NOVEL NEXT Chapter 17 - The Summons
The hero Kun Hei-jin was sitting hunched on the edge of his bed.
Not because his accommodations were uncomfortable – the chamber allocated for him as the hero was excessively spacious and pleasant, far grander than a mere room. Luxurious carpeting, an enormous bed that could easily accommodate four grown adults rolling about.
There was even a home bar setup in one corner, which Kun had personally requested by hastily sketching crude blueprints upon his initial summoning, desiring to recapture some familiarity from his original world.
Yet no matter how comfortable his quarters, the hero’s restless expression refused to ease, burdened by the formidable task before him.
“Hueh… But with the Church Empire’s strength depleted, it might work.”
He continually muttered to himself, drawing an exasperated gaze from the Second Prince.
The Second Prince had appointed himself the hero’s patron ever since Kun’s summoning, providing comprehensive support – both material and psychological – to the rather unsociable hero. When Codanas first appeared, he had even encouraged the nobles to purchase them, though more for political motives than genuinely supporting the hero.
Until recently, their relationship had remained quite amicable.
The Second Prince was the biggest player in the Codana market, sparing no effort to elevate the hero’s achievements and the Codana prices he held. And until now, the hero had met or even exceeded his expectations.
But presently, the Second Prince’s gaze towards Kun Hei-jin was decidedly troubled.
“So, Your Highness? What of the Church Empire’s movements?”
“Still quiet. They don’t seem to have caught on yet.”
“Monitor them closely. Those people have tasted money, so they’ve grown rather cunning.”
“Hero. At this point, I’d like to know what this solution of yours entails?”
The Second Prince posed the question in a dry tone. The hero had started to respond reflexively before closing his mouth again.
He had sensed the prince’s unfriendly gaze.
‘I can’t blame him.’
The hero’s current appearance was hardly inspiring confidence, even to himself.
Unfocused, wavering eyes. Pallid complexion, chapped lips, pronounced cheekbones. After over six months of arduous campaigning, this was only to be expected.
But there was one critical ‘deficiency’ that simply could not be excused or understood – the very reason the prince regarded him with disdain.
“…Sigh. Actually hero, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Where exactly did you misplace that finger? And why wasn’t it reported?”
“……”
The hero gave an awkward laugh before averting his gaze.
In reality, he had lost his right pinky finger.
While not severely hampering daily life, the impairment was non-trivial. The pinky played a more crucial role than its diminutive size suggested, particularly for a swordsman.
“Likely still lodged in the Humanoid Lord’s gut, the mad bastard… Tch.”
“Haah. And the saint was just lazing about?”
“She said regrowing a finger was impossible.”
For a hero already lacking in ability to lose a finger of his main hand was a devastating blow beyond words.
Yet the hero did have an excuse, of sorts.
“My not reporting the finger loss was for Your Highness’s sake.”
“Huh?”
“If I had revealed it in advance, could Your Highness have maintained your composure? You would have likely dumped all the Codanas you were holding before I even arrived, would you not?”
The Second Prince let out an exasperated sigh but didn’t deny the accusation. Emboldened, the faintest hint of a smile emerged on the hero’s face.
In the end, instead of further interrogating the hero, the prince simply heaved a long sigh.
“…Very well. I suppose I should commend you for retaining that much sense even in your addled state.”
“Thank you.”
“So, how do you intend to extricate me from this?”
“There is a way. …First, offload about 70% onto the Church Empire’s leadership. That charlatan of a Patriarch seems unable to resist the lure of the Codana market despite the donations I’ve been providing. He’s been itching to get in but missed the optimal entry timing.”
“The Church Empire? Won’t they grow suspicious? And where would they even get the funds?”
“They have plenty. The Patriarch and some cardinal cronies have been squirreling funds away. At the current price of…38 million, right? If we offer a discount, they’ll snap it up thinking they’re getting a good deal. Simply offering a discount could raise suspicions, so tell them to throw in a few sacred relics as well.”
“With His Majesty’s keen interest in relic collecting, that should allay suspicion. But would the Church Empire really part with sacred relics?”
“They will. Their forces have been depleted after those holy knights perished, so they’ll lack the means to resist even if a market crash ensues later. As for the remaining volume… right, we’ll offload it to Eric.”
“Eric? That commoner? You think he’ll rejoin after abandoning us?”
“You may not know this, Your Highness, but there are many who retire only to jump back in later. And Eric has always been quite obedient to my words from the beginning. I’ll personally persuade him, so have him discreetly summoned.”
“…Very well, we’ll do that.”
Though the hero adopted a respectfully hunched posture, the Second Prince clicked his tongue and turned to leave, showing no intention of reciprocating the courtesy.
Left alone, the hero let out a sigh of relief before slumping fully onto the bed, his body’s tension dissipating.
‘One misstep and I could have become a traitor.’
Not that being injured in battle constituted any great crime, of course.
From the beginning, Kun Hei-jin had never been a hero burdened with lofty expectations.
The hero himself had never felt compelled to definitively defeat the Demon King. Fortunately, the current Demon King wasn’t of the type obsessed with human extinction.
