Chapter 97 - Fisherman's Profit (1)

Before accepting Tur-ka's proposal, I called Vincent and explained the situation. No matter what anyone said, the vicinity of Winter Castle was the land of House Ballorhard, and I could not handle it arbitrarily on my own.

"When we already have Orcs as neighbors, what's the big deal about Dwarves?"

Vincent entrusted me with full authority, telling me to proceed however I pleased if I had something in mind.

"I'll be sure to collect a hefty rent."

I promised to repay that wholehearted trust in my own way and immediately prepared to leave the fortress.

"Yorden. You have a mission."

"All of a sudden?"

Yorden, a Ranger who had been fully enjoying the standard rest given to those who completed a long-distance patrol or a mission of equivalent rank, looked appalled.

"Everyone else is exempt, so why am I the only one..."

I spoke bluntly to the slouching Ranger.

"You ran away in the middle of it. You have to make up for it, right?"

When I mimed the shape of downing a glass with my hands, Yorden's face twisted as if he had chewed shit.

"No, who exactly ran away..."

"Then what is it, if not running away?"

Yorden mumbled to himself before suddenly scrunching his face.

He had a reason, yet he couldn't even say it.

Watching that sight, I chuckled and laughed.

"Then I'll consider this mission assigned to the 17th Platoon."

"Urgh."

I didn't know what that damn manly pride of his was, but unable to admit he had passed out from the alcohol even if it killed him, Yorden only let out a groan.

"We depart the day after tomorrow."

Leaving Yorden behind, I met with Tur-ka again and informed him of the schedule.

"It's great that you handle things so refreshingly fast."

Tur-ka, who had been doing nothing but whining for alcohol just a few days ago, was so enthusiastic it seemed as if he had never been that way.

Just before departure, we gathered with the Rangers to plan the schedule and route, and Tur-ka pulled a map from his coat and spoke.

"I'm thinking of scouting this area first."

A thick finger pointed somewhere on a map filled with incomprehensible symbols. Just like that, the party's destination was decided.

The next day, as soon as the sun rose, I left the fortress with Yorden and the Rangers leading the way.

"We plan to move along the cliff."

Leaving the fortress, we headed west, hugging the cliff that connected to Winter Castle.

We walked for a long time, maintaining a certain distance from the cliff just in case snow, ice, or rocks piled up above fell on us.

A blizzard raged once along the way, but because Yorden noticed the change in weather beforehand and guided us into a cave located somewhere in the cliff, we were able to avoid facing the blizzard in the middle of the snowfield.

"As expected of Yorden."

"You really have to give me ten days of vacation when we get back."

Now that most of the veteran Rangers had died in battle, the best Ranger of Winter Castle was Yorden. It was worth forcing the guy who had been resting well to tag along.

When the weather cleared, we left the cave and headed west again.

After walking for about a week like that, we were able to reach the northwestern edge that Tur-ka had pointed to on the map.

"We're here."

Looking around at Yorden's words, Tur-ka shook his head.

"I don't feel any energy here."

Tur-ka demanded that we go a little further west.

"Just a little further ahead is the kingdom's border."

Yorden looked at me, asking if I intended to go further.

"Let's go as far as we can for now."

Once I gave my permission, Yorden and the Rangers guided the way with reluctant expressions.

The Dwarves followed behind them, frequently stopping to dig up the ground, press their ears to it, or sniff around.

"Further west."

At Tur-ka's words, which sounded as if he had caught on to something, Yorden looked at me again.

"If we go even one more day out from here, we will truly be outside the kingdom."

"What's beyond it?"

"I don't know."

Yorden answered with a stiff face and added one more thing.

"Because none of the Rangers who crossed the border ever returned."

"Let's at least go to the edge for now."

"If I judge it to be dangerous, I will force you back if I have to."

The usually playful and cheerful Ranger's words were unprecedentedly firm.

We walked for another day.

The Rangers walking ahead stopped and looked back at me as if they had made a promise.

Over their shoulders, I could see a half-torn flag fluttering, planted diagonally in the snowfield. Far beyond that, there was a forest bleached white.

"This is it."

As I was frowning at the Rangers' words, Tur-ka and Surka suddenly stepped to the front of the formation.

"Do you feel it?"

"Very well."

Stopping right in front of the pathetically fluttering flag, the Dwarves exchanged incomprehensible words.

And then, before I could even ask, they took shovels out of their backpacks and began to dig through the snow.

They looked as if they were possessed by something.

The snow that had piled up over a long time was cleared away, and finally, the bare ground was revealed.

Tur-ka stuck his head upside down into the pit and stayed like that for a long time.

"I have no idea what they're doing."

Yorden, who had pulled out his bow and crossbow at some point and was keeping watch beyond the flag, spat out a complaint. He seemed annoyed because he wanted to leave this place as quickly as possible, but the Dwarves were doing incomprehensible things.

FLAIL.

At that moment, Tur-ka kicked his feet in the air like he was having a seizure.

"Heave-ho!"

Surka grabbed the short legs of his clansman and pulled him out like pulling a radish.

A flushed red face, bloodshot eyes, and a beard and face covered in snow and dirt.

The face of the old Dwarf, who had been stuck upside down in the snow until just now, was completely battered.

With that messy appearance, Tur-ka smiled brightly.

"I found it!"

"The records were right!"

The two Dwarves grabbed each other's hands and began to dance joyfully.

"Let's hear how things are going first."

Only after hearing my words did Tur-ka let go of his kin's hands and turn to look at me. His face was still full of joy and excitement.

"The records were right! Right below here lies a massive amount of Fire Crystals! With this amount, it's enough to easily last not just five hundred, but a thousand years!"

