Chapter 204

“An escape route has been secured. Granted, they’re not the most comfortable conditions, but... everyone should be prepared for that, right?”

Kartna did not disappoint Seojin’s expectations.

He was a skilled thief, and a skilled thief was known for not getting caught and being good at slipping away.

“What about transportation?”

“They’ve all come together. According to a friend currently on standby on the outskirts, he’s never seen so many carriages waiting in his life.”

“Just carriages?”

“None of them are ordinary carriages. The ones waiting are powered by magic... the kind of rides people like me would never get to experience in their lifetime.”

“Well done.”

“Yes, sir. This thief shall wait quietly.”

A way to transport both people and goods had been secured. The perimeter around Moonstone Village was heavily guarded, but even they couldn’t catch these thieves who specialized in escape.

“We’re done here too. Just need that inspector to leave.”

Tyren also completed his part just in time. Having someone who knew the villagers’ hearts best take the lead on this side made the process smooth.

“What about the inspector? Didn’t they notice anything odd?”

“Not at all. His role was to come here, share stories of the outside world, and enjoy some hospitality. He’s eaten his fill, so he’ll likely leave soon.”

And the moment the manager left, Moonstone Village would have 15 days of leeway. That’s when the next manager was due to arrive.

“Once that guy leaves, you can start mining the moonstone. As quickly and as much as possible.”

“How much time do we have?”

“Five days. It’ll be tight even if we move as soon as we leave here.”

“We’ll do our best to act quickly.”

“Now that we’ve got a moment of respite...”

They couldn’t afford to show anything unusual to the inspector until he left. Preparing for any unforeseen circumstances, Seojin had Flappy stick close to the supervisor, and then sat down with Tyren.

“May I verify a few things we didn’t get to discuss last time?”

“You still have questions?”

“Yeah. Why did the emperor allow the adventurers to leave?”

It was understandable why the tutorial started here. Seojin wasn’t the only one who experienced it after all. Initially, Midgard’s quests were dynamic, and sometimes even included eliminating other players.

“Perhaps other hidden classes each received similar opportunities. Even regular players... if they achieved something.”

For example, becoming an Elementalist might require venturing into a forest, or a special blacksmith might need to establish a relationship with a certain NPC. But in that process, seizing every opportunity was necessary to dive into the main storyline.

However, if that was the case, the developer’s nature suggested that players who underwent the tutorial here shouldn’t be able to leave and would remain trapped here.

The emperor wouldn’t have let that situation slide. It was a secret village, after all. It would be a huge blow to the emperor’s position if discovered.

Yet, right after completing the tutorial, Seojin was provided with a portal to the Kingdom of Valaran.

“That’s a sharp question. You adventurers are allowed to leave.”

“Honestly, I can’t understand why. If I were the emperor, I’d have tied them down until death.”

“It’s the opposite.”

“Excuse me?”

“The emperor knows that you have your own ways of communicating. Ways that can’t be controlled by power or magic.”

Tyren was referring to chatting, including community forums.

“You said it yourself. Adventurers who set foot in the Empire are bound by the emperor’s shackles.”

“And they accept it, thinking it is inevitable.”

“It’s not the emperor who bound you, but the experiences you accumulated along the way that did. You couldn’t see any way to solve it.”

“...Makes sense.”

“But someone new to any field doesn’t give up so easily.”

Through bumps and failures, people learn their limits, as to what they could and could not do. However, it would take a significant time for the initial passion and interest to wane.

“If you’d encountered an inconvenient problem upon arriving, do you think anyone would have put up with it, even other than you?”

“Probably not.”

“Exactly. They’d have been busy seeking a solution, unlike us, who are bound to this land. You have your own means.”

They would send DMs to acquaintances, posts on communities, searches on web portals, even contacting customer support in an effort to overcome the situation.

The inevitable result was clear.

“Rumors would spread everywhere about the emperor, or adventurers starting in different places. If they find challenges in that place, there might be something significant in that place.”

Once the interest of adventurers is piqued, a secret would become impossible to hide. The more hidden it was, the deeper adventurers would dig. Tyren didn’t know everything, but this conclusion was clear after hearing Seojin’s story.

“But by letting you go so easily, you fall into a misconception. It makes sense to me now.”

“For example?”

“Not noticing the strangeness or, even if you do, dismissing it as trivial.”

“That’s possible.”

“The second is thinking you’ve received some sort of special privilege.”

Seojin nodded. Both scenarios were plausible. Especially if it’s the latter, that player would never divulge that fact.

