Light of Arad: The First to Walk - Chapter 210



Only Krnovel

210

Azalea wasn’t the only one who approached.

[Grim Seeker] A member of the Jinyeong faction and a moderate Grim Seeker who follows Azalea.

There were also two people there: ‘Erika’, a girl from the demon world, and ‘Roy the Burning Pen’, a scientist from the Tower of Despair.

‘These two people are okay because Vivi is an adventurer, but are they wary of me?’

Unlike Azalea, it didn’t take long for the two to realize that the way they looked at Jinseong was subtly different.

In particular, as a celestial engineer, how should we interpret the gaze of Roy the Burning Penn, who entered the Tower of Despair and came out of it, in awe of its technological prowess?

The exchange of glances was brief.

Azalea lowered her voice as she quickly looked at the figures from the other camp waiting in the distance.

“We can’t just take Hilda’s words at face value. You haven’t forgotten how she used Iris to cause chaos in Arad, have you?”

“Yes. But won’t it be okay this time?”

Vivi said that she still doesn’t remember anything about the story line, but since Jinseong said it was okay, she believed it would be okay.

Fortunately for Jinseong, Vivi’s answer fit the progression of the main scenario.

“Yes, I don’t think Hilda is trying to deceive you, adventurer. Since Hilda is trying to eliminate the other apostles according to her own plan, I’m sure there is a way to break the seal.”

“Yeah, yeah, that’s right. It’s actually preventing the Black Nightmare. And with so many people going to find Becky, it’ll probably be done soon.”

Azalea nodded as she listened to Vivi’s words.

Then he brought up the main topic.

“……I will follow you too. We must not allow Luke to spread his black nightmare throughout the world.”

What she really wanted to say was this proposal to go together.

It won’t just be about stopping Luke from spreading the Black Nightmare.

‘I didn’t know much about the in-game script either. Now that I look at it, it definitely feels different. I’m going to meet Hilda in person.’

Jinseong was able to be certain because he met Azalea Rott, a living, breathing Azalea right before his eyes, not Azalea on the monitor screen.

She wants to meet Hilda. The second apostle, Hilda with crying eyes.

‘… …as a survivor from the same planet Terra.’

In fact, the two people who are from the last planet Terra.

Azalea must have tried to meet Hilda with that intention.

‘But… … . Hmm.’

What were Azalea and Hilda talking about? No strong images were drawn in Jinseong’s memory.

Although they did exchange a few words, it was when Jinseong’s own character, who was an adventurer, and numerous other NPCs were present.

That is, Jinseong knew that there was no such thing as a scene where the two of them talked secretly.

‘There was no such opportunity in the first place. Maybe if I had a little more time, I don’t know what would have happened… … But given the circumstances, and after that-.’

Ugh, Jinseong had to swallow his regret without realizing it.

Azalea and Hilda’s first official meeting. That meeting never happens again.

Regardless of what their intentions were or what they thought.

“Erika, please stay here with Roy. When they come, I want you to guide them in my stead.”

Azalea said, trying to dissuade Erica from following her.

It was a single word that made Jinseong flinch.

“Them? Ah… I can’t help it. I can’t leave Uncle Roy alone.”

“Yeah, yeah. You have to take care of them. Hahaha.”

‘Those people’ who make Erica sigh and Roy the Burning Pen shake his head as if he doesn’t want to deal with them.

Jinseong bit his lower lip secretly.

Who are they?

They are the ones who create the reason why Azalea cannot meet Hilda again.

‘From the Tower of Despair… … Grim Seekers. The Grim Seeker hardliners are coming. Damn it, then the hardliners coming now are the ones-.’

It means that the culprits who killed Azalea Rott are coming.

* * *

-Then I will continue like this? Really?

-Yes, it will probably take some time to find Becky. As long as there are no NPCs fighting each other or anything, the flow will be smooth… … If you feel anything is strange, please let me know right away. Otherwise, you can just keep going.

-Okay! Then I’ll go first, Chili!

-… … You are truly an incomprehensible human being. Ahem, so, Mr. Jinseong? What about me? The entrance to the Altar of Light? Should I just go straight this way?

-Yes. In fact, I don’t know what will happen yet because the epic quest and raid flow are more different than Anton’s… …but let’s proceed with the old raid pattern for now-. I’ll respond as needed when different points come up in conversations with NPCs. For now, there’s a high probability that you’ll have to take on the light route and the dark route alone… …and alternately, so please check carefully.

-Oh my, there’s a long way to go… … Vivi! You! Don’t get distracted by strange nightmares or anything, so hurry up and clear it and come back! Got it?!

-Hehehe, of course! Don’t worry, I’ll go with you, Jinsang!

-No, I already said that last time-.

I couldn’t hear all of Chili Shrimp’s complaints about Vivi.

This was because, after Vivi left alone for the main scenario, Jinseong, who was left outside the castle of the dead, felt footsteps approaching him.

“Ah, Mr. Roy.”

Roy the Burning Pen, a member of the moderate Grim Seeker faction, a former celestial engineer who also experienced the Tower of Despair.

The face of the young man, who appeared to be in his early twenties, was half hostile, half wary.

“You said you gave Meryl advice. Was that you?”

“yes?”

The fact that he suddenly threw these words at Jinseong himself is also evidence of that.

How many disputes would have arisen because of Roy, who even started speaking informally?

“Th, th, th! It’s not that Mr. Roy has any bad intentions!”

Erica, a member of the same moderate Grim Seeker faction and one of the guards of the Grim Seeker camp, ran over and bowed her head deeply toward Jinseong.

However, Jinseong wasn’t particularly angry.

Roy the Burning Pen, despite his appearance with his clean-cut silver hair and soft skin, is already over 80 years old.

