89. Divergence
The messages were making a commotion as though affected by Berserk [?].
It was as if they had acquired a Transcendent Skill.
‘It didn’t give me any completion experience.’
Regardless of that, I had received no experience for completing the quest.
Apparently, Hidden Quests used a reward system different from that of other quests.
Even so, the rewards were unquestionably substantial—
‘Should I examine the title first?’
I first checked the title <Emperor of the Underworld>, which I had received as an additional reward.
==< Emperor of the Underworld >==
[Acquisition Requirement]—Conquest of the Underworld
[Effect 1]—Targets instinctively feel fear from the Dark Charisma emanating from the player. The success rates of negotiation, intimidation, and persuasion increase by [+250%].
[Effect 2]—Detects light sources surrounding the player. If the light level is below 0.21 lux, the [Blessing of Darkness] effect is applied.
==[Blessing of Darkness]==
: The player assimilates with darkness, reducing all noise produced while moving by [-99%].
Lux was a unit used to measure the brightness of light.
According to the Coalition Forces’ Archmage—
—The ambient illumination beneath a bright full moon is approximately 0.25 lux.
Therefore, 0.21 lux was considerably dark.
Simply put, the effect would activate only in the “middle of the night”. In other words, its activation requirements were strict, but—
‘This is good.’
The effect granted upon satisfying those difficult requirements was incredible.
There could hardly be a better ability for infiltration, surprise attacks, and assassination operations.
Furthermore, the increased success rates for negotiation, intimidation, and persuasion could provide considerable advantages depending on how I used them.
And this was merely an “additional reward”, as the message had said.
The true reward for the Hidden Quest was something else.
‘Ian’s Journal....’
I was intensely curious about what it contained. There was no reason to delay.
I immediately attempted to read [Ian’s Journal].
◆Error: Unable to read [Ian’s Journal].
However, an error message appeared.
◆Error: An item conflicting with [Ian’s Journal] exists.
◆Error: The Main Quest [Find the Hero!] conflicts with [Ian’s Journal].
◆The requirement for reading [Ian’s Journal] has been changed to the prior completion of the Main Quest [Find the Hero!].
Simply put, I could not read [Ian’s Journal] unless I completed the Main Quest [Find the Hero!].
‘What would be the point of that?’
After all, once I completed the Main Quest, there would be no need to read [Ian’s Journal].
The completion requirement for the Main Quest was to find Ian.
Once that happened, I would not need to go out of my way to read Ian’s journal.
If I had any questions, I could simply ask Ian directly.
What possible purpose could requiring the quest’s prior completion—
‘....Wait.’
A thought suddenly flashed through my mind.
I carefully examined the error messages that had appeared earlier.
After contemplating the meaning of the word “conflict”, a question occurred to me.
‘Ian tried to give me everything he had.’
I still had not learned why.
However, Ian had unquestionably attempted to pass everything he possessed to me.
Considering that—
The reward for the Hidden Quest, [Ian’s Journal]—
‘Given the circumstances, it was probably a message Ian intended to leave for me.’
It might contain the reason Ian had attempted to give me everything.
Or perhaps it explained why he regretted killing Seraphia. There was also a possibility that it addressed both matters.
In other words, Ian had arranged for me to discover the reasons through [Ian’s Journal] and decide my future course of action.
However—
A variable had emerged.
‘The Regression ability wasn’t transferred to me.’
Consequently, Ian had returned to the past alongside me.
A divergence.
That divergence had caused a quest that should never have existed to appear.
The Main Quest [Find the Hero!].
If the Regression ability had been transferred to me completely, [Find the Hero!] should never have appeared.
It would be more accurate to call it a quest that could not possibly occur.
After all, Ian would not have existed upon the continent.
An existence named Ian might have remained, but an Ian who had lost all his memories and abilities would no longer truly be Ian.
However, Ian had returned to the past alongside me, and that divergence had caused the quest [Find the Hero!] to appear.
That was why they “conflicted”.
[Ian’s Journal] and [Find the Hero!].
Two things that should never have existed simultaneously had appeared together.
That meant—
‘Ian unquestionably returned to the past with me.’
There was no longer any room for doubt. Ian had returned to the past alongside me. He currently existed somewhere upon the continent.
Despite that, he had not revealed himself to me. There were two primary possibilities that could explain why.
The first was that Ian did not know I had returned to the past.
Until now, that had been the only possibility I had considered.
But a second possibility had emerged.
‘What if he is deliberately refusing to reveal himself?’
There was a possibility that Ian was intentionally concealing himself from me.
It sounded absurd, but—
‘The Emperor is searching for Ian.’
According to the information I had obtained from Iratum, the Emperor was searching for Ian.
I did not know why or for what purpose he sought him.
