A Veteran of Infinite Buffs - Chapter 101

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 101

The interrogation ended swiftly.
The thugs who had attacked us were merely knocked unconscious rather than killed, then locked away inside the Exchange House.
The identity of the Alley Boss proved surprisingly unremarkable—he was no ordinary delinquent.
He was one of Count Ponsen’s six subordinates.
Moreover, I learned of Count Ponsen’s own status: he held a special rank called Royal Knight, a distinct knightly position among the knights of the Meriam Kingdom.
But there was one critical piece of information.
Their orders were to indefinitely imprison any outsiders who approached the Back Alley.
Yet despite the Boss being the Count’s subordinate, I couldn’t extract any further details from him.
“Indefinite imprisonment? That’s horrifying. It’s basically a death sentence!”
“Exactly. If it weren’t for Cha Eun-kyung, we would have been in serious trouble.”
“Right. All thanks to me.”
In this game, there are no coincidences without reason.
Which is why something feels distinctly off about this.
This must be connected to a Hidden Quest.
One involving a powerful noble at its center.
“This definitely has Hidden Quest written all over it, doesn’t it?”
“Right. Even in Seo-gwang, we’re aware that Count Ponsen is firmly entangled with a Hidden Quest. We’re simply exercising restraint because victory against him isn’t guaranteed.”
“Even if all of Seo-gwang attacked together?”
“Count Ponsen is estimated to be level 500 or higher. His strength, agility, and vitality are each predicted to be in the four-digit range.”
“…Four digits? You mean over a thousand?”
“Yes.”
I had only just surpassed 300 in my combined stats.
Even through status redistribution—or even dumping every stat into a single attribute—I could barely reach four digits.
In raw combat power, I was overwhelmingly outmatched.
“That seems impossible to overcome.”
“Right. So to properly tackle a noble, we’d need several more years of growth.”
Now the absurdly expensive price of mana stones made sense.
They were a way to compress growth time.
“Hmm. So what should we do? Should we back off?”
“That’s your choice.”
“What about you, Seo-hyun?”
“Since we’ve come this far, shouldn’t we achieve our objective before leaving? Having the Count come all the way here would break the game balance, wouldn’t it?”
It was a pointless question.
Bella had become a member of the Lumiere Guild precisely because she was an adventurer at heart.
And if this involved secret information entangled with a powerful noble of the Kingdom, it would hold considerable value for her as well.
“I see.”
My conclusion: it’s too early to make a move.
I never realized nobility could be this formidable.
I’d assumed that even if I faced the Teleport Mage from City Hall or Marco, I could seize victory through sheer determination.
Of course, equipment plays an absolutely decisive role in this calculation.

[Sage’s Silent Gloves (Legendary)]
[Defense: 11]
[Agility +3 Wisdom +1 Luck +1]
[Incantation Seal]
[When these gloves touch an opponent, their magical incantations are instantly sealed. Effect lasts 10 seconds.]
[Even the plainest fabric becomes a legendary masterpiece when touched by a sage’s hands. These gloves carry the sage’s profound melancholy and longing.]