“What were you thinking?”

“I just wanted to give you some information that might be helpful to you, Meryl Pioneer.”

“Why? Are you interested in Meryl?”

Moreover, who is this Meryl he speaks of and why is he mentioning it?

Because Jinseong knew.

“Because it was a deal with the Adventurer’s Guild. I have no ulterior motives.”

A man who has a crush on Meryl Pioneer but cannot express it.

After entering and exiting the Tower of Despair, the two people’s appearances changed completely.

Roy is in his 80s but looks like he’s in his 20s.

Although she is healthy, it would not be an exaggeration to say that she is different from Meryl, who is now in her 80s, beyond her appearance.

Of course, it wasn’t that I couldn’t express my feelings.

“That’s right… Hmm, even I wouldn’t be attracted to Meryl, who I didn’t like, by a rookie like you. Alright, if it’s a deal with the Adventurer’s Guild, I’d rather trust her. I don’t really like those guys, though-.”

In fact, even now in Zelva, Roy is still trying to woo Meryl using his past memories as an excuse, but Meryl is not accepting it at all.

The problem started from the fact that Meryl, who didn’t believe in things like ‘going to a place where time flows differently and not aging’, couldn’t even imagine that the Roy in front of her was the Roy she knew in the past.

“Whaaaaaah-! Roy! But what if you gossip like that! I know Jinseong isn’t a member of the Adventurer’s Guild, but still!”

Erica cut Roy off in a hurry.

Jinseong’s eyes had to widen a little at the words of the girl from the demon world who was fluttering her legs.

“Do you know me?”

Even though I didn’t introduce myself, he knew my name and even knew that I wasn’t a member of the Adventurer’s Guild.

“Yes? Of course! I heard from Lady Azalea. And uh-.”

“Hehehe, Erica.”

“-Ahahaha. Anyway! Yes, most of us moderates will know. Oh, I don’t know about those who don’t do branch activities.”

I thought Azalea would reveal it.

Although he had met the prophet Ezra, whose identity was hidden, Jinseong had never even glimpsed the other moderate figures in the Grim Seekers.

But does that mean that Azalea shared information about Jinseong herself?

“Ah… what did you say?”

The story of Archmage Myer.

Or the story of having to stop a prophecy related to .

“Uh~h, I belong to the wizard guild of the Principality of Bel Myre, but I am more special than the wizard guild leader-.”

“Erika, you shouldn’t tell everyone in detail like that in front of the person involved.”

“-Ah, sorry, I’m sorry.”

“Adventure! But they say he’s not a more special person than me. I understand. I don’t know what abilities he has, but it’ll be difficult for him to surpass me.”

There is no way Azalea would have kept the same secret.

At best, it seemed like he was just a slightly unusual person.

Above all, seeing as they never even brought up the story related to the Tower of Despair, it seemed that even among the moderate Grim Seekers who were always on Azalea’s side, they kept their true identity a secret, except for a very small number of people like the prophet Ezra.

“What, what are you talking about!? You’re the one who says everything you want to say and can’t say, Roy!”

“I’m okay with that! It’s okay!”

“Because you’re old?”

“No! Because I’m a genius!”

Between the shameless Roy and the speechless Erica, Jinseong chuckled quietly, grateful for Azalea’s consideration.

Roy and Erica started coughing in vain, feeling embarrassed by the laughter, and avoided eye contact.

A completely different atmosphere from Azalea’s seriousness. Jinseong wasn’t the only one who felt it.

[Click, click, click… … What the heck, these stupid guys.]

Jinseong did not answer, but only nodded his head with a very small movement.

Fortunately, though, this is just their personality.

[No, but… … That cocky human man, and that demon kid. They’re not your average guys.]

The moderate Grim Seekers with Azalea are a minority.

However, it is not only the existence of the giant Azalea that has allowed her to maintain a certain balance with the hardliners up until now; the people who follow her are also doing their part in their own fields.

‘That’s right. So, even if Azalea had been alive, I don’t know what would have happened… … But.’

Jinseong’s expression gradually hardened.

Because I was looking at one place.

Roy and Erica’s embarrassed gaze soon followed Jinseong’s.

Thud, thud, thud, thud.

It was a group of people walking in sync with their steps, as if they were soldiers.

Not only was the momentum fierce, but the number of people was also over ten, so it was not a scale that could be ignored.

Their unstoppable steps alone were proof that they were not ordinary people.

“……I guess Zelba considers it his home, tsk.”

“Shh, Roy.”

It was exactly as Roy said.

This place, Zelva, where the castle of the dead is located, is a place with very strict boundaries and surveillance.

There is Neville Jurgen, who still holds the position of regent in the Celestial Jiben Empire, and Isabella, one of the princesses of the Arad de Ros Empire.

Even if it is Dana Donatel, the vice-leader of the Adventurer’s Guild, the status or position of those gathered here is by no means low, so of course there will be guards corresponding to that…

“Ugh, ugh.”

“hmm.”

“Ugh.”

Even such figures were unable to stop or inquire about the identity of a group of people heading to the Grim Seeker’s base camp.

When everyone turns their attention away from them.

‘I see… … . Oh, crazy, that’s what it was.’

Jinseong was actually looking at them intently.

I had heard from the beginning that the hardliners from the Grim Seekers would come here.

But there would be no way for Jinseong to recognize them right away. If it were normal.

So why did Jinseong’s expression harden first?

Because there was someone he could recognize.

Among the hardliners in the Grim Seeker faction, he is the one who made the most extreme proposal.

‘Red Ghost Soryun! That human was in Zelba at this very moment!’

Azalea Lott, the murderer.

Red Ghost Soryun was leading a group.