Chapter 120: Chapter 120: The Western Archipelago (2)

That was all the useful information the bald man had. After making him shut up, I headed back to the lodging.

My head was a mess.

The elf Archmage Shahri. It was because of that crazy elf who hated the Empire and went around disguised as a human.

She wasn’t an ally. Although she didn’t follow the devil, she was closer to being an enemy.

The elves and dwarves constantly harassed the chaotic Empire from the southwestern and northeastern parts of the continent.

Considering the centuries of persecution they faced, it was understandable. The karma of the Empire.

‘The resentment and humiliation they grew up with made them hate the Empire more than the fate of the continent.’

But it was hard to understand why Shahri was in the Western Archipelago. There was no mention of it in the game either.

Did the future change because of me?

Or did she originally aim for the Western Archipelago? I didn’t know all the information from the game.

However, the latter possibility didn’t seem very likely.

The current Casmak couldn’t defeat Shahri. The title of Archmage wasn’t for nothing.

If Shahri really set her mind to it, Casmak wouldn’t have become the ruler of the archipelago.

‘There’s not much for elves to gain by taking over the Western Archipelago either.’

Even if they ruled secretly, the archipelago was quite far from the forest deep in the southwest.

It would be better to increase their control strength over the southwestern plains instead.

Of course, I couldn’t be certain. I had changed so much. Who knows what butterfly effect might have occurred.

Or there really might have been no reason at all.

‘She was originally a wandering lunatic after all.’

An extreme hater of the Empire. In fact, she was treated as crazy even in elf society.

Her standing changed as the Empire fell into chaos.

She gained fervent support from extremist elves by massacring an entire city with magic.

Hmm. What should I do?

If I could deal with Shahri, it would be better to do it now. She was quite a troublesome named individual.

But that was impossible.

A 270-year-old Archmage. Even her swordsmanship was stronger than most Sword Master candidates, if I remember correctly.

In the game, she had lost to Rudehrn, but she fought quite evenly against him.

‘My current level isn’t enough to deal with her.’

Perhaps I could compete if I was in prime condition and my Devil’s Blood manifested.

Moreover, I was still injured.

My shoulder pierced by Teme’s Spear hadn’t fully healed yet. Its power even slowed down Ironman’s healing ability.

Then, a sudden realization struck me.

‘Ah! That’s right.’

It was a memory I had almost forgotten since coming here. It’s not exact, but the rough situation comes to mind.

– What? The sea? Of course I’ve been there.

– Ah… Is that so?

– I went to look for something. Couldn’t find it though. Anything else?

– Umm…

– I’ll give you 5 seconds. 5, 4, 3, 2…

That crazy elf had captured one of my well-raised characters as a prisoner. She said she’d let me live if I told an interesting story.

From the choices, I picked the one about the sea. I thought it would be interesting for an elf living in the forest.

In the end, my character died while telling their life story. It was a moment where 5 days of playtime flew away.

Was that time now? If so, it seems I don’t have to worry. If Shahri’s trip to the archipelago was something that happened in the game, she would disappear on her own anyway.

Still, it didn’t feel good.

‘The question is how long it will take.’

Originally, I had planned to resolve the issues in the archipelago to raise my rapport with Casmak Rodri.

While also using it as practice for Aron.

But with Shahri there, it would be difficult for me to make a big splash. It would be helpful, but not dramatic.

How long would it take for Shahri to leave?

It’s also not good to spend too much time on this side.

If it really doesn’t work out, I’ll have to establish a new cooperation with Rodri and leave. There’s a lot to do outside as well.

Well, let’s just go for now.

I have to meet Casmak anyway. I’ll think slowly about that crazy elf.

“Who the hell are you guys?”

“What’s it to you? We’re just people who came to escape the civil war.”

Even before reaching near the island, the savages of the archipelago surrounded our ship with their boats.

They weren’t extremely hostile.

These days, the only people coming to the archipelago were either insane or refugees from the civil war.

It was also the reason Casmak could exert influence over the West.

“We came to meet Casmak Rodri.”

“…Sir Casmak?”

Aron quietly relaxed his tension.

We came to the island under the control of Rodri with the information from that bald man, but it wasn’t certain.

The information could be outdated, and the island might have been taken over by Shahri. Fortunately, it didn’t seem to be the case yet.

