Chapter 201

Miner Tyren looked at Seojin with an intense gaze. He had lived in this place for over a decade, and the proposal from Seojin was unlike anything he had heard before.

“Your available funds?”

“100,000 gold in cash. More can be arranged if necessary.”

“Ha, 100,000. And the additional funds?”

“From the Valaran royal family, wealthy guilds comprised of adventurers, and Golden King Alio.”

“...And securing a place to live?”

“Valaran. If we go through the royal family, it shouldn’t be a problem. I can get you a place even in the busiest streets in Valaran’s capital if you want.”

“I’m not interested in that. The method to leave this place?”

“The Camilton Empire? Or this village?”

“Both.”

“The guards won’t be a problem. I’m sure you’ve guessed that much, right?”

“I’ve heard your tales of your adventures.”

“The key issue is the emperor. Honestly, there’s no way out by land.”

“...So you plan to fly?”

“Of course not. We’ll go by sea. By ship.”

“A ship? To accommodate this many people, and to pass sea inspections...”

Tyren’s voice trailed off.

Prompted by Seojin’s encouraging smile, he continued and finally asked, “...You have a way?”

“Remember Grand Admiral Martini I mentioned yesterday?”

“The emperor’s privateer fleet.”

“Just one ship from that fleet would be more than enough to accommodate this many people. As for the inspections? Even if it was suspicious, they’d turn a blind eye.”

That was just the nature of privateer fleets. Though legally operating under their own country’s permission, to the ships of hostile nations, they were practically pirates.

Naturally, the process wouldn’t exactly be humanitarian, leading the maritime guards to opt out of doing an inspection.

“It’s the only way to avoid liability. They’d face criticism for negligence, but claiming ignorance solves that.”

“You’ve secured it?”

“It’s in progress.”

“...Then the talk ends here. We’ll talk again once you’re done.”

“You think it won’t work?”

“If it were anyone else...”

“Even if it’s me, you mean to say. But even then, I wouldn’t leave just yet. Given what I’ve shared, you should have felt that the chances are quite high.”

It was true. Seojin had shared his story without holding back, captivating the villagers with his tales.

“Surely you don’t think it was all a joke?”

“...It’s all true?”

“Sure.”

Tyren was taken aback, as was Roosevella.

Even she, who had been visibly uncomfortable with the situation, was now looking at Sejin with wide eyes.

“...Aren’t you just a storyteller?”

“Me?”

“I-I just assumed... I thought the stories were mostly true, but embellished to be more interesting.”

“Not at all. I’ve told you exactly what I’ve experienced, without any embellishment.”

Roosevella looked at Tyren, her gaze seeking confirmation.

“Wait, so...”

Tyren rubbed his forehead, pressed his eyes with two fingers, then released them.

“Does this mean I have to rethink everything from the start?”

“Pretty much. I can explain it all over again if you want, from beginning to end.”

Of course, that wasn’t necessary.

Tyren clearly remembered the epic tales of adventure that Seojin had spun.

The stories of a single individual’s experiences seemed almost too incredible to believe.

Then,

-This is Conis. Our friends under contract with the admiral are showing the reactions you described.

A message from Conis, a player planted within the Brave Lions Guild, arrived.

-If it’s the reaction I mentioned...

-It seems a significant number of players have been involved in constructing a new ship. There are also movements to renovate existing ships.

-What sort of renovations?

-Not remodeling to make them more comfortable. Some ships seem to be completely remodeling spaces previously used as storage. Though this is speculation...

-Go on.

-The renovated spaces don’t seem to fit a privateering ship’s design. Though, I don’t know the specific structure.

-Good work. We’re making progress on our end too. Anything else?

-Nothing for now. I’ll inform you if something comes up.

Seojin closed the chat with Conis.

His confidence, already apparent, deepened significantly.

As Tyren watched nervously, Seojin gave him the reaction he was expecting.

“We’ve succeeded in securing it. Now that we have a way out, we can have a more hopeful conversation, right?”

* * *

On this continent, the miners of Moonstone Village were solely responsible for mining moonstone. As the emperor had ordered them to be well taken care of, their compensation was substantial.

However, they were bound by the restriction that they could not leave the village.

“The reason is simple. Security. While moonstone’s existence is well-known, the specific methods and locations of its extraction are not.”

Moonstone, a type of mineral, was something people vaguely guessed to exist somewhere underground.

But in reality, it was different.

“It’s not mining. It’s more like harvesting.”

Tyren spoke of a gigantic stone lying on the ground as the source of moonstone, explaining they only scrape off pieces from its surface.

Supposedly, it had fallen from the sky, evidenced by the giant crater surrounding it.

“Does the work require special skills?”

“Skills? Yes. It’s a task that involves detaching parts from a massive ore block. But more important than that is the tool used.”

