◈ Chapter 422. The End (2)
Antonium was thrown into turmoil by the arrival of great figures.
The head of the Diamond Merchant Guild, Gamond Phil.
Gamond asked his faithful assistant.
“Say, Assistant. The Red Eyes should have arrived in Antonium by now too, shouldn’t they? I wish I could show this scene I’m looking at to Shaheen Dune, that barbaric fellow!”
He would buy the entire empire outright.
A magnate wealthy enough to make such a threat in all seriousness.
From the moment the treasure island, the Kingdom of Yusra, had been updated into reality,
Gamond had been the undisputed wealthiest man on the Arcana Continent.
And the procession of that Diamond Merchant Guild?
“My goodness, they’ve covered the carriages in jewels!”
“It’s too dazzling—I can’t even look properly.”
“So coooool.”
For the people of Antonium, it was an incredibly rare spectacle.
No, it was not merely a feast for the eyes.
He would sincerely follow Claudi.
Gamond was in the midst of putting that pledge into practice.
The guild’s private soldiers moved busily about.
“A-are we really allowed to accept something like this?”
“Mmm! I’ve never eaten bread this soft before!”
“Such precious silk, for free……!!”
Gamond continued with a satisfied expression.
“It’s rewarding, Assistant. To be able to share the wealth I possess with the poor people of Antonium. Truly, tears keep clouding my eyes…….”
The assistant replied coldly to Gamond.
“It seems the end of Sloth of the Seven Deadly Sins was quite a stimulus to you, Lord Gamond. Well, if you faced one of the Seven Deadly Sins and still failed to guard against your own greed, then you’d be a beast, not a human…….”
“Tsk! Assistant!”
Of course, Gamond had lived his entire life chasing gold, silver, and jewels.
No matter how much he sought to follow integrity,
it was difficult to cast off human instinct all at once.
Gamond strained to make an excuse.
“This is all part of the process of putting pride into practice.”
Farewell, my fortune, as precious as my own blood……!
However, Gamond swallowed back the tears welling up inside him. Looking at the delighted people of Antonium, he tried his utmost to put on a satisfied expression……
Grin.
Gamond grotesquely raised the corners of his mouth.
The assistant, watching him, let out a sigh.
Then he gave the answer to the question he had forgotten.
“Lord Shaheen Dune should also have entered Antonium by now. However, as you yourself once coveted Antonium, Lord Gamond, it is vast in size.”
“I know. I won’t be able to see his dumbfounded face.”
“And yet you seem to be in a good mood.”
“Heh heh.”
Though they were one under Claudi,
Gamond regarded Shaheen Dune as a rival.
Of course, a rival in good faith.
Among those who had answered Claudi’s invitation,
the only one who could possibly receive Claudi’s favor as much as he did
was Shaheen Dune.
Gamond added subtly,
“Leaving aside the Great Sage Rise, of course.”
“At least you understand your place.”
“To act insolent before the Great Sage? As you said, Assistant, that would make me a beast, not a human, wouldn’t it? More importantly, let us hurry! I wish to deliver this news of victory as soon as possible.”
Claudi had given an order, and Gamond had carried it out perfectly. He could guarantee he had achieved feats that could not even be compared to that fellow, Shaheen Dune.
“Solving everything with brute force is something only that barbaric……”
Clatter!
Gamond was on his way to the imperial palace in high spirits
when the carriage came to a stop before the crowd that had gathered.
Gamond let out a generous laugh.
“Haha, they must have been drawn by the majesty of the Diamond Merchant Guild……”
“They did not gather because of us.”
“Even so, we cannot give away anything more for free……. What did you say, Assistant?”
Peek.
Gamond stuck his head out of the carriage. Then he saw the people looking not at the Diamond Merchant Guild, but in another direction. Whatever they were staring at in a daze, they did not even realize they were blocking the guild’s path.
Gamond flinched.
“D-don’t tell me, Shaheen Dune?”
No, that could not be!
Unlike himself, whose fame resounded far and wide, the Red-Eyed clan—
the true value of the Dune was known only to an extremely small number of people, including Claudi.
No matter how much commotion they made while entering Antonium,
“there’s no way they could draw more attention than me……?”
It was the moment Gamond narrowed his eyes.
“Gasp.”
A being who drew the crowd along entered his sight.
Beautiful to an almost mystical degree.
An appearance that could only be described as elegant.
The clue to their identity was their pointed ears.
