Chapter 118

Chapter 118 – Chapter 20: Blitz

The coat of arms on Nayatra and Carack’s forehead, which were made of light, were gorgeous and beautiful .

The King’s Knights—the symbol indicated that they were apostles of Conquest . Conquest’s Coat of Arms meant that Nayatra and Carack, as well as Karma outside the room, were under In-gong’s control .

‘There is an effect . ’

The coat of arms wasn’t simply to declare affiliation . The coat of arms itself had power .

First of all, it strengthened their abilities .

When he used Conquest Coat of Arms, all the stats of the King’s Knights increased by 20% . Additionally, the effect of Below the King’s Flag was greater . Both of these effects had a synergistic effect .

Next was the strengthening of solidarity . In-gong could see the awareness in Nayatra’s eyes, and he felt a bit of goodwill . In-gong then shifted his gaze toward Carack, who looked at the white light surrounding his body and smiled .

“I can feel my loyalty to Prince rising . ”

They weren’t simply words; it truly was the case .

In-gong nodded slowly and looked at Nayatra again . Unlike Carack who was accustomed to the power of Conquest due to Below the King’s Flag, this was the first time she had experienced the strangeness of Conquest .

‘I guess I won’t have to worry about her running away?’

He had been worried because this was a contract half-accepted through intimidation . The reason why he had her join the King’s Knights was so that he could use Call whenever she tried to escape . However, looking at Nayatra’s eyes right now, it seemed like there would be no need to use Call .

The third effect of Conquest Coat of Arms was strengthening his governance . Before, In-gong had only known Carack’s level but not his detailed stats, but that was different now . In-gong was able to see Carack’s stats as well as his own .

‘His persistence is no joke . ’

His persistence and durability were overwhelmingly high compared to his other stats . After being strengthened by Conquest Coat of Arms, they were only slightly lower than In-gong’s stats .

‘Carack has also gained many levels . ’

In-gong remembered that he had been around level 23 or 24 during the Red Lightning subjugation, but he was now level 28 .

‘His intelligence is too high . ’

Carack’s intelligence was higher than orc he had encountered in Knight Saga . However, intelligence wasn’t a quantification of mechanical areas such as how fast the brain thought or memory . It was different from wisdom or smarts .

‘Maybe they are high as well . ’

However, they were invisible stats .

In-gong carried on by looking at Nayatra’s stats . Her level, occupations and status were listed on the coat of arms . In Knight Saga, thief and assassin had been her secondary occupations, but they were her main ones now . Rather, her secondary occupation was an escort knight .

‘She also has high and low stats . ’

Whether she had experienced slavery or not seemed to have created a slight difference in her stats . However, her level was lower than it had been in Knight Saga . It was inevitable since this was one year before then .

“How does it feel?”

As soon as In-gong asked, Nayatra spoke with shining eyes .

“Very good . I feel lighter . ”

It wasn’t just her eyes, but her voice contained a tinge of ecstasy as well . She was in an excited state, but she meant her words .

In-gong laughed and released Nayatra’s hand . Nayatra let out a long exhale like she was enjoying it . Conquest’s Coat of Arms and the white light had disappeared, but her cheeks were still red .

“Master . ”

In-gong heard Green Wind’s voice suddenly in his ears . She took her solid form and clung to In-gong’s arm while looking back and forth between Carack and Nayatra .

“Master, I want to be Master’s knight as well . ”

“Huh?”

“I am already Master’s, but Carack and the succubus who suddenly appeared are different . I want to be the same . ”

In-gong blinked at the unexpected request . There was a strange feeling of jealousy on Green Wind’s face .

‘Do I need it?’

In-gong always had Green Wind with him, unlike Carack, Karma and Nayatra . There was no need to use Call, and as Green Wind said, she was already conquered . So, he couldn’t think of her as a knight .

The number of people he could accept into the King’s Knights was limited . This time the level of the King’s Knights rose, so the number was slightly increased, but it was only be two places .

‘I will give one of them to Vandal, and I have one spare spot left . ’

He thought it was a bit of a waste to give one of those spots to Green Wind . The situation was somewhat different from when he accepted Karma; at the time, other than Carack, he’d had no subordinate .

As if she noticed In-gong’s thoughts, Green Wind pulled his arm more firmly and gazed at him earnestly . She almost seemed like a child . In-gong couldn’t ignore that gaze, so he thought about the benefits of having Green Wind as a knight .

