Chapter 202
Chapter 202
Two men were chatting in the emperor’s residence . It was the most gorgeous building in Yusma, the capital full of ornate buildings .
“Why do you seem like your master? How dare you treat the emperor as your servant? You only look for me when you need something . Am I wrong? Aren’t I right? Viscount Gang Hyeonu?”
Hearing the emperor’s fierce question, Hyeonu couldn’t raise his head . It wasn’t just fierceness but actual killing intent .
“I think you’re misunderstanding something, Your Majesty . How could I do that? I came today because I have an interesting story . ” Hyeonu changed the topic and naturally set the stage for his purpose .
He had learned from his previous encounters with the emperor and knew one thing for sure, which was that the emperor was very bored with life . Therefore, he was always looking forward to something to attract his attention .
Hyeonu aimed for this .
“An interesting story? This is different from the duke . You are definitely different from him . Tell me more . ” The emperor bit the bait that was thrown at him . He smiled slightly at Hyeonu’s words and started to show interest .
Hyeonu received the emperor’s attention and carefully threw another bait . “I want to ask you something first . Do you like alcohol?”
“Alcohol? Of course . You aren’t a man if you don’t enjoy drinking . However, the wines of the continent are piled up in the imperial family’s cellars . ” The emperor used a bizarre manner of speaking . He started with an affirmation and ended with a denial, moving back and forth like a reed .
Nevertheless, Hyeonu didn’t panic and pulled a glass bottle out of his inventory . It was the same as the bottles he gave to Qing Feng and Edchan . Now he was going to give a few bottles to the emperor .
Hyeonu said, “I will presume and say that Your Majesty has never tasted this alcohol . ”
The emperor stared at Hyeonu’s bottle and stated, “That isn’t just any old alcohol . It is the first time I’ve ever seen this type of alcohol . I don’t remember seeing anything similar in the imperial warehouse . . . Is it from the East Continent?”
“That’s right . Not long ago, I accidentally went to the East Continent . I thought of you and brought this back with me . ”
The emperor clicked his tongue . “Tsk, your mouth is full of saliva when you speak . You have an oily tongue for someone who is Lebron’s disciple . ”
He stretched out his right hand toward Hyeonu . Then something mysterious happened . The wine bottle in Hyeonu’s hand was sucked into the emperor’s hand . The emperor grabbed the bottle and opened it without hesitation . There was a clear sound as the wooden stopper was removed . Then a delicate scent filled the great hall . The emperor raised the bottle to his mouth and started to drink it .
“Umm . . . It isn’t comparable to the drinks made by the elves, but it is pretty good . ” Closing his eyes, the emperor savored the drink and then gave an evaluation of the alcohol when he opened his eyes soon after .
Then he asked, “By the way, how did you go to the East Continent? I know you can’t bypass the Balder Mountains because there is an unknown barrier . . . ” The emperor asked while sipping the alcohol .
The sight of the emperor doing that reminded Hyeonu of an alcoholic .
“I met a dragon . He said that he can get rid of the barrier . However, he has a condition,” Hyeonu answered .
“Condition?”
“The condition is that Your Majesty reads this and follows what is written . ” Hyeonu walked in front of the emperor and handed him some papers .
The emperor received the papers and slowly started to read them .
“Hmmm . . . ” He groaned while reading the papers for a long time .
Finally, the emperor’s gaze shifted from the papers to Hyeonu . “Do you know what is written on this?”
Hyeonu stood still, not saying anything or doing anything .
The emperor continued talking like he didn’t care about it . “You don’t need to say it . You know what is written here, but you still brought it to me . I don’t know if I should say that you have a good grasp of my personality or you don’t know me at all . . . ”
A rainbow-like brilliance emerged from the emperor’s body and poured toward Hyeonu .
‘Ugh . ’ Hyeonu felt himself choking under this intense pressure . His body crumpled involuntarily . He couldn’t raise his head or his back .
‘Monster!’
Hyeonu had leveled up and his stats had risen, but he was still nothing before this monstrous emperor . He was always prey in front of a predator . Like a mouse in front of a cat, he couldn’t move .
Just then, the papers were dropped beside Hyeonu .
“Take it . This is the price for the alcohol . In addition, if you have any left then leave me a few more bottles,” the emperor said .
‘What? This?’ Hyeonu was trembling . He was still puzzled by what was going on .
Did the emperor pay for the alcohol by sparing Hyeonu’s life or by signing the papers? He could only confirm it after leaving the imperial palace . The most important thing was first leaving this damn emperor’s sight .
Hyeonu took out a few bottles of alcohol from his inventory and carefully placed them down on the floor .
“Thank you, Your Majesty . Then I’ll be going . ” Hyeonu picked up the papers and fled from the great hall like he was being chased by something .
***
Outside the imperial palace, Hyeonu entered a restaurant that stood out and sat down . “Phew . . . ”
He didn’t feel like going hunting straight away .
‘I can’t get used to it no matter how many times I see it . ’
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The emperor was such an NPC—a man Hyeonu couldn’t adapt to .
