by Park Saenal
“You must have suffered a lot. I will go to find my senior knight and finish the quest. Please don’t worry about the rewards and hurry to leave.”
“Thank you for this work in many ways.”
“What are you saying? I’m the grateful one. Thanks to Grid, I cleared the quest. I am greatly indebted to you.” There was no exaggeration in Resh’s words.
This was a quest he shared with Grid and Coke, but he never would’ve been able to clear it without them. The demonkin Biplonz guarded the prison, and Sword Duke Limit had emerged after Biplonz was defeated. It would have been impossible to defeat them with the power of three high rankers. No, he wouldn’t have even reached the prison. It would have been hard to break through the guards when there was a narrow path that only one person could pass through at a time. This had been really good luck. The relationship that he developed with Coke through the Chivalry community…
“I will surely repay your grace.”
“First, buy us a meal. In any case, it is easy to meet people living in the same country.” Coke smiled at Resh.
He wanted to get closer to Resh. Being in the same community meant they had the same interests. After all, Resh also had great strength, so it would be good if they became closer. Resh accepted it happily. “I’ll treat you several times. It is an honor to be able to meet you.”
“If you meet us and get caught by Peak Sword, there will be a big mess. He will swear at you the moment he knows you are Korean.”
“Haha… I’ll have to bear it.”
“Good. Then I’ll see you next time.”
Grid also liked Resh. He was a good player who gave off a great impression and had a humble personality. Grid wanted to continue the relationship with Resh and invite him to the Overgeared Guild. However, it wasn’t possible right now. Resh also had his own path.
Grid left these regrets behind and urged Coke, “Let’s hurry, Coke.”
The situation would become even harder if Edan’s army came forward. They couldn’t waste any more time. Yet at the moment that Grid turned his back to Resh… There was suddenly a harsh noise, and the ground shook violently. Soon after, a formation of horses appeared, covering the horizon. It wasn’t thousands but tens of thousands of horses.
They were cavalry. Considering that the cost of raising one cavalryman was equal to the cost of raising 30 infantry, it was an unbelievable sight. The ranks of cavalry, that were so tight not even a needle could pass through, approached Grid’s group.
“An army of the empire!”
“I knew it would be like this.”
Coke was dazed while Ke showed a scathing reaction. Ke reached out to the tight-faced Grid. “Don’t you know that the empire is an empire for a reason? The atrocities of the empire stemmed from its thoroughness. It is impossible to escape from the Abyss in the first place. Now let me see your sword. I want to see the sword before I am caught again.”
“Break through,” Grid just ignored Ke and gave Coke an order. Yet he stopped as he was about to summon Noe and his other pets.
“Lord Grenhal!”
“Lady Basara!”
“Morse, this idiot!”
The tens of thousands of cavalrymen approaching Grid’s party were the soldiers of the three dukes. In other words, armed forces of a noble entered the capital where the emperor lived. It was a taboo. This alone was a sin. That’s why they were late. The retainers of Grenhal, Basara, and Morse rushed forward and knelt down tearfully in front of the dukes.
“I sensed something, but I couldn’t run over right away!”
“Forgive our incompetence!”
“The imperial guards are chasing us! We need to escape straight away!”
“Morse, this asshole! I told you to come back to the estate first! You went through this mess because you didn’t listen to me!!”
“…”
Who was this woman who kept swearing at Morse? Could a retainer show such an attitude to a duke of the empire? Grid turned away from the seemingly angry woman and carefully laid Basara down.
“I am Overgeared King Grid.”
“I know.” An old man called Lanford came forward. Armed with old armor, he represented the army of the Basara family, and his name flashed with a gold color. Not only that, there seemed to be a named NPC in each duke’s household. “On the day that Duke Basara returned from the Ruins of the War God, she told me about Your Majesty thorough magic communication.”
The other dukes’ retainers were also aware of Grid. All of them respectfully bowed to Grid.
“This time, Your Majesty rescued everyone. We are deeply grateful.”
They weren’t stupid, so it was easy for them to guess the situation. Various circumstances explained the situation.
“Thank you very much! The Grenhal Duchy will never forget today’s grace!”
“Thank you very much! The Basara Duchy will never forget today’s grace!”
“Thank you very much. The same is true for the Morse Duchy.
Tens of thousands of soldiers cried out as the dukes’ retainers bowed in front of King Grid. They were cries filled with various emotions. The plains shook, and sounds echoed through the entrance of the Abyss.
“I just helped my friends,” Grid responded as modestly as possible. In fact, he wanted to express his heart, but it wasn’t the right time. He should be patient for a more dramatic production.
“King Grid…” Grenhal was touched by Grid’s words without knowing the situation and trembled. Edan had blinded him, but Grenhal could imagine Grid’s dignified appearance in his head. This was a king of great character. It was obvious how much the people of the Overgeared Kingdom would love Grid.
“Sh… Shit…” Morse was unable to bear with the pain from his cut off limbs, and his eyes were red. This wasn’t the emperor their families had loyally served for generations. A person whom they had only known for a few days had saved them… Morse’s thoughts were complicated and confused in many ways.