Gamond’s face turned deathly pale.
“Elves? Why are elves in Antonium?!”
That was right.
At this moment, figures so great that even other great figures would be startled by them were gathering in Antonium. All of them had answered Claudi’s summons.
“Oh no!”
Gamond urged his assistant on.
“Assistant, we must arrive first before we are compared to those elves! Yes, even if those elves are one thing. At the very least, to Shaheen Dune, that fellow……!”
*I borrowed a reception room in the imperial palace.
Sitting there as if I were the owner,
I spoke with those who gathered in Antonium one by one.
The first to arrive was the Red-Eyed Dune clan.
And the players who had joined them.
As we conversed, I began to single out the culprit.‘First of all, it wasn’t Shaheen Dune.’Then who was it?
Just who had spread my darkness across the continent?
I never gave any order like that……!!‘In any case.’They had exceeded my expectations.‘Both the Dune clan and the Diamond Merchant Guild.’Simply from the fact that they were connected to the Claudi family,
I had already roughly guessed how extraordinary they were.
But to think they would solve the problems without any particular effort.‘They didn’t defeat one of the Seven Deadly Sins each for nothing.’However, more than anything, it was Argentress who made me flinch.
“Have some.”
I set a teacup down in front of Argentress. A scrap of paper rested lightly against the teacup. Naturally, it was the green tea bag I always carried carefully in the inner pocket of the Dawn Jacket.‘To me, that tea bag is the most precious thing.’The reason I offered him a precious green tea bag
was because I had not given Argentress an order. Not only did he not seem like he would listen even if I gave one, but Argentress also had the goal of the Primordial Evil, didn’t he?
Clink.
Argentress lifted the teacup and replied.
“I shall drink it with gratitude. And I shall offer my respect. To think you have made the seed of the World Tree sprout once more. Indeed, I realize that Mother’s judgment was not mistaken.”
A courteous tone unimaginable from our first meeting.
This is terribly burdensome.
Yet shamelessly, I merely tilted my own teacup.
Was he startled by the bitterness of the green tea?
After flinching once, Argentress brought up the main point.
“I encountered Unification Under Heaven.”
“Unification Under Heaven, you say.”
“Ryu O Junchun. You must know of that being.”
Though I recited it calmly, I wondered what this was about now.‘No, you found them?’You really did scour every corner of the Arcana Continent to search for the Primordial Evil, Argentress? He’s not the kind of person to have his trail followed so easily, that Ryu O Junchun.‘……
Huh?’However, at the story that followed, I nearly spat out my green tea.
“I slaughtered all of their remnants.”……
You hunted them?
Unification Under Heaven?
It was not because I felt sorry for Ryu O Junchun that I flinched.
“I see.”
To Granfell, Ryu O Junchun was already treated as no different from a demon.
If I had faced Ryu O Junchun,
I too would have hunted him down without mercy.
The only reason I was surprised
was that none other than Argentress
had voluntarily taken on such a troublesome task.‘Unification Under Heaven shouldn’t have anything to do with the World Tree.’Why did he hunt Ryu O Junchun to the point of mobilizing his own kind?
Argentress himself laid out the reason.
And he did so while politely bowing his head to me.
“Please forgive me for having involved myself deeply in your affairs. However, I judged that their—his—Ryu O Junchun’s irreverent ideology would harm you in the future.”
Rather than anger, I felt surprise.‘……
So you’re saying you hunted Unification Under Heaven purely for my sake?’It was something unimaginable from the temperament of elves, which I had heard about, watched, and even experienced myself. Especially when I thought of Elsidore in the Garden of Elegance, the shock became even greater.
So much so that,
“Raise your head.”
I even thought,
Is Granfell’s flower garden finally beginning to bloom?
Well, if there is to be give and take in all things,
then the mercy Granfell bestowed should also be repaid.
At any rate.‘So they can do it if they try.’Whether that was the pride of elves or whatever, I had no way of knowing.
“Your pride was not wrong.”
Yet with my mouth, I shamelessly consoled Argentress for his efforts.
Argentress emptied the teacup cleanly and rose from his seat.
“Now that I have confirmed that Proznax, that young dragon, is protecting the World Tree, there is no longer any reason for me to remain in the realm of humans.”
From the position of Commander-in-Chief, I nodded.‘It’s certainly a waste of combat power.’Dragons and elves.
