There Is No World For ■■

* * *“I will accept the Royal Seal.”[...All of a sudden?]The Dwarf King, who had been preparing other items to convince him, paused midway. After gazing at Yeomyeong, he raised his thick eyebrows as a realization dawned upon him.As soon as he heard that the Royal Seal could lift any restrictions, his gestures and gaze underwent subtle changes.The young man tried to hide it, but... it was impossible to avoid the keen observation of the king, who once ruled over the masses.[Ah, so that's it.]Daval smiled as he fidgeted with the Royal Seal. Did he now have the upper hand in the transaction? No, that wasn’t it.It was a smile of relief.He was relieved that, even with such treasures before him, Yeomyeong could still think of others rather than only focusing on his own gains.He’s not a hero who will save the world... but at the same time, he’s not a selfish bastard either.Daval paused for a moment before extending the Royal Seal towards Yeomyeong, who was staring at him.[Do you know that magic items made by dwarf craftsmen have secrets?]Yeomyeong, who had been reaching out, tilted his head slightly. His expression seemed to ask, ‘What nonsense are you on about this time?’[One cannot harness the complete power of magic items made by craftsmen from the bloodline unless passed on in the proper manner.]“...That’s the first I’m hearing of it.”[Well, it's understandable that you wouldn't know. After all, they only produce mass-produced items nowadays, so how would you know about the history and tradition behind it.]He said this while raising his other arm. Again, a familiar item flew from the direction of the surveillance tower.[For example, the Handle of Uragan that you used to take control of the Royal Seal... Originally, this handle was a tool that could purify all sorts of curses and malicious magic. But you probably just used it as a rod with flowing magic, didn’t you?]What kind of nonsense is this? Yeomyeong glanced back and forth between the Handle of Uragan and the Dwarf King speaking.“...I am using the Handle of Uragan correctly, though?”[What? That can’t be true?]The Dwarf King furrowed his eyebrows.He looked up and down at Yeomyeong, who was sitting on the stairs, then seemed to realize something as his jaw dropped in surprise.[Ah, no way… you are...]Though he trailed off, it was easy to guess what he would say next—a virgin.[...Well, matters related to romance are a personal choice. I understand. I, too, died without seeing my descendants.]With a humorous tone, Daval offered him a consolation that wasn’t quite a consolation and shrugged his shoulders before adding.[Of course, I didn’t die unmarried.]“I see. I suppose so.”Seeing Yeomyeong respond with a nonchalant expression, the dwarf laughed heartily.[Anyway. Unless you plan on living your whole life as a virgin, you will need to receive this handle in the proper manner. The Royal Seal as well.]“...Proper manner?”[Receive the recognition of the maker or have it certified by the previous user. Or... receive acknowledgement from the rightful king of the mountain range.]As his explanation came to an end, golden mana burst forth from the Royal Seal.Although it couldn't be compared to the light of the magic circle drawn by the dragon, the light that filled and overflowed from the frozen warehouse.However, as the Royal Seal's light grew brighter, the Dwarf King’s figure became increasingly faint.Yeomyeong observed the scene in silence.It was a mystery how the dead spirit was able to distort his senses, but... everything made sense once he saw the light of the Royal Seal.Like the unicorn’s soul housed within the Handle of Uragan, the Dwarf King had infused his soul and mana into the Royal Seal in a similar manner.However, unlike the unicorn, which had infused its soul into its horn—a part of its own body—the king's thought form was bound to the Royal Seal by only the tiny amount of leftover mana.Once this magic came to an end and the mana within the Royal Seal was depleted, the king’s soul... would disappear.Realizing this, Yeomyeong felt a pang of sympathy for the Dwarf King.To be trapped within the Royal Seal for decades just because of his damned ‘fate,’ only to watch his friend deteriorate mentally…What was the fate he had witnessed that made him take such measures?While Yeomyeong pondered over these thoughts, the Dwarf King, having completed his preparations, extended the Royal Seal.[Yeomyeong, kneel... Hmm, it might be a bit difficult to kneel on the stairs. Just accept it while standing.]Facing the Royal Seal emitting a brilliant, golden light, Yeomyeong rose from his seat and received it with great care.The cold touch of the metal and the warm mana flowed through his hand. Yeomyeong quietly inspected the mana of the Royal Seal.After a moment, the king spoke again.[I, Daval Daval Hilin, in the name of the rightful king of the Dragon Scale Mountain Range, transfer the ownership of the Golden Seal to Cheon Yeomyong.]Immediately, something within the Royal Seal formed a connection with Yeomyeong’s mana. It was an indescribable, unfamiliar sensation.[Furthermore, in place of the deceased Ma Uragan, I also transfer the ownership of the last weapon left by the Uragan bloodline.]The last weapon? When Yeomyeong glanced up a little, Daval smiled and placed the Handle over the Royal Seal.[You will need to find the rest of the parts: the body, the head, and the pommel by yourself.]“The other parts? But this weapon...”[It’s incomplete. The workshop was bombed just a day before it was to be assembled. Truly a tragic event.]Although Daval spoke of it lightly, Yeomyeong, who knew the history behind it, remained silent.[Since the handle has fallen into your hands by fate... I trust that you will take care of the rest well.]After saying this, the Dwarf King extended A finger and began to draw something in the air.What is he trying to do now? Grasping the Royal Seal and the handle, Yeomyeong silently observed the drawing.What the Dwarf King had drawn using his mana as paint was... a map.A map as detailed as a military map.The map, shimmering with the blue light of mana, pointed to some unknown mountain range and a location deep within it.“...What is this?”[It’s a map that shows the location of the royal family's treasure vault. It’s only accessible if you have the Royal Seal.]A treasure map? Yeomyeong looked at the dwarf with probing eyes.“What’s your reason for showing this to me?”[Since you’re already defying fate, it’s better to defy it thoroughly.]And before Yeomyeong could respond, the Dwarf King pushed the map towards him.Hooook—As the map made of mana collided with Yeomyeong's body, it vanished like mist.To be precise, the mana in the form of the map flowed into Yeomyeong’s mind.[Ah, it’s been a while since I last used memory transfer, so I’ve forgotten that it consumes quite a bit of mana.]Daval spoke to Yeomyeong, who was busily sorting through the memories that had flooded his mind without warning. Though he spoke as if it was nothing, his form had become even dimmer than before.It was evidence that he didn’t have much time left. The Dwarf King looked at his fading hand and spoke.[Well, I have done my part. Now it’s your turn. Please... save my poor friend.]Holding the Royal Seal, Yeomyeong turned his head and looked at the fallen dragon.Orsay Taboul. The very dragon whose wings he had cut, legs he had severed, and eyes he had burst.Yeomyeong hesitated for a moment before turning back to the Dwarf King and spoke.It was a question that Daval hadn’t anticipated.“...Do you have any final words for your best friend?”So he was more cultured than I thought, huh? The Dwarf King smiled brightly as he conveyed his final words.