ALL NOVEL Chapter 260
Chapter 260. Maz (2)
As Yoon Do-ha recovered, the blue moon began to transform into a full moon.
While Lee Mi-a was mesmerized, gazing at the moon, Yoon Do-ha, having regained his freedom, wore an ecstatic expression.
“Are you feeling okay?”
“I’m fine! Really, thank you, Yoo Ji-han!”
“That’s a relief.”
Yoo Ji-han accepted Yoon Do-ha’s handshake request.
Having found the missing Yoon Do-ha and restored his body to its original state was a substantial achievement in the Kallem expedition’s mission.
“Is it really this easy…?”
Min Yu-ri was in shock, witnessing the treatment for Magic Discoloration Syndrome.
Just holding hands and infusing magic allowed the patient to recover!
“Chirp? Master, are you hurt anywhere?”
“No.”
Thump! Thump! Thump!
The excitement of potentially waking her brother from a deep slumber caused her body to heat up.
“Hey, Desa. Can you heal the others too?”
“I’ll do it right now.”
“Be careful. They’ll try to kill you as soon as they see you.”
“…”
Desa quietly approached Park Jae-kyung, remembering the actions he had taken.
And just like he did for Yoon Do-ha, he returned each person afflicted with Magic Discoloration Syndrome back to normal, one by one.
“Ugh…”
The first to regain consciousness among Team 2 was Park Jae-kyung.
She groaned while holding her head, then suddenly opened her eyes and looked around.
The first thing she saw was Yoon Do-ha waving one hand.
“Yo!”
“G-Guild Master?!”
“Jae-kyung, you did a great job, too.”
“Is it really you, Guild Master? What on earth happened…!”
“You’ll hear all the details a bit later; just don’t touch that guy next to you.”
Park Jae-kyung slowly turned her head toward Desa, but she couldn’t recognize his face.
After all, Team 2 had only faced a pile of fake Yoon Do-ha.
“…So it was all your doing.”
But like the second-in-command of a large guild, she quickly grasped the general situation.
Crack!
Remembering the fallen heroes, Park Jae-kyung gritted her teeth.
She looked ready to kill Desa on the spot.
If it weren’t for her, Team 2 likely wouldn’t have survived.
“I’ll personally ensure that you’re punished…!”
But for now, she couldn’t touch him due to Yoon Do-ha’s orders.
So she merely glared at Desa as if she could kill him.
“…This is burdensome.”
“Just try doing something foolish.”
Desa continued to dispel the curses affecting the fallen heroes, all under Park Jae-kyung’s meticulous watch.
As the tense atmosphere lingered, Lee Mi-a quietly called out to Yoo Ji-han.
“What’s wrong?”
“Look over there.”
Lee Mi-a pointed her finger at the night sky beyond the window.
Upon seeing the three full moons in the sky, Yoo Ji-han couldn’t believe his eyes.
“Three full moons?!”
“They transformed into full moons the moment Yoon Do-ha recovered.”
“But the timing doesn’t match.”
Three moons only share the same appearance for just three days each year.
Usually, they become full moons during a grand festival celebrated across all of Kallem.
But hearing that all the moons would be turning full so early was something no one in Leron had ever heard before.
“I thought the magic was recovering too quickly from earlier…”
Nodding at Yoo Ji-han’s observation, Kim Si-hu noted.
And right next to them, Desa, sweating profusely, continued with the healing.
Finally, all the people gathered in the shelter could break free from the curse.
“Why aren’t these people waking up?”
“It’s simply a matter of stamina.”
The heroes still asleep were merely in a deep slumber.
Yoon Do-ha sighed in relief as he checked the sleeping young dwarf.
“Now, we can smash Maz.”
“Excuse me?”
But then, upon hearing his murmured words, Yoo Ji-han couldn’t help but frown.
“What did you just say?”
“Yeah? I said I’d smash Maz.”
“You mean, smash Maz?!”
Park Jae-kyung shot up from her chair, her eyes blinking rapidly.
The reactions from the others were similar.
Even Desa seemed to be questioning his own ears.
“…Are you joking?”
“No. I’ll kill all the rulers and their associates in Maz and elevate the dwarves from the mines to the new ruling class.”
“…?!”
Yoon Do-ha looked down at the sleeping dwarves with a heavy gaze.
During his time in Maz, he had witnessed the humiliation and suffering that the dwarves experienced firsthand.
“Have you heard of the theory of original sin?”
“That human nature is basically selfish and evil?”
“Yeah. That idea has been on my mind a lot while I’ve been in Maz.”
Dwarves were beaten by humans under the pretext of slow work.
Dwarves caught in trouble while walking were easily bullied by drunken humans.
Some were beaten to death for no reason, while others were left with lifelong disabilities.
If Yoon Do-ha hadn’t secretly intervened, about seven dwarves would have truly been killed.
If you added in all the regions he didn’t see, countless dwarves must have suffered.
‘I understand how they feel, but…’
Kim Si-hu, who resonated with Yoon Do-ha’s words to some extent, hesitated.
“Ji-han.”
“Yes?”
“Don’t you wonder? What happens when those who have always been oppressed rise to the highest positions?”
“…!”
“Revolution! A revolution will happen! I’m dying to see what the outcome will be…”
As he uttered the word revolution, Yoon Do-ha’s eyes sparkled with madness.
Yoo Ji-han recalled his nickname that he had temporarily forgotten.
‘Troublemaker.’
This was definitely not just about sympathy for the dwarves.
Yoon Do-ha’s instincts, which had been subdued while running a large guild in Korea, seemed to have awakened anew in Kallem.
