ALL NOVEL Chapter 251
Chapter 251. Invitation (2)
Kruba spoke with a bewildered expression on his face.
“What did you just say to me…?”
“I said I politely refuse your offer.”
“No, wasn’t your tone a bit different?”
“Was it? I’m not quite used to Kallem’s language yet.”
“Ah, I see!”
“I appreciate your understanding.”
Yoo Ji-han lightly brushed off Kruba’s suspicion.
He ignored the suspicious gaze of Commander Kruger, who was watching from the side.
“But to refuse my proposal without even properly hearing it? If you listen to the conditions, your thoughts might change.”
“I’ve received similar offers from nobles in Leron and rejected them.”
“Hah! The trash nobles of Leron are on a different level than me. I don’t even have room to store gold bars and jewels!”
“Some of them were from the royal family, you know.”
“…Cough! Was that so?”
Kruba looked a bit flustered.
He had never expected that someone from the royal family would contact the Pig’s Soup Mercenary Corps.
And no matter how powerful the ruler of Maz was, he couldn’t belittle the Leron royal family, which was of similar stature.
“Let’s pretend you didn’t hear that.”
“Sure, let’s do that.”
If the previous conversation were to leak outside, Leron would undoubtedly send a letter of discontent to Maz.
Thus, Yoo Ji-han nodded, thinking he had grasped a bit of leverage.
“Then what is it that you desire? I’m willing to meet any condition you put forth.”
“Why do you want us so badly?”
“I need power. The kind of power that can overcome any hardship or adversity!”
“There must be other mercenaries aside from us who can provide that.”
“There are hardly any mercenaries recognized by the King of Kabuum in this world.”
The mercenaries acknowledged by the King of Kabuum and the corps they belonged to had quite an influence not just in Kabuum but also in Maz.
“Ten million coins, or even twenty or thirty million coins! I’ll pay whatever the advance is.”
“We have enough money with what we currently possess.”
“You mentioned that the client is Yogo Guild, right? If you want, I can make Yogo Guild the best guild in Maz soon!”
“That doesn’t particularly interest us.”
“Then how about the most beautiful men and women in Maz…”
Kruba, the ruler of Maz, was drooling as he poured out enticing offers that would appeal to the Pig’s Soup Mercenary Corps.
Most of it was related to wealth and fame—things that would lure an ordinary mercenary if heard once.
Even Commander Kruger, who was already receiving generous treatment from Kruba, found it strikingly excessive.
“I’m sorry.”
But Yoo Ji-han rejected all of Kruba’s nearly ten proposals.
This caused even the previously relaxed expression on Kruba’s face to crack.
The situation was flowing in a completely different direction than he had anticipated before coming to the reception room.
“You really are going too far.”
“We can’t settle down in Maz.”
“Even just for a year! If you work under me for just one year, I will grant you everything I’ve mentioned up to now.”
“Oh, that’s quite the offer.”
“Right?!”
Not just one proposal but all around ten proposals at once would be granted by Kruba.
“But our stance won’t change.”
“…!”
Nevertheless, as Yoo Ji-han maintained his resolute attitude, Commander Kruger, who had been standing next to Kruba, spoke up.
“Stop resisting and bow to the ruler.”
“I already said I’m not doing that.”
“…There’s a limit to how much I can tolerate your rudeness.”
“Oh! That’s just like me.”
“What?”
“I’m currently tolerating your rudeness.”
In a situation where he was busy searching for Desa, who had disappeared with Yoon Do-ha.
He was calmly listening to recruitment offers that held no substantial value.
If endurance were measured absolutely, Kruba’s and Yoo Ji-han’s would be incomparable.
“To be arrogant even in front of the ruler…!”
Kruger, who took Yoo Ji-han’s words as mockery, hardened his expression.
He had decided he could no longer tolerate his rudeness.
“Alright, everyone calm down.”
Thanks to Ruler Kruba’s mediation, stability was regained, but the conversation had already reached a conclusion.
Yoo Ji-han was too busy glancing out the window, whether Kruba tossed more attractive offers or not.
‘It should be about time for them to arrive.’
While he was thinking that, someone knocked on the reception room door.
A butler dressed in a black suit entered after slightly opening the door.
He bowed his head towards Kruba.
“We’re in the midst of an important discussion. What is it?”
“Uh, well…”
The flustered butler cast a wary glance at the still-open door.
Bang!
Following that, the door swung wide open, revealing a group of humans.
Kruba’s eyes widened in shock as he recognized their faces.
“Y-you! How did you get here…?”
“My friend! Is it such a crime to have a secret discussion here?”
“Kekeke! I knew it would turn out this way.”
“So that letter was true.”
The middle-aged men and women with fine appearances.
They were all rulers just like Kruba, governing Maz and its mines.
Yoo Ji-han faintly smiled upon seeing them.
“Ji-han hyung! Those people are…”
“Our invited rulers.”
It was Yoo Ji-han who had called them to this place using hired errand runners through the Information Guild.
He already knew that the rulers of Maz were gathering strength to resolve their disputes.
Thus, he had expected that Kruba would likely make a recruitment proposal with a very high probability.
He figured that he could gather those in close proximity if he used that opportunity.
“I’m exhausted from moving overnight.”
“Were you referring to Pig’s Soup? You haven’t already sealed a contract, have you?”
“We haven’t signed a contract.”
“Everyone, come to me, not Kruba. I’ll offer you a much higher deal, whatever the terms.”
“No! Come to me instead, that perverted bastard! I’ll double the money, guaranteed.”
“What?! Perverted bastard?!”
The middle-aged man with wide eyes glared at a woman of similar age.
Following that, the rulers of Maz began to glare at each other, bickering back and forth.
