CH 320

TL: xLordFifth

ED:

Ram Hwayeon: No, that- not interfere, but- I’m saying this now, Ha Leeha, does it look like I am interfering?!

Shiiinh-!

Ram Hwayeon’s loud whispers made a mess in Leeha’s head. And her glaring eyes, and wheezing breath.

Ram Hwayeon was a calm person that targeted people’s weaknesses during negotiations and other matters, however, she had a hard time bearing Leeha’s words.

It would have been easier if Leeha knew the reason.

Leeha: That, sorry……. Are you mad?

And the wise choice right now was to apologize. And Leeha saw her expression being relieved a little as her emotions had been released even a bit.

While Browless, Marquis Hujak, and Count Quintum were arguing again, Ram Hwayeon and Leeha, who were seated, continued whispering.

Leeha: Tsk, you don’t even know why I’m doing this. You know nothing Ha Leeha.

Leeha: Why? Isn’t it your quest as well, Ram Hwayeon?

Ram Hwayeon: Really, I. It’s okay, it’s okay. Let’s not talk. I have my quests too, but do you think this is because of one of my quests?

Leeha: Then? Y-you have to tell me what you’re talking about.

Ram Hwayeon: Look, Ha Leeha-ssi, you’re the only recipient of Fibiel’s Medal of Honor. Have you forgotten your rewards?

Leeha: Huh?

When Browless entered the room and talked about the chimera, Leeha couldn’t understand why Ram Hwayeon was more delighted than him.

Ram Hwayeon: You can get either a castle or city, you fool! The king said he would make you the lord of a castle! Minis can’t give you any right now, but with the latest development, I am trying to turn it around by getting something other tha ‘Castle Van Cowl’! In order to give you a better city than a castle that doesn’t make money-!

Gulp!

Ram Hwayeon’s voice, which had been pouring nonstop, stopped for a moment. She lifted her neck stiffly and made eye contact with Leeha before turning her head slightly.

Leeha: To give to me?

Ram Hwayeon: No! My quest! It’s because of my-my quest is to get as many things as possible from Minis

She was an iron lady who would not break her poker face in any other negotiations. However, her conversation with Leeha made her reveal her emotions all over her face.

Leeha felt rather flustered by the two aspects that Ram Hwayeon showed.

Leeha: I-

Ram Hwayeon: No, aaaaaaah! No, no! It’s because of my quest, my quest! Anyway! T-that’s it. Ha Leeha, when is the deadline of your quest?

Leeha: T, that……. within 30 days-

Rma Hwayeon: Good. Anyway, Marquis Hujak and Count Quintum are in the palm of my hand. I will negotiate with Minis as much as possible for about 28 days and expand your options, so let’s see the situation until then. Is that okay?

Ram Hwayeon’s calculations were clearly faster than Leeha.

After getting as many conditions as possible from Minis other than Castle Van Cowl, Ha Leeha will choose from those! As soon as she heard Browless’ words, her calculations had already advanced to this point.

She needed to overachieve her quest, and at the same time, she would be able to give the best reward to Leeha.

Besides, she was confident enough to have an attitude of having the NPCs in the palm of her hand.

Leeha: Thank you. Ram Hwayeon-ssi.

Rma Hwayeon: You’re thanking me. If you’re grateful…….

Leeha: Huh?

Ram Hwayeon: Then, do you remember what I said before?

Leeha: What?

Ram Hwayeon: Good food, food! Find me good food!

Leeha: Ah, right-

“Then, I will leave today, Marquis Hujak-nim. Please consider-”

“Don’t worry, Sir Browless. Do you think I would want to put humanity in danger? If the wicked Minis come to their senses, there’s no need to be impatient.”

“But the chimera- no, I understand. Then, that’s it for today…. Let’s go, Leeha-kun.”

The moment Leeha was about to talk more, Browless pulled him. Leeha, who was about to speak to Ram Hwayeon, was hurriedly led out of the meeting room by Browless.

