Chapter 213

“I refuse to believe it.”

Fyod said, after finishing his verification. Seojin’s claim that he had his own means of verification turned out to be true. Fyod did so, and faced an outcome he wished not to believe. What followed was denial.

“You adventurers, every time, possess capabilities beyond our wildest imaginations. This must be one of those. I refuse to be fooled by your fabricated lies.”

“Are you an apostle of Gramaticus as well?”

“That’s quite the insult.”

“So, you didn’t know. Then, is your emperor an apostle of the evil gods?”

“Now that is an insult I cannot tolerate!”

“Why do you think the Golden King allied with us? A man who has sworn unwavering loyalty to the royal family.”

“Greed, I suppose.”

“You think we could offer more than the emperor? Then what about Rat Muedron?”

“Greed as well.”

“She wanted gold?”

This time, there was no answer. It was unclear why Rat Muedron had allied with them.

“Alright, let’s talk about someone else. Do you think even Saint Aikora allied with us for gold?”

“…”

“Not someone who stayed at the Pantheon, claiming to act on behalf of all gods, not just one.”

It was the same; no answer could be given. It was about a saint, after all. The title was granted by the Empire, and if Aikora had been a fraud, such a thing would never have happened.

“The Pantheon exists solely to follow and carry out the will of the gods. Its very construction was intended for that purpose. What does it mean if Aikora acts with a certain purpose?”

“…”

“And what about the Staff of Faith Harry? Would he be swayed by gold? Or any other material reward for that matter?”

“That too… they must have been deceived by the lies you presented.”

“I must be quite remarkable. The Staff of Faith, Saint Aikora, the Golden King, and even Rat Muedron. How many have I fooled?”

“…”

“Let’s assume you’re right. Then let me ask again. Something will come here soon. You must have ordered it.”

Fyod tried not to react. Had a spy been planted in the royal family? Perhaps it was merely a guess. Amidst his confusion, Seojin continued.

“Anyway, if I’ve deceived them all, are they really the only ones I’ve allied with?”

“…”

“Merhen.”

Seojin called out to a paladin waiting nearby.

“Let’s move our base.”

“What about this man?”

“Don’t kill him. Take him hostage.”

“Is that necessary?”

“We’re human because we can make mistakes. He’ll be given a chance to reflect and correct his path. If he still doesn’t grasp it, then it can’t be helped.”

“My loyalty will not waver!”

“That’s why you should consider what your loyalty is truly for.”

Seojin looked at Fyod again.

“Why do you pledge loyalty to the emperor? Because he has brought significant benefits to this land. Because he has achieved greater feats than any emperor before. Right? Even those feats have impacted this land.”

“…”

“Your loyalty isn’t directed at the emperor. It’s for this land, the Camilton Empire. Think about it. You have plenty of time. We’re leaving.”

Seojin turned away. The paladin, sighing as if displeased, followed him.

Fyod was left alone, soon feeling as if he were floating.

‘…Does he really intend not to kill me?’

The floating sensation wasn’t an illusion. Fyod had risen high. Below him, Alio’s villa was in full view, bustling with what must be the adventurer’s companions.

‘The source of their confidence is beyond me.’

No, even just from seeing them flee, it was evident. No matter how strong the personnel here were, they couldn’t possibly stand against the central army. There were merely hundreds of them.

In this state, they wouldn’t find a place to comfortably set foot on within the Empire’s lands.

‘What are they relying on…?’

“Defense Minister Fyod!”

A shout came from below. It was that adventurer’s voice. As Fyod continued to rise, the adventurer shouted again.

“Look at the sea!”

‘The sea…?’

He turned his gaze. Under the high sun, an endless sea spread out, its reflected light making Fyod squint.

‘What am I supposed to be looking at…?’

His thoughts halted. Far off, something small appeared.

An ordinary person couldn’t have seen it properly. But an exceptional warrior could imbue their eyes with mana. Finally, Fyod saw it.

“Admiral!”

This time, his voice emerged. It was a moment of joy. But it was brief.

‘…Could it be?’

Fyod’s face twisted. He was no fool. Admiral Martini. Always the Empire’s shield and spear guarding the sea. Seojin told Fyod to look at the sea, questioning if there was anyone he hadn’t deceived.

With clear grasp on the circumstances, Fyod internally screamed.

‘The admiral, too, has fallen into the adventurer’s hands!’

Golden King Alio, Rat Muedron, the Staff of Faith Harry, Saint Aikora, and now Admiral Martini!

At this point, it seemed almost all key figures acting without titles in the Empire had turned on them.

And in this situation, ‘Martini’ was even more critical.

‘If these adventurers are aboard that fleet…!’

