It was no coincidence that the warriors of the south had begun appearing frequently in the free city of Dracal.
Now that the wounds left by former Great Chieftain Valteon, who had been a member of the 'Oath of Defying Heaven,' had almost healed, they too needed to break free from the limited region of the south and set their eyes upon a wider world.
More than anything, the Northern Mountain Range Expedition being prepared under the leadership of the Church of the Lord God was drawing near.
For the Kalkos Tribal Federation, which had long maintained a closed-off attitude, it was necessary to gather more detailed information about the outside world in advance. In that regard, the free city of Dracal—a hub of transportation—was the optimal intelligence-gathering post and waystation.
'*I ought to visit the south again sometime.*'
Halli scratched the back of his head, recalling Great Shaman Morna and Misty, who must be busy moving about in his stead about now.
As he had been busily occupied with Ganghwangye affairs during that time, it was only natural that he had grown somewhat neglectful of matters here.
Truthfully, aside from his symbolic value as the Battle King, there wasn't much that Halli—a destruction specialist who knew nothing but smashing things—could do here anyway.
'*Well, they'll manage on their own. They're all smart folks.*'
He simply needed to silently support and believe in them from behind.
For it was the greatest virtue of a king to utilize necessary talents in the right places at the right times.
Halli skimmed over the current state of the Kalkos Tribal Federation visible through [Sovereign's Authority] and nodded in satisfaction.
Perhaps thanks to the excellent appointments, nothing particularly noteworthy stood out.
'*As expected, management should be left to a professional CEO. If I meddled needlessly, I'd only complicate matters.*'
It wasn't for nothing that he had gathered capable talents and entrusted them with the entire operation of the organization.
What would he know, having failed to even finish high school due to an accident?
Simply checking periodically whether the administrators and field workers were doing their jobs properly made things this easy.
'*It's not like that's the only place I need to worry about. And they said preparations were all finished here too, right?*'
In a neatly furnished hallway, Halli strode briskly toward where another slave... no, talent was located.
He had received word that the work he had been waiting quite a long time for was finally completed.
In the tidy office he entered by flinging the door open without knocking.
"Hm? Ah! Welcome, Lord Halli."
Patrick, the Mercenary Guild's Secretary-General, who had been sitting and diligently reviewing documents, sprang to his feet with a bright expression and welcomed him.
Contrary to that expression, his eyes were heavy with dark circles, his haggard face bearing the marks of exhaustion.
'*...Mmh, truly splendid.*'
Halli inwardly expressed admiration at the sight of his subordinate leading by example and grinding himself away for the sake of results.
To think he was such a diligent, sincere, voluntary slave.
Indeed, it had been worth entrusting him with heavy responsibilities without minding that he was an Earthling.
"I have been waiting. You have arrived at just the right time."
Even then, Patrick's words continued.
The preparations for the matter that had inevitably been delayed due to Halli lacking any foundation in the Mercenary Guild were finally complete.
"Oh! Great work, Patrick! But it seems you've suffered a lot lately? Your face has become half its former size."
"Ha... haha... Yes, well. A little..."
"It seems you haven't been eating proper meals either? You shouldn't do that! People must eat meat to gain strength. As a celebration, let me treat you today! Uwahahah!"
Treating someone to meat personally was an enormous expression of goodwill from Halli.
For it meant yielding a portion of meat that he himself would have eaten to another.
At his kindly encouragement, tapping him lightly on the back with his fingertips, Patrick swayed back and forth like a balloon doll in front of a newly opened store, forcing a smile.
'*I don't need any of this. I wish he'd just leave me alone so I could rest.*'
Swallowing words he could not bring himself to utter down his throat.
Not long after.
A certain fact was announced from the Mercenary Guild branches established across the entire continent.
The apex of the countless mercenaries spread across the world, and the one who had declared to carry on the will of the founder and fight against the Undying King.
A new Mercenary King had been born.
***
Whether thanks to Patrick pulling strings here and there, not a single person opposed Halli's succession as Mercenary King.
With a great war looming, it was also impossible to leave that symbolic position vacant any longer.
Of course, rather than sincerely submitting to the result, most guild executives were hoping that he would die in battle against the Undying King. But at least on the surface, everything proceeded smoothly without major friction.
"Congratulations, Lord Halli."
"We look forward to working with you!"
"Haha, I believed in you. If not Lord Halli, then who else could sit in that seat?"