“Quite ironic, I must say.”

“Of course... it would be best to block adventurers from coming here, but even the emperor seems unable to do that. What are you exactly? Where did you come from?”

“That’s too fundamental a question... We don’t know ourselves. It’s more like we just found ourselves here.”

“Is that so?”

“That’s right. But, what about the portals? Are they still operational?”

“They are, but no. Using them immediately logs the activity. Inspectors are supposed to come twice every month, but they come running immediately when the portal is activated, looking desperate.”

“What if, Tyren.”

Seojin licked his lips. If the portals still existed and were accessible to anyone, it would turn the whole game on its head.

“So you think the royal family would block those portals if it becomes known?”

“If it becomes known, yes. It would be like leaving the back door wide open.”

“That makes sense, doesn’t it?”

“Yes, logically... What’s that look for?”

Tyren asked, wondering what Seojin was thinking, but Seojin just smiled.

“Nothing. Just had some thoughts. Maybe you should rest now. You’ll need to conserve your energy before starting work.”

“...Alright, fine. Don’t bother explaining it to me, I’m not interested.”

“Of course.”

Tyren left.

Alone, Seojin quietly pondered.

‘Wouldn’t it be foolish not to use such a wonderful device?’

A portal that was accessible to anyone. It was not only a backdoor to the Empire, but also to Valaran.

‘It’ll be difficult for us to exploit it. Even if it’s not destroyed.’

Rushing in carelessly could easily lead to them being swept away by the emperor’s elite forces. But, what if the emperor chose not to dispose of the portal?

‘It won’t take long for them to discover I’m from Valaran, and my claim to fame is Valaran’s complete independence.’

Then, the possibility of using the nation of Valaran itself as a hostage was not unlikely. The main forces of the opposing side all had ties to Valaran. They had declared Valaran’s independence as their cause. Thus,

‘They’ll have to secure individuals who could paralyze the nation in an instant, including the king... Wow, isn’t that dangerous?’

The more he thought about it, the more chilling the hypothesis became. With such meager forces, attacking the Empire was out of the question. And as such, Valaran would be left defenseless.

What if they were to be attacked then?

From Seojin’s perspective, there would be no choice but to recall their main forces. That is, if they were unaware of the portal’s existence.

-He’s going now.

-Oh, finally leaving?

Flappy’s message arrived timely. The inspector sent by the royal family seemed to be leaving the village.

“Tyren.”

“...Hmm?”

“The inspector’s leaving now. Let’s begin.”

Seojin sought out Tyren, who was resting in the next room, and his words sparked a fire in the veteran miner’s eyes.

“Alright, I’ll show you the skills I’ve honed over the years. All of us will.”

* * *

Main Quest: Beyond the Bars, A Glimmer of Light

*Secure more than half of the moonstone reserves (Complete)

*Gain unanimous consent from the village residents (Complete)

*Secure a safe escape route (Complete)

*Lift the curse on the residents (Incomplete)

Tyren’s promise to showcase their skills was not just empty talk. For years, they had lived a life dedicated solely to mining moonstone. And the mining equipment casually supplied by the royal family as support dramatically increased their work speed.

In just four days, the miners here succeeded in fulfilling Seojin’s requested amount.

“We still have a day left. We can mine more. If we push hard today...”

“No, it’s enough.”

Seojin calmed Tyren, who was eager to continue working. He had given them five days, but that was the absolute limit. Besides, he had already fulfilled the requirements given by the quest. What was needed now wasn’t whatever small amount of additional moonstone he could gain, but a well-deserved rest for these miners.

“It’s time to rest up. You’ve heard about the escape route, right? It’s narrow, damp, and long. And so cramped you can’t even straighten your back. We need those in good physical condition to take the lead for what’s still ahead.”

“Is it really enough moonstone?”

“It’s enough. Trust me and rest. Don’t worry about anything else.”

A day’s rest.

They were all excited to be leaving tomorrow, but Tyren was the first to quell their excitement. He reminded them to eat well, rest well, and sleep well.

The next day.

“Remember, your safety is our top priority! The moonstone comes second! We don’t have much time, but if something happens to you, the remaining time will be meaningless!”

Gathering the villagers of Moonstone, Seojin passionately pleaded. One of the quest conditions was lifting the curse from all the villagers. If even one person was unable to return, the quest would be deemed a failure.

Seeing their determined faces, “Now, let us depart from this village that has bound you, to a nation still free! To Valaran! And the path there—”

Seojin concluded forcefully, “I’ll take care of it!”