Chapter 180
When we arrived at the stronghold's back gate.
One of the family members was deeply surprised. They knew we would return safely, but we suddenly came through the back gate, catching them off guard.
So, my elder brother and Johnny, who were at the mansion, hurriedly rode a carriage over. While we had only traveled for about three months, to them, it was as if we had returned after eight months.
That's because five months had simply slipped by in the Forest of Death, where time flowed differently. Everyone had been extremely worried, since we had disappeared without any contact.
"Why are you only coming now? Do you know how worried we were?"
"There wasn't any trouble at the stronghold, right?"
"Nothing major happened."
"Oh, this is Eilin."
"It's nice to meet you."
"I'm Ross. We finally meet now."
Ross and Eilin exchanged polite greetings.
Elder brother already knew that she had traveled with us. He just seemed a bit curious that she had come all the way here.
"How about elder sister and elder brother-nim?"
Ross's face brightened up.
"Elder sister and my wife are both in their final month of pregnancy. Both of them will probably give birth next month."
"Congratulations. So, you're about to become a dad."
"That's right. Is everyone else safe?"
Donnie and the other members also greeted my elder brother with respect.
But Ross immediately sensed our magic power.
"What happened out there? Your magic power has grown tremendously. The same with Allen."
"It's a long story to explain."
"Let's head home and talk."
Everyone got into the carriage.
"Has Roman Priest returned?"
"Yes. He'd gone out to look for someone, but apparently didn't find anything. He's at the new territory now."
"No one came looking for anyone?"
"Nope. Is someone looking for Roman Priest?"
"I'll tell you later."
I trust Johnny, who was in the carriage with us, but you never know, so I kept my words to a minimum.
"Johnny, how is the merchant guild doing?"
"It's going well. Where should I start?"
"The carriage business status."
"The carriage factory was completed three months ago, and now we're producing new carriages. We're still using imported rubber tires, though."
"And how's the rubber tree cultivation?"
"We've succeeded at cultivating rubber trees, but it seems mass-producing tires isn't easy yet. Still, there's news we can start large-scale production by next year."
"How did the listings go?"
"Yes. The Eastern Merchant Guild was separated into an affiliate and relisted, and Barako Merchant Guild got listed at the Tris Exchange. Count Mals's bank also opened, and it's receiving a great response in Tris."
"Stock prices gone up?"
Johnny smiled brightly.
"They've all gone up more than tenfold. The minerals we're supplying to the empire have increased a lot, and exports to Tern have doubled. Especially Barako Merchant Guild's total profits doubled compared to last year."
"That's a relief. Did you handle the inns properly?"
"Yes. Our Hader Merchant Guild has also settled in both Tris and the central region. We plan to list the inn business on the Tris Exchange as well. The head of the family decided that."
"Well done, elder brother."
"I had to make decisions in your absence."
I listened to more business reports after that.
The development of the volcanic archipelago and the construction of the southern hub port were almost finished.
Aktun had continued steady trade with the Tak tribe he led, and construction of the new territory was over halfway complete. The humble temple was also completed not long ago.
Johnny had handled things well in my stead. He worked with the two corps leaders for merchant guild business, and coordinated with Ross for family business, handling everything appropriately.
From now on, leaving things to Johnny should be fine. There are corps leaders and many talented people in the merchant guild. Now that the businesses were established, I hardly needed to be directly involved anymore.
/ / /
After such a long time, I finally ate a home-cooked meal.
It was a dish prepared by my elder sister Rozie, who was heavily pregnant. I was so touched that my eyes welled up with tears.
"How long were you starving out there?"
"I wasn't starving. Is it a boy or a girl?"
"Seems like a boy."
"That's what elder brother-nim said, too?"
"We'll only know after the birth. She could turn out to be a strong girl."
"And my brother-in-law?"
"He's at the stronghold. He goes there every day to train the knights and soldiers, then comes back at night. I wonder why he's so driven."
Looks like Russell is getting ready too.
Maybe there's some sign of trouble in the capital.
I shared a hug with my smiling elder sister, then headed to my own home after visiting elder brother's house first and greeting my sister-in-law. She also looked blissfully happy. So did my elder sister.
