Light of Arad: The First to Walk - Chapter 128



Only Noblemtl

128

Jinseong came up to the stage with a broad smile on his face.

That kind of experience was also something I had never experienced as a user.

‘Hehehe, compared to when it was just a few cards flipped over and that was the end… … . In times like these, reality is better, I like it.’

Needless to say, the warm gazes of the Suju fans who attended the martial arts competition were amazing.

The reason why Jinseong still calls himself by his own name was also obvious.

“Oh my god, I beat Shizuki! She was a strong candidate to win this tournament!”

“So who should come out now? To deal with that outsider next time-.”

“An outsider! Jin: You can’t just treat the martial artist who won the Blue Dragon Tournament as an outsider, right?”

“-Uh, Uh-huh, that’s what I’m saying! Anyway, in order to beat that guy now….”

“Should I call the rubella criminal?”

“No, no, maybe Shannon-.”

“Hey, there are things you can say and things you can’t say.”

“Hahaha, anyway, it’ll be fun for a while! The martial arts competition’s competitors’ competitive spirit will be burning brightly!”

The most entertaining thing in the world is watching a fight, and more than anything, the easiest topic to discuss is ‘who will win’ in a fight that has not yet happened.

Jinseong smiled happily as he heard all kinds of names coming out of the mouths of the audience.

“Oh, you’re confident!? Anyone can do it! That’s probably your attitude, right?”

“Good! Come to the next Jin:Blue Dragon Tournament too! I, Jinseong, will be cheering you on!”

The crowd of spectators, who thought it was a display of confidence, cheered and shouted even louder.

Jinseong was still smiling. Of course, it wasn’t because he was confident.

‘There’s no way the Rising Sun in the Duchy of Bel Myer would come… … Shannon? Puhaha, you guys, in order to meet the legendary fighter Shannon Myer who disappeared, you have to be right before ascending to the celestial realm. Oh, so you’re currently infiltrating the De Los Empire on a secret mission? At any rate, even if you say so, there’s absolutely no chance of you fighting me!’

Because they knew full well that there would be no more confrontations between the NPCs they were talking about and the real him.

In addition, I also knew what the prizes and special benefits were for winning the Jin:Qinglong Tournament.

“Jinseong. Congratulations.”

“Ah… Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Still, Jinseong had to be embarrassed when he saw Shonan Asuka come out to congratulate him.

It wasn’t because of Shonan Asuka.

‘I guess that’s because we’re together… … Height? Why are there four high priests-.’

It was because of the height of the four great ministers who stood by her side like guardians and were the representative NPCs of the exorcist.

A rapid stream of thoughts arose in Jinseong’s brain.

‘-… … Ah. No way.’

I have never heard of a story about a kidney being brought to a martial arts competition in the country of Suju.

The fact that he came here means that it is a very special case, and the reason why a very special case has occurred at the current Jin:Blue Dragon Tournament is one thing, and it is ultimately Jinseong himself.

The fact that the Suju Hangmadan to which Shinjang belongs and that he is one of the four high priests.

Plus, if you consider the fact that he is an exorcist.

‘Have you seen the black ball? Have you noticed the black ball? That can’t be… … But that’s not true. That’s right, you’re an exorcist. You’re someone who deals with evil spirits and evil beasts, and among them, you’re the best in Arad Continent!’

Maybe the reason Shin-ga came here, and the reason Shonan Asuka gave Jin-sei a subtle gaze, wasn’t all related to Kurogu!

[Kekekeke… … What is that reddish thing? A living thing… … It seems closer to a visualization of energy. Doesn’t it look like it’s glaring at me, Jinseong?]

Heukgu also seemed to notice it and said:

It was a pity for Jinseong that he couldn’t shut the mouth of such a black man.

If I talk to Heukgu, isn’t it obvious that the already suspicious situation will get worse?

Heukgu, who knew Jinseong’s feelings or not, started talking excitedly.

[I’m sure. That guy- that human and that insolent red guy are feeling me and glaring at me. Jinseong, lend me your strength. Let me show my majesty right here and now. I’ll tear and tear the flesh of those insolent guys apart-.]

“Ahem, gurgle, gurgle! Gulp!”

The only way Jinseong could choose was to simply cough to interrupt Heukgu’s nonsense.

Shonan Asuka, U, Shinjang and others looked at the truth, tilting their heads for a moment.

