Chapter 29: War Destruction

As he recovered consciousness, there was a series of changes. In-gong opened his eyes slowly as he regained consciousness. The time till In-gong truly woke up was getting shorter.

In-gong blinked. At that moment, a woman appeared in the air and hugged In-gong tightly. A loud voice woke In-gong up,

“Master! You’re awake?!”

In-gong woke up because of her. There was a heavy but comfortable pressure on his chest as In-gong shook his head. When he stared in front of him, he saw a green haired beauty smiling at him.

“Green Wind.”

“That’s right. It is Green Wind. I am not Greenie.”

Green Wind made the antlers on her head smaller than usual and rubbed her cheek against In-gong’s chest. In-gong narrowed his eyes as he felt hungrier than usual.

“Green Wind, how long has it been?”

He asked while stroking her head. Then Green Wind answered as she enjoyed the touch,

“A week. Master was asleep for a week.”

It was longer than he had expected. Somehow, he was hungry despite being full of power.

In-gong closed his eyes for a moment and searched through his memories. The last memory was of his meeting with the demon king. The sins of the gandharva that the demon king mentioned… Additionally, the Seed of Extreme Nothingness which the demon king had given to him.

‘Somehow, I feel reborn.’

It wasn’t a mere feeling. The balance in his body was fixed, and the original aura heart and Moonlight Core were now strengthened, just like when the dragon heart had absorbed the crystal magic power. Aura and magic power blended together naturally.

‘Was it some type of metamorphosis?’

His overall stats had also risen slightly. Thanks to the Seed of Extreme Nothingness, his body was now optimized.

‘Zephyr and I, we are the only two.’

Zephyr had also received the Seed of Extreme Nothingness from the demon king. Perhaps the reason why this Zephyr was stronger than the one in Knight Saga was because of the Seed of Extreme Nothingness.

‘Extreme Nothingness.’

The sword duke’s name for it was very good, and In-gong could agree with that name. The only word which could express the absolute strength of the demon king was extreme. How did Zephyr make use of the Extreme Nothingness? Furthermore, could In-gong conquer the Extreme Nothingness?

A smile formed on In-gong’s face. If Carack was here, he would say that In-gong was burning with ambition.

It was just Zephyr and In-gong who had received the Seed of Extreme Nothingness. Before In-gong had appeared, Zephyr had been the sole contender in the race to become the demon king’s successor. In-gong had caught up with Zephyr in this area. Far from being fazed about the Extreme Nothingness which was difficult to conquer, Conquest was actually excited.

“Oh, Prince. You woke up?”

A voice interrupted In-gong while he was thinking. It was a face he had wanted to see as much as Green Wind’s.

“Carack.”

As In-gong called out his name, Carack smiled and walked over to the bed.

“The sword duke brought Prince back. He said you would sleep for a week in the aftermath of the demon king’s teachings, but you really did wake up after a week.”

As always, it was Carack who explained the situation to In-gong. Before In-gong carried on with the conversation, In-gong touched his belly, and a rumbling sound was heard from the area.

“Carack, let’s eat first. I am hungry.”

After all, he had been starving for a week.

“It hasn’t been prepared. Wait a bit, and I’ll get it for you.”

Carack answered reliably and left the room. Regardless of what happened around her, Green Wind just closed her eyes and leaned her head on In-gong’s chest. He took a short nap.

&

“6th Princess and 8th Princess came to visit everyday.”

Green Wind released In-gong as he sat up with a tray of food in front of him. After hearing that Felicia and Caitlin came everyday, In-gong felt grateful and satisfied. He was sorry that he worried them, but it was good to feel treasured.

In-gong tore a piece of warm bread and asked,

“Has anything big happened in the last week?”

“There was nothing big. If you want information, the boss will come soon.”

Carack said while looking at the door, and Nayatra entered the room with perfect timing.

“Your Highness.”

She bowed gracefully, as always, and looked at the food in front of In-gong before she started speaking,

“While Your Highness was unconscious, I gathered information about the situations of the other royal children.”

Yes, Nayatra was truly competent.

In-gong nodded, and Nayatra resumed speaking with a small smile. This was the simple summary of what she said:

In the north where 1st Prince Baikal and 2nd Prince Zephyr were located, there was tension after a big battle. The part of the Northern Limit Line, where Baikal was located, was in fact a highly disputed area where small battles occurred frequently.

Zephyr was located on the northern front, but it was an area with fewer battles. Zephyr, who had finished a big fight with great victory, wasn’t satisfied with defense. Instead, he advanced to the north, across the line, and attacked.

Just like Silvan, Chris had gone to the north-east region and experienced a number of battles, but the frequency was relatively low. Finally, Anastasia and Victor had gone west, and it was peaceful there. Unlike the eastern barbarians, the barbarians beyond the Western Limit Line were waiting quietly.

‘They will be impatient.’

If nothing happened, they wouldn’t be able to build up merits. Anastasia was seriously aiming for the throne of the demon king, so she wouldn’t be satisfied with peace.

“Thank you, that was helpful.”

The information was really helpful, so those weren’t just empty words. Nayatra had been able to gather such detailed information on this matter that he felt sorry towards Carack. However, Nayatra was the best in the field of information.

“Thank you. I am glad that you are satisfied.”

Nayatra replied with a wide smile, completely different from her old nickname of ice princess. In-gong felt better and asked Nayatra,

“Uh, Nayatra. Is that a whip?”

A rolled up leather whip was hanging from Nayatra’s waist. Nayatra nodded quickly at In-gong’s question and replied,

“Yes, in fact, I specialize in whipping.”

Her eyes were shining like she was expecting something. In-gong thought about what to do with this deep-rooted misunderstanding and decided to put it aside. Looking at In-gong’s life, it was natural the misunderstandings would remain.

‘As long as it doesn’t get deeper.’

Nayatra’s gaze was hot as she stared at In-gong, and Carack just chuckled.

“So. Prince, what are you going to do today?”

There were three choices for In-gong.

One, go with Felicia to the library.

Two, train with Caitlin.

Three, walk around alone.

In the cases of the first two choices, they both had distinct purposes.

If he met Felicia, he could investigate the Four Knights of the Apocalypse as well as ask her about 3rd Queen Sylvia. Additionally, he had to talk to Sylvia about Silvan’s fairy. Sylvia had said she would prepare some compensation next time, but In-gong had rescued Felicia and Sylvia because he had wanted to. However, he didn’t intend to refuse any compensation.

The meeting with Caitlin also included the meeting with 4th Queen Elaine. He didn’t have to converse with her like he had to with Sylvia, but she still needed to reward him for killing Gerard. No matter which of the two he chose, it would be a joyful meeting with a beautiful girl.

However, after some deliberation, In-gong chose the third option.

“A whole week has passed.”

It had been more than a week since he arrived at the Demon King’s Palace. Looking back at the past, it was his longest stay. He didn’t know what would happen again, so he had to do the Demon King’s Palace tour when there was still time.

“Well, Prince’s senses are good, so I will stay by your side.”

Instead of asking why, In-gong started moving immediately. He sent a letter to Felicia and Caitlin stating he had woken up safely, then he left his mansion with Carack.

“Now, let’s get started.”

It was an opportunity to use his knowledge from Knight Saga. In-gong hurried as he thought this. In order to complete his planned tour in one day, fast progress was essential.

This was a rough summary:

After arriving at an old fountain on the outskirts of the town in the Demon King’s Palace, In-gong threw in a gold coin he had prepared in advance. Then a translucent blue soul appeared over the fountain.

The old man parted his lips slowly,

“You, according to the guidance of good luck…”

“Flitcher.”

In-gong said briefly and the soul became confused. In-gong continued without caring,

“The name of the man who drove you to your death is Flitcher. And this is a bottle that contains his soul after he died.”

In-gong pulled out a bottle from the inventory, and the soul of the old man blinked in shock.

“H-how? I never said…”

However, once again, In-gong didn’t listen. He threw the bottle on the floor and covered it with holy water he had prepared in advance. Then with a short scream, Flitcher’s soul, which was in the bottle, disappeared.

“Now, I have resolved your grudge. Aren’t you thankful? So quickly give me compensation.”

The old man, who had been staring at the bottle blankly, woke up at In-gong’s words. He looked at In-gong with a face full of chagrin before disappearing. Carack, who had seen this sight several times, clicked his tongue and said,

“You are cruel.”

“There is no time.”

In-gong recovered the magic necklace left behind in the place where the soul had disappeared and moved to the next area immediately.

After that, In-gong travelled all over the palace: opening up secret bookcases; destroying a statue which moved in the daytime; and opening up a treasure storehouse in a basement.

Considering the problem of time and the butterfly effect, In-gong skipped character related quests and only proceeded with the quests associated with specific places. In fact, there were some quests which weren’t so rewarding, but In-gong did them all. It was better than no compensation at all, and it would be a shame if Zephyr obtained them.

After a long tour, it was sunset. In-gong couldn’t help but feel satisfied as he looked at his inventory. He had gained many quest items thanks to his knowledge of Knight Saga.

‘There are still quite a lot left.’

The area he roamed today was just inside the Demon King’s Palace. However, there were still facilities, such as the library, remaining, so there were still a few pleasures left.

“Your stamina is good. Isn’t it hard?”

It was a tiring day wandering around the Demon King’s Palace. Carack tapped on his legs like he was in pain, and In-gong laughed brightly. It was because his stats were ridiculously high compared to his level.

‘I should focus more on Carack’s growth. His persistence should increase.’

In-gong modified Carack’s nurturing plan instantly and used recovery magic before heading back to the mansion.

As expected, there were guests waiting at In-gong’s mansion.

“Shutra is too much.”

“That’s right, too much.”

“I guess he really is like the wind.”

Caitlin, Felicia and Silvan spoke in turn.

Upon receiving news that In-gong had woken up, the three people visited the mansion and had to wait hours for In-gong to return.

“Sorry.”

Caitlin swelled up at In-gong’s apology, while In-gong’s eyes narrowed. Despite the fairy still not being stabilized, Silvan was the only relatively calm one in the room. In-gong sat down and started comforting Caitlin and Felicia. Flora came in with timely refreshments.

“Did you receive a new teaching from the sword duke?”

Felicia asked with an anxious face.

A week ago, the sword duke had instructed Carack to hide In-gong’s encounter with the demon king. There had  already been an uproar just from the demon king calling his name at the court gathering.

In-gong had been informed by Carack beforehand and nodded silently.

“Yes, you don’t have to worry about it. I am much healthier than I was a week ago.”

Of course, he didn’t intend to hide the meeting from Felicia and Caitlin, but there was no need to talk about it now. That talk was too complicated. Caitlin smiled at In-gong’s words and said,

“Shutra is correct. His aura has a very stable feel.”

There was no sense of incongruity with the dragon heart now.

“Umm, what does Silvan think?”

Felicia was pretty ignorant about aura, so she wanted to check with Silvan. Silvan looked at In-gong with moist eyes and said,

“I’m just envious.”

In-gong had received the teachings of the sword duke not once but twice. Silvan’s appearance was quite pitiful, but thankfully, the topic was changed.

“Shutra, I have something to say.”

Caitlin glanced at Felicia before talking.

“In a few days, I will leave for the north-east to help Chris. Felicia unni and Silvan oppa will also leave the Demon King’s Palace.”

“Both of you are going to help Chris hyung?”

Felicia shook her head at In-gong’s question.

“No, we have decided to go home with Omamama. We will pick up more crew members for the Black Flame Dragon and check Silvan’s condition.”

He was stable thanks to In-gong, but they couldn’t rest assured just yet.

