My alter ego is becoming a big shot - Episode 158
#158
After the invasion of the capital (2)
We moved to a quiet garden to talk..
“I heard the story. I heard you went all the way to Jeron this time and did a great job..”
Dressed in formal, neat attire and hair slicked back with oil applied..
The man in his late thirties, who introduced himself as Patrick, looked more like a civil servant than a mercenary..
“As you may know, our guild is in a state of considerable confusion after the mercenary king, Kanble, was killed in action..”
He may be disparaged as the leader of just one mercenary group, but the position of mercenary king on this continent was not that light..
In this world where monsters and thieves were everyday life, mercenaries were a common profession found everywhere..
Naturally, they needed a group to represent their interests, and numerous small guilds sprang up in various places..
And it was the first mercenary king 300 years ago who unified the scattered guilds and united their power to establish the current system..
Based on his transcendent military power and continental influence through the guild, he came to be recognized as the title of 'King' by other powers..
To mercenaries, he is a great man like a legend..
‘He was also a member of the deadly team that defeated the 2nd Immortal King..’
However, as is well known, the end of the death squad was not so good..
The Mercenary King also somehow survived until the final battle, but in the end, he too died at the place where the Holy Sword was sealed and where the Great Temple of Picaol is now built..
Afterwards, in honor of him, the mercenary guild began to inherit the title of 'Mercenary King', and other powers also accepted it, solidifying it as a tradition as it is today..
‘So the Mercenary King cannot be left out of the fight with the Immortal King. Perhaps if Kanble hadn't been killed by Hans at that time, he would have ended up crying and volunteering to eat mustard for the warrior party. Or maybe he just retires.’
Regardless of whether Heinrich accepts it or not..
“After the position of Mercenary King became vacant, the situation became very complicated. The largest faction within the guild actually lost most of its influence with the passing of Canble and Payton, and it would be normal for another faction that absorbed that power to nominate the next mercenary king...···.”
Patrick, who spoke calmly, soon smiled meaningfully..
“If you become a mercenary king, you will have to participate in a death squad somehow. Even if the saint refuses and cannot participate, it will also lead to controversy over qualifications, so we are unable to do so..”
In the end, it was said that they were just looking at each other..
“Sniff! So what are you saying? Why are you suddenly saying that to me??”
Harley knew the man in front of her well..
Of course, since he was also included in the delegation, the investigation had already been completed..
The secretary general of the mercenary guild was a position appointed directly by the mercenary king, and he had only recently ascended to that position, succeeding the former general secretary who retired..
In other words, he is a close associate of Kanble and at the same time a member of what is said to be the largest faction within the guild..
As he himself said, that faction is now obsolete..
‘In fact, this person is also quite dangerous. If Hans had been outside the barrier when he attacked Daesinjeon, he would have just handled it together..’
As a result of comparing various investigation details, it was found that rather than taking the initiative to commit evil acts, he was sorting out what happened according to orders from above..
He could be seen as a typical yes man..
However, it was said that he did a good job to the point where he was trusted by a bad guy, so he could not be considered completely innocent..
“Harley volunteered to fight against the immortal king Hans this time..”
“Ah, I'm really itching to hear that you're stronger than that hero! Well... it's definitely strong. Still, I thought I could get one shot.!”
“No, regardless of his accomplishments, Harley has already proven his bravery and strength. Even the saint has already acknowledged it..”
At that time, his eyes, who had been speaking calmly the entire time, flashed sharply..
“Harley, are you not interested in the position of mercenary king??”
“···Hoo?”
Harley could clearly guess this man's intentions..
‘I will throw away the rotten line and change the line.?’
Due to the circumstances, he still maintains his position, but he was ultimately destined to be dethroned at the same time as the next mercenary king was elected..
He can't help but feel unfair because he finally reached that position after struggling for a long time..
So it seems that the breakthrough that was found was Harley, who proved her power despite not belonging to a specific faction..
‘Come to think of it, he recommended Harley after Kanbul died. The Secretary General would be familiar with information on each branch... Does he mean to remain in power by becoming a kingmaker?.’
Due to the nature of the mercenary guild, military power was the top priority, but since it was an organization that had been around for over 300 years, the political aspect could not be ignored..
However, if Harley, who has sufficient force but no significant foundation within the guild, is given the authority of Patrick, who still maintains the position of secretary-general,?
“Haha! A mercenary king? That's an interesting suggestion! Let’s talk in more detail.?”
There was no need to turn down the opportunity..
***
The ultimate spell that can only be used by a warlock who has reached transcendence, ‘Labyrinth of Eternity’’.
The inside was like a small, isolated world that could not be escaped unless certain conditions were met, and the outside surrounding it was also unblemished unless it was attacked at a dimension-splitting level..
In addition, all parts could be manipulated at the user's discretion, although this function was usually used to exclude intruders, as befits the name Labyrinth.···.
‘That's cool.’
Hans actively used it for housing to decorate his own castle..
“Huh up—!”
“······!”
Black bricks that seem to absorb even light, bloody decorations such as devils and skulls carved here and there, and steeples erected as high and sharp as thorns..
There were dark clouds in the sky above the castle, and there was a thick black fog around the castle, and a gloomy wind was blowing..
[Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa—!]
rattle rattle rattle!
In addition, with the addition of the Hwaryong Castle and the army of the undead, the Demon King's Castle with an amazing atmosphere was completed..
[Hehehe—you better not even think about running away. Even though I can't go outside anyway..]
Hans gave a soft warning to the two captured royal family members and entered inside, feeling proud of their reactions..
The basic interior was no different from the outside, but unlike the outside, there was a separate space where creatures could live..
“Oh, have you come! King!”
