◈ 076. [Side Story] Crisis is Opportunity
Immediately after returning from free exploration. late afternoon.
Crossroads downtown. Temple.
“… … .”
In front of the treatment room, I patted my fingers.
As soon as the exploration was over, everyone came here to be treated. It was because everyone suffered minor injuries in the last battle.
Among them, Jupiter’s injury was particularly great.
It seems that the damage was great because he forcibly blocked the pincer attack of two wizards with a higher level than himself.
“… … .”
Duduk. thump.
I kept breaking my knuckles.
My head was cluttered with anger toward them, but on the other hand, embarrassment filled my stomach.
‘Whether it’s living in a dungeon under the lake or a hostile NPC that can’t be recruited… … Anyway, they are the same human beings.’
You have to fight humans.
This is a completely different aspect from the previous battles.
No, not just aspects.
‘It’s a matter of value.’
I put my clasped hands on my chin and frowned.
‘Meanwhile we fought monsters. To protect people.’
But now I have to fight with people too.
To protect people, you have to kill people.
‘It’s not a matter of PVE or PVP. This… … .’
I bit my lip.
Yes, of course, in the game, I fought against hostile NPC forces.
I used my characters to kill enemies one by one with maximum efficiency, steal items, and gain experience points.
But, right now, this is reality.
It means that they are also living, breathing human beings.
Can I subdue them the same way I deal with monsters?
“… … .”
In Stage 2, when I ordered the Pied Piper to snipe. Damian hesitated, but eventually failed to shoot.
I am now having the same worries as Damian at that time.
if it’s to survive. for clearing.
Is it okay to fight humans?
Is it okay to kill humans?
“majesty.”
At that time, Saint Marherita and her priests walked out of the treatment room. I quickly got up.
“Is the treatment over?”
“yes. Fortunately, none of them are in danger.”
Marherita wiped her blood-soaked hands with a towel.
“but… … Jupiter-nim is currently in a state of mana runaway due to the aftereffects of using magic unreasonably.”
“Magical runaway? Isn’t that very dangerous?”
“yes. It is a state in which magical energy goes out of control and gnaws away at the caster’s body. If you don’t, you may not be able to use magic for the rest of your life.”
It’s a similar situation to what martial arts say.
It is the most dangerous injury among the injuries that a wizard can suffer in the game. Even if I got caught, I got sick.
“You must absolutely settle down for a while.”
“okay… … .”
I tasted bitter.
Jupiter was the best core force for this stage.
However, due to this injury, the minimum stage out. If you don’t have luck, the season is out.
‘I never thought bad things would happen like this… … .’
After adjusting my expression, I asked Marherita.
“Is it possible to visit?”
“Jupiter is not allowed. You are very serious right now.”
“okay… … .”
I looked shyly toward the hospital room.
I wonder if I’ve been too mad for no reason because of the golden light, which is a negative attribute. I feel bad.
“Others have finished treatment. You should go outside first.”
“Thank you as always. here… … .”
As usual, after paying a hefty offering, I left the temple building.
Lucas, Evangeline, and Damian were waiting for me at the temple entrance. I approached them with a bright expression on my face.
“It was a lot of hard work. How are you all doing?”
“We are all right, lord. How about Lord Jupiter?”
I told you honestly.
“It’s a pretty big injury. You won’t be able to return to the front for a while.”
“Is that enough… … .”
“You should consider it fortunate that it ended like this. If I did, I would have died there.”
However, the faces of the party members were not good.
An unidentified hostile force living in a dungeon. And an ally’s injury… … .
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It’s not like everyone’s upset.
I crossed my arms in front of such party members and raised my voice.
“Tell me in advance, gentlemen. I will show them a hot taste.”
The party members opened their eyes and looked at me. I nodded heavily.
“Since you dared to touch the prince of the empire, this Ash-sama and his royal party, you should make them pay for it.”
Seriously.
If they were monsters who couldn’t understand words, they could have avoided it.
However, as long as the opponent was a human, he intended to take a fiery revenge so that he would never target us again.
‘Taking a life is something to think about… … .’
Anyway, we must feed them as much as they fed us.
but.
“But that’s not right now.”
Preparation must be perfect.
“I’m going to pass this stage safely, get ready, and then I’m going to brush them off.”
Revenge tastes best when eaten cold.
Rationally, meticulously, sharpening knives and stocking up on bullets, I wiped them out in one fell swoop.
Until then, you should be cool. I have to solve the stage in front of me right now.
“So everyone, take a break today. No more complex thoughts.”
I ordered the party to disband.
They chased the hesitant young guys to their respective lodgings. Hurry up, eat, wipe your feet, and go to sleep!
***
I also returned to the mansion and trudged up the stairs to my room.
“Whoa… … .”
Now, I was bluffing like this.
‘What should I do with this defense right now… … ?’
Jupiter is missing from the party. It’s an empty seat in the main party right now, but Lily can fill it up.
… … .
“… … hmm. Will you be okay?”
