Chapter 202

“Alright. But you plan to smelt these?”

“We have to. These tools were also formed by melting down materials.”

Tyren shook his head in disbelief.

“Do you have any idea how many of the Empire’s top alchemists were mobilized for that task?”

“Oh, really? Was it that difficult?”

“Difficult is an understatement! Even the most skilled blacksmiths couldn’t shape this ore just on their own. It was only possible by mixing it with other materials.”

“That makes sense. But...”

“That work was only possible thanks to some experimental results submitted to the alchemical society. That was just a few months ago. An alchemist managed to successfully melt adamantine.”

“Adamantine melting... Erm, are you sure that person was from the Empire?”

“They probably weren’t. I saw the guards bragging about using foreign research. What’s that look for?”

“Do you remember which country it came from?”

“I think it was Valaran... Ah!”

Tyren looked at Seojin with wide eyes.

“Could it be?”

“Exactly. It’s from Erzebet...I mean, Dunkehr’s alchemist.”

“Then that adamantine...”

“Was provided by me. This was made from the energy extracted from molten adamantine.”

In other words,

“I’m your best option for this job. And the fact that I can pull you out of here also means that I can bring other people in as well.”

All Tyren could do now was marvel at Seojin.

“At first, I thought it was all just a bunch of crap... No, it felt more like a well-crafted story.”

“Do you trust me a bit more now?”

“Oddly enough, yes. After all, there’s nothing quite as convincing as seeing with your own eyes. But, more importantly...”

Tyren changed the subject. The fact that Seojin could process these minerals was nothing short of admirable.

For the residents here, there was something more important.

“Is this really nothing to you?”

He lifted his hand as if to show its blackened state.

The terrible power of a demon.

Any priest seeing it would immediately rush in attempt to exorcise it.

But Seojin’s reaction was rather different.

“What about it?”

“Well, because it’s...”

“The power of a demon?”

“...Yes.”

“We can just remove it then. You’re not an apostle of an evil god, are you?”

“Of course not! I’ve lived my life without even knowing their names.”

“There you have it. It’s something someone else forced into you, isn’t it?”

“That’s right. Those despicable warlocks.”

“And you’ve managed to use their power without being controlled by the demons, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then we can just remove it. Though, I don’t think you can retain that power either even if you want to. Is that okay? There are many people who don’t like that kind of power.”

“Will it be that simple?”

“It is. There might be some pain, though. Anyway, that aside, what other problems are there?”

“...Other problems?”

Tyren was left speechless again. He found the situation far too absurd. For years, the chains binding them seemed like nothing to this adventurer, and yet,

‘It was such a simple problem.’

No, it wasn’t supposed to be simple. It wasn’t because the residents were incompetent that they had been cursed and put to mining.

It was just that.

“You really are...”

The adventurer in front of him was just that remarkable.

He could not only free them from the emperor’s chains, but also take responsibility for what came after.

“What an impressive fellow.”

“I hear that a lot.”

“And honest. too.”

“That’s one of my strengths too. So, no other issues then?”

There were no other issues. If there were, they would have been just minor nuisances.

“...I’ll take care of convincing the residents.”

“Can you handle it alone? I can help.”

“It wouldn’t be polite to ask that of you. Besides, some here would find your involvement uncomfortable.”

“May I ask why?”

“We’re all from the slums.”

Tyren shrugged, a bittersweet expression on his face. But thankfully, he wasn’t too ashamed of that fact.

“Some are ashamed of their past, and others have memories they don’t want to remember.”

“I’ll leave it to you. Can you do it in three days?”

“If I try hard enough. Any particular reason for that time limit?”

“Yes. People from the palace will be here in three days.”

“That’s true. Now that I think back, your goal was...”

“The moonstone.”

“To sell it?”

“Of course not. I plan to put it to good use, where it’s needed. This stone contains far more power than you think.”

“And the purpose?” Tyren asked.

Seojin, having just received an updated quest message, replied, “To defeat the being that gave you that power.”

“I’ve come to trust you. Alright, I’ll support you fully. Go back to the inn.”

“One more thing,” Seojin added as Tyren began to tidy up the warehouse, “We need to take at least half of the moonstones here. Is that possible?”

It might have been an unreasonable request.

Moonstone was essentially a piece of a meteorite thrown down by the gods, and naturally, there was a huge amount of it.

But the miners here were people who had become completely stagnant.

“Do you have a means of transporting it?”

“That’s for me to deal with.”

“It’s possible. Believe us in this one. The only reason we haven’t increased production before is that they’d demand that amount consistently.”

“Oh.”

