# Chapter 459: Side Story 132
Honestly, by now, fighting with brute force and brawling had become utterly tedious.
For example, suppose he were writing a novel.
If he were to describe the summoned beings’ battle scenes, it would go like this:
-Whoosh! Thwack! Gack!
-Splat! Squelch! Thud! Roll roll roll.
-Swoooosh! Flash! Boom boom boom!
It would be over in the blink of an eye.
There was no sense of crisis, let alone any entertainment value.
Balance completely broken.
With Kozak, Gobang, and Alejandro—just these three could conquer the entire continent.
But Ju-hyeok’s goal wasn’t continental conquest.
Why would he do something like that?
There was a different objective.
To capture the Demon God.
To obtain fragments of attribute-less godhood as a reward.
As a homecoming gift for our White Lord.
To capture him?
He had to face him directly.
The Demon God had to be right in front of him.
But the path to get there wasn’t easy.
If he knew who the target was and exactly where they were, he would go find them immediately, but.
The information he currently had was somewhat vague.
Everything was speculation.
According to the god Wignar, the Demon God was definitely in the kingdom’s capital.
He wasn’t sure why the Demon God was there, but apparently Wignar had caught his scent.
Also, if the Demon God wanted to scheme something, he would need to establish himself at the center of power.
Therefore, there was a very high probability that he had transformed into a member of the royal palace or central nobility.
Then should he go to the capital?
Meet the central nobles and investigate?
No.
Going to the kingdom’s capital without any justification and poking around recklessly was forbidden.
The Demon God was extremely cautious.
If he showed any sign of suspicion, the Demon God would flee.
And then he would go into hiding again, lying low as if dead.
Capturing him would become even more difficult.
There was only one method.
Enter central politics in the most natural way possible.
So that the Demon God couldn’t suspect anything.
Better yet, make him come on his own two feet.
In short, a sting operation.
Now then, how should a fallen noble house from the provinces advance to the central political stage?
Simple.
Either build merit, or grease palms with money.
In Ju-hyeok’s case, both were possible.
Was he lacking in military force, or short on money?
He would climb up step by step.
The first step was seizing control of the Delian territory.
Kneeling in the front yard were Tallik Delian, Butler Karls, Knight Lennard and his soldiers, and the Patrick Mercenary Group.
He had learned everything there was to know.
Why Tallik had tried to kill Yurik.
In the end, his goal had also been advancement into central politics.
That was every provincial noble’s dream, after all.
Kill Yurik, seize the territory, develop the recently discovered Magic Stone mine to make money, catch the king’s eye, then advance to the capital.
Come to think of it, wasn’t this why the god Wignar had assigned Yurik’s identity to Ju-hyeok?
“What should we do with these people?”
“Lock them in the lord’s manor dungeon for now.”
“Yessir!”
As the summoned beings cleaned up the front yard,
Ju-hyeok was lost in thought.
The various information he had learned just moments ago through the Sin Vision.
It wasn’t just about the Delian County—he had also gained a general understanding of the Skaldion dimension.
As his appearance suggested, Wignar was the god of the elves.
Therefore, the rulers of the Mortal Realm were also elves.
A thousand years ago, it hadn’t been so.
Humans had lived on fertile plains, building civilizations and farming.
Elves had lived in the forests, blessed by the World Tree.
Then a continental war broke out between humans and elves.
What caused the war?
Isn’t it obvious?
Because of humanity’s vile desire to enslave the elves.
The Great War of the Mortal Realm spread even to the Divine Realm.
A conflict between the human god and the elven god.
Who won?
The elven race, of course.
The war’s effects reached the entire continent.
The elves emerged from the forests and joined human society.
First class was elves.
The king, or the royal family.
Second class was humans friendly to elves.
Usually the bureaucrats who handled administration.
Third class was commoners.
Responsible for production.
A class society operating on a three-estate system.
At first, it ran without issues.
Because the distinction and roles between races were clear.
But as time passed, the situation changed.
Why?
Coexisting together was the problem.
Mixed-bloods appeared.
Half-elves, quarter-elves, and so on.