Their reactions didn’t seem deceptive either. The pirates of the archipelago had wary faces.

“Wh-who are you?”

They seemed a bit intimidated as well.

Casmak ruled the archipelago through charisma. These people likely had a lingering fear of him.

“A friend of Casmak’s.”

“…Friend?”

“You won’t be a match for me even if you all attack. Just tell Casmak that Carlyn has come to visit.”

As I finished speaking, I exuded a slightly threatening aura. The guys’ faces paled just from the release of my aura.

They had sensed that I was no ordinary person.

“P-Please wait for a moment.”

“I’d like to go to the island first.”

“Ah, yes.”

“And this person will be leaving. He only transported us here. Protect him a bit in case he encounters Shahri’s forces.”

When I mentioned being cautious of Shahri, the faces of the thugs relaxed slightly.

Perhaps they thought I was an ally.

“Of course!”

I don’t think they would attack Perion. Just looking at how intimidated they were is enough proof.

At most, they might detain him until they confirm the situation. I bid farewell to Perion.

“Thank you.”

“No, I’m the one who’s grateful. If you hadn’t given me a ride back then, I probably wouldn’t have been able to set foot on my homeland again.”

“He’ll have to wait a bit in the middle, but don’t worry. We’ll keep an eye on the situation and send him off. It’s safer than going alone.”

Perion nodded stiffly while looking at the people of the archipelago with a bit of a hard expression.

“Thanks for looking out for me.”

“Be careful.”

As Perion left, we transferred to a boat and headed for the island. Not long after, Casmak came to meet us.

He was with a group of his men. There were some familiar faces.

They were the ones I had seen before and Casmak’s subordinates from the game. But I didn’t see a few of them yet.

Perhaps they were still on Shahri’s side.

‘He doesn’t quite have the imposing presence I saw in the game.’

Although they were the elites of the Western Archipelago that I had seen in the game, I didn’t feel that same aura.

Maybe it was because there was still quite some time until the start of the game.

Or perhaps I was caught up in memories of the past. Memories aren’t always accurate.

Seeing it directly gives a different impression, and I’ve also grown stronger.

Regardless, the atmosphere was quite tense. Casmak might know me, but the others didn’t.

In a situation like this, it was only natural for them to suspect that Shahri was up to something.

Aron was also on guard, watching our surroundings. Casmak’s approaching expression was ambiguous.

A face that seemed pleased yet troubled. I thought I knew the reason.

“Carlyn! Long time no see!”

At least he recognized my face and greeted me. I kept the same disguise I had when I went to the West last time.

Still, his delight was genuine.

I shook his hand and bumped shoulders with him. The smell of alcohol and smoke reached my nose.

His hand felt a little unpleasant to hold, but I didn’t show it.

The atmosphere around us loosened up a bit.

But not for Casmak’s subordinates. An ally’s betrayal is the most dangerous after all.

“It’s been a while.”

“You’ve been well?”

“Well, so-so, I guess.”

“But who are these guys?”

“Just some kids I’ve been taking care of.”

“I see.”

Casmak narrowed one eye, his expression wary. It was natural for him to think I came from Haisen.

But the members of my group didn’t really fit that notion either. I shook my head.

“No. I came out from there. Today I came as a friend.”

Casmak’s expression brightened a bit. He must have been inwardly worried about Haisen as well.

Our meeting had happened because of that, after all.

In an already troublesome situation, Haisen’s involvement would not have been welcome.

He’s someone who prefers doing things himself over receiving help. My words about coming as a friend relieved that concern.

“I don’t know what’s going on, but if you say you came out from there. You must have suffered a lot too. We should talk separately.”

“I’m fine with that.”

Once he makes a friend, he trusts them until they betray him. Despite the long time apart, a familiar feeling remained.

It made sense. I had saved his family members. Casmak turned back.

“Let’s go. Prepare something for me to have a drink with my friend.”

“Sir Casmak, just in case you don’t know…”

“…”

“My apologies.”

Casmak chased away his worried subordinates with a sharp gaze. It was just the two of us meeting separately.

I brought up the topic first.

“I heard you’ve been having some troubles?”

Casmak frowned.

“So you knew even that? Since you said you came out from Haisen.”

“Of course I’d know where a former intelligence agent goes.”

He chuckled and calmly admitted it as he poured himself a drink.

“You’re right. The situation isn’t to my liking. A strange woman suddenly appeared, you see.”