In the midst of this, having defeated two Demon Lords and dealt a critical blow to another already exceeded expectations to some degree.
Under normal circumstances, such achievements would have earned him due rewards – the Empire could manage the standoff against the Demon King’s forces well enough without a hero, after all.
But regrettably, Kun Hei-jin was in no position to expect such privileges.
If a previous hero had returned minus a finger, it might have drawn some concern, but the repercussions of his injury were potentially catastrophic in scale.
All because of the Codanas.
If the false report, casualties of the elite holy knights, and his finger injury were all revealed simultaneously, a continent-wide upheaval could indeed ensue, as the prince had warned.
‘I need to keep the prince in check, at least.’
Defeating the Demon King had become a lost cause long ago. And truthfully, ever since losing that pinky, he had lost much of his will to fight on. Having taken down two Demon Lords, hadn’t he earned his keep already?
The hero steeled his resolve as he awaited Eric’s arrival.
The Imperial messenger had come for me while I was in the midst of acquiring a grain silo on the outskirts of the Imperial City.
“Sir Eric. A summons from the Imperial Palace.”
Upon opening the door, one of the Second Prince’s retainers whom I had encountered before stood before me.
“Why the summons?”
“It is not the prince who has called for you. The hero discreetly requests an audience.”
The hero had secretly returned to the Imperial City last night, I had heard.
While rumors of his temporary return had circulated recently, I couldn’t fathom why the man who had vanquished multiple Demon Lords would hole up in the palace instead of even attending celebratory events. And to summon me immediately upon his return – the reason eluded me.
Puzzling as it was, I could hardly refuse. Once a messenger from the Imperial Palace had announced my admittance, refusal was not an option. My 40 billion rir fortune did not entitle me to defy the Imperial household.
‘It has been a while since I last saw the hero.’
I had served as the hero Kun Hei-jin’s sparring partner for some time after his initial summoning, frequenting the palace grounds.
Though more often than not, it had involved indulging his boastful ramblings rather than actual sparring – I must have heard about his police inspector father and medical student brother at least twenty times. By the end, I had even handled Codana sales and deliveries on his instructions.
While I now addressed him deferentially as “Sir Hero” and wished for his continued prosperity as a beneficiary of the Codana windfall, back then my thoughts had been, “What an insufferable prick.”
“That aside, what was the reason for summoning me immediately upon his return to the Imperial City?”
“…I’m afraid I don’t know the details. You’ll have to ask him directly.”
The retainer’s manner struck me as peculiarly courteous.
Attending to someone who could potentially become the future emperor, he was undoubtedly a scion of nobility himself, perhaps even a titled noble already. Yet he treated a commoner like me with excessive deference, despite having no obligation to do so.
‘Something seems off about this.’
Surely they didn’t intend to make a fool of me?
Come to think of it, I had heard rumors that the Second Prince had thrown quite the tantrum after the incident where I had caused a major disruption in the Codana exchange.
There were rumors that he had raged over missing the opportunity to increase his Codana holdings due to my sweeping up the Arknight Marquis family’s supply. Conversely, other rumors claimed he had been furious over being unable to offload his existing holdings.
I hope they weren’t belatedly trying to settle some petty score. As the retainer led the way, I narrowed my eyes at the back of his head, bracing myself.
Of course, if they truly intended to harm me, there was likely nothing I could do to stop them. But such an act would also represent an excessive political burden for the Second Prince.
More importantly, it would devalue the Codanas he himself held. If rumors spread that someone of my prominence had been killed or injured immediately after selling Codanas, investor confidence would inevitably plummet.
Surely the Imperial City’s biggest whale wouldn’t commit such an insane act. I forced myself to dismiss the nagging doubts, but there were other oddities as well.
Particularly strange was how the retainer hadn’t batted an eye despite me openly carrying a sword, even though I was no longer affiliated with the Imperial Knights.
As I followed in bewildered unease, the retainer finally came to a stop – right before the hero’s private quarters that I had visited on numerous occasions.
“Please, enter.”
The prince’s retainer opened the door himself, ushering me inside.
With an uncertain nod, I stepped into the chamber, where the hero awaited me.
“It has been a while, Eric.”
His awkward smile and greeting only added to the strangeness of the situation. Not because of how long it had truly been – the hero had never been one for such niceties even when we had associated.
‘What’s this all about, you bastard?’
Fortunately, my doubts were swiftly dispelled.
“I hear you’ve offloaded your Codanas? While retiring is understandable, you were far too hasty. You could have sold off a much larger portion.”
The words the hero spoke as he surveyed me with a critical gaze were the reason.
While it wasn’t strange for him to bring up Codanas immediately upon our reunion, the hero taking a solicitous interest in my personal finances was decidedly odd. Fundamentally, he had little concern for others. For him to suddenly do so could only mean…
‘There must be some ulterior motive.’
For now, I maintained my composure as I took a seat.
If some crisis had arisen, I would need to seize the optimal timing to offload to Bingo, who was likely desperately awaiting Codanas to hit their “expiration” price even at this very moment. And truthfully, I was somewhat curious to hear whatever nonsense the hero might spout as well.