Chapter 628 – Quite Unusual (2)
Was this the first time?
‘To face those who are familiar with Claudi.’
The Imperial Capital.
Antonium housed the Four Houses and prominent figures loyal to Claudi.
Perhaps that’s why I put extra effort into my entrance.
‘Though it feels wrong to say this after missing the scheduled time…’
Shamelessly, I opened my mouth.
“Welcome to Antonium, Holy War Alliance.”
Pause for a beat.
“Thank you, Antonium, for your grand reception of the Holy War Alliance.”
Thanks to the Dark Dragon’s materialization and its dramatic wing display,
not a single gaze among the crowd seemed worried for me.
If anything, their looks said, “Of course, we expected no less.”
Regardless, I navigated through the crowd and came face-to-face with those who were acquainted with Claudi.
The first to greet me was someone who, naturally, excelled in social situations…
“Gamond greets the Supreme Commander of the Holy War Alliance.”
Gamond Phil, the head of the Diamond Trading Merchant.
Gamond bowed deeply toward me.
Sharp-eyed and always able to assess the true value of goods, Gamond spoke:
“I am relieved to confirm your safety in person.”
…It seems my acting has passed their scrutiny.
Before Gamond could continue, another prominent figure approached.
It was someone from the Dune Clan with crimson eyes.
Honestly, my grand entrance didn’t mean they had to go all out with their greetings too.
“Hold on.”
The Holy War Alliance players began murmuring.
It was understandable.
Few players had ever seen the Dune Clan up close.
“Who’s that?”
“Their eyes are crimson…? And their appearance is slightly different from the usual Arcanians. But look at that gear—That’s insane!”
“Haven’t you heard the rumors? The Dune Clan is said to have protected Antonium from dragon invasions! I wasn’t sure if the accounts were true, but maybe they are?”
Prominence isn’t earned without reason.
They’re called great figures because their very presence overwhelms their surroundings.
In that sense, I, Lee Hoyeol, was spared the hassle of further proving myself.
“The Dune Clan greets the Supreme Commander of the Holy War Alliance.”
The entirety of the illustrious Dune Clan bowed to me.
With this, I no longer had to prove my strength or stability.
‘Good. They don’t seem to notice.’
The truth was, only my alter egos were aware that Grandfell had left me.
Not even my closest family had realized it.
That’s when I became certain:
‘As long as they don’t know the history between me and Grandfell…’
No one could distinguish me from Grandfell.
At least not while my performance continued.
Thus, I decided to take a more direct approach.
Facing Gamond and Shahin Dune, I spoke in Grandfell’s style:
“From this moment, you are part of the Holy War Alliance.”
Not just the Diamond Trading Merchant and the Dune Clan—
I intended to enlist every faction under my influence in Antonium into the Holy War Alliance.
Someone might question this.
Even with the portal to the Demon World destroyed and the Evil Eyes vanished, wasn’t this too hasty?
After all, even if the demons of Arcana were manageable, couldn’t the Demon World’s Ten Thrones cross over to Arcana at any time?
To them, I would answer:
‘Who do you think Grandfell is?’
I, Lee Hoyeol, could confidently say—
With Grandfell now in the Demon World, no Ten Throne, Bael, or any other demon could dare leave the Demon World to invade Arcana.
Because I knew better than anyone how unforgiving Grandfell could be.
That’s right.
I, Lee Hoyeol, always made full use of what I’d learned.
This, too, was an Akshan-style bucket operation.
I was never truly alone.
I still fought alongside Grandfell, even if he was in the Demon World.
Which is why—
‘I can hold my head high… at least a little.’
Grinding my teeth, I declared:
“As Supreme Commander of the Holy War Alliance, I command you all…”
“……!!!”
“Deploy!”
Amidst the erupting cheers—
‘No one is more dramatic than you, Hoyeol… seriously…!’
I clenched my teeth, trembling internally.
*
tl/n: Red-Eyed Dune Clan => Crimson Eye
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Ssshhh.
In the Imperial Palace, Nash William, the Imperial Court Mage, wrote a letter with his feather pen. The recipient was none other than his one and only brother, who tirelessly worked in the Adventurer’s world.
“Hoo.”
Nash murmured, barely suppressing his overwhelming emotions.
“Rejoice, brother…! I, too, have finally earned recognition from Commander Lee Hoyeol, just like you did. Your younger brother can barely contain his emotions as he shares this joyous news with you.”
To be recognized by Commander Lee Hoyeol?
Even he couldn’t achieve that…
And yet, his little brother, Nash did?!
Had Bensch read this letter, he might have fainted on the spot.
The context of the letter was straightforward:
The Empire had finally gained the ability to defend its own territory.
Nash, however, never lost sight of reality.
Unlike his older brother, Nash remained humble.
“Of course, I haven’t forgotten that the situation is unique. Since the Great Upheaval, the demons have completely disappeared into the shadows, and the local forces that once threatened the Empire’s strongholds are no more.”
Still, Nash couldn’t help but feel proud.
“But to think that the Empire is finally being acknowledged…!”
More specifically, the Empire had grown strong enough to support the Holy War Alliance. It was finally an opportunity to repay the one who had saved the Empire countless times.
“No, I shouldn’t get ahead of myself just yet.”
Determined, Nash finished his letter.
──── To my beloved brother, Bensch William. From your younger brother, Nash William. ────
In Arcana and the Adventurers’ World,
it was the adventurers who connected the two worlds.
Even for something as simple as delivering a letter, the adventurers readily accepted the request.
