31 – Episode 31. Cologne (1)
[Eugene: 0.87%]
[Known to few people. The presence is small. Someone has strong feelings.]
“This is crazy…”
I was scolded.
Eujin’s reputation, which used to hover around two decimal places, is already close to reaching 1 percent.
Furthermore, it is clear from the addition of ‘someone has strong feelings’ added to the description.
Jill remembered me from the previous episode.
‘How many rounds? ‘I probably shouldn’t have remembered all the episodes.’
My eyesight becomes dizzy.
It is clear what ‘strong emotions’ Myung Seong-chang refers to.
It must be obsession, anger, and hatred.
If Jill had regained her memory, she would have realized that I had taken advantage of her emotions and deceived her.
How will they catch me and punish me?
I think Jill is probably looking for me with such happy thoughts.
‘This guy is scarier than the final boss…’
Would it be worse than dying if you got caught by the final boss?
But I can’t even imagine what would happen if Jill caught it.
Jill’s self-esteem is sky-high after graduating from college at a young age and earning several degrees.
I played with that quality, so I wouldn’t be surprised if the retaliation for this comes in some form.
-The pillars of the cathedral were shattered. It is presumed that a mana bomb was used.
I think I vaguely understand why the cathedral was destroyed in such a drastic way.
This is a message to me.
Stick out when you say something nice.
‘It’s still safe.’
And that’s the same thing as saying that Jill can’t find me at all.
The power of a saint is enough to slap most archbishops on both sides.
Even with that power, she couldn’t find me.
It has to be that way.
I have completely hidden my real name in this episode.
The only ‘few’ who know my real name are Blyn, me, and Mijung.
Even if a complete investigation is conducted, it doesn’t matter.
Because I don’t even have a citizenship card.
You probably won’t get caught unless you encounter Jill directly.
If you pay a little attention, you can avoid it.
There was no use in continuing to worry, so I decided to relax and think about other things.
“Do you like it?”
“······Yes.”
When I look to the side, Mijeong comes into view with her head down and doesn’t look like she has any intention of lifting up.
I’m constantly fiddling with the ring on my right index finger.
A ring with a red magic stone embedded in it.
I have the same ring on my left index finger.
‘Tay guy. Even if your skills are too good, it’s a problem.’
It is a magic stone whose color is too beautiful to be displayed like this.
So in the end, I had to take measures to reduce the shine by applying transparent paint on the magic stone.
Thanks to this, it looks like a ring with an ordinary ruby gem on it.
“Is it that good?”
“······Yes. It’s shiny. It’s pretty.”
I’ve been very interested in magic stones for a long time.
I made a ring for him and gave it to him, and he was stroking it all day.
It’s been a long time since I gave up trying to stop them.
They say Ji is good, so what should I do?
“It’s more expensive than your life. Take good care of it.”
“······Yes. I will treat it with care.”
“If you feel like you’re going to die, just save the ring before you die.”
“······Yes.”
Are you listening or not?
I was too busy touching the ring to give a half-hearted answer.
I sigh and look out the window.
“We’re already there.”
Suddenly, the scenery outside the car window has completely changed.
The green fields disappear, and instead a vast wheat field unfolds.
Just looking at the scenery makes you feel like you can smell the fragrant aroma.
“······Wow.”
Mijeong, who was preoccupied with the ring, also looks out the window and lets out an exclamation.
It’s a bit of an unfamiliar expression.
Until a few days ago, Mijeong wasn’t surprised by anything she saw.
At some point, it seemed like some of my emotions were revived.
‘Isn’t this bad too?’
It has become difficult to treat it like an object, but it seems okay when you think of it as having a companion to talk to.
Until now, it was true that it was lonely because it felt like you were only carrying a robot with you.
It’s just fine like this.
I hope no more useless emotions or memories come back.
“Oh, wow.”
Well. Nothing always goes as I wish.
What’s different about the last episode?
I always assume the worst and rarely get disappointed.
I feel the train slowly applying the brakes and slowing down.
I guess it has arrived.
After passing the high castle wall visible from the window, the surrounding area is suddenly full of brick buildings.
“The next stop is Cologne, the capital of the Holy Kingdom.”
The current capital of the Holy Kingdom. Cologne.
Once the development of Hameln is completed, the city is scheduled to lose its function as a capital.