“Tools... Oh, said it’s the hardest metal on Earth, right?”

They were more or less like diamonds in reality, the hardest known mineral on Earth. It could only be cut by tools made of the same material.

Of course, there was a difference in the material, but without those tools, the task would be impossible.

However, “processing a gem” and “mining a mineral” were two very different challenges.

“If it were a delicate task, we could devote ample time and care, but this is different. The quantity harvested is most important. So, until recently, tools made of the same moonstone material were used, but...”

Tyren stopped in front of a warehouse within the village, noticeably more secure than a typical storage facility.

Magical and physical traps were so densely packed that only authorized individuals would dare to open the door.

“It’s heavily guarded.”

“That’s because guards can’t be stationed here.”

Click. Click.

Each action Tyren took unlocked the mechanisms one by one.

When the door opened, even Seojin couldn’t help but marvel.

“Wow.”

“These are special picks made of orichalcum, enchanted by court mages and blessed by high priests.”

Mining tools made of divine metal were scattered haphazardly on the floor.

The minerals shone brilliantly, but strewn about like this, no one would think them precious.

“...We’ll need equipment, won’t we?”

“Indeed. And the strength to fully wield such equipment.”

“Physical strength?”

“No.”

“Then it’s magic? Or... don’t tell me, divine power?”

Simply being made of orichalcum wasn’t enough. The pickaxes were laden with numerous spells. To fully utilize them, the player would need to be of a certain caliber.

“Divine power? No. You asked why we couldn’t leave this place, and I told you it was for security.”

“You did.”

“It’s true. But it’s not just the moonstone we’re trying to hide. We ourselves are one of the emperor’s secrets.”

Seojin still couldn’t understand. What could the emperor’s secrets be?

His assumptions were that it might be related to them being criminals, descendants of criminals, or perhaps individuals plucked from the slums.

But if it were just that, it would hardly be embarrassing for the emperor to acknowledge.

“Magical power? That’s something those born with it can wield. Divine power is no different. It’s only granted to those who seek the gods’ favor.”

“...Right. We adventurers are all exceptional beings.”

“I have a question for you, and I want an honest answer.”

“Of course.”

“Whatever I’m about to show you, can you promise to keep the same attitude you have now?”

“Hmm.”

Seojin didn’t answer immediately.

He thought it over carefully. He considered all the possibilities and how he might feel seeing them. His conclusion was clear.

“That won’t be possible.”

“Really?”

“However, I can promise you this: no matter how I feel, I’ll give you a chance to explain. I’ll listen with all sincerity.”

“Hahaha!” Tyren burst into laughter, laughing almost to the point of tears.

After a long laugh, he seemed refreshed and said, “I like an honest person. Now I can trust you. Everything you’ve said must be true.”

“You still didn’t trust me?”

“At first, yes. Think about it. Would you believe it if you were in my shoes?”

“I wouldn’t know. I’ve never been in your position.”

“Still quite honest, I see. I like that. Let’s drop the pretense. I’ve been wasting my energy for nothing.”

Tyren returned to his usual demeanor.

The cheerful, robust miner he was during the day.

“Here, let me show you what has got us stuck here.”

Tyren clenched his fists with all his might.

He gritted his teeth. His expression twisted, and veins bulged on his thick arms.

A moment later,

“...Hmm.”

A dark, smoky haze rose. It emanated from Tyren’s body. His hands turned black, and he did not look at Seojin.

Clank.

He grasped the pickaxe. A dark veil covered the shining purple ore.

“Watch closely. By the way, the floor of this warehouse is made of moonstone.”

The pickaxe struck the floor. He didn’t lift it high, nor did he swing it quickly.

Yet.

“...This is incredible.”

As if the floor made of moonstone, the hardest mineral on this land, was tofu, the pickaxe had buried itself nearly half its length.

“What’s incredible? This pickaxe? Or this secret?” Tyren smirked, showing his hand.

His blackened hand was not a pleasant sight, but Seojin no longer cared about such things.

Main Quest Updated

Main Quest: Beyond the Bars, A Glimmer of Light

“Is it a demonic power? Given by the emperor?”

“Something like that. We got it from a warlock under the emperor’s command.”

“As long as it’s not mind-control, it’s fine. That’s not an issue....”

“Not an issue?”

“Not at all. Solving such problems is exactly what we adventurers specialize in.”

“So, what’s the big deal then?”

“Obviously, these.”

Seojin scanned the interior of the warehouse.

“If we melt these down into equipment, it would turn out really well. It’d be a huge help when fighting the emperor. Ah, of course, we’d need the villagers’ permission...”

“...That’s what’s important to you right now?” Tyren asked, dumbfounded.

Seojin nodded vigorously.

“Of course.”