“You don’t have to worry. I am healthy.”

Silvan laughed and spread his arms wide open. Felicia hit Silvan’s shoulder and while she watched Caitlin, Felicia opened her mouth,

“So, it makes sense…”

Felicia’s gaze headed back to In-gong. Then she asked with a warm smile,

“Shutra, do you want to come with us to the home of the dark elves? Haven’t you visited the lycanthropes? So, you should also visit the home of the dark elves to balance it out.”

“Um, I agree.”

Silvan supported her from the side. Then Caitlin shouted,

“Unni is mean! We decided to say it together.”

“Yes, so say it now.”

Felicia’s eyes widened as she turned away from Caitlin’s gaze. Caitlin puffed up her cheeks before turning to In-gong.

“Shutra, do you want to go with me to help Chris oppa? Chris oppa has been alone for so long. Oppa will want to see Shutra.”

In-gong remembered Chris’ face for a moment. It was likely that he wanted to see Caitlin more than In-gong.

‘Anyway, they both want me to go with them.’

It was embarrassing but also a very pleasant situation.

‘Master, your smile is evil.’

Green Wind muttered in his ear. In-gong tried to think seriously as he fixed his expression. However, his worries didn’t last long. Flora entered the room again and handed him a letter.

“Indeed, Prince’s senses is correct.”

He could see that it was a letter from the Merits Department. Instead of replying to Carack, In-gong opened the envelope and read the letter. As expected, it was about the new mission.

‘9th Prince Shutra, depart from the Demon King’s Palace at noon in four days to support the 3rd Prince Victor Nekrion and 4th Princess Anastasia Nekrion.’

Anastasia Nekrion…

The daughter of the demon king, who was the leader of one of three factions with Baikal and Zephyr.

It was time to face her.

&

“Then I will go with Shutra.”

In-gong showed the order to Felicia, Silvan and Caitlin. Felicia narrowed her eyes and said,

“Why Anastasia unni?”

It would have been nice if he was sent as support for Chris or even for Baikal. Even though it was better than going to support Zephyr, it still wasn’t an easy task for In-gong.

However, this had been decided by the Merits Department. Unless there was a reasonable justification, he couldn’t refuse the mission just because their factions were different.

‘Of course, that doesn’t mean there is no method to do it.’

He could give up the mission by using illness as an excuse. However, that was merely a workaround. It was obvious it would have an adverse effect on the achievements he had accumulated.

‘It is time to face her.’

He couldn’t avoid his other siblings forever just because they were in different factions. Moreover, unlike Zephyr, In-gong had no intention of murdering the other children of the demon king. If it was possible, he wanted to form a friendly relationship with Baikal or Anastasia.

‘It seems quite difficult.’

Although Baikal was unknown, Anastasia was hard to deal with. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that her desire to become the demon king was the greatest among all his children.

What would happen if Anastasia became the demon king? Although she was called the female Zephyr among the Knight Saga fandom, she wouldn’t cause the Day of Massacre like Zephyr would.

‘But… she might carry out a political purge.’

In any case, it was clear she was better than Zephyr. At Baikal’s tea party, she hadn’t expressed any direct hostility to her other siblings. Moreover, it might be In-gong’s own thoughts, but Anastasia seemed quite favourable to Baikal. Not only were Anastaia’s and Baikal’s factions different, but they were also strong contenders in the fight against the demon king.

In-gong recalled Anastasia’s face as he thought about something else. Why was he being sent to support Anastasia? According to the information gathered by Nayatra, Anastasia didn’t require support. The western area, where she was staying, was peaceful.

There were two possibilities he could think of:

Either the situation had changed in the past few days, or there were some hidden intentions regarding the mission.

Just like Evian which In-gong had been in charge of, the information from the west wasn’t delivered to the Demon King’s Palace in real time. Even if Nayatra had a gift with information, there was a limit to what could be gathered after just entering the Demon King’s Palace. Perhaps the western situation which had been reported to In-gong today was based on information from a few days ago, while the Merits Department had more updated information.

‘If the situation hasn’t changed, is someone behind this?’

However, who would do this?

Unlike the previous mission on the Enger Plains, this mission wasn’t one from the demon king. The duties assigned to each child of the demon king were established with fairly high standards by the Merits Department. Therefore, it was difficult for someone to manipulate the missions.

Of course, a captain was capable of doing it if they were determined. However, it was easy to be discovered, and the risk was too great. There was also no reason for the captains to manipulate this mission.

‘Richard and Yecaderina are capable of doing so.’

However, there was no motivation for either of them to do so. Richard had used the march toward Evian to try and test In-gong’s skills, but he had gone quiet after that. Moreover, he was now on the northern frontier, not at the Demon King’s Palace.

‘Although he is walking on a tightrope, he isn’t the type to do this.’

Similarly, the succubus captain, Yecaderina, was too smart for something like this.

Based on the laws of elimination, In-gong presumed the situation in the west had changed. Or maybe In-gong was just making it more complicated than it was.

Unlike the other children of the demon king, ‘Shutra’ had completed his first task for the Merits Department at 14 years old. The number of missions he had completed were inevitably fewer than the other demon king’s children.

The Merits Department treated the children of the demon king as fairly as possible, ignoring the relationship between factions. It was possible the mission to support Anastasia was a belated mission.

While In-gong was thinking about this alone, Felicia, Caitlin and Silvan had different thoughts. Among the three, Felicia was the first one to open her mouth,

“Then I will go with Shutra.”

Felicia spoke suddenly. She shrugged and said,

“You are going to see Anastasia unni, not some other person. Didn’t everybody see it at Baikal’s tea party? I can’t send Shutra alone.”

Felicia had fended off Anastasia’s remarks during Baikal’s tea party. The two didn’t have a bad relationship, but Felicia alone had blocked all of Anastasia’s strikes toward In-gong.

“Moreover, there is the issue of reinforcements. The dark elves and lycanthropes can’t send reinforcements without Caitlin or me being there.”

Her words were irrefutable. It was controversial for reinforcements to be sent to those who weren’t of their own blood. There was no objection to this statement.

Silvan, who was supposed to return home with Felicia just a few moments ago, had an expression of regret on his face, but he nodded in agreement.

In response to the dark elf siblings, Caitlin licked her lips in distress, but in the end, she gave a long sigh.

“I will go to help Chris oppa as planned. Anastasia unni and Victor oppa are in the west, and Felicia unni will follow. There isn’t any apparent danger, and… I feel like I have left Chris oppa alone for too long. So, I want to see Oppa.”

Despite the different factions, the siblings would still fight together, and Caitlin truly had a lot of affection for Chris. Caitlin’s words brought warmth to everyone’s faces. Among them, Silvan was especially impressed as he stared at Caitlin with moist eyes.

“I’m envious of Chris. He has a praiseworthy sister.”

Silvan stroked Caitlin’s head, unable to hide the envy in his voice. Caitlin turned bright red at Silvan’s remark and said,

“Well, aren’t I also Silvan oppa’s sister?”

“Heok.”

Silvan grabbed his chest like he had been struck. It was obvious his heart had received a hit.

“I-I see. You are already my sister. B-but Felicia…!”

Silvan looked at Felicia with a frown, and Felicia hit Silvan on the head with her fan. She spoke with a prim expression,

“It isn’t about that, and Silvan knows this perfectly well.”

Felicia wasn’t without any affection toward Silvan. She had wanted to go home to the territory of the dark elves due to Silvan’s fairy.

However, this had a higher priority. Silvan smiled like he understood and said,

“Yes, I won’t insist in this situation. Moreover, I am also Shutra’s knight. I can’t be too greedy. As soon as the maintenance of the Black Flame Dragon is over, I will fly to the west.

Silvan spoke in a simple manner while staring at In-gong with a serious expression. It was quite a burdensome sight, so In-gong quickly turned his gaze toward Caitlin, who smiled.

“Shutra, let me know if you ever need my help. Understand?”

“Noona as well. Please contact me if you ever need me. I will go running towards your location.”

“Faster than the wind?”

“Eung.”

The atmosphere was a bit embarrassing, but In-gong agreed. As In-gong and Caitlin smiled at each other, Felicia opened her fan with a loud sound and caught everyone’s attention.

“Anyway, the time we have is quite short. Maybe we should move after the reinforcements join, just like at Evian.”

They still had three days to spare, but today was almost over. They could save time by sending the reinforcements from Evian to the west, but Alita was the leader of the reinforcements, and she was currently in Karamis with the Black Flame Dragon. It was unreasonable to suddenly call her to the west.

It was at that moment that a new voice was heard from the entrance of the room.

“Well, it was noisy, so I thought everybody would be gathered.”

“Amita?”

Caitlin cried out reflexively. Indeed, Amita and Daphne were standing at the entrance to the room.

As all their eyes gathered on Amita, Amita laughed and then shouted with both arms wide open.

“This Amita has finished!”

Amita jumped down and ran toward the sofa in a good mood. Daphne put down a box in front of In-gong.

“Now, the improved version of Night Watch.”

Inside the box, there was a dark blue cloak. Amita spoke while their tail tapped on the sofa.

“The flying ability and defense capabilities have been strengthened, and the daily usage of Blink has increased from three to five times. How about it?”

“As expected from Amita.”

It was just basic specs work, but this was good too. Amita felt better after In-gong’s appropriate reaction and said,

“I also made the armour for the orc.”

“Oh, really?”

Carack asked with wide eyes. He hadn’t expected anything because his order was last in the sequence.

Amita smiled and replied,

“I tried to postpone it until the last, but I ended up finishing it. Come to the workshop later. I prepared something that fits a heavy but ignorant guy very well.”

“I understand, thank you.”

Carack smiled brightly at Daphne, who also smiled back. Maybe it was because of her that Carack’s order had been pulled forward.

“So, what were you talking about?”

Amita asked while flopping down on the sofa, and In-gong showed them the command from the Merits Department.

“A new mission has been received. This time I will go to the west. Do you know Curtis?”

“Uhh, west… is that Curtis? I dislike it because there is a lot of rain.”

Amita muttered with an upset face. Then In-gong smiled and asked,

“Do you want to follow me?”

“It isn’t following but being dragged along! Don’t talk like that while smiling!”

Amita stood up and banged their tail on the sofa. In-gong told Amita,

“It is okay. This time, please wait at the Demon King’s Palace.”

“What? Really?”

“Yes, it is fine.”

This was just a support mission. Whether he liked it or not, he was highly likely to encounter Anastasia several times, and In-gong didn’t want her to know about Amita’s existence.

‘I have to leave Nayatra behind as well.’

Her interrogation abilities were useful, but there was a task he wanted her to prioritize. Nayatra would lay down the foundations of the information organization as well as investigate the gandharva’s sins.

Daphne was in charge of Amita, so she would be left behind as well. This time, only Carack and Karma would go.

While Amita was expressing their happiness about not having to follow In-gong, In-gong tried to recall the western area of the Demon World from Knight Saga. The first things which came to mind were the giants.

They were a tough warrior species with a height of approximately eight meters. They were called the breakwater in the western part of the Demon World because they blocked the barbarians beyond the Western Limit Line.

After a bit of discussion about the future schedule, the party separated. As Felicia said, the time constraints were tight, so they had to hurry.

Four days later, at noon, Silvan and Caitlin had already left, while In-gong and Felicia were standing in front of the transportation formation. As they had planned originally, Amita, Daphne and Nayatra were left at the palace, so the only ones with Felicia and In-gong were Carack, Karma and Delia.

After saying goodbye to Nayatra and Daphne at the transportation formation, Carack took a deep breath and said,

“We should be prepared for an event.”

