◈ Episode 325. Even Beasts Know Their Master (1)
Common sense in Arcana.
A skill’s effects did not last long. No matter how powerful the buff or debuff, it lasted only for a set time. If the caster moved a certain distance away, the effect would disappear.
“……
Son of a bitch.”
The false loyalty had shown its bottom long ago.
There was no way to return from the Arcana Continent to reality.
He had realized it the moment he learned that fact.
“That bastard Liuo Junchun.”
The man he had served as his lord had only ever intended to use his loyalty.
If he could have his way……. He wanted to stab even his remaining eye with a tree branch. He did not want to share even a single scene of the Arcana Continent, not a single one of his senses, with Liuo Junchun.
“Tch.”
But he had already paid one eye as the price.
If he lost his sight completely,
there would be no way to survive on the unfamiliar Arcana Continent.
Kieeeeeek!
A bizarre scream rang out from beyond the undergrowth.
“Damn it.”
The Arcana Continent was still in chaos.
The Demon King had been deleted, but that did not mean every demon-type monster had disappeared.
Did they think there was no longer any need to watch themselves now that their king was gone? If not, did they want to become kings themselves? Rather, demons large and small had formed packs and were stirring up trouble all across the continent.
“Ptoo.”
Chew, chew.
Jang Anrim, a man chewing on a shriveled fruit, muttered.
Despite his large build, he was crouched down tightly.
“How long do we have to stay holed up like this? If we’re going to scrape by like this, it’d be better to just die. I can’t stand the thought of that bastard Liuo Junchun peeping at this pathetic state I’m in!”
The pale man across from him, Yong Seongrak, spoke coldly.
“Think of it as us having been lucky so far.”
“What? Lucky?”
“Compared to the five who died first, aren’t the two of us blessed by heaven? By chance, we fell not too far from each other. Thanks to that, we’ve been able to hunt, or at least dig up roots and keep ourselves alive.”
“…….”
Jang Anrim, who had been about to fly into a rage, backed down.
Yong Seongrak was not wrong.
If he had been unlucky and ended up isolated alone.[Man-Eating Plant Nepenthes: Lv.530][Death Winky: Lv.550]…….
He would have been attacked by the monsters he encountered in the forest and died an early, lonely death.
Jang Anrim calmed his excitement and gulped down the fruit.
Then he quietly opened his mouth.
“Then do you have any good ideas?”
Jang Anrim’s own mental strength was already on the verge of collapse. Yong Seongrak, sitting across from him, seemed more likely to make a rational judgment than he was. But what came back was a shake of the head.
“If I knew, I wouldn’t be doing this.”
“Shit, so you’re the same as me. My mistake for expecting anything.”
“But isn’t it about time we tried our last desperate struggle?”
“……
Last desperate struggle?”
“Do you remember it? The message that appeared the moment we entered the continent.”
“The message? Of course I do.”
How could he forget?
Even now, his status window was filled with active buffs.
Even without checking his status window, the fact that he was alive was proof enough. It was only because of all sorts of absurdly overpowered buffs that he had been able to survive in a forest swarming with level 500 monsters.
Tsk, Yong Seongrak clicked his tongue.
“No, I’m not talking about the buffs.”
“Then what?”
“Everything was the Dark Dragon’s arrangement. I’m asking if you remember the final message.”
“……!”
The super-giant guild, Unification Under Heaven.
There was one thing he had gained from surviving in that place overflowing with schemes and power struggles.
The ability to judge situations for survival.
To put it in one word, tact.
Jang Anrim swallowed dryly.
Then he spoke carefully.
“……
Is it what I’m thinking?”
“Well. I wouldn’t know what you’re thinking.”
“No, seriously……!”
“Haha.”
Yong Seongrak laughed slyly and continued.
“The way for us to survive on the Arcana Continent is to find the Empire. If not that, then at the very least, a village. You haven’t forgotten, have you? Back when Arcana was nothing more than a game, the role cities and villages played.”
“I know, I know.”
Jang Anrim nodded.
Even an inn in a small village that looked like it might collapse at any moment was safer than a forest or cave. On top of that, only by getting some sleep, even in a shabby inn, could one avoid [Insomnia], [Decreased Concentration]
and various other debuffs.
Yong Seongrak added the reason.
“It’s not just about staying alive. If we can secure even the minimum level of safety and focus on hunting like we did back when Arcana was only a game? Considering the buffs currently applied to us, leveling up once a day wouldn’t be a dream.”
“One level a day……?”
Gulp—!
‘If it’s one level a day, that’s 30 levels in a month?’
His appetite, ruined by the acrid fruit juice, returned, and vitality flowed back into his sagging body. But above all, if he could survive. The thought that he could take revenge on that son of a bitch Liuo Junchun lit a fire under his will.
However, there was one greatest obstacle.
