Come to Pochinki (2)
The edge of a vast plain.
The city, built where land and sea meet, had a slightly more subdued atmosphere than usual.
It’s been about 10 days since the players lost the status window, so the citizens must have noticed it sooner or later.
The citizens had been suffering from the brutality of the players, but they did not rush to rebel against it.
Since the disappearance of the status window is a fact known to all citizens, the royalty and nobles of each country were also having troubled days.
The kingdom of Pochinki was unusually agitated among such countries.
This is because most of the defense power here relied on the players.
So, I tried to solve this case faster than anyone else.
By the time Chris arrives in town.
Guards roamed the streets and watched the citizens with menacing eyes.
If more than three men are gathered in one place by chance, they will be forcibly dispersed immediately.
It would not be said that he suspected a rebellion, but he seemed to be doing his best to prepare for the eventuality.
Chris took the inn with his hair and skin color changed using a magic tool for his disguise.
This is the kingdom he was summoned to earlier, and he has never visited since.
So no one would recognize him, but there was nothing wrong with being careful.
The city that Chris saw through the window while sitting in the inn room gave me a sense of the atmosphere here.
The guards roamed the city with their eyes wide open even after sunset.
But even they can’t stop the laughter that comes from bars and inns.
In particular, most of the people staying at the inn are travelers, such as merchants and mercenaries, so it is difficult to touch them carelessly.
Chris left the room and sat down in a corner of the inn.
Then I sipped beer leisurely and overheard others talking.
The stories that were being told inside the inn were all about the players.
Thanks to this, I didn’t even have to listen to gather information.
“How come it is here and there and it is so quiet? Those who usually do all sorts of things… … .”
“Our guild mainly handles spices, but I heard that no players have bought them for the past few days. Those who can’t even eat without spices because of the smell. Why are you here now?”
“Have you really lost your strength?”
“You know Count Baohu, right? Why, the guy who takes away the daughter of someone else’s house every time he goes out for a walk. He’s been stuck in the mansion lately too.”
There were many players in the Pochinki Kingdom, so their power was strong, and the summoned players’ personalities were exceptionally messed up.
The eccentricities and atrocities of these guys could even be heard by Chris, who was far away.
Because of this situation, even at an inn like this, it is very openly chewed.
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Much of what was said was speculation or rumor.
But there’s no reason for baseless rumors to wander around… It was Chris who thought there was nothing wrong with listening to their conversation.
Chris, who had been patiently passing the time, returned to his room near the end of the night.
Then he opened the window while locking the door to the inn.
The chilly night air hit my face.
Chris climbed through the window and onto the roof of the building.
Then, after guessing the direction, he started skipping the roofs of the buildings.
Past Chris’ profile, who was moving at a not-too-quick pace, he could see bars that were still lit.
Those bars disappeared and luxurious residential areas began to appear.
It would be unthinkable if a drunkard passing by saw it, but the place Chris was heading was the royal castle.
Of course, no matter how he was, he wasn’t trying to invade the castle directly.
Chris stopped walking near the royal castle, where the attendants and maids were staying.
Perched at the top of the alley, he waited for a while until an older-looking maid appeared.
Not long after that, a woman came into the alley carrying a lantern.
He wasn’t even washing clothes, and seeing as he was dressing up in his own way, it seemed that he was going out late at night.
Chris guessed that the woman was in a position to rule the maids and fell off the roof.
“Huh! what, what?”
The woman passing by the alley was startled when a man fell in front of her.
Chris covered her mouth and handed her a gold coin.
The maid took it and put it in her bosom, wide-eyed.
This established a sacred covenant between them.
Chris removed his hand from her mouth and asked, changing his voice slightly.
“Do you work in the Royal Castle? I would appreciate it if you could tell me who the treasurer is now.”
“Baron Dorrington. The judge is the Marquis of Tairton. Are you calling other people all the time?”
The woman confidently proved her position.
Chris decided not to waste time and get straight to the point.
“Has there been any recent movement to summon additional players?”
“There is or not. Did you summon a new one just two days ago?”
“… … !”
I expected that this side would have a lot of body because the status window disappeared, but… … .
Are you saying they’ve already issued an additional summon?
Summoning one player usually takes about n% of the kingdom’s annual budget.
It is not a ritual that can be prepared in a day or two, as it requires a lot of rare materials that are difficult to obtain even with money.
Perhaps the Pochinki Kingdom was preparing for the next summon even before the status window incident exploded… … .
Chris tried to hide his agitation and asked the maid additional questions.
“So, how did it go?”
“… … .”
The maid hesitated for a moment to answer, as if she wanted another gold coin.
However, Chris’ eyes at first glance did not seem to tolerate it.
In fact, Chris had no intention of spending more than a single gold coin on her.
If anything, you can cut her down here and find another maid.
“that is… At first, it seemed to emit light from its hands, but after a while, it stopped doing anything. Just like the poor nobleman who was summoned a few years ago.”
“Where is the newly summoned person now?”
When his story came out, Chris deliberately played indifference and passed it over.
The maid, who had started telling the story properly, made a lot of noise day and night, even about things he hadn’t told her to do.