“Huh? Didn’t the additional information gathered from Nayatra say that it isn’t serious?”

During the past few days, In-gong hadn’t simply been waiting for the departure. Together with Felicia, he had conducted an investigation into the Four Knights of the Apocalypse, while Nayatra had collected as much information as possible about the west.

The west was currently quiet. Although there were a few small battles near the Western Limit Line, there wasn’t a case of the barbarians crossing over like in Evian.

“But now Prince is going there.”

“Yes. I’m going.”

Carack replied, and In-gong nodded like he was convinced. Felicia frowned from where she was standing beside the two men.

“Hey, can’t we just follow the flow for now?”

Instead of answering, In-gong and Carack looked at each other and laughed.

Green Wind whispered in In-gong’s ears,

‘Master, if the orc is correct, does that mean the 4th Princess in a pitiful situation right now?’

“We’ll see?”

Indeed, what would happen?

In-gong took a deep breath and straightened his posture.

The transportation formation was activated.

“9th Prince is headed to Curtis. He is going there to support the 3rd Prince and 4th Princess.”

Henry completed his short oral report regarding the new information which had just arrived from the Demon King’s Palace.

Instead of reaching for the report, Richard, the draconian captain, just simply stared at his nephew’s—at Henry’s face. Henry was hiding it with a solemn expression, but there was a deep feeling of relief and pleasure.

The plan to measure the 9th Prince’s strength using Jiks had failed. Henry was delighted about this fact, while Richard felt somewhat confused.

It was due to the fact that the 9th Prince had won against Jiks.

‘I still can’t imagine it.’

He didn’t know how the 9th Prince had won against Jiks. Had the 8th Princess helped him or had she simply watched from behind?

Richard didn’t consider the possibility that Jiks wouldn’t have managed to escape after losing. He could find out information from Jiks’ scattered subordinates, but that was too cumbersome and time-consuming. Apart from Jiks, Richard’s arm had no reach in Evian.

Richard was even more puzzled about the 9th Prince’s consequent successes.

He had taken all the bases with a stormy approach and rescued the senior general, Vandal. That alone was amazing, but the 9th Prince had even led the troops directly into a massive fight against the barbarian king and his army.

It was already at a standard of being an active leader. He could even believe that ‘9th Prince’ had been written mistakenly in the report, instead of ‘1st Prince’ or ‘2nd Prince’.

The 9th Prince’s growth went against common sense. Although he had played a prominent role at Enger Plains, there was a huge difference between what he had done at Enger Plains and what he had done at Evian.

How had he become stronger so suddenly?

When one considered the situation with common sense, this was simply impossible. The 2nd Prince had been born with a monstrous talent, but even he wasn’t at this level. In just half a year, an incompetent prince had been reborn as an advanced general.

‘He was hiding his skills.’

Richard could only think of that. However, even so, this wasn’t a perfect answer.

‘Too strong.’

Right now, the 9th Prince was only 14 or 15 years old. Compared to his age, he was excessively strong. Even when it was taken into account that the report had been inflated, the 9th Prince was at least at the level of an intermediate general.

‘There is a reason why the sword duke has shown interest in him.’

The 9th Prince’s activities weren’t things he could do simply because he was strong. It was clear he had considerable talent in military matters as well.

Many people thought the 9th Prince was borrowing the power of the 6th and 8th Princesses, but Richard didn’t think so. The 6th and 8th Princesses didn’t have such talent. Their talents stood out in their respective fields, but they weren’t all-rounders. In fact, until now, the two people hadn’t been involved in such activities.

There was the possibility that 9th Prince’s aide had this power, but that was a useless story. The 9th Prince’s aide was an orc—a soldier he had met on his first mission outside. Given the average intellect of the orcs, the possibility that the 9th Prince’s aide had military talent was close to zero.

The 9th Prince’s achievements were completely due to the 9th Prince’s power. Not only did the 9th Prince have considerable individual abilities, he had strong military capabilities as well.

It was huge. The 9th Prince had suddenly become prominent in a very short amount of time. There wasn’t even a chance to step on that growing bud. By the time Richard had realized it, the 9th Prince had already obtained the power to turn the three factions into four.

All the children who weren’t interested in the position of the demon king were in his faction. The most surprising thing was the support behind the 9th Prince. Why did the 3rd and 4th Queens give their support to the 9th Prince instead of their own children?

Richard became more stimulated the more he thought about it.

‘Amazing, amazing.’

Richard was interested in the 9th Prince and really wanted to observe him.

Richard’s gaze glided over the short sentences in the report. Then he stared at Henry, his nephew who had a strong loyalty toward the demon king, and thought carefully before opening his mouth.

“Captain, if we observe Curtis, then we will be able to gauge 9th Prince’s ability.”

Everything at Evian had been too sudden. Moreover, Jiks had been smashed at the beginning, so there was no way for them to observe the 9th Prince. However, this time was different. Richard could send some people to keep a watch on the 9th Prince.

Therefore, Henry’s words were quite valid. He didn’t need to use radical measures like a surprise attack to explore the 9th Prince’s capabilities.

However, Richard shook his head slowly.

“Well, I wonder if that will happen.”

“Captain?”

“4th Princess is responsible for Curtis. It is doubtful she will give any opportunities to 9th Prince.”

This situation was different from what had happened at Enger Plains and Evian. The 9th Prince was being dispatched as support for the 4th Princess, so there was a limit to how big of a role he could play.

Henry’s eyes widened as he realized this. Rather than scolding his honest nephew, Richard turned his gaze toward the map of the Demon World on his desk.

On the eastern front where Evian was located, there was a major uproar due to the barbarian king. How about the western front? Would something also happen in Curtis?

Richard’s gaze moved further on the map to beyond the Western Limit Line.

&

As always, the transportation was successful. In-gong opened his eyes at Curtis’ transportation formation and saw a guide soldier standing before them.

After standing for a moment to ease through the transition, the guide soldier came up to In-gong and Felicia and bowed.

“It is a pleasure to meet 9th Prince and 6th Princess.”

The guide soldier was a black-haired young man, who was very handsome and tall. Both of his eyes were moist, which could confuse people. He wasn’t a local soldier but an incubus, who was one of Anastasia’s subordinates.

“Your Highnesses, I am Carlos, and I will guide you around Curtis.”

‘He is a watchdog.’

The reason why an incubus, and not a local soldier, was sent was obvious. Felicia narrowed her eyes and asked Carlos,

“Where is Unni right now?”

“There are some suspicious movements near the limit line, so she is going to the front.”

According to the additional information gathered from the Demon King’s Palace, there had already been several small encounters at the Western Limit Line. There were no full-scale engagements, but both sides scouted each other’s power repeatedly.

“Then are we going to the front?”

Carlos frowned slightly at Carack’s question. He acted restrained in front of In-gong and Felicia, but he seemed displeased. He went on to ignore Carack, who was an orc.

‘You shouldn’t ignore the orc.’

While In-gong was thinking this, Carlos corrected his expression and told In-gong and Felicia in a polite tone,

“4th Princess has specifically assigned a defenseless area to 9th Prince and 6th Princess. I will take you there.”

At the special request, In-gong and Felicia looked at each other. The two of them shared the same thoughts.

“As expected, it is a bad area. Are we going to be kept in the rear?”

Just like Evian, Curtis wasn’t the name of a city but the name for the entire western front.

The transportation formation connected to the Demon King’s Palace was located to the east end of Curtis. Currently, Anastasia and Victor had arrived earlier and were able to move to the northwest using the transportation formations.

However, In-gong’s party was now moving in a carriage toward the southwest, rather than the northwest. It was still the west, but the south-west area wasn’t connected to the Western Limit Line. In other words, it was a quiet area with a low chance of an enemy attacking.

This was because Anastasia hadn’t accomplished any great merits since being sent to Curtis. Now that In-gong had appeared, it was inevitable that Anastasia would feel displeased. It was natural for her to put In-gong in the rear, so that he couldn’t build up any merits.

From Enger Plains to Evian, In-gong had always been in charge. However, this time, he was just a helper. It was Anastasia’s role to oversee the royal children dispatched to Curtis, so she had the choice of whether or not to ask In-gong for help.

“Well, I guess it is hard to go against Anastasia in this.”

Felicia said with a frown. Carack smiled from opposite her and said,

“But if you’re going to be safe, the rear doesn’t seem that bad. Especially when looking at Prince’s state right now.”

Carack said, and all eyes in the carriage turned toward In-gong.

In-gong was fitting a bracelet onto Felicia’s wrist. As one of the items collected during his tour of the Demon King’s Palace, it was a one time charm to defend against physical attacks.

“Now, the last one.”

Next to the blue bracelet was a red bracelet. To be exact, it was the 12th magic item. In addition to Felicia’s arms, several magic items of various colours were hanging around her neck, from her ears, waist and so on. All of them had belonged to In-gong.

“Prince, isn’t this a little too much? There should be a harmony, harmony.”

Not only were there too many, the colours didn’t match each other. It was a natural result of equipping the magic items randomly.

“Uhh, is that so?”

In-gong shrugged as he looked at Felicia. She was still pretty, but that was because Felicia was so beautiful that her beauty outshone everything else.

There were two different coloured necklaces and six different coloured bracelets on both of her arms. Additionally, she wore earrings, ankle bracelets and other accessories which created a bizarre image. To be honest, Felicia’s beauty wasn’t enough to cover everything.

As In-gong stared at Felicia with narrow eyes, Delia said with a smile,

“It shows how much 9th Prince values 6th Princess.”

This was because the accessories were all defensive magic items. After the fight against the Famine Knight, In-gong was interested in Felicia’s defense.

Carack nodded and said,

“Delia, you should tell Prince bluntly.”

In-gong looked like he didn’t understand. Delia hesitated a bit before smiling awkwardly.

“For Her Highness’ reputation, it is a little…”

It was obvious that she would be called a fashion terrorist. Felicia laughed. So far, she had been standing still like a doll, but she spoke at this moment,

“Well, I am a little unbalanced. Still, Shutra prepared these for me, so shouldn’t I wear them?”

Her voice and eyes weren’t lifeless. She was looking at In-gong with a touched exprssion, like she was about to say Caitlin’s ‘amazing’.

Carack looked at her appearance and shook his head.

“If Prince Silvan were here, he would be wailing.”

Silvan would be filled with envy, then Felicia would hit him on the head with a fan.

In-gong laughed and scratched his jaw.

“Uhh, I guess I should make some adjustments. I think it is a good idea to commission Amita to modify it.”

“Will Amita do it?”

Felicia asked In-gong with a gentle smile.

“Their tail will pound on the floor. They will grunt but wouldn’t they agree in the end?”

In-gong’s gaze turned back to Felicia, and Carack interrupted again.

“Prince, if Prince asks, then even Princess will agree. You are correct.”

It was like that. Felicia blushed and refuted,

“I-it isn’t like that. Don’t you think, Delia?”

“Uh, um, yes. That’s right. If Princess says so, it is the case.”

“Delia!”

Delia’s tone was inconsistent with her words. In-gong smiled as he saw the grouchy Felicia and said,

“Anyway, I’ll ask Amita.”

“Um, I feel like that raccoon is somewhat pitiful.”

“It’s okay, I think they are adapting to it these days. There isn’t as much resistance as there used to be.”

Animals were creatures of adaptation, and a raccoon was like that as well.

Unlike Evian, which was a wasteland, Curtis was a land of rain and greenery. After studying the scenery outside the window for a while, Felicia asked In-gong,

“It will be two days until the reinforcements arrive… Until then, we have no strength, so we just need to stay in the rear. Shutra, do you know anything about the place we’re going to?”

