Chapter 66: An Unprecedented Transfer Examination (4)
* * *The moment Yeomyeong saw the barrel of the gun aimed at him, he let out a hollow laugh; a laugh born out of utter disbelief.You’re trying to shoot me from behind just because a deal went south?Considering that this deal was almost like a one-sided robbery, there was no greater display of audacity than this.This bastard, that bastard, all of them are the same…With a sigh, Yeomyeong raised his hand. If it was just a simple bullet, he could use his arm to block it and then let it regenerate, so it wasn’t that big of a deal.However, regardless of how long he waited, the bullet didn’t hit his arm.No, in fact, he didn’t even hear the gunshot.Feeling something was off, Yeomyeong lowered his arm and what he saw was a bizarre scene unfolding before his eyes.Everything around him had frozen still.Darulma was carefully descending the stairs, the Saintess was just starting to turn her head, and even the soldiers who had been watching this place.The face of the enraged Colonel Jung, as well as the blazing gun muzzle, were all frozen in place.“…What’s it this time?”Perhaps because he had experienced so many absurd things recently, Yeomyeong felt a strange sense of déjà vu instead of surprise.After massaging his temples for a moment, he tried to gather his mana to enhance his senses. Or rather, he attempted to.However, as soon as he began to gather his mana, Darulma, who was frozen, suddenly opened his mouth.[You don’t seem to be surprised at all. Your lack of reaction is really making me question the effort I put into acting.]A soft dwarf voice, one completely different from Darulma’s.“Darulma?”When Yeomyeong turned his head, Darulma... no, the being that had possessed Darulma shrugged his shoulders.[Do I look like the eldest son of the Dune clan?]Overlapping with Darulma’s body, was a translucent image of a dwarf dressed in luxurious formal attire and wearing a large crown.“…Are you the Dwarf King?”[That moniker is too short. The real moniker is something like this.]Before he could complete his sentence, the ghost of the Dwarf King—or rather, something similar to a ghost—began a grandiose self-introduction.[The rightful king of the Dragon Scale Mountain Range, descendant of the Hero, the rightful master of Gal-Uragan, a friend of dragons, ruler of unicorns and the great moles, master of the Great Mountain Range, overseer of the Grand Road, father of all dwarves, blessed by the five gods, lord of the stone, Redox's Hammer, friend of the Emperor, mediator of the five councils, the orcs’ terror, supreme maker of gold, keeper of the gold coin, and bearer of countless other monikers…]What is this crazy guy blabbering about? As Yeomyeong raised his eyebrows in confusion, the dwarf concluded.[…I go by the name of Daval Hilin. I allow you the special privilege of calling me Daval.]“…Cheon Yeomyeong. I’m just a human.”Yeomyeong responded with his arms crossed, and the Dwarf King moved a finger.[Where did you put the moniker of Dragonslayer?]“…Dragonslayer? I have never killed a dragon.”Yeomyeong looked at the red dragon lying behind him. Though its legs and wings were scarred, it was still alive.[Then let’s call you a Dragon Conqueror. The more monikers you have, the better.]What’s wrong with this guy? Yeomyeong wondered if he should kill this Dwarf ghost and be done with it.However, he hesitated, worried that the innocent Darulma might die if he made a mistake…[Now that we’re done with the self-introductions, Dragon Conqueror Cheon Yeomyeong. Shall we have a chat?]Feeling like refusal wasn’t an option, Yeomyeong sat down on the surveillance tower stairs with a thud.“Make it as brief as possible.”[That would be difficult.]“…”[Try putting yourself in my shoes. How can I end this quickly after having opened my mouth for the first time in decades?]Yeomyeong subtly executed his Surging Mana technique in his fist. Seeing the swirling mana, Daval Hilin spoke with a grin.[How much do you know about me?]“…I only know what everyone else knows. The last Dwarf King.”[The foolish king who was shot down while making a reckless flight to Moscow?]Yeomyeong did not respond. It was a silent acknowledgement.[To give you some details, you’ve probably learned that my recklessness had political and practical reasons, haven’t you? To draw the attention of the international community and bring the Soviets to the negotiating table, that was the best course…]Having said that, the Dwarf King sighed.[…which is an excuse historians came up with. History is always like that, while the truth is a bit more cruel and sad.]The truth hidden behind the veil of history might interest the documentary-loving janitor, but…Right now, it’s not a good time for it. Yeomyeong shook his head.“I’d rather not know.”[Is that so? Then what if it’s related to fate rather than history?]"You’re probably going to say something like being destroyed by the Soviets was your fate..."[No, no. That’s not what I’m referring to. The fate I’m talking about is the same fate the World Tree’s crystal spoke about.]“…What?”The World Tree’s crystal? Seeing Yeomyeong’s interest piqued, Daval added.[How much do you know about fate?]“…”[You look like you’ll hit me if I delve too deeply into it. Fine. I’ll keep my explanation as brief as possible.]Clearing his throat, the dwarf started his explanation.[In this world… there are unchanging currents. For example, the World Tree’s crystal you consumed was originally meant to end up in the hands of the Demonic Human.]“Demonic Human?”[Haven’t you met them already? The one you can’t tell if they are male or female, and flies around the sky…]And even before the explanation was complete, a person came to mind.“…Mara.”The one who used a bizarre martial art and flew in the sky.Though all Yeomyeong knew was that they were employed by the government, the moniker of Demonic Human fit them perfectly.Because of their personality and greed… they were definitely more closer to a demon than a human.[Mara, that name is a bit different from what I know… but anyway, you changed his fate.]“…Was consuming the World Tree’s crystal such a significant event related to fate?”[If it were just that, I wouldn’t have even bothered telling you all this. If things had gone according to fate… Mara should have consumed the heart of Orsay Taboul and obtained the Golden Seal.]The dragon’s heart and the Golden Seal. As Yeomyeong recalled what Mara had been after, he frowned.