Ch.195Chapter 195: The Kingdom of Duron (1)

The gate’s operation ended, and a burst of blue light flashed.

What greeted my eyes was a city with an atmosphere completely different from the imperial capital of Roshalkin.

The capital of the Duron Kingdom, ‘Siduron,’ which Professor Liman had grumbled about as “a country obsessed with magical engineering.”

True to its name, the city moved with precision and vigor like a massive mechanical device.

“Oho…!”

Professor Liman was the first to let out a low exclamation of amazement.

His eyes gleamed sharply like a hawk’s as they swept across the surroundings.

In the sky, airships emitting a soft blue mana glided along predetermined routes. Complex magical circuits were engraved on building exteriors like veins, supplying energy to the entire city.

On the streets, smooth metallic walking golems transported goods or patrolled designated areas without bumping into people, while small surveillance drones powered by magical crystals flew through the air maintaining order.

Unlike the Empire’s classical stone buildings, structures here boasted sleek and efficient designs primarily using metal, reinforced glass, and magical stones.

A faint mechanical hum and flow of magical energy could be felt throughout the city.

“…Just as I’ve heard. Their way of handling mana is completely different from the Empire’s. I see many interesting technologies.”

Liman muttered to himself while closely examining the circuits on a particular building’s exterior.

Though his title had changed from the Languid Sword to the Sword of Counterattack, his thirst for new knowledge and technology remained unchanged.

Yuria wrinkled her nose and frowned.

“Tch, instead of the smell of blood, there’s just this nauseating oil stench everywhere. And what’s with those beetle-like golems? They look like they’re begging to be smashed with one hit. What a boring place.”

She was already restless, looking around for something “fun” to do.

Lity, true to her nature as a mage, silently assessed the city’s structure and security systems.

“The magical engineering technology level is quite impressive. Defense facilities are well-equipped too. But they seem overly dependent on technology? Hmm… that part is inefficient.”

With her fairy race’s unique perception, she was simultaneously identifying the city’s strengths and weaknesses.

Liris stood quietly beside Valt, sensing the flow of mana throughout the city.

“…The magical circulation system is quite sophisticated, but I sense an unnatural flow somewhere. It might be vulnerable to external intervention.”

Airin and Solpin wore expressions of disinterest.

“Complexity is exactly what I hate.”

“Agreed.”

For once, the two were of the same mind.

Valt took out a brooch engraved with the Duron royal family crest that Princess Siloin had given him.

The designated meeting point was in front of an old clock tower at the corner of the busy central square.

When he displayed the brooch, shortly after, an inconspicuous man dressed as an ordinary merchant approached, surveying the surroundings before speaking the password in a low voice.

He was a secret agent of the Lamrpo Trading Company.

“When the blue giant wraps the dragon’s tears.”

“…The red earth shall drum the sky.”

Lati chuckled and said:

“That password sounds like it’s about Valt, doesn’t it?”

“Hmm?”

“It’s a thing. Uncle Lamrpo is quite the romantic, it seems.”

Once the password was confirmed, the agent bowed respectfully.

“So you are the prince’s party. The guild master has been anxiously waiting. Please follow me. The path is somewhat complicated.”

The agent led the group away from the busy main street into a maze-like network of back alleys.

Beneath the surface of the glamorous magical engineering city, traces of the old dark and narrow city still remained.

After passing through several secret passages and underground waterways, they finally reached a hideout deep beneath the trading company’s headquarters.

The entrance was secured with a heavy steel door and complex magical security devices, with heavily armed elite guards vigilantly standing watch inside.

The room was furnished with luxury furniture and rare decorations, but there was an inexplicably stuffy and tense atmosphere.

As soon as the door opened, the Lamrpo guild master jumped up and rushed over.

His face was pale with both joy and extreme anxiety.

The jovial and relaxed demeanor Valt remembered was nowhere to be seen.

His once plump flesh had visibly thinned, his high-quality silk clothes were severely wrinkled, and dark shadows hung beneath his eyes.

He looked like someone who hadn’t slept for several nights.

“Oh my! Prince Vaaaaaaalt!!!”

With a boisterous cry, Lamrpo waddled his heavy body to greet Valt.

Valt couldn’t help but smile seeing that he was still safe.

“You seem to have lost some weight, Lamrpo.”

“Oh my… I’m nothing but bones these days!! I can’t believe you actually came…! Welcome!”

