Chapter 154: The Man Who Directs the Wave, Korin Lork (1)
HIlLRYZ“Interesting. Go on.”s36LBG
6iSyrPSeeing Marie open her mouth despite quietly standing behind Korin the whole time, Allen couldn’t help but reply with a frown.6RXG6
aqA9N“Are you the Deputy Master? I guess you’re not experienced enough to understand how much that is, but I have made an extremely generous offer. In fact, you could even call it a gift.”dbkMA6K
5tqS“Haht…! Sorry, I wasn’t trying to make fun of you or anything.”6r2fnA
47NzThere was no hint of spite in her harmless voice. With the pure intent of a girl trying to find an answer to her question, Marie raised a comment.IRNYJ
OnA“But you can’t even buy a small building with 2,000 gold coins…”vOUqH
KvhgV“What?”XI5Y
KzD“Don’t you need at least 20,000 coins to buy a potato field?”fGW
fSd9“Haha… Young students these days are quite ambitious, I suppose. Or perhaps I should say you have a limited understanding of finance. You have no idea how many things you can do with 2,000 gold coins…”TDz
2BZ“Doggo said that wasn’t enough though…”AkFc7GU
TvKQ“W, what?!”PlZ7Zvw
tj3AUcv2,000 gold coins? That’s Doggo’s monthly allowance.nWnONF
rr9120,000 gold coins? The Hresvelgr is more expensive than that.NdUC
2mkES5For the oldest daughter of the Dunareff family, who possessed an immeasurable amount of wealth that normal people couldn’t even comprehend, money was probably like a set of numbers on the scoreboard of a game.hvMtsKM
UUGokMn‘Is that how much I earned this month? I see,’ was probably her impression every month.Fx1kXL
tdSoDJ“Anyway, we have no plans of giving away our position.”o8OPnc9
eXGs“You damn brats…! Do you even know who my father is? He’s the boss of the Gold Hand Merchants!”2euN
zUxi“Uhh… Why are you angry?”RR1iI
J4JwAMarie let out a clueless comment that irritated Allen even more. There was a look of bright and pure innocence on her face as she innocently crushed the other person’s hopes.dzUHkYZ
Zs7Z2“Hmph. I see how it is. The bravado of young kids, huh?”w8Uj7s
LwUi3Allen was used to such people.F0mjl
Nnw4Young brats who pretended to keep their cool because of their overwhelming passion and zeal.gNV
rh9xaThey were the type of people who would immediately tuck their tails in and lower themselves upon seeing a larger and more overwhelming amount of money.p4zoQz
H9bepA“Huhu. Alright. I love your passion so I will double the price just for you. 4,000 gold coins!”wxr
bA0“4, 4000 gold coins?”grVGKp0
8aeHF“As expected of the second son of the Gold Hand Merchants. He’s on a whole other level!”ZEukUC
pF74,000 gold coins. 4 million dollars. With that much money, it was possible to build a decently tall building at the center of the capital.KBz
W19bHowever, Allen did not consider it a loss, because he considered the potential profit from the Tower of Mages raid to be over 10,000 gold coins at the very least.TCj
h76LNeBut that would only be attainable in the hands of someone like Allen, who could mobilize his whole guild plus several hundreds of mercenaries.Pkqi
0Uv7It was natural that most guilds would find it hard to even reach half of that amount in terms of profit.rO1eKG
Osq“Umm… 4,000 gold coins?”SII8
GyZ‘Right, I knew it.’oQE
bONAllen smirked as he watched the dumbfounded look on the girl’s face. It was an obvious result. As expected of a young kid, she probably wasn’t expecting the price to rise by thousands.LpeMb
S5vAu“From 2,000 to 4,000; all you changed was the number at the front. Isn’t it…?”i9vEC
W8pw6b“H… huh?”Ucv
u1mhCHe couldn’t understand what she meant for a solid second. All that changed was the number at the front? Did she not even know how to do calculations?fYF8k
HdcLWhat was up with that look on her face, as if she couldn’t tell if jumping from 2,000 to 4,000 was a big leap or not?!jdEh1I8
NDBc“6,000 gold coins…”sfb
ZcNA6iT“???”ztF
MLTMA“7,000… gold coins…!”a9hOA6b