[But where are those things now? Oh, look. The dragon is still alive, and the seal is kept there.]Yeomyeong paused, contemplating over the Dwarf King’s words. What if he hadn’t gone to Manchuria?Mara would have attacked the mercenary group, stolen the World Tree’s crystal from Darulma, and fought the dragon to obtain the heart and the Royal Seal.Of course, this was merely a hypothetical scenario. As for whether the grand word ‘fate’ spoken by the Dwarf King really suited the situation... well, it didn't.[You seem skeptical. But I can assure you, you have definitely changed the flow of fate. Not just one, but three things. Don’t ask me how it happened. I don’t know that either.]The Dwarf King laughed. It was a laugh that seemed both hollow and empty.[For a long time… I believed that fate was immutable. So, I willingly sacrificed myself. And yet… I never expected that I would meet someone who could change fate after I died.]“…So what? If you have something to say, just get to the point.”[You're waiting for my request, aren't you? You're probably used to being asked for favors or being tested. It seems those around you haven’t left you alone either.]Yeomyeong’s lips twitched.[I understand that feeling well. The world doesn’t like to leave outstanding people alone.]“…Please, just get to the point.”[If that’s what you wish… it’s not a big request. I just hope that you’ll save my best friend.]Best friend? Yeomyeong turned his head to follow the Dwarf King’s gaze. Over there, was the red dragon bound in restraints.[Orsay Taboul, my best friend. I didn’t tell it the truth. I simply used it for my fate.]“…”[That friend… having not known that, felt guilty. It went mad while blaming itself for my death.]Yeomyeong involuntarily recalled the dragon’s cries. A misplaced desire for vengeance against communists.While the Saintess and the mercenaries felt fear in its presence, Yeomyeong felt differently. He…Felt a sense of kinship.“…Tell me, why should I save that dragon?”However, that couldn’t be a rational or logical reason to free the dragon.Empathizing with the dragon’s desire for revenge and sacrificing resources that would aid him in his revenge were two entirely different matters.[Didn’t you just say that you’d release my friend?]“…”[Ah, I see. It was a joke. I already knew from your actions that you were obviously bluffing. Though I didn’t expect the opponent to suddenly shoot at you.]The Dwarf King glanced at the frozen Colonel Jung and then brushed his translucent beard as he spoke.[…Justice or interest. Which one would you prefer?]“Interest.”Yeomyeong replied without hesitation. He had no connection with the word ‘Justice’.However, the Dwarf King seemed to have a different opinion.[That’s rather surprising, someone who devoted himself to saving Manchuria would prefer interest over justice?]Yeomyeong wanted to say that he wasn’t fighting for justice but rather because of the Saintess' foresight, the compensation promised by Darulma, and the dragon’s corpse.However, seeing the Dwarf King’s subtle smile, he was sure that anything he said would go in one ear and out the other.Because it was true that he had helped the Saintess save Manchuria and was yet to receive proper compensation.“…Think whatever you want to.”Seeing Yeomyeong respond sullenly, the Dwarf King laughed heartily and patted his beard.[Regardless of your true feelings, since you chose interest instead of justice, I’ll adapt accordingly.]Saying this, he extended his hand towards the surveillance tower. What was he trying to do?As Yeomyeong turned his head, he saw something flying from the other side.Thud. Just like a magnet attracting iron, what was drawn to the king’s hand was a massive seal emitting a golden magic power.The Golden Seal.The magic item that had nearly brought destruction upon Manchuria and a Dwarf relic that Darulma desperately sought.[Would something more valuable than the dragon’s corpse pique your interest?]The king extended the Royal Seal to Yeomyeong. Yeomyeong looked at the seal for a moment, then turned to look at the Dwarf King’s face overlapping with Darulma’s.“This is not enough.”Of course, it was likely that the Royal Seal held more value than the dragon’s corpse. After all, it was a relic filled with historical and cultural value of an entire race.However, what Yeomyeong wanted was not something abstract but practical and immediate power.Compared to what he could gain from the dragon; starting with the bones, scales, and heart, the power of the Royal Seal… at best, was just magic for digging tunnels.And if he could wait for decades like the dragon, just to trigger a volcanic eruption, there would be no greater weapon. However, Yeomyeong had neither the time nor any reason to wait that long.[Is it insufficient? Are you saying that even after knowing what the seal’s power is?]“…Magic for digging tunnels?”[You only know about the most basic ability. It’s a token of royalty; there’s no way that’s all it can do, right?]On Earth, a token of royalty didn’t seem particularly impressive.While Yeomyeong was thinking about that, the king threw the Royal Seal towards the dragon.To be precise, he threw it towards the restraints binding the dragon.Clack!As soon as the Royal Seal made contact with the restraints, all the locking mechanisms of the restraints were released.Since the world was still frozen, there was no immediate change visible, but once time resumed, all the restraints would fall off the dragon’s body simultaneously.[Did you see that? That’s one of the abilities granted to the seal’s owner. It can unlock any lock in this world.]As the king raised his hand, the Royal Seal returned to him.“I understand that it’s a good ability, but…”[…But?]“It doesn’t seem that useful to me.”[…]“Is there anything else?”[If there’s enough mana available, it can also remove any bans and seals. Unfortunately, I can’t show an example because there are no such seals nearby.]The ability to remove bans and seals. It was a rather modest ability for something symbolizing royalty, but…Yeomyeong could not help but accept the Royal Seal.The moment he heard that it could remove bans, he thought of a certain girl who was living with such restrictions.
abcnovels