“And if the moonstone here is completely mined out, we’ll lose our usefulness. So... we were going slow.”

With a voice full of sincerity.

He said he trusted Seojin.

And Seojin, in turn...

“I’ll trust you.”

... decided to trust Tyren.

* * *

Main Quest: Beyond the Bars, A Glimmer of Light

*You have uncovered the secrets hidden within Moonstone Village. The emperor has corrupted the residents of the slums, forcing them to spend the rest of their lives here under his watchful eye.

*Moonstone is a material that must be secured to achieve victory. Four tasks have been assigned to you.

*Secure more than half of the moonstone reserves.

*Obtain the consent of all village residents.

*Secure a safe escape route.

*Lift the residents’ curse.

After Tyren showed his hands, the updated quest provided Seojin with a clear background and objectives.Additionally,

Time until the Camilton Imperial Supervisor visits: 3 Days

Residents who have agreed to the plan: 27%

Secured Moonstone: 0%

Lifted curses: 0%

Specific figures were provided.

Though he was bound to know the details eventually, seeing the messages quantified like this was much more convenient.

As the Tyren busied himself, Seojin also undertook the tasks he had to perform.

“Almost resolved, but not all questions have been answered. There’s still one thing left.”

Montblanc and Kartna, plus Flappy, who tilted her head curiously.

Sharing information with two people and one spirit, Seojin explained the challenges they faced.

“We need to know why some people began the tutorial here. And why the emperor would let the adventurers out so easily.”

“Maybe it’s just set up that way?”

“It might seem that way on the surface. But we are currently in this world, and the developer who designed this world has a few screws loose.”

He needed to have a closer look at this matter. In the first place, he was very involved in it.

From what Seojin knew of the developer, there was definitely meaning behind even the most “system-like” aspects of the game.

“Anyway, we can check that once Tyren finishes his job. We need to prepare for the next step.”

A quick briefing followed. The execution time was about three days from now. After the imperial inspector had visited, found everything to be in order, and returned, there would be a gap of about two weeks before the next inspector came.

“In 15 days, the next person will come and realize there’s been a problem. Everything must be settled by then.”

“Isn’t that too tight of a timeline?”

“It would be if we hadn’t prepared in advance, but if I was like that, I wouldn’t have let things escalate to this point either. Montblanc, you’ll stay here.”

There might come a moment where force was necessary. Montblanc’s role was to be by Seojin’s side in case of any unforeseen situations.

And when he looked to the side, Kartna smiled and said, “Shall I check if everything’s ready?”

“It should be. They’re competent, aren’t they?”

“One can never be too careful. This is a thought you should always carry with you, if you don’t want to go to the gutters.”

That was Kartna’s role. The sea route had been secured, but unfortunately, Moonstone Village wasn’t connected to the coast.

The first order was to escape the village’s surrounding barrier of guards.

Finding that route was precisely Kartna’s task, along with the skilled thieves under him.

“Check and come back. Don’t do anything problematic.”

“We haven’t even left the village yet. To think you have so little faith in me...”

“You talk too much. We’re short on time.”

“Yes, sir.”

Kartna departed. The division of roles within Moonstone Village was complete, and now it was time to communicate with the outside.

-Hey, are you there?

For the first time in a while, Seojin sent a message to Merhen.

* * *

“...Wow. Never knew he’d contact me first.”

Merhen, the guild master of Great Red, and a paladin who was famous for his connection with Seojin, muttered in wonder. It had been months since Seojin had disappeared, claiming he was heading to the Camilton Empire.

‘How curious. He used to do this before, but focusing on something for months at a time isn’t easy.’

Merhen had considered reaching out, but hesitated, not wanting to interrupt Seojin’s intense focus. Of course, being extremely busy himself played a part in that too.

But for now,

“What’s it this time?”

Realizing Seojin had finally made contact, Merhen’s heart swelled with anticipation.

-Yeah, what’s up? Heading to the Empire?

Assuming the moment had come when Seojin needed help, Merhen speculated it might even involve waging war against the Empire.

“Whoa.”

But Seojin’s explanation far exceeded Merhen’s expectations.

-We’re gods now?

-Not you. You didn’t make it into the rankings.

-...

-Anyway, I’ll give you the details when we meet. It’s too long for a DM.

It seemed so to Merhen too.

-So, what should I do first?

-Several ships will be going there soon. Make sure the people I list can board them.

-...Ships?

-It’s going to be busy. It’s not just one or two people.

Seojin began listing people. From players to NPCs. Names of significant weight. Only after he finished giving instructions did Merhen finally voice his long-held thoughts.

-Are we even playing the same game?