NOVEL NEXT Chapter 84
The countries, including the Empire, generally take a friendly attitude toward Otherworlders.
Although the sudden appearance of Otherworlders is quite startling, they are on the side of humanity after all.
Moreover, it would be too tiresome to be hostile towards them, considering there are simply too many Otherworlders.
It’s not just that there are many of them; they don’t die easily and grow stronger as time goes on.
If things continue like this, it could reach a point where the overall power of the Otherworlders surpasses even that of Gaia.
For this reason, the nations couldn’t afford to be hostile to the Otherworlders. Even hostility would only wear them out; it’s far better to try to win them over.
Even Gaia, the goddess of this land, has stated, “An unwelcome visitor, yet I welcome you.”
Fortunately, most Otherworlders are friendly and can communicate, making it easy to draw them in.
By becoming close with the Otherworlders, there’s unexpectedly one advantage gained.
That is the ability to easily gather information through them.
Like an open door, while each individual may not be strong, they have a large network to tap into.
As can be seen from the bounties placed, it’s clear that information on Yor has been conveyed as well.
In quite a detailed manner, I might add.
*Clatter*
The Fourth Knight Commander, Rayleigh, organized his thoughts while looking over various documents.
“A considerable powerhouse living in the forest.”
“A male whose name has spread widely among Otherworlders.”
“And… the child of a demon that the Empire overlooked 13 years ago.”
The last piece of information was obtained not from the Otherworlders, but through his own investigation.
Even though he was merely a rookie knight back then, that incident had stirred quite a commotion, so he had heard about it.
It was recorded as one of the Empire’s mistakes.
After that, no matter how much they searched, they couldn’t catch a glimpse of him, leading them to believe he had perished somewhere.
“Who would’ve thought he’d still be alive in such a perilous forest…”
It wasn’t just impressive; from a knight’s perspective, it was quite troublesome.
In any nation, manifestors are usually executed on the spot.
They are like ticking time bombs; it’s only right to eliminate potential threats.
Sadly, the same goes for the people surrounding those manifestors.
Viewed from a larger context, they are, in essence, putting many lives at risk due to their petty attachments.
Just looking at the two mining incidents that erupted in recent years, they happened precisely because of that kind of shielding.
It has been quite some time since the information came in.
Yet no concrete measures have been taken because everyone was too busy.
Although the establishment of the arena has somewhat alleviated the situation, troubles arising from Otherworlders still persist.
Not to mention the recovery from the damages caused by the demons that descended one after another, and the investigation into Lemegaton…
With so many issues occurring simultaneously, it has felt as if having two bodies wasn’t enough to manage it all.
However, this time, capturing Dantalion has afforded them some breathing space.
“So this is the only opportunity I have.”
And once again, Rayleigh himself was in charge.
The First Knight Commander cannot go; she must protect the Emperor at all costs.
The Second Knight Commander… is busy calming troubles caused by the Otherworlders. Meanwhile, she’s likely trying to ensnare another man.
The Third and Fifth Knight Commanders are probing into Lemegaton.
In the end, only he remains.
Rayleigh grumbled yet efficiently prepared. He allowed the exhausted troops to rest and pressured the finance minister for the budget.
And based on that budget, he began rewriting the notice.
He had already invested 5 million gold into his bounty, but there were no reports of success.
As a matter of fact, it wasn’t fortunate that there weren’t even reports of failures.
It meant that there hadn’t been any proper attempts at all.
In a nutshell, the profit and loss just didn’t add up.
Rayleigh’s mind was racing.
“The opponent is strong. Dantalion even managed to escape after getting injured.”
“The terrain isn’t favorable either. Monsters lurking in the Forbidden Forest must also be considered.”
“I’m worried about the goodwill we’re receiving from the Otherworlders… But it’s fine. We’ll offer rewards, and severely punish anyone who opposes us under the law.”
As he hastily sketched a rough estimate, Rayleigh predicted that it was going to be quite a challenging battle.
Honestly, the combat conditions were far from good.
But it’s a task that must be dealt with.
One cannot simply watch a bomb planted in one corner of the Empire go unchecked.
Those with demon’s blood must be dealt with without exception.
Their humanity is too far diminished, so there should be no hesitation in handling them.
This has been the knowledge instilled in Rayleigh since he pursued the elite path, a truth that has been upheld for hundreds of years.
With that, he penned the rough draft and reported to the Emperor.
Once his document gets approved, it would be conveyed to the administration.
Thus, what he wrote would be polished and posted as an announcement on the guild’s bulletin board.
And so, time passed.
*
A month went by.
And during that time, nothing particularly noteworthy occurred.
It rained a bit, but it stopped shortly after. The sky cleared up as if nothing had happened.
Monsters descending from the Deep Layer didn’t occur either, and contrary to the bounty placed, there were few visitors coming into the forest. The troublesome Lemegaton hadn’t even shown its nose lately.
The only amusing story to share is that Happy… no, Shin Hanbyeol came as promised to hand me the holy water.
