Chapter 38 Part4 (1/2)
<chapter 38.=”” the=”” peddler=”” and=”” the=”” adventurer=”” -=”” 4=””>
Two weeks had pa.s.sed since the dungeon countercurrent. During that time, the peddler, Lawrence had cemented his position in Kuroa's Glory because of the Sun G.o.d's hero, Kay's influence.
Lee s.h.i.+n Woo fearlessly advanced again and again, and was able to buy a villa once used by an aristocrat with good terms, became able to buy/sell various choice goods from the merchant's guild, and was even authorized to open his own shop. These benefits were supposed to be unattainable by an unknown stranger, yet he had been given them. It made him wonder why he'd worked so hard, struggling with his Acting and Instigation skills thus far.
He couldn't call himself a peddler anymore. After all, he was far off from a regular peddler now.
”They're helping me so openly. ...They're accepting me, even though they know I'm suspicious. That just tells you how much they want Kay's power.”
Lee s.h.i.+n Woo showed off his goods on the display stand outside his store and muttered leisurely. It seemed like he'd just settle down in his shop, but he had bigger ambitions as a peddler.
In two weeks, he'd sell the wine in the auction, and after that, he would go to the next city... the capital and sell his goods there. He wasn't going to take it slow and start from the outer cities as he'd done in the past. Even when he was relaxing, it would be the climax of the story.
”Aren't they using you as bait to get to Kay? Since it's better to keep someone in one place than letting them go around wherever they please.”
”Jin... You're a lot smarter than I expect... Hey, wait. I didn't say anything. It was all my secretary!”
Jin, who was tied outside his shop, asked a good question, but then bit off some of Lee s.h.i.+n Woo's hair and nibbled on it. Lee s.h.i.+n Woo realized that having his hair, which was created by his Disguise skill, ripped off his head, was incredibly unpleasant.
However, Jin was right. A powerful individual could become a blessing or a curse. The Emperor, or his followers, should've heard the report by now, so the reason they'd let him be for 2 weeks was likely to mobilize someone who could actually contend with Kay.
”I'm looking forward to their response. Will a level 7 pop up, or a level 8. Depending on who they send, I can estimate how strong the Magic Empire is.”
”I don't think they'll send a level 8...”
”Well, that's not necessarily true.”
During these two weeks, Rem had been travelling across the cities and brainwas.h.i.+ng the golems. Once its Mana Parasite had gained the Infection ability, its brainwas.h.i.+ng speed increased, and the golems in several large cities were already under its control.
The information he gained from them increased significantly, and he was able to extract info regarding the Magic Empire's main force...
”Listen, but don't be surprised. You might've already guessed, but those bestowed with the t.i.tle and power from the Emperor are known as the '12 Generals'. Apparently, they're not so different from the Underground Empire's. That means level 8s may exist here too.”
”...Heh?”
For a moment, Jin didn't know what Lee s.h.i.+n Woo was talking about and looked on vacantly. The 12 generals? He'd thought that term was only used in the Underground Empire. However, the Magic Empire used the exact same term. That meant...
”s.h.i.+n Woo, do the Magic (Surface) Empire and the Underground Empire share the same name?”
”Ding ding.”
As expected, Jin could be pretty smart when he wanted to be. Lee s.h.i.+n Woo nodded his head in satisfaction and continued.
”The name of the Magic Empire is Heita. It's exactly the same as the Underground Empire's name.”
”That's... Wait a sec. Which one came first?”
”That's unusual. You're quite sharp today. You go straight to the point.”
”You know, it's all because I've stuck around you for so long.”
”I guess you're right...”
Which came first, the Magic Empire or the Underground Empire? The answer to that question was a lot more important than it might seem. When G.o.d had first summoned him, she had called it 'The Empire, Heita, which had flourished underground'. That meant there was a chance that humans born underground had created the Underground Empire.
”But unfortunately, humans originated from the surface. I wasn't sure, so I used every means available to me, and found that humans were indeed born on the surface, not underground.”
”Then... we can a.s.sume that the Empire was once whole, but was split due to some unknown circ.u.mstances. One side must've gone underground.”
”Bingo. Exactly.”
It was the shocking truth, but it didn't really mean anything to him. The history wasn't what mattered, it was what led history to go down that way, or the cause and effect.
”Think about it, Jin. No matter how wide the underground may be, do you really think that people would voluntarily live down there?”
”Nope.”
”Although the Empire flourished underground, do you really think they could live as naturally as those on the surface?”
”...No.”
”Exactly. There's no way they'd be able to. So, let's modify what you said. The Empire, which was once whole, split into two for some unknown reason, and one side was 'forced to live underground'.”
”...”
The two heroes daringly and extremely naturally figured out the truth. Once he came to the surface, he knew he'd figure out the truth eventually, but he couldn't do anything about the bitter taste.
To think that the Underground Empire that they had to defeat had such a ridiculous truth behind it. What's worse, their jobs didn't change, despite knowing the truth, and they couldn't do anything for the undead. They had no other choice but to exterminate the undead, just as they'd been doing.
”But that means we can't trust anything G.o.d said to us...”
”What about? The Underground Empire's curse? You don't think the humans on the surface created that, do you!?”
Jin's blank eye sockets blazed with fury. Unlike Lee s.h.i.+n Woo, Jin possessed a sense of justice, so he wouldn't be able to let this go. Even so, they couldn't change what they were doing, so... Perhaps it would just fester in his heart.
”No, that's not it. The Underground Empire's undead... When you take a look at the att.i.tudes of the 12 generals, who maintained their intellect, then no. But the Emperor used magic to achieve immortality... and it failed. There's something else to it, something hidden.”
Honestly, Lee s.h.i.+n Woo had a hunch before he'd come up here regarding what that truth may be, but once he actually came to the surface, he became even more sure of his a.s.sumption.
But because it was only a hypothesis without any evidence backing it up, he couldn't just say it outright. If his hypothesis is true, then... he would have to sock G.o.d in the face before he felt any better.