Ch.17Changed World’s NPCs (1)

[-Occupation: Mountain Keeper NPC- Level: 300 Name: Jack. Age: 16.]

[Strength: 50+?]

[Dexterity: 40+?]

[Intelligence: 3+?]

[Luck: -30+??]

[HP: 300,000+???]

[MP: 0+0]

[Skill: Mountain Manager]

[Mountain Manager Effect: All stats slightly increase in the mountain you manage. Current increase rate: None.]

[Mountain Currently Managing: -Ponia- (How to register surrounding mountains: View Details)]

[Title: View Details.]

————–

[-Occupation Village Girl: Level 2 Name: Ira. Age: 9.]

[Strength: 2]

[Dexterity: 1]

[Intelligence: 25]

[Luck: 0]

[HP: 25]

[MP: 30]

[Skills: None.]

—————-

[-Occupation: Fallen Swordsman- Level: 33 Name: Ray Sol. Age: 17.]

[Strength: 21]

[Dexterity: 36]

[Intelligence: 12]

[Luck: 11]

[HP: 860]

[MP: 60]

[Skill: Cannot Tolerate Injustice.]

[Cannot Tolerate Injustice Effect: You do not tolerate injustice when you see it. Experience slightly increases when you resolve the situation before you.]

[(!)Status: Cannot Tolerate Injustice activated (Target: Repaying debt to Jack) Self-proclaimed slave.]

—————-

[Mime Golem (Gor): Level 362]

[Strength: 150]

[Dexterity: 60]

[Luck: 0+??]

[Intelligence: 22]

[HP: 196,202]

[MP: 150]

[Skill: Mimicry]

[Mimicry Effect: Absorbs and perfectly replicates the opponent’s actions 100%. Luck is proportional to the opponent’s luck.]

*

The journey from Ponia to the Empire was quite long.

A distance that would take only 10 minutes by mount in the game took us a whole 3 months, which says it all.

I really wish this aspect was more like the game. Well, still.

“Hey!! Thanks to you, we arrived safely! Here, I’ve put in exactly twice the promised payment!!”

“Oh, this much… Ahem! Thank you.”

I don’t refuse money when offered. I cleared my throat once and immediately accepted the pouch.

The journey wasn’t particularly busy, just dealing with occasional monster attacks.

Not only me, but Ray Sol, boasting the might of a 1.5-tier NPC, possessed an impressive combined stat of 80, and sometimes showed combat prowess that made me wonder if she might be stronger than me.

No. Is it really true that someone 10 levels below me can sometimes be stronger? This negative luck stat is such a troll.

“May we meet again someday! Blessings on your journey!!”

“Yes. Take care, Mr. Tom, and thank you.”

After securing the hefty pouch with more than the promised payment to my waist, I head to where my companions are. The status window—the golem now named Gor—is holding Ira.

Perhaps because the weather has started to get warmer recently, Ira has developed a tendency to prefer Gor’s embrace over mine.

She says she likes the coolness of the stone, so I’ve left her in his care for now.

But remember, Ira, you’re always welcome in your brother’s arms when you miss them!!

“Brother. Where are we going now?”

My sister Ira, who has grown a year older after eating and sleeping well, has improved her pronunciation and short tongue, and now speaks quite well.

But I find that aspect a bit regrettable too.

“Our destination is Aigram. We’ll be heading south now. It’s going to get hotter, so what should you do when you’re hot?”

“Ask for water!”

“Hehe. I’m also looking forward to visiting the trading city of Aigram for the first time!!”

After giving the status window a name,

I was puzzled when it started displaying not only Ira’s stats but Ray’s as well.

So when everyone was asleep, I briefly asked about it.

[You have been designated as a party. Would you like to cancel if not needed?]

When I asked who had arbitrarily designated us as a party, it said it had done so itself, judging that she showed only goodwill toward me and Ira and would be helpful.

I don’t want to call it “status window” anymore.

What kind of status window forms parties on its own without listening to its owner?

The party leader is disappointed in the status window.

The one fortunate thing is that this troublemaker is currently unable to cause trouble.

Since [Cannot Tolerate Injustice] is activated toward me, an NPC with a role, other troubles aren’t triggering.

Well, that sounds good when I put it this way, but in other words, I am the trouble itself from her perspective. Moreover, it’s not good for her either.

She needs to continuously clear quests to level up, but because of me, her only passive skill is completely blocked. Of course, that will end when we reach Aigram.

I plan to give her a generous escort fee then. But for now…

“Here, Ray, 800 cans.”

“But the day isn’t even over yet?”

“We’ve arrived at a new town. We need to gather supplies and buy things.”

[800 cans can buy one skewer and one small bottle of water.]

Tsk. I’m giving my self-proclaimed slave as much as my former salary, and yet… Still, I have a conscience, so it’s not a weekly wage but a three-day wage, right?

About a week after we revealed our ages to each other, I deliberately left without saying anything, but she still followed with a smile.

At first, I set the compensation intentionally low to make her tired of me and leave, but she accepted it with a smile anyway.

Honestly, I don’t have much money either, you know? She should be grateful I’m letting her share the inn with us.

If she doesn’t like it, she can just leave. Did I force her to stay? She’s following me of her own accord.

I don’t like this slave play to begin with. There are nice terms like pure love and peace, so why go down that route? Ugh, I hate it.

I immediately headed to the inn with everyone, and we’re getting just one room.

