by Park Saenal
“The ability to select and recruit talents…”
Grid was reminded of all the people he recruited, including Khan, Piaro, Asmophel, and Sticks. It was amazing when thinking about it now. Weren’t they all half-dead when they first met Grid? Grid had made a positive connection with them. Of course, the Character Observation skill attached to the Lord’s Sword helped, but now Grid started to realize it. It wasn’t easy for anyone to unconditionally make a person their own just by looking at the stats.
‘Can I take pride in it? Khan. For me who captivated your heart.’
“Your Majesty?”
“Ah.”
Grid woke up from his thoughts and wiped his eyes. He had shed tears without knowing.
Lauel saw his sad expression and asked carefully, “Khan’s funeral… You really don’t want a state funeral?”
Grid nodded. “Yes. This isn’t the place where his soul should be buried.”
Three days before he was scheduled to visit the empire. He headed somewhere else before that.
Winston. Khan’s home.
***
The concept of a corpse in Satisfy was small. Both players and NPCs turned to grey and dispersed into ash when they died. Bodies weren’t seen unless they were in the middle of a specific quest or they were a necromancer. Grid was extremely grumpy due to this fact. He felt sorrow at not being able to take care of his precious person’s remains.
But Grid was reminded of something. Satisfy had the concept of a soul. Braham’s soul, Iyarugt’s soul, and the souls of Khan’s ancestors and son witnessed at the cemetery proved this fact. Grid believed it. Right now, Khan’s soul was by his side. He thought about attaching Khan’s soul to an item using the ‘Granting an Ego’ skill he obtained from the Behen Archipelago.
‘I can’t cause Khan suffering because of my greed.’
Grid saw it. The sorrows of the former legends after they were resurrected as death knights by Pagma. They wanted rest. Grid couldn’t tie Khan’s soul to him.
“Khan.”
A small cemetery outside Winston. Grid stood alone where Khan’s son, his wife, and his ancestors were buried. He kept wiping at the falling tears and took an item out of his inventory. It was a memorial stone he made in conjunction with the sculptors of the Overgeared Kingdom. It was the memorial stone where Khan’s soul would stay.
“Please stay in heaven. You should only occasionally come down to the ground to play. I’ll take good care of the cemetery. Ruby and Lord will come to visit often. The children…”
Grid placed the memorial stone in the center of the cemetery and couldn’t resist anymore. He burst out sobbing.
After a while.
In the remote cemetery where no one was present, Grid fought with his grief alone.
Thank you.
Thank you.
A familiar voice haunted his ears.
***
Overgeared King Grid. He received the legendary Pagma’s abilities and was the hero of the former Eternal Kingdom. He beat the 32nd great demon, Belial, with his capable subordinates. Later, he overthrew the Eternal Kingdom, built the Overgeared Kingdom, and contributed greatly to the establishment of Valhalla.
“He cleaned up the Behen Archipelago and restored the Hall of Fame?”
“He even has a statue built there.”
“Yohohoho… I feel like he’s a new man of this era.”
“It’s safe to say he has completely stepped out of the shadows of the past.”
“Yohoho…he also has a deep relationship with the pope of the Rebecca Church?”
“Yes. He also seems to have interactions with Sword Saint Kraugel.”
“Yoho…that friend knows how to use his abilities well.”
“I think so as well. Grid uses Pagma’s techniques as bait to expand his network.”
“Even Braham was involved with him?”
The Tower of Eternity. It was a group that studied magic under the aegis of the empire and violated numerous taboos in the name of developing magic.
“Yohoho, I want to see him soon.”
The master of the magic tower, Goldhit. One of the 10 great magicians on the continent, she was a great power compared to Ashur. They were on completely different dimensions since birth. She was the fourth disciple of the legendary great magician Braham.
***
“Uwaaaack!”
The capital of the Saharan Empire, Titan. On the way back from hunting, a necromancer from Immortal stopped by a grocery store and screamed. It was because a knife and axe pierced his body the moment he exited the store.
“Stop it now!”
The soldiers on patrol ran when they heard the fuss, but it was already too late.
“This is one member!”
The necromancer died and the hunters ran away smiling. They didn’t care about the penalty for killing someone in a city. Why? The penalty was nothing compared to the reward they would gain.
“Did you film it properly?”
“Of course! One of Grid’s items has been secured!”
“Yes! Puhahahat!”
The group of people laughed as they were chased by the guards. The players who saw them were impressed.
‘I’m envious!’
They needed to quickly find Immortal! The eyes of the players lit up as they roamed all over the place. Once they saw a necromancer, they tracked them, monitored them and figured out their identity. Some impatient people killed just because the other person was a necromancer. It was a hellish time for Immortal.
“Dammit!”
Kwang!
A village located in a remote part of the empress’ palace. The 347 members of Immortal were raging. They were nervous about not being able to step out of the palace due to Grid. At a time when they should be steadily hunting and gaining items, they had to hide like rats?
“That damn Veradin. He pretended to be smart, but fell completely.”
“Let’s turn in Veradin’s group. All of us don’t need to receive damage.”
