episode_0230

Jung Yushin thought as he walked into the inn.

The King of the Dwarves’ Chief Advisor and the Crown Prince of the Empire came together.

The Eastern Federation and the Empire were practically enemies.

Rumor had it that they had been fighting across the border for a long time.

But.

Why did they come to the Labyrinth City together?

Jung Yushin paused for a moment and looked up at the night sky.

Lately, quite a few unfamiliar faces had popped up, making his head complicated.

It wasn’t easy to keep up with how the world was turning, let alone remember names.

Why?

Because he wasn’t interested.

Most of his attention was focused on the labyrinth.

He had only briefly turned his gaze because the city’s affairs were unfolding chaotically.

In the midst of all this, the number of people he had to pay attention to was steadily increasing.

‘I’m tired.’

He suddenly thought of the labyrinth wanderers.

Those bastards who wandered around the labyrinth without caring how the world was turning.

They were crazy, but he was also envious in a way.

Slap!!!

“Yushin, that’s not right. You crazy bastard.”

Jung Yushin slapped himself on the cheek and then carried the coffin and walked again.

Why had he been trying so hard to stand alongside the four great saints?

It was to protect his humanity.

If you keep looking into the abyss, you will become a monster.

A person with the heart of a human.

A person with the heart of a monster.

A monster with the heart of a human.

A monster with the heart of a monster.

The Labyrinth City was where all these people lived mixed together, and that was why life here was complicated.

What drove Jung Yushin even crazier was the fact that people changed.

It was a place where angelic people could fall into bastards worse than monsters overnight. Both externally and internally.

Like a den of devils.

The Crown Prince of the Empire set foot in a city teeming with potential nests of evil.

It didn’t matter what the Crown Prince did or what he was thinking.

The situation had become even more complicated, but he decided not to forget his purpose.

It was enough to know whether a war would break out between the Empire and the Eastern Federation territory.

The atmosphere in the inn was ominous.

A dwarf with a long beard and a handsome man were sitting at a large round table, facing Ellasein.

He recognized them at a glance.

The long-bearded dwarf was the King’s Chief Advisor. Also known as the Hand of the King. The one who manages the state affairs by receiving the King’s orders.

Instead of fancy clothes, he was wearing heavy armor with artistic engravings, and his expression was dark.

On the other hand.

The man sitting next to the dwarf had a confident expression.

Annoyingly handsome.

He didn’t know anything else, but the Crown Prince’s eyes sparkled with solar intellect and divinity.

“Aren’t you the Elf Queen Ellasein I’ve heard rumors about?”

“…”

Despite the Crown Prince’s question, Ellasein remained silent.

However.

The Crown Prince continued his questions without caring.

“But how come you only have your body here? I heard you wear a staff and crown made of the World Tree. And where are the giant stags you enjoy riding and the Woodheart Sisterhood who shoot arrows that pierce even small insects from afar?”

“Crown Prince, what is this rudeness, suddenly coming here?”

Ellasein replied quietly.

A response that was on a different level from when she was with Jung Yushin. He felt an enormous sense of pressure.

Until now, he had thought that kings and queens were just people, but after watching that forcefulness from the side, his thoughts changed.

As expected, not just anyone can be above ten thousand people.

But the Crown Prince didn’t seem to care.

“Rudeness? I am clearly an envoy of His Imperial Majesty.”

Ellasein turned her head towards the Dwarf Chief Advisor.

“Is this person really the Crown Prince?”

The Dwarf Chief Advisor stroked his long beard once and nodded.

“Yes. On the way here, I confirmed the source of divinity coming from the Crown Prince. His face is also a spitting image of the paintings. He is the Crown Prince.”

“I see.”

Ellasein folded her arms and looked at the Crown Prince.

If he was the Emperor’s envoy, he could have sent someone who was okay to die.

But the Crown Prince, with his extremely high status, came alone to a place that was almost an enemy country.

He must be a human who was either overflowing with confidence and mentally unstable, or whose arrogance had reached its peak.

Crown Prince Ricardus graduated at a young age at the top of the Imperial Academy and demonstrated an excellent sense in handling various state affairs, earning him the reputation of a genius.

‘Was it a lie?’

Or there might be a hidden trick.

For example.

Committing heinous acts at a gathering of the leaders of the Eastern Federation.

Ellasein’s eyes coldly sank.

The Dwarf Chief Advisor immediately noticed and stepped forward.

