24-Hour Friendly Market, Specializing in Dimensional Items - Chapter 211

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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24-Hour Friendly Market Specializing in Dimensional Items Episode 211

Episode 211. A Well-Set Flag (7)

“This is a story from several decades ago.”

Kaem opened his mouth calmly without mixing in any emotion.

“Lord Nianusu is a benevolent being. He is one who looks down with care even upon places where Raquan’s sunlight does not reach. Any life living under Lord Nianusu’s warm gaze would naturally feel gratitude.”

I didn’t need to ask whether Nianusu was a god appearing in the scenario.

“But one day, suddenly and without warning, an oracle came down.”

Kaem hesitated for a moment, then muttered in a solemn tone.

“‘Those who disturb my rest shall face the wrath of god,’ it said.”

Following the flickering candlelight, Kaem’s shadow swayed quietly.

“At first, everyone followed Lord Nianusu’s will. But as time passed, those who said they could no longer follow the god’s words appeared, and eventually Raquan was divided in two and came into conflict.”

“One side would be Gontawa, right?”

Since they had mistaken Han Ro-mi and me for ‘Gontawa’s assassins’ and hurled magic spears at us, it was easy to guess.

Kaem nodded and continued his explanation.

“That’s correct. Gontawa is a village where those who maintain the position that Lord Nianusu should be awakened live.”

“Then what about the people trying to keep the oracle?”

On the map I had seen, there was only one village called Gontawa.

There was one more faintly remaining settlement-like place, but since no name was written there, it must be a place the detection writing tool didn’t recognize as a village.

Kaem added with a bitter smile as if he had expected that question.

“I am the only person trying to keep the oracle.”

“…You’re trying to keep the oracle all by yourself?”

“No. Originally, there was a village called Panco above the Parbho River.”

Panco!

The place that the detection writing tool had drawn but with blurred outlines had a proper name called ‘Panco.’

However, seeing that Kaem’s expression wasn’t good, that village probably couldn’t be considered a village anymore.

“Many people in Panco shared the same intention as me, but… they all returned to Lord Nianusu’s embrace.”

“Why?”

“Because those who tried to carry on the god’s will were all very old. There were a few more young priests, but they all perished in Gontawa’s attack a few years ago.”

Kaem was the only priest remaining in Raquan and the only survivor of Panco.

And he was the last person responsible for carrying the mission of protecting Nianusu’s rest.

‘Then Kaem becomes even more impressive…?’

I frowned and asked back.

“Do many people live in Gontawa?”

“Probably a little under 100 people.”

A calm answer came back, but I was quite surprised inside.

The fact that he had been doing 1 versus 100 for several years and still survived while protecting the temple was proof that Kaem was that strong.

No matter how hard Gontawa tried to awaken the god, they had been blocked by Kaem alone and hadn’t achieved their goal until now.

‘…Could it be that Kaem is the strongest person in the dimension who caused Raquan’s destruction?’

While my head was getting complicated with all sorts of hypotheses, there was a sound of water dripping onto the floor.

“…”

The source of the sound was Han Ro-mi.

Whether she was concentrating on the story or not, Han Ro-mi was focused on wringing out the water from her soaked clothes.

‘This is ridiculous, really.’

I should listen carefully to Kaem’s story and relay it to Kim Seol and Lee Taek-ju.

Realizing my mission, I nodded with a serious face.

Having heard this much, there was exactly one thing I was curious about.

“But why do they want to awaken the god?”

From what I’d heard roughly, divine punishment would even come down,

so the intention behind why they would risk danger to awaken the god was unclear.

“Actually, Gontawa has their own justification too.”

“…Aren’t they the enemy right now? What kind of justification?”

Was he trying to look out for the other side’s justification too with his priest-like gentle heart?

The answer that came back was unexpected.

“Raquan is originally a place for cultivating wheat.”

“…Wheat?”

I couldn’t help but ask back reflexively at the out-of-place word.

Wheat in this jungle that was clearly Little Amazon, where heavy rain fell without rest?

Perhaps I showed my confusion too obviously without realizing it, as Kaem quietly nodded.

