Chapter 51

But still, it can't compare to the White King's definitive reward.

His offer to give up any city is that shocking.

It means he's willing to bear the consequences, even if it means making enemies.

Moreover, becoming the ruler of a city comes with mysteries and titles.

In fact, the answer was decided from the beginning.

'In every way, it’s more advantageous to side with the White King.'

The White King is a living legend.

The Star Guardians?

They don’t get involved unless it concerns the stars or the goddess.

In contrast, the White King has no such constraints. He doesn’t impose them. That’s why he’s free.

His subordinates, the Four Generals, might also be willing to help me if I build enough favor with them.

With the help of these monsters, toppling a kingdom wouldn’t be difficult.

It’s truly overwhelming power.

'The problem is, if it’s discovered that I’m human or just a nobody, it’s an instant death sentence.'

So far, I’ve managed to cover it up, but my abilities are still lacking compared to theirs.

If my bluff is exposed, my head will roll.

The same goes if my human identity is revealed.

'But this will change once I get stronger.'

Rapid growth is the only answer.

Looking to the future, it’s still best to side with the White King.

As long as my human identity isn’t exposed, that’s all that matters.

“After some thought, I think the White King and you all are more to my liking, caw.”

“...Is that so?”

“Thank you, caw.”

“Indeed, you’re a big-hearted friend! I knew you wouldn’t be swayed by those mere Star Guardians!”

The Fourth General was greatly pleased.

He really is genuinely happy.

He was already favorable towards me from the start, so it must have made him even more pleased that I didn’t disappoint his expectations.

Making such a decision as quickly as possible helps maintain a strong relationship.

If I hesitated or wavered, it would only decrease trust.

[You have received the White King’s recognition. Warp is activated with the qualification of ‘Oju Power’.]

[A waypoint has been created in ‘Kramdel’.]

[Achievement ‘Recognized by the White King’ has been added.]

[Reputation has increased by 100.]

...This was as expected.

The White King was also listening to this conversation.

The immediate response confirms it.

Under the White King’s protection, warping was originally impossible in Kramdel except for designated locations.

But with the White King’s recognition, a waypoint has been created in Kramdel.

This means I can now teleport to the Teleport Book whenever I want.

He gave a clear answer to my clear decision.

'If I had chosen the Star Guardians, they wouldn’t have let me go easily.'

The outline is clear.

The White King feels threatened by me and is warning me.

He must think that if I become a Star Guardian, I will eventually become a threat to him.

Thus, he offered a reward and waited for my choice.

If I had become a Star Guardian, I probably wouldn’t have been able to leave Kramdel easily.

It’s questionable whether the Star Guardians would have actively protected me.

From the beginning, the White King aggressively intimidated the Giant of Evil.

In contrast, the Star Guardians’ reaction was lukewarm.

'If I didn’t know him, I might have mistaken this attention for mere goodwill.'

But that would be a mistake.

The White King doesn’t know me, but I know him.

His ability to detect threats is so incredible that it’s almost like reading the future.

This goodwill is not based on complete trust but on caution.

He was even secretly eavesdropping on my conversation with the Fourth General.

'I am walking on thin ice.'

In the future, if the White King feels threatened by me or thinks I will become a threat, he will eliminate me without hesitation.

Just as I can’t fully trust the White King, he can’t fully trust me either.

It’s truly walking on thin ice.

One wrong step and I’ll fall through.

'No matter how well I act, he will still have some doubts.'

Most importantly, I am human.

Not a human from Panginea, but a player.

No matter how thoroughly I act as a carrion crow, or how my emotions are hidden by the Heart of the Iron-Blooded Overlord, the White King doesn’t believe in appearances.

So he wants to keep me close to observe.

A double-edged sword.

I’ve gained the strongest ally, but I’m in a position where I can’t show any weakness.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing the faces of those Star Guardians tomorrow!”

The Fourth General laughed heartily.

He seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the future this choice would bring.

*

“The carrion crow as an Oju?”

“It’s not an ordinary carrion crow, but one who has passed through the ‘Mythical Crown’.”

“If the White King has personally recognized it, there’s no room for objections.”

“Huh...”

Murmurs filled the air.

The square in Kramdel was packed with gathered monsters.

This was because the announcement of the fifth main force was being made in front of the White King’s palace.

The monsters who saw me were skeptical.

Some clearly doubted whether I was as powerful as the other main forces.

But with the recognition of the White King and the Four Generals, there was no room for objections.

“...You will surely regret today’s decision.”

The Giant of Evil and the other Star Guardians left Kramdel with grim expressions.

Dramut gave me a complicated look at the end, but I didn’t care.

After all, Dramut didn’t want me to become a Star Guardian either.

Dramut knew I was human.

Moreover, even without their recognition, I was still the master of the stars, the ‘Star Heir’ who owns two stars.

In the face of this truth, their recognition was irrelevant.

“The fifth main force of Kramdel, the King of Carrion Crows, Randolph.”

The White King announced.

At the same time, the surroundings fell silent.

The White King and the Four Generals were enjoying the departure of the Star Guardians and their grim expressions.

Before the Star Guardians left Kramdel completely,

“Everyone, give a warm welcome!”

“Randolph! Randolph!”

“Hail the new main force!”

“May Kramdel stand forever!”

The monsters cheered loudly.

At the same time, the faces of the Star Guardians darkened even more.

It felt like crossing a river from which there was no return.

‘How did it come to this?’

But the current situation was unfamiliar.

I never thought I would be cheered by monsters.

I’ve hunted more monsters than are gathered here in Kramdel.

Moreover, Kramdel almost fell because of me once.

...It was a short but intensely memorable welcome ceremony.

*

After the ceremony, I left Kramdel.