“iced coffee-! Judge of this unscrupulous world!”
“Ugh...blood and death···”
Because of these guys.
A warlock who kidnapped residents and experimented on the human body, a dark warrior who took in too much black magic and became crazy about killing, a demon follower who offered living sacrifices to summon high-ranking demons, and who will serve the second coming of the immortal king as a god and spread death to the world. are fanatics, etc.···.
These were the world's cancerous lumps that Hans had been diligently collecting and causing problems all over the continent..
The two royal families, who had never seen such a race before, froze in the sight of a group of humans that did not look normal at first glance..
‘Hmm, maybe leaving them with these guys wouldn't be a good choice. Should we create a separate quarantine zone?.’
This was a space entirely under his control..
As soon as the will was established, the phenomenon occurred immediately..
Before they knew it, they were standing in a living space that was separate from the one they had been in before..
And the person in charge of monitoring and supporting them for a while is···.
“Ugh, how did I end up in such a dreary place?···.”
“···That's loud, Andrew. Because I really want to cry.”
In the end, it was Andrew Weaver, the awakened person of Earth, and Siana the succubus who came to the Demon King's Castle..
‘Sianna also has excellent disguise skills. There is no one as talented as him to be in charge of Princess Riley..’
They say it's okay for the crown prince to just hold his breath, but isn't it really uncomfortable to treat the princess who was brought in so unexpectedly?.
···I feel sorry to see Lee Se-ah sighing and sighing in worry next to Heinrich..
‘Hmm—after all, it’s not good to keep the princess in an environment like this for a long time. I guess I'll have to come up with a liberation scenario quickly..’
Actually, I already had something else in mind..
There is an exquisite way to use this opportunity to purchase the favor of the princess and the archmage at the same time in the most efficient way while also being helpful to yourself..
***
‘That's shit.’
Heinrich, who had visited the imperial palace to discuss future matters and devise countermeasures, shook his head unconsciously as he left the conference room..
Although it was somewhat expected, the aftermath of Hans' invasion of the capital was more serious than expected..
First of all, many influential people residing in the capital suffered considerable damage, and many of them lost their lives..
In a situation that could be considered a huge loss, it became impossible to determine whether the two royal family members who were closest to the next emperor were alive or dead at the same time..
The emperor, who was watching his successors to pass on the throne, could not help but be embarrassed by that fact.···.
It was also natural that the sailors on the ship whose captain had disappeared began to shake and look at their livers..
The crown prince's faction, which had the advantage of time, formed the largest force centered around conservative forces..
The faction of the Fifth Princess rapidly expanded in size, led by emerging nobles with outstanding intelligence and political power..
And the 2nd prince, who had already been pushed out of the mainstream, and the 6th prince, who had not been able to show off his spirit, began to move at the right time, looking for an opportunity..
Perhaps, the longer this situation prolongs, the more the political situation will inevitably fall into chaos..
Apart from the Immortal King, solely because of their greed for power..
“Phew—sorry, saint. It's a little late because I had to comfort our people for a while..”
And it was she, Isea Pristine, who was making every effort to minimize the departure of the Fifth Princess faction..
As of now, she has not made any special achievements and has a low title compared to her level, but as she is the 5th princess's closest confidant and a powerful archmage, her right to speak within the faction can never be ignored..
‘It must be in preparation for when the princess returns later. If you've been looking for it and there's no place for it, that's a problem too..’
Even though he must have been quite impatient, seeing him take care of everything he needed to do step by step, he really looked cool-headed, befitting an archmage..
“So, saint? When are you going to attack the Immortal King? ah! First of all, I think we need to recruit people to join us. If you leave it to me, I will personally bring useful people from each country... no, I will bring them here..”
The line spoken in that calm voice was not calm at all, but this could be seen as a minor problem..
“We have already carefully considered and selected a few people. In this case, not only mobility but also mutual cooperation are very important, so I don't plan on taking it just for anyone. In the end, you will have to fight alongside the Immortal King later..”
“···Is that so. It's a pity.”
Lee Se-ah lightly licks her lips with an expressionless face.
As expected, it seemed a bit extreme..
“But saint? I don't doubt it, but are you sure you don't mind? Respond to an attack without any warning or warning. In fact, in this case, the saint gave us a warning in advance, but in the end, due to lack of preparation, it ended up like this.···.”
She sighed anxiously as she walked down the hallway side by side with Heinrich..
Even when I think about it again, I guess I regret going out that day..
“it's okay.”
And to her worried words, he answered firmly in a voice full of confidence..
“I didn't make that suggestion to him for nothing. As long as the Lord lights the way, everything will go as it should. ···I'm still lacking a lot, so I'm not sure I can respond to every situation..”
A faithful priest... To put it more bluntly, the fanatic gimmick was very convenient as it could squash any doubts..
Because the other party cannot carelessly criticize the authority of the main god and the saint..
Of course, I didn't forget to leave a hole to escape later by lightly adding a word at the end..
“ah! And the princess will be able to return safely soon. It feels that way. My intuition is pretty accurate, so you can trust it..”
“···I really hope so. I wonder if that young child will be able to survive in such an environment. There are many foods that are secretly covered... Ah! sorry. Please pretend you didn’t hear this..”
She, who was muttering something more like a mother than a sister, flinched and tapped her mouth..
Considering the appearance of Se-ah Lee, who looks like a middle school student, and Princess Riley, who is a mature adult woman, I felt a significant sense of disparity..
‘Anyway, now let’s start destroying the annoying things in earnest.!’
After the event where the kidnapped princess and the archmage joined the party,.
Starting with the cruel thoughts of a warrior, 'Home Theater' smoothly entered the next chapter..
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