Thanks to love between elves and humans.
How do you stop people who love each other?
That’s just how it goes.
When you see each other often and rub shoulders, affection naturally develops.
After all, humans and elves belonged to the same humanoid species.
The number of pure-blooded elves gradually became scarce, while the mixed-blood population between humans and elves grew larger and larger.
Elves were few in number with low fertility, but humans were numerous with high fertility.
Yurik, whom Ju-hyeok was impersonating, and Tallik Delian too, were both elf hybrids.
Generally, most nobles on the continent were mixed-bloods.
Because having elven blood was a prerequisite for noble status.
But that didn’t mean humans were discriminated against.
Rather, human lives became increasingly prosperous.
Unlike human rule, elven governance was conciliatory and rational.
The commoners had no major complaints.
It was worlds apart from when humans had ruled.
Taxes were low, and petty tyranny and exploitation had disappeared.
How nice was that?
The pure-blooded royalty and mixed-blood nobles were loved and respected.
The Delian house had been the same.
They had firmly established their rule over the frontier and developed their territory.
If only Yurik’s father, Belik Delian, hadn’t died from an ambush by an ogre clan while subjugating the southern forest.
Yurik’s mother had died when he was 10, wasting away from a genetic disease common to the elven race.
Yurik, now an orphan.
And then he too had died, caught in his fifth-degree uncle’s scheme.
‘What a tragic life.’
As the maid Judy had said, may he find peaceful rest.
‘Don’t worry. I’ll do something about the Delian territory.’
And if possible, make it the kingdom’s wealthiest territory.
So that the Delian house’s reputation could resound across the entire continent.
He had taken the first step.
Yurik Ju-hyeok, having eliminated his political enemies and firmly established his control over the Delian territory.
Inheriting the count’s title shouldn’t be a problem either.
He just needed approval from the kingdom.
But then.
“Count Bong Yurik-nim?”
“Ah, yes yes.”
“What are you thinking about so seriously?”
“This and that…. Well, ways to develop the territory?”
And advancing to central politics.
“Ayu, what’s there to worry about? Leave it all to us.”
Right!
What was there to be concerned about?
The southern forest teeming with monsters? Just send a few summoned beings and it would be cleaned up neatly.
Mine development?
He had the Dimensional Supreme Servant, didn’t he?
Rajiks alone could handle everything.
“By the way, there’s one cliche that never fails to appear in situations like this.”
Here it came at last.
Kozak’s cliche talk.
“…What is it?”
“Count Bong Yurik-nim is the descendant of a fallen noble house, isn’t he?”
“So?”
“There must be a broken engagement with a former fiancee.”
Huh?
Broken engagement?
“Someone who had promised to marry, but coldly dumped Count Bong Yurik-nim because his house fell into ruin—a shallow, materialistic noble lady.”
Hmm.
“Here’s how it goes.”
The cliche story began.
“When Count Bong Yurik-nim was very young, he followed his parents to a noble banquet where he met her and fell in love at first sight.”
Typical cliched content indeed.
Why was there no improvement?
“Count Bong Yurik-nim couldn’t sleep at night thinking about her. Beautiful like a rose but with sharp thorns—a vicious personality, but pretty.”
He talked as if he had seen it himself.
“Unable to bear his unrequited love any longer, Count Bong Yurik-nim pestered his parents and confessed his feelings for her. That he wanted to marry her.”
And then what happened?
“Is there a parent who can win against their child? Eventually they met with her parents and the engagement was settled.”
Aha.
“Count Bong Yurik-nim was overjoyed. He could finally get married. And she was a noble, so she was an elf hybrid too.”
Wait!
“Can you stop calling me Count Bong Yurik? I’m not really Yurik, you know. When it’s just the two of us, leave out the Yurik name.”
It made it sound like he was the one who got dumped.
But Kozak shook his head.
“You need to get used to it. As long as you’re in this dimension, Summoner Bong-nim is Yurik. You need to believe that firmly in your heart to properly fulfill your role.”
Well, he wasn’t wrong.
Immersion, method acting was important.