Felicia had wandered all over the Demon World, but this was her first visit to Curtis. Moreover, the place where the party was headed was the fringe of Curtis.

It was the same for In-gong. However, In-gong had intelligence from Knight Saga. To the southwest of Curtis was the land of giants with a huge forest. So, there was a reason why In-gong could remain cheerful despite being sent to the rear.

“It is a fairly interesting place.”

As he stared out the window, In-gong searched through his memories. The surrounding landscape was changing bit by bit.

In-gong’s party travelled in the carriage for two days. The first night was spent in a small town, but the second night, they had to camp. It was because there were less people the further south-west they went.

As Amita said, Curtis had a lot of rain. In summer, it was common for it to be raining for several days and nights. Fortunately, it was now winter. Unlike in summer, this rain was currently just a light shower.

On the afternoon of the third day, the scenery outside the carriage changed drastically. The same thick foliage was everywhere, but there was an obvious difference in size.

The grass had grown. The grass, which had been ankle height on the roadside, had now grown to their waist. Even though the forest was far away, it felt considerably closer because the trees were so big.

As Carack rubbed his eyes with surprise, In-gong looked joyfully at the mini-map. Some people had come out to meet them.

“It is nice to meet you! I am Kappa, the daughter of the chief of the Gullam tribe! This is the best hunter in our tribe, Uncle Galang.”

The voice of a youthful girl came from high above them. The party in the carriage raised their heads toward the sky and saw a face approximately five meters above them. This was despite the fact that she was leaning on her knees, and half her upper body was bowed.

The red-haired girl, who wore comfortable clothes made of animal skin, was a giant. She looked like a teenager, but she was almost eight meters tall. However, there was a real giant standing behind the girl.

“It is a pleasure to see the royal family.”

The voice came from a height of 10 meters. It belonged to a muscular man dressed in animal skin, just like the girl. As his small black eyes stared down at them, he appeared taciturn.

Carack continued to blink in shock. It was because he couldn’t figure out how many cows had been killed to make the clothes these female and male giants were wearing. There would need to have been at least a few dozen.

The female, Kappa, gazed at In-gong and Felicia with sharp green eyes. Her eyes were so big, it was like looking in a mirror.

“Are you the prince and princess?”

Her eyes and voice were full of longing. The girl was unaware of it, but her face was too close to them. She would be considered rude by any other royalty, but In-gong and Felicia weren’t that formal. They were used to Carack’s impudence, so they simply smiled and nodded.

Kappa smiled brightly, then she bit her lip and asked,

“Can I take both of you on my shoulders?”

“Please.”

Felicia replied, and Kappa brought In-gong and Felicia to her shoulders. The gigantic hand reaching for them from above caused instinctive horror, but In-gong and Felicia didn’t scream. Rather, they admired the scenery which could be seen from Kappa’s shoulders.

Unlike the cyclops and mountain giants who were classified as monsters, rather than humans, the giants living in this forest were simply big humans. They were almost exactly the same as humans, except for being six times larger.

Kappa smiled shyly after putting In-gong and Felicia on her shoulders, feeling a sudden sense of bashfulness about her shoulders. It seemed like she was worrying about what to say.

Apart from Kappa’s anxious thoughts, a matter of more importance was that she was eight meters tall, so her stride was huge. She walked at a speed which would be difficult to follow while in the carriage.

Carack suppressed his wish to ride on the shoulders and looked around. Without realizing it, he was soon convinced.

Kappa and Galang weren’t the only big ones—everything around them was big. The change was sudden, so the surrounding area felt smaller.

From his spot on Kappa’s shoulder, In-gong was just as convinced as Carack. Despite seeing it in Knight Saga, he now understood it instinctively.

‘It is because they are living here.’

Could the giants live if they were thrown into a normal environment?

It would be hard. As Carack had thought, making their clothes would be a daunting task. They were six times the height of normal humans, and the amount of food required to fill their stomachs couldn’t be compared to that of ordinary humans.

Therefore, the surrounding environment was great in size as well. Otherwise, it would be difficult for the giants to increase their population.

In-gong was as excited as Kappa. He was really excited to see the scenery of the giants which he had liked in Knight Saga.

The trees in the forest were three to four times larger than common trees. Additionally, although the difference was smaller in comparison to the contrast between giants and humans, there was no way to be accurate about this in the first place.

They soon arrived at the village, where there were dozens of houses made of wood and clay. All of them were single story buildings, possibly due to a weight problem or something else.

‘I will get to see it soon.’

In-gong calmed himself down. When he heard he was going to the land of the giants, he couldn’t help smiling at the thought of the sight he would soon see.

Then one hour later, after greeting the Gullam clan’s chief, In-gong climbed to the top of the table. There was also a small table for normal-sized species, but In-gong wanted to climb onto the giant’s table. The reason for this was simple.

“Big.”

The food was great and immensely large. He felt happy just looking at the cake which was six times bigger than normal.

Carack stared at the chicken leg which was as big as his body and shared In-gong’s happiness as well. The rest of the party couldn’t stop smiling either.

“Master, it is amazing.”

Green Wind became solid and said to In-gong. In-gong nodded vigorously.

“That’s right. It’s amazing!”

Why was Caitlin in this place? While In-gong was thinking that, Green Wind looked at Felicia and grinned widely at her.

“Princess should say it as well. Master will like it.”

Felicia blinked at the sudden proposal, but she noticed In-gong looking and opened her mouth,

“A-amazing?”

It was far from Caitlin’s sunny expression, but her red cheeks made it cute.

However,Green Wind shook her head objectively.

“It isn’t similar. Isn’t that right, Master?”

Green Wind turned toward In-gong and asked. He had no idea what she was doing, but he couldn’t help smiling.

“No, it’s similar. It really is similar.”

At In-gong’s answer, Felicia quickly covered her face with her fan, while Green Wind glared at him.

Carack just laughed and laughed. Delia had to pinch her thighs several times to keep from laughing, and Karma was in a similar situation.

Time passed by, and it was now time to go to bed. So, In-gong got up from the table. There were ordinary houses for other species, so it wasn’t inconvenient to use it. He wanted to experience the life of the giants, but it couldn’t be helped.

After chatting to Carack for a while, Felicia appeared, dressed in a nightgown. Her cheeks were red from her bath, and her hair was damp. In-gong looked at the terribly exhausted expression on her face and asked,

“What is with that expression?”

“Shutra, have you ever almost drowned in a bathtub?”

In-gong just smiled instead of answering. It was natural to feel the threat of drowning if it was a giant bathtub. The baths were designed for giants like Kaparang and Kappa.

Felicia settled at the table with a tired face, and In-gong used recovery magic on her. Then he pointed to the hand-painted map spread out on the table.

“This is a rough map of the area.”

“Isn’t this modest compared to your usual style?”

Felicia said as she peered at the map. Unlike In-gong’s handmade maps which boasted a precise accuracy, this map seemed to have been created roughly.

While Felicia was combining wind and fire spirits to dry her hair, In-gong explained,

“I just copied a map from here. It is impossible to draw a perfect map of a place I haven’t visited.”

“Well, I guess so.”

Even if he had the mini-map, there was a limit. Moreover, the trees were so large and thick that it was difficult to draw a precise map. When the trees gathered together, they gave off the feeling of a mountain or hill.

“I will go out tomorrow for an active scout.”

In-gong spoke casually, and Felicia’s eyes narrowed.

“The forest?”

“The forest.”

He didn’t intend to just search from afar. Instead, he intended to execute an active form of scouting which attacked any enemies who were seen.

However, there were currently no barbarians in the forest because they were confronting Anastasia. The question was whether it was even necessary to do a general scouting, let alone an active scouting.

Nevertheless, the words ‘active scouting’ had emerged from his mouth.

Anastasia, the one in charge of Curtis, had left Felicia and In-gong in charge of defense near this great forest. The reason why she had placed In-gong and Felicia in a place with no enemies was simple. If they didn’t meet any enemies, they couldn’t build up merits and would have to leave empty-handed.

In-gong wasn’t going to disobey Anastasia’s orders as she was in charge of Curtis. Even so, it didn’t mean he had to sit quietly. In-gong was free to carry out military activities for defensive purposes.

“Okay, is there any place you want to go?”

In-gong pointed to one side of the map in response to Felicia’s question.

“I will go this way. I’ve heard stories of an ancient ruin in the vicinity.”

Of course, the source was Knight Saga. This was an area that In-gong wanted to visit, so he was quite excited.

‘It is because I didn’t go to this place in Night Saga.’

It was a place he hadn’t been able to enter since the beginning of Knight Saga; it was impossible to go inside. There was no special reason for this. It was just a limitation of the game, like not being able to enter the sea in RPG games. However, the setting existed. There was a legend about an ancient ruin inside the forest.

It was one of the reasons why In-gong had accepted Anastasia’s command to move to the rear. Killing enemies wasn’t the only way to gain merits. If he found a ruin with something like the Thunder Light Anvil or contained great magic power, he would be able to obtain merits as well.

“Hoh, isn’t that interesting?”

Felicia’s eyes shone like lanterns after hearing about the possibility of an ancient ruin. In-gong smiled at her and said,

“Anastasia noona told us to stay on the periphery, so we should stay put. Isn’t that right?”

“Yes. It is a good idea.”

“The two of you look evil.”

Carack clicked his tongue as he watched In-gong and Felicia.

In-gong laughed.

“We will leave immediately after breakfast tomorrow morning. I’ve told the giants in advance. Galang, who we met today, will guide the way. Several warrior giants will follow.”

“Okay, I think this will be a very informative mission. My heart’s already pounding despite the risk.”

In-gong made a questioning sound at Felicia’s words.

“The risk?”

“I am with Shutra.”

Felicia winked at In-gong, who frowned, while Carack just laughed.

Some time passed by again. After chatting for a bit, Felicia got up from her seat. It was time to go to bed.

“Sleep well, my dream. Silvan liked this farewell the most.”

If Silvan was here, he would’ve said that. In-gong nodded.

“Good night to you as well.”

Felicia turned and left the room. In-gong’s gaze lingered at the spot where she had made her exit, then he opened his inventory and looked at the Lucia Dream Pillow.

“Prince, what is that look in your eyes?”

“What are you talking about? I am thrilled because I am thinking of tomorrow’s adventure.”

Carack asked with narrowed eyes, and In-gong closed his inventory quickly. Green Wind whispered in In-gong’s ears,

‘Master, please dream about me.’

“Oh, the flames are soaring up again.”

In-gong felt like he was suffering. Rather than refuting, In-gong headed to bed.

&

“This is a scam.”

The giants living in the Curtis area could be classified into three types.

There were: the Gullams, a hunting clan in the vicinity of the forest; the Paran, a warrior clan near the Western Limit Line; and lastly, the Hwarin, a clan that lived scattered throughout Curtis.

Among the three clans, the Paran clan was the biggest when it came to scale.

In fact, there were only 1,000 giants, but they were giants with an average height of 10 meters. In addition to that, the combat power of the White Warriors, a group of 100 Paran warriors, was beyond imagination. The Demon King’s Palace considered the combat power of the White Warriors alone as equivalent to one army consisting of thousands of soldiers.

In contrast, the smallest one was the Hwarin clan. They led livestock such as sheep and cattle all over Curtis, so there weren’t more than 100 of them.

The size of the Gullam, a hunting tribe, was between the Paran and Hwarin tribes. The Gullam lived in a few villages throughout the forest, and their total population numbered approximately 300 to 400.