Even Kruba, the owner of this mansion, was joining the fray.
The knights they brought along were also gazing at the opposing knights with lowered eyes.
“You perverted bastard. Want to settle this?”
“Are you seriously looking for a fight?”
“All you little idiots are just noisy…”
“What did he just say?”
Cheap words were exchanged in the bickering.
Regardless of the level of discussion, if they truly engaged, many would surely fall with blood flowing in Maz.
Meanwhile, Yoo Ji-han’s group found themselves in a rather ambiguous position.
“Everyone, focus.”
Boom—!!
With just a light scrape of foot from Yoo Ji-han using Mumu’s magic.
The bodies of those in the mansion lifted about 2 to 3 cm off the ground before coming down, and all eyes focused on him.
Thud!
One ruler fell to the floor, muttering.
“Wh-what was that just now…?”
“Shut up and focus on me.”
This gathering of theirs wasn’t to gawk at meaningless disputes.
“Who do you think you’re barking orders at?!”
In defiance of the command to focus, a burly knight drew his sword from his waist.
Other knights also began to pull out their weapons in response.
“Weren’t you the one who told us to focus?”
Smack!
As soon as Watanabe’s mouth popped open, his Japanese blade disappeared in a flash, then re-entered its sheath.
“Gah!”
The burly knight instinctively held his breath.
The sword he was carrying had shattered.
More accurately, it had been severed.
‘He cut a sword with a sword? At this distance?’
With a single stroke, the superb sword transformed into trash.
It was a remarkable skill that evoked feelings of fear.
‘The level is different!’
The burly knight knelt to the ground, trembling at the unfathomable abilities of his opponent.
“Ha haha! Put away your dangerous weapons.”
“……”
“……”
The man who spoke with a grin was someone capable of slicing through solid swords from a distance.
That he could also slice through a human body if he felt like it didn’t require explanation.
“Everyone, step back!”
“We’ll take him on!”
“Protect the rulers!”
The knight commanders of each faction burned with determination until the end.
Among them, Commander Kruger of the Steel Knights aimed his sword at Yoo Ji-han, who stood closest to the rulers.
Clang!
However, Kruger’s sword could not pierce through Yoo Ji-han’s Qudi.
Even wielding a famous sword among the top in Maz as a knight commander,
His attack was blocked by an undefined mercenary.
“Cheep! Not even a scratch!”
“You little mouse…!”
“It’s a chinchilla! You stupid! Cheep!”
Even Chilla, acting as a tanker, couldn’t break through the knights quickly.
Perhaps if more time were allowed, the outcome could have been different, but considering that the rulers could be attacked at any moment, it was impossible.
Yoo Ji-han, seeing his group readying a counterattack, spoke up.
“I’ll let this attack pass, but next time it won’t be so easy.”
“Urk!”
Kruger, along with the other knight commanders, bit their lips.
They had come to the conclusion that they couldn’t easily subdue their opponents, so the knight commanders slowly lowered their swords.
“Are you not going to put that away?”
“I’ll just hold onto it.”
The knights, refusing to relinquish their weapons as a final act of pride.
Through a single clash, the rulers realized the heroes’ abilities, trembling their bodies.
Some even clapped with shaking hands.
“W-we won’t lose even when facing your knights… You truly are strong.”
“Those rumors aren’t exaggerated at all.”
“I want to get out of here right away…”
“What on earth is your objective?”
“Could it be that you’ve hired assassins from other forces to kill us?!”
“But that’s…”
The rulers of Maz were lost in their imaginations.
Yoo Ji-han interrupted their conversation for a moment.
“Do you all know what’s happening in Maz right now?”
“What do you mean?”
“A crisis that is beyond description compared to your squabbles for power.”
“……?!”
Yoo Ji-han quickly shared stories related to Desa with the rulers.
Upon hearing Desa’s name, someone spoke up.
“Are you talking about the former royal mage of Leron?”
“Do you know him?”
“I do. After stepping down, I heard he went to a quiet area in Leron…”
“If we do not stop him, Maz might soon disappear from Kallem.”
“Isn’t he just a mage who manipulates puppets with magic?”
The ruler’s who had mainly only heard rumors about the puppet master didn’t feel much of a threat.
“De-sa is currently using living humans as puppets.”
“Huh, living humans?”
“And those puppets are probably as strong as I am.”
“……That’s quite a problem.”
One ruler frowned deeply.
He was Yoo Ji-han, who possessed the power to face off against the knight commander of Maz directly.
But could they withstand an assault from equally powerful puppets?
“How can we trust your words?”
“Is there a reason not to trust them?”
“What do you mean?”
“If a crisis were to arise, would you just stand by and watch Maz perish in chaos?”
“……”
“I’m offering you an opportunity right now. Relay news to the rulers who can’t be here immediately and prepare to send knights to each region.”
“Where should we send them?”
Yoo Ji-han swiftly turned his head and said.
“Kruba!”
“Wh-what do you mean?”
“Bring a map and guide me to the tallest building nearby. I’ll pinpoint the place I suspect.”
Grabbing Yoon Do-ha’s hair, Yoo Ji-han gazed out the window again.
The thread of truth that had grown overnight was now stitching the sky of Maz.
Where those numerous threads intertwined lay the real Yoon Do-ha mixed with his puppets.
‘It’s all in the palm of my hand.’
As the atmosphere shifted towards collaborating with the rulers,
What remained was to shatter that plan.
—Uhee, uhihihi, uhihihih…
“……Sylph. Why are you laughing so creepily?”
—That puppeteer won’t be left alone…!
Desa, who provided the opportunity for a contract with Yoo Ji-han and Mumu.
As a Sylph, she could never forgive that monster.