Chapter 160

After finishing the conversation with Bir from the Talikal Kingdom, the officials waiting in the kingdom flooded in.

From a proposal to become a knight for thousands of gold coins to another kingdom offering territory and the title of baron.

There was even a kingdom that, who knows what rumor they heard, promised to give pretty kids away like they were candy.

I sighed and quickly dismissed them, but it seems that kingdom was sincere about it.

The chat window was flooded with ‘ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ,’ and I let out another sigh.

Liking children comes from an untainted mindset and their cuteness, not because kids are my type.

But what are they offering, really?

It’s just ridiculous.

Even I, who have been through countless situations, found this proposal to be the most absurd experience yet.

Besides this, various other offers came pouring in like a buffet of rewards.

Of course, all were turned down except for the Talikal.

The reason was simple.

Either they asked for too much compared to what they were offering, or what they wanted was entirely possible, but the compensation was insufficient.

“There’s really no need to move for dozens or hundreds of gold coins or legendary weapons.”

Since I was broadcasting, I didn’t have that much time to spare.

I had classes to prepare for, content to create, hunting, and dungeons to clear.

Sure, helping the kingdom could yield more than what I’d get from hunting or dungeons, but the kingdom wouldn’t ‘reset’ like a dungeon does.

In other words, once I took action, that history would be carved in stone.

Just like how Leo annihilated the Proton Kingdom and got recognized by the Empire.

“When you see Lady Leo’s battle back then, it was truly a spectacle. About a year and a half ago when everyone else was completely under-leveled, she was soloing like a World Boss.”

Yena exaggeratedly spread her arms as she described the situation back then.

I got so many proposals that I couldn’t tell if I was here for a social gathering or doing business, so I cast a minor illusion spell and slipped out.

I announced that I would take a break from the broadcast today and ended it.

Now, I was at Yena’s team table. No, wait, the Chuka Chip team table.

I originally wanted to go to my team’s table, but Black was mingling with the kingdom officials, and Devil didn’t show up, so I brought Redberry over here.

Though the Chuka Chip and Truck Shield were also absent…

“…and so, after lifting the penalty, Lady Leo declared, ‘Those who oppose the Empire, face death.’”

“Did Lord Leo really say that?”

Nodding vigorously, Yena, who had been munching on something pudding-like, responded.

“Yeah, maybe he was really caught up in the atmosphere or that line was part of the quest. I don’t know for sure, but the aura he had was off the charts back then.”

“Oh! I saw that online too. The moment Lord Leo’s gaze changed, the blade wind cut through the knights like butter…”

Redberry chimed in, reminiscing about that day.

It’s hard to imagine Leo like that…

The Leo I know has the mind of a child who loves sweets, a nymph with occasional blushes of embarrassment.

It seemed Yena sensed my thoughts and nodded.

“He’s definitely different from usual, right?”

“Right? I only heard he once toppled a kingdom.”

“Truth is, ever since then, Lord Leo hasn’t been active in World Quests, so there are quite a few folks who don’t know about him. He’s originally a pretty scary dude.”

“So is that why he didn’t show up?”

“Yep.”

Since that time, Leo might not be helping the Empire, but he’s still on their side, both on the surface and practically.

Even if he were invited, attending the kingdom’s banquet would surely not bring anything good.

Of course, it would be the kingdom that doesn’t fare well.

“From the kingdom’s perspective, having someone like Lord Leo or Lord Sword Saint is quite tricky. They’re users who can’t be killed, so no matter how much might they muster, they can’t do anything.”

Even if the kingdoms teamed up to kill them, they’d just resurrect.

Sure, the kingdoms aren’t weak enough to fall apart easily, but for them, these are enemies they must never confront.

It would be better if there was a third force that stood neutral, but they’ve already taken the Empire’s side.

“So that’s why there’s more interest in Lady Lily. She’s managed to beat Lord Leo, the absolute risk factor, hasn’t she?”

“Yena, you’d be just as interesting, though.”

Not just Yena, everyone here could easily receive offers from the kingdom.

Immortal beings who can’t be killed and elite knights of the kingdom, all of them could handle things effortlessly.

There must be plenty wanting to recruit them, whether I’m involved or not.

As I voiced my thoughts, Redberry waved her hand.

“I’m already bound to a kingdom. I have titles and everything.”

“…The Angel Guild has a contract with the Eden Federation. It’s a kingdom alliance located in the Northern Region, and they don’t really interact with this area.”