From noble mtl dot com
Maids are originally meant to be people who can’t live with their mouths shut… … .
It must be that a person with a position in his own way is talking so cheaply, after all, it must be very exciting to have something to chat about for money.
“His Majesty got very angry when he didn’t get results even though he spent a lot of money. Once he was transferred to prison. If I had left it there, would it have already fallen off its neck? Oh, of course I didn’t see it myself, but I heard it from other kids… Are you okay though?”
“Yes, it is fine.”
Chris stopped asking questions around that time and left, leaving her alone.
I already got all the information I needed, and I couldn’t get any more from that woman.
The more questions you ask here, the more likely you will get guesswork answers.
For now, the player’s summoning itself was successful.
It’s only for a moment, but it seems that the ability has been activated normally. Then what is the problem?
The next question would be to go to the summoned person and ask him directly.
After leaving the alley, Chris moved to a prison a little far from the palace.
In this world, it was customary to keep a distance from the royal palace in places that were classified as hate facilities, such as dungeons.
Thanks to this, the security was much lower than that of the royal palace.
Of course, since it’s a prison in name, it’s guarded more strictly than normal facilities, but… … .
Even so, there was no way to prevent a player-level skilled person from invading.
However, if there are casualties from the time of entry, it will be difficult to cover the back.
Chris decided to use his experience at this point.
Putting on a hood, he approached the prison with a very proud stride.
The soldiers standing guard hurriedly raised their spears and stood in front of him.
“Wow, what kind of guy are you!”
“The treasurer sent me. Get out of the way.”
In a voice full of arrogance, he calmly recited lies.
Baron Dorrington, the treasurer of Pochinki Kingdom, was famous for his interest in players.
The other day, when Chris was imprisoned here, his minions approached him and asked him questions.
Baron Dorrington is the treasurer in charge of the kingdom’s finances.
There is nothing to say even if a prison guard in the dungeon blocks his person and his throat is blown off.
The guards who blocked Chris’ path opened the way without a sign of long agony.
It seems that this has not happened once or twice.
Chris went to the player who had just been summoned today, guided by the jailer.
Unlike most prisoners, the player, locked in solitary confinement deep inside the prison, was none other than a boy.
“Then, take it slow.”
After letting Chris in, the prison guard closed the cell door.
Chris, who has been living alone with an innocent prisoner, examines the boy who looks Korean.
The boy looked at Chris like a boy.
Age is probably around the early twenties.
It is clear that he is Korean, and there is still a corner of him that is young.
The body is slender, but the eyes are large and the features are distinct.
If he hadn’t been confined here, he would have been more worth seeing.
The boy, who had been brought to another world out of nowhere and suffered hardships, stuck out his mouth and asked.
“Who else sent you, Mister? Why don’t the other players come to meet me in person?”
“Why would those precious bodies come to see you in person? They don’t even go out to their front yard unless they’re attended by servants.”
Apparently, he hadn’t met anyone from the same country as Chris did in the past.
Chris gave a sullen response and took off his disguise.
Soon after, black hair and an oriental appearance were revealed, and the boy’s eyes widened.
“What?”
“Be quiet. I am not a player here.”
The boy, whose mouth was blocked by Chris’ hand, nodded with surprised rabbit eyes.
The guy vomited his curiosity as it is to the unexpected guest.
“What the hell are you doing here? You’re here to take me out, right?”
“Look at what you do. Now my question is more urgent. Are the Arios Online servers down?”
Chris didn’t like the boy’s clumsy look.
However, it seemed to overlap with her past somewhere, so she waited for the boy’s answer without saying anything bitter.
The guy answered his question, showing even a slight disappointment.
“How many times do you want to answer that question… Arios Online is fine. Instead of shutting down the server, they are even holding a new user recruitment event. I was brought here because I messed with that damn game, right?”
“Exactly.”
“By the way, where the hell is this place? Why did I end up in prison again… … .”
“I don’t have time to explain that far. wait for a sec.”
Chris covered the boy’s mouth for a moment and shook his head vigorously.
At first, it seemed that Black Hammer’s prediction was correct.
The disappearance of the players’ status windows had nothing to do with the Arios Online server.
but… If so, what the hell could be the problem?
Also, why did this guy lose his status window as soon as he got here?
There are still too many questions left.
Unfortunately, the two of them didn’t have much time left.
Chris, who looked around for a moment and looked at the dynamics outside the solitary cell, was greeted with a tumultuous atmosphere for some reason.
From the other side of the aisle, a number of guards approach the solitary cell with weapons.
Behind them, he could see the same guy he had seen years before.
The same man who had been looking for Chris on orders from the treasurer.
Chris finally grasped the rough situation.
‘Could it be that the treasurer really arrived? Why now… … .’
I don’t even have time to complain right now.
Chris, who pulled down his hood again, drew out his newly acquired sword and swung it at the door of the solitary cell.
The thick and sturdy prison door was cut like straw in front of a magical sword.
“What?”
“Follow me quickly! Now or never!”
Chris blocked the narrow aisle, calling out to the terrified boy.
Surprised by the appearance of an unusual opponent, the guards quickly stabbed their spears.