“Ray, Gor. Go out with Ira and buy something to eat.”

“Huh? What about you, Jack?”

“I’ll gather some information nearby and come back to the inn. Ira, be good with Gor, okay? Gor, you understand?”

[I will block any inappropriate content for Miss Ira’s emotional well-being.]

“Yes! Be careful, brother!”

Ira isn’t very close with Ray, but she treats her more kindly than strangers. In my view, Ira’s heart ranking is me, Gor >= Ray = others.

I thought they might become quite close since they’re both female, but it seems there won’t be any sadness or difficulty when we part ways later.

After sending the two people and one creature(?) ahead, I immediately set off.

Information I heard before coming here. There should definitely be information about Ponia.

Although it’s not sunset yet, I visited an open tavern and asked where I could get information, and they recommended the guild.

After getting directions and handing over 100 cans to the owner, I rushed to the guild, showed my adventurer ID, and bought information.

Let’s see what we have here.

[[-Ponia News-] The monster parade that started in Poria territory is currently growing, swallowing three surrounding territories. The Kingdom of Ponia is currently deploying knights and territorial armies to suppress the parade, but the damage continues to grow. The Kingdom of Ponia is considering requesting support from adventurers of other countries through the guild while stating that this situation is due to Mountain Keeper Jack illegally abandoning his duties in charge of the mountain in Poria territory…]

“…Hmm. Strange. The tutorial said it would fall within a month, but at this rate, it might hold out for longer than a month?”

I think as I read the paper translated by the status window.

They’re desperately trying to blame me, but in what country would anyone believe the nonsense that a single mountain keeper created a monster parade?

This is why countries don’t synchronize their criminal databases.

In the first place, no one would think that Mountain Keeper Jack is me or consider me a criminal after seeing this content.

Sincerely hoping for the demise of these fools who stupidly revealed my name and are struggling, I tossed the information sheet into the trash.

I had thought that with luck, I would arrive in Aigram after the start of ep.1 and enjoy a completely peaceful city, but it seems the current situation isn’t the start of destruction yet.

Damn it.

*

“Is Ponia’s national power so weak that it can’t stop a single monster parade? Against mere goblins, orcs, and trolls?”

“From what I’ve gathered, that’s not the case. Their knights and guards are not exceptional, but they are certainly properly trained humans.”

“Then? Are you saying there’s something different about this monster parade?”

“According to the information, ordinary goblins are displaying orc-level strength, orcs have troll-level speed, and just three trolls together pose a threat equivalent to a cyclops.”

“Hmm.”

The blue-haired girl furrowing her brow and holding her chin in contemplation looks like a child imitating an adult.

An adult who knows nothing would find it an endearing sight.

However, the maid who delivered the information steps back as soon as the girl begins her action and moves without making even a breath of sound.

And then.

“There’s a lie in the information. It’s not because the mountain keeper, this Jack person, abandoned his duties. It’s not at that level. Kara.”

The girl removes her hand from her chin and begins to speak without hesitation.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Have you tracked the movements of that mountain keeper?”

“There was a man named Jack who received an international adventurer ID within Ponia and boarded a caravan headed for the Empire. However…”

“Unlike the wanted notice, his companions have changed. So you’re not sure if it’s him or not. Well, something like that, right?”

“…Yes, that’s correct.”

Without even waiting for a proper answer, the woman who had already stated what the maid was about to report stood up from her seat.

“Call Chancellor Salber. And prepare an ordinary carriage without a seal.”

“Yes. I shall obey your command.”

The maid quietly disappeared outside the room in response to the words of the girl who appeared to be in her mid-teens, and the blue-haired girl immediately began to have her appearance prepared by another maid who entered as if on cue.

“Your Highness. Salber Katram. I have come as you summoned.”

“Enter.”

The girl, sitting proudly before the elderly man who entered shortly after, exchanged a few pleasantries before getting straight to the point.

“Tell His Majesty that it would be better not to support Ponia.”

“This old one does not fully understand the meaning of what ‘The Wisdom of the Empire’ has said. May I request a detailed explanation to report to His Majesty?”

“Very well.”

The girl, who likely hasn’t lived even a quarter of the chancellor’s life, begins to speak confidently. The gathered information and the visible situation. The conclusion drawn from it. And then.

“…Therefore. Ponia probably doesn’t have much time left. It will either perish or lose at least half its territory. When the ruler lays down his sword and wails at the lost land, that’s when the Empire should step in and take the territory. That’s all.”

“Yes. I shall convey it exactly as you said, Princess Ragni Bluemoon Ottoman.”

The princess of the Empire.

Ragni, known as the Blue Rose of Wisdom, calls in her maid to change clothes as soon as the chancellor bows and leaves.

“Tell the chancellor in two days. Say that I forgot to mention today that I will personally move to ascertain the location of this man called Mountain Keeper Jack, as his whereabouts are uncertain.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

This means she will be leaving the palace, but not a single maid tries to stop her.

Even as she dons the attire of an ordinary commoner and boards the prepared ordinary carriage, no one tries to stop her.

‘Since I have no one loyal to me in the palace, it’s natural, but this is really too much.’

Emerging from a space where not a single person tries to prevent her actions, she rides in the carriage.

According to her prediction, this Mountain Keeper Jack will surely become a great asset to her.

And.

[Skill Blue Ruler’s Wisdom: Activated.]

If she extends her hand, he will surely need her power as well.

The princess of the Empire began to move without hesitation.