“Ellasein, the Crown Prince is harmless. He has no weapons or magical items on his body.”

“Hey, why did you come with the Crown Prince of the Empire?”

The Dwarf hesitated for a moment at Ellasein’s question.

“That’s…”

“Queen, let’s talk about it when everyone is gathered.”

The Crown Prince interrupted with a smile.

Ellasein turned her head and looked at the guards standing in the inn.

Elves, Beastmen, Humans.

Loyal people who served their respective kings.

Even without a single word, the guards immediately understood and left the inn.

Jung Yushin approached, dragging the golden coffin.

“Is the meeting about to begin?”

“It seems like it has to. Prepare yourself.”

“Understood.”

Jung Yushin carefully put down the coffin he was carrying and sat at the table.

Originally, he wasn’t interested in the meeting.

He even met the one-eyed Barbaroi guy and expressed his intention not to attend the meeting.

However.

Looking at the way things were going, it didn’t seem like he could avoid it.

The higher-ups naturally seemed to think of him as the next chieftain of the Barbaroi tribe.

‘Now that it’s come to this, should I pit the Barbaroi guys against the Empire?’

Just thinking about it was exhilarating.

Maybe it was because it was a borrowed sword strategy.

Jung Yushin was lost in such idle thoughts and smiled a little.

Then he came to his senses and managed his expression.

No.

Let’s get a grip.

He should attend the meeting with the thought of repaying even a little for the gifts that Grandpa Ragna gave him.

He didn’t have any particular plan. Because he didn’t know what kind of story would come out.

He would just follow the trend appropriately.

The Crown Prince of the Empire, Ricardus, looked at the Barbaroi sitting across from him.

His appearance of smiling and then hardening his expression didn’t seem normal.

Every now and then, when he made eye contact, he felt an indescribable feeling.

Something familiar.

Yet foreign.

‘Could it be that he received the power of Lux Aeterna?’

Crown Prince Ricardus immediately shook his head.

It was impossible.

Ricardus shook his head to erase any possibility.

No matter how deep Lux Aeterna’s grace was, there was no way that someone who carried a coffin and smiled grimly would receive grace.

A little more time passed.

The outside of the inn was densely filled with hundreds of guards, creating a grim atmosphere.

One by one, the higher-ups entered the inn.

King Vendrick of Lionel.

Ingrid, the representative of the Beastmen Federation.

Astaroth, the ruler of the Eastern District.

There were also faces he hadn’t seen in a while.

The spirit teacher Luke Weizman in white robes.

Luke entered the inn with a friendly smile.

“I came representing the Spirit Church. Please take care of me. Sca, you’ve grown beyond recognition.”

“Yes. Well, I’ve been working hard.”

Jung Yushin replied with an awkward expression.

Luke Weizman.

The first person he met in the Labyrinth Committee.

The end wasn’t so good.

He was threatened that he would be killed if he sold his disciple’s name again.

All the leaders gathered and sat at the table in the center of the inn’s hall.

It was heavy.

The atmosphere was on a different level from the relaxed atmosphere he had felt while resting in the inn.

An enormous sense of pressure stormed around the table like a hurricane.

Jung Yushin braced himself.

What he could do in this place.

‘Let’s only think about what I have to do.’

“What is the Crown Prince of the Empire doing here?”

King Vendrick of Lionel asked.

It was a heavy and dignified voice, different from when he was talking to Jung Yushin.

Crown Prince Ricardus looked around and smiled.

“A familiar of an Outer God.”

A shocking word echoed around the table.

But the leaders looked at the Crown Prince without changing their expressions.

“Just a few months ago, a familiar of an Outer God crossed the Eastern Federation territory and entered the Empire’s land.”

“…”

“To give you the conclusion, 34 villages near the border disappeared without a trace, and 2 cities were half destroyed. What’s even more frightening is that this news came slowly one by one, and then gradually took the form of urgent reports. That familiar was getting stronger in real time.”

“So?”

“I sent the Imperial Knights. That guy crossed back into the Eastern Federation territory. I quietly sent someone to chase him, and he escaped to the northern mountains where the dwarves stay.”

The Dwarf Chief Advisor wore a somber expression.

“With the Crown Prince’s help, we managed to kill that familiar, but one underground city was destroyed. It was a place close to the heart where the King stays… The damage is enormous. How many of our people are buried under the cliffs…”

Jung Yushin listened intently to the Crown Prince’s story and quietly muttered to himself.