“You may not believe it, but originally Raquan was a sunny place all year round. It was a place where the sunlight was so strong that if you hung laundry out, it would dry stiff in less than 2 hours.”

“…Don’t tell me it changed like this after the oracle?”

“That’s right.”

The brief answer somehow sounded like he was swallowing sadness.

Kaem closed his mouth for a moment and caught his breath.

“It started raining from the night the oracle came down. At first, everyone thought it was the god’s will. That it was expressing sorrow for the place where Lord Nianusu’s gaze had been withdrawn.”

“But the rain hasn’t stopped until now.”

“That’s right.”

I recalled when I first discovered the temple earlier.

Stone walls covered with vines and moss, fierce raindrops savagely beating the windows.

It was such a cool landscape that it was hard to believe this was originally a warm place suitable for growing wheat.

The dampness that penetrated through magic power to reach my skin, and the strong raindrops that fell like they were pounding – I had just accepted it thinking the scenario background was a jungle.

‘The rain hasn’t stopped for decades.’

It was rain with deeper origins than I thought.

Then naturally, the reason why the people of Gontawa wanted to awaken the god would be there too.

“They think things will return to normal if they awaken the god, I suppose?”

“Exactly. Of course, Gontawa probably didn’t think from the beginning that they should awaken Lord Nianusu.”

Kaem’s tone remained calm.

It wasn’t that he had no emotions, but rather that emotions he had suppressed for a long time had already soaked into his voice so they couldn’t be distinguished separately.

“Then they reached their limit.”

While being hostile enough toward Gontawa to try to kill us, he also seemed to unexpectedly represent their position.

I looked carefully at Kaem’s face, which had a pale bluish tint from living under shadows for a long time.

“What do you think, Kaem?”

“I don’t understand what you mean.”

“Do you still think keeping the oracle is right?”

For the first time, a tiny crack appeared in Kaem’s expression.

It was very brief, but he definitely wavered.

However, Kaem drew a line with a calm and serious tone.

“…It is the god’s will.”

‘Still, he is wavering.’

Well, he’s someone who has endured here for 28 years.

Even after all his companions returned to the god’s side, he endured alone for several more years.

Under Raquan’s sky where not a ray of sunlight enters.

During that time, there’s no way Kaem couldn’t understand the people of Gontawa at all.

He must have seen right before his eyes that crops couldn’t be grown because of the rain, and people getting sick from not receiving sunlight.

At that moment, a somewhat subtle question arose.

“But you know.”

Kaem had said Nianusu was a benevolent god.

But wouldn’t a warm and kind god who looks after even the lowest places have anticipated that such a situation would arise?

‘He’s a god, isn’t he?’

After all, graves are built in sunny places and houses with good lighting are expensive.

It’s natural law that people get sick if they don’t receive sunlight.

Whether that principle applies equally to all dimensions is unknown, but at least it seems to apply the same way in Raquan.

Look at that pale face drained of all vitality – does he look healthy to you?

Nianusu couldn’t have been unaware of this either.

I leaned my body slightly forward and voiced my question.

“Why did Lord Nianusu fall asleep?”

If Nianusu hadn’t fallen asleep in the first place, there wouldn’t have been any conflict between Gontawa and Panco.

But why?

Why on earth did Nianusu choose to abandon all humans and fall asleep?

At that moment, Kaem’s face hardened stiffly.

But as if nothing had happened, Kaem answered calmly.

“…Only Lord Nianusu knows that.”

“Huh, but it seems like you know something too, Kaem.”

“How could a mere human understand the will of a god?”

No way, this person definitely knows something.

If he was going to say he doesn’t know, he shouldn’t have hesitated before answering.

Though Kaem’s properly controlled expression no longer showed any room for suspicion, I was certain.

Kaem definitely knew the reason why the god fell asleep, but he would absolutely never speak about it.

‘Hmm, so humans are the problem after all.’

Wherever I go, people are always the problem.

I decided not to ask any further.

Kaem had hardened his expression as if he would absolutely never speak about it himself, and asking more would only make things awkward between us.

‘Then I’ll have to find out directly.’

I gave him an ‘I understand your feelings’ smile and then tapped Han Ro-mi.

Han Ro-mi, who had finished wringing out the moisture and was staring into space, blinked her eyes.

