Chapter 62

Regardless of Haze’s complaints, they continued their march, and about an hour later, the sheepherding regiment arrived at Starting Town.

“Lieutenant Hunter, welcome back. Your entourage has grown significantly.”

“It’s the diplomatic envoys from Chrom and Hector Kingdoms. Here’s the list.”

“Thank you. By the way, have you seen it?”

Even the knights grew anxious hearing the captain of the guard speak with such reverence, but the hunter nodded calmly.

“The feudal lord’s new pet, right?”

“Yes, isn’t it truly astounding? I thought for sure it was a legendary dragon! My legs almost gave out when I saw it up close… Oh no, I’ve kept your hand too long. Please proceed.” With that command, the guards parted to let through the sheepherding regiment and the Reapers.

The guards parted as the sheepherding regiment and the Reapers entered through the south gate of the castle. As soon as they dismounted, the Reapers gasped collectively.

“Oh…”

“No way, this is—”

“This can’t be…”

A massive avenue stretched out before them, cutting straight through the city. Buildings stood neatly arranged like they had been measured with a ruler, paved with clean bricks, lit by streetlamps lining either side, and dotted with structures five stories or taller.

The city was just as awe-inspiring from within as its walls were from without. The buildings, roads, and fortifications seemed unified, as if designed and constructed by one person.

“How did such a city come to exist…?”

“It’s even more prosperous than Zhimail…”

But what truly astonished them weren’t the sights but rather the people inhabiting the city.

“Try our meat skewers! Tender meat and potatoes grilled with our special sauce!”

“Hot herbal tea for sale here!”

“Grilled corn available! Freshly harvested from the farm!”

People bustled about, shouting to attract customers. This was typical of Starting’s free markets located near the castle gates. As one ventured toward the center of the city, residency requirements became stricter, and only official stores operated there that ordinary people couldn’t compete against. Hence, the markets mainly catered to those entering or leaving the city by selling small goods and food items.

“It’s quite lively.”

“My goodness… Even the commoners look well-fed. I heard they have plenty of provisions, but…”

“I don’t see any beggars or thugs…”

“Their clothes look clean too. Most of them seem to wear expensive leather garments.”

The Reapers whispered among themselves as they followed the soldiers. The Yangmol Regiment proceeded directly to their assigned supply depot located on one side of the road.

Unbeknownst to the Reapers, the Yangmol Regiment transported far more goods than it appeared at first glance. Their true cargo was stored within each soldier’s inventory, with every member carrying fifty kilograms’ worth of items. They had acquired various loot from the Wild Boar Fortress, such as wild boar hams, and from Blue Hammer Castle, including Goblin Battle Hammers (Common), Thick Cotton Clothes (Common), Stamina Collars (Advanced), and more.

The thick padded jacket was especially popular in the northern regions with their cold climate. Since it was classified as a common item, they’d acquired plenty of drops and filled up their inventories accordingly. The only items they had to carry on their backs or transport via horse-drawn carriages were non-inventory goods.

“How dare you insult me?” Dalton, one of Chrom’s knights, suddenly exploded at her.

Despite his menacing demeanor, the woman showed no fear whatsoever.

“What? How did I insult you?”

“You’re trying to make a fool out of me! Who do you think you are, talking back to a knight like this?”

Hearing all the commotion, Haze rushed over from where he’d been keeping an eye on things nearby.

“Dalton, you idiot! Did you not hear me telling you not to cause trouble?”

“But, sir! This peasant insulted me!”

“What insult?”

“Well, this skewer costs 27 gold or something!”

”…What?” Even Haze was taken aback, momentarily forgetting to scold Dalton. The price made no sense at all.

Twenty-seven gold?

One gold coin could buy a decent meal even in the capital city of the kingdom due to its high cost of living. In more rural areas, it would be enough for three meals. Considering Han Jae-yeon’s past experience equated one gold to around 10,000 won, this merchant was essentially charging 270,000 won for a single skewer. Based on rural standards, it could be perceived as close to 800,000 won!

“Understand now? This isn’t just about being ripped off. I’ll teach him a lesson right now—”

“Oh! Handsome Man, welcome back.”