Those who heard about Curtis only heard about the Paran tribe, usually referred to as the ‘western giants’. It wasn’t because the Paran had the largest number but because they were more prominent due to their ability to maintain the Western Limit Line. They were a powerful giant clan which could be called a steel castle.

However, those who lived in Curtis and encountered the three giant tribes knew the Gullam were a mighty combat clan which didn’t fall short of the Paran clan.

The Gullam hunted the animals living in the great forest. Unlike the Paran clan, who fought against the western barbarians, the Gullam considered it more glorious to fight gigantic monsters. The huge size of the giants was a minimal requirement to fight against the monsters in the great forest.

Thus, the Gullam hunters were strong. Among the three giant clans, the Gullam had the best individual strength.

Galang, one of the three best hunters in the Gullam clan, voiced his concerns with a very serious face,

“Your Highnesses, that is a place we don’t go into that often. It is very dangerous.”

In-gong wasn’t going to the area where the Gullam usually hunted. It was a deep place which would require almost a day to reach, even with the quick pace of the giants.

In-gong climbed onto the huge map on the Gullam’s table and said.

“Don’t worry too much. I’m not going to run in recklessly.”

However, Galang still seemed concerned. Those who came to the countryside always talked this way. Galang hesitated to answer, and Felicia backed In-gong up.

“It is okay because we have Shutra. I understand your concerns, but we are children of the demon king. So, please believe in us.”

She said it with a friendly smile, but the last sentence was a type of warning. At this point, Galang realized In-gong and Felicia weren’t spoiled and immature children but the children of the demon king.

As a seasoned hunter, Galang was a quick-witted person. He understood Felicia’s warning immediately. Although the prince and princess still seemed small and tender, he hid his thoughts. Then he started thinking rationally. As Felicia had said, they were children of the demon king. This meant that unlike their appearances, they had considerable skills.

The demon king was the apex of the Demon World, the most powerful person in this world. Just like how a tiger would give birth to tigers, the demon king would have the most powerful children.

“I understand. Please forgive my rudeness.”

Felicia smiled at Galang’s apology and responded,

“No, it is natural to worry. Rather, it is nice to know that you are trustworthy.”

“She handled this really well.”

Carack murmured as he gazed at Felicia with an admiring expression.

“It wasn’t taken seriously, but I truly mean it. It will be okay if we have Shutra.”

“Why is he so valuable?”

Telling Galang this meant Felicia thought he was reliable. Felicia, who travelled all over the Demon World to explore ruins, knew how important it was to cooperate with the locals. It was better to maintain a good relationship than to pressure them with her authority.

After their path was arranged to a certain extent, In-gong looked at the party and said,

“Karma, please look after Felicia noona. If something happens, your top priority is escaping with Noona.”

“I understand, Your Highness.”

Delia was already Felicia’s escort, but that wasn’t enough. Karma’s quick feet meant she could lift Felicia and escape from the battlefield in an instant.

“Carack, protect Felicia noona, Karma and Delia.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll show you what an orc shield is.”

Carack smiled and raised his shield. He was wearing the new full body armour made by Amita, so he really was like a moving castle.

Finally, In-gong looked at Carlos, who was the guide soldier given by Anastasia. After taking various medicines which had been sneaked in last night, Carlos had abdominal pain, diarrhea and a headache. So, Anastasia’s subordinate wasn’t able to join the ruin exploration, but he looked a bit pitiful.

“Okay, then let’s depart.”

After finishing his preparations, In-gong left the village of the Gullam clan, leaving behind Carlos, who was lying down.

&

“I want to go back…”

It had been two hours since leaving the village, and Felicia was muttering in a small voice from her position on Galang’s back.

The weather in the forest was unusual, just like in Evian. Thanks to this weather, the forest showed a very different appearance from ordinary forests. The outskirts of the forest, where the Gullam village was located, was cool. The trees were the thin, straight types commonly found in winter forests. Despite the winter weather, it started to become hot as they headed deeper, and it soon became like a rainforest.

However, Felicia’s desire to return wasn’t due to the humid weather or the sweat all over her body.

Just like how the giants and trees were big, so were the other things in the forest. The serpents in the trees were so big that they could swallow a human in one bite. Bugs the size of a human’s head flew around, causing them great fear.

Carack, sweating in his armour, crouched on a tree and clicked his tongue as he watched a giant monkey. The monkey was watching the party like they were its prey. If Galang and the giants weren’t present, it would attack straight away.

“Now I know why only giants live in this forest.”

The elves were a species that lived in forests. However, right now, a dark elf, who could be called a relative of the elves, was showing her desire to go home.

Moreover, she was sitting on Galang’s back, so she got motion sickness. Felicia was limp, while poor Karma and Delia also seemed to be in a bad state.

Carack swallowed his saliva and looked up at the sky. White Eagle was clearly seen in the sky.

‘Master, is it cool?’

“It is cool. Green Wind is really competent.”

While everyone, including Felicia, was suffering from the heat, In-gong was enjoying the cool wind created by Green Wind. The air itself was hot, so creating wind would just cause hot air. However, In-gong solved this problem by using the ice spirit he contracted some time ago. It was simple for Green Wind to create a cool wind by filtering the air through the ice spirit.

Felicia was able to do this, but she refrained since it was a waste of magic power. However, it wasn’t so hard for In-gong who had a dragon heart.

Green Wind laughed with pleasure at In-gong’s praise and said,

‘Yes, I am competent and useful.’

“Yes.”

In-gong stroked the surface of White Eagle which he was sitting on and looked at the mini-map.

‘There are too many creatures with hostility.’

He was scouting from the sky, but there were too many red dots on the mini-map. It was understandable that Galang had been reluctant to go into this area.

‘It was a good choice not to bring Kappa.’

Kappa had fallen in love with Felicia and wanted to come along, but Galang and the other Gullam hunters opposed it. They judged that this journey would be too risky for a young girl to come along.

There were five Gullam hunters on this journey, including Galang. According to the calculations of the Demon King’s Palace, they were equivalent to 200 soldiers. Many enemies were staring at them, but there were none who actually attacked.

It would be nice if they could arrive without any problems.

Just as In-gong was thinking this…

“Down!”

Galangs suddenly gave a loud shout. The surprised In-gong jumped up, looking down at the ground and the mini-map simultaneously. Huge vines were protruding from the ground and rushing toward the party like snakes.

“It is a carnivorous plant!”

One of the Gullam hunters exclaimed. Each of the hunters, led by Galang, swung a spear or sword at the vines. Felicia cast a magic spell hurriedly.

“Fire Barrier!”

The barrier of fire was larger than usual and spread to the sides of the party. No matter how humid the forest was, there was a lot of wood around, so it was crazy to create fire. However, In-gong had no doubts in Felicia. She controlled the flames perfectly using the fire spirit and wind spirit.

Over the past six months, Felicia had been training while following In-gong. She showed significant growth compared to how she had been six months ago.

“Too small!”

Felicia complained while sweating, but it was enough. Thanks to the barrier of fire which reached up to Gullam’s waist, the carnivorous plants didn’t dare approach In-gong’s party.

However, it was still too early to relax. There were many monsters aiming at the party through the gap created by the carnivorous plants.

“The side! Be prepared!”

Galang cried out. There was a flash as something jumped out from the left.

It was a huge monkey. The large monster, the size of Gullam’s head, leapt forward, and its power was really enormous.

Felicia screamed, while Karma and Delia swallowed their saliva. As Carack raised his shield, In-gong headed down from the sky.

It was like a white flash. In-gong flew straight toward the jaw of the leaping money and pulled back his right fist, while both legs were firmly set on White Eagle. The closer he got, the more he felt like he was heading toward a cliff.

What could he use against that huge enemy? In-gong decided to think in a straightforward manner. He concentrated aura on Earth Quaker, and it gave off an angry roar. He would use the most succinct, yet effective measure—

Explosive Power!

Kwang!

In-gong’s fist struck the jaw of the monkey monster. In-gong’s fist was small compared to the jaw of the huge monster. However, this wasn’t a simple hit but one with an aura explosion behind it. The monkey was hit by a terrible aura and fell to the ground as soon as it jumped. Its brain was shaken by the impact, and it didn’t stand back up immediately.

Simultaneously, In-gong had added momentum to Night Watch and wasn’t propelled back by the backlash. He stood on the jaw of the monkey monster and calmed his breathing.

In-gong had poured a lot of aura into the attack, and fortunately, it had ended the monster.

In-gong circulated his aura as he caught his breath, and the Gullam hunters stared with surprise at In-gong’s blow. Then Green Wind shouted,

‘Master! The sky!’

“Protect your heads! Breath is coming!”

Galang shouted again. In-gong looked up at the sky hurriedly. A giant monster was descending rapidly from the sky toward them. In-gong had faced it in Knight Saga.

‘Wyvern!’

One of the dragon species—it wasn’t intelligent enough to write or speak magic, but it was a terrible monster. Additionally, they were able to shoot out breath attacks. The wyverns had bodies which spanned approximately 10 meters from the tip of the head to the tail. So, from the standpoint of the Gullams, the wyverns were difficult monsters to deal.

The breaths of the wyverns poured down from the sky.

There were five wyverns attacking, and instead of rushing, the five of them flew past, shooting out breaths.

Kwang kwang kwang!

There were loud explosions as five energy bombs hit the ground. Galang pulled out his bow hastily, while Felicia lifted the barrier of fire. If the barrier of fire wasn’t controlled during the chaos, a tremendous disaster could happen.

“They are coming back!”

The wyverns turned in the air and fired breaths toward the ground again. Breath was limited to three times a day, and it was the same for the wyverns. However, they were pouring the power out generously toward the party.

The shock swept up the ground again. One of the Gullam hunters was directly hit by an energy shot and collapsed to the ground. Since this was an opportunity, the wyverns tried to directly attack the person who had fallen. Galang fired arrows hurriedly, but it was impossible to keep all five of the wyverns in check.

“Shutra!”

Felicia shouted. One of the wyverns was staring at the stunned monkey monster, and a sharp atmosphere poured out from it like lightning.

In-gong looked at the wyvern. He had many thoughts in that split moment. How should he deal with it? It was the first time he had to deal with a giant flying monster like the wyvern. When he thought about it, In-gong had no means of ranged attack.

He could use Fire Arrow. However, that was impossible. The Fire Arrow was too small for the wyvern. It was possible to pour in too much magic power to create a ballista style Fire Arrow, but he wondered if that would have enough power.

Galang shot an arrow. The wyvern turned away from In-gong hastily, and a sharp strong wind swept the ground as it headed back to the sky. It was aiming for a ranged attack.

Then something came to In-gong’s mind. He didn’t have to be beaten to get an attack. What he wanted to do now was innate. His instincts said it was possible, and his logic agreed with his instincts. However, he couldn’t help being perplexed by his thoughts.

‘W-what is this? This?’

His confusion was short-lived as In-gong returned to reality again. He invoked the power of Conquest and gave an order to the dragon heart.

Felicia had said it. Since he had the dragon heart, he could use dragon magic which was a privilege of the dragons.

Dragon magic—it was the language of dragons, and the magic created the breath naturally. However, there was something more instinctual than that. There was a great power which only a person with a dragon heart could use.

The wyvern reached its peak height and prepared to attack. The rest of the wyverns tried to shoot their breaths again.

However, In-gong looked at them sharply, and the power inherent in his dragon heart—the great authority of the dragon king—was invoked!

Dragon Breath!

A green cluster of energy grew from approximately 10 centimeters away from In-gong’s open mouth. It condensed until it was a pillar of light shooting into the air!

