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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Xrecker
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“Ah…”
Claire, understanding the meaning behind my smile, paled and lowered her head. But only for a moment. She clenched her fists.
“Will there ever be a day… when you need me… us?”
“I doubt it.”
“You always used to say it. You never know what the future holds.”
This world was full of variables. The impossible could happen. There were even people who would rage-quit and smash their keyboards, just like in the real world.
So, when I was traveling with the Hero’s Party, I always told them.
You never know what the future holds, so always be prepared.
I didn’t expect her to use my own words against me…
“Well, that’s true.”
“Right?”
Claire took a step closer. She looked up at me, her fists clenched, and declared,
“Someday… someday, I will.”
Would that day ever come?
Of course, I couldn’t say with 100% certainty. I had dealt with all the main storyline events that required the Hero’s Party, but things could always go wrong, and I might need their help.
But I was a veteran player, and I had my own preparations. In a way, this was a contest between me and the Hero’s Party.
And I had never lost a contest like this before.
“I like your spirit.”
“Huh? Heh, hehe…”
“But if you interfere with my work, I won’t forgive you.”
If they interfered with my achievement hunting in their attempt to rebuild our relationship, they would become my enemies.
As I spoke with conviction, Claire swallowed nervously and gave a small nod.
Good. That was all I needed.
I patted Claire on the shoulder and continued gathering Crystal Grass. She hesitated for a moment, then started gathering Crystal Grass beside me.
“You don’t have to help.”
“I’m just gathering some for myself.”
“I see.”
We finished gathering all the Crystal Grass in the area. A single bag was enough. I stood up. Claire handed me a bag of Crystal Grass she had gathered and drew the Hero’s sword.
“Where are you going next?”
“I’m not sure.”
“I’m going to go and get Leventia and Evangeline. They’re also on a quest from the Pope.”
“Hmm… where are they?”
“Curious? Want to come with?”
“Not really.”
“……”
Claire pouted, then turned her head away.
“Rogel Coast.”
Rogel Coast. I thought about what could be there, and what kind of quest the Pope would issue. I nodded.
“They’re probably going to the Rootville Mansion. Is the Pope after the Rootville holy artifact?”
The Rootville Mansion was a dungeon that a saint of the Church had once visited to purify.
If you defeated the boss there, you would get the Rootville Divine Mark, which was part of a Church quest.
“…You really do know everything.”
“Well, if you think about it, the answer is obvious. The entry limit for that dungeon is two, and there’s nothing else there the Pope would want.”
“Yeah. They should be done by now. I’ll go and get them…”
“Alright. Good luck.”
“Hyun-woo, are you going to the Elven Forest as soon as you’ve gathered what you need?”
“I’m not sure. I’ll probably stop by the palace first.”
“If… if I open a portal…”
“I’ll be teleporting ahead. But if you want to, go ahead. The kingdom will probably request it anyway.”
I needed to go ahead of the alchemists that the royal family would be sending to investigate and prepare.
If I made some preparations beforehand and then gave them instructions, we could cure the plague faster.
There was no need for us to travel together.
“…What about Cardinal Veronica?”
“She’ll probably come with the Church’s forces.”
“And Princess Lucille…”
“The kingdom will decide that, won’t they? Well, if you don’t have anything else to say, I’m leaving.”
I knew Claire was trying to prolong our conversation, to spend more time with me.
I gave her a small wave, her disappointment palpable, and then used Teleport.
My destination was the Dwarven City in the western part of the continent.
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“Hyun-woo…”
It had felt like a dream. Our brief encounter.
Hyun-woo, who had appeared so unexpectedly, had vanished just as quickly, like a dream upon waking.
Her legs gave out.
Claire sank to the ground and covered her face with her hands.
The smile she had been struggling to maintain vanished, and tears streamed down her face.
“Hyun-woo…”
It was hard.
To maintain a smile in front of him.
It was painful.
To act nonchalant in front of him.
And saddest of all,
He had been doing this for them throughout their entire journey.
Hyun-woo was only cold to them.
And even that was so hard, so painful, so sad.
And yet, he had never once complained about his own suffering. It was truly amazing.
How had he done it?
How had he endured it?
Claire’s chest ached as she recalled Hyun-woo’s reaction earlier.
“Ah… aaaaah…”
Sorrow welled up, turning into tears that streamed down her face. She tried to hide them with her hands, but they flowed freely through her fingers.
“Hyun-woo… Hyun-woo…”
As if in a trance, she sobbed, unable to move.
After a while, when she had cried her heart out, she finally pulled herself together and took a small white pill from her bag.
A tranquilizer she took whenever she was overwhelmed by guilt and remorse.
