episode_0182

Chapter 6 Episode 38 – Strategy Book

“Zeke, you were here. I was surprised when it suddenly disappeared.”

Leon came out from behind the bookshelf with an urgent look on his face.

She was concerned as she examined every inch of my body, and when she made eye contact with me, she blushed and stepped away, perhaps out of embarrassment.

“Well, I’m glad there were no injuries.”

“Leone, how long has it been since I disappeared?”

“It wasn’t that long. maybe… About 10 minutes?”

Leon was counting with his fingers. It wasn’t because I didn’t know the numbers, but because I felt like I was trying to figure out how many minutes had passed.

As my eyes fell on her hand, the other hand naturally caught my eye as well.

“What is that book?”

“Ah, this was given to us by the man who guided us. He told me to hand it to you when you come back.”

“Monarch… A strategy book?”

The title of the book in Rion’s hand was ‘Monarch Strategy Collection.’ If the guide gave it to you, it would probably be the result of the records compiled by the recorder.

‘I forgot to ask Maria, but she takes care of me like this.’

Next time I see you, I should praise you instead of criticizing you.

I put the book in my bag and left the reference room.

“By the way, who is the guide? I’d like to have a conversation.”

“That… .”

Leon rolled his eyes at my question. As if he was reluctant to answer. Then he scratched his head and spoke carefully.

“He said his duty was over… . I left. He asked me not to look for him anymore.”

Leon’s attitude seemed reluctant to say that he simply ran away.

“Did you die?”

“Well, how do you do that… .”

“It just seemed like it.”

“I can’t hide anything from Zeke.”

It’s not that Leon is unfamiliar with death. However, we are only used to the death of our enemies. You may not be used to the deaths of those who have treated you favorably.

Also, from Leon’s perspective, he must have felt some kind of obligation to secure a new recruit for the guide while I was gone. But now that he’s dead, I guess he feels some level of responsibility.

“You weren’t murdered, right?”

“That’s probably not true. Because I drank poison myself.”

“Really? What happened?”

“Zeke disappeared, and he came back right away. Then he gave me the book and drank the poison without any time to stop me. All he said was that his duty was over and it was time to disappear… .”

“Did you even check the body?”

Leon nodded silently.

“Anyway… . I don’t understand fanatics who take their own lives lightly.”

“Zeke, I don’t think that’s what you want to say.”

Leon gave me a stinging look. From other people’s perspectives, I look like a crazy person who wants to die, so I have nothing to say.

“Let’s go back.”

There is a lot to do.

*

*

On the plane returning to the administration.

I opened the strategy book I had packed in my bag.

“……Huh. What is this… .”

“Why is that so? Is there any problem?”

At my empty laughter, Leon tilted his head in and looked at the open book.

“What kind of password is this? I can’t read it at all.”

“……It’s not a password, it’s a language.”

“Language? This is my first time seeing a language like this. It looks like a picture was drawn.”

That’s right. To someone who sees it for the first time, it will look like hieroglyphs.

However, it was a letter that was familiar to me and quite welcome.

“I never thought I would see Hangul here.”

The monarch strategy book was written in Korean. Not only was it written in Korean, it was also written in Korean.

‘no wonder. There’s a reason I didn’t say anything about the monarch strategy book.’

Even if I don’t have to say it, you will know it if you read it.

Anyway, I found out one thing. The name itself, “Monarch Strategy Book,” was predictable, but this book was written just for me.

‘The guide recognized me, and after handing me the book, he told me his work was done. It was all because the strategy book was written for me.’

Of course, Maria will be involved in this series of processes.

So how far is Maria looking ahead? What kind of picture is Maria drawing, and what does it mean to ‘give back’ me a happy ending?

‘Someday you’ll find out.’

What’s important right now is clearing the game. And for that, you must know about Patricia through this guide.

I looked through the guidebook, which was thinner than I expected, and found the Lord of Plague section.