For the Holy War Alliance’s strongest forces to be gathered in one place, that is.
Argentress immediately revealed his destination.
“I shall return to my original mission and do my utmost to track the Primordial Evil. At the same time, I shall also pray for the traces of my brethren who must be writhing in Evil Fruit.”
The traces of dragons, huh. That’s welcome news.‘Thanks to Bellier, I learned how to purify Evil Fruit.’Of course, every time I purified it, I had to die once……
Well, as long as the effect of [The Last Adventurer] existed,
aside from the pain at the moment of death, there was no great problem.
Above all,‘Elves are reliable reinforcements.’In order to manifest the 『Extremity of Healing Magic』,
someone was essential to draw the evil dragon’s gaze beside me.
After all, it was still impossible for me to handle an evil dragon alone.
“And lastly. I have one request……”
A request.
Argentress trailed off.
His gaze was directed at the empty teacup.‘……
What is it, is he talking about the green tea bag?’He flinched, but was it simply because the taste exceeded his expectations?
I reached into my inner pocket.
Several green tea bags came into my fingers,
but I picked out exactly one and handed it to Argentress.
And added,
“Choose a time more precious than gold.”……
If you’re going to do this, why don’t you just start a green tea company?
“And savor it fully.”
Is there anyone else in the world who makes such a show of generosity while handing over a single green tea bag? I dread the day when Argentress later steps into reality and learns the value of a green tea bag.
“It is a tea that can be steeped even in cold water.”
In the end, I even added that unnecessary detail as I saw Argentress off.‘……
In any case.’It seems I can no longer remain still either.[Name: Granfell Claudi Arpheus Romeo][Titles: The Last Adventurer, Noble, Transcendent, Dark Dragon, Heaven Above Heaven, Master of the Ten Thrones][Class: Demon Hunter][Level: 976][Stats]
Strength: 200 / Agility: 194 / Magic: 877 / Luck: 16 / Aesthetic Sense: High / Tenacity: 10 / Charm: Present[Available Points: 0]
Repeating physical training.
In that process, [Tenacity]
had also reached double digits.
But my level remained the same.
This damned confidence of his regarded levels as nothing more than numbers.‘I have to prepare for what is coming.’World Quests appearing one after another.
The return of the players.
Of course, they were variables that could not be overlooked.
But more than anything, the greatest event for me was the Demon King Struggle.
And one over the Ten Thrones, at that. Because I, Lee Hoyeol, who had defeated Buer and taken the lowest seat among the Ten Thrones, could not help but be the most appetizing Demon King of all.‘There is no need to regret the green tea bags you handed out, Granfell.’From now on, I won’t have the leisure to enjoy teatime in peace.
It meant that wherever I went,
monsters on the level of Disqus, the lich of the Demon World,
might appear without end.
That was why, in order to prevent the sparks from flying to those around me,
I had resolved to enter the Demon World.‘And I vowed to make full preparations for that.’But to think my level had not changed at all since I defeated Buer.
No matter how much levels aren’t everything, still.
Many a little makes a mickle.
Don’t you know that even a single stat point is precious, Granfell?‘And I must not forget item power either.’Fortunately, my inventory was full of magic tools borrowed from the Magic Tower. In addition, once I returned to the Iron Castle, items refined from Eunaxus’s keepsakes by Walsweil, the greatest dwarven blacksmith, would be waiting for me.
Lastly.
“Diend.”
I could not leave out the [Hexagram Brooch]
that I had entrusted to Diend to search for. If it was Diend, then surely by now he would have obtained at least one brooch, if not more.
However.
“…….”
Despite my call, Diend did not appear.
I stealthily looked around.
Good, there are no ears listening.‘Ahem.’Diend treasured the name I had given him more than anything else.
If I recited that lengthy full name,
he would undoubtedly reveal himself immediately.
“Answer my call.”
I intoned solemnly.
“Diend Chrisiad Eternal Darkness.”……
However, there was no response.
Only then did I realize
that something had happened to Diend....
Diend gazed at the surging appropriate magic power.
Then he stood stock-still.
Appropriate magic power born from the past and background.
“O infinitely deep darkness.”
Why is it that you, my liege,
remain in their past
in such a cruel form?
Diend’s gaze turned toward the equipment worn down by hardship.
It was silver.
The symbol of Akshan.
Engraved with the Akshan wolf.
It was unmistakably Akshan silver equipment....[Class Quest: Akshan Civil War]