The pillar of light pierced the chest of a wyvern, and the other wyverns felt an instinctive fear toward the power of the dragon king. The flights of the other four wyverns, which had not been hit by the attack, became unstable.

[Dragon Breath Lv1 has been learnt.]

Everyone, except Galang who was firing his arrows, stared at In-gong. No, even Galang was looking at In-gong constantly.

In-gong endured their gazes and aimed another Dragon Breath at the wyverns.

&

“Shutra is amazing. No, you are strange. A scam.”

“Oh, this time there are some similarities, Princess.”

The wyverns, who had lost two allies to In-gong’s Dragon Breath, ran away. In fact, the big surprise was the Dragon Breath itself, rather than the wyverns dying.

Although it was the Dragon Breath from the most powerful dragon, its daily usage was still the same. In-gong was really glad the wyverns had escaped quickly before he only had one breath left.

The wyverns were driven out from the forest, and the animals no longer watched the party. Galang and the other Gullam hunters took care of the wyvern corpses hurriedly and focused on clearing the rear.

As the giants started to move, In-gong’s group moved close together. Felicia looked at In-gong with a bemused expression and said,

“Shutra is amazing. No, you are strange—a scam.”

“Oh, this time there are some similarities, Princess.”

Felicia ignored what Carack said and just looked at In-gong. In-gong grinned at the party before sending Felicia a wink. She understood the meaning of his gesture and called upon a wind spirit to make a curtain which would block out any sound.

“Shutra, what is going on? That… it was Dragon Breath, right?”

It was a situation where the sound was blocked out, but Felicia lowered her voice like she was afraid someone was listening. In-gong nodded.

“Perhaps.”

“Wah! Does this mean that Prince will grow wings, a tail and horns?”

Carack asked with an excited face. Clearly, he was really excited about this. However, In-gong shook his head.

“Like I said before, it isn’t like that. Well, it might be possible if I learn polymorph magic.”

“Ohhh.”

Of course, using polymorph magic would make it a literal transformation, but he would still grow wings and a tail like Carack said.

“But the breath—was it due to the dragon heart?”

Felicia was still confused. In-gong raised his hand to the middle of his chest, where the dragon heart was, and replied,

“Yes, the Dragon Breath is more like the dragon heart’s essence, rather than a magic spell. A primal act? Anyway, it was something like that.”

Dragon Breath wasn’t like a skill or magic; it was a right that a dragon enjoyed. Therefore, the Dragon Breath was closer to the essence of a dragon, than a magic spell. It was something which would awaken instinctively, such as how a bird could fly or a fish could swim.

Felicia looked confused again at the explanation and glanced at In-gong’s chest.

“Shutra, are you already closer to a dragon than a gandharva?”

Not only could he operate a dragon heart, but he could also shoot out Dragon Breath. If he could use magic spells, then he really would be a human type dragon.

“Well, I clearly saw a characteristic of the gandharva.”

Carack said after recalling something. Felicia made a confused sound and asked,

“Characteristic of the gandharva?”

“Yes, a characteristic of the gandharva.”

Felicia turned back to In-gong and narrowed her eyes.

“Uh… Shutra is very handsome.”

“Noona is also pretty.”

In-gong responded a little shamelessly to the sudden compliment of his appearance. It was true that Felicia was pretty. However, Carack said with a frown,

“This isn’t the time to be gloating.”

In-gong shrugged while Felicia opened up her fan hurriedly. Delia, who had been watching quietly, said softly,

“Carack, beauty is a characteristic of both species. The gandharva and elves are both known as species with beautiful appearances.”

Of course, the standards would vary from species to species, but even so, there were some mainstream standards. Carack thought for a moment before nodding.

“Well, indeed. Delia is also really pretty.”

“Oh, my.”

Delia turned red at Carack’s praise, while Karma frowned with vexation.

However, Carack didn’t go any deeper. He watched Felicia and asked,

“Princess, what characteristics do the gandharva have other than appearance?”

“Uh, let’s see? As far as I know… they have a good scent and are good at dancing and singing? There was a beautiful gandharva dancer, who was part of the Eight Legions, who went around performing to each species. Oh, they are also excellent at feeling the flow. They can sense everything that has a flow, whether it is the wind or aura.”

These were pretty much all the species characteristics she knew. Carack thought for a moment before nodding.

“Well, the liquid that comes from Prince’s body is delicious. It is really unbelievably sweet and delicious.”

“What? A delicious taste?”

Felicia turned to In-gong hastily, seeming to be yelling in his face.

In-gong replied hurriedly,

“I once tried drinking my blood. If I melt the magic power in the blood, it turns into a very sweet taste.”

“Blood?”

“Not just blood… other body fluids are possible.”

He had also experimented with his saliva and sweat.

“Does Noona want to try?”

In-gong asked, and Felicia quickly waved both hands.

“Uh, no. It’s okay. It is still blood.”

“You will regret it later. It is really delicious. Don’t ask after this. My blood is precious.”

In-gong answered with nonsense and pulled back his arm again. Carack laughed and asked Felicia another question.

“Then Princess, you mentioned something about the Eight Legions? What is the Eight Legions?”

“Uh, I don’t know? Carack?”

“I also don’t know.”

“Weird.”

Felicia smiled and glanced at Delia. It was a glance for help, so Delia opened her mouth immediately.

“The Eight Legions is a group of eight species that migrated here from a distance place. There is a story that they came from a place called the Celestial World, but it is just a legend, so it isn’t accurate.”

The Eight Legions had appeared suddenly one day, but there was no evidence of where they really came from. It was thousands of years ago, so there was no one remaining who could testify about that time. The only clues were the records about the Eight Legions, but most of the records had been destroyed during the Era of Struggle. Now, it was just a legend.

“The species that belong to the Eight Legions are the gandharva, yaksha, sura, deva, karura, dragon, kinnara and mahoraga. Carack, you should have seen the yaksha and sura a few times.”

The demon king was a sura.

Carack nodded at Felicia’s words.

“I’ve seen almost all of them. But this is the first time I heard that the eight species were related.”

“Well, like I said, it is just a legend. There are some people who question the existence of the Eight Legions as species of the Demon World. However, is it that easy? It is a little bit ambiguous to point to a dragon or any other species.”

The yaksha were probably the most active of the Eight Legions in the Demon World. Most of the other Eight Legions, including the sura, were few in number.

“Ohu. Then Princess, what are the characteristics of the dark elves and the sura? Prince and Princess both carry the blood of the demon king.”

However, on the outside, the two of them didn’t seem to carry any sura blood. Right now, Felicia wasn’t much different from Delia who was a pure-blooded dark elf.

“I’ll tell you the characteristics of the dark elves. A beautiful appearance and… light and nimble body, high spirit affinity, longevity and special eyes that can see in the dark?”

As she listened to In-gong’s words, Felicia laughed. Then she continued on from his explanation,

“The sura are a natural combat species. They have good combat senses, high stamina, resilience and recovery. Aura is also a special talent.”

They were literally a species born to fight.

“But the blood of the sura is less enthusiastic, so the children of the demon king tend to inherit more of their Omamama’s characteristics, rather than their Abamama’s. I guess the only obvious effect of Abamama’s blood is the childhood Silvan and I had.”

“Childhood?”

“The other dark elves have a fairly long childhood. But Silvan and I aren’t much different from Shutra, Caitlin and Chris.”

“Ah, is that so? Maybe Prince fights well due to the blood of the demon king.”

Carack nodded his head like he was convinced.

After the explanations, Felicia turned to In-gong.

“Anyway, the Dragon Breath is really amazing and strange. Shutra, can you shoot it from anywhere other than your mouth?”

Although it seemed natural to shoot Dragon Breath from his mouth, some discomfort was unavoidable.

In-gong shrugged and replied,

“I’m glad it isn’t being shot from my eyes. And I’m also glad that it is in the form of a light pillar. If it was fire, the situation would’ve become worse.”

“Indeed.”

Felicia nodded slowly as she imagined In-gong shooting fire from his mouth. The pillar of light did seem easier to form and had less discomfort.

“Well, Noona, I think we should keep the dragon heart a secret from Galang and the Gullam hunters. Should I just say that it is a powerful magic or skill?”

There was a reason for blocking the sound around the party. Felicia immediately understood In-gong’s words.

“Indeed, I don’t think it would be good if Anastasia unni hears about this. Let’s do so.”

He didn’t know if he would have to fight against Anastasia, but it was better to keep some things hidden. The more trump cards he had, the better.

Once the story was finished to a certain extent, Felicia put away the wind spirit. Then the Gullam hunters came up to In-gong’s party, and they all said the same thing.

“Drakon Kechatulla.”

“Drakon Kechatulla.”

“Drakon Kechatulla!”

It was a situation where even the reticent Galang had said it. Felicia and his companions all looked back at In-gong reflexively. All of them seemed to be asking In-gong about the meaning.

“I don’t know… the ‘great dragon warrior’?”

It was a language he didn’t know, but he did now. The woman’s voice was heard in his head.

[Ancient Giants Language Lv1 has been learnt.]

The language of the ancient giants… In-gong stared at the words which seemed to be hiding something, but Felicia waved a hand in his face.

“It is convenient, but I’m starting to feel angry like I’m being deprived of something.”

She worked hard to learn each letter. If she didn’t use it often, she would forget them.

While Felicia was grunting angrily, Galang lowered his face. He stared straight at In-gong and declared,

“Drakon Kechatulla. Finally, the incarnation of the dragon has returned.”

There was an almost pious expression in Galang’s eyes, and it wasn’t simply because he was amazed at In-gong.

“It seems like there is something more.”

Carack said, and In-gong agreed. He looked up and Galang and said,

“Tell me the story.”

&

There was something which was passed down within the Gullam clan.

It was the image of a human, who was the incarnation of a dragon, fighting against a wicked red serpent god in order to protect the world. The incarnation of the dragon fighting against the serpent god wasn’t a prediction of the future but a depiction of the past.

Felicia broke down every part of the story Galang told them. Originally, the story was made up of parables and symbols.

Felicia replaced Galang’s words one by one.

‘The world was the forest. The evil serpent god was a dragon. The human shaped incarnation of a dragon can be interpreted in different ways. It could be a warrior supported by a good dragon or a good dragon which polymorphed into the form of a person.’

At Enger Plaints, there was the story of the centaur warrior who had protected the north after receiving White Eagle.

“Going by that… is there a relic associated with a dragon in the area?”

Felicia came to this conclusion, and In-gong agreed.

“It is most likely a dragon lair.”

Perhaps it was a place associated with an elder dragon. Even if it wasn’t an elder dragon, it was the lair of a dragon which had lived thousands of years ago. So, it was a jackpot.

“My motivation is rising.”

Felicia forgot about the sweat and the other worries she had in the past as she murmured.

In-gong looked at Galang and asked,

“Galang, is this also told among the Paran and Hwarin?”

“The roots of all three giant clans are the same. The story about the incarnation of the dragon is also handed down among the Paran and Hwarin.”

Galang’s attitude toward In-gong was much more cautious than before. There was a reverence which couldn’t be hidden.

The incarnation of the great dragon…

If the Paran and Hwarin shared the same story, then they were likely to react in a similar manner to Galang.

In-gong remembered the centaurs of Enger Plains and nodded silently. As Felicia said, having more trump cards was good.

“Let’s go find the ruin.”

There was still time left before the sun set. The party’s footsteps accelerated.

The large forest was wider than In-gong had imagined. As they ventured deeper, In-gong’s anxiety grew.

‘This is the right direction.’