Meanwhile, Basara was still dazed. Just like in the prison, she stared at the distant sky with her mouth open. In this midst of this atmosphere, the knights urged them, “We have to hurry back to the estate.”
They had to leave here quickly. They couldn’t fathom how things would turn out if there were a clash with imperial forces.
“Send a letter to the Rebecca Church right away. If the elders of the church take action, the dukes’ bodies might be restored a bit.”
Then it happened when the retainers were urging the soldiers to take care of the dukes.
“Let’s go to Reinhardt,” Grid spoke up.
“Why Reinhardt?”
Reinhardt was the capital of the Overgeared Kingdom. Why should they go there? In front of the confused retainers, Grid unwittingly made a proud expression as he explained, “My sister is the Saintess.”
“…!!”
“My sister will be able to heal them.”
“…!!”
“Of course, it will be very hard for my sister, but she will definitely make the sacrifice for my friends. It will be very hard, but she will surely do it.”
It was finally time to show off.
Grid prompted an answer from the astonished retainers, “Will you believe in me?”
“O-Of course!”
It was a situation where every straw needed to be grasped. Additionally, Overgeared King Grid could be trusted. So, the retainers nodded immediately.
Coke clicked his tongue inwardly. ‘People will be freaked out again…’
Resh and Ke were terrified.
‘The dukes’ soldiers, who might be charged with treason, are willing to go to the Overgeared Kingdom… The flow is unusual.’
‘Are the nobles of the empire so easily swayed by the king of another nation? Has the world gone crazy after decades?’
***
“It is really annoying,” 4th Imperial Prince Edan murmured. His face had long been distorted. “Why are you involved in imperial affairs?”
In
the downstream of the Ballua River, Edan—who had been tracking Rachel back to her estate—had been very happy. If he succeeded in capturing Rachel, all his factors of anxiety would be eliminated. However, the plan failed because of the interference of a third party.
The Sword Saint—the black-haired man who wasn’t even on the same level as Piaro—had appeared to help Rachel. He knew the weaknesses of the magic machine and spread out his sword energy likes clouds, interrupting them and dragging out the time. It had been a long time since the magic machines reached the limit of their operating duration and stopped working.
Edan had to pull out a sword and deal with Rachel himself. He was confident in winning a one-on-one match, but Kraugel’s swordsmanship—which contained a mystery ‘power despite being weak’—kept Edan at a disadvantage.
‘I shouldn’t have sent Limit.’
Just before arriving here, the detection magic identifying intruders in the Abyss was activated. Edan was forced to send the fastest moving Limit. That was the problem. It would’ve been better to go back after taking care of Rachel together. In any case, the Abyss was guarded by Biplonz, and he thought that was enough.
‘I think this matter has become severely twisted.’ Edan clicked his tongue and launched his red energy.
The target was Kraugel. Kraugel stepped back, but that was it. He didn’t release the sword in his hand.
Edan’s judgment was quick. “I have to go and clean up the shit.”
Right now, Rachel’s life wasn’t important. Every minute was precious, so it would be a waste of time to punish the Sword Saint hindering him. Edan recovered his sword and said goodbye to Rachel, “You were lucky. Let’s meet again next time.”
“The next time we meet, you will be a traitor, not a prince.”
“Kukuk, I don’t think so.”
Since when had things become so twisted? Who was behind him?
‘What type of jerk…’ Edan barely suppressed his anger and left. He first planned to meet the grandmaster.
Soon there were only two people left. Rachel asked Kraugel, “How did you know to come and help me?”
“Master gave me a hint on the way back from beating Berith.”
He stated that he felt a strong red energy. It was unknown why, but Kirinus was very sensitive to the blood of the imperial family and knew the situation occurring inside the royal court. In the worst case, the dukes might suffer because someone had witnessed the dukes and Piaro together. Thus, he was to go to the capital and help them. This was the content of the hidden quest Kraugel had received. He wasn’t able to protect the other three dukes, but he was glad that he could protect Rachel.
‘…The rest.’
Kraugel didn’t know why he had this idea that Grid would’ve rescued the remaining dukes. The reason for this feeling was Grid’s increase in level, which didn’t rise even after the Berith raid.
‘I will reach level 500 and 600 faster.’
Kraugel had been the first player to reach level 100, and he obtained the Pioneer title. He had also been the first to achieve level 200 and 300. Now things had changed. He lost the benefits he’d had for a long time. Even so, why…?
Kraugel felt more pleased than deprived. It was more appropriate to say that his passion was ignited.
[Hidden Quest ★Support the Dukes ★ has been cleared.]
[You have helped one duke.]
[You have gained one level from the quest reward.]
[The quest rewards…]
….
…
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Chapter 1071
“…?” The dukes’ retainers were confused after arriving at Reinhardt through Mass Teleport. It was because they had teleported to the king’s palace, not the middle of the city. They thought they would have to wait until after the king’s big ceremony, yet he returned so quietly…?
‘Why not hold an event?’