f3BgZWv“Huaahm~.”oyW
wukVpoV“8,000…!”oT7gy
hER2YlQ“Uhh… How about you talk to someone else?”PF1kqo
pqjpfO“Yeah! We at the Modern Magic Research Group are willing to sell you the position for 8,000 gold coins!”knbl8q
zxn“Don’t listen to them! Buy it from us instead!”Aytacc
QLuCSR“Shut up…!”CmzFo
cibThe second son of the Gold Hand Merchant group, Allen Goldhand, never had his pride trampled on in his life. Ever since a young age, he had been receiving hundreds of gold coins every month, lived in an enormous mansion by himself with servants and maids, and hired a famous knight to be his instructor after finding out that he had the talent to be a knight.yH9f
9bEdKOThere was no way that he could allow a mere academy student to trample on his pride!Yct
nPAvWith the stubborn intent of trying to take the position of these little brats, Allen called for a number that was well above the allocated budget.2W8P
IwEilB“100 white gold coins!”DR6db
yvtbdPi“What!?”MxQ
QslRf2“That can’t be…!”pdTB
Qzq“100 white gold coins? That’s the yearly budget of most small cities, isn’t it?”lIFSetd
RjuAfter calling out that outrageous amount of money that equaled 10,000 gold coins, Allen looked at Korin and Marie with a proud look on his face.S9M6g
sAC6dcGNow that it reached 10,000 gold coins, it was obvious that they would immediately get on their knees and shout, ‘Thank you very much Sir Allen!’, and—8LhE7Q
LwRklk8“Hmm?”4NSl2
Xs6But what he noticed was that there was still a calm look on the face of the young student. Even though the veteran guardians inside the auditorium were all creating a fuss in shock, there was not a single ripple on the tranquil expression of the girl.t5f1
VPPslNe“Y, you…”dXcSMD
BqmGFWWho was she? How could she be so calm in the face of 10,000 gold coins? How? What did I miss?!JUfC4U
dZ6v5After glaring daggers at Marie, Allen caught sight of a necklace that was hanging on her neck. Hanging in front of her white skin and the deep crevice of her chest was a necklace of red diamonds.cDgA0v
5NLHREven the lace had dozens of small red diamonds, and at the center of that necklace was an enormous 69-carat diamond.WPTPs
flxuSThat necklace… where have I…eUcpgN2
H2l‘W, wait! Isn’t that the ‘King of Jewels’ that came out at the royal auction?!’uf3sXQ
LOBNIt was an incredible treasure that was printed on the first page of the Kingdom’s daily newspapers and the weekly newspapers of the continent. That necklace was most certainly that legendary treasure that was finally sold at the historically highest price of 140,000 gold coins!JWnSY
w21Afw‘I remember hearing stories about it! The one who bought it was Duke Dunareff of the South and… it was said that it was a gift for his daughter…’57zy
bexWait, isn’t the oldest daughter of their family around the age of the girl in front of…TNAh
UGMK“Huahk…! M, Marie Dunareff?!”Oor
zBFQ1“Huh? Do you know me?”ipfAm
NqgHearing that, Allen started chattering his teeth and sweating buckets. Marie used to stay holed up in the south, and news about her became harder to obtain after she awakened as a vampire, so it wasn’t strange for him to not recognize her at a glance but…fM6
MW3cIn any case, that didn’t change the fact that she was the untouchable existence of the South… or rather the entire Kingdom!pOqJFU
qDdy“M, my sincerest apologies…”Zjjh
4vYHe couldn’t even disguise the shiver in his voice. At last, he realized that the person he had been talking to was the inheritor of a super-rich family that could wipe out their merchant group with a single sentence.fSYF
SpJ6E“L, let me take my leave then…”qKq
l15U“Nnn? Are you okay? You seem to be sweating a lot.”G0C
lcBY0z“N, no no no. I’m okay. I am so so sorry.”SmUuAV
wzsQAllen’s previous vigor was nowhere to be seen, as he became a lot more respectful in the blink of an eye. Marie offered him a steamed potato with sugar cast on top, but Allen refused it with constant apologies before taking his leave.tr5
