaction, Caron's arrogance would be broken.

After finishing the meeting, Tenno lastly looked for something else.

"Where is the crown?"

"We are currently tracking it."

"Assign additional personnel."

"Yes sir!"

Having finished giving orders, Tenno gnashed his teeth.

‘The should be able to kill him. With that, I can turn this damned situation around. Yes… I must finish this within the scope of the as much as possible, without exposing my full strength.’

Tenno gazed for a moment at the ornamental vessel hanging in the back of his office. It was an antique clay jar adorned with intertwined ancient patterns.

‘I hope I won't have to use even them in a situation like this.’

He bit his lip.

The current Caron Kingdom was merely a stepping stone.

When the day came that Pixie, the Daeil Empire, would annex various kingdoms and devour the empire.

Only then would it be alright for him to bring them out and show them to the world.

*Hoo—*

Tenno put the cigar in his mouth. A faint aroma lingered.

* * *

In the north of the Caron Kingdom, there was a natural fortress as if made by human hands.

A terrain where a thick river flowed in the front and high, long mountain ranges wrapped around it in the back, as if protecting the territory.

Amidst such excellent geography with mountains at its back and water before it, the was situated.

County of Count Robru.

Having fought several siege battles, they were hurriedly repairing the castle walls as the Pixie Kingdom army retreated.

‘Ugh, it's cold.’

The season in the game was late autumn. An engineer repairing the castle walls in the quite chilly weather blew on his frozen hands.

‘Hm?’

Then, a man came into his sight.

A man walking alone from the distant plains.

‘What, an enemy? No… huh? Huhh?’

The startled engineer hurriedly climbed the castle wall and headed toward the staff tent.

Because a very special guest had come.

* * *

The user who had walked alone to the County of Count Robru.

He was none other than Ted.

"Welcome, my little brother!"

"Yeah. Hyung."

Cheon Si-u's character personally ran out on his own to greet his younger brother like that.

"I'm really glad to see you. All the portals in Caron are blocked right now, so it must have been hard walking here directly. You really went through a lot."

"Yeah, thanks."

It had been hard. Because even while drinking potions like breathing and rotating between three movement arts, it had taken a whopping three days.

Ted had a long conversation with Sion, whom he hadn't seen in a while.

‘How awkward.’

Even though it was virtual reality, it was his older brother whom he was meeting after a long time.

The last time Ted had seen Sion was about 7 years ago.

Back then, Ted was only in the level 300s. Sion was at a similar level. It was a time when both were passionate and being tossed about by NPCs' quests, learning the game.

But now, Sion—Cheon Si-u—was thirty-five years old.

Quite a bit of years was etched onto his face shown above the character.

‘I've aged too.’

It wasn't that Ted cursed his family or hated them.

It was just that his heart was narrow, so he had felt uncomfortable for no reason.

But today. Looking at his older brother's face after so long, he realized that the uncomfortable feelings he had harbored for the past few years had melted away like spring snow.

"Haha, so Father has been having a hard time recently. Because there are no fishing spots with big fish in the County of Count Robru."

"What about Mother? Is she still painting these days?"

"Mother, you see, recently reached 100% skill proficiency and finally painted a ."

The brothers, meeting after a long time, talked about each other's families.

However, such everyday conversation was short.

"Right… shall we talk properly about the war?"

They moved their seats to the conference room.

Soon, several staff officers took their seats.

From then on, it was not Cheon Gyeong-u's older brother Cheon Si-u, but Sion, the Master of Caron Walker, who began explaining the situation to Ted.

Siege battles where they had been pushed back but hadn't suffered crushing defeats.

And the current situation of Caron. The atmosphere of Caron's citizens whose morale pierced the sky.

Stories regarding the that would now begin.

But listening to the story, Ted could feel it.

That he was at the core of all those stories.

‘My performance was successful.’

Through Ted, the fervor of the Caron Independence Movement had burst forth,

and in the battles to come as well. Only with Ted present could the Caron Kingdom smoothly recover its territory.

"That's it all. Do you understand?"

"Yeah. I got it. I'll stay with Caron Walker for the time being."

"Really? Thank you! Even if you stay just a while, you'll know. The potential of Caron Walker."

Ted nodded roughly.

"Then before we fully plunge into war… His Majesty the King really wants to meet you."

Unlike Ted, Sion treated NPCs almost like people.

There were people like that. People who lived completely assimilated into the game.

"Caron XI? Hmm, should I… but Hyung. My crime count is pretty high."