‘Damn it. I almost got screwed.’

He was glad that he killed that familiar of the Outer God in the Eastern District’s sewer.

What if that familiar had safely escaped the city?

A bloodbath like this would have broken out.

Ingrid looked at Crown Prince Ricardus.

“How do you confirm that he is a familiar of an Outer God?”

“I confirmed that he transferred here from another world and received the blessing of an Outer God. I also have information that he was sighted in the villages around the Labyrinth City. If you don’t believe me, ask the Dwarf Chief Advisor.”

The Dwarf Chief Advisor nodded with a somber expression.

“It’s certain.”

Vendrick nodded and opened his mouth.

“Crown Prince, what is the reason for coming all the way here?”

“The Empire’s losses are great. This is not something that can be easily dismissed. Some kind of compensation is needed. Please allow the Empire’s citizens to use the Labyrinth City ‘officially’.”

“…”

The people sitting at the round table shook their heads.

“Impossible.”

“The Empire’s demands are excessive.”

“That’s right. It’s difficult.”

Ellasein folded her arms and looked at Crown Prince Ricardus.

“The Labyrinth City is neutral. We have never stopped people from coming and going.”

“But isn’t the city within the Eastern Federation territory?”

Ingrid’s eyebrows twitched.

“Crown Prince, that’s an absurd demand. Stop playing ridiculous tricks and get to the point.”

“I expected that. Instead, I have another offer.”

The Crown Prince paused for a moment and looked around the round table.

“Please accept one person. All the Empire’s armies will withdraw from the border, and I will not demand any apology or compensation.”

“…”

In the silence.

The leaders gathered at the round table exchanged glances with each other.

It seemed that this kind of meeting had been held several times, and they were exchanging glances familiarly.

Only Jung Yushin was rolling his eyes around.

‘What are we supposed to do?’

He wished someone would tell him.

In times like these, he had to follow the trend.

They were people who had been leading countries or organizations for a long time. He didn’t think they lacked insight, experience, or wisdom.

A silent gaze seemed to have come to a conclusion and quietly subsided.

He felt it intuitively.

The time for a choice was approaching.

At that moment.

Vendrick turned his head and looked at Jung Yushin.

“Sca.”

“Yes?”

Jung Yushin replied with a startled expression.

“I would like you to answer on our behalf.”

Vendrick’s eyes were filled with affection.

“That would be a good way. Haven’t you been silent throughout the meeting?”

Ingrid also lent a hand.

“I don’t care. Do as you please.”

Ellasein folded her arms and muttered.

“What am I…”

Jung Yushin wanted to refuse desperately. He didn’t know what they were thinking at all.

War?

Peace?

Looking at their eyes, it seemed like they had all caught on to something, but he didn’t know at all.

He was burdened by the fact that they were all looking at him with warm eyes.

“Isn’t the answer already decided?”

Crown Prince Ricardus said with a smile.

Then.

The people sitting at the round table glared at Ricardus.

‘Ah.’

Jung Yushin realized.

What the enemy’s childish gaze meant.

Is what will eventually happen inevitably going to happen?

Jung Yushin resigned himself in his heart.

He cleared his throat and revived his hoarse voice.

“Ahem! As the living conscience of the Labyrinth City and the proxy of the Darmon Inn, I will speak on behalf of the Eastern Federation and the Spirit Church.”

People’s gazes were all focused on Jung Yushin.

“From this moment on, the Eastern Federation will declare war on the Empire…”

As soon as the word ‘war’ came out, the people’s eyes shook.

In particular, Crown Prince Ricardus’s pupils grew the largest.

‘Ah. Is that not it?’

Should I make it stronger?

The leaders nodded slightly.

Jung Yushin opened his mouth again.

“Hear me clearly, you impudent and rebellious Crown Prince. This golden coffin is the place you will enter. And with a radical and total war that you cannot imagine, we will not leave a seed of your treacherous Empire…”

The mouths of the people sitting at the round table dropped open.

Next to him, Astaroth was eagerly mouthing.

Peace! Peace!

Jung Yushin changed his words without changing his expression.

“…Wouldn’t accepting one person be a big deal? Please take care of us. Let’s go together. As eternal companions who will share a bright future together.”

Crown Prince Ricardus’s complexion turned red and then pale.

“Yes… Yes. Let’s do that.”

The inn where the shock had passed.

With the Crown Prince’s weakened voice.

The summit finally came to an end.