As you can see just by looking at it, Cologne is a fairly old city.
It has a deep history and traditions, making it a perfect choice for a capital city.
However, as the kingdom began to expand, Cologne quickly reached its limits.
The population continues to grow, but since the city was originally built inside the walls, expansion is impossible.
As a result, population density continued to increase and problems began to appear here and there.
That large wheat field was used to feed a city, so that’s all.
“Let’s go. We’re really busy right now.”
“······Yes.”
As soon as I get off the train, I grab Mijeong’s hand and accelerate my steps.
The rings hit each other and get in the way.
The reason I came here is no different.
A dungeon was created in the middle of downtown Cologne, and it was designated as the Blackstar Dungeon.
That’s why all the so-called mercenaries gave up their hands and ran away.
The embarrassed mayor of Cologne belatedly offered a reward and recruited people to defeat the dungeon.
The reward offered by the mayor was none other than a pearl necklace.
The dungeon is incredibly dangerous, but the reward is like this, so no one takes the challenge.
‘But it is a hidden item that must be obtained.’
I really need that pearl necklace.
To be more precise, one of the pearls in a pearl necklace is a hidden item.
It would have been set up as a storage medium containing information about the weaknesses of all monsters in the world.
The settings are not important to me, but what is important is that if you obtain the hidden item, you will obtain an attribute called ‘Weak Point’.
All monsters’ weaknesses are visible.
For me, who had memorized the weaknesses of most random mobs, it was a useless trait.
However, since you have decided to challenge the final boss, it is an essential characteristic that is indispensable in order to know the weaknesses of the faceless final boss.
‘Just in case, let’s get it a little early.’
It came much later in the previous episode, but this time it came about two months earlier.
I know that it’s a dungeon that no one can break even if left for a long time, but I’m afraid that the butterfly effect may occur and the rewards may change.
Because it is such an important trait, I came here in a hurry to get it.
“Ugh. There really isn’t a separate chicken coop.”
When I walk around the city, I keep frowning.
Buildings that are close together like chicken coops feel more desolate than modern apartments.
Furthermore, it seems to have a strangely unpleasant smell.
Even though it is not a slum but an area where nobles live, it looks like this.
“You can’t even make a noise. Just stick next to me.”
“······Yes.”
After walking for a while, we reached the city hall building.
Not only is it large in size, but the walls covered in vines testify to its history, making it very majestic.
“I am a person who came after seeing the request.”
“Please follow me.”
I guess it’s urgent.
Without any special procedures, we were immediately guided inside.
“Mayor. There is a customer who has come to see a request.”
“Let me in.”
“Yes.”
Suddenly.
The door opens to reveal a breathtaking view of the office.
Thick documents piled up on a large desk.
And sitting in the middle was a human man wearing glasses.
He raised his head and looked at me, and his face lit up.
“Nice to meet you. My name is Lawrence Brigham.”
“It’s an honor to meet you, Count.”
“What about the Count? Mayor… No, that’s too burdensome. Just call me Lawrence.”
Lawrence says, waving his hand as if he is annoyed.
As expected, I still hate pretentiousness.
Despite being a count, he is an unusual nobleman who insists on wearing rough shirts instead of fancy formal clothes.
“That’s right, Lawrence. Is it okay if I don’t reveal my name?”
“It doesn’t matter. I’m not interested anyway. hahahahaha.”
Lawrence laughs heartily as she reveals her honest feelings.
It is safe to say that it is all thanks to Lawrence that the overpopulated city of Cologne is running well (at least on the outside).
Since he took office as mayor, he has completely eliminated all unnecessary administrative procedures and established a system that pursues only efficiency.
If they have the ability, they hire commoners and push ahead with their work, ignoring the rules of etiquette of nobles.
He has many enemies due to his bulldozer-like personality, but it doesn’t matter because his support base is already solid.
The entire huge city of Cologne is his sphere of influence, so what is there to be afraid of?
“You must have come a long way, but you should rest first.”
“No, it’s okay. You seem to be in a hurry, so I’d like to ask for information about the dungeon first.”
“There is no hesitation. I like it.”
I have a personality that likes to be blunt with each other.
When two guys like this get together, things get done infinitely faster.