The incantation seal on the gloves Chae-rim crafted was the perfect counter to mages.
Combined with Gale Rush to close distance in an instant, my winning odds skyrocketed exponentially.
But Count Ponsen was a Royal Knight.
A steadfast melee combatant, in other words.
In melee-versus-melee combat, victory hinges solely on skill.
Solid stats underpin that skill.
“As Seo-hyun said, I don’t think the Count will come looking for us directly. There’s no need to invite trouble, so I think we should focus on our original goal—securing the orphans and leaving. You’re fine with that, Eun-kyung?”
“The groundwork on that front is already done.”
“Really? I hadn’t heard anything about it.”
“A plan that adjusts itself. So do as you please.”
“Um… understood?”
Now that I think about it, Eden, Cha Eun-kyung’s personal escort, is nowhere to be seen.
Perhaps he’s coordinating from outside.
And this is Cha Eun-kyung’s support we’re talking about.
If she says she’ll handle it, she means she’ll handle it.
In that case, the right move is to trust her and push forward.
“The kid probably won’t come back on his own. Let’s go find him.”
“Sounds good.”
That earlier battle had likely depleted most of the Back Alley’s vagrant forces.
Since we’d already started the operation, it was simply a matter of quickly recovering the remaining orphans.
“Kid. How about you try living a decent life?”
“…Huh?”
“I’ll provide three square meals and steady wages.”
“Here?”
“No. In another village.”
“Um, uh…”
“Don’t worry. I’ve subdued everyone who was tormenting you here. Here, eat this too.”
“I-I’ll go no matter what!”
“Yes.”
With the existing forces that dominated the Back Alley swept away in one fell swoop, negotiations proved remarkably straightforward.
“Everyone has snacks in their subspace, right? Let’s use them to lure every orphan we see in this place.”
“Ha! This should be fun. Then I’ll use this!”
Bella produced candy.
“Hmm.”
Cha Eun-kyung pulled out cookies.
And each of them enticed the children in their own way.
“Want to work with me?”
“Yes! I’d love to!”
Baek Seo-hyun successfully completed her task.
“Follow me.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
And for some reason, Cha Eun-kyung accomplished her mission with equal ease.
She didn’t even need to tempt them with snacks.
The candy and cookies were merely rewards.
“This is far more efficient than if I did it myself.”
“Of course. Children always prefer beautiful older sisters.”
“Children have good taste.”
Before long, a long procession had formed in the Back Alley.
Children who had been hiding and embedded throughout the buildings began revealing themselves of their own accord.
The children we’d first encountered appeared to be the ruling class of the Back Alley in their own right.
“Take me too, please! I’m begging you!”
“Me too!”
Like the Pied Piper himself, this procession swelled to dozens within moments.
And finally, we encountered the child from before.
“Gasp.”
The child’s hands were laden with all manner of snacks—apparently having squandered every silver coin we’d given him.
“We meet again?”
“I-I was just about to bring him! Master!”
“No. I don’t believe you. You’re staying here for life.”
“…Huh?”
One orphan from the Back Alley held no influence over us whatsoever.
Besides, those who betray once tend to repeat their treachery, so I had no intention of extending further goodwill.
“Go.”
“Ugh!”
“No, wait. Come here. Actually, I’ll go.”
Thud!
I closed the distance instantly using Gale Rush.
Using rope from my subspace, I bound the child securely.
“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t interfere until we return.”
“My lord! Please spare me!”
“I won’t kill you. You’re not even worth that much.”
I had known all along.
The child I’d bound was no ordinary one.
This was a remarkably clever child, one with a sharp mind.
Which is precisely why I’d made this decision.
To properly subjugate and cultivate them with purpose.
“You have no choice in this matter. Think it over—your own usefulness. I’m giving you an hour. By then, tell me directly what value you hold. How you can be of service to me.”
“Ugh! Mmph!”
Even after I’d bound the child and hoisted them onto my shoulder, our procession continued to swell.
At this rate, we’d easily number a hundred.
“We’re going to be incredibly conspicuous. So, shall we hear Cha Eun-kyung’s plan now?”
“Like I said, it doesn’t matter how we do it. We can buy our way through, or we can dig a dog hole through the City Wall and slip out.”
“Do we really need to spend money? They’re a faction we’ll conquer eventually anyway. Let’s just dig the hole.”
“Fine. This way.”
The plan crystallized into an escape.
I wasn’t sure how we’d dig the hole, but since Cha Eun-kyung and the children were relatively small, I judged we wouldn’t draw much attention. The variable was Bella, though if we widened the hole appropriately, she should slip through without difficulty.
We arrived at the City Wall located at the far end of the Back Alley.
I wondered how we’d dig the hole, but that’s when Cha Eun-kyung’s 007 bag proved its worth.
The bag contained equipment for digging a hole without making any noise whatsoever.
“Interrogation Technicians are supplied with infiltration tools. We have plenty of occasions to infiltrate other villages.”
“Ah. Truly a Hidden Class.”
The Interrogation Technician was indeed a profession worthy of the Royal Court’s attention.
It seemed they even possessed the authority of a fairly high-ranking Bureaucrat NPC, guaranteeing relatively free movement in other villages.
“You go first. I’ll go last.”
“I see. Then Bella first.”
“Mm. Will it be alright?”
Cha Eun-kyung must have been in a foul mood—the hole’s size was rather ambiguous.
Going through as it was, it felt like I’d get caught at the hips.
“Cha Eun-kyung.”
“Tsk.”
It was indeed spite.
Cha Eun-kyung expanded the hole just enough to ensure I could pass through comfortably.
Our relationship didn’t seem entirely ruined, yet I struggled to understand why she’d resort to such petulance.
“I’m going.”
“Yes.”
Bella passed through the hole first, and the other children followed in turn.
Yes.
Bella went through the dog hole first, and the other children began to go through it in turn.
Just as I thought everything was proceeding smoothly, Cha Eun-kyung grabbed my collar.
“Lee Seo-jun.”
“Yes?”
“Something feels wrong about the atmosphere outside.”
“Hmm?”
“There’s an urgent report that the Royal Knight Order is teleporting to Muuren Village.”
“What?”
It was shocking news I hadn’t anticipated at all.
“There were no warning signs. Was there conflict between the Royal Court and Count Ponsen?”
“I don’t know the details. The atmosphere feels off. We need to hurry.”
“Oh no. Is Eden on the other side?”
“Yes. With five carriages.”
Eden was indeed prepared.
Was this the surprise Cha Eun-kyung had originally planned?
As if forced to reveal it due to the urgent news, Cha Eun-kyung’s expression looked quite grave.
“Then I’ll take a look. You go meet Eden and head to Ath Village. If you tell the Village Chief I sent you, he’ll accept all the children.”
“What are you going to do, Lee Seo-jun?”
“If I’m alone, I can escape no matter what. So don’t worry.”
“Proof.”
Cha Eun-kyung was indeed not one to be easily swayed.
This left me no choice but to reveal my hidden card.
Crack!
I transformed both my arms into an eagle’s wings.
“I can transform into that eagle. Escaping alone is no problem.”
Cha Eun-kyung’s pupils dilated.

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