“Anyway, I’ll continue with the cliche story.”
Yes yes.
It was meaningless anyway.
“Count Bong Yurik-nim was happy every day. A pretty fiancee, heir to a wealthy territory—that is, until that incident happened.”
What incident?
“The incident where his father died in the southern forest.”
By this point, he could roughly predict what was coming.
“The suddenly fallen Delian house, Count Bong Yurik-nim who became an orphan—what do you think was the choice of that vicious, shallow noble lady?”
Obviously….
“A broken engagement.”
“That’s right. The engagement was broken off.”
“Phew.”
“Because of that, Count Bong Yurik-nim became a shell of himself day by day….”
“Stop!”
“Yes?”
The more he let this guy talk, the worse it got. He even turned someone into a shell of a human being.
Even if that were true, he wasn’t Yurik.
At this rate, it would be 0 engagements, 1 broken engagement.
He hadn’t even experienced an engagement, yet he’d be counted as someone who’d been dumped.
Actually, Ju-hyeok had seen this before too.
Wasn’t it a very attractive and popular subject in web novels?
“Became a Stock and Crypto Tycoon After Broken Engagement.”
“Became the Top Ranker Hunter After Broken Engagement.”
“Women Flock to Me After Broken Engagement.”
“Won the Lottery Jackpot After Broken Engagement.”
If he applied it to Ju-hyeok—no, Yurik’s situation….
“Rising to Success as a Central Noble After Broken Engagement.”
Meanwhile, the noble lady who had declared the broken engagement would fall apart from regret and obsession…
‘Hmm, that would be entertaining.’
Even so.
“We don’t even know if there’s a former fiancee, so let’s confirm that first before continuing this story.”
Anyone who didn’t know would think he’d really been dumped.
“You shouldn’t ignore cliches. There must be one.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yessir! It’s a cliche precisely because it happens so often.”
“…”
Fine.
Let’s verify.
‘There’s a maid named Judy among the manor servants? Could you bring her here?’
“Yessir!”
A moment later, maid Judy entered the lord’s office with Kozak.
“Y-you called? My lord.”
“I just have something to ask.”
“Yes yes.”
“After I woke from my illness, my memory has been hazy.”
“I’m sure you’ll be fine soon.”
– Psychology: Ah, such a pitiful person. Please overcome this.
What a kind girl, our Judy.
He should give her a raise later.
“So I’ll ask. Do I have a fiancee?”
“Um, you don’t.”
See!
I knew it.
Bringing up some nonsensical cliche.
“But there is a brazen wench who dared to break off the engagement.”
“…What?”
Judy’s expression turned fierce.
“Raphran Neldor. When the territory was wealthy, she would smile coyly and bewitch my lord, but after the former Count passed away, she changed her attitude in an instant—a despicable wench.”
– Psychology: Raphran Neldor, did you think you’d be happy after doing that? Someday, bloody tears will flow from your eyes too.
Huh. What was this?
‘There really was one?’
Ju-hyeok was dumbfounded.
Meanwhile, Kozak looked smug.
“…Understood. You may go.”
“Yes, my lord. Please take care of yourself.”
Wow!
He shouldn’t underestimate Kozak’s cliche talk.
Somehow he felt like he’d lost.
“What do you think? My words are….”
“Enough! A broken engagement isn’t what’s important right now. Let’s hurry with the territory development.”
“…Yessir.”
Time to summon people.
Not too many.
If they stood out too much, they’d draw the Demon God’s attention.
Just a small elite group.
Only the necessary people.
‘Bardin-ssi and Elder MacKenzie, Gwangma-nim, Captain Vae and Gyeon Dal-rae, Rajiks, and the alchemist Mari.’
Our Mari was an elf, right?
The dominant ruling class of the Skaldion continent was also elves.
He could get advice on elven society, customs, and habits.
“And I’d like rumors spread in the capital that the Delian territory is developing a Magic Stone mine.”
Additionally.
“Also look into the central political situation.”
“I, Kozak, will take on the role of Information Guild master for the Delian territory.”
That was worrying.