The information he’d gathered from Knight Saga gave an estimated location of the ruins, but he hadn’t experienced it directly. The forest was so wide that even if the rough direction was right, any slight error would make them arrive at a remote location.

‘I hope that the ruin stays the same size.’

As with everything else in the forest, if the ruins were too big, he might have trouble finding it on the mini-map. Therefore, In-gong focused on the mini-map while riding on White Eagle.

Two hours later…

“This is the first time I’ve passed by this area.”

Galang said in a voice which was filled with admiration and respect. The other Gullam hunters were also very excited.

Galang and his group were excited about being about to go into this area.

There was a colony of red ants in the area. Just like everything else in the forest, the ants were enormous and almost the size of a human body. There were thousands of ants, and the ground itself seemed to be red.

Even Felicia, who had seen many things, had to cover her eyes at the terrible sight, but that wasn’t the only problem.

Galang called the red ants, the Flaming Ants. It wasn’t due to their red colour but because of their nature. The Flaming Ants covered anything in their territory, without caring about living or dying. Thousands of red ants covered the bodies of their victims and ate them instantly, giving them a resemblance to the flame ants.

However, the party simply passed through the area of the fire ants. Half of it was thanks to Felicia’s barrier of fire and the other half was thanks to In-gong’s new power.

“Won’t people get out of your way every day?”

Carack said brief words of appreciation, and In-gong responded with a bitter smile. He didn’t want to deny it, but the newly awakened power was something he hadn’t thought about.

Dragon Fear—

It was a dragon’s innate power, just like the Dragon Breath.

As its name suggested, Dragon Fear was the ability to instill fear into the beings around him.

As soon as he realized it was innate just like Dragon Breath, he could use it immediately.

It was only level one, so the impact range was small, but the effect was obvious. In-gong used Dragon Fear, and the colony of ants opened up a path for them. Through this open path, Felicia expanded her fire barrier, creating a truly safe passage.

“Drakon Kechatulla.”

“Drakon Kechatulla!”

While the Gullam hunters honoured him, In-gong looked at the mini-map. The reason he had descended from the sky down to the ground hadn’t been just to break through the colony of ants. The location of the ruins was shown on the mini-maps, so it was no longer necessary for him to stay in the sky.

Fortunately, their direction was still correct. They just needed to travel a little further to arrive at the ruins.

“It will be breathtaking.”

Night was approaching. Perhaps by the time they arrived at the ruin, the sun would just be setting.

Of course, camping in the forest was a risk. There was a reason why the Gullam lived in the outskirts of the forest, away from their hunting grounds. At night, the prey would become the hunters. There were also many nocturnal animals which didn’t show up during the day. If they camped in the wrong place, they might never wake up again.

Could they find a camping spot near the ruins? If they couldn’t find the right place, they would have to camp inside the actual ruins.

In fact, it was common during exploration to set up camp sites within the ruins. There were walls and ceilings, so it was easier to secure their safety inside, than a place where every side was open.

The question was whether the ruins were dangerous. They wouldn’t know if there was anything inside until they searched it from beginning to end. An unexpected spell might be activated while they were sleeping, or they could be attacked by a dungeon monster or protector of the ruins.

In that case, the walls and ceilings would become obstacles to isolate the party.

“I think that I am worrying too much.”

There was the possibility of danger, but risks always existed when going into ruins.

Felicia looked away from the Flaming Ants and expressed her opinion,

“If there is a multi-floor structure, even if a magic trap is activated, it is unlikely to affect the whole ruins, and we will be ready for magic from the beginning. There were always traces of the magic circuit left behind. And if we camp near the entrance, it won’t be so difficult to escape.”

Felicia was the one with the most experience in ruins exploration. Carack nodded and asked,

“Don’t you just dislike camping in the forest?”

“Ah, no? Do I have to justify this to you? Would you prefer mud instead of walls, ceilings and hard floors?”

Felicia wasn’t embarrassed and said it openly.

While everyone was laughing, In-gong focused his gaze on a place far away. It was a big empty space beyond the bushes.

“Ohh…”

Galang and the other Gullam hunters gave cries of admiration. They had lived in the forest all their lives, but they had never imagined there would be such a vacant place.

Felicia looked around from Galang’s shoulder. The vacant lot was hundreds of meters in diameter and was much lower than the surrounding areas, like a type of basin. In the middle of the empty space, In-gong saw a stone structure. The entrance of the ruins was just high enough for the Gullam to pass through.

“Are these underground ruins? Maybe this isn’t a dragon lair.”

Felicia muttered in a small voice. The dragon lair was the nest of a dragon, so a big entrance leading to the outside was needed. Of course, Kaltein’s lair in Sun Lake didn’t have such an entrance, but that was a rare case.

In-gong rose on White Eagle to a point where he was eye level with Galang.

“Let’s explore the area around the entrance. Arranging a camping place is imperative.”

As expected, the sun was setting. They had to search for a campsite before it became dark.

“I understand.”

Galang answered sincerely before rushing toward the ruins.

&

There were no traces of magic power at the entrance to the ruin. The walls were solidly laid and didn’t seem to have any added magic power.

The amazing thing was the air inside the ruin. In contrast to the humid forest, the air inside was very cold and dry. It was a double layered structure which led underground like Felicia speculated, and it had a spell at the underground side.

“This is a very old ruin. At least 5,000 years… maybe more than that.”

Felicia got down from Galang and spoke while touching the walls of the stone ruin. She used a type of magic which could measure age, like carbon dating.

The ceiling of the ruins was very high for In-gong’s group, but not for the Gullam hunters. In particular, Galang was the tallest and felt quite frustrated because there was only one palm height between his head and the ceiling.

Fortunately, the corridor was quite wide. There was plenty of space so that three Gullam hunters could walk side by side at the same time. Galang led the party into the ruins while holding a torch. Outside the ruins, it was already dark.

“I don’t feel any signs of movement inside. There isn’t even a big animal.”

Galang said with narrowed eyes. He was somewhat puzzled.

Ruins with their walls and ceilings were a haven for many animals and plants. Due to this, there were usually many dungeon monsters and various flora and fauna inside old ruins.

In-gong was reminded of the dwarf cave he had used when fighting against the Red Lightning tribe. There had been rock spiders and other flora and fauna inside the cave.

“Although there seems to be… bugs. We can rest easily.”

Felicia looked at the Carack-sized spider on the ceiling. Even though there were no big animals, there were still living creatures. It wasn’t unreasonable to camp overnight here.

The inside of the ruins was basically a straight corridor, with several rooms on the left and right. It seemed like the corridor would become a crossroad if they went deeper, but In-gong’s group stopped exploring in front of the first room.

“Let’s make preparations for the camp.”

There were walls and ceilings, but this wasn’t enough. There was a large room which was 50 meters long. This wasn’t big for the Gullams, especially Galang, but they made sure it was well-ventilated before setting up a campfire. The room was soon filled with a red light.

It was bare of any furniture, and the ceilings and walls were old, so it was hard to find traces of anything.

“We should set it up.”

In-gong nodded at Felicia’s words and opened his inventory. Unlike the Gullams who were ready after the campfire, In-gong’s group still had a lot of work to do.

In-gong took out all the materials to build a big tent. He then pulled out the sleeping bags and cooking utensils. The last thing he took out was a bathtub made of pottery.

“Shutra is the best! Too convenient!”

Felicia touched the bathtub excitedly. Galang and the other Gullam hunters stared at In-gong with wide eyes.

“I’m getting used to this now.”

Carack set up the tent with Karma, and Delia opened a screen and large parasol around the bathroom to set up a bathing room. It was a place without a waterway or well, but it didn’t matter. Felicia called the water spirit and filled the bathtub instantly. She didn’t forget to use the fire spirit to heat up the water as well.

In-gong then pulled out a leather rug to place it on the bottom of the tent. Despite not bringing a big bag, the campsite was like a luxury accommodation with a kitchen and bathing room.

“Shutra, I’ll wash first.”

Felicia had been sweating all day, so she couldn’t be happier. She took Delia and Karma into the temporary bathing room. They had a change of clothes because of In-gong’s inventory. In-gong used magic to light a fire with the firewood Carack had collected, then he took out cold beverages and handed them to Carack.

As the Gullam hunters kept staring in surprise, Carack look at the cold beer in his hand and laughed.

“I once again realized that I am on a trip with a prince.”

In-gong was able to provide a camp of this luxury in a short amount of time. This was because Felicia could use magic and spirits for easy convenience, while In-gong could fit various equipment in his inventory.

“I’m sorry. The size of the Gullams means this was the only thing I could bring for you.”

In-gong’s face filled with regret as he brought out large spice shakers almost the size of a human body, which contained salt and pepper.

“Thank you for this.”

Galang laughed and put the wyvern meat onto the campfire. As the smell of roasting meat spread, there was the risk of gathering beasts from the forest. However, the party had Green Wind. Green Wind gathered the smell of roasting meat and blew it far away into the sky.

“Well, even I think it is a scam.”

In-gong said as he sat on a chair and watched Carack cook. Felicia and the women left the bath almost half an hour later.

&

In-gong suddenly opened his eyes. He was in a small one-person tent. There were animal skins and a few blankets on the floor, with Green Wind sleeping beside him. She had a warm body temperature in a solid form, while she was a cool breeze in her semi-solid form.

At first, he was a bit embarrassed about sleeping next to her, but he was so used to it now that he couldn’t sleep well without Green Wind.

In-gong blinked a few times while stroking Green Wind’s head reflexively. He hadn’t simply been woken from his sleep.

‘Master?’

Green Wind asked in a sleepy voice. Despite being a guardian which didn’t need to sleep, she felt sleepy due to her experiences in the past.

Instead of answering, In-gong got up. He summoned a small light spirit and left the tent.

“Your Highness?”

Galang, who was standing guard, turned toward In-gong. The rest of the Gullam hunters were gathered around the campfire, while Felicia, Delia and Karma’s tent was quiet. Carack was lying at the entrance of In-gong’s tend and opened his eyes with a loud grumble.

“Prince?”

In-gong didn’t answer. He raised a hand for Galang and Carack to remain still.

No sounds could be heard. There was only the sound of wind passing through the hallway. However, In-gong knew instinctively—no, he could feel it.

Drakon Kechatulla…

The great dragon warrior—

Its voice was calling In-gong.

“Um, did something wake you up?”

Carack said as he rubbed his eyes. His sleepy voice was full of confusion. He listened for a long time but didn’t hear anything.

In-gong was too focused to answer. He heard a call from deep inside the ruins. It was more like a feeling than a voice.

“Your Highness, I feel something as well… something like a call. But it isn’t a voice. It is hard to explain.”

Galang said with narrowed eyes. He had a serious nature, so he wouldn’t make up something like this.

“Umm.”

Carack looked at the reactions from Galang and the other Gullam hunters before trying to concentrate again. It was something only In-gong and the Gullam hunters could feel.

‘Master, there is a reaction from White Eagle.’

He heard Green Wind’s voice. In-gong turned back and White Eagle, which contained Green Wind, was shaking. He could feel it when he put his hand on the surface of the shield—White Eagle was now resonating with something.

‘An equipment of an elder dragon?’

It was different. Although there was a similar feeling to when he got Night Watch, the call from inside the ruins wasn’t like the resonance between elder dragons.

As a test, In-gong tried to take out Earth Quaker and Night Watch. Both of the elder dragon equipment was resonating like White Eagle, but the degree of resonance was different. Earth Quaker was the most non-responsive, while White Eagle had the biggest response.

“Prince, will you leave immediately?”