Though the title of Mercenary King was used, it was not a true king, so the inauguration ceremony was not particularly grand.
It merely consisted of declaring a festival in Dracal, putting out food and drink, and preparing a modest banquet for executives and various dignitaries.
Had Patrick not bothered to prepare even that, Halli would have just roughly glossed over it.
For someone of Halli's nature, such cumbersome formalities were merely stifling events.
Dressed as usual and tearing into meat with gusto, Halli roughly handled those who came to greet him while scanning the interior of the banquet hall.
'*Of course, since I've decided to do this, I'll take advantage of everything I can.*'
One such thing was entrusting the majority of the supplies being provided to Dracal to the Hubert Company.
It was no great secret that Halli had formed a certain relationship with Hubert, the company's representative, since his time in Tarak, so it was not a difficult matter.
It was virtually no different from extortion using power, but in this world, rebates or favoring certain companies with contracts were hardly things to fault.
'*Here, connections and lobbying are also abilities. And I'm nominally the co-representative of the Hubert Company too.*'
Thanks to this, the influence of the Hubert Company, based in Tarak in the northwest of the Ion Continent, naturally extended to Dracal in the southeast.
Having already completely absorbed the commercial rights of the Kingdom Union including the Tallia Kingdom to the west, signed near-monopolistic contracts with the Southern Tribal Federation, and expanding its influence even in the mutually hostile Empire and Republic under favorable circumstances, the Hubert Company—
Its clutches slowly spread even to the upper class near Dracal.
Not just existing trade goods, but beverages like cola and fruit juice, wine and whiskey, and raw materials including various textiles.
Earth-made products unobtainable in Auterica, handled exclusively by the Hubert Company, extended their tempting hands toward them.
'*Premium goods sell anywhere. Those possessed of wealth, swept up in vanity and wanting to show off their special status, could never resist this temptation.*'
This was no different even now, with war against the Undying King looming.
It was a fact proven by the Hubert Company's smooth growth thus far.
If they had never known of its existence from the start, it would be one thing. But once those in similar positions began using it one by one, they were forced to ride the trend out of pride at not being left behind.
'*And to receive goods from this side, they have no choice but to cooperate with the Hubert Company.*'
Bait using special products like Earth-made luxury goods and minerals from the Northern Mountain Range, and sticky connections forged through various avatars.
That was precisely the driving force that had elevated the current Hubert Company to the position of the continent's foremost trading company.
Moreover, using the vast [Dragon Lair], which they could enter and exit at any time, as an intermediate waypoint made large-scale interdimensional transport of goods easy, so it didn't take much effort.
The fact that the previously strict customs, which had limited the number of items that could be brought, could now be passed through freely thanks to the [Savior] had also contributed greatly.
'*Very good. The speed at which Karma is accumulating is no joke.*'
In the office of the company headquarters building in Tarak, Hubert nodded in satisfaction.
While doing business, he was sweeping up enormous amounts of gold coins from across the continent, but that was merely supplementary income.
What truly mattered to him was the massive Karma generated in the process.
The changes brought about by distributing Earth's goods in this world and the influence resulting from it were truly enormous.
Of course, since most of the goods provided through this process were consumed as luxury items by the established privileged class, their influence on the commoners who made up the absolute majority of this world was not that great, but...
'*If I could properly popularize Earth's medicines on top of this...*'
Tapping the paper with the fountain pen in his hand, Hubert stroked his chin.
In fact, for that purpose, the alchemists he had separately hired were already conducting compatibility tests.
For if he recklessly distributed medicine here, unforeseen side effects not present in Earthlings might occur.
'*We don't even need to go as far as specialized pharmaceuticals. Even simple household remedies or vitamins could have a tremendous impact on society as a whole.*'
Medical practice in this world relied heavily on the mystical.
Holy arts used by priests, magic wielded by mages, potions brewed by alchemists, and so on.
Naturally, the poor found it difficult to receive such medical benefits, and thus had no choice but to rely on folk remedies little different from superstition.
"...Still, we'll have to proceed as carefully as possible."
Pharmaceuticals were not simple luxury goods, so they needed to be handled cautiously.
If things went according to plan, the ripple effect would be beyond words, but there was no telling what unexpected accident might suddenly occur.
It wasn't as though he could provide medicines forever, either.
"Hoo, then next is..."
Just as Hubert, having roughly organized his thoughts, set down the fountain pen in his hand.
"Are you Hubert?"