Jinseong had no way of knowing what they were really thinking.

* * *

From the moment Jinseong was announced as the winner, the atmosphere around the judges’ table became a bit tense.

Shinjang asked Shonan Asuka in a somewhat playful tone how she would handle this matter, but it was not something to be laughed off by someone with the personality of Imperial Envoy Wu.

“… … Surely not even Shizuki-sama… … Asuka-sama, you’re not really going to select the author as your personal guard, are you?”

“If the author wishes… … Jin: As a special privilege for winning the Blue Dragon Tournament, even if the King were to exercise his veto, it wouldn’t look good.”

Just as the kidney made a rational judgment that it could not exorcise the spirit of the real thing because it could not distinguish between the spirit of the four gods and the spirit of the four evils, it also tried to think rationally about the future treatment of the real thing.

It wasn’t like I could just listen to it.

“Hey, Your Highness! It’s not something you can say so easily. Since the opening policy, the economy of our country has been revitalized through exchanges with various countries, but… … That means that the border guarding against those with hidden agendas from other countries has also become looser. What if the author is a spy for the De Ros Empire? Don’t you understand that you would have someone like that in Lady Asuka’s personal guard? And it’s not just the De Ros Empire. Recently, there have been quite a few martial artists defecting to a group called the Grim Seekers, and it’s just someone whose identity is unknown-.”

What is the current situation of the water supply?

Unlike Shinjang, who is a member of the Suju Demon Corps and focuses solely on exorcism and other activities, Woo has to take care of everything from diplomacy to national defense and everything else, which is by no means an easy task for him.

First of all, there is the real enemy, the Empire of De Los.

Even during the time of the Pelos Empire, they had a history of breaking their alliance with the Suju nation and invading.

Hasn’t the trust of the Suzhou countries in the empire disappeared since those days?

Since Shonan Asuka is currently at odds with the Emperor of the De Ros Empire, it would not be an exaggeration to say that in some ways the relationship between the Suju Nation and the De Ros Empire is worse than that between the Principality of Bel Myer and the De Ros Empire.

Since Shinjang was also aware of the situation, he had to apologize belatedly.

“I, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cause any trouble, but… … .”

“It’s fortunate that I’m the only one who’s in trouble. That’s not the problem.”

However, Woo’s anxiety was not relieved.

At least what the kidney said itself is true.

Jin: The winner of the Blue Dragon Tournament is given the opportunity to be selected as a member of the royal guard.

It is not a guarantee of employment, but it is also possible for the King, Shonan Asuka, to crush it.

But what if the winner wants it so badly?

It can never be a good look in terms of the King’s courtesy towards the winner of the Jin:Qinglong Tournament, who already has special privileges.

“If someone with that kind of spirit… … volunteers to be my personal guard… … .”

Shonan Asuka’s expression hardened.

In such circumstances, they went down to the stage to congratulate Jinseong as the winner.

“Ahem, gurgle, gurgle! Gulp!”

I was faced with Jinseong, who was coughing in vain with an expression on his face that made it impossible to tell whether it was an act or reality, and I had no idea what he was thinking.

Jinseong spoke in a hurry.

“Win, ahem, the perks of winning… I’ve already heard about that. They say it gives you the chance to be selected as a member of the royal guard.”

“……That’s right. Strictly speaking, it’s not like you’re given special employment right away, but rather you’re given the qualifications……”

Shonan Asuka trailed off.

The expressions of Woo and Shinjang, who were nearby, also began to harden rapidly.

If this guy really wants the royal guard.

What if someone wearing a Nenen-like talisman whose height is difficult to even clearly determine is right next to the King!

Gulp.

The sound of someone swallowing saliva rang out.

Jinseong said.

“Instead, could you… introduce me to Siran?”

Siran Do, one of the four Weapon Masters who was the original goal of coming to the country of Suju and who must be known for the quest.

If he has the assurance of King Shonan Asuka of the Suju Kingdom, wouldn’t it give Jinsei great power in his future actions?

‘But it won’t be easy. Even though there are no users, it won’t be easy for them to accept changing the privileges like this. Above all, they came all the way to Shinjang and unknowingly felt the aura of the Black Ball, and then did something like that-.’

Jinseong was worried.

And worry soon turned to panic.