“The dungeon appeared in the sewers of the city of Cologne two months ago. Numerous mercenary groups gathered in the city of Cologne. Although no compensation was promised at the city level, the honor of saving the largest city of the castle will follow, so attack it. “The attempts were very active.”
Lawrence takes out a bundle of documents from the cabinet and pours them out in front of me.
The contents of each mercenary group’s challenge to the dungeon are recorded in detail.
It is basic to create a map based on the structure of the dungeon that has been identified, as well as the types of monsters and their appearance points.
It is so detailed that it seems excessive.
Lawrence is probably the only person who creates dungeon records in such a systematic manner.
Looking at him this way, he seems like a cold and blunt man, but he isn’t really like that.
Lawrence is also famous as a fierce lover.
‘Did you say he wrote hundreds of letters to his deceased wife?’
Lawrence has a heartbreaking behind-the-scenes story.
He had a wife who died due to her illness, and he said he misses her very much because he feels sorry for not being able to treat her well while she was alive.
There is also an interpretation that he is pushing himself to overwork himself in order to forget the pain.
“All the records are there, so you can take a look and decide.”
“What do you mean?”
“Whether to take on the challenge or not.”
“······.”
Before she knew it, Lawrence had put her glasses back on and sat down to continue her work. She said
As if she had no expectations of me.
I guess they thought I would give up and leave right away.
-Encountered 3 orcs. 2 People died. 1 Person seriously injured.
-6 Lizardmen ambushed in the water. 3 People died.
-Explosion trap. 1 Person died. 1 Person seriously injured.
Well, the records were full of bloody stories.
Of those who took the challenge, there were even fewer of them who came back alive.
If it were me in the past, I might have been scared when I saw this.
From noble mtl dot com
“I have roughly figured it out. I would like you to guide me to the dungeon entrance.”
“Yes?”
But I have already beaten this dungeon.
Although it is tricky, it is easy compared to the top dungeons.
The level of magic control has risen sharply to level 4, so for me, it will be a piece of cake.
“Do you know how to read?”
“You’re asking a rude question.”
“I’m sorry. The only person who said they would challenge the dungeon after seeing that was illiterate. I will personally guide you to the dungeon.”
Lawrence stands up and starts to show me the way.
As expected, it’s nice and refreshing.
“I was planning to increase the reward if the challenger didn’t show up. It ended up working out.”
“hahahaha. I’m quite satisfied with the necklace.”
“Huh? A necklace, what is that…?”
The moment Lawrence tilted her head and made a strange expression.
“Ah.”
“Ah.”
As I turn the corner, I encounter a woman right in front of her.
Are you Lawrence’s secretary?
However, for something like that, the clothes are quite flashy.
“Cornelia. What’s going on?”
“Ah, honey…”
The woman hesitated, looked at Lawrence, and immediately lowered her gaze to the floor.
Cornelia. Honey.
The two words combine in my head and cause confusion.
Lawrence’s wife must have died…?
‘That’s right. ‘I came two months early.’
I realized it only then.
In previous episodes, Cornelia Briam was dead every time she came to Cologne.
Lawrence’s widowed wife was alive at this point.
It feels strange, as if a dead person has come back to life.
“Greetings. This is the person taking on the challenge of conquering the dungeon this time.”
“Thank you…”
“Thank you. We all came here looking for a reward.”
Cornelia bows her head and expresses gratitude.
At that time, Mijeong, whose eyes were sparkling, suddenly pointed at Cornelia.
She was startled and grabbed Mijeong’s hand.
“······Twinkle.”
“This guy is rude to the Countess.”
“It’s okay. Did you say this after seeing this?”
Cornelia looks embarrassed for a moment, but then she smiles and takes out her necklace from inside her neck.
It is a necklace full of her pearls.
The moment I saw that, my thinking stopped.
“······Sparkling. Pretty.”
“Thank you, little girl.”
Definitely.
That pearl necklace is the one that gives the characteristic ‘Weak Point’.
But if this happens, the story becomes very strange.
‘I’m offering my deceased wife’s necklace as compensation…?’
A lover who couldn’t forget his dead wife and wrote hundreds of letters to her would hand over her wife’s belongings to a stranger?
The front and back do not match.
I have the illusion that the air has suddenly become cold.
Lawrence’s smile, which she had thought was refreshing, began to look a little creepy to her.