episode_0041

The chamber of Cardelphion.

A place where no one dares to disturb.

Plop~

Sitting on the bed.

“I never thought I would end up here….”

On the other hand, Ian muttered nervously.

It seemed like it was his first time visiting Cardelphion’s chamber, as he awkwardly scanned the room.

“Why did you hide my identity?”

I asked straight to the point.

Ian flinched, but answered from a distance.

“….But first, let me ask. Please tell me who you are.”

It was not the answer I wanted.

Once again, it was an unexpected question.

“Are you speaking knowing my situation?”

“If my life is at stake, I want to make sure.”

His eyes were fierce once again.

Though trembling, there was no sign of backing down.

Seems like the type to do whatever it takes, even if scared.

Moreover, he was the one who initiated this conversation from a more advantageous position.

It was indeed a matter of life and death.

Whatever he was, he was a determined fellow.

Just threatening him wouldn’t be enough.

There might be a chance he could become an ally.

It wouldn’t hurt to assess him by the questions he asks.

I engaged in the conversation.

“If you want to ask, be more specific. Your question is too broad.”

“….Then. How do you feel about this city?”

“Are you testing my values? My attitude might change depending on my answer.”

“I won’t deny that.”

There was no need to think about it.

No intention to hide anything.

Moreover, him hiding my identity might mean there was some ill will towards the city.

I answered as I pleased.

“It was the worst. That’s my answer.”

“…The worst…. Really? With your level of strength, you could enjoy all kinds of wealth here, couldn’t you?”

“What’s the point?”

“…That’s….”

“Do I need to convince you?”

“Oh, no.”

“If you’re not satisfied, feel free to ask more questions.”

“…Then, what do you think about slaves?”

“Equally unpleasant. The reason this city is the worst is because of that.”

“What about the slave next to you….”

“Cecilia is a fervently brainwashed servant of Cardelphion. She wouldn’t engage in conversation no matter what, so I had to take measures to make her see me as her master. The method… I don’t think I need to explain.”

“Hmm….”

Ian looked at Cecilia.

Cecilia just smiled and nodded without any sign of discomfort, even though he was openly talking about her.

She was trained not to harbor any doubts.

“I think that’s enough. Are you still testing my values?”

“…That’s enough.”

I met Ian’s eyes again.

His face was much more relaxed than before.

No longer with the guarded look in his eyes.

In no time, he came to a conclusion.

“You are definitely an enemy of the city.”

“An enemy? Was that what you wanted to know from the beginning? The questions were to ascertain the truth… So you want me to be hostile towards the city.”

“I was a slave.”

“Hmm?”

He suddenly started talking about himself.

Not wanting to disrupt the flow, I just listened.

“I was weak back then. But if I were to call it luck, my master was obsessed with gladiators. I was forced to fight other slaves, and that’s how I became a slave who was supposed to die.”

It was a tough story.

She was thrown into the garbage and captured as a slave, then raised as a gladiator.

At this point, if you win multiple times and become a champion, you can be freed from slavery. Yan went through the brink of death multiple times and finally became a champion, and was freed as a special case, but still ended up working in the organization against his will due to his ambiguous status.

​

As a result of his consistent work.

He is now the madam of the organization, but still remembers his days as a slave well, so he doesn’t like this city.

​

I never expected him to have been a slave….

It didn’t seem like a lie to want to escape from here.

His story revealed such desperate emotions and deep anguish.

​

To live, one must kill others.

He had to kill to climb up.

Even after being freed, he helped others kill.

He became an ambiguous trash, pretending not to know about others’ deaths and survived by turning a blind eye.

​

In other words.

​

“You tried to use me. Did you expect me to destroy this place because I don’t like it here?”

​

“…You killed the Cardapion. I was hoping for a small chance. Because if you pretend not to know, you might end up killing another ruler.”

​

Now it finally makes sense.

​

Why he hid my identity.

Why he provided information.

Because he had been tied to the city against his will, hiding his resentment.

