Episode 90
The soldier had a trembling expression, but he had no choice but to follow the Count’s orders.
If something went wrong, I just had to take responsibility.
I handed the body over to the soldiers and returned to Hebron.
‘Things are turning serious.’
I looked around Hebron through the three wheels.
Unfortunately, the three-wheeled eye had two drawbacks: one was that it was easy to get tired. When I tried to look closely at a specific area, I got a headache that felt like my eyes were going to fall out, or rather, the center of my forehead was going to fall out, and I felt terrible fatigue. Another drawback was the limited surveillance range; in the current situation, I could only see about 20 kilometers.
In the Jayson Territory, there were at least two branded monsters that were rampaging. Fortunately, Hebron was finding stability. They had prepared a defensive posture with Amy as the main character, so it seemed that they wouldn’t suffer much damage in the early stages of the monsters’ appearance next time.
“… … We need to reinforce the south.”
This was something I had not paid attention to until now. Marked monsters were also appearing in the wasteland where the magic stone mine was located. Although they had dispatched troops there, they were not enough to stop the marked monsters.
The stray dogs were flying wildly from Zielson. They were things that had been sold in Hebron, and they delivered their message faster and more clearly than any other messenger.
‘My nose is three inches long now.’
When we arrived at the rainbow bridge, there was Sir Sniff.
“Chung! Sir Ambrod has killed the Marked Orc!”
“You’ve worked hard. From now on, we’ll strengthen the defenses here. Accept all who cross the rainbow bridge, but warn those who try to cross to Zyleson. It’s not safe right now.”
“insect!”
* * *
Before visiting the castle of Hebron, Gaius the Royal Inspector toured the territory. It was an unscheduled inspection, and unlike his previous visits, he was accompanied by a larger crowd. In addition to the Royal Inspectorate, he also brought along a knight from the Monolith Marquisate.
‘It must be because of the Monolith Spear.’
The soldiers of Hebron had mastered the Monolith spear technique. The reason this is in the past tense is because spear technique today is different from the past.
The modified Monolith Spear technique has become much simpler, and the origins of the Spear technique learned by the Holy Knights of the Arman Sect have been grafted onto it, making it difficult to determine its origins.
If you were to nitpick, you would find traces of the Monolith, but if you just say that you admired the Monolith’s spear technique and imitated it, that would be the end of it.
‘Was it because of the defense of the spirit world rather than the spear technique?’
I spied the knight of the Monolith Marquis through the three-wheeled wheel. He was in the spire, not the parade ground, and seemed to be inspecting the structure of the Yeongbangjeong.
‘I could teach you that much. If you pay a reasonable price.’
I thought I should make the suggestion first. But first, I had to figure out why Gaius had come to Hebron.
“It’s different again. Every time I come to Hebron, the scenery changes… … . It feels like I’m visiting a new city.”
“We are working hard to develop xenon.”
Gaius nodded with a satisfied smile. He considered me a loyal follower of Zeno.
It was not entirely wrong. I had no ambition to reclaim the throne. Rather, I sought to expand the throne. That way, Hebron could grow into a family that rivals the Duke of Breio.
“I heard there is a unique magic that protects Hebron.”
Gaius also took an interest in the defense of the territory.
Unlike the knights of the Monolith Marquis, who climbed the spire and surveyed the territory, Gaius tried to obtain the territory defenses for free.
“I tried to apply a little of the formation I found in the old book.”
“That’s amazing. The formation generates magical power and manifests naturally?”
I heard that in ancient times, there was a system that worked like that. However, it was impossible with the current level of magic.
“I have placed magic stones at several locations. The mana from the magic stones will be consumed while the formation is in operation.”
“What about efficiency?”
“I decided that it was better than the destruction of the territory. It was actually worth it. If you want, I can organize the information and give it to you.”
“You are the light of Zeno.”
It was excessive praise.
One regret was Gaius’s position. Although he was the son of King Zeno, he was the fourth son and far from the throne. Lately, thanks to me, he has successfully completed many missions, so the possibility of him being stranded after the throne was changed has been reduced.
But that was all. Gaius would not come to prominence until the next kingship was solidified.
‘The current King Zeno is a man who values royal authority very much, so he will intentionally prevent any situation in which attention is focused on Gaius.’
Yet the reason Gaius was given so much attention was because he was the lifeline that would link Hebron to the royal family.
I asked Gaius a question.
Gaius’s mood was ominous from the moment he left his office and sat down with me, so it wasn’t hard to guess his intentions.
“Are you an inspector?”
“Yes.”
“Louis de Hebron, I will obey the royal command.”
“I do not doubt you. However, Zeno’s national fortunes depend on this matter. I cannot take it lightly, so I ask for your understanding.”
“I am humbled that you trust me, Your Majesty.”
It was because they had been hunting down branded monsters in Hebron.
The royal family wanted to find out how Hebron could easily deal with the monsters if there was no connection between Hebron and the branded monsters.
Gaius’s request for the defense of Hebron was also intended to dispel the royal family’s suspicions about me.