“That’s why I asked. Whether you remembered the final message. The problem isn’t that Liuo Junchun is peeping through our eyes. It’s that the entire Arcana Continent is under Lee Hoyeol’s influence, in the palm of his hand, you could say. And we are practically the only enemies Lee Hoyeol has.”
“Damn Unification Under Heaven…….”
Five Stars, my ass.
Now that he was free from Liuo Junchun’s control, he realized there could be no shackle worse than this. But as he chewed over his anger, a question occurred to him. This was not reality, and their faces were not known. Their affiliated guild, at least…….
“If we set our minds to hiding that, can’t we hide it as much as we want?”
As expected, it was the wrong answer.
“Why don’t you recall why we were so happy?”
“Because we thought Liuo Junchun had chosen us…….”
“Exactly. Because it was a rare opportunity. The connector, the only means of entering the Arcana Continent. Lee Hoyeol possessed one of those connectors, while Unification Under Heaven monopolized the other seven.”
In other words.
Within Arcana,
every player Lee Hoyeol did not know belonged to Unification Under Heaven.
“No, damn it, Unification Under Heaven really……!”
He was not confident he could hide the fact that he was a player from the people of Arcana. Just as people of Arcana looked out of place in reality, they too would be unmistakable foreigners in the eyes of Arcanians.
Only then did he understand what Yong Seongrak meant.
“So what remains is a gamble. Whether Lee Hoyeol, to whom we must have been a thorn in the eye, will show us mercy or not. We have to stake our lives on that luck. Because that is the only way we can survive.”
Now that they were free from control, Liuo Junchun was one thing.
He bore no ill will toward Lee Hoyeol. But Lee Hoyeol’s position would not be the same. To him, they were probably nothing more than mayflies who deserved to be crushed without hesitation.
Jang Anrim and Yong Seongrak.
The two men ended their conversation with solemn faces.
“When dawn breaks, we’ll have no choice but to toss the coin.”
And the next day.
The two men moved according to plan.
And in the midst of it, they realized.
“……
Hahahaha.”
The goddess of fortune still seemed to be on their side.[The war for hegemony over the continent begins.][Golden Maxima declares war on the Empire.][Yugrik of the Forest declares war on the Empire.][Kansel of Valor declares war on the Empire.][Akamond of Dread declares war on the Empire.]
A war quest.
And not just that, a declaration of war against the Empire.
Which meant……?
Jang Anrim spoke, hardly daring to believe it.
“D-does that mean these forces are enemies of the Empire! In other words, enemies of Lee Hoyeol?”
“That’s right.”
“……
Hey, Yong Seongrak. Isn’t this an opportunity for us?”
Nod.
“That’s also right.”
Along with Shining, the ones with the most war experience throughout the history of the Arcana Continent were none other than them, Unification Under Heaven. Thanks to that, the two men knew very well what kind of rewards a war quest could bring.
Yong Seongrak spoke in a low voice.
“In a war quest, the winning side takes everything…….”
The deliberation did not last long.
“Wouldn’t it be better to earn our way through our own ability than to gamble?”*I headed straight for the Empire.
War had been declared.
If I could have my way, I would have opened a portal to the emperor’s palace. But would this body, which valued procedure, ever allow that? I stood upright before the front gate of Antonium, the capital of the Empire.‘When I first entered, I really did put on a show.’……
As if that was something to be proud of.
Whether it was manifesting the legend of the Dark Dragon in order to prove that I was the Dark Dragon, or marching grandly amid the cheers of the people, at any rate, I had done every embarrassing thing imaginable.
Of course, there was no need for that today.
“Open the gates!”
A guard who recognized me shouted as he saluted.
After that, well, everything went smoothly.
Though not quite as it once had been, Antonium had regained the appearance befitting a capital.
Clatter—
The restoration of procedure.
In other words, they had gained enough leisure to escort guests to the imperial palace by carriage.
Thanks to that, I agonized inside the swaying carriage.‘Is this really all right?’The four families’ declaration of war must have reached the Empire as well. The bustle I could sense in the scenery passing by the carriage window was proof of that. In the middle of all that, I wondered if it was right for me to be receiving treatment as an honored guest…….
Then a shameless sentiment popped out.
“One must refrain from excessive commotion over a minor disturbance.”……
Of course, naturally!
If I was going to be tormented by that mouth of mine, it was better to simply keep it shut.
In the end, I arrived at the imperial palace. Only after facing the emperor did I open my mouth again. The emperor was not seated upon his magnificent throne, nor was he standing in place; he hurriedly walked out to greet me.
“I do not know how I can repay the grace you have bestowed, Dark Dragon. As the emperor of the Empire, I convey my boundless gratitude.”
If you are truly grateful, first of all…….
Could you perhaps start by refraining from calling me Dark Dragon?
The reason the emperor of the Empire was expressing such heartfelt gratitude to me was simple.‘Honestly, I do deserve to be thanked.’Akshan’s decisive battle weapon, the Qirnberg Machine Tower.