‘The timing of the appearance of the Lord of Plague is unknown, but it is estimated to have been at least 500 years earlier than other monarchs. The Lord of Plague spread a powerful plague, causing many deaths. However, as time passed, people’s living standards improved and immunity strengthened, and the number of deaths from epidemic diseases rapidly decreased.’

If you think about vicious infectious diseases like the Black Death in reality, the Lord of Plague is quite a dangerous being. However, it is an inevitable fact that he appears weak in many ways compared to other monarchs.

Dragons inhabited the northern continent. For reference, Ryuka is the weakest among dragons. He’s relatively young by dragon standards, and he always stays in a cave reading novels, so there’s no way he’s strong. Nevertheless, considering that Ryuka is treated as a decent combatant by the management bureau, we can see how strong the existence of dragons is.

The Lord of Famine single-handedly destroyed the northern continent, which was infested with such dragons and even full of humans who survived among such dragons. Because it was such a vicious being, it appears in Arthurian legend as the final boss named the Frost Witch, and is still remembered by people.

In addition, the warlord, who gained notoriety as the Demon King, also destroyed the southern continent, which was the most developed civilization. Furthermore, he led his army and invaded the Central Continent, and if it were not for Lufia, the Central Continent would have been completely destroyed as well.

It goes without saying that the Lord of Death is so dangerous that when his power gathers, he can kill all living things in the world.

As other monarchs drove death across continents, it seemed natural that the Lord of Plague would be evaluated as incompetent.

‘The question is, was this guy’s power truly at the level of the Lucky Plague Maker?’

As a result, the Lord of Plague also destroyed the eastern continent. Of course, the Eastern Continent was so backward in civilization that it had to live in a tribal society even at that time, but it is certain that it had the power to do so.

In addition, there is a record of actually destroying an empire in an instant in the last route.

Considering all of this, the most likely theory seems to be that Patricia did not intentionally destroy humans.

‘Then what’s important is what the intention was.’

I read the Lord of Plague part a little more closely. To figure out what Patricia’s hidden intentions are.

Why couldn’t the Lord of Plague destroy humanity? The strategy book explains that the reason is that humanity has gradually become stronger.

In the distant past, the plague spread by the Lord of Plague killed a large number of humans, but it was less effective because humans’ immunity had become stronger.

The Lord of Plague’s next choice was a monster. He created a disease that transformed living things into monsters, and unleashed monsters all over the continent.

In the past, humanity did not know how to control arcs, so it was nearly impossible to deal with monsters whose power far surpassed that of ordinary beasts.

The monster also killed many humans, but its momentum did not last long. This is because people who have awakened the Ark appear from all over.

Every time the Lord of Plague made a move, humans gradually became stronger as if adapting to it. It’s as if he made humanity stronger in order to become an invader who came to destroy humanity.

The reason she was evaluated as incompetent was not simply because she was less dangerous than other monarchs.

But if we change the premise here, Patricia’s evaluation will flip 180 degrees.

‘Patricia is not stupid, and there is no way she doesn’t know that humans become stronger because of her clumsy actions. In the first place, Patricia had no intention of destroying humanity.’

Then, all that remains is the fact that humanity has become stronger because of Patricia.

What if that was her purpose?

‘Having no intention to destroy humanity may simply mean not destroying it with one’s own hands, but… . On the other hand, it could be that they don’t want destruction.’

If you don’t wish for destruction… . Could it be that Patricia has taken on the role of a vaccine herself?

Vaccines induce the formation of the immune system by introducing weakened germs. In other words, Patricia may have taken on the role of a weak germ so that she could prepare for the strong germ (another monarch) that would come in the future.

‘As a result, great sacrifices were made, but it is also true that humanity endured against the monarchs.’

This made it clear. Patricia does not follow the will of the God of Chaos. Rather, it is reacting.

Of course, the God of Chaos would not look kindly on a reactionary like her. Patricia must also be anxious as she doesn’t know when the God of Chaos will strike her down.

‘Then there is one thing to do.’

Patricia tries to attack the God of Chaos.

That is the true intention hidden by the Lord of Plague.