“Hmm… The smell is particularly good today. How much for this special skewer?”

“34 gold, sir. You came at just the right time when the seasoning has fully marinated.”

“It always tastes great here.”

Jingling!

The man dressed in leather clothes paid with three platinum and four regular gold coins, grabbed his skewer, and briskly walked down the street.

”…”

”…”

Two knights stared dumbfounded as they watched him leave. The merchant waved them away.

“If you’re going to make a fuss without buying anything, please be on your way. If it’s too expensive, then simply don’t buy it. I’m not forcing you, so stop complaining…”

Eventually, the knights were chased off by the vendor, feeling utterly bewildered.

“No… What was that?”

“They’re asking for platinum coins just for street skewers…?”

They were confused, but this was actually quite natural due to inflation. The value of gold coins had drastically changed since monsters first appeared. In the past, gold was mined and minted using special methods, whereas now, gold simply dropped from killing monsters.

Jae-yeon encouraged clearing dungeons, although even without her urging, soldiers and most able-bodied individuals raided them relentlessly. Dungeons provided food, clothing, experience points, and skills. Of course, many overconfident fools lost their lives along the way, but as strategies improved and elite soldiers increased, the mortality rate gradually decreased.

People realized it was more beneficial to clear lower-level dungeons multiple times rather than attempting higher-level ones recklessly. Just one sweep of a regular dungeon by four people yielded over 15,000 gold including completion rewards. Of course, they had to divide this amongst themselves, but that could be overcome with repeated raids. Gold was pouring in for them.

“The prices… The prices here are beyond imagination. This is insane.”

“It costs 250 gold just for lodging per night!”

The knights who briefly investigated the city gathered back together, their faces pale. Haze raised his hand to calm them down.

“Didn’t you already see monsters dropping gold coins when killed? This shouldn’t come as a surprise.”

“But…but this doesn’t make sense! Do we have to kill ten thousand monsters every day or something?”

These nobles were part of the wealthiest class, possessing most of the gold coins in circulation. Yet now, their value had depreciated by tens—no, at least hundreds of times. The gold coins they’d risked life and limb to protect while fleeing from monsters were practically worthless now. It was agonizingly painful news that drove them mad with despair.

It felt like investing in bitcoin when it was valued at 100 million won only for it to plummet to one million won within days, forcing you to drive your fancy car straight off Han River Bridge.

This is insane.

Haze realized he stood on the precipice of a great upheaval.

Nobles were nobles because they possessed wealth—land, power, and goods. However, now, everything they owned was vanishing like dust: their land, strength, and riches alike.

And at the center of it all stood jae-yeon, the Bronze Sword.

Wait, why am I fixating on his surname now?

It was meant as an insult based on legends that bandits often used bronze weapons in ancient times. The royal family had been forced to bestow a noble title upon him after the previous noble managing the dragon’s vein was killed by magic beasts. In their petty spite, they’d given him a derogatory surname despite having no choice but to acknowledge him.

The nobles expected him to fulfill his duties as their subject, but Haze found that laughable.

But what if he rejects all the other nobles’ offers?

Then they would unite and do everything in their power to eliminate Han. They would make him pay for breaking an oath sworn by every noble throughout history. The factions that had been at each other’s throats until yesterday would come together with one goal: to destroy him, just as they’d done countless times over the centuries of Ardenian history.

However…

A question suddenly popped into her mind. She recalled the monstrous dragon-like creature with its shimmering white scales along with Han riding on its back.

Even if they combine their powers…can they defeat Han?

[Kashim’s roar!]

One line of text appeared:

-Kraaaaaaaahhhhhhhh…ang!

A wave of intense light swept away all the monsters.

Hudududu!

Tudetetet!

Jingle jangle! Jingle jangle!

Gold coins and items poured down like rain! However, it disappeared after about five seconds due to Kashim’s automatic item recovery ability.

“Ah… It is too good. I’m really tired.” Kashim’s satisfaction was sky-high. He was so happy that he used Divine Roar every 12 hours during cooldown periods to sweep away nearby monsters from Starting Castle.