“No matter how angry, is it okay to sell out our colleagues?”
“Then what should we do? Should we die together?”
The bonds of the Immortal members started to twist. Fear was deeply rooted in their hearts. It was fear of Grid who moved billions of players. They felt regret that they touched a sleeping lion who was now raining hell down on them.
One of Immortal’s executives, Bullet, tried to calm the guild members. “Let’s wait and see. This atmosphere can’t be maintained forever. Their interest will wilt once they can’t find us.”
“Umm…”
Hunters who couldn’t find their game were bound to lose motivation. Immortal felt like they would be able to breathe if they hid like this for a while. At least until they heard the following news.
“G-Grid! Grid is going to visit the empire!!”
“What…?”
All of the Immortal members became deathly pale.
“He’s the devil! The devil!”
He made them sinners just because he lost some blacksmith NPCs. Now he was going to the empire to hunt them directly? Wasn’t he almost crazy at this point? The moment everyone was making a fuss.
“What is everyone afraid of? Isn’t this something to be happy about?”
Veradin appeared and said.
“It’s a chance to show our strength to Grid. Let’s reverse the situation and hunt the man who came here for us.”
Of course, they couldn’t strike recklessly. According to the information obtained by Veradin, Grid would have an official schedule set by the empire. If the attack on Grid ruined the emperor’s schedule, Immortal could be abandoned by the empire.
“We need to pick the right timing.”
A mouse would bite back when cornered by a cat. Veradin felt that Grid should be pushed. At the same time. A group of merchants entered Empress Marie’s palace.
Chapter 782
Chapter 782
“Hello Muto. Thank you for answering the invit
ation.”
“The number two of the Overgeared Kingdom called me? I had to come running.”
The 3rd ranked merchant, Muto. He was shaken when he received an invitation from the Overgeared Kingdom. The first player to become a king. He thought that if he was able to trade with the Overgeared Kingdom, which was progressive due to modern ideas, he could make great deals.
“Muto has already exchanged with the empire for several years?
“It has been exactly four years. I was fortunate to encounter Duke Guardian during a quest and I started to sell things to the empire through the duke.”
“Four years ago…? Isn’t it faster than Kir?”
“Haha, that’s right. I pioneered the empire’s market first.”
The 1st ranked merchant Kir was a big guy who had several merchant rankers under him and ran a huge trading company. He used his enormous health to equip himself with military power and recently purchased a whole city. This could be a stepping stone to building a kingdom. There were already many people calling Kir a king.
Lauel felt disbelief.
“You pioneered the empire’s market first, so why are you ranked lower than Kir?”
The merchant rankings were determined not just by level, but through the trading volume and number of trades. Muto pioneered the continent’s largest market first, but was ranked lower than Kir. It frankly made him seem incompetent. Muto revealed the truth. “I was beaten by Kir’s trick and lost several accounts. His political power is several times higher than me.”
Muto was a type of merchant to do everything directly. He conducted lucrative business by investigating the market and gaining information ahead of others. It was why he took a risk and went to the East Continent. On the other hand, Kir was a master of slander. His specialty was taking away the businesses built by others. Muto had been hit several times.
“In the end, I’m not a vessel for the first rank. But isn’t the vessel for the 3rd rank big enough? I’m confident that I can do enough.”
Muto knew. The merchant that the Overgeared Kingdom wanted now wasn’t the best merchant. If they wanted the best merchant, they would’ve called Kir instead of Muto.
“Please tell me what you called me for. I will do well and pay back your expectations.”
‘Not bad.’
He was a quick merchant without any bragging. It was good to believe in him.
“You accompanied King Grid on the East Continent for a few days? I can see why His Majesty liked you. Okay. I have a suggestion. Become a scammer.”
“Huh…? A scammer?”
“Sell a defective item to the imperial palace. It means you will have to stop trading with the empire in the future.”
“W-What is this?”
Despite the fact that Kir had deprived him of most of his business in the empire, he still had some dealings left. A lot of Muto’s wealth came from the empire. Now Lauel was telling him to scam the imperial palace and give up on dealings in the future. As Muto thought the suggestion was absurd…
“The prize is the Overgeared Kingdom. We will leave one-third of our trade to the Muto Company.”
“One-third of a kingdom’s trade…”
The development of the Overgeared Kingdom was ongoing. Numerous players flocked to the Overgeared Kingdom based on Grid’s absolute item production ability and Lauel’s resourcefulness. In the future, the Overgeared market was likely to become the second largest after the empire. He was being given one-third of this market. It was an unbelievable proposal.
“The first rank, shouldn’t you take it?”
***
“Sigh.”
Muto was visiting the empress’ palace. He recalled the meeting with Lauel two days ago and took a deep breath, calming his mind.
‘This is the sky…an opportunity from the sky Grid. Do well Muto.’
Daring to scam the empire. He was crossing a river that he couldn’t turn back from. Muto’s hands shook from the tension and he swallowed cold water several times.
But.
“Did the sun rise in the west today? Sir Muto is coming to see me first, not His Majesty?”