Adventurers with the capability of a hundred men. Their numbers reaching thousands, and perhaps not even ending with that fleet’s crew.

The land was indeed teeming with adventurers.

Thee Camilton Empire general’s chest tightened, as if he was suffocating.

* * *

Seojin’s group chose the Rat Muedron’s Cursed Land as their new base, a place where the curses Aikora had once lifted had taken hold once again. Given that they would have to engage in battle in a day or two, this location offered some leeway against any surprise attacks. Fortunately, with the blacksmiths and alchemists’ work on track, all that was needed was to bring in the related equipment.

“Why did you show him?” Merhen asked, questioning the necessity of showing Fyod the sight of Martini.

“To break his spirit. We need to push him into a corner before he’ll accept the situation.”

“You think that loyalty will break?”

“No, it’s unbreakable. We’re just redirecting it. Didn’t I tell you before? The emperor isn’t the issue.”

Seojin’s goal was merely to push Fyod until he could rationalize the situation for himself. Once the stage was set, anyone but a fool would turn.

“Unless it’s the Sword of the Empire, that should be enough for him.”

“How can you tell?”

“He’s already shaking.”

A brief conversation was enough to sense it. His initial resolution remained, but undeniable cracks had begun to show. Flappy was watching him in real time, and Fyod, left alone, no longer managed his facial expressions.

The next day, as the sun set, Seojin received a report.

-It’s a huge number. Maybe 100,000?

The royal central army had arrived at Alio’s villa, thankfully without further movement. Fyod must have only ordered them this far. Under the command of their leaders, the central army searched the area and soon secured the path taken by the group that kidnapped the defense minister.

-It’s tricky. They say we can’t breach the Cursed Land with a regular army… We’re sending a cooperation document to the Rat Muedron.

An expected conclusion, likely no different from a threat. It implied that if Rat Muedron was involved in the unsavory incident with the defense minister, she would be considered complicit.

However, the moment it was decided they couldn’t enter, Seojin had essentially won the standoff.

-We’ll arrive today! The wind’s been in our favor!

With Admiral Martini, who knew these waters better than anyone, at the helm and favorable winds, nature itself seemed to side with Seojin.

Hours later, as Fyod suffered and the central army fretted, “They’ve arrived! Lift all curses!”

The adventurers landed. A fleet of massive ships docked at the temporary harbor. Excited adventurers streamed down the gangways, among them Admiral Martini, cigar in mouth.

“Eight thousand three hundred.”

“You’ve worked hard. When will we set sail again?”

“Immediately.”

“Without rest?”

“The sea is more comfortable.”

Martini exhaled a thick cloud of smoke, surveying his surroundings. Even during the voyage, he had felt it vaguely, but now it was clear that the fervor of these people was sparked by just one man.

“…I think I understand.”

“What do you understand?”

“Nothing. Where’s Raul?”

“He went off somewhere. He has his duties.”

“Makes sense. Will this place serve as a port again?”

“It’s uncertain. We’ll assign an adventurer to you.”

Martini nodded and turned to leave, then paused as if remembering something.

“I love this land, adventurer.”

“I’ve never seen anything good come from adventurers taking the lead. You’ve heard what I did in Valaran, right?”

“…”

“It’s not about patriotism. I enjoy my time here, and to continue enjoying it, this land must remain wholly within the Empire.”

Nodding without turning back, Martini moved away, his response exactly what he had wanted to hear.

Admiral Martini. A man whose loyalty lay not with the emperor but with the land itself. Fortunately, Seojin had learned this from Raul.

‘It’s not a lie.’

Perhaps the other side had felt his sincerity, thus willingly cooperating.

Martini, too, had known. Something about the land’s structure was inherently flawed.

“Let’s brief everyone. Get ready. Gather them all up.”

From now on, it wasn’t about having serious conversations with a few but rather about engaging in somewhat frothy talks with many.

Shortly after, with about eight thousand adventurers before him, Seojin took the stage. What was needed now was slightly different from the dialogue used with NPCs.

“Hello, I’m Seojin. I go by the ID ‘Anti-Mainstream’ in the community. You can all hear me in the back, right?”

Eight thousand people, surrounded by mages, lined up to carry Seojin’s voice.

“Honestly, you must have had doubts after seeing the ad, right? Some of you have seen me, but most haven’t. ‘Following him, will we really get something? Is it an overpromise?’ Many of you must be thinking so…”

Seojin gestured to someone waiting nearby.

“Let’s clear up those doubts first. As a special treat for those who arrived first, without exception, to everyone here.”

Seojin smiled.

“Each of you will receive a unique piece of equipment.”

His voice was calm, but the reaction was anything but.

An explosive cheer filled the Cursed Land, the joyous shouts of eight thousand people echoing through the air.