A strange man's voice flowed into his ear.
From inside the office where he had been alone until just moments ago.
"......"
Hubert's eyes narrowed.
Simultaneously, [Clear Mirror Still Water] and [Neural Hypersensitivity] activated, stretching his perception of time.
The sensation expanded in an instant and swept in all directions.
Yet still, no presence was detected.
"Impressive. So you truly aren't an ordinary merchant. But such tricks are useless against me."
And words that seemed to mock him continued to be heard.
As if his actions just now were plainly visible.
'*How?*'
Yet Hubert's rapidly spinning thoughts did not stop.
Using immense mental power as fuel, within a perception of time that had nearly come to a halt, he quickly grasped the situation.
'*This is the Hubert Company headquarters. Ordinary individuals wouldn't dare infiltrate it.*'
This place was, quite literally, an impregnable fortress.
Barriers using all manner of mystical arts—magic, alchemy, and shamanism—were just the basics.
Mechanisms mimicking true formations, extreme poisons and traps that sent one straight to the underworld upon contact, and even curses.
Above all, wasn't he guarded around the clock by hybrid vampires?
'*And the one in charge is a peak-level True Blood Vampire.*'
The power balance between Earth and this other world, where those who had overcome all manner of trials with the system's corrections from numerous worlds gathered, was on a different dimension.
Currently, the estimated number of Transcendents across all of Earth was over one hundred.
So numerous that the name Transcendent was almost rendered meaningless, yet in Auterica, there weren't even ten, let alone five.
Of course, if one included dragons hiding somewhere, the number might increase, but even that had its limits.
'*In a place like this, a peak-level powerhouse is practically the strongest in the human realm. Yet someone capable of evading such a person's notice and sneaking in here...*'
A Transcendent.
And this was an unknown opponent—one even he, who knew all of Auterica like the back of his hand, had failed to grasp.
“You look like you have a lot on your mind. Have you about finished figuring out the situation?”
Just then, as if it already knew exactly what he was thinking, that unfamiliar voice sounded once more.
It was a voice imbued with a strange aura, one that made a person shrink back just by hearing it. But Hubert, immune to mental attacks, paid no heed to such shallow tricks and calmly opened his mouth.
“...Yes, thank you for waiting. So, what business brings you to me without an appointment? I don’t know if you’re aware, but I’m an extremely busy man. There are countless people who make appointments weeks in advance and wait just to exchange a single word with me.”
“Oh? As expected, you’re quite something.”
At that composed reply, the other party let out an exclamation, as if intrigued.
It seemed to find it genuinely curious that his attitude did not change even before someone who could take his life at any moment.
However, as though it had no intention of wasting any more time here, the other party went straight to the point.
Tuk—
Something fell onto the desk strewn with all kinds of documents.
Even though his senses were still heightened to their utmost, he could feel no warning sign, no presence.
An object that had appeared suddenly, as if it had been there from the beginning.
It was something Hubert was quite familiar with.
“Where did you get this?”
There was no way he wouldn’t know.
After all, it was an item he had distributed countless times to the high-ranking figures here for the sake of his business.
A high-end lighter made entirely of metal, with various English phrases and “MADE IN USA” engraved on one side.
It had been very well received by gentlemen, as though its style carried over even in this world.
As he was thinking that for a moment, an invisible hand tapped the fountain pen on the desk.
Naturally, that too was a product from Earth.
After all, for me, an Earthling, the most comfortable items could only be Earth-made products incorporating ergonomic design.
“You’re an Earthling, aren’t you?”
And it seemed the other party had arrived at a similar conclusion.
‘Honestly, Hubert is always the easy target. This is so frustrating I’ll have to come up with some other countermeasure or something.’
At the certainty contained in the other party’s voice, Hubert did not bother to answer.
He merely stalled for time while carefully using the means he had secretly prepared.
His greatest skill, 「Analysis」.
And 「Limit Break」, which would amplify its performance.
Immediately afterward—
The principles that filled the world and the flow of cause and effect, things that did not suit the level of the body known as Hubert, pierced into his eyes all at once.
At the same time, pain like his brain was melting began to stimulate 「Mind Hub」 without pause.
But he could no longer pay attention to anything else.
‘...What is that?’
What was reflected in eyes that had exceeded their limits and now saw even what should not be seen—
It had a human appearance, but the two horns sprouting from either side of its forehead...
No matter how one looked at it, it had the form of a demon.