Chapter 144 : Chapter 144
Chapter 144. Changed Territory
It was a moonlit night.
Not satisfied with just a space expansion pocket and a backpack, Radel was climbing up the valley alone with a sack on his shoulder.
The lake was calm, and a cool breeze blew in the valley.
“It's fortunate there's a breeze at least.”
It wasn't easy to move secretly at night when everyone was asleep after the after-party ended.
Radel wiped his sweat and headed up again, and when a slightly spacious area appeared, his movements finally stopped.
And he put down the sack he was carrying on his shoulder on the wide ground.
THUD!
Perhaps because his stamina increased as his Basic Swordsmanship was promoted to A, he could climb the valley easily even while carrying a quite heavy sack.
“I couldn't try it because there was no meat all this time.”
But thanks to hunting monsters together today, meat became plentiful.
There was plenty left even after distributing it to all the territory residents.
He picked out only the large parts and brought them.
It was because there was something he wanted to check.
It was a question he had since Chariot Sapphire showed him the lake.
Why did the valley unfolding behind the lake look familiar?
The Secret Training Ground, one of the places Radel visited most often in the 8th Prince's Palace.
Beyond the waterfall pouring outside the training ground was a valley.
When Radel got tired from training, he lay down on the floor and looked at the waterfall.
Other than that, there was nothing to do, and he was also curious about what was outside the training ground.
‘At least it's certain that there's a Griffin.’
If he extended his hand out of the waterfall, a Griffin would come looking for him like a ghost.
Probably because it smelled a human in its territory.
Then it meant the outside of the waterfall wasn't a space created by magic, but if it was a real place, where on earth was the training ground connected to?
Radel was always curious.
And he was trying to solve that secret now.
CLICK!
Radel took out a small brazier from his pocket.
It was an item he discovered and bought when he went to the Spear Guild.
It was cumbersome to carry firewood every time, so he didn't know how glad he was when he heard there was a brazier that burned fire when magic power was injected.
When he set up the brazier and injected magic power, flames rose from the brazier.
WHOOSH!
Radel prepared spices and oil while waiting for the frying pan to heat up.
He also cut the meat into large pieces.
“Shall I grill it now?”
Humming a tune, Radel picked up a chunk of meat.
SIZZLE!
The sound of meat grilling was heard.
Radel sprinkled salt, pepper, and herb powder on the frying pan.
Would what he thought turn out to be correct?
Smoke rose through the night air.
However, nothing happened.
“Was it my misconception?”
It was when he was thinking of just giving up and grilling and eating the meat.
A sharp sound was heard from far away.
- SCREEEECH!
Radel stood up abruptly without realizing it.
A familiar shape was flying this way.
A monster with the upper body of an eagle and the lower body of a lion.
It was a Griffin!
It was the moment Radel's prediction proved correct.
* * *
When the sun rose, the day in the territory began.
“It's already morning.”
Radel got up slowly from the bed.
His arms ached from grilling meat for the Griffin he met after a long time last night.
He wondered what if it was a different Griffin, but seeing it act picky towards him, it was indeed the Griffin Radel knew.
Moreover, the sight of it eating only the meat and leaving annoyingly was very familiar.
Radel had not even succeeded in ‘wait’ yet.
Still, since he could meet it in the valley instead of beyond the waterfall now, taming might become much easier.
“Well, that's my wishful thinking, but…….”
Radel, who washed simply, went outside to exercise.
Radel's training did not stop even after coming to the territory.
Just because the environment changed didn't mean he could neglect basic physical training.
When Radel ran lightly and headed to where the Lizardmen were, the most diligent people in the territory recently were gathered there.
“Did you plant all the potatoes there?”
“Not yet, brother. If we just plant this, this row is finished.”
The Lizardmen, who woke up at dawn, were working from the morning.
Many things changed in Raviedel after Radel came.
The biggest change among them was the existence of the Lizardmen.
The Lizardmen woke up first, went out to the fields, picked out stones, and pulled weeds.
Recently, they were planting potatoes.
“Is there anyone to help here for a moment?”
“Let's carry some stones together!”
Not only Lizardmen but also strong men from the village who were farming or had some strength were working together.
When they were short of hands, they asked the Lizardmen for help and sped up the work.
“Alright, it's breakfast time! Everyone stand in a single file!”
Just in time, Pirenzo Korva came out wearing an apron and carrying a soup bucket.
Armandy Stein was also filling a basket with bread next to him.
Radel never asked, but the two took charge of the work on their own.
Is this the difference of experienced office workers?
Admiring slightly, Radel held a bowl and stood in line to receive soup.
Pirenzo Korva, who was distributing soup, discovered Radel and asked.
“Isn't it the Prince? How many ladles should I give you?”
“Fill it up.”
When Radel spoke shamelessly, the Lizardman next to him got annoyed.
“Does the human lord take food without working!”
“Anyway, all this is my land. The soup was also bought with my money.”
“Cheap human…….”
The Lizardman grumbled and took his soup.
When Radel also received the soup, it was full of meat inside.
It became plentiful thanks to monster hunting.
Radel, who even received bread from Armandy Stein, finished a satisfying meal.