The scene of Lily crying and grabbing the crotch of her pants, begging for it to be taken off, was pictured in my head, but well, let’s just skip it.
The problem is also the difference in combat power.
‘Lily is also a good wizard, but not as strong as Jupiter’s wide area dealer.’
Lily’s skill is a type that is strong against single objects rather than wide-area damage.
And above all, the efficiency of MP.
The number of miscellaneous mobs that can be defeated when using magic once differs from unit to unit.
There is a reason why Jupiter is a wide-area wizard that is used until the second half of the third year.
‘The Gargoyle Corps has high physical defense and low magic defense. The defense situation is similar to those of Living Armor. Without Jupiter, we’re in a situation where we’ll have to take off our main gun and fight. how should… … .’
When I went up to the second floor of the mansion with my head rolling like that,
“Yeong-Joo Nii!”
Ader came out.
“Big, big deal! I’m in big trouble!”
I dodged Ader and strangled my leg. zero car.
“Whoaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah?!”
Ader, tripped, tumbled unseemly down the hallway.
I sneered as I kicked the ass of the guy who was groaning with his unsightly outstretched body with my toe.
“You bastard director, how come you haven’t been around lately so I can’t see you well. What were you doing? Are you doing things right?”
“Yes, yes! Leave the city administration to us! No, that’s not the point!”
“You say you have something more important than city administration.”
“It is much greater than that! What might have been the worst event on this stage has happened!”
“What’s up?”
I snorted.
Could it be bigger than the party’s main mage being stretched out with an injury?
But at the next word, my eyes widened too.
“Prisoners have escaped, no, they have escaped!”
It was because it was the first time I had heard it.
“… … prisoner?”
I didn’t know why, so I only asked with my eyes wide open.
“Who is the prisoner?”
***
After hearing Ader’s report, I pressed my temples in pain.
“So, I kept asking for reinforcements from the capital, and I got an answer out of the blue.”
“Yes, yes!”
“It wasn’t reinforcements that they were sending, it was five death row inmates.”
“Exactly!”
“And while these 5 heinous criminals from the imperial army, who were sentenced to death, overturned the carriage in which they were imprisoned while being transported to the crossroads, and all 5 of them escaped… … .”
I glanced at the window leading outside the mansion. It’s already dark.
“… … It was around noon today. No arrests have been made to date. Is this the story?”
“You are correct, my lord! You are the summary king!”
“Is the summary the problem now, you rotten bastard!”
I grabbed Ader by the collar and rocked it back and forth.
Ader let out a sound that sounded like a deflated balloon.
“Why did the capital send death row inmates instead of reinforcements! Why did the convoy spill them in the middle! Why couldn’t you prevent this from happening beforehand! Only this name is the director bastard!”
“Well, I have no power in this world. Ohhh! You can’t even read the future!”
“Is incompetence passive, you bastard! Then tell me what can help! Do you know anything more about this case?”
Death row prisoner delivery event. First of all, this is a completely new event for me.
Is there any information Ader can give me?
“I don’t know how things went in the capital and how it came to be like this, and I don’t know the cause and effect… … .”
As my eyes grew cold, Ader added urgently.
“Ha, but I can give you information about the five death row inmates in question! I’ve already put your profile into the system. Check it out.”
“You should have said that from the start.”
I opened the system window and started looking for the death row inmates’ profiles. Let’s see… … .
“and.”
Then Ader lowered his voice.
“Even if they are death row inmates, they are the ones who ‘requested and sent reinforcements’ from the capital anyway.”
When I glanced at him, Ader smiled cleverly.
“If the lord persuades you well, do you know? They will become useful ‘real reinforcements’.”
“… … !”
When looking for new talent to recruit, I made it clear.
It doesn’t matter if it’s a ghost, not a human.
If only monsters are killed well, is it only ghosts? Whether it’s a demon or a zombie, they’re willing to take them.
But death row inmates?
A lot better than a ghost demon zombie, right?
This feeling was completely hardened when I checked the profiles of the five death row inmates.
“Embracing.”
I quickly skimmed through the profile and said to Ader with a spleen face.
“No matter what, we recruit these bastards.”
“Even though he’s a vicious criminal from the Imperial Army?”
“It is better to be from the Imperial Army than to be from an enemy country, and a criminal who can even speak is better than monsters who can’t communicate.”
Than the gargoyle monsters that will attack in a few days.
Than the white-masked enemy who ambush us from below the lake bed.
Anyway, these friends who have room to bake are better.
‘More than anything, it’s okay.’
ability level.
A lot of it too.
“So, incompetent Mr. Director. Are you sure these guys aren’t really at a loss as to where they fled?”
As I glanced at him, Ader scratched the back of his head shyly.
“Since noon, scouting units have been scattered all over the place, and we received a report just before the lord returned home.”
“Where did you say you were?”
“It is a hill north of the city. It’s not very far, but it’s a bit remote.”
“There is no need to delay. Guide me right away.”
After tidying up my clothes, I put on a smirk.
“Let’s have a meeting with the people who were expelled from the capital together.”