oNEGAJE“D, Dunareff…”q5LLO
gguDrj“If the Dunareff is the Deputy Leader then… Kuhum!”me5t
XqGx58zThe guardians nearby started to avoid us like a plague after realizing that Marie was the oldest daughter of the Dunareff family. Seeing that, Korin gave a hollow smile.X7ptD
G8lc“Seriously, how did I not know this?”djU
Nn13It was interesting how he had been so oblivious in the previous iteration.vI87lL
oer***3vojbd
ofHfGkdThere were seven guilds dispatched from each branch that were participating in the Saintess rescue operation. Added to that, all the non-participating guilds could still send up to 4 people, so it amounted to an enormous group that was over 500 people.MWJ6
yXZllMR390 knights and 110 mages. Plus there were also the war priests and holy knights, the Kingdom’s military, and… countless mercenaries who were all going to participate in the fight.F1mUh
vn6Actually, although the mercenaries hadn’t been officially invited by the Kingdom, they were there to make money off of the free plunder verdict that had been given to the Tower of Mages. Their goal was to obtain small fishing boats and raid the Steel Archipelago by themselves.orkY9M
0XCwUzrEven though the commanders were aware of it, they turned a blind eye to it because it allowed them to have more meat shields without having to use up their limited stock of ships and wyverns.ja0Pn
Tgjs1Saintess Estelle had been kidnapped on the 7th of June, and right now it was the 18th of June. Less than 2 weeks had gone by since the event and yet there were already more than a hundred ships on the shore, ready to attack the Steel Archipelago.b61S
1grNFxY“This is quite a shocking sight. Wouldn’t you agree, boss?”aR1
33REaFg“It’s none other than the Saintess that got kidnapped after all.”ln27wv
CWT5JtDorron was also the Deputy Captain of a famous group of mercenaries, but as a member of a mercenary group that primarily focused on hunting demonic beasts in the countryside, it was understandable that he wouldn’t be used to seeing such a large number of men that amounted to several legions.B5VO
gdhk“More importantly, where are the Warsky Mercenaries?”XoNZu
Xie“They just arrived. All 300 of Warsky, that is.”uOzyLE
k9EdIkWarsky Mercenaries.f5y3T
XZ0ibThey were high-level mercenaries that could be hired in the hiring system of ❰Heroic Legends of Arhan❱, second to only the Arden household. Usually, they moved around in groups of tens but the whole group was here for this occasion, meaning there was no questioning about their combat potential.v6sz1Wb
nHjAC“Have you had a chat with the leader?”1t3S87x
VGsO6U“He doesn’t mind as long as you give the money. We’ve already finished talking about what to do with the plundered resources.”Zm32K
mr2P“That’s good.”C1wi
JV4DwK“But boss, it suddenly struck me but… going across the ocean is pretty risky. You’ll have to be careful.”Z9tVe
fyEFEThe Steel Archipelago was composed of dozens of islands and a main island that was twice the size of Jeju Island, and in order to reach the main island where the Tower was located, there was the need to conquer tens of islands in a row.Jw3
CuDanSObviously, it was safe to assume that the Tower would have prepared some countermeasures already.kxc73Zt
Z1DBS“So, do you mean you won’t be a part of it?”ePR
R4bBn“Of course not. We are a credible group of mercenaries. Once hired, we are very much loyal.”kjcG
G0tbRight. I knew that very well, in fact, that was the reason why Park Sihu used to love hiring the Warsky Mercenaries in the last iteration.IjYsqw
Rts9Even though they were expensive, they proved their worth several times on repeat.SSa
75mYuos“Don’t worry. I won’t make you guys do something as dangerous as landing on the shores or attacking the campsites.”Vm0
n9gl“Mhmm?”QzExIhH