‘Will the Call effect apply to White Eagle?’

White Eagle came flying when called, but there was a difference between flying and appearing instantly . It was limited to once a day, but it wasn’t useless .

‘And the strengthening effect… isn’t it more effective than I thought?’

Green Wind’s power had dropped significantly after leaving Enger Plains . Thanks to this, she couldn’t utilize the various buffs that had been used at Enger Plains .

Maybe Conquest Coat of Arms wouldn’t just affect the numerical stats but the capabilities of the target as well . It was quite possible that he could restore Green Wind’s power .

“Master?”

Green Wind asked again, and In-gong laughed .

“Yes, Green Wind is always with me . ”

The limit of the King’s Knights would increase again when the level rose . The utility was sufficient, and he didn’t want to disappoint Green Wind, who was satisfied with the smallest of praises .

Green Wind laughed brightly as she received In-gong’s permission and knelt down . In-gong was reminded of his first meeting with Green Wind at Enger Plains .

He accepted Green Wind as his knight in the same method as he had done with Nayatra .

“Ahh . ”

Green Wind opened her eyes slowly and breathed out . The Conquest Coat of Arms formed on her forehead as well .

‘Her power has recovered . ’

From the beginning, she had been a higher-order guardian . Carack was surprised when he saw Green Wind, while In-gong felt the sacredness and mystique he had felt when he saw her for the first time .

“Thank you, Master . You are a great master . ”

Green Wind embraced In-gong tightly before turning around and spreading her arms .

“Okay, with this, there is nothing that I’m not part of . ”

Nayatra’s eyes narrowed at the sudden declaration, and she asked In-gong,

“Hrmm, Master, who is she?”

It was clearly a soft and gentle voice, but strangely, it didn’t sound like it . In-gong answered hurriedly,

“She is Green Wind, the guardian of Enger Plains . Now, she is my guardian . ”

Green Wind’s eyes sparkled at ‘my guardian’ .

“Yes, I am Master’s . My history and traditions are different from you who came suddenly . ”

“Haven’t you only been here a couple of months . So, what history?”

Green Wind growled at Carack’s sharp point, and Carack quickly turned his gaze elsewhere .

Nayatra nodded silently .

“Then we are almost like siblings . Please look after me in the future . ”

Her smiling face was very beautiful, but In-gong felt scared for some reason . Green Wind faced Nayatra with wide eyes and grasped her hand . One side was laughing while the other was alert, but the atmosphere seemed to be the same . They were both wary of each other .

In-gong felt something in his chest warm at the confrontation between the two of them .

‘W-what? This strange sense of fulfillment…’

It was a type of happiness that he hadn’t experienced before . He didn’t know why Green Wind and Nayatra felt opposed to each other, but it was still a good thing .

However, In-gong soon regained his spirit . After he stopped the confrontation by releasing Green Wind’s solid state, he ordered Carack and Nayatra to go rest . It wasn’t a situation in which they could afford to keep talking and laughing . Starting tomorrow, he would have to keep working hard .

Nayatra left respectfully, while Carack left after expressing his concerns .

Although there was still Green Wind, In-gong appeared alone on the surface, so he sat down .

‘Nayatra has joined me . ’

One of his three most beloved subordinates in Knight Saga…

She had been the one who provided the information which led to the lycanthrope subjugation .

He felt like he had taken one step further to his goal; there was a strong sense of accomplishment .

‘Vandal . ’

The handshake In-gong shared with him came to mind, and a smile formed on his face .

‘The barbarian king is strong . I need to be vigilant . I need to win the fight with Vandal as well . ’

In-gong took a deep, determined breath and cleared his head . He was going to practice his aura like usual before going to sleep .

However, he then heard a knock at the door .

“Shutra, can I enter?”

It was Felicia’s voice . In-gong opened the door to see her wearing a creamy night gown . It seemed like she had finished her preparations for sleep .

“Is the talk finished?”

Felicia asked as she closed the door . In-gong responded with a relaxed expression,

“Yes, Nayatra will be accompanying us in the future . She will be in charge of gathering information . ”

It was essential to have someone in charge of gathering information . Carack was a competent aide, but he didn’t have the ability to gather information like Seira or Delia . Nayatra was a specialist in gathering information, so she would reinforce what Carack lacked .

At the end of In-gong’s words, Felicia sat down on the bed facing In-gong .