“Oh, of course! Alright. I’ll immediately issue an arrest warrant to find Siran and tell them about you.”

“… … Yes? So quickly-.”

“This time, the winner of the Jin: Blue Dragon Tournament, Jinseong! Suju welcomes you!”

From the attitude of Shonan Asuka, who speaks as if she wants to make a decision before Jinseong changes his mind, to the performance of the imperial envoy Uga, who suddenly approaches and grabs Jinseong’s wrist and lifts him up to congratulate him on his victory?!

“Whaaaaaaaaaaah-!”

“True! True! True!”

“Huh, huh? Huh?”

He will probably never know until the end that the request he made was what they were most looking forward to.

Current level is 67, Jinseong left the martial arts stadium with a bewildered look on his face.

* * *

It wasn’t long before Shonan Asuka received a call from the guards dispatched to find Shiran.

Fortunately, it wasn’t the place where Jinseong had expected to meet Siran as a user character in the game Dungeon & Fighter!

In other words, users who are currently going back and forth between the water and completing quests will not be able to see Jinseong himself or Siran, so they can quickly run out to greet him.

Siran was walking unsteadily, staggering down the alley.

Even though it was a narrow space where only one person could pass, no part of the shaking body hit the walls on either side.

‘He’s probably in his late 50s by now. He’s the oldest of the four Weapon Masters… … and the one with the best skills is Siran.’

No one would think that Shiran was the most special and outstanding of the four Weapon Masters just because she didn’t crash into walls, but from Jinseong’s perspective, who already knew the ‘background setting’, each and every one of those aspects was a noticeable characteristic.

As if sensing a presence, Siran stopped dead in his tracks.

Then he raised his head, moistened his mouth with the gourd containing alcohol, and said.

“Is that what you said?”

Jinseong saw that even though he seemed to be very drunk, his eyes were not cloudy at all.

The only problem was that it was difficult to understand exactly what he was saying.

“Ah… yes! My name is Jinseong. Nice to meet you. Here, it’s a small gift.”

From Jinseong’s perspective, who doesn’t even understand dialects in real life, it was a dialect that sounded even more mixed up, like in the game Dungeon and Fighter!

Just being able to convey what he had saved from the kingdom of Fennes, the nation of the dark elves, while understanding the context, could be said to have shown a nimble attitude.

“Kyaha, I don’t know about anything else, but your eye for people and alcohol is incredible. How did you bring something so good to Imai? I don’t think you prepared it to give it to someone you’re meeting for the first time.”

Siran was impressed by the bottle of alcohol Jinseong handed her.

Jinseong answered as if it was a given.

“This is a chance to meet Siran, whom I have always admired. I am honored that you are happy for me.”

The manners that seemed to be second nature were certainly impeccable.

Since Shiran also had a satisfied expression on her face, it was natural for Jinseong to feel that things were going smoothly.

It wasn’t just because of the pollution that I wanted to meet Siran with a good impression.

It’s not just because I plan to get his cooperation in finding something contaminated during the quest.

There is one thing that Jinseong himself can definitely learn from Siran.

‘The quest name is just as it is. The name of the main scenario flow is just as it is. Siran gained abilities after the previous ‘Scream Cave Incident’.’

He can open it.

You can’t go wherever you want, whenever you want.

However, isn’t he in a situation where he can open it due to the unknown ability he acquired during the ‘Scream Cave Incident’?

How to deal with such abilities.

What if Jinseong himself could learn any kind of know-how to control that ability?

‘… … I might be able to do it too. I’ve had similar experiences anyway.’

When the Black Disease Deregi tried to break through the dimensional rift again.

And when I met [those lost in the dimensional twist].

Jinseong’s own [ability] was revealed.

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t something Jinseong did alone, but it was definitely possible.

‘And that… handsome guy back then, I said that too. He’ll grow and be trained after experiencing it a few times. Because he has a fundamental, basic ability. It’s possible with my own strength.’

So what about now?

What about the future?

While Jinseong was briefly reflecting on his plans and thoughts, Shiran, who had already gathered her thoughts, was looking at Jinseong.

“I am the disciple of the old man who serves Nikang.”

“……yes?”

It was an expression that made Jinseong need a moment to interpret it.

But there was no need to waste time.

“I heard it all from Aganjo Gulma.”

When he heard Shiran’s subsequent remarks, Jinseong realized that his speculation had already changed.