tfJADorron returned a questioning gaze, but that was when Marie walked into the tent.gJolq
1e8P“Korin! The vanguards are about to depart!”4O6lndP
xeXjPPH“Alrighty. Time to get to work then.”vwqPgTy
4MT5“…Boss? Vanguards are the most risky position to be in. Are you sure?”8J7PC
7UGVYes, of course. Most of the people in the vanguards were the greedy mercenaries that would probably be acting as a meat shield. There was no need to mix into the crowd and shoulder the risk with them.5QBuZv
83G“Trust me. It will be a wonderful adventure.”Xgu
5jM8ZVpThe Man Who Orchestrates the Waves, Korin Lork.XRsjytO
V2nFHere he goes!hcRj
HUkThe Tower of Mages kidnapped the Saintess.a5Vc
mjsIqrThe Kingdom and the Guardian Alliance reacted fast.4teMei
OcIhODAStraight after her disappearance, the Kingdom and the Alliance issued a stand-by command, gathering strong guardians to attack the headquarters of the Tower of Mages, the Steel Archipelago.LHnVoL
iauoaHowever, the Steel Archipelago was a place that was separated from the continent. There was no other way than to rely on large ships and land on the coasts in order to conquer the islands one by one.DWdzRBy
IcOVAnd the Tower had made ample preparations for that already.yhwKzeW
Ey0gO7Hundreds of mages had created several magic circles on the coastlines, and the anti-naval magic circles that the Tower had installed to protect themselves from external threats had made the Steel Archipelago into a large war fortress.8i8mf0l
lFnJhzAlthough their numbers had decreased quite a bit ever since the Witch Revolution, they used to be the ones with full control over magic.los02
f9lhoYThe abundant magic artifacts that had been left behind by their ancestors for a hundred years, chimeras that were created by horrendous human experiments, and a large group of mercenaries hired with their financial power were all ready to attack their foes.5hi
k3bThe Steel Archipelago was like a pit of hell waiting to unfold on the ignorant visitors. The naturally formed defensive fortress of small islands and munitions that had been built up for centuries meant that the intruders from the Alliance of the Kingdom were going to be devoured due to their ignorance.ZXyS
Nqo3zuV“Fufufu… At last, it is time to make use of this magic artifact.”QJYw8
LGJThe leader of one of the seven cults of the Tower, Elder Blayne of the Green Cult, chuckled as he gazed at the ships sailing toward the Steel Archipelago.q8Nh
GF8W1oThey knew with the help of their spies that the Kingdom had yet to involve their actual soldiers, which meant that the countless ships sailing across the oceans of the archipelago… were not from the Kingdom.3vL
9KkIn other words, they were guardians, mercenaries, and adventurers, and carrying them across the oceans were hundreds of large and small ships. The ships ranged from small boats to medium-sized fishing boats and large carriers.Nowk
iHGUt“Elder Blayne. That is quite a lot of them.”MSftnFP
XObTY5S“Fufu, they’re still nothing but a group of insects – moths that do not value their lives.”nvIkFm
z6L2N5oUnlike the organized ranks of a naval army, the ships were all advancing forward in a disorderly fashion which gave away their internal thoughts. There was only one reason why they would be so reckless.VaJ9um
fThV7R0『Every act of plunder against the Tower of Mages is permitted by law.』IOJ
bBUESMJIt was because of the announcement made by the El Rath Kingdom a few days ago.piqP4Q
YO4KXvQThe unprecedented attack and abduction of the Princess and Saintess, Estelle Hadassa El Rath, infuriated the Kingdom and made them announce the destruction and annihilation of the Tower.zNXuJ
NJ63i“They probably needed a fitting bait to mobilize mercenaries and the likes.”g7B
NYR“As vulgar as always.”oBuk07