“Damn it, it’s a big deal. If Bluebeard and Ghibrid’s chimeras makes a mess during this time- no, if the peace treaty fails-”

“Don’t worry, Director-nim.”

“Hmm?”

As soon as they came out of the meeting room, Leeha smiled warmly as he heard Browless speak out his anxiety and lamentations at the same time.

Smiling in this dire situation?

“Within 30 days, the signing of the peace treaty will definitely be finalized. It will not fail.”

“How can you be sure of that?”

“Middle Earth’s best negotiator is inside. Let’s go for today.”

“Uh, huh?”

Leeha pushed Browless’ back and stepped out of the palace. This matter will be safe for now.

Whether it be an ally or enemy, Ram Hwayeon will certainly be the key to this quest.

He could tell just by recalling that she was the fifth-ranked contributor in the national war, with a low level and not even being among the outsiders.

‘All she literally needed was time. As time passes, the condition for clearing will be met on its own. All I have to do is keep in touch with Ram Hwayeon to check on the situation. Although there’s a concern that Minis might get destroyed- it’s not like the Minis rankers are only playing around.’

Leeha was reminded of the top 10 rankers Petyr, Chiyou, and Faust. And even Alexander, who was stronger than them put together.

Quests will be granted in Minis, so he didn’t have to worry about the cities being completely destroyed.

‘Okay then, I should focus on myself for a while.’

Leeha smiled as he left the Royal Palace with Browless. At least one load was off his shoulders.

After reassuring Browless, Leeha immediately logged out, he had to get enough sleep in reality before connecting again.

In Middle Earth time, more than five days had already passed.

“kuooo, I slept soundly for the first time in a while. Then, let’s check the progress first.”

Leeha opened the friends’ window and checked Luger and Kidd’s location, both of them were in places unrelated to the place mentioned where the chimera and Bluebeard were last seen.

Did Browless give them other instructions?

Anyway, with Leeha’s persuasion, Browless stopped being impatient, so there won’t be any quest for the time being.

“Ram Hwayeon is still in the Royal Palace, and Nara-ssi is also there……. I need to go somewhere else before whispering.”

If they knew he was in the capital, they might ask him to stop by the palace and talk to them again. He had a hard time dealing with just a single person, and there were two of them in the royal palace!

It was best not to go to places where he didn’t know what he would get into.

‘There’s nothing good about having a sniper nearby.’

Leeha took out his crystal ball and teleported to Bottleneck’s new forge. It was the most important thing Leeha wanted to check.

“Bottleneck-aju-”

Booom-!

In an instant, black smoke rose from the forge. Explosion? Attack? Thinking was a luxury. Leeha immediately took out the Black Bess and used his skill.

‘Mana Clairvoyance!’

Shhhiiing-.

Only three dwarven figures were caught inside the forge as his vision changed. There was no sign of anyone else.

“Bottleneck-ssi?”

Step, step.

Leeha quietly called the owner of the smithy while stepping on fallen debris. There were no other creatures in sight, but it was only natural to make sure of it.

“Cough, cough, kaaaaak, twe! What? Who is it?”

“It’s Ha Leeha!”

“Damn it, you’re so good at bothering people. Can’t you see we’re risking our lives to work? I will call you when we’re finished!”

“Ah, what were you making? Weren’t you attacked?”

“Attacked? Attacked!? Some shameless and ignorant bastard attacked me for making something monstrous!”

The explosion was a small(?) experimental accident that happened while making the items Leeha requested. Bottleneck and the Beard Brothers coughed and wiped their grimy beards. Leeha felt sad for a while as he saw them somewhat sad. Of course, that was all.

“How are you doing?”

It was more important to Leeha to make sure that the requested item was made well. After all, dwarf NPCs with the highest abilities would not die in an accident.

“Dealing with Dragon Heart is so hard. As you said, the structure is in place, but…. anyhow, can we have a little more items?”

