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128
“Was there an NPC this unusual!”
Upon returning to the shack underground, Avantgarde showed interest in Isis.
Being such a distinctive character, he was clearly disappointed not to have known about her.
But following Adventurer A’s guide, there would have been no opportunity to meet her, at least not in Raven Kingdom.
“How did the preparations go?”
“They’re progressing well. The dwarves’ enthusiasm is overflowing — just watching was enough to make it hard to keep up with their pace.”
Avantgarde focused on capturing the dwarves’ preparation process on camera.
Considering that one of the main objectives of the Ifrit episode was restoring their standing, it was a good choice.
“Wow, what an unusual underground building. Can I go down and have a look——”
The scientist beginning to radiate curiosity while looking around.
Hanbit grabbed the collar of Isis, who was moving toward the stairs.
“Interrogation comes first for you.”
“Ah, interrogation? Let’s get that done quickly! Shall we do it here?”
“This way.”
A room in a corner of the hallway moved to with the eager scientist in tow.
Having seated her in a chair, Hanbit stood in front of her alongside Jinuk.
“Will you show me the spirit power again once the interrogation is finished?”
Isis, swinging her legs and eyes shining.
He had planned to do that from the start anyway, so Hanbit gave a nod.
“I’ll show you later, so just answer well. Start with your affiliation.”
“You promised! Then as for affiliation…… I suppose I should say scientist working under the Eighth Bishop? I asked so many times to be let study spirits, and they kept refusing, you know? How earnestly I pleaded…….”
-Achanhо ON.
-She talks so much. Lol.
-But she’s cute, right?
-Loud Isis VS silent Taeyul section chief.
-Even against a construction site the former wins by a mile.
The answer had somewhere along the way turned into venting of grievances.
Hanbit cut it short and asked again.
“Never mind that. Were you given any other orders?”
“Use several vertical caves in the area around Ifrit to create nests. Attack the city with enhanced monsters, and report the results. Those two things were it. They barely tell me anything else to begin with.”
Isis added that she met the bishop very rarely.
Even then, the conversation topics were research and monsters. Just those two.
“Several vertical caves? There are more places like that one?”
Jinuk’s eyes went wide in surprise.
If there were several more of those, the situation was truly desperate.
Even if reinforcements were called from somewhere, only a tragic ending came to mind.
Sensing that anxiety, Isis shrugged and said:
“The spaces themselves are like that, but what’s inside is different. The results from the first two waves came from releasing a portion of those spaces.”
“Those monsters you called ‘ones that hadn’t reached the standard’?”
“Yes. Though the second ones were children I had put some care into. And then you froze them in an instant — all snow-white.”
Isis moving her hands every which way to reenact the scene.
Watching that, Jinuk spread out the map he had brought and said:
“I need to confirm the starting point of the third wave first. Point it out.”
“Hmm — would that have any meaning?”
“…What do you mean?”
“Look carefully.”
Isis leaned forward and stretched out her arm to point at the far edge of the forest to the south of Ifrit.
Then she traced a semicircle along the boundary and continued upward.
The place her finger stopped was the far end of the northern forest.
“This is the range from which the third wave begins.”
“……?”
Jinuk went rigid at the casually delivered explanation.
The range she had indicated amounted to nearly the entire forest.
If that was the truth, it might as well be called random.
“This entire area is the range? Does that make sense? The monsters come from that vertical cave we saw.”
“The walls of those caves are designed to crumble easily. They connect to the surface above each forest, so the children will emerge wherever they choose.”
“…Then where is the Yeti sleeping?”
“Near the east here — and besides the Yeti there are a few other children. Once they wake they’ll similarly bore through whatever ground they prefer to appear.”
“Ha.”
Jinuk let out a sigh.
Even the most powerful monster, the Yeti, couldn’t be predicted with precision — the subjugation difficulty was impossibly high.
The helpless fury that bred was naturally directed toward the person who had caused all of this.
“This is what you call an experiment? You’re just trying to destroy Ifrit!”
Jinuk, hand on the hilt of his sword, pressed her.
Watching that, Isis asked in a composed tone:
“Hmm — why do you think the bishop sent me to Ifrit?”
“…What?”
“I mean, out of all those cities, why specifically here? Even having usable vertical caves, something felt off. And then I saw Ifrit’s wall — and ah! That’s why! I thought.”
“…….”
Jinuk lost his words at the remark that hit the mark.
Hanbit, watching the exchange, asked Isis:
“Then doesn’t that differ from the experiment you wanted? It’s an environment too easy to bring down.”
“Depends on perspective. In a place like this you can build a refined enhancement framework. Speaking of which, could you just write down all your questions? I want to see the spirit power first…….”
Isis’s patience, while diligently answering, was quickly depleted.
Hanbit too had noticed the fidgeting body.
“So, what’s the true objective? Invading Raven?”
“Probably so? Each bishop’s plan is different, but ultimately world domination? Well, something as trivial as that is the Holy Nation’s goal.”
-Trivial world domination.
-These Holy Nation people are absolute thugs.
-The episodes farther ahead are going to be a headache;
-Leaving for Raven Kingdom is when it really starts.
Information about the Holy Nation known through the guidebook, vanguards, and others.
Even that was only a portion — but the majority had no choice but to be wary of their faction.
Because there was tyranny upheld under the banner of faith, and the overwhelming power backing it.
“Either way, what matters is right now. Name every type of monster you put in those caves. There will be many beyond what we confirmed earlier.”
For Jinuk, only one thing mattered.
Stopping the third wave and keeping Ifrit safe.
For that, accurate monster information was necessary.
“Oh, shall I explain? All of them?”
Isis’s eyes lit up and she jumped to her feet.