After finishing the meal as much as they worked, it was time to go out to the sea and catch monsters this time.
Not only the Lizardmen but also all the hunters of the territory gathered at the sea.
“Prince, how many will we catch today?”
“Hmm, let's try catching more than yesterday.”
Around this time, Inette Dastion Cretian also woke up late and joined.
Since there was nothing to do in the territory, she was voluntarily coming out saying she had to relieve stress.
Gusto Zebro was also participating in the hunt regularly, saying it was good training.
At dawn, he did personal training like an apprentice holy knight.
“Apprentice holy knight! I'll catch more than you, so just watch!”
“Please think about whether competing over something like this is truly the right thing to do.”
“Why care about right or wrong here? Don't you even have a competitive spirit?!”
In Radel's eyes, Inette Dastion Cretian seemed to have no reason to be bored.
Even though she sang songs about being bored every day, didn't she make interesting things on her own like that?
The Lizardmen also liked this time the most during the day.
They were now used to hunting monsters in the sea.
“Sea bastards are bigger and more fun than the ones living on land!”
“More meat comes out too!”
From the Lizardmen's perspective, it seemed they felt more comfortable with the sea where monsters appeared whenever they went, rather than searching the mountain range all day to find monsters.
Watching them catch monsters in the sea where fish couldn't be caught, Radel thought it was very fortunate that the territory had such a dangerous sea.
“Kuhaha! It was a fun hunt today too!”
“Now for dismantling!”
When the monster hunt ended, the dismantling by hunters and Lizardmen began.
Radel had the territory residents dry the byproducts from dismantling monsters on one side.
Later, he planned to send them to Marcellent through the guild to sell.
In the afternoon, the Lizardmen returned to the fields, and the village's strong men began training under Pirenzo Korva's guidance.
As expected of a former assassin and current Academy professor, Pirenzo Korva excelled in various physical arts and weapon handling techniques.
“If you want to become strong, you must build muscle strength first.”
He made the village's strong men do basic muscle training and taught them basic postures to hold a sword properly.
“You can properly handle the power you have only when your body's center is balanced.”
Radel spent the afternoon sparring with the territory residents who started training.
It was because of Pirenzo Korva's suggestion that their skills would improve quickly if the Prince, who had solid basics in swordsmanship, dealt with the territory residents personally.
And at night, the day ended only after going up to the valley and attempting Griffin taming.
“I spent today fruitfully too.”
Radel dragged his tired body and lay on the bed.
It was a hard but fulfilling day.
* * *
Where is this?
I definitely fell asleep frantically because I was tired.
Radel opened his eyes in the fog.
To open his eyes again when it hasn't been long since falling asleep.
‘Like this, I can’t sleep soundly.’
There was only thick fog all around.
When Radel looked around, a voice was heard in his head.
- To think I cannot interfere in your dream unless you are this exhausted. You are not an ordinary guy either.
“……Who are you?”
Radel saw a figure slowly emerging from the fog.
A man huge as a mountain was lying obliquely, resting his chin on one hand.
Jet-black hair and violet eyes were vivid.
Goat horns were on his head, and bat wings were attached to his back.
The man with an expression that everything was bothersome rolled only his eyes and looked down at Radel.
Radel was barely the size of a finger in front of the man.
‘Is he a devil?’
Although a bit cliché, seeing horns on the head and wings on the back, it was undeniably the form of a devil.
Moreover, Radel's instinct was shouting.
That is not just a devil.
It is an Archdevil.
There was only one Archdevil associated with Radel.
“Belphegor?”
When Radel called his name, he raised the corner of his mouth crookedly while lying down.
And slowly opened his mouth.
- Quite smart. If you know, let's make a contract now.
Radel recalled the time he went to the Demon World while trying to go to the Spirit World before.
Even then, someone kept talking to him to make a contract.
‘As expected, that key was the problem.’
The black key that sealed Belphegor.
Since he had six of them, it was understandable that the sealed devil would be interested.
“I refuse.”
Radel refused flatly and shook his head.
He saw clearly what happened when making a contract with a devil in the Demon World.
He couldn't sell his soul and live as a devil's slave like that.
However, Belphegor frowned as if he couldn't understand.
- Why do you refuse?
“If you make a contract with a devil, you offer your soul, so who would like that?”
- Instead, you can have whatever you want while you are alive. Strong power, lots of money, everyone will look up to you and revere you. If you want, you can live without working until you die.
When Radel showed no interest, Belphegor added.
- Don't you want to survive. I know there are many who want to kill you. If you make a contract with me, I can eliminate all of them with my power.
Certainly, perhaps because he was a devil, he seemed to know well about the problems facing Radel.
However, he couldn't move Radel's heart with just that.
Radel looked at Belphegor and opened his mouth.
“That is something I will do somehow. Not something to do by borrowing your power.”
When Radel didn't budge, Belphegor laughed as if dumbfounded.
It was indeed arrogant words for a powerless Prince to spit out.
- Arrogant fellow.
And Belphegor narrowed his eyes as if gauging something, raised the corners of his mouth, and opened his mouth again.
- I want to play more, but I have to let you go.
It was welcome words to Radel.
But the words that followed were not welcome.
- Go. Danger has befallen you.