“Wow, I really didn’t expect you to come. Thanks, Happy!”
“… Shut up.”
Thanks to her, I managed to obtain two vials of holy water.
I had paid her handsomely for the transaction.
Even though this latest frenzy erupted in catastrophic A, I could manage thanks to the two vials of holy water she gave me.
In short, I was surviving comfortably.
It was almost unnaturally peaceful days I was passing through.
Thinking back, had there been a time recently where I lived so comfortably?
I found someone to talk to amidst my solitude, and occasionally acquired holy water to alleviate my pain.
Even though there are threats, I’ve actually grown wealthier since exposing my existence.
“Is it really okay to live like this forever?”
For a brief moment, such thoughts crossed my mind.
But didn’t they say that the weather is clearest just before a storm?
Life seems to follow suit, as unwanted news soon found its way to me.
“Yor, Yor!”
“Something big happened! It’s serious!”
While I was peacefully breathing in the daytime air, Chaerin and Haneul rushed in a fluster.
This was quite unusual.
Usually, Haneul was busy with her editing work, and one person was sufficient for relaying information.
Typically, only one of them would come. But now both had arrived together.
Moreover, they wore expressions laden with deep concern.
Soon, they showed me a piece of paper, saying it was an official document from the guild.
It seemed they had painstakingly transcribed the notice posted at the guild.
I read the note they brought.
+
[Subjugation Order]
Humanity and the Empire have proven time and again that we are still strong by repeatedly defeating demons.
However, one potential danger remains.
It is the tale of a human who resides in the Forbidden Forest.
Despite being a wicked bloodline with demon’s blood, that individual continues to live in hiding within the forest.
There are even Otherworlders who know this yet choose to simply observe.
The Empire can no longer allow this to go unchallenged.
Thus, to correct this wrong, the Empire plans to send a subjugation unit led by the Fourth Knight Commander.
Please lend your support for a smooth subjugation.
Ten individuals who contribute significantly will each be rewarded with ten million gold.
Additionally, if there are still those who side with that individual following this announcement, even if they are Otherworlders, they will be severely punished by law.
+
My expression hardened accordingly.
*
A new official document was posted on the guild bulletin board.
+
[What the heck?]
+
+
[What the hell is that thing posted in the Adventurers’ Guild right now?]
+
The community, of course, erupted in chaos after seeing it.
It was quite close to their interests.
A human residing in the Forbidden Forest. It was obvious who that “one human” referred to.
It was, of course, pointing to Yor. As an NPC with significant recognition in the community, even a single announcement carried substantial impact.
+
[But why is this announcement written in informal language?]
+
During the Andromalius incident, they were nice enough to notify us in formal language; it’s a bit annoying.
+
[That’s because it was a notice from the church, and this is a decree from the Emperor; hence it’s a royal order.]
+
[Oh, I see.]
+
[Doesn’t the Emperor know that he should use honorifics when speaking to unspecified masses?]
+
[Hey, you idiot.]
+
[There’s no denying that if it’s from the Emperor; he has some significant authority.]
+
[But that’s not the important part! What matters here is the subjugation order, you idiots.]
+
[No way! Don’t kill Yor!]
+
+
[What does it mean to be severely punished according to the law..?]
+
Does that mean we can’t approach him or even strike up a conversation?
+
[Yeah, that’s it.]
+
[What happens if someone tries to support him?]
+
[I know someone in the administration, and helping or shielding a manifestor is punishable by execution without exceptions.]
+
[In the end, isn’t it just a three-day suspension?]
+
[That would be great, but mentioning Otherworlders specifically makes it a little concerning…]
+
[That sounds like they could imprison you or even banish you from the Empire.]
+
[Oh wow;]
+
[That’s a bit too severe.]
+
+
[Wow, ten million gold?]
+
Isn’t it enough to earn 1 billion simply by contributing a single achievement without needing to catch him?
Wow, that’s insane! I absolutely have to participate!
+
[Hey, you jerk.]
+
[You’re really going to participate just for the money? Are you serious?]
+
[No, get a grip! Isn’t ten million gold a substantial sum? If I can earn that by taking care of an NPC, I am definitely in!]
+
[Right? LOL, money is everything!]
+
Many discussions are swirling within the community.
With thousands of people gathered, opinions are diverse.
Some argue that they must protect their beloved NPC, while others post sorrowful messages, as if they’ve already bid farewell, and some show complete indifference.
Many expressed interest in participating in the subjugation. Most notably, the dark gamers.
Ten million gold was a considerable amount to them.
Sometimes, disputes would arise in the threads.
There were those questioning if such participation was necessary and those arguing it was just an NPC, so what was the problem?
To them, [Demon’s Saga] was ultimately just a game.
And given that a subjugation order had been issued, to be honest, the likelihood of survival felt slim. Most users perceived it that way.
As various opinions emerged, a user in the community posted a question that got to the heart of the matter.
+
[Isn’t this essentially a boss battle?]
+
In the end, regardless of its nature, it was a boss battle with a human as the boss.
Most users reached that conclusion.