Choosing a city as a reward was something to think about later, and it was more urgent to return to the ‘Knight’s Garden’.

If I stayed in Kramdel any longer, my true identity might be exposed.

“Here...? Isn’t this the Knight’s Garden?”

Isaac, who had teleported through the Teleport Book, tilted his head.

He couldn’t understand why the carrion crow would come to the human city of the Knight’s Garden.

Crack!

I removed the core from my chest.

“Gasp...?!”

Isaac was shocked.

He couldn’t imagine a monster removing its own core.

But the next moment, Isaac’s mouth and eyes widened in shock.

“H-Human...!!”

Because the carrion crow had transformed into a human.

After fully returning to human form, I slowly stretched my body.

‘This body is just right.’

Being a carrion crow for a long time makes my body stiff. After a long absence, my muscles let out a happy sigh.

Then, I spoke to Isaac, who was still in shock.

“Nothing has changed, Isaac.”

The promise to serve for a year.

That promise remained the same.

Whether I was human or a carrion crow.

“W-What, really a human?”

“Yeah.”

“...After all that chaos?”

His expression still showed disbelief.

It’s understandable to find it hard to believe that the human who caused all that chaos in Kramdel and became the King of Carrion Crows is actually human.

I would have found it hard to believe too.

“Then, perhaps...?”

Isaac looked at Isabella.

Then, Isabella’s half-dragon wings disappeared from her back.

“T-These fraudsters!”

“You’re one to talk.”

Isaac was also human, pretending to be a half-dragon in Kramdel.

Leaving Isaac, whose jaw dropped, I looked around the Knight’s Garden, which I hadn’t visited in a while.

‘The atmosphere is bleak.’

For some reason, it feels more depressed than before.

First, all the windows are closed.

Closed windows mean there’s something threatening in the city.

However, Viscount Wiser is surprisingly a noble who cares for his subjects. The citizens don’t fear him.

This suggests the presence of a third party, a different entity.

Who could it be?

It’s unlikely to be an individual, so it might be a threatening organization that has come to the city.

Or, could the city’s owner have changed?

It’s a possibility, though unlikely, given Viscount Wiser’s situation.

With many questions in mind, as I moved further into the city center, I saw a man.

A man carrying water and cautiously looking around.

“Hey.”

“Who... Ah! Heir?”

The man recognized me.

The citizens of this city know me as the ‘Heir of the Knight King’.

The one who protects the city, prays for the knights carved on the tombstones, and is revered by Priest Andrew.

But his expression was somewhat uneasy.

“Is something wrong in the territory?”

“Well, it’s... It might be better if you leave now.”

“Why?”

The citizen looked around.

Then, he cautiously approached and whispered in my ear.

“...One of the Eight Heroes is in the city right now.”

My brows furrowed.

The Eight Heroes?

Could it be those Eight Heroes?

The imposters pretending to be heroes while Wilhelm, the true hero, went on the Great Expedition to the Demon World?

The citizen’s expression was not just dark but also filled with fear.

Who among the Eight Heroes could cause such a reaction?

“Which one of the Eight Heroes?”

When I asked, the citizen swallowed and answered.

“It’s... Maxim. If you enter the city now, something bad might happen. Before any of the soldiers see you, please...”

“Hey! Who’s there!”

“Huh!”

The man jumped at the shout from nearby soldiers.

Reunion

Two armed soldiers.

‘They’re not Viscount Wiser’s soldiers.’

Their armor and emblems are different.

‘Maxim. Maxim.’

The soldiers he brought have taken control of the city.

But why is he here?

I heard he’s one of the Eight Heroes and is receiving successor training under the Duke of Sain.

But Maxim is far from a true hero.

‘He’s just a deserter who ran away first when hired.’

Thinking about it still makes me grind my teeth.

Maxim was the leader of the ‘Kaiser’ mercenary group.

He was a formidable leader of 300 men, famous across the continent, so I trusted him and signed a contract, only to be betrayed.

He fled as soon as Ahram appeared in the first hell, the ‘Swamp of the Dead’.

He ran away without looking back.

For such a person to be one of the Eight Heroes is laughable.

‘If Maxim is here, it must be because of the Duke of Sain.’

If Maxim is here, I can guess the reason.

It’s likely due to a deal between the Duke of Sain and Viscount Wiser.

He probably stepped in to resolve the issue involving Serengeti.

However, even if Viscount Wiser’s power has declined, it’s still strange.

Allowing other soldiers to run rampant in his territory is tantamount to giving up the territory.

‘Or, he might be so preoccupied with something that he can’t even care about the city.’

Whatever it is, it’s clearly a bad situation.

“What’s this combination?”

“Never seen you before?”

As the soldiers approached arrogantly, I spoke softly.

“Knock them out.”

“What... Gah!”

Swish!

That was it.

The soldiers fell to their knees without even a proper scream.

Isaac and Isabella.

Their speed was matched.

They almost simultaneously knocked out the two soldiers.

But this shouldn’t have been possible.

Isaac’s level is 10, and his speed is unmatched.

The reason Isabella could match Isaac is simple.

【Lv.9】

Her level has increased.

When I first met her in the desert, Isabella’s level was 8, but it has risen through Kramdel.

Not only that, she obtained a useful mystery by passing through the ‘Mysterious Crown’.

‘To actually get the Dragon’s Mystery.’

One of the mysteries I aimed for when entering the Mysterious Crown was this.

Although it changed from the original intention when it became the Mythical Crown, I never imagined Isabella would get it.

Thanks to this, her speed is on par with Isaac.

Assassins are inherently agile.

Turning my head, I spoke to the still shocked male citizen.

“You didn’t see us.”

“Y-Yes! Yes, I didn’t see anything.”

The male citizen quickly nodded.