Light of Arad: The First to Walk - Chapter 73



Only Noblemtl

073

Marlene Kitsuka kept nodding her head inside Magata.

“I really don’t know how to thank you enough for helping me ascend to heaven.”

“Ah, ah, you don’t have to do that. Even if I did help, it was only thanks to Princess Hiriya’s hard work that we were able to obtain Hisma’s horn. In fact, the horns of Spirazzi and Skasa were obtained by adventurers over there.”

“Still… It’s not just about breaking through the magic shield left behind by Bakal. I will not forget the kindness of the Empire for the manpower and supplies it provided.”

“Yes, I will definitely tell your Highness the Princess.”

Ban said with a nonchalant smile.

The fact that this kind of conversation had taken place was also something that Jinseong had never experienced before.

‘In the game, it just went to an animation scene. Well, there’s no way there wouldn’t be a conversation on the way to heaven.’

This time, the user who boarded Magata and went with me was a female gunner.

The Gunner class is basically a celestial class, so Jinseong also knew that the scenario quest script related to the celestial class, including when dealing with Marlene, the messenger who came down from the celestial class, was different from that of other classes.

‘Even so, adventurers who are ‘users’ will just be standing here blankly.’

Jinseong looked around Magata, thinking that there was nothing much to worry about regarding that user for now.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that the only person who knows exactly what is currently happening in Heaven is NPC Marlene.

The expressions of the Iron Wolf Knights aboard Magatha, including Denna and Fiona who teamed up with Lenny, were not stiff with fear or tension.

‘There’s a sense of tension, but overall, there’s excitement and curiosity. After all, this is their first time visiting the Heavens… … Marlene must have asked the Empire for help and talked about this and that, but she probably didn’t tell them the whole story.’

There are only two stories in which Marlene mentions heaven in Arad.

One is that there is a war going on.

Another is that a giant monster called ‘Fire-Eating Anton’ has appeared.

‘I’m sure they’ve said that this is the worst crisis situation in which not only the culture and history of the celestial realm will be destroyed, but its very existence will be in jeopardy… … But do you all still believe that it will be resolved easily? Well, I guess they believe that because the Empire’s military power is that strong.’

Since the strongest nation on the continent of Arad is providing military assistance, there will be confidence that the war will end quickly.

However, it will take quite some time to completely end the war that has been going on for so long.

‘First, we need to rescue the princess of Heaven who was kidnapped by the warlord organization ‘Cartel’ that was at war with Heaven. Once we get this far… Even if the remnants of the Cartel remain, our immediate work in Heaven will be almost over. After all, the ‘real big war’ will be fought much later with the nobles.’

If we can properly finish at least the important parts right now, we can relieve some of our worries about war-related issues.

That is not the problem.

Rescuing the kidnapped Celestial Princess and driving out the cartel group currently threatening the Celestial Empire isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

‘… Anton.’

The giant monster that Marlene Kitzki spoke of.

A giant that absorbs so much energy that eating fire is not just a metaphor.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that the sight of a mountain walking and an island moving as it strides toward the energy source is so vivid.

Above all, there was a clear reason why the celestials alone could not deal with Anton… … .

‘The 7th Apostle, Anton the Fire-Eater… … You probably won’t have to deal with him right away. You won’t have to deal with Anton right away in this scenario quest… … You’ll have to deal with him after you go back and forth to the past with Siran.’

Jinseong knows the flow of the main scenario quest related to the current celestial world.

The most important thing right now is to rescue the princess who was kidnapped by the cartel.

After that is over, the Celestial Palace will begin reorganizing, and dealing with Apostle Anton will become the main scenario quest that follows.

In the meantime, the user, or adventurer, will be dealing with various matters with the NPC Siran, so there is still some time left before they face Anton.

However, the reason Jinseong had a stern expression was because he was confident.

‘There will definitely be contamination related to Anton. Considering that contaminations like [Dimensional Rift] and [Past, Present, and Future Skasa] have appeared… … I should prepare for the possibility that something beyond my expectations will be contaminated. The most dangerous place among Anton’s quests. The place where it’s easy to let your guard down. Contaminations will likely appear in such places.’

It was a determination based on the certainty that the would not stay still.

Just like Lotus and Diregie, I won’t sit still and watch the apostle’s movements this time.

“Are you nervous? You’re freezing?”

A shadow fell in front of Jinseong, who was organizing his thoughts.

As soon as he heard Ban’s voice, Jinseong shrugged his shoulders.

“Oh, I’m not nervous. I have a fear of heights.”

He half laughed in disbelief at the answer he gave while sitting on his chair, without even getting up.

“Acrophobia? That’s not even funny. Anyway, according to Lady Marlene, we’ll be arriving at Heaven soon. And when we get to Heaven, when the time is right… let’s meet.”

It can be said that the reason he gave Magata a seat when he should have had at least one more Imperial Army soldier was ultimately due to Ban’s own stubbornness.

Above all, as the exchange between Heaven and Arad became more active in the future, there would be as many ‘watching eyes’ in Heaven as in Arad, so it was natural for Ban to want to come up with a definitive answer before that.

“Yes, let’s…make some time.”

There was no reason to avoid it because it was genuine.

Above all, at this point in time, there was no need for Jinseong to reject it.

‘… … You still don’t know. Your expression is almost the same as last time. So that hasn’t happened yet.’

Right now, Jinseong is focused on himself, but soon he will not even be able to pay attention to the likes of the Magic Guild members.

Jinseong knows the reason.

“Okay. I need to show Emily that look on your face.”