​

If it’s the truth, it can’t be bad.

​

Whether it’s because he sincerely hates the city.

Or to alleviate his guilt.

He will help me, that must be true.

​

Maybe that’s why.

He now asked openly.

​

“I’ll ask you straight. Can you fight against the city?”

​

“Well.”

​

“You have to fight. You have no choice.”

​

“…Are you a collaborator?”

​

“I’m just explaining the situation. Don’t you have to protect the Elf Village? The junkyard is lawless. Wherever you go, you’ll end up clashing.”

​

“So you knew about the Elf Village.”

​

“I was the one who sent the expedition there. I also know the location of the Elf Village.”

​

“…That sounds like a request to kill.”

​

“No. I’m saying let’s face the current situation and work through it. Others don’t know anything. They’ve already reported it as over. I manage a significant part of the organization. I can hide your existence and buy time. I can provide you with necessary information when you need it. I will cooperate with you as much as possible.”

​

Yan explained what he could do.

It was like he was begging not to be killed.

​

It’s definitely a waste to kill him.

He has a strong will and is skilled at handling situations.

If this guy spies for me, it will surely be a great help.

​

Decision made.

​

“For now… I’ll trust you.”

​

The merits to be gained are too great.

I’ll end up clashing with the city anyway, and he’s willing to help with that. As long as he doesn’t stab me in the back, he’s a very useful ally.

​

“…Thank you.”

​

Yan’s eyes relaxed.

The tension and trembling disappeared, and a fleeting sense of relief and a faint smile appeared and disappeared.

​

That’s enough.

I also asked in a relaxed voice.

​

“I’d like to hear about this place first.”

​

“If you have any questions, feel free to ask.”

​

The top spy in the city.

Although not a trustworthy relationship, as long as I communicate well with him, I can avoid clashing with the city’s forces easily and accurately monitor the city’s trends.

​

No need to hesitate.

We had several conversations.

​

The city’s operating system.

The pleasures of the rulers.

The hunters’ schedules.

​

And so on.

It was quite a long conversation.

​

And I made two demands to him.

​

First.

We will have regular communication every week.

This will be done in the form of me inviting Yan.

​

Second.

I will hand over the Elf slave I brought to the organization.

I intended to monitor what the nobles or rulers do by infiltrating their homes.

“Slave?… Those elves?”

“It’s fake. As you can see, I can create a body like this. I may not have a self, but I understand speech well, and I can monitor.”

“So, this was the plan from the beginning. But is that possible? I thought it was just a disguise…”

“You’re seeing it right now. I am a living witness.”

“…It’s hard to believe, but I understand.”

Yan nodded directly to confirm the explanation of being a fake spy without a self.

Acknowledging that there would still be demand even without a self, he accepted my proposal.

The rest will be taken care of.

Finally, it’s time to say goodbye.

“Now, go back and hide the existence of the elf village more securely. I need time.”

“Yes. If the masters are not interested, there shouldn’t be any problems.”

There will be many more days to converse.

Yan stood up from his seat, leading the elf clone to the teleportation device.

There was no farewell.

It’s not that kind of relationship.

Swish.

Poof!!~

Yan returned to the headquarters.

He looked at where he disappeared.

There was a lot to gain from this conversation.

Regular city communication network.

Deployment of slave clone to monitor the city.

And most importantly, until the crucial moment.

The city will not attack the elf village as before, and I can focus on strengthening the village’s defenses during that time.

That’s the plan.

“Cecilia.”

“Yes! Master.”

“I won’t be able to focus on this place for a while. I will make this body follow you, so make sure you manage this place without getting caught. You are the master here while I’m away.”

“Please leave it to me!!! I will watch over you all day long.”

She blushed excitedly.

She seems eager. There shouldn’t be much to worry about.

“Then.”

Snap~

He returned to his original form.

Tree trunk house.

He landed in the elf body.

He took a moment to gather his thoughts.