‘But is that really the best approach?’
Yoo Ji-han understood Yoon Do-ha’s feelings toward the dwarves.
But he was left with a large question about whether the situation would hold smoothly if the dwarves were forcibly elevated to rulers.
‘A war would probably break out.’
The humans in Maz, who were already on bad terms with the dwarves, would definitely rebel.
Internal strife could lead to another war.
More blood would be shed than now, and undoubtedly, even more people would die.
Thus, Yoo Ji-han said,
“I oppose it.”
“You oppose it?”
“I have a different plan in mind.”
“Oh, what is that?”
“Watanabe has already joined me in action.”
On a night illuminated by three full moons in Kallem, Yoo Ji-han continued explaining to Yoon Do-ha, who was brimming with great interest.
*
“Giants! It’s been a while.”
“You’re still in good health!”
“Hahaha! You’re not trying to say there’s another fake around, are you?”
Two days later.
In the morning, Watanabe joined the shelter and enjoyed a lively conversation with Yoon Do-ha.
As they were sharing the joy of their reunion, Yoo Ji-han interjected.
“Have you dealt well with the rulers in the west?”
“Ah, they won’t be escaping for at least two months.”
The rulers were locked up in a place stocked with plenty of food and water.
It was done secretly, so no one could trace who was responsible.
Yoon Do-ha, who had already heard about this beforehand, smiled and said,
“Wow, when did you come up with such a cute scheme?”
“I’m just trying to help the Guild Master.”
“Wow, Si-hu sure has a great companion!”
“Anyway, this information is confidential.”
“Don’t worry.”
As Yoo Ji-han stood up with the two who were chatting, it was time for the dinner with the rulers.
Although it would take more time to fully resolve the situation caused by Desa,
The three full moons rising in the night sky had prompted the Pig’s Soup Mercenary Corps to extend an invitation for a meal to express their gratitude before leaving Maz.
‘It feels like the sign of destruction has grown larger than yesterday.’
The black spot on the sun appeared bigger than it had the day before.
Passersby were chatting about the changed sun and full moons.
Yoo Ji-han accepted it merely as a sign that there were unresolved issues in Kallem.
“Come on in, everyone!”
The dinner was scheduled to take place at the mansion of Kruba, the ruler of Maz.
Dressed neatly enough that his large belly didn’t matter, Kruba welcomed the heroes entering the mansion.
As Yoo Ji-han looked at his beaming face, he said,
“You seem to be in a good mood.”
“Cough! Do I?”
“Yes. Very much so.”
“Cough!!”
Kruba, seemingly embarrassed, coughed frivolously.
Still, Yoo Ji-han could somewhat understand his cheery mood.
‘Looks like he secured quite a good mine.’
He must have taken several abandoned mines through the day-long meetings with other rulers.
In fact, the ones who benefited the most from this whole ordeal were the rulers of Maz, who had been in contact with Yoo Ji-han.
“By the way, the scheduled time is approaching… the other rulers seem to be a bit late.”
“That could be.”
“Hmm?”
“Can I head in first?”
“Uh, of course! I’ll get some warm tea ready.”
As Kruba instructed his servants to prepare brewed tea,
The heroes, including Yoo Ji-han, found suitable spots in the dining hall and waited.
“Chirp! This is delicious!”
“The tea has a very delicate aroma.”
“It’s one of Maz’s finest! Even compared to Kabuum’s goods, it holds its ground.”
“I’d like to take some home when I return.”
“If you want it, I can prepare as much as you want.”
“What about alcohol? Isn’t there any?”
“Of course, we have it prepared!”
“Hahaha! You know what’s up!”
In the cheerful dining hall, Kruba poured drinks for Watanabe, keeping the lively atmosphere going.
“Don’t you think the things floating in the sky seem odd?”
“Ah, we noticed too.”
“The sun is gradually turning black, and the blue moon is rising to full in just a day… It’s a bit unsettling considering the major events that have transpired.”
“It’s an unprecedented phenomenon, right?”
“I’ve never seen a sky like this in my life. It’s hard to rush into preparations for a festival now.”
For Kruba, it was the first time witnessing such a noisy sky.
And when the scheduled dinner time had passed, the only ruler entering the dining hall was Kruba himself.
“Hmm, they’re not the type to arrive late without saying a word…”
As Kruba worriedly glanced around, he was about to call for the mansion’s butler when Kruger, the Steel Commander, rushed into the dining hall and stood next to Kruba.
“Kruba!”
“What’s the matter?”
“…”
Kruger, who called out the name of his master, remained silent.
Narrowing his eyes, Kruba asked again,
“What was it that I just asked you?”
“Today’s scheduled visiting rulers… have all suddenly disappeared.”
“What?!”
Kruba turned to Kruger in shock.
Kruger’s stiff expression indicated that he was not joking.
“Disappeared? What do you mean by that?”
“I don’t know either. The information just came in from another order of knights a moment ago…”
“Tch…”
Kruba sighed with disbelief.
At that moment, Yoo Ji-han, having finished his cup of tea, spoke up.
“I’m quite hungry since I skipped my meal.”
“…?”
“Let’s start the meal.”
“But even so, the other rulers…”
“Should I say it again?”
Yoo Ji-han maintained his calm even after the news of the rulers disappearing.
The peculiar tension enveloping the dining table made Kruba gulp nervously.
“…What?”
And at his inquiry, Yoo Ji-han tapped on the table with his finger and stated,
“It seems no one else will be joining this table, so let’s begin the meal.”
The only ruler attending the banquet is you.