Carack asked carefully as he watched In-gong. Instead of answering, In-gong looked toward the tent where Felicia was sleeping. Despite the disturbance, she was fast asleep, and there was no response.

In-gong checked the clock of the mini-map and said,

“We should wait for the sun to rise. Everyone is tired from having to break through the forest. I don’t know what is inside, but there is no need to rush. Let’s rest for a while.”

It was a forest where their stamina weakened just by walking due to the heat and humidity. Additionally, they were tense from watching out for various plants and animals.

“But Prince. Won’t your nerves be irritated by the call?”

Carack stared at In-gong with worry. In-gong just shrugged at Carack’s question.

“It isn’t big enough that I can’t ignore it. It is similar to the cry of a cicada?”

If the noise was repeated regularly, it would become familiar. Carack nodded.

“I understand, but don’t ignore it too much. If you can’t stand it, speak up right away.”

“Yes, let’s take a look at in the morning.”

In-gong said and went back inside his tent.

&

The next morning, the party packed up and left the room. Except for In-gong, the rest of the party were carried by the Gullam hunters.

Felicia called the light spirit to replace the torches. The consumption of magic power was somewhat severe since this was a big space, but the inside of the corridor became bright like daytime.

“It really looks like an old place.”

Despite the fact that the inside of the structure wasn’t affected by storms, the walls were severely damaged. Ornaments and other similar things were so broken that they were hard to recognize.

As Galang said, the inside of the ruins was calm, and there were no signs of inhabitants. Sometimes, the sound of bugs could be heard in the distance.

A staircase descended approximately 200 to 300 meters. It was a very long staircase.

The structure of the second underground floor wasn’t much different from the first floor. There were two large holes which were for the corridor, and several small rooms were attached to the corridor.

“This is like an army barrack.”

“Army barrack?”

In-gong asked Carack to clarify his words. Carack scratched his chin as he searched for the words to explain.

“That, Prince, haven’t you seen it a few times at Evian? The accommodation where the soldiers stay are usually like this. Karma, isn’t that right?”

“Uh… the barrack I stayed in wasn’t that big.”

Karma often moved with the centaurs, who had a nomadic lifestyle. It was no wonder she hadn’t experienced this type of military barrack. While Karma remained embarrassed, Felicia spoke up,

“According to Carack, could this ruin be the barrack of the ancient giants? That is a pretty interesting opinion.”

It had been 100 years since the three giant clans of Curtis joined the Demon King’s Palace, so it was quite recent. It wouldn’t be strange if there had been a giant kingdom in the past.

“Galang, how long have the Gullam clan lived in this forest?”

Felicia asked from Galang’s shoulder. Galang slowed down like he was afraid of hurting Felicia and said,

“I only know that it has been a very long time. Just that… during the Era of Struggle, there was a story about living deep in the forest.”

The Gullam clan had lost their records thanks to the Era of Struggle. In fact, it had been an unusual case for the dark elves to be able to retain incomplete records. The Era of Struggle had been a harsh period when species warfare continued every day.

“Let’s continue.”

In-gong listened to the story and ordered Green Wind to go a little further ahead. The group, led by In-gong on White Eagle, headed toward the third floor from the second floor.

As they descended deeper into the ground, the ruin became narrower, and the concentration of magic power in the air became thicker. Unlike the first and second floor, a few things remained on the third floor.

“This seems to be a weapons storage.”

There were shelves in a large room which contained spears and swords, however, they were all very old and broken. There was a large metal armour on the ground which turned to powder when it was touched. Looking at the design, there seemed to be a string or leather which connected the metal, but it seemed to be lost.

The party continued to head underground. Every time they headed down, the call became louder. By the time they reached the fifth underground floor, even the Gullam hunters could feel the call without paying particular attention.

Then after arriving on the seventh underground floor, the party gulped. Unlike the other floors which had nothing on them, the remains of a giant sitting on a throne was in the middle of the room.

It seemed to be taller than Galang, who was a big Gullam, and was wearing fairly old armour. In front of the giant’s remains, a large sword was stuck in the ground.

‘Master.’

Green Wind whispered, and In-gong nodded. The origin of the call was the giant sword.

Drakon Kechatulla—

It was the dragon warrior from the legend of the giants, and the hero who had defended the world against the evil red serpent god.

In-gong neared the giant sword on White Eagle. Unlike the other objects in the ruin, the giant black sword was almost intact. The handle was in a dragon shape, and there were a long blade. It wasn’t an exaggeration to call it a big pillar since it needed to be big enough for giants to use.

In-gong took a deep breath and pulled after placing both hands on the sword’s handle. Thanks to his level up, he had been able to overwhelm the berserk Caitlin with his strength. In his attempt to pull the sword out, In-gong’s muscles swelled as he applied force. The giant sword shook greatly, then it was pulled out.

“Ohh.”

Carack let out a cry of admiration, while Felicia couldn’t conceal her expression at the absurdity of In-gong holding the giant sword. The Gullam hunters were also surprised.

‘Master, too heavy.’

Green Wind whined as In-gong held the handle. However, In-gong didn’t hear it as he closed his eyes.

The giant sword was no longer calling out to In-gong now that he was holding it—In-gong just understood it. The giant sword was like a relic of an elder dragon, but it was different from White Eagle, Earth Quaker and Night Watch.

It was older. It came from the distant past. Its nature was different as well. It was difficult to explain, but it was obviously made for a different purpose than the equipment of the elder dragons he had obtained so far.

[Giant King’s Sword]

[A sword belonging to the leader of the giants.]

In-gong opened his eyes slowly and looked around to see Galang and the other Gullam warriors on their knees.

“Drakon Kechatulla.”

“Drakon Kechatulla.”

It was the power of the sword, and it wasn’t just a symbol, like the Dragon King’s Golden Helmet. This was a power that could affect the giants directly.

In-gong placed the Giant King’s Sword into his inventory. At this moment, Galang raised his head. It was a response like he had broken free of something. The Gullam hunters looked at each other with surprised expressions and rushed to get up.

“Shutra?”

Felicia jumped down from Galang, approached In-gong and asked a question. In-gong fell to the ground as well as he replied,

“It felt like an elder dragon was touching me. But it is different from Earth Quaker or White Eagle.”

The feeling was certain, but there was no way to explain it specifically. In-gong asked Green Wind,

“Green Wind, can you feel anything?”

“Um, I don’t know. It is familiar but also strange. It is a different feeling from when I encountered Earth Quaker or Night Watch. At that time, I didn’t feel like it was strange.”

Green Wind too felt a sensation similar to what In-gong felt.

Felicia looked at In-gong and Green Wind because Green Wind didn’t seem like a simple guardian. In-gong smiled bitterly at Felicia’s gaze. Now that he thought about it, he had never discussed the origin of Green Wind. In-gong truly did have many secrets.

“The origin of Green Wind is Ainkel. A fragment of Ainkel’s soul became self-reliant and gave birth to the guardian, Green Wind.”

In-gong explained briefly, and Felicia’s eyes shone.

“The soul of an elder dragon?”

“Hmm, hmm, that’s right. I am such a being.”

Green Wind raised her jaw and took a holy pose, just like the first time In-gong met her. However, Felicia had already witnessed different types of things. Carack, who had seen the Great Enkidu from the Thunder Light Anvil, made a disappointed expression.

“The fantasy of the elder dragons is breaking.”

Delia nodded as she has also seen the illusion of Enkidu. Enkidu had truly felt like a great being in that illusion. Green wind made a dissatisfied expression as even Karma, who had once worshipped her, didn’t show any response. Felicia looked around and said,

“Anyway, these ruins has to do with a dragon… Is there some type of relationship between the elder dragons and the giants?”

“Maybe.”

The Giant King’s Sword had the ability to rule the giants. He didn’t know the extent of the dominance, but if the elder dragon made such a sword, there was likely to be a much closer relationship than he thought.

The dragon warrior who had fought against the red serpent god…

In-gong looked back at the throne. After the Giant King’s Sword was pulled out, the remains and armour of the giant king had fallen down. It was like time had accelerated.

It wasn’t just the remains of the giant king which started to collapse. The whole place started to shake. At first, it was only slight but the shaking became increasingly bigger.

“Prince!”

Carack exclaimed urgently. Karma grabbed Felicia in a flash and jumped on top of Galang, while Delia also rushed forward. In-gong gestured to Carack as he jumped on White Eagle.

“Run!”

The Gullam hunters started to run as rocks were falling from the ceiling.

These were ruins which had seven underground floors. If they didn’t hurry, they would be crushed by the ruin.

The Gullam hunters ran desperately, but time was the problem. By the time they reached the second floor, the shaking of the ruin was almost at the level of an earthquake. The floor cracked, and the ceiling was crumbling.

“Ohhhh!”

Galang shouted and took the lead. He used the fact that the ceiling was low to step on the rubble and jump to the ground floor.

‘Master!’

The moment that Green Wind screamed, In-gong used Dragon Breath. He used it to shatter the stone which was blocking the middle of the hallway on the first floor.

The light was near. Instead of running, Galang and the Gullam hunters threw themselves at the light. They rolled on the ground but were able to get out in time. As the last Gullam hunter hit the ground, the entrance of the ruins collapsed completely.

In-gong hurried toward the Gullam hunters. The people they carried were lying on the ground, but they were fortunately unharmed. Their bodies had been thrown before the Gullam hunters landed on the ground.

Carack had a tough body, while Amita’s armour had absorbed the shock for Delia. Karma landed smoothly on the ground while carrying Felicia. She staggered somewhat, but due to being a sturdy satyr, she stood firmly without falling.

After confirming the safety of the party, In-gong looked back at the ruins. There was a hole in the ground where the seven floors had collapsed, and the ground was still shaking as the collapse continued.

“Huu.”

The Giant King’s Sword was the source of the magic which sustained the ruin. After letting out a long exhale, In-gong opened his inventory and looked at the Giant King’s Sword. Although there were some questions left, the result was a success.

It was clear the elder dragons had a conflict with the four beings of Conquest, War, Death and Famine. Therefore, looking into the Giant King’s Sword and red serpent god had a high chance of allowing him to discover new facts.

‘I got my hands on the Giant King’s Sword.’

Furthermore, thanks to this exploration, he had become aware of Dragon Breath and Dragon Fear. It was a fairly successful result for two days of exploration.

In-gong couldn’t help smiling before he urged the party to move. They hurriedly left the basin where the ruins used to be.

Later that night…

The incubus, Carlos, ran toward In-gong’s party which had returned to the Gullam village. Carack listened to what Carlos was gasping out and exclaimed,

“4th Princess is in danger?!”

…4th Princess Anastasia Nekrion, the person in charge of Curtis!

Felicia and Green Wind looked at In-gong reflexively. The Carlos shouted,

“Ah, no! Your Highness! It is a big deal! The transportation formation has been destroyed!”

“Transportation formation?”

Curtis transportation formation was in the centre, not the outskirts. Who would attack the place when it was a few days away from the front lines?

“What transportation formation is it?”

Felicia asked hurriedly. The dark elf reinforcements still hadn’t arrived through the transportation formation. It was be frustrating if the transportation formation which connected to the territory of the dark elves was destroyed.

However, Carlos’ reaction was abnormal. He shouted with a face full of despair,

“It isn’t just one! All of Curtis’ transportation formations have been attacked!”

It was a simultaneous strike. This wasn’t something the barbarians located behind the Western Limit Line could do.

The destruction of the transportation formations was to stop reinforcements from the Demon King’s Palace. What happened? And what was going to happen from now on?

In-gong gazed toward the north-west, in the direction of the location of the 4th Princess Anastasia and 3rd Prince Victor.