There are many monsters in the city that are equal to or even greater than Kardepeon. They will attack the elf village as soon as they notice it.

Fortunately, working with Yan bought us some time, but we never know when or how we will clash.

We need to prepare for this opportunity.

That is, continue the research we were doing earlier.

Body modification.

Or genetic combination.

But it’s not easy. Just looking at the failed experiments from earlier shows that.

Arms like wings.

Elf ears like horns.

Reproductive organs like a tail.

Instead of a perfect body, a grotesque chimera appeared.

More research is needed.

Many more experiments are needed.

That’s the plan.

“I should try making multiple bodies to experiment with.”

“I feel like something creepy will come out again.”

Shaela, who had been watching from the bed, understood my intention and frowned. It felt like her eyes behind the blindfold were full of contempt.

“You can’t see anyway.”

“But you can still understand, right?”

“How is that possible…?”

Hehe.

“Curious? Want me to show you?”

“…Forget it.”

Ignoring her, I created fruits from the main stem.

Failure is the mother of success.

If it doesn’t work, make it work until it does.

There’s no tree that won’t fall after a thousand chops, and effort becomes experience that shines in the next work.

The more, the better.

Splat!!~

I created ten bio fruits in the corner of the house.

I would like to research and create hundreds, but to create a strong body, it needs to be exponentially increased, and with genetic modification, nutrients are inefficiently consumed.

Although the area has expanded and there is more nutrition, considering the continuous supply of nutrients to the Bloro, I can’t afford to waste it.

I have to settle for ten.

Splat.

I modified each bio fruit one by one.

The transcendent sense of the main body, which had grown to the size of three fists, made it possible.

This is an area of life creation that is several steps ahead of gene splicing technology. If successful, it may be possible to create a body that surpasses even Cardelphion someday.

Let’s focus.

We need to extract and combine the unique life factors that living beings possess.

First, I identified the characteristics of several life factors.

Cardelphion.

His strength, sensitivity to mana, and dragon-specific energy and abilities go without saying. It is necessary to prioritize embodying them.

Volfir.

His exceptional agility and agility in human form surpass Cardelphion, and he has the ability to concentrate on multiple targets at once.

Alberto.

He may not have exceptional strength, but his responsiveness and sensitivity of nerves to something surpass the previous two. Also, perhaps because he is a scientist, the time between thinking and acting is very short.

As well as the characteristics of slave hunters and mist forest creatures.

The body emitting energy waves and mana circuit structure.

Traits like vampires that absorb blood to heal.

The more blood decreases, the more sensitive the frenzy becomes.

Or even the factors of mist forest plants.

And so on.

There are many items to apply.

Without delay, I connected the stems of ten fruits like a rope and mixed and directly modified each life factor to create a body.

If even one of them succeeds, it will be enough.

Then we might see some progress.

However.

“I’ll have to wait another week.”

It takes time.

We must watch the progress.

It’s a tedious time of patience.

Fortunately, there are many other things to do.

I have set my goals step by step.

1. My own training.

I have mastered close combat fairly well, but I still have a lot to learn about magic, spirits, and various special abilities.

I should ask for help from the Elven of Shinmok.

Or maybe Shaela would be okay.

2. Strengthening the Elven of Shinmok.

I plan to proceed with this after the research on life modification above is completed, so it’s on hold for now.

If we can finish it safely, they will be much stronger than before.

3. Augmentation of the Elven village’s power.

We need a proper army. I have arranged the rescued elves under Illyan into the army, but there are too many shortages.

And… Shaela said.

Let’s accept humans as part of the power.

The most efficient option is number 3.

It’s a bit of a problem because I can’t quite grasp it, but in this case, leaving it to the experts should be enough.

And conveniently, the person in question is here.

“Shaela. I want to discuss about accepting humans.”

“Oh. Have you finally decided?”

“Yes. I need your help.”

Shaela replied with a sly smile.

“Leave it to me!”

It’s time to accept humans now.