However, the Emperor was searching for Ian.
There was no possibility that the Emperor would search for Ian without a reason.
Therefore, the fact that the Emperor was searching for Ian could mean—
‘Is Ian deliberately drawing the Emperor’s attention?’
To put it crudely, there was a possibility that Ian was deliberately provoking the Emperor and drawing his aggression.
What if he was preventing the Emperor from turning his attention toward me?
What if he was using the unexpected variable of our shared Regression as an opportunity?
Even if Ian knew I had returned to the past, he might deliberately avoid revealing himself to me.
After all, Solo Level Up [EX] and Player’s Will [EX] had unquestionably been transferred to me.
Ian had once spoken of the Ultimate Life-Form.
The pinnacle of all living creatures, which he claimed only my Predation [S+] could reach.
Even without Regression, Ian may have concluded that I could evolve into the Ultimate Life-Form as long as those two abilities had been transferred to me.
Therefore, to give me enough time to grow, Ian could be personally drawing the Emperor’s attention, concealing my existence from him, and allowing me to act freely.
That was the second possible explanation for why Ian had not revealed himself.
‘Hmm.’
However, nothing was certain.
This was nothing more than my speculation. Even so, it was not a possibility I could simply ignore.
‘I need to account for both possibilities.’
Therefore, simply waiting for Ian would be unwise.
However, actively searching for Ian would not be a particularly good approach either.
If Ian was deliberately drawing the Emperor’s attention, I should not search for him.
Instead, I had to proceed with the work I needed to accomplish now.
The things I had originally intended to do after joining Ian—
Establishing the Coalition Forces, recruiting its heroes, and building a force capable of opposing the Emperor.
‘I have to do it.’
I had to act now, while Ian was drawing the Empire’s complete attention.
Furthermore, I could not neglect my growth toward becoming the Ultimate Life-Form.
Ian had entrusted this task to me.
Ian was fighting the Emperor because he trusted me.
Therefore—
‘First, I’ll establish the Coalition Forces.’
I had to repay that trust.
I currently possessed more than 120 million gold in my Inventory. That was more than sufficient funding to establish the Coalition Forces.
‘White Wolf County would be the best stronghold.’
Originally, I had intended to establish the Coalition Forces and gather power somewhere other than White Wolf County.
However, the current situation changed matters.
White Wolf County was located at the northernmost edge of the continent.
As a region situated at the very limit of human survival, it attracted little attention.
It was the perfect environment for secretly gathering strength and expanding my forces.
‘The problem is that expanding a force within the County will be difficult.’
That was because its population was small.
I possessed enough money to establish the Coalition Forces, but there were nowhere near enough people to organize an army.
Population was unquestionably a problem that money alone could not solve, but—
◆The Territory Quest [Recruit New Soldiers!] has arrived.
Conveniently, Violess contained several thousand recruits whom I could work mercilessly.
* * *
Every Vister in Violess lay prostrate upon the ground.
However, Adrian said nothing, seemingly absorbed in deep thought.
After judging Lyla, Isolde silently waited for Adrian’s next instruction.
How much time had passed?
“You, over there.”
Adrian suddenly pointed directly at someone—
“Yes, sir!! Did you call for me, Emperor?!”
Sarpedon, Ark Master of the Black Grasp, rushed over like an arrow.
His forehead had not merely split open but cracked apart, and blood poured from it.
“Gather everyone in Violess here. Bring all the slaves from the Scrap-Iron Zone as well.”
“You mean immediately...?”
Instead of answering, Adrian frowned—
“U-Understood! I’ll move immediately!!”
Sarpedon jumped in terror.
He did not appear to possess even the slightest intention of disobeying or resisting.
It was not limited to Sarpedon and the Black Grasp. The alliances of smaller Vister groups also obeyed Adrian’s orders.
Absolute authority over Violess.
It was the birth of a level of absolute authority that had never existed throughout the history of Violess.
However—
“I intend to erase the city of Violess from the map.”
Adrian himself appeared to have no intention of seizing that absolute authority.
When Isolde turned her head, Adrian strode toward her.
“With that in mind, could you help me?”
“How would you like me to help?”
Adrian immediately responded to Isolde’s affirmative question.
“Violess has long been known as a self-sustaining city formed by exiles, poor people, and criminals from various kingdoms. But as you witnessed, Lady Isolde—”
“The reality was different.”
“Correct. It was a city created by the Dark Merchant Company, populated by slaves it abducted from various kingdoms and exploited.”
Isolde nodded again.
Nothing he had said was incorrect.
“In other words, most of these slaves have somewhere they can return to. People somewhere are still desperately searching and waiting for them.”
“......”
“I intend to give them a certain amount of money and return them to where they belong.”