His wife, Emily, is half-asleep.

A woman who is the cousin of Hartz von Kruger and was formerly known as Emily von Kruger.

Jinseong was about to say, “That might not happen,” but he had to swallow it.

There was no need to maintain a good relationship with Ban, so he provoked him and came to Heaven, and considering what would happen in the future, we would end up becoming enemies anyway… … .

‘But it would be difficult to be on the bad side already.’

For the time being, we must actively move to find out what kind of pollution is occurring in the heavens.

In other words, it means that there is no benefit to being targeted by the imperial army for no reason.

Above all, Jinseong swallowed his words and nodded, because saying something like “That won’t happen” right now would have left such a strong impression on Ban’s memory.

‘… … Emily is now dying. Almost immediately after the half-way point of entering Heaven.’

The only one in Van Walshteit. Emily will be dead soon.

Because you will swallow it all by yourself without even telling anyone around you.

Jinseong, sitting on the chair, and Ban, standing in front of him, exchanged glances.

And the atmosphere that seemed like it would explode at any moment was soon swept away.

“Captain! Hey, Captain! Damn, that’s amazing.”

“Wow!? It’s a real city! It’s a real city, Commander! We’ve arrived in heaven!”

Along with the boisterous noise of Hats and Den, the inside of Magata was soon filled with cheers.

A new land beyond the sea above the sky, based on Arad,

A world where the essence of machine culture blossoms.

Finally, Magatha, boarded by Jinseong and the Arad people, arrived in heaven.

* * *

The reason why there was no need to use the name ‘Jiben Empire’ in the heavens was because there was only one nation.

“Stop! Who are you? How did you get into Ghent?”

It was only natural that there would be a frightening reaction when the imperial soldiers descended upon Magata.

Because this was the capital of the only country that existed in the heavens, ‘Ghent, the Imperial Capital’.

A warrior woman armed with old-looking but well-maintained black armor shouted.

“What are they, soldiers from heaven?”

The eyes of all the Iron Wolf Knights, including Ban, were focused on her.

Just by looking at her tightly tied hair, you could tell what she was most concerned about, but what immediately caught the eye of the imperial soldiers who disembarked from Magata was her right hand.

Should we call it a prosthetic hand?

The sight of a hand cannon attached instead of an arm was enough to make even Hatsuna Den flinch.

“Lord Zeldin! Stop!”

“Marlene? Is it really you? I was worried because I haven’t heard from you for a while after you said you were going to the underworld.”

Marlene quickly stepped in and sorted out the situation.

The captain of the garrison that protects the celestial empire and its capital, ‘Ghent’.

Zeldin looked at Marlene with wide eyes as if he couldn’t believe it.

Marlene also nodded with tears in her eyes.

“Thanks to our good fortune, we arrived safely in the lower world. And we brought with us people from the lower world who will help us.”

“Was there really an underworld? And… these are soldiers from the underworld? Oh my god.”

Zeldin looked back and forth between the Iron Wolf Knights, including Ban.

Ban said, taking a step forward.

“I am Van Balshtedt, a knight of the De Los Empire. I have come to aid Heaven on the orders of His Majesty the Emperor. I am also a skilled adventurer. It has been a long time since the contact between Heaven and Arad was cut off, but I heard of the crisis and came here.”

There was a female gunner user next to that class.

Jinseong could not have been unaware that all of these were events that occurred upon arrival in Heaven and were part of the main scenario quest flow.

Zeldin nodded awkwardly towards the female gunner user and continued speaking.

“Oh, I made a big misunderstanding. I don’t know what to say… Please come this way first.”

Then he began to lead the Iron Wolf Knights to what could be called the barracks or headquarters of the Ghent garrison.

At that moment, Jinseong quietly took a step back.

What if Ban introduced the user and announced that Arad’s forces had come to help Heaven, and the commander of the Heaven’s zodiac defense force accepted it?

‘You can’t pay attention to me right now. And if rumors spread that the people from the lower world have come or that they were guided by Captain Zeldin, even the celestial garrison won’t treat me carelessly.’

In fact, isn’t it true that all signals that Jinseong can move alone were generated?

Jinseong quietly left the group without hesitation and turned around.

His steps were unstoppable, as he didn’t even have to worry about where to go.

Not only did I already understand the flow of the main scenario quest related to the heavens, but phenomena that seemed to call for the true nature were occurring here and there.

‘The cannon fire is really booming. If the chaos reaches the imperial capital, Ghent, then the war against the cartel must be going smoothly.’

The thunderous roar of gunfire splits the air. It means that if you go that way, you will eventually know everything.

Jinseong’s mood was much better, just by confirming that nothing on a large scale, such as the war against the cartels, was derailed by contamination.

‘I don’t know how lucky I am. If there had been no news like the last time with the Bantu tribe… … I wouldn’t have even known where to start fixing it. No, if I look at it that way… … .’

If it had been a similar incident to last time, no matter how sincere I was, I might not have been able to move.

In other words, does this mean that even if you are the , you cannot simultaneously pollute and shake the group?

Jinseong did not slow down even though he was worried.

Pollution can be recognized from now on.

‘First of all, the loudest sound is from the east… … . The east gate? The outskirts outside the east gate.’

The adventurer will move after hearing all the explanations from Zeldin, so there will still be some time left anyway.

Dungeon Area: Antwerp Canyon.

It is the first place you experience when you arrive in heaven.

The place Jinseong was heading to was the ‘Outskirts of Ghent’, the first dungeon that users enter within the dungeon area.