My house steward, Mr. Raban, and his wife greeted me warmly. Their daughter, lana, was well.
"This is Yuri. And this is Lana."
"Hi. You're very pretty."
"You too, unni."
"I'll show you your room."
"Okay."
Lana took Yuri's hand and led her to another room on the fifth floor. Eilin planned to stay at my place for a while before returning to Robe.
"This house is huge."
"I was lucky to get it. There are plenty of vacant rooms, so make yourself comfortable anywhere. I've also had the bathwater heated, so you can bathe first if you'd like."
"Then, I'll rest first."
Eilin went out to her room.
Only Johnny stayed behind.
"You'll want to check the new territory, right?"
"Yes. From now on, if Roman Priest goes anywhere or if anyone comes looking for him, you must contact me immediately."
"Understood."
I pulled a ring out of my pocket.
A communication ring.
"Always wear this. With it, you can reach me from anywhere, anytime."
"What an amazing magic."
"Yeah. You should rest now too."
"Yes, young master."
I lay down on the soft bed.
The journey had been long, and with everything that happened, drowsiness quickly swept over me. Home really is the best.
After a nap of about three hours, I woke up.
I began organizing all that had happened in a booklet, listing the items I obtained for easy reference.
First: I obtained Yan's bow and arrows.
These, along with coffee beans, are things I'll continue to trade through Black Mane.
Second: thirty-three communication rings.
That's thirty-two, excluding my own.
I picked out who would get the rings.
Ross and Russell, Donnie and Johnny, seven berserkers and eight intelligence troopers, one special operations captain, Eilin and Yuri, Allen and Tuji, Urald and Wundbark, Bellen and Lok, and Aldo, the chief administrator.
The three remaining rings will be kept for later. I'll hand them out if the situation calls for it. My priority list is Count Watts, Aktun, and Roman Priest.
Third: Four soul orbs.
Father used the one-day one. I used the one-hour one.
What's left: one minute, one week, one month, one year orbs.
I think these orbs can convey their intention via Osu's "Seed".
The Ash Tree at Hairopro and Osu seem to be connected.
These soul orbs are to be used only in dire need. There's no need to go all the way to the ancient era—you can see into the past from a few years ago if you know the precise time.
Fourth: Spellbooks and the Eternal Flame.
Items obtained from the Red Dragon's lair: books and an unquenchable flame. I also obtained several rare materials and tools.
I'll leave these with Urald and Wundbark. There's no one better for research than them, so I can trust them. I'll also commission new armor production.
Fifth: Relics of the ancient king.
Along with primordial strength, I obtained the crown and the holy sword, and took possession of a dark knight and a bronze knight.
Sixth: Divine beasts.
I met the eagle, lion, and turtle. The wolf is with me, and I've confirmed the presence of the cattle. Now I just need to meet Aindel's horse and the southern deer.
Seventh: Osu's three gifts.
Osu's seed, leaves, and branch.
I've already checked the seed, and the leaves are said to contain the power of time. The branch teleports troops.
Eighth: Gift from Queen Elin.
Two legendary protection spirits, a massive magical warehouse,
and the Spirit Ship.
Ninth: Stone of the gods.
Yellow and white stones. The yellow grants resurrection, the white is for giants. When these stones meet the primordial divinity and the ancient king's crown, they gain the prestige of subjugation.
Since the Grand Duke has three stones, I must secure three as well. Once my training is done, I'll search for the one in the south and meet the deer divine beast.
If the number of stones is even, the first to obtain the one in Aindel will have the advantage. I can go, but the Grand Duke will have a hard time getting there, at least for now.
Finally, the tenth item.
Essence of the devil. I'll attempt to absorb it once I've finished my training and can fully handle its power. Since it's an essence tainted by darkness, it must be taken in a place overflowing with light's divinity.
With that, I finished my listing.
Looking at it written out, I couldn't believe I obtained this much.
/ / /
I went to the new territory.
It had changed beyond recognition. All the basic buildings were erected, and there were quite a lot of houses.
"Hey, young master, you're here."
"How have you been?"