When Adrian said that—
Isolde understood what he wanted to ask.
“You want the Holy Kingdom to help them return home safely?”
“That is correct. I will provide the necessary funding.”
Isolde was a princess of the Holy Kingdom.
She possessed the power and authority to arrange national assistance, care for the victims, and ensure their safe return.
Most importantly, the Holy Kingdom’s knights were expected to arrive soon.
“Wait. When you asked whether I could contact the Eye of the Pilgrim from the Black Market, were you planning this from the beginning?”
“Can you help me?”
Adrian’s answer was neither affirmative nor negative.
However, Isolde understood one thing with absolute certainty. How could anyone look at the man before her and call him a delinquent?
“I will.”
Isolde immediately nodded.
It was not a request that required any consideration. In truth, Isolde should have been the one asking Adrian for help.
“As for those who have nowhere to return—especially the Visters—they have learned nothing except how to fight. If we simply release them, they will only commit more crimes elsewhere.”
“Then it would be better to kill all of them here—”
“I’ll take them in.”
“Excuse me?”
Isolde’s eyebrows furrowed momentarily.
What Adrian had just said—
Was somewhat difficult to comprehend.
In other words....
“You intend to accept the Visters as residents of White Wolf County?”
“No. I intend to work them like dogs…. No, I intend to give them an opportunity to change.”
An opportunity to change...?
“Is it not said that generosity begins with a full granary and that anyone who starves for three days will become a thief?”
“......”
“People change according to the environment in which they live.”
“If they are placed in a filthy environment like Violess, even those called sages will become more repulsive than the filth surrounding them.”
“......”
“Therefore, I believe we should observe how the Visters might change within a different environment.”
“Do you truly believe the Visters can change?”
To put it bluntly, they were scum who had done nothing but commit crimes.
There was a reason people said that a person could not be repaired and reused.
These people had been evil from birth. They would never change.
People did not change in the first place.
However, Adrian appeared to think differently.
“I believe that gods cannot change, but people can. Even if changing is difficult.”
A god reflected the faith and ideals of all people. A god was supreme and immortal and could never change.
People, however, were different. Because they were imperfect, they could change.
“I was a delinquent myself, was I not?”
Even if changing proved difficult.
Isolde could not speak, as though she had been rendered speechless.
Adrian had said that he would embrace the Visters of Violess.
For a moment, Isolde felt as though her mind had gone blank.
Rather than punishing the sinners, he intended to embrace them. That was something Isolde could not imagine doing.
The Holy Kingdom possessed a doctrine stating, “Hate the sin, not the sinner.”
However, Isolde did not agree with it.
A person was the one who committed the sin.
How, then, could one avoid hating the person?
Her opinion regarding that had not changed. But when she thought about it—
Had she ever, even once—
Overlooked another person’s mistake?
Had she ever forgiven someone, pretended not to see their wrongdoing, or occasionally acted as though she knew nothing?
Had she believed herself protected by God—
And believed that whatever she trusted and carried out represented God’s will—
While acting without the slightest sense of guilt?
Had she merely “judged” every wrongdoing while thinking of herself as righteous and just?
Isolde carefully reflected upon each of Adrian’s words. And looked back upon the person she had been until now.
Strangely—
It was the moment when the man named Adrian began to appear different to her.
* * *
A Free City was governed by no absolute authority such as a monarch or lord.
Fundamentally, Free Cities were privileged communities.
Building upon that foundation, they could specialize and develop in various fields.
The Commercial City of Freche was one such city that had developed through its specialization in commerce.
There was another Free City that, like Freche, had developed as a center of economic activity.
The Trade City of Caravana.
Rather than commerce itself, Caravana focused upon “trade”, establishing itself as a center of external exchange, the transportation of goods, and trade networks.
While Freche’s economy revolved around internal consumption and production, Caravana had developed through logistics, brokerage, and re-exportation.
Geographically, its extensive road network and numerous rivers made it advantageous for trade, allowing various cultures and commodities to intermingle.
Caravana’s population consisted of many different races, granting it a highly multicultural character and creating an atmosphere more fitting for a “Free” City than anywhere else.
Perhaps because of that—
The citizens of Caravana were rarely surprised.
Because numerous cultures intermingled there, they frequently encountered extraordinary things.
Incidents and rumors from every kingdom reached them constantly, so ordinary events rarely earned more than an indifferent reaction.
However, the atmosphere in Caravana was unusual today.
“Have you heard that rumor?”
“A rumor? What rumor?”
An incomprehensible rumor had begun spreading—
“They say Violess has disappeared.”
The absurd rumor that Violess, the Lawless City, had disappeared could be heard throughout Caravana.
No comments yet. Be the first to leave a review!