“The damage to the nobles is not small. Some baronies were helpless, and those who survived became vagabonds. Count Frallius requested the Royal Knights, and with His Majesty’s permission, he dispatched four knights and one wizard. However, the damage suffered by Count Frallius will be difficult to recover within a century. It is likely that Count Frallius will be split into smaller pieces and distributed to the surrounding territories.”
It was not a story to be taken lightly. Even though the Prallius Viscounty was located on the opposite side of Hebron and was an area that was difficult to see in one’s lifetime, it was a sign that branded monsters were appearing all over the continent.
Monsters that could cause irreparable damage to the lair were classified as disaster-level. It was safe to assume that at least a being as big as Medusia had appeared.
‘If things continue like this, Zenon will be shaken.’
Even though the royal family dispatched elite knights and magicians to defend, it was impossible to stop the events unfolding across the continent.
In the meantime, Hebron successfully repelled the onslaught of branded monsters, so it was natural that he would be met with both suspicion and favor.
“… …Tell me the secret.”
“I gave it my all.”
Gaius groaned, for my answer alone was not enough to dispel the royal family’s suspicions.
His lush blond hair swayed with his sigh. Judging from how much longer it was than before, it seemed to be a wig.
‘Do we need a scapegoat to stir public sentiment? Or a hero?’
If monsters appeared in various places and destroyed entire territories, the people would be in an uproar.
It was possible that the people who paid taxes to receive the lord’s protection might take up arms themselves.
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It only took a moment for Yeongjimin, who was having difficulty making a living, to turn into a bandit.
‘I must bring forward the timing. The times call me, so I will become Zeno’s hero.’
“I heard you killed four monsters with minimal damage. They were whites, right?”
“This is a feat that would not have been possible without Raphael’s help.”
Gaius nodded. He thought that with the help of Archpriest Valancia, who was considered the next pope of Haryan, it would be much easier to hunt the undead wights.
Although Raphael’s help was great, he did not personally engage in the undead hunting.
He had lived his entire life treating the sick, and he would continue to do so.
I explained to Gaius the circumstances of my hunt for the White.
Then, when it was revealed that I had hunted Medusia, Gaius’s expression changed.
He summoned the royal magician who belonged to the Inspectorate and explained the situation in Hebron to the royal family.
* * *
The next morning, Gaius came to see me with a sleepy face.
Even in the midst of all this, she was faithfully wearing designer Serge’s clothes and golden wig.
“His Majesty has summoned you.”
“If you order me to do so, Your Majesty, I will follow.”
“I don’t have time, so I’ll have to use teleportation magic.”
Gaius rolled up his sleeves to reveal his bracelet. The bracelet, densely packed with purple crystals, gave off a soft glow. A magic circle was engraved inside the amethyst. It was an elaborate technique that only a great wizard could attempt.
Space travel bracelet.
It was a one-of-a-kind treasure for the royal family. It seemed to have been newly received, as it had not been used before.
“You seem to know what this is.”
As much as I thought, it wasn’t really a secret. Rumors of a teleportation bracelet were commonplace, and it was even mentioned in a knight novel.
“I heard it through eavesdropping.”
“You heard about the royal treasures of Zeno? Who is that man with such a sweet mouth?”
“It’s Ferdinand. I mentioned him in
Ferdinand, like Jeffrey, was a pseudonymous writer. The only difference with Jeffrey was that his identity was an open secret.
There was a rumor going around that the main character of the knight novels was the same as the third son of Count Reinhard. In three novels, the main character was set as the third son of the Count family.
The main character had no talent for Aura, but he accidentally awakened to it and became famous as a knight.
“I guess I’ll have to check.”
The teleportation bracelet was the only means of transportation that allowed free entry and exit to the Zenon Dynasty.
It can move up to three people, and each use costs an expensive magic stone.
“Can you give me time to change into formal attire?”
“That is already prepared in the palace. Let us go now. No one can keep His Majesty waiting.”
Even Gaius, the king’s fourth son, had a hard time with his father.
‘Because he is a person who values power over blood relations.’
The same was true of the Duke of Breyo. No, the vast majority of nobles maintained their power in that way, and it had long been common sense.
* * *
The king’s chair made of pure gold exuded mana. It was a chair that increased not only the king’s health but also his intelligence.
The king looked healthy.
If one were to face his arrogant gaze and statue-like solid body, most people would feel a chill down their spine and be unable to even raise their heads.
‘At most, a year or two. No, is it difficult to get past this year?’
But in my view, the king’s life was over. The royal family must have been aware of this fact.
So, the high priests of Haryan, who had excellent healing abilities, would have been gathered in the capital.
The High Priest’s healing magic could cure any illness. It could also restore the human body to its optimal condition.
In such blessings, it would have been difficult to even die.
‘King Zeno has accomplished that difficult task.’
King Zeno was 56 years old.
The average life expectancy of noble men was around 73 years, and the average life expectancy of previous kings was 62 years. Excluding kings who died in assassination or war, the average life expectancy reached 72 years.
‘Are you addicted to magic?’
King Zeno had a great deal of energy.
He must have mastered the highest level of aura training techniques, and like many kings, he must have absorbed the ‘Dragon’s Breath’ just before his coronation.