In order to help rebuild the Empire, I had deployed the machine towers centered around Antonium. These were the Qirnberg Machine Towers that had played an active role even on the Arcana Continent when demons, including the Demon King, had been running rampant with tremendous momentum.
But now that the Demon King had been deleted and swallowed by the ill omen, even the Demon Eye in the night sky had closed, and only ragtag demons who did not know their place were running wild on the Arcana Continent.
The presence possessed by the Qirnberg Machine Towers?
There was no need for me to say it.
“I received word that imperial scouts have reached Dredsen Village, the territory farthest from the Empire. As it has become ruins, it cannot be restored in the near future, but that news has given the people of the Empire strength beyond measure.”
Imperial scouts had reached Dredsen Village at the very edge of imperial territory.
As for the public order in regions closer than Dredsen?
It meant it had long since been secured.
The emperor continued.
“I have also heard news that new forces have appeared on the Arcana Continent. From the Empire’s perspective, having already unified the continent, it would not be welcome news. However.”
The corners of the emperor’s mouth rose faintly.
“As the emperor, I could not help but rejoice. Regardless of whether or not they pose a threat to the Empire. It means that at last, the Arcana Continent has become like the Arcana Continent again. I have also heard that this, too, was the arrangement of the Dark Dragon.”
Seriously, that damn Dark Dragon!
“Once again, I thank you.”
Come to think of it, I should have felt burdened even by hearing the emperor speak to me respectfully. Was it because I had conversed with the president in reality as well? Or had my brazen face grown even thicker? It no longer made me cringe the way it once had.
Thanks to that, I could get straight to the point without preamble.
“Is that all you have to say?”
“……!”
The emperor clearly looked as though I had hit the mark.
A bitterness had already appeared in his small smile.
After a moment of silence, the emperor opened his mouth.
“My apologies. There is no way the Dark Dragon, who observes the continent from behind the scenes, would not have noticed. You are correct. The four families have declared war on the Empire. At this precise moment, when the Empire has finally sprouted the buds of hope…….”
Yes, I thought that was absurd too.
No matter what, there was such a thing as business ethics.
The four families, you were not even deleted and restored.
Why did you stay still all this time and choose this timing to declare war?‘I’m definitely not being sensitive because of my dark history.’Let’s see.……
That’s right!
It was because it was an action that pride could never tolerate.
But somehow, the emperor’s reaction was unusual.
What position did the Empire hold on the continent of Arcana?
It was an empire that boasted such vast territory that it would not be an exaggeration to say it had effectively unified the war-torn continent of Arcana. What that meant was simple.
The Empire was warlike, unyielding, merciless to its enemies, and brave. There was no need to look far. One only had to look at the rebellion that had occurred not long ago.
Centered around the Sword Saint, Shegwyn.
The nobles and private soldiers who had planned the fall of Antonium.
That battle, no matter who looked at it, had been disadvantageous for the Empire.
Even if one excluded the transcendent being, Shegwyn, from the calculations, the same was true.
Because the Empire, carved to pieces by demons, had not even ten thousand able-bodied soldiers left. And yet, despite that overwhelming disadvantage, the Empire and the Emperor had not retreated.
Compared to that time, the situation now was far better. ‘Why are they so intimidated?’ If the Four Houses had been realized, then those settings must have been realized as well.
So I could understand why they could not be confident of victory.
Even so, the Empire and the Emperor I knew
were not the sort to give up before even clashing.
The Emperor slowly closed his eyes.
“……
Has the time come, my predecessors?”
Soon, he opened his eyes and looked at me, continuing.
“I believe my predecessors will understand as well. There should be no secret that the Empire must hide from the Dark Dragon, the savior of the Empire, should there?”
A secret that must be hidden.
I wondered what it could be.
And this was truly a great secret.
“The imperial family, Sericrose. The Rose was able to seize the continent of Arcana and the imperial throne not because it was strong. Unifying the Empire with the Rose’s frail thorns would have been an absurd thing.”
The Emperor laughed aloud.
“That is right. The reason Sericrose was able to become Emperor was simply because they wished it. The Four Houses, that is……. And so, perhaps the time has come.”
It was a hollow laugh, as though he had resigned himself to everything.
“They must think the time has come to pull down the puppet they once seated according to their own tastes, and reclaim their throne. As the true masters of the Empire, they are trying to take that place back.”……
No, wait.
I couldn’t follow what he was saying. The Four Houses had been throwing their weight around to that extent?!
Perhaps it wasn’t actually strange.
After all, even when it came to the realized deeds of Claudi, I could not grasp them all.
But even while I had yet to fully understand the situation,
there was one thing I could say with certainty. The Four Houses were the masters of the Empire?……
No, then what did that make me?
I—Claudi—was the master of those Four Houses?!
Soon, my feelings were expressed in Grandfell’s manner of speech.
“Even a beast knows its master.”
Along with an utterly chilling voice.
“It would seem a demon has possessed you.”