Tur-ka spoke in an excited tone.

"This is the very place I've been searching for!"

"A dungeon won't be enough."

I said to Tur-ka, who showed no signs of calming down anytime soon.

"What do you mean all of a sudden?"

"What do I mean? It means we need to renegotiate the terms."

Tur-ka put on a serious face and opened his mouth.

"Now you're saying that, what kind of..."

"I said I would lease out unused land."

I looked beyond the area.

In the forest that was pure white all year round, there were glaringly bright eyes amidst the unusually deep darkness.

A transparent gaze that held no hostility or murderous intent, making it all the more eerie.

I knew those who possessed such eyes.

"I never said I would even block a conflict with the Elves."

SWISH.

As soon as I finished speaking, the Elves appeared like ghosts, without a single sound.

And right in the middle of them stood a thousand-year-old mad Elf.

"I doubt you came to welcome a bride."

The gaze of the Elder High Elf Sigrun, wearing a pure white smile, passed by me and turned toward the Dwarves.

The Dwarves, who had been overly excited, belatedly realized their carelessness, and their faces stiffened hard.

"I have no idea what those wedding gifts are."

Sigrun smiled brightly, as if she had received a great gift.

However, the only thing contained in that smile was the displeasure a beast might show when its territory was invaded; there was absolutely no genuine sign of joy anywhere.

She looked at me again. Her eyes were demanding an explanation from me.

Even her false affection and goodwill were no longer visible.

At that perfectly cold gaze, I let out a sigh.

I had known from the start that there was a forest inhabited by Elves in the northwestern tip of the kingdom. I just didn't know that the forest had expanded this much over the past 400 years to border the kingdom's boundaries.

While I was lost in thought, Sigrun disappeared from her spot.

CRASH!

At that moment, a massive explosion erupted.

I turned my head toward the sound.

In front of him, having raised his axe like a shield, was Sigrun with her drawn sword.

"What a shame. I was planning to cut off at least an arm."

"Both then and now, you truly are a vicious race."

Tur-ka spat loudly and readjusted his grip on his axe.

There was no sign whatsoever of him being intimidated by the thousand-year-old monster-like Elf.

It was a given.

Because a Prima Meister was an existence who wouldn't yield even to an Elder High Elf.

However, the situation was not good.

A fully prepared Dwarf was an existence that even Elves couldn't carelessly mess with, but in such a sudden situation, they were bound to be at a relative disadvantage.

Furthermore, that side had dozens of watchmen and a thousand-year-old Elder High Elf, whereas there were only two Dwarves.

If left alone, nine times out of ten, the Dwarves would probably be killed by the Elves.

That was not what I wanted.

The Rangers gritted their teeth at the auras of the Elves and Dwarves that were slowly rising.

Surprisingly, their souls, which had been tempered while tangling with the Warlord, were resisting the status of the two transcendental beings, even if it was only the tip of the iceberg.

That sight was so pleasing and commendable that I ended up laughing.

At the same time, the status that had been stored away within my body was liberated and released.

"Shoot."

Simultaneously with my command, the bowstrings and crossbow strings the Rangers had been gripping were released.

THWACK.

Sigrun and Tur-ka swung their sword and axe once to deflect the flying arrows. A deep blue light erupted from their eyes.

The moment they were about to unleash their anger on the innocent Rangers.

SWOOOOOSH!

A flash of light slammed down between the Dwarves and the Elves.

STEP, STEP.

I walked right across the middle of them. I pulled Dusk, which was planted in a snowdrift a short distance away, and flicked the snow off it.

"It seems both of you have forgotten."

And then, looking back at them, I reminded them of the fact they had forgotten.

"This is neither the land of the Elves, nor the land of the Dwarves."

They flinched and looked at me.

"This is my kingdom."

Looking at them, I declared.

In my mind, the [Poem of the Supreme King] rang out.

『Though none of the high places, nor any solemn throne, belong to me.』

『There is not a single one among them that I cannot sit upon.』

My land, claimed by defeating the dark green Warlord.

The status of the usurper who had toppled a king was the very proof and right that proved the ownership of this land belonged to me.

"Step back."

Imbuing my status and intent, I commanded them.

SHING.

The first to withdraw her sword was Sigrun.

She looked at me with a very satisfied face. That sight was uncomfortable, as it looked exactly like someone eyeing a luscious, ripening fruit on a tree, but there was no sign of resistance.

Next, Tur-ka stepped back.

He did not completely withdraw his axe, but he no longer showed the momentum of charging in at any moment like he had just a while ago.

Having separated the Elder High Elf and the Prima Meister like that, I spoke while still not withdrawing my status.

"Do not act rashly in my kingdom."

The Elf smiled, and the Dwarf let out a dry cough.

* * *

We barely avoided the bloody situation of clashing swords and axes, but that didn't mean the atmosphere had quickly turned amicable.

Sigrun was a madwoman who might draw her sword at any moment, and Tur-ka was also a stubborn fool who wouldn't refuse if a fight broke out.

Mediating between them was by no means an easy task.

However, that didn't mean it was impossible either.

As long as Sigrun had no intention of antagonizing me right now, and Tur-ka had no intention of forcibly taking the kingdom's land, they had no choice but to listen to me.

"Up to over there is the land of the Elves."

With my finger, I pointed at the forest full of mistletoe trees.

"From here on is the kingdom's land."

I lowered the finger that had been sweeping along the kingdom's border and pointed beneath my feet.

"Below this land is the land of the Dwarves."

Looking at the Elder High Elf and the Prima Meister who were watching me, I declared.

"As of today, this place is the border zone of three nations."