‘I will start with the treaty first . . . ’
Hyeonu pulled out the papers from his inventory . There was nothing to see on the first page . Then Hyeonu turned to the last page . He only wanted to look at the part with the signature .
“Wow!” An exclamation flowed from Hyeonu’s mouth as he confirmed the signature . On the signature line, letters presumed to belong to the emperor could be seen .
[The emperor’s signature 1/1]
A message appeared, proving that what Hyeonu saw wasn’t an illusion .
“Sigh . . . ”
In some ways, he had overcome the biggest hurdle . Climbing the Balder Mountains might be tough right now, but he would manage it someday . It was a wall that would break over time . On the other hand, persuading the emperor was different . The most suitable words to match the emperor was ‘there is nothing he can’t do’ . He literally dominated the West Continent . Such an emperor bent his will once for an adventurer . It was precisely for the emperor’s own pleasure .
Hyeonu didn’t know it until now .
‘All that is left is to make the stage . ’
Hyeonu stood up after drinking what he had ordered . He wanted to receive the next quest as soon as possible .
***
Johannes felt an object moving in front of his face and frowned . “What is this? I’m sleeping . This shit . . . ”
He opened his eyes and confirmed the identity of the thing that disturbed his rest . They were familiar white objects—pieces of paper .
“What? You’re already here?” Johannes uttered .
A masked man was standing behind the pieces of papers . Johannes had seen this person many times already . This person was the hateful human who destroyed his guardians . Therefore, he threw this human to the East Continent to tease him . Then the human showed up in front of him again and made an absurd request to remove the barrier . Johannes conditionally approved the removal of the barrier with the desire to tease the human again .
‘I set unreasonable conditions . . . ’
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Yet he reappeared in just a few days, moreover with a confident posture .
Johannes asked in a slightly shaky voice, “Why have you come? Has the contract been signed?”
His uneasy feeling was correct . The answer Johannes didn’t desire emerged from the human’s mouth .
“Yes, here are the papers signed by the emperor of the Yusma Empire . Please take them,” Hyeonu said with dignity . Then he threw the papers toward Johannes .
Groan . Johannes moaned and accepted the papers . The last sheet of paper was clearly marked with a signature . It was obvious that the emperor had signed it .
‘There is definitely the unique feeling left behind by the magic power of the Yusma imperial family . ’
It seemed Johannes had to remove the problem by adding another condition . He hadn’t talked to the clan or the lord about removing the barrier because he thought he had given Hyeonu an impossible task .
‘Unbelievable . The time is too short . ’
The barrier was created by many dragons at the time, so at least three dragons were needed to remove it .
‘I don’t know how much I will be scolded by the damn lord . ’
“Sigh . . . ” Johannes sighed unknowingly . He needed time . So, Johannes started to think of an excuse to buy some time .
“I’m sure this is the emperor’s signature . I admit it . However, things have changed . ”
Once Johannes finished speaking, a message appeared in front of Hyeonu to notify him of the quest completion .
[The Beginning of the Integration of Continents has been cleared . ]
[Experience has been acquired . ]
However, it couldn’t catch his eye . Hyeonu was focused on Johannes’ words .
“Things have changed? What are you saying all of a sudden?” Hyeonu questioned .
Johannes smiled and waved at Hyeonu as if to calm down Hyeonu’s agitation . “At the clan meeting, they said that the connection of the east and west isn’t just a human problem . It isn’t wrong . So I need to add a new condition . Get consent from at least three tribes about getting rid of the barrier . The consent needs to come from those with the status of a tribe leader . For example, the orc tribe chief or the dwarf tribe chief . Understood?”
‘This is perfect . As expected, I’m smart . ’ Johannes thought this impromptu excuse was perfect .
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This human couldn’t know three different species, let alone the leaders . It would take a few months, then the preparations for the removal of the barrier would be perfect .
[A quest has been created . ]
[Consent of Other Species]
[Humans aren’t the only ones living in the West Continent .
Gain formal consent to remove the barrier .
Rating: MS
Conditions: Consent of other species 0/3
Rewards: Experience, Johannes’ reward . ]
‘It’s okay . ’ This was what Hyeonu felt after reading the quest window in front of him . They weren’t just words . He actually felt it was okay . It wasn’t a difficult or tricky task . In addition, it would give him a dragon’s reward .
‘It should be at least unique rated? No, epic?’
He was looking forward to the rewards the dragon would give him .
‘Then how will he check it?’
In the case of the emperor, there was a signed agreement . This time, Johannes gave him nothing .
“I understand . So someone like the orc tribe chief or dwarf tribe chief . I need the consent of those with this status . How will you check it?”
“Ah, that’s right . Wait a minute . ” Johannes realized he hadn’t handed over parchment as before because he had improvised . He only realized after Hyeonu questioned it .
“Here . It can be used to film something when magic power is injected . You can record their agreement to remove the barrier . ” Johannes pulled out three small glass crystals .
‘It’s like a camera,’ Hyeonu thought .
“I understand . It won’t take long . I’ll be back in a few days at the most . ” Hyeonu took the glass crystals and disappeared with these words .
Johannes was left alone and said to himself with a bewildered expression, “He will come in a few days . . . ?”