A strong medicine prescribed to prevent excessive stress. She put it in her mouth and closed her eyes, the bitter taste numbing her tongue.
Had Hyun-woo taken this medicine too?
He was the Sage. He could use skills from all classes.
That meant he could make this medicine himself.
So, he must have.
She was struggling so much. He had been in a much worse situation. How much pain had he been in?
He had endured that pain, so this bitter pill must have been nothing to him.
“Aah… Hyun-woo…”
As time passed, her guilt and remorse only grew.
But just as spilled water could not be put back, even the Hero who had defeated the Demon King could not turn back time.
There was only one thing she could do.
Endure this pain and slowly get closer to Hyun-woo.
And re-establish the “business relationship” he had spoken of.
She had to approach him again, to rebuild their relationship.
Because there was no way to turn back time.
Claire sighed heavily and stood up.
She couldn’t just sit here.
To be of use to the Sage.
To become someone he needed.
She had to move.
No matter how difficult it was.
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In the western part of the continent, at the center of a vast, impassable mountain range, stood the massive Black Iron Mountain.
A mountain blessed with more minerals than any other on the continent, the Black Iron Mountain had long been known as the home of the dwarves.
In the heart of the Dwarven City, which was built on this mountain, were numerous dwarf-run shops.
As soon as I arrived, I was greeted by bearded dwarves.
“Oi? Isn’t that the Sage? Been a while! What brings you here?”
“Wow~ it’s been a long time~”
I had visited the Dwarven City several times to learn blacksmithing.
The dwarves I had met back then greeted me with smiles. I got straight to the point.
“I need some mithril. Can you give me some?”
“…Did you leave it here?”
I smiled and held out my hand to the dumbfounded dwarves.
My request for mithril, a rare mineral even in the game, seemed absurd, but because of all the free work and quests I had done for the Dwarven City in the past, they just scowled at me instead of cursing.
“Hey~ why the long face? Don’t you have some mithril stashed away somewhere?”
“Well, we do. Why?”
Marax, one of the shopkeepers, the mayor of the Dwarven City, and the most skilled blacksmith, looked at me with a sour expression.
Mithril was a precious mineral, even for dwarves, so his reaction was understandable.
I explained the situation. The dwarves, after listening to my story, scoffed.
“So, you’re asking us to give you mithril to save those damn elves?”
“In the short term, it’s for the elves, but in the long term, it’s for the continent. You’re not going to just stand by and watch the continent fall into crisis, are you, Marax?”
I approached him, who seemed to be contemplating my words, put an arm around his shoulder, and used the “Persuade” skill.
“Marax, think about it. I know you hate the elves, but what will happen if we do nothing?”
“If the plague isn’t contained in the Elven Forest and spreads across the continent… there will be chaos.”
“The chaos that had just been quelled has returned, because of the dwarves. If that gets out, what will happen to the dwarves’ reputation and honor?”
Dwarves had a racial penalty that made them obsessed with honor. They valued good deeds, were bound by contracts, and suffered immense stress if they did anything dishonorable.
This limited their choices, so most players gave up on the dwarves’ crafting skills and combat prowess and didn’t include them in their parties.
But as NPCs, they were quite decent. If you persuaded them with logic and reason, focusing on “good” and “honor,” they would usually agree.
“Hmm… Sage, you’re a human, but I know you wouldn’t lie about something like this.”
My efforts to maintain a good relationship with the dwarves were paying off!
As Marax muttered, the other dwarves around him nodded in agreement.
Good. Then I would get the mithril for free.
“But the elves… can’t we give you the mithril after some of them have died?”
“If you’re going to give it, don’t be so stingy. When I cure the plague, I’ll tell the elves. That the dwarves, despite their dislike for the elves, generously provided the mithril out of a sense of humanitarian duty!”
“Hmm.”
“Then even the arrogant and obnoxious elves will have to bow their heads to the dwarves, won’t they? If necessary, I’ll tell the elven chieftains myself.”
“What will you tell them?”
“To send an envoy to the Dwarven City to express their gratitude. Wow~! So cool! The elves, who live for their own pride, will come here and bow their heads to the dwarves! What could be more honorable than that?! And it wasn’t achieved through war, but through a good deed!”
“Hmm… that’s true. But will they listen?”
“Marax, don’t you trust me? I’m the Sage. The Sage. I’ll take care of everything, so just trust me.”
“Hmmmm… I don’t trust those elves, but I can trust you, Sage.”
“Right? So.”
I held out my hand to him.
“Give it to me.”
He stared at me for a moment, then scratched the back of his head.
“I feel like I always get swept up in your words when I talk to you. Just like before…”
He was going to give it to me anyway.
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Poor dwarves .. always getting swindled by the MC