"Ah, you probably don't need to worry about that. His Majesty the King, though it's a bit strange to say this, really likes you. He's almost your fan."

Ted nodded and headed toward Count Robru's manor.

* * *

"This is the place."

Having gone through all sorts of procedures, Ted went to have an audience with the king.

Soon Sion opened the door and entered first.

"Your subject, Sion, greets Your Majesty."

"Very well."

"Outside is my younger brother, as well as the Musketeer who turned this Pixie proclamation ceremony into a Caron liberation proclamation ceremony, Lord Ted. May I bring him inside?"

"Let him enter."

Having finished speaking, Sion gestured to Ted outside.

Feeling slightly nervous, Ted carefully entered the palace following the etiquette he had just learned.

"I am Ted. It is an honor to pay respects to Your Majesty."

"Raise your head."

Until then, Ted had been keeping his head bowed looking only at the ground, but he raised his head and looked at the King, Caron XI.

A young king around his mid-teens was sitting on the throne.

Indeed. Caron XI was a boy who had lost his father at an early age and hastily become king.

"We have longed to meet you!"

Caron XI's eyes sparkled as he looked at Ted.

Just like a child admiring a warrior who had rescued a princess,

the story of Ted, who had ruined the proclamation ceremony where numerous three-stars of the Pixie Kingdom had gathered and single-handedly collapsed the building, had shaken the young king's heart.

"Come closer."

Though he maintained a haughty air, Caron XI actually wanted to run out and approach Ted himself.

As Ted approached, the excited Caron XI asked him about the day of the proclamation ceremony.

But they were not in a situation with abundant time.

"Your Majesty. I apologize for speaking, but we are currently in a very urgent situation for an operation meeting."

"Is that so? Indeed! It cannot be helped."

At the right moment, Sion reined in the young emperor NPC's desire.

Caron XI made a displeased expression, perhaps regretting that he already had to let Ted go.

"You there!"

He called a retainer.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"We wish to bestow praise upon Lord Ted. However, since Lord Ted has walked a bloody and winding path, what must We do to properly reward him?"

A king is a king even if young.

Caron XI, who possessed the judgment, instantly saw through the crime count that Ted had hidden with his criminal class.

Soon, an official who heard Caron XI's words answered.

"If Your Majesty would him as , it would be a great favor."

"Indeed. Then him as right this instant!"

"Yes!"

‘Huh?’

Ted, who had been quietly bowing his head and listening.

‘Caron Guardian? Proclamation? What is that?’

Ted, who had only ever solo-played, didn't know what was.

But soon. A status window floated before Ted's eyes.

―Caron Kingdom citizens' favorability added: +80%

―Until this title is removed, you cannot be arrested within the Caron Kingdom.

[You may choose one of two additional effects.]

1. Max HP increase: 20%

2. Crime count reduction 100%

‘Oh!’

Ted opened his mouth at the unexpected title.

A status window asking him to choose one of two additional options.

‘Max HP increase, of course.’

Even 10% would be insane! It was high enough to be spoken of in awe, but it was a whopping 20%. Ted immediately chose .

‘I'm going to keep killing lots of NPCs and users going forward anyway… What's the point of reducing my crime count?’

He wasn't without unease. Since Faces Chronicle was a game where you never knew what would happen.

But Ted had one certainty.

‘For the time being, no guard NPC from nearby kingdoms will be able to catch me.’

That was a confidence derived from calculation, not arrogance.

If Ted reached level 500 and completed his 3rd class advancement?

No matter what guard NPC confronted him, they wouldn't be able to catch Ted. In other words, no matter how high his crime count became, there would be no one in the nearby kingdoms who could stop Ted's rampage!

‘I have to extract as much EXP as possible up to level 500 in this war.’

Ted's thoughts reached that point.

Soon, Sion and Ted, having finished the audience, entered the war meeting in earnest.

Various staff officers and Sion began busily exchanging opinions.

Ted also nodded roughly from a corner of the conference room, committing their operations to memory.

Operation Name: Caron Liberation.

It was when a brief silence arrived during the lengthy meeting.

"Master Sion. I have a suggestion."

Ted raised his hand and called out to his older brother.

"Ah, of course. Sir Ted. Please speak."

What Ted had been thinking on the way here.

Devouring the board in this . And simultaneously gaining the most benefit.

Come to think of it, there was something he had used once before.

"Could you perhaps attach one hundred Shamans to me. No, two hundred?"

Ted said with a grin.