“Ah…? So the discussion is already over.”

It’s not that they won’t recruit; they simply can’t.

You can’t do it, huh?

I nodded my head.

Hmm?

“What about Miss Yena?”

“…It’s delicious~ Where did you get this pudding? Why is it so sweet?”

“……”

“……”

Let’s stop asking more.

“Well… It’s not that she’s not coming, she will, but… how should I put it…?”

“Should I?”

Yena was contemplating whether to say this or not.

With her eyes tightly shut, Yena let out a sigh.

“There was an incident back when we were on a roll. It coincided with Lord Leo’s time, and we stirred up some resentment from the kingdoms during that period.”

This is what Yena explained.

Yena, who rose to the 3rd rank and showcased her strength.

Her guild, -Ye-, surged forward with World Quest progress and started operating under a contract with one kingdom.

Tasks included hunting monsters in that kingdom or defending against or attacking hostile kingdoms.

The -Ye- guild carried out the quests without much trouble, and it seemed to be flowing smoothly.

“Then an incident occurred. The major event where Lord Leo single-handedly destroyed a kingdom.”

An immortal siding with the Empire obliterated a perfectly fine kingdom.

One kingdom was destroyed, but compared to the Empire’s infamous reputation, the scale of the war wasn’t that large.

However, those who had feared war and the Empire for centuries were gripped with the worry of yet another ‘conquest war’.

The anxious kingdoms began to recruit immortal users like crazy.

They were ready to recruit any strong immortal they could find immediately.

“They didn’t like it. We put in so much effort to help the kingdom, and then they just casually make contracts with others.”

So they protested.

“Why are you recruiting others instead of us?”

“Our power level is several times. No, dozens of times higher than theirs.”

“Instead of wasting resources on pointless endeavors, you might as well give us more rewards.”

Laguiel and Redberry nodded as if recalling that day.

Yena gulped down her drink and slammed her wine glass down.

“But they didn’t listen even a bit, right? They probably knew. Once a user has a contract, they rarely betray.”

“Is it because of the World Quest?”

“Yes. If you act contrary to established quests, the progress becomes void, and it switches to a new quest.”

As a guild already ranking at the top, -Ye- had made significant progress.

For -Ye- guild, turning its back on the existing commitments and becoming an enemy of the kingdom would entail a huge risk.

A chain in the guise of a quest.

And Yena, who had eaten dozens of boxes of sweet potato, couldn’t hold back.

“I was so annoyed that I pushed the royal palace. I didn’t kill anyone, but I disarmed them all and took what I was owed.”

Ah, the look on the king’s face was quite a sight.

Hehe. Yena chuckled, shaking her head.

“I messed up, but my favorability dropped to negative, so everything was totally ruined. The Empire won’t accept anyone who isn’t a special user like Lord Leo. I told you, you shouldn’t try to get the angles right for the broadcast!”

“By the way, this happened not just in the -yes- guild, but also with the top-tier guilds at the time. They didn’t push the royal palace like Miss Yena did, but… well, it feels a bit like a strike?”

Redberry said this while munching on some food.

“So eventually the kingdoms recognized the immortals as less of a commodity and more of business partners. After that, three World Bosses appeared, and they teamed up with the kingdoms to take them down.”

“…That’s interesting.”

It’s fun when a history I don’t know comes up.

So this kind of thing happened.

Cough. Ena leaned back, a bitter smile on her face.

“In any case, they don’t come anymore. Well, they do, but all the rewards are ridiculously low or totally useless.”

“So, are you doing anything special now?”

“Well, everyone has their own tasks, but… there’s nothing particularly related to the kingdoms. The thing about favorability is quite scary; it stalls the progression itself.”

There are two ways to proceed.

One is to restore favorability through other missions or quests.

‘Or just go the hostile route.’

“Actually, even back then, there was a bounty on me that caused quite a commotion. Turning the kingdom into an enemy is certainly troublesome—”

“What would happen if you made the Empire your enemy?”

Yena paused.

Everyone in the room, including Yena.

Turning the Empire into an enemy.

No one in their right mind would want to turn “Typhoon” into an enemy.

It goes without saying that Typhoon wouldn’t play nice either.

But if that opponent could even take down Typhoon, then things change.

“Well, if that were to happen…”

You’d become the enemy of the continent.

“Half of the continent would only be aiming for Lady Lily’s eye. Something like that?”

“……”

Not much to it.

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