“Have you met her?”

“I have. It was tough. We clashed once and it ended in a draw, but I felt like she was going easy on me.”

He had already confronted Shahri? If he survived after meeting her, then as he said, she must have gone easy on him.

As I remembered, the Western Archipelago wasn’t her target. She was searching for something.

She probably only took over territories in the archipelago for that reason.

I don’t know what she’s looking for, but it must be difficult for an outsider to search for something alone in the archipelago.

Casmak lightly laughed.

It was a humble acknowledgment of the difference in skill. Of course, an eagerness for power could still be felt.

“Honestly, I don’t know what she wants. There hasn’t been any particular movement since she rapidly expanded her forces. She’s just been wandering the seas.”

“I see.”

“Carlyn, what brought you here? You said you came out from Haisen.”

“Didn’t I tell you before? I came as a friend. I heard about you while passing through the West. I came to help.”

It was probably the answer Casmak was expecting. It was a necessary step. I needed to build affinity.

Even though I had saved Casmak’s family and became his friend, I was still part of Haisen back then.

“You don’t need to be on guard.”

“On guard? Did I seem that way? My apologies.”

“No need. You didn’t seem that way. I just said it in case.”

He chuckled. I continued speaking.

“I was actually worried that you might distance yourself since I left Haisen.”

“That just pisses me off.”

“Does it?”

“Yeah. To me, a friend means an eternal comrade. That’s why I don’t make friends easily. Wasn’t it the case that I called you a friend regardless of Haisen?”

Casmak poured drinks into his and my glass.

“It means our friendship isn’t limited to when you were in Haisen.”

I already knew he was this kind of person, but hearing it directly made him seem rather admirable.

Perhaps it was because of his neatly combed large frame and deep voice.

“You’re the friend who saved my sister. You were the only one who directly spoke of my hardship.”

“I apologize.”

Casmak gave a deep smile. We emptied our glasses, a gesture to forget about it.

As I poured more drinks, I continued speaking.

“To be honest, it’s the same for me. It’s my first time actively seeking out a connection from my life as an intelligence agent. I came to help because I liked you.”

“I hate to say this, but Shahri is not an easy opponent. Do you have a clear plan?”

Casmak looked at me with hopeful eyes. To him, the me he knew was closer to a clever intelligence agent.

Back then, I didn’t really do any combat either.

“From what I know, Shahri is searching for something.”

“She’s searching for something? Is that why she’s wandering the seas?”

“Yes. I don’t know what it is, but. And she’s an elf.”

“An elf? That woman?”

Casmak was surprised. I told him the truth because I trusted his friendship.

“But it’s probably best not to spread it around. In any case, you don’t need to worry so much. It doesn’t seem like she’ll stay in the archipelago for long.”

“If you say so, I’ll believe you, but an elf is honestly quite surprising.”

“I understand.”

Casmak put a cigarette in his mouth. Perhaps because it was a friend speaking, he didn’t ask for the basis of my words.

“Hmm. The question is how long.”

“Precisely. If things went according to your plan, you would have to quickly take over the archipelago and exert your leadership over the West.”

“You figured that out too?”

Casmak seemed surprised. To me, it was a fact I obviously knew. It was something that happened in the game.

The West, embroiled in three wars in a short span of time.

And the men who fled those wars entered the archipelago.

Casmak took advantage of this opening to increase his leadership. Either by making his own people kings, or helping others become kings.

“Yeah. You didn’t plan to contact Haisen again anyway, right? There was a hint of ambiguity beneath that initial delight.”

“I see…”

“In fact, that’s also why I came to find you. Since I left Haisen as well.”

We looked at each other and laughed.

“Thank you. It’s a great help. To be honest, I was contemplating my future direction, so this has relieved a major concern.”

“Yeah. It would be better to focus on solidifying your internal strength instead.”

Wait.

A sudden thought struck me in the midst of our conversation. A series of thoughts unfolded in succession.

‘This crazy elf really hated the Empire, didn’t she?’

While she didn’t openly join hands with devil worshippers or devoutly worship the devil, there was a degree of cooperation.

And I was now the person who killed the Empress of the Empire.

From the perspective of that extremely anti-Empire crazy elf, I was a human who had done a rather nice deed.

Wouldn’t it be okay for me to approach her first in this case?

Author's Thoughts

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