Lamrpo was on the verge of tears.

The friends around them looked at Lamrpo with disbelief.

“Welcome! But… it’s too dangerous here! To think that the prince would come personally to such a humble and dangerous place…!”

He grabbed Valt’s hand and was almost sobbing, not knowing what to do.

His hand was clammy and cold with nervous sweat.

Valt firmly gripped his shoulders to reassure him.

“It’s alright, Lamrpo. That’s why we’re here. First, calm down and tell us the situation in detail.”

Lamrpo guided Valt’s party to plush sofas inside and poured fragrant tea with trembling hands.

But he himself couldn’t even think of drinking the tea as he finally opened his heavy mouth.

His voice was hoarse, and extreme stress was evident.

“Prince… I’m dying here…! As you know, our trading company has been under concentrated attack from unknown assailants recently. Our main magical transport fleet traveling the northern trade route has completely vanished, and our large storage warehouse near the capital has been reduced to ashes by an unexplained magical surge! Even worse… my wife, children, and the company’s core executives… have been receiving bloody daggers along with terrible threatening letters! This isn’t just interference from competing companies or the work of bandits! This… this is the work of demons trying to completely destroy us!”

He paused, unable to continue as he took rough breaths.

Valt’s party listened silently to his story.

The situation was far more serious and cruel than expected.

“The kingdom’s intelligence department… says it’s highly likely the work of a group called ‘Amhoe’… but what can mere merchants like us do…? The royal knights have strengthened security, but they infiltrate like shadows…”

At that point, Lamrpo’s face suddenly turned deathly pale with even greater terror.

He cried out in a voice close to a scream:

“But Prince! The real disaster! The real disaster isn’t even that!”

“…?”

Valt thought this was strange—wasn’t his life already in imminent danger?

But after hearing what came next, he realized it truly was a disaster.

“The goods promised to Kwan! Because of those terrible Amhoe bastards blocking the routes, I can’t deliver them on the promised date! Waaah! Next week is the deadline!”

He clutched his head and wailed.

Valt momentarily chuckled at the absurdity, but simultaneously felt a chill run down his spine.

Father, Kwan. The absolute ruler of the South.

“Don’t you know, Prince! Master Kwan… absolutely does not tolerate broken promises! Excuses don’t work with him at all! Do you know what happened to that western trading company that missed their deadline slightly? They went bankrupt and disappeared overnight! If… if we break this promise… our company’s southern exclusive trading rights and everything will be gone! Then not only us, but the Duron economy that depends on our company…! Oh my! I’d rather take a knife from those Amhoe bastards! Better than facing Kwan’s wrath…!”

His fear was genuine.

He seemed to fear the invisible southern ruler Kwan’s anger several times more than the immediate threat of Amhoe.

Valt swallowed dryly, recalling his father’s frost-like temperament.

At that moment, Professor Liman, who had been quietly drinking tea, clicked his tongue and muttered:

“Hmm… Valt. It seems Amhoe isn’t the real problem here? Can you handle your father?”

Valt couldn’t answer.

Kwan was that much of an extraordinary existence.

“Lamrpo Trading Company, it’s over, all over. Hey, let’s withdraw, this place is finished.”

At Professor Liman’s confirmation kill(?), Lamrpo was nearly at the point of collapse.

Valt rubbed his forehead with a deep sigh.

He had a headache.

The situation was tangled in multiple layers.

They needed to deal with the Amhoe while somehow ensuring the goods reached his father on time.

“…Calm down, Lamrpo.”

Valt spoke in a low voice.

His tone carried composure rather than irritation, trying to organize the situation.

“First, tell me exactly what items need to be sent to Kwan, where they are currently located, and how much time remains until the deadline. Also, tell me everything you know about the trade routes Amhoe typically attacks and their methods.”

At Valt’s calm voice, Lamrpo barely collected himself and, with trembling hands, began pulling out relevant documents from mountains of paperwork.

As Valt scanned the documents, his eyes gleamed more sharply than ever before.

His shoulders now bore not only the weight of the formidable enemy called Amhoe but also the inescapable burden of “his father’s name.”

The mission in the Duron Kingdom was forecasting the worst difficulty level from the very beginning.

For the first time, Valt felt irritation rising within him.

‘Father, instead of helping!!’

It was a heartfelt inner cry.