Urald and Wundbark greeted me with beaming smiles. Bellen and Lok also came out to greet me, smiling, and Roman Priest was there too. I first handed the Spirit Stones to the twins.
"These are legendary guardian spirits."
"Really?"
"Go somewhere secluded and try them out together. Even I don't know what abilities they have."
"Yes!"
Bellen and Lok dashed off to the western mountain.
It looked like that mountain was their training ground.
"Roman Priest, have you been uncomfortable in any way?"
"Not at all. I and the priests who came with me are all satisfied."
"You look busy, so let's meet again another time."
"Alright, then."
Roman Priest bowed and headed for the temple. Up north, somewhere, is where he trained. I'll ask him later about the exact place.
I also decided not to mention for now that his family is in Hairopro. Nor that he is related to the emperor by blood. Even he himself shouldn't know, for security reasons.
I entered the workshop with Urald and Wundbark. There were a lot of machines and devices I'd never seen before. Not just Dran engineers, but also human engineers worked there.
"There are a lot of things in the factory."
"We're making various electrical devices. I heard you brought back the Eternal Flame?"
"I obtained several spellbooks and crafting materials, too. Among the books, there's one on magic arrays."
"Where'd you get all that?"
"From a dragon's lair."
"Oh!"
I entered the artisans' studio.
They'd been waiting for me to return. There was a splendid drawing of armor hanging on the wall.
"Is this a new type of armor?"
"What do you think? Cool, right?"
It was far cooler than I'd imagined. Armor made from Asgard's bones, with lightning attributes. Who could have predicted we'd obtain lightning magic power?
The helmet was shaped like a wolf's head, and the armor had a scale pattern. The greatsword, unlike my current one, wasn't a straight blade but a broad, curved sword.
"With this sword, it'll be better to spin while fighting."
"I designed it with the berserkers' techniques in mind. The old greatsword was for smashing; think of this one as for slashing."
Most berserker swordsmanship aims to destroy. That's because the sword is so heavy. But having this kind of curved greatsword is good too. It's optimized for Whirlwind.
"Wait a minute."
I began taking items out of my magic pouch. Starting with the Eternal Flame, I pulled out all sorts of magic materials, tools, and books.
Urald and Wundbark, seeing the blue flame in the lamp, welcomed it at first but then their jaws dropped. Not because they recognized it specifically, but because it was obviously no ordinary object.
"I thought spellbooks were just for mages, but this is full of surprises. The language is obscure, but I might find something completely unexpected."
"Do you think you can use these tools?"
"I'll have to research them."
I showed them the bones of the lightning beast.
"These are materials to amplify lightning. Please attach them to the new greatsword. All our members have lightning magic power now, so this will be very useful."
"What on earth did you experience on your journey?"
"I'll explain it all soon."
Leaving everything I brought, I left the factory.
I took my time walking around the new territory. The people looked cheerful, which made me feel at ease.
From now on, the members will build up even more lightning power using Asgard's magical coins. Each will create their own personal swordsmanship.
The primordial divinity hasn't changed into magic power yet, but in at most a year, it will. The primordial power is so immense that the resulting magic power will be considerable as well.
If I get even one more essence of the devil, I plan to share its power with the members. Obviously, I can't take it all for myself.
/ / /
About forty days had passed since my return.
All I did was rest. I also prepared for my training. In the meantime, both my elder sister and my sister-in-law gave birth to sons.
Maybe it was because my nephews were born. Around that time, Eilin had gone to Mouk. She said she wanted to learn how to manage the Eastern Merchant Guild. Later, I heard she was heading to Robe.
"Always contact me with your communication ring. If anything happens, don't hide it—let me know."
"Yes. Then, I'll go."
She nodded.
Eilin boarded the landing craft. There was a trading fleet heading for Robe across the sea.
She didn't look back after boarding, but once it got far enough away, she waved goodbye. Though she smiled brightly, she couldn't hide her sadness.
She must have known.
That she wouldn't see me for a while.
I'll be leaving in a few days as well.
I intend to remain secluded in my training place until I achieve what I've set out to do, even if it takes one or two years.