“Han Ro-mi.”

“…Yes?”

“Please share everything you just heard.”

“Me…?”

This is maddening.

I can’t even yell in front of Kaem who has such a sad story.

“Yes, I can’t send scenario participant shared messages, you know?”

“Ah…”

Han Ro-mi sighed in a languid tone and then quietly muttered.

“A message did come…”

Is this woman seriously joking around?

I tried to calm my frustration that felt like it would explode and asked kindly.

“What did it say?”

“They met a mage who finished training… near Gontawa.”

“That’s it?”

“They said she’s strong…”

Don’t tell me that’s the only thing Kim Seol and Lee Taek-ju found out?

If they haven’t even entered Gontawa yet, I’m going to be seriously disappointed in Haebbing.

“I’ll… send a message for now.”

Will she even be able to properly convey what Kaem said?

Though she’s the guild leader of a major guild and an S-rank Hunter, my trust in Han Ro-mi had already hit rock bottom, so I stared at Han Ro-mi with an unnecessarily serious expression.

Then Kaem, who had been quietly listening, suddenly asked.

“A mage who finished training – are you referring to Temi?”

“You know her?”

Han Ro-mi hadn’t even mentioned the name.

Kaem nodded.

“Temi is a child born in Panco. She would be nineteen this year. She entered Gontawa a few years ago.”

“Huh, why didn’t you raise her?”

“…Because there was no one left to raise her.”

Ah, I momentarily forgot that all the people of Panco had died.

I shut my mouth tight at my insensitive words and behavior, but Kaem didn’t seem particularly bothered.

“Temi showed exceptional talent in magic from a young age. She was the kind of genius that might appear once in a thousand years. If she’s finished her training… the next visitor to Gontawa might very well be Temi.”

His expression looked somewhat complicated.

A young mage born in Panco and raised in Gontawa.

So the mage named Temi would remain in Kaem’s memories too.

And according to what Kaem said, Temi seems to be quite strong.

Kaem also seems to be a mage strong enough to hold his own anywhere, and for such a Kaem to call her a genius.

‘Then I should protect Kaem for now.’

The scenario spoke with a nuance suggesting not to wake Nianusu’s sleep, so protecting Kaem who’s upholding that will would be the right choice.

Fortunately, there’s a Hunter here who’s just so-so at offense and defense but is world-class when it comes to healing.

With Han Ro-mi here, it’s like fighting with multiple lives.

Even if Kaem is dying, I could save him by pouring potions and using skills on him.

I called to Han Ro-mi, who was busy inputting messages into the air.

“Han Ro-mi, I’m going to go outside and check the situation, so could you stay here and guard this place?”

“…What’s the reason?”

“It would be troublesome if something suddenly happened while Kaem is alone.”

I answered naturally, then whispered quietly in Han Ro-mi’s ear.

“We haven’t grasped the scenario content yet, so it would be problematic if the pro-oracle side dies.”

“Ah.”

Good, I don’t have to explain again.

Though she’s not reliable, she seems to understand roughly, so I’ll leave this side to Han Ro-mi.

“Where are you going?”

“My companions are heading toward Gontawa.”

Hearing my words, Kaem sighed heavily with a grave expression.

“Gontawa will be just as wary of outsiders approaching as I am. You should warn them to be careful.”

The person who went that way isn’t someone to be taken lightly though…

As long as Lee Taek-ju can properly control Kim Seol’s temperament, it should be fine.

And since they met Temi outside Gontawa, entering Gontawa might actually be easier.

But there’s no reason to tell Kaem about such things.

Instead, I quickly got up from my seat and headed toward the door.

Kaem was looking at me like someone walking into danger with their own feet.

Kaem, who had been watching me with complex eyes, quietly clasped his hands together and prayed.

“May the breath of god be with you.”

I gratefully accepted the warm heart that worried for a stranger and bowed lightly.

In Kaem’s eyes, I’m probably just a big guy who only has a smooth tongue and relies on Han Ro-mi’s protection.

He might think I’m the type who’d easily get killed trying to enter Gontawa.

Well, but.

‘I’m not going to Gontawa anyway.’

I was planning to go to Panco.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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