Reinhardt was creating the largest smithy complex on the continent. There were thousands of chimneys endlessly emitting smoke so the landscape of Reinhardt was reminiscent of England during the Industrial Revolution. However, Reinhardt had Sticks. As an elementalist, he worked with the wind elementals to purify Reinhardt’s air. Therefore, Reinhardt’s air and sky were always clear.

“This is what Yang Fei said...”

A golden wheat field stretching out under the blue sky.

The smile didn’t leave Irene’s face as she walked with Grid along a picturesque landscape. She talked about what happened while Grid was away and seemed happier than anyone else in the world.

‘How can she be so good?’

She must be lonely but Irene only talked about happy things. This nature once again touched Grid’s heart. Lord being 13 years old now proved the passage of time. It was worrying that Irene carried this alone and tried hard not to express her anxiety and sadness to Grid.

‘She is crying alone in places I can’t see.’

Irene was strong. She was a mother and a queen, after all. However, she had been kidnapped by the Yatan Church and she was particularly vulnerable to loneliness and anxiety.

“......”

Irene suddenly turned her head toward Grid. She noticed that Grid’s gaze was on the faint wrinkles around her eyes. She covered her eyes with an embarrassed expression only for Grid to hold her chin and turn her head. Then he caressed her wrinkles and pledged, “We will live the same amount of years.”

“Your Majesty...?”

“I won’t make you lonely.”

Berith's Skin Mask still had eight durability left. This meant that there were at least eight chances to give Irene divinity. Irene would surely build up her own divinity. The determined Grid shared a deep hug with Irene.

***

“Wow. I don’t know whose son you are but you’re really amazing.”

It was after splitting up with Irene, who decided to participate in a Rebecca Church event. Grid came to the training center to meet Lord and clicked his tongue. The status window of Lord—who will be 14 years old in a few months’ time—wasn’t normal.

In addition to expanding his basic combat skills such as swordsmanship, archery, spearmanship, and body skills, the proficiency of special skills such as Daluka's Methods, the elven racial skills, and Lantier’s Methods had increased significantly. He even increased the levels of passive skills such as Insight and Wise Man’s Wisdom, where experience played an important role.

The knowledge stat, Irene’s excellent discipline, and Sticks’ teachings seemed to have played a big role.

‘By the way, why did the rank of the Overwhelming Charm skill rise?’

Charm was a concept that could be acquired. People tried to raise their own charm by correcting their words, controlling their emotions, and dressing up their appearance. However, Lord’s Overwhelming Charm wasn’t ordinary. The basic rating was S rated and it was a skill, not a stat. The S rating meant that men, women, the old, and the young all had good feelings toward him, but it wasn’t good news if it reached the SS rating.

“What if he gets kidnapped?”

Grid was genuinely worried about this when someone emerged from Lord’s shadow. It was the appearance of Faker, who now handled shadows as skillfully as Kasim.

“Don’t worry, Lord’s side is guarded by the Overgeared Shadows.”

Faker had been solely focused on his training and the protection of the Overgeared Kingdom. He had mastered the essence of Lantier and was growing rapidly, making him the final weapon of the Overgeared Kingdom. Grid was the only one in the Overgeared Guild with better personal skills than Faker. Grid was relieved that Faker was by Lord’s side and told him, “Thank you for everything.”

“It is a role that I took on myself.”

‘I’d rather thank you for trusting me and leaving this to me...’

Faker wanted to add this but he was embarrassed. He remained silent and hid in the shadows again.

‘I’m going to have to quickly make Faker a Blue Dragon Set with the Blue Dragon’s Breaths I gained from the East Continent.’

Grid promised and soon ran eagerly with Lord on his shoulders. He smiled as he headed to the dining room. Yet what was this strange feeling?

“Then Aunt Sua told me.”

“Aunt Sua said.”

“Aunt Sua...”

...It was always Sua.

No way, right? Grid prayed this wasn’t the case. Then after the meal, Grid visited the smithy with Lord for the first time in ages. He used Open Potential and showed off his god-like blacksmithing skills, inspiring the blacksmiths and making Lord proud. The owner of the Blue Dragon Set made on this day was Faker.

***

“Is that all?”

“Yes.”

“As expected...”

Grid’s desire to own Berith's Skin Mask forever was enlarged after learning how to take advantage of it. He wanted to get rid of the ‘not repairable’ penalty of the skin mask. However, even Sticks and Braham couldn’t give any suggestions to Grid. In the end, Grid pestered the leather craftsmen scattered all over the kingdom.

The result was terrible. The conversation with the craftsmen that Lauel gathered wasn’t helpful at all. They didn’t dare do anything to the work of the great demon that was made of human skin.

‘I have to use it with caution.’

Grid got up from his seat. Only five days after returning home, he was about to leave again. He had even been working for the past five days. He hadn’t been able to rest at all because he had been making items for the Overgeared members using the breaths they gained from the National Competition.

Thus, Lauel wanted to encourage Grid to rest a few days. He wanted to persuade Grid to take a tour of their newly conquered territories. It was impossible not to know that Lauel was taking care of him and Grid smiled.

“I will examine the new territories when I come back. I’m sorry this time. As you know, I’m too busy.”