After a 30 minute wait, Muto’s trembling stopped with Empress Marie appeared. It was thanks to the passive skill Merchant’s Fortitude. He would never shake when facing a trading partner.
“You’re more beautiful every time I see you. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to meet the star of the empire. It will be the glory of my family for generations.”
“How can natural beauty fade? Okay. I’m especially excited about the things you have brought today.”
The merchants who traded with the imperial family always went to the emperor first. It was natural courtesy to give the highest priority over goods to the highest ranking person. Yet today Muto found the empress first, not the emperor. There was clearly a reason, but Marie couldn’t help feeling good about it. It felt like she was being treated as superior to the emperor.
‘The atmosphere isn’t bad.’
Unlike her mild appearance, Empress Marie was a fickle and violent woman. Muto was relieved that she was in a good mood and signalled to his subordinates.
“Isn’t the material amazing?”
Empress Marie checked the items on display and was interested in two ornaments. They were a splendid chandelier and mobile made of a matte black metal.
“The place where the candles will be set are made to resemble the imperial chrysanthemum? When it’s lit up, you can see the red-colored tulip.”
“The light penetrates evenly into the matte frame.
“I like this. It feels elegant.”
“Indeed, the empress has a discerning vision.”
It wasn’t a false compliment. Muto sincerely admired her. Before listening to the description of the product, the empress recognized them as special products.
“I don’t know. What material is it made of?”
Marie was one of the world’s leading authorities on gold and silver valuables. Due to her high position, the best items on the continent were gathered near her. Therefore, she had high insight and a lot of knowledge. But this was the first time she saw the matte black metal that made up the chandelier and mobile. She couldn’t understand no matter how many times she touched it.
Now it was time to drive in the wedge. Muto gave a meaningful smile and explained, “It is a mineral from a dragon lair.”
“What? D-Dragon lair?”
Marie doubted her ears. Humans managed to enter the nest of a dragon and obtain minerals? Her common sense told her it was impossible.
Muto gave her confidence. “It’s a mineral from the lair of the insane dragon Nevartan.”
“Nevartan…”
Nevartan went completely crazy for some reason and was wandering around the world. Nevartan’s lair would be empty. It would be a big hit for the person who found it.
“Check it out.”
The convinced Empress Marie ordered the various experts standing behind her and they started to look closely at the chandelier and mobile. They came up with an answer in minutes.
“I don’t know if it is a mineral from a dragon lair, but it’s definitely a mineral I have never seen before.”
“The workmanship of the mineral is also excellent. It’s at least a craftsman level. However, the biggest flaw is the craftsmanship. It isn’t a masterpiece because it isn’t in harmony.”
“But it’s sufficient to be worth a lot.”
“Okay. I like this. I’ll buy two of them.”
“Ah…”
Marie decided after hearing the opinions of the experts, only for Muto to become embarrassed. Marie frowned.
“What is it?
“T-That…with all due respect, I was going to show one of these to His Majesty. It is polite to show the emperor such a special thing…”
“Look Sir Muto.”
“Yes.”
“Get rid of the unnecessary acting. Didn’t you bring these things to me first because you knew I would pay
a higher price? I’ll buy them. Don’t worry. I will give one of them to His Majesty as a gift.”
“You’re truly amazing.”
“Huhuhut.”
There were few rare objects in the world. The emperor would be greatly pleased when the empress gave him one of these item as a gift.
‘Sometimes I need to be charming to make him shed some suspicions.’
The empire was currently divided into two factions between the emperor and the empress. But the relationship between the emperor and Marie was good. The emperor tried to believe in Marie. The emperor recognized Marie’s faction as the faction of 4th Prince Edan. Marie didn’t make her own faction, but the people who wanted to put her son Edan on the throne were gathering by Marie’s side. Empress Marie had been acting as a naive woman towards the emperor for decades.
“Now, this price should be enough?”
[You have received 580,000 gold as the transaction price for the Insane Dragon Iron Chandelier.]
[You have received 190,000 gold as the transaction price for the Insane Dragon Iron Mobile.]
Thanks to the merchant’s passive skills Advanced Trading and Bargaining, as well as the products made from the insane dragon iron, Muto earned a huge amount of money. It was a huge benefit even if he had to return half of the profit to the Overgeared Kingdom according to the contract.
Muto smiled and bowed to the empress.
“I am thankful every time Your Majesty deals with a poor merchant like me.”
A huge chandelier and a mobile with sharp leaves. They would be placed on the ceiling of the office and in the bedroom of the emperor and empress The moment they failed to hold the weight and crashed down one month later, the empire would be in great turmoil.
Merchant Muto perfectly fulfilled his mission.
***
“It’s huge.”
The convoy transporting 100 tons of wheat and potatoes and Overgeared King Grid arrived at Titan. His spirit disappeared as he gazed at the endless walls in front of him. He lost motivation when he witnessed the overwhelming scale of Titan, which made Reinhardt look shabby.
Grid weakly thought that it would be better if he avoided fighting with the empire forever. But he quickly got rid of this thought.