Then she moved briskly toward Jinuk, who paused for a moment.
“Have you seen the crystal spiders and hop goblins? Ah, the hellhounds are also so adorable…….”
The talk she poured out like a parent boasting of their children went on for a long while.
When the explanations gradually began extending into territories beyond Raven Kingdom, Hanbit stopped Isis.
“That’s enough. Vice-Captain Leon can investigate the rest — let’s stop here.”
“What? Already?”
“…Yes.”
An Isis left wanting more and a Jinuk thoroughly drained.
Hanbit quickly brought the two outside.
“Oh, Black Dragon-nim!”
Coming out after the interrogation, dwarf Kudran approached.
His gaze landed on Jinuk, who had followed out.
“The guild master was with you too!”
“…Ah.”
-Huh?
-This line-up;
-Perpetrator VS victim.
-Would be innocent even if hit with a hammer on the foot.
The violent scene witnessed at the monster carcass disposal site.
The dwarves, who were wholly the victims, would not have been strange reacting with any manner of resistance.
“That…….”
Jinuk hesitated and tried to speak.
But Kudran’s voice swept over those words.
“Will you have a look at this! We’ve prepared this much already!”
Kudran’s face was animated as he led Hanbit along.
The warehouse-like space they arrived at had a full load of initially completed weapons — swords and bows and such.
“Certainly fast.”
“I myself have deeply felt why you placed the heirloom as your top priority.”
As Avantgarde said, the heirloom was the most important element of this episode.
Because the abilities of dwarves who had received the blessing were visibly heightened, as demonstrated here.
“Shall we also go down to the smithy?”
“Let’s.”
The party, leaving the warehouse, followed Kudran to the floor below.
Clang—!
Rumble rumble—!
All manner of work noises reaching them from the stairs.
It was Isis who reacted to those sounds.
“Oh!”
She darted forward and ran to the corridor, beginning to observe the working dwarves.
With an entire floor turned into a crafting space, it was quite a spectacle to see even from a distance.
Thud—
Hanbit followed behind and grabbed Isis, then checked the works being crafted.
Preparations in readiness for the coming wave.
Being a large-scale invasion, there were many things specialized for monster subjugation.
Ballistae, catapults, repeating crossbows and the like — orthodox weapons — had also been modified with magical devices incorporated.
“This…….”
Jinuk stopped walking as he watched the dwarves drenched in sweat.
Unable to approach, he cautiously moved closer.
“What complaint has brought you here this time.”
Just then, a dwarf elder walking from the other side.
It was Elder Ballon.
His cold gaze was fixed on Jinuk.
“…I didn’t come with a complaint.”
“Using honorifics, unlike yourself. Where has the man who needed to trample dwarves to feel satisfied gone?”
-Incredible.
-That reaction is the right one.
-Victims don’t forget.
-Can’t just let it pass.
Sharp words from the elder, carrying the accumulated weight of all that had been suppressed.
“…….”
Jinuk couldn’t find it in himself to open his mouth.
The change in heart that had arisen since the first wave.
The sense of disconnect between the wrongs of his past self and the resolve he held now was something he had not yet come to terms with.
‘He doesn’t know what to do.’
Hanbit understood that inner feeling well.
To put it simply — he couldn’t find a way to navigate this situation.
But having stood up to his own sister, he was not someone who would wander long.
“Disposal of monster carcasses is being handled by drawing personnel from elsewhere. If there is any problem, I will bear it — so please be so kind as not to interfere here.”
“It is…… not that.”
Jinuk took one step back at the elder stepping forward.
He thought for a moment, then bowed his head.
“…I’ll come again later.”
Jinuk, leaving behind those parting words, disappeared down the stairs.
Not only the elder but the dwarves standing behind him all watched that scene with puzzled expressions.
It was a busy situation with preparations underway, but thinking of the future it was also a necessary process.
“I brought Jinuk here. His cooperation is needed to prepare against the monsters’ assault.”
“A human who does not suit the word cooperation in the slightest…… But we must stay close to that one?”
“Nothing of the sort. Please do as your hearts move you.”
“…That is a relief. I understand.”
Having concluded the brief conversation, Hanbit looked over the work process a little more.
Then, looking at the dwarves, he said:
“The pace looks sufficient. I’ll ask for one more day of effort.”
“The heat rising after so long is a joy to work through! Adventurers like Zenon and Mr. Levius from the magic research institute gave their input too, so creative things are coming out! Please tell us anything you’d like!”
Kudran was still in an excited state, as though dopamine was bubbling over.
He would be crafting new weapons shortly — he would surely give his best to those as well.
“Then I’ll go to His Highness the Prince. I’ll stop by again later.”
“Ah, if you go this way you can get there!”
Just as he was heading for the stairs, Kudran pointed to the far end of the corridor.
A tunnel had been dug there, large enough for one person to enter.
“…Does it connect outside the wall?”
“Yes! Going around the long way is quite a distance, so we went ahead and made it without telling His Highness!”
Yet another change that hadn’t been there in the past.
Small, but in a positive direction — and somewhat amusing.
“That works out. I’ll go that way then.”
Hanbit stepped into the tunnel with Isis in tow.
Thanks to lamps placed throughout, the path was clearly visible.
‘How will this turn out.’
The dark blue scale fragment in his hand.
Something he had never used during this period before, but there was new possibility.
Because Gorik had shown interest in Hanbit’s sword.
“By the way, when are you going to show me the elemental king’s power? You promised!”
“It’s not something I can just use at will, so wait a little.”
“Ugh…….”
Exchanging that conversation, they emerged from the tunnel to find the dwarf village in view.
Hanbit immediately moved his feet toward the workshop where Gorik and Kim Jaeha were.