lPKWhether they had hundreds or thousands with them did not matter in the slightest. This was their land. The moment they landed on the shores, the Tower of Mages was ready to use everything in its arsenal to eradicate the ignorant fools.KvPl
cM3Right – as long as they landed on the shores, that is.Xf9
VpsRvL-Kwaaaaaaaa!!sRau
MXXwjhC-Kugung! Kwang…!9ik
K40qBEIt happened in the blink of an eye.q6Pc
CrCEThe boats that were in the lead suddenly flipped and were capsized by an abrupt wave, and struck the fleets furiously as if trying to swallow them whole.0h2
uk9ie“Uaaahk!”fG5phL
xTQXX“What the hell?!”VB1
WwuBoats were turned and shaken. Stuck on the jolting ships, the men screamed and fell down.gwCDTn
x8INaTheir world was being flipped upside down. The world turned on its head as nature forced them from advancing forward.0zeuzU
CgNhINaturally, they looked for the one to blame.QaWj
64m01“D, damn it, it’s the Tower! Those guys are even controlling the weather!”JaU21
0LL“The bastards from the Tower are creating waves! Shit! Fall back for now!”nxHxTfR
gpYU“How could they possibly do such a thing…!?”jIMq
eiNHThe soldiers and crew members who were trying to infiltrate the Steel Archipelago gazed at the distant mages on the other side of the ocean with eyes of hatred and fury.R2P
l9qHow fearsome was the Tower of Mages? To think they had been hiding such power the whole time?!9ocj
PB2xS5Y“Lightning and tidal waves… Was that Elder Blayne?”8fB4
koUg7go“Ohhh! As expected of Elder Blayne! A grand spell of this level is unheard of!”Vc8
qoxYThe mages of the Tower faced Blayne with eyes of awe and admiration at the unbelievable phenomenon of controlling Mother Nature.fan
bZ7However, Elder Blayne of the Green Cult was sweating buckets, unable to close his mouth.E80
Qhn9Rho“…That wasn’t me though?”5yfprxN
vzCbVThe dumbstruck voice of the mage was buried by the churning waves and thunderstorms.v3gnPwy
1NxgDy………eSBqIU
wuMqokT……XD4ytSM
skYKiXc…DUuhZT
mhZtFAnd at the center of the storm was a large and fancy frigate with the flag of a ‘golden potato flower’, that was big enough to overcome the enormous waves.0lzHKr
Stx“Uahhk…! The wave! Our ship is going to sink. Mr. Koriiiiiiiiiiiiinnn!”La4BJrf
toRhkYs“W, we have to escape!”ji9b
6FGOZK“Calm down Junior Kranel! This ship is not going to sink that easily! After all, it’s the anti-magic frigate of our Dunareff Trade Fleets!”vyEvS9
jff4Py3“I don’t careeee…! Uweeeek!”rBj
j1mLLlAt the very center of the frigate, in the middle of the churning waves and violent storms was a man who was withstanding… or rather, who had already become one with the nature around him. His soul was burning bright as a musician.E4ort
pEFEZyHis name, Korin Lork.rPCWZ
l5QyfA new musician who debuted just today.0rbZP
YcrNSinging the song of the late great musician, Chuck Berry’s School Days, he energetically ran his fingers down the harp.LZp
aj6rwro-KIYOOOOOOOOOOOT!0wkgE
VqGmHis appearance reminded one of the legendary guitarist – the astonishing legend who had given birth to one of the modern genres of music.AP9yS0
sgIgAlthough his technique was most certainly not up to par with the great legend, the burning flames in his soul did not lose to the thunderstorms and waves around him!tl9Hodl
ysT0b5t“ROCK N ROLL! MOTHER FUCKERS…!”yXRXV0
uSIK1CS『Uaithne. Grade: Legendary』
The string instrument of the King of Gods, Dagda. Playing the string made with the liver of the king of cats will result in special magical effects.pNa2J7
VQwIt is the legendary bane of giants that smacked nine giants to death. Believe in yourself and bash them down.2Bojm
nikm6-A magical effect is applied to every location affected by the sound.ippHy
4tsN-It will fly into the master’s hand from anywhere.lAW9H
X6p-Bashing a giant with the harp inflicts 1,200% additional damage.HSrNQh
4vvlAMZ“Hehehe…! You’re not going anywhere! Absolutely noooooooo-oooonneeeee is allowed to goooooo…!”i8M
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