“Hmm, I am curious if you got her to join because she is a succubus, but… I believe in Shutra . ”

It meant that she wouldn’t ask anything . In-gong had no way of explaining it, so he accepted Felicia’s courtesy .

“Thank you . ”

“Well, there is no need for thanks . ”

Felicia laughed and crossed her legs .

“Shutra, do you know why I came?”

He could guess . Therefore, In-gong asked something else before starting .

“Caitlin noona?”

“She is already sleeping . Today was fairly tough on her . ”

She had gone shopping around Takar during the day and fought at the auction house at night .

“Now, tell me the story . ”

Felicia prompted as she crossed her legs the other way . In-gong took a minute to think about where to start the story, then he made his decision . He pulled the Dragon King’s Golden Helmet from his inventory .

“This object is called the Dragon King’s Golden Helmet . Paratus, the younger brother of the barbarian king, attacked the auction house because of this . ”

In-gong handed over the golden helmet . Felicia turned the helmet to the dragon face and asked,

“The Dragon King’s helmet?”

“The legendary barbarian king wore it . He was worshipped as a god . ”

“Ohh . ”

As a specialist in ruins exploration, Felicia was deeply interested in relics . Her eyes were filled with delight as she looked at the helmet .

In-gong continued speaking,

“The significance of the Dragon King’s helmet is unusual for the barbarians . It is something similar to a crown or a seal . This is an item that certifies the king’s authority . ”

“Was this part of the items at Takar’s auction house?”

“I don’t know the reason either, but the ones who attacked the auction were after it . ”

It could have been stolen or found during a war, but he didn’t know the details .

Felicia touched the surface of the golden helmet slowly . There was a different light in her eyes . It wasn’t the gaze of a scholar excited about exploring ruins but the gaze of a princess of the Demon King’s Palace .

“Indeed, it can come in handy in some ways . ”

Although it was a symbol of kingship, it was impossible for them to rule over the barbarians simply by using the Dragon King’s Golden Helmet . If a dark elf tried to become the ruler of the lycanthropes, no lycanthropes would listen to them . The barbarians were the same . It was impossible to gain authority over the barbarians simply by using the Dragon King’s Golden Helmet .

However, there were still many things it could be used for . They could break the morale of the barbarians or cause internal fighting .

Felicia didn’t need to list such examples to In-gong . So, she shrugged and asked another question,

“Did you say Paratus? Anyway, he knows that you have this?”

“Yes, although he doesn’t know who I am . ”

Moreover, right now, Paratus was busy running away . In-gong didn’t know about the battlefield with the barbarians, but it was unlikely that he would face Paratus for a while .

At any rate, it was obvious that he had been obsessed with the golden helmet when he faced In-gong .

“As always, you bring a storm with you . Can’t you think about the people who will get involved?”

Felicia frowned as she asked with crossed arms . In-gong had only one possible reply to Felicia,

“Sorry . ”

He truly did feel sorry toward Felicia as she always had to deal with it .

As a gloomy expression formed on In-gong’s face, Felicia stood up with an embarrassed expression .

“It’s a joke, a joke . And it is good that we got caught up with this . You don’t have to worry about it . ”

Felicia winked and quickly changed the topic .

“Anyway, Paratus was only aiming for this helmet?”

“For now . ”

“Hmm, then the rest of the items?”

Felicia placed her hands on her waist and tilted her head . In-gong laughed awkwardly and said,

“That, well… wouldn’t they have been destroyed by the crash if I hadn’t taken them?”

It was a valid reason, but Felicia clicked her tongue as she gazed at In-gong .

“You really speak well . ”

It was obvious that he would have taken them anyway .

However, Felicia just shrugged and said to In-gong,

“Well, it was an unavoidable situation . Vulcanus is also a bad person, but we are royalty . Shouldn’t we refrain from stealing?”

“I will keep it in mind . ”

“Yes, please do so, Shutra . ”

Felicia patted In-gong’s head softly . It had always been In-gong stroking someone’s head, so he felt quite strange .

“Anyway . ”

“Anyway?”

“So, what did you get? Anything good? My favourite jewellery or paintings?”

Felicia asked with a smile, and In-gong couldn’t help smiling back . Instead of explaining, he took out the auction items from his inventory, one by one .

&

“Eeeeeh! First, the Demon King’s Palace, and now you want to drag me to a battlefield!”

“Yes . ”