The ruler of all countries, including the emperor of the empire. No, even a lord would make a big move. Every time they left the castle, they brought people together to carry out an event and praise them. It was propaganda to capture public sentiment. The ruler’s reason for going out might be trivial and personal, but it was easy to package it as a service and sacrifice for the people.
Yet Grid didn’t take advantage of this great propaganda opportunity. This was despite the fact that he had returned with nobles of the empire.
‘I thought he would use bringing us back for propaganda, but he didn’t even hold a simple return ceremony…? Was he not interested in managing public sentiment?’
Our king returned with dozens of imperial nobles. The nobles of the empire respect our king.
It was a great way to spread positive thoughts among the people. This was a situation where it would be possible to produce a good performance. Yet Grid didn’t take advantage of it. Was it because he was short-sighted? No, he had established a kingdom alone. It was said that he was a traitor who defied the laws of the heavens, but his abilities couldn’t be doubted or denied. This wasn’t about being ignorant.
Then a crazy thought made their eyes widen.
‘It is consideration for us!’
The dukes’ retainers had committed a great sin. They dared to lead an army to invade the emperor’s territory and took out the dukes that the imperial family had locked up in the Abyss. It was an act of loyalty toward their owner, but this excuse was insufficient to make up for their sin as their master was the imperial family.
‘If it is known that we visited the Overgeared Kingdom as well…’
‘Regardless of the circumstances, there would be allegations that we conspired with the Overgeared Kingdom to betray the empire.’
‘The dukes’ position would be even worse. The Overgeared King secretly returned with this in mind.’
‘How many times have we received his grace…’
Admiration and gratitude intersected. There was a strange excitement in the eyes of the retainers following Grid.
***
“Sigh.”
Grid led the dukes to their rooms and returned to his office. His mental fatigue was due to the events after the battle that required a high degree of concentration. He took off his armor and cloak, placed them in his inventory, and smiled at Lauel. “Thank you. You advised me that it was better not to publicize their visit to the Overgeared Kingdom.”
“I can’t be negligent.” Lauel hadn’t been excited when he heard that Grid would return with 40,000 imperial cavalrymen and dozens of imperial nobles.
It was likely that the position of the Overgeared Kingdom would greatly increase even if a small amount of this information was leaked. The dukes led tens of thousands of soldiers to visit the Overgeared Kingdom…? This little rumor would spark all types of speculations and cause the neighboring nations to fear the Overgeared Kingdom.
However, Lauel was patient. It was because the empire had a high probability of declaring the dukes as traitors.
‘The dukes shouldn’t be expelled. The dukes must preserve their power in order to become our strength.’
It was a relationship that Grid had worked hard to build up. Thus, it should be used more thoroughly. Lauel thought so. Unlike Grid who was purely concerned about the dukes, Lauel perceived them as useful cards. Of course, Grid also knew this. Even so, he had no intention of criticizing Lauel. After all, this was Lauel’s role.
Grid asked with a bitter smile, “Then Sehee… When will Ruby arrive?”
“I’ve sent the Overgeared Shadows to escort them, and they should arrive in two hours.”
“The Saintess class is a scam. I never dreamed she would be hunting at the Galgunos Temple.”
“Of course, the class is great, but she also has excellent senses. I analyzed her movements during this period and found that she played the game very effectively. Ruby and Sexy Schoolgirl both have talent in the game.”
“Really? She isn’t like me at all…”
Unlike her stupid br
other, Sehee was smart. With a good personality and beautiful face, she was different from her brother. Sometimes he wondered if they were siblings since they were different in every way. Therefore, it was reassuring. How many times had he been glad that she didn’t resemble him? The moment that Grid thought this…
“She looks just like you when she is angry.”
“Eh?”
“The two of you. When you are angry, your eyes and mouth look exactly the same. The rough tone is also the same.”
“It doesn’t seem like a good thing,” Grid said. Then he quickly asked with a serious expression, “Can the dukes be fixed?”
Sadness could be felt from his tone and expression. Grid was sincerely concerned about the dukes. They had only been together for a short time. However, they shared many experiences and stories, so they quickly became friendly. The shock he had experienced when he saw the dukes still remained.
“Grenhal’s eyes were destroyed, and Morse’s limbs were shattered. That wise woman Basara has become a complete idiot.”
They suffered too many wounds. A Saintess might be defined as a ‘person who creates miracles’, but was it possible to heal such major wounds? Grid had boasted in front of the dukes, but he was actually anxious. His promise that the Saintess could fix the dukes was probably to calm his own anxiety.
Lauel spoke with steady eyes, “The Saintess is someone who threatens even the authority of the goddess of light.”
The biggest penalty of the Saintess class was the necessity to do dozens of good deeds every day. Lauel had already heard hundreds of times that Ruby had healed people with disabilities. It was a divine force that destroyed even the soul of a great demon. The system explained that it wasn’t the goddess of light’s power but a Saintess’ own aura.
“The power of the Saintess is real. I think it is good to believe in her.”
One day, somebody would pull down the fallen god. The new goddess of light would be born from this fall. This was Lauel’s guess. It meant the class of Saintess was extremely special, and it wasn’t difficult to estimate that it had the potential of a myth because its abilities could directly influence the worldview.