“Awesome! Thanks for the quest!”
Nash couldn’t understand their strange language, but shrugged it off.
“Good things are still good, I suppose.”
The moment Nash sent the parchment through the portal—
Clatter, clatter.
Urgent footsteps echoed toward his office.
“Lord Nash! There’s urgent news!”
Urgent news?
Nash opened the door with magic instead of answering aloud.
A pale-faced servant rushed in and delivered the message directly.
Nash’s eyes widened in shock.
“W-What do you mean? The World Tree is rotting?!”
Since the moment Lansha first noticed the World Tree’s abnormality, it had continued to wither and decay, and now, even its roots were starting to rot.
Vwooom!
Nash immediately conjured a portal.
His destination: the land where the World Tree grew in the northern frontier of Antonium.
When Nash stepped out of the portal—
He was greeted by a massive crowd gathered around the World Tree.
“!”
Nash recognized a familiar figure and quickly approached.
“Sir Harkon!”
It was Harkon, who had just returned from an expedition to reclaim the northernmost territories far from Antonium.
Accompanying him were the Lionheart Knights, his personal guards.
The expedition had been a resounding success.
“Nash.”
They had resettled survivors in three villages and one city.
Moreover, during their return, Harkon had received a telepathic message from Commander Lee Hoyeol himself:
-“The Lionheart Knights are officially part of the Holy War Alliance.”
However, Harkon had halted his steps upon arriving at the World Tree.
He observed the decaying roots and spoke to Nash.
“The World Tree is withering from its branches and roots closest to Antonium. Did anything happen here while I was away?”
Nash furrowed his brow, trying to recall.
“No, Sir Harkon. Not even a minor crime has occurred in Antonium recently. As you know, the people here have no reason to cause trouble.”
“I see.”
“The only noteworthy event would be the recent arrival of the Holy War Alliance…”
Nash wrinkled his brow, searching for clues, but Harkon had already pieced it together.
‘Commander Lee Hoyeol and the World Tree are bound by the World Tree’s Blessing.’
As the one who nurtured the seed of the World Tree and received its blessing, Commander Lee Hoyeol possessed something even the elves—a race descended from the World Tree—envied and coveted.
But now—
‘Why did the World Tree begin to wither… the moment Commander Lee Hoyeol set foot in Antonium?’
Harkon’s gaze darkened.
‘Could a rift have formed between the Commander and the World Tree?’
To Harkon, the World Tree was nothing more than a beneficial tree—neither good nor bad. It was simply a mystery why the connection between Commander Lee Hoyeol and the World Tree had weakened.
Harkon muttered softly.
“Could it be related to the day Bael appeared?”
It seemed he wouldn’t know for sure without speaking directly with the Commander.
The moment Harkon caught a falling leaf from the World Tree—
Swoosh.
A voice echoed in his head.
– Harkon Kingsguard, great knight of the Empire.
“……?”
The voice continued.
– Can you not feel my sorrow?
It was the voice of the dying World Tree.
– The fear Arcana holds toward Lee Hoyeol…
Your name.
*
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The Objective of This Expedition is Simple.
Settling my unfinished business.
My goal was to hunt down the [Blessed] monsters,
which had been running rampant ever since my alter ego, Hiel, began acting out in its rebellious phase.
After that, I would proceed with my next steps.
Through [Dark Understanding],
I would uncover the remaining 30% that Grandfell had hidden from me, confront the harsh truths that awaited in hell, and finally—enter the Demon World.
‘Grandfell, just as you wished, I will rescue you.’
To do that, what I needed was overwhelming victories and flawless acting.
If anyone realized that I wasn’t the same person I used to be,
I didn’t even want to imagine what might happen.
‘The bar was set ridiculously high.’
Compared to Grandfell, my abilities were utterly insignificant.
If the world knew that Grandfell was no longer with me,
there was no telling how it might go completely out of control.
[Blessed Guardian of the Verdant Forest: Lv. 2,000]
And so, I had no choice but to deliver a brutal yet calculated performance.
I took a step toward the colossal elemental beast that had appeared.
Ttogak.
Damn.
So this is what it feels like to face a level 2,000 monster without Grandfell to back me up or the [Natural Enemy] ability to trigger?
I wanted to scream for help from the Holy War Alliance immediately, but I clenched my teeth and held back.
Instead, I drew upon all the magic I had.
‘Go for something flashy.’
Hit it hard once, then retreat.
That was the best plan I could think of.
Given my current state, there was no way I could take it down on my own.
‘Just fall back and wait for the cooldown, Hoyeol.’
My class, [Demon Hunter],
wasn’t particularly impressive in a raid like this.
But I did have something useful:
the [Conductor’s Baton of Rhythm] tucked inside my jacket.
‘Even I’m curious what nonsense I’ll end up spouting with this.’
Vivace? Allegro?
I imagined myself saying these things seriously in the heat of battle and already felt a wave of secondhand embarrassment washing over me.
But still, I didn’t back down.
That wasn’t my style.
That was the moment when I was trying to show off my anomaly to overpower the situation.—
Suddenly, my vision flickered.
[The Blessed Guardian of the Verdant Forest has been afflicted with the status effect, ‘Fear.’]
Wait, what?
Did it just get scared… of me?
But I haven’t even done anything yet!
[Critical hit inflicted on the Blessed Guardian of the Verdant Forest!]
[Critical hit inflicted on the Blessed Guardian of the Verdant Forest!]
[Critical hit inflicted on the Blessed Guardian of the Verdant Forest!]
…Huh?
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