“Don’t worry. I’ll send the former Daebong Empire National Intelligence Agency operative, the ninja Sanazawa. He’s perfect for intelligence work.”
Good.
Sanazawa was trustworthy.
At least he wouldn’t cause any trouble.
Begin summoning.
No satellites would be launched.
Even if the Demon God only had 10% of his godhood, he was still a Demon God.
If alien scientific civilization entered the Skaldion dimension, it might attract attention.
Before long, rumors had spread across the entire continent.
That a large-scale Magic Stone mine was being developed in the Delian territory of the Artia Kingdom.
***
The ruling class of the Skaldion continent was the elven race.
However, pure-bloods were extremely rare.
In short, one could say elves were facing extinction.
Actually, from a genetic standpoint, this was quite desirable.
Having the advantages of both humans and elves at once.
Of course, the opposite case existed too.
Nevertheless, the extinction of a race had to be prevented.
The method?
There was only one.
Marriage between pure-bloods.
But how could that possibly work?
Eventually, as genetic defects lowered reproductive capability, mixed-bloods came to occupy the majority of the ruling class.
But even among mixed-bloods, there was a hierarchy.
Ridiculously, it was based on whose blood was closer to pure-blooded.
The more elven blood mixed in, the higher the noble title.
In order: duke, marquis, count, viscount, baron.
Baron meant the furthest from pure-blood.
Count was somewhere in the middle.
At the frontier of the Artia Kingdom.
There was the Neldor Viscounty.
It wasn’t far from the Delian County where Ju-hyeok was staying as Yurik.
Land where grapes grew well, possessing excellent wine-making techniques, and even establishing a merchant company for distribution—the Neldor territory was fairly wealthy even within the kingdom.
Raphran Neldor was a noble lady of the viscount’s house.
Even among elf hybrids, she possessed exceptional beauty.
But matching her exceptional beauty, she also had no small ambition.
Such a Lady Raphran Neldor was shocked.
It was information the butler had brought.
Apparently, rumors were spreading throughout the capital.
“…The Delian territory is developing a Magic Stone mine?”
“Yes.”
“And Yurik, who seemed like he was about to die from illness, is leading it?”
“That’s correct. I heard he made a complete recovery from his illness not long ago.”
What kind of bolt from the blue was this?
“Isn’t it just a rumor?”
“I cross-verified it. There’s no mistake.”
“Ah…”
Yurik Delian had been her fiancee in the past.
Though they had broken off the engagement now.
Why had she been engaged to him?
The Neldor house was a viscounty.
The Delian house was a county.
One rank higher in title.
Also, the Delian territory was land adjacent to the southern forest, the continent’s most notorious monster den.
For that reason, the monster byproduct processing industry had developed.
This was more profitable than one might think.
As long as stable monster hunting was guaranteed, that is.
Combined with the distribution network of the merchant company owned by the Neldor Viscounty, there would be synergy.
So when the engagement proposal came from the Delian house, she had accepted without hesitation.
But then Count Belik Delian had died pathetically during a monster hunt.
The knight order he had led was also annihilated.
Sword Master Belik Delian.
Without him, monster hunting was essentially impossible.
Yurik had become an orphan.
Unlike his father, he was a weak existence who couldn’t even handle a sword properly.
So what if it was a county?
The future of ruin was plain to see.
She had broken off the engagement without mercy.
When she later heard he had fallen ill and his life was in danger, she had thought breaking the engagement was the right decision.
But what was this?
Large-scale Magic Stone mine development?
Magic Stones were the most important resource on the continent.
There was nowhere they weren’t used.
She didn’t know the exact reserves, but the Delian territory might become one of the kingdom’s wealthiest territories going forward.
‘I need to meet him.’
Cancel the broken engagement.
Could it be reversed?
Raphran Neldor was confident.
Yurik Delian must still have her in his heart.
The previous engagement had also come about because Yurik had fallen for her and pestered his parents until it was arranged.
He had even gone on a hunger strike.
How hard could it be to seduce a man again?
Just flash him a little smile and he’d fall head over heels.