“Hmm, what do you need?”

Although there was a free pass, it was literally just the right to use Bottleneck’s ‘ability’ for free. From the beginning, Leeha was determined to do whatever it takes to obtain the materials if he needed it.

It was also proof that the production level of the item requested by Leeha was so high that it was impossible to make it immediately even though he had even brought a dragon heart and dragon scale.

“It’s not easy to extract and move the dragon heart’s mana the way you want. It’s because the Dragon Heart has the tendency to absorb mana. If we don’t have parts that can be opened and closed quickly at the moment you take mana out of the storage space and play the role of a nozzle properly, it can only explode just like before. There has to be something that can do the job.”

Leeha shook his head for a while at the explanation. Whatever the explanation was, it meant that an ‘item’ was needed.

“Kek, so what and where do I get it? Just tell me.”

“I need a mineral that can control the flow of mana. I think there should be at least 300g of orichalcum.”

“Orichalcum? Is that the name of the mineral?”

“It is a material called the mineral of god. Get it if you can. It seems it is only possible if we have it.”

Bottleneck’s resigned attitude made Leeha feel somewhat ominous. Besides, it was called the mineral of god.

“That…… where do I get them?”

“Are you asking me that?”

“Huh?”

“It’s the mineral of god! Damn it, go to the Vatican, steal it, and come back. I have only seen it once in my dreams, but I haven’t seen it yet. You can get minerals that are treated as treasures of most royal families.-”

“A royal treasure?”

A word muttered by Bottleneck made Leeha’s ears perk up. A royal treasure? The Royal family? THe Royal Palace?

“Right. There are cases where the Vatican gives gifts to the kings of each country, albeit in very small amounts. Just know that it is such a rare mineral.”

Can you get it? Why don’t you just give up? Leeha did not get angry after hearing Bottleneck’s provocative tone.

“Is it in the storage room of the Royal Palace of Fibiel Kingdom?”

“What if there is? Are you going to steal it?”

“Yes.”

“W-What?”

“I have to steal it if you need it. It’s only fair. I’ll be back!”

He had rights that he hadn’t used yet.

The right of the first contributor to confidently choose three items at the royal storage. Leeha immediately returned to the capital.

“Such a madman.”

Bottleneck clicked his tongue and shook his head, but he didn’t know how surprised he was going to be.

***

“Should I go inside?”

“Yes.”

Kuzgunak’sh nodded to Faust’s question, whose skin was white. Faust was taken aback from his resolute attitude. He was telling him to go inside.

“But, as far as I know, the place was-“

“Hahaha, are you scared? Nothing will happen I guarantee you.”

“-Yes, count, I don’t doubt what the count said, but.…. I just want to say it again. This place-”

“It’s okay, it’s okay. I am here, and there’s red ruffian here too. So what are you afraid of? You just need to dip your feet once and come out.”

Faust could no longer refuse.

He had no justification to refuse Bluebeard, who he promised to swear his allegiance to.

If Bluebeard came out like that, there’s no reason to reject at all.

“Understood.”

Gulp, except for today, Faust had been having a lot of fun following the Fragment of the Demon King for the past few days.

‘Even though the proficiency of the Necromancy skill didn’t go up, the mana amplification by Bluebeard was amazing……

How much did his stats explode from just one tap of the cane?

Faust was much stronger than before with the number of corpses he could control multiplying. In order to maintain this strength, he needs to help Blue Beard and Kuzgunak’sh.

“Then I will go in.” 

Kuzgunak’sh and Blue Beard nodded at Faust’s words.

Contrary to what the Albino Lizardia said while being frightened, what spread in front of him was a space that was no different from normal landscape.

Near the entrance of the snow-covered mountain.

As he took a step there, Faust felt the energy on his body.

‘Madness, this is madness.’

Faust shook his head. ‘Who’ belonged to the space he was stepping into now. The answer was readily apparent.

(To be continued…)