The public sentiment of the old Gauss Kingdom hadn’t reached the highest level. The Overgeared members and Asmophel tried but it was confusing because the new king had never shown his face. Of course, Grid knew the situation and intended to visit them. If a city’s public sentiment was high then the resources and population productivity would increase.

“I understand. I hope you will be able to solve your leveling up problem and come back.”

“Goodbye, Father.”

“I've baked some sweets. Take them when you’re hungry.”

“May you be incomparably daring.”

“I’m going.”

Grid left the palace after saying goodbye to his family and friends. Then he saw unexpected figures waiting for him.

“You are going on an adventure again straight away?”

The heroes of the National Competition, the ones who made Korea ranked first without Grid. They were Jishuka and Yura. They immediately ran over when they heard Grid was leaving.

“We’ll go with you.”

They had experienced firsthand the strength of the yangbans. They had witnessed that the level of the enemy had risen to the point where Grid alone couldn’t handle and was unwilling to let him go alone. They were confident that they would no longer hold back Grid.

However, Grid shook his head. He appreciated their hearts and their strength was also of great use but the destination this time was the Tower of Wisdom. It was a place only the Pioneer was allowed to visit and he couldn’t take any colleagues with him.

Yura nodded while Jishuka trembled.

“It is a place where only the first ranked player can go? Ohh, I’m envious.”

Jishuka’s dream hadn’t changed. Setting aside her love for Grid, she still had the ambition to be the best. The best ideal for her was to become the supreme one and make Grid depend on her. She wanted to keep Grid sitting on her lap and...

“...Hum hum.”

Jishuka blushed as her mind started flowing in the wrong direction. Then she declared with a polite smile. “Sooner or later, I’ll take the number one ranking and monopolize what’s in the tower. Grid, you’re only sucking up the honey until that time.”

“Haha, yes...”

The qualification to be the next Pioneer was to reach level 500 first, not to be first in the ranking. However, Grid didn’t want to tackle the highly motivated Jishuka and left. Soon after, Yura was left alone with Jishuka and stared. “You will be ranked number one before me?”

“I’m going to eat soybean stew at Grid’s house this evening.”

“...You are only living next door. Don’t you go there too often?”

“Yes~ I had pork belly last night...”

Jishuka was no longer teasing. Yura loaded her gun with magic bullets and pointed it at Jishuka. Jishuka stuttered, “W-What? If you feel it is unfair then move next door to Grid’s house! Where in the world is there a crazy X who will start shooting straight away...? Kyaack!”

"Wow, that runaway train is struck.”

The Overgeared members clicked their tongue when they found the prideful Jishuka running away from the silently chasing Yura. Of course, the ones the previous Tzedakah members were calling a runaway train was Jishuka. The Jishuka they knew was someone who had no fear in the world. It was amazing to see her running away from Yura. Well, it didn’t seem surprising considering that Yura’s nickname was ‘witch’...

“Grid, don’t die.”

They felt sorry for Grid who was walking on a tightrope among the scariest women in the world.

***

Hera hugged the medicine made from the Kunlun Ginseng in her arms and entered the quiet village. The name of the village was Lanteto. It was the place where her client who asked her to save his son lived.

‘Is there fog all year round?’

Just like when she visited half a year ago, the houses were covered by fog. There was still no sign of life. No one was present.

“Uhh...”

Hera was surprised by the sound of a bat passing by and cried out. She felt like the main character in a horror movie. The scenery of this small village was strange and scary. Even so, Hera didn’t stop moving. The castle that existed beyond the fog entered her vision and she firmly stepped forward. There was a patient who needed her help.

“Hup!”

Hera barely climbed the hill and arrived before the castle. Then she took in a breath and froze in shock. She didn’t know how but the door automatically opened. The sound of the old hinges creeped Hera out even more and then the client appeared.

“Medicine... have you obtained it?”

There was a white, pale face. It was so transparent that it was hard to read the emotions. The client didn’t look like a human but a vampire depicted in movies. It seemed that pointed fangs would be revealed when he opened his mouth. If this place was near the Overgeared Kingdom then she would be certain he was a vampire.

Fortunately, it was more than 1,000 miles away from the Overgeared Kingdom and the client’s teeth weren’t sharp. Yes, this was a human. It was a father who became haggard to protect his dying son.

“Yes, I’ve acquired it. It will definitely work.”

“Ohh... Come on in.”

Hera followed the client up to the second floor. The client’s footsteps were very fast like he was happy to be able to save his son. It was almost a run. Hera opened her mouth, “I wanted to prepare an amount that could be taken multiple times, just as you said. However, the Kunlun Ginseng is precious so I could only prepare two.”

Hera didn’t delay after arriving in the patient’s room. She took out the medicine and poured it into the mouth of the sleeping boy. Then—

The boy’s heart, which seemed stationary, started thumping and it echoed through the room. The client became fevered. “Sob...! Sob sob sob! Finally...! I’m finally free!!”

“...?”

Free? The word was somewhat strange. Hera was feeling a sense of strangeness when a dismal voice was heard in her ears. “I didn’t expect it to give life to a lich. The rumor that it could even save a jiangshi was real.”

“...!”

Hera turned her head and was astonished. A skinny man with green hair...

A person that any player would know was approaching her. There was a flash of gold under his disheveled hair like he was annoyed by the client sobbing about his liberation.

“Give me the rest of the medicine.”

“Agnus!”