“I-I am Brave of Adventure Kingdom!” A shout came from below.

“What?”

I looked down and saw a knight leading around 3,000 civilians and approximately 1,000 soldiers, gazing up at me with admiration.

“W-Who are you?”

“I am Han Jae-yeon, the guild master of one guild and castle lord of Starting.”

I abandoned the Bronze Sword Castle name to reclaim my original identity. With nations collapsing, there was no reason to maintain such a lofty title. Thinking about all the hardships endured to acquire that cursed surname and territory feels unjust in many ways, but circumstances have changed, leaving me with little choice.

“Starting…! You’re referring to the massive fortress built within Red X territory!”

”…How do you know about it?”

This place isn’t near Starting. All large monster groups around my territory had been eliminated already. Having flown hundreds of kilometers, how could this knight be aware of Starting?

“I’ve heard the rumors. There’s a castle named Starting in the north, described as a paradise where food is abundant enough for everyone, equality prevails, and people can sleep peacefully anywhere…”

“A paradise.” I laughed incredulously but quietly thought it wasn’t entirely wrong. The large number of refugees had temporarily destabilized public order, but things became much more stable after elite soldiers were dispatched to patrol and catch troublemakers for forced labor.

“I-I didn’t believe it either. I just thought it was a futile hope…” Brave glanced at Kashim and spoke with a trembling voice, “But now, maybe it might be true.”

“Tsk. Wait a moment.”

I logged in and out briefly, providing a wild boar hind leg for all 4,000 people to eat until they were full. It was raw meat, but there were plenty of trees around, so they could grill it themselves.

“This-this… Oh my goodness… No, is this rumor also true?”

“Be quiet and bring over the patients.”

I gathered the wounded and fed them Songpyeon (Bean). The recovery boost from Bean Songpyeon was insignificant but still immensely helpful for those with minor injuries.

‘Ah, my stock of Songpyeon is dwindling… It seems like there will be another food event soon.’

After completing all these tasks, I climbed back onto Kashim’s back.

“If you have nowhere else to go, head straight northeast towards Starting Point. While it may not be paradise, it’s a decent place to live.”

“T-Thank you so much! But going straight that way means encountering magic beasts…”

“Don’t worry; they’ve been taken care of. Just follow this path.”

With that, I gently patted Kashim’s back as a signal to depart. Kashim lowered his stance almost touching the ground, gathering immense strength in his tree-like legs.

Whoosh!

We launched explosively into the air, startling people nearby and causing them to stumble.

“T-thank you, thank you very much!”

With these cries echoing behind me, we headed northward. Although I could’ve used a teleportation incantation scroll, it wasn’t urgent, so there was no need to waste one. Besides, riding Kashim was incredibly fun!

Kashim was truly a formidable pet! With his attribute ‘Ascension - Ruler of the Skies (Legendary)’, his flying speed was exceptionally swift, allowing him to cover 100 kilometers in just half an hour despite his massive size and weight. His stamina was also remarkable; he didn’t even require breaks mid-flight!

“Ah, but its strength might be too great for its own good.”

Kashim’s immense power made it challenging to entrust him to anyone. This situation differed significantly from assigning rare hero jobs to my trusted subordinates.

It wasn’t a joke… With this power against humans, one could destroy a country while hit-and-run tactics were employed. Giving such tremendous strength to any subordinate would cause problems, as it would completely upset the balance of power.

‘Should I secretly give it to someone like Stonestone and have him use it only when no one is watching?’

However, despite how trustworthy Stonestone was, it remained too risky. The Divine Roar was so powerful that even if I let my guard down for a moment, it could kill me.

Of course, I trusted Stonestone but… if it was known that he possessed such power, there would be various scum approaching and shaking him for their own purposes.

‘But it is too valuable to just keep hidden…’

I pondered while clinging tightly to Kashim’s back as we flew.

“Ah, actually, there might be another way…” Yes, there was indeed another option. It wasn’t about giving it away or keeping it hidden completely.

“It isn’t greed; this situation leaves me with no choice.”

That’s right. There was a method available to me. Gather four Kashims together…

And combine them.