A Veteran of Infinite Buffs - Chapter 103

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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 103

The ripening wheat darkened as it burned, and a sweet scent spread across the field.
But that lasted only a moment.
Soon, suffocating black smoke began to blanket the wheat field.
“Ugh!”
I held my breath and swung Sumoq in a wide arc, creating a gust of wind.
The burning wheat kernels torn apart by the wind pressure became new embers, spreading further.
One section cleared, then another.
I repeated this dozens of times.
Though soot settled across my entire body, I eventually managed to ignite the entire wheat field.
“Fire!”
Soldiers on patrol came rushing over due to the rising smoke, but it was too late.
“Who are you there!”
Ordinary soldiers could no longer be my match.
“Me? Just a civilian who hates war.”
Crack!
“Aargh!”
I didn’t kill this soldier.
I needed information.
“Since I’m not a torture specialist, I might accidentally kill you. It would be nice if you could answer in one go.”
“P-please, speak.”
“The Earl manages villages called Muren, Kraha, and Bexon, right? I’m curious if this granary region is all there is.”
“…Are you planning to set more fires?”
Crack.
“Aaaahhh!”
I broke the soldier’s other arm.
With fire spreading everywhere, there wasn’t much time for conversation.
This was a form of mercy in its own way.
There’s a saying that even rolling in a cesspit is better than the afterlife.
“Answer.”
“The major granary regions managed by Count Ponsen are in Muren and Bexon, sir!”
“What about Kraha?”
“Kraha is a port city, sir! There are some orchards, but nothing large-scale enough to be called a granary region!”
I gained new information that Kraha was a port city.
Building warehouses on farmland wouldn’t be a great loss.
It didn’t sound like a lie, so this was sufficient.
“I see. I didn’t break your legs on purpose. Rather than participate in this war, take your family and flee to another village to live.”
“…Ugh.”
I released my grip on the soldier and left the area.
I could have chosen to return to Liam, but I judged it more advantageous to weaken Count Ponsen’s forces even slightly in the present moment.
And I had no intention of keeping this information to myself.

[Kael: I’ve set fire to the granaries in Muren. After interrogating nearby soldiers, I learned there’s another granary in Bexon. So I’m heading there.]

Cha Eun-kyung was the first to respond.

[Eun-nyang E: Are you joining the war?]
[Kael: Yes. You’re already on the Royal Court’s side anyway.]
[Eun-nyang E: If anything, I’m on your side. Anyway, understood. Do you need support?]
[Kael: We need to pressure other locations too. The granaries are in Muren and Bexon, and I heard Kraha is a port city? It would be good to cut off the Count’s financial lifelines first.]
[Eun-nyang E: Got it. I’ll keep pressure on Kraha.]
[Kael: Good. Let’s do this well.]
[Eun-nyang E: Yeah.]

Then Baek Seo-hyun’s reply followed.

[Bella: I’m on the Royal Court’s side too. I’ve developed connections with them thanks to the World Quest. How can I help?]
[Kael: Protect the villages. Both Liam and Ash. With food supplies cut off, they’ll likely resort to raiding nearby settlements.]
[Bella: This might make me late for the hospital visit, though?]
[Kael: It can’t be helped. The situation has escalated.]
[Bella: Understood. This seems serious, so I’ll inform the Guild as well.]
[Kael: Yes.]

I then sent whispered messages to Chung-geom and Chae-rim, sharing the situation with them.
I emphasized that we should move along the safest routes possible, as the area outside the village would be dangerous for some time.
Naturally, we couldn’t even look toward the western district.
Boom!
Now the entire surroundings had become a sea of flames.
Since there was nothing left to do here, I kicked off the ground and soared into the sky, transforming into an eagle.
‘Ah, I should have asked for directions.’
The western district of Liam was unfamiliar territory to me.
Naturally, I had no idea which village Bexon was attached to.
Therefore, my first priority was to retreat to a place where the smoke couldn’t reach.
I flew for what felt like several dozen minutes.
In the distance, I could see a poultry farm.
It was a poultry farm owned by the Marim Chairman—a brand that came to mind whenever one thought of chicken in reality.
‘What should I do about this?’
Based on its scale alone, tens of thousands of chickens were being raised here.
Since the wheat fields had been burned, this was a food supply source that Count Ponsen would likely target first.
However, there were many complications with simply burning down the poultry farm.
The owner here was not an NPC.
Moreover, the moment it was revealed that I was the arsonist, my life would essentially be over.
The chairman leading the brand held a position close to being a social powerhouse.
Additionally, negotiating with the Marim Chairman carried its own risks.
The moment I brought up the evacuation of the poultry farm, there was a high chance that the arsonist’s identity would be easily deduced as me.
‘Hmm? Were there people here?’
I noticed several people who appeared to be poultry farm employees.
Judging by the fact that they were all watching the burning wheat fields, they seemed worried about the fire spreading to the poultry farm.
‘They don’t seem to be thinking about evacuating yet.’
For now, I decided to lower my altitude and approach the poultry farm.
Based on their clothing, these people were likely NPCs.
At that moment, I detected a sharp killing intent that shouldn’t have been there.
Following my instinct, I quickly changed my flight angle.
Screeeech!
An arrow flew at a terrifying speed, grazing my wing feathers.
‘A player.’
Even with my lowered altitude, most archers wouldn’t be able to target me.
Therefore, I could quickly discern that the person who attacked me was a player.
‘I have no choice.’
An eagle flying around the poultry farm out of nowhere would naturally be viewed with suspicion by anyone affiliated with the facility.
So I partially released my transformation and took on a human form.
I could no longer fly, but even this much would prevent me from falling at a dangerous speed.
“Don’t shoot! I’m human!”
Fortunately, no further attacks followed.
That last moment had been truly perilous—if that blow had connected with my head, it would have been instant death.
That’s why I had to react so quickly.
Whoooosh!
The resistance of the air pressed against my entire body.
I’d unexpectedly found myself experiencing skydiving.
Shhhhhhhh!
Now that I’d picked up speed, I couldn’t even open my mouth.
All I could do was flap my wings with all my might to slow my descent.
Shhhh!
Thud!
Tremendous pain shot through my feet.
This agony was proof that I was alive.
Somehow, I’d managed to land safely in the Open Ground near the Poultry Farm.
“Are you a Player?”
A cautious, unfamiliar voice directed at me.
The mention of “Player” meant the man before me was a User.
His class appeared to be Archer-type.
Notably, he carried an empty quiver across his back.
“Yes. I’m a Player.”
“Hmm.”
At least he wasn’t immediately attempting PK, so it wasn’t the worst situation—but it wasn’t favorable for me either.
I needed to let the situation flow naturally.
“But have you heard the news? There’s chaos breaking out!”
The man before me wasn’t someone I’d seen in the Town Square.
He wasn’t Marim Chairman—he was someone else.
Yet I could sense a strength that made it difficult to engage him carelessly.
His wariness was considerable too.
“Chaos indeed. I saw the wheat fields burning entirely. I was worried the fire might spread here as well.”
The man answered calmly.
He showed no signs of attacking first.
“It probably won’t spread. I saw Muren’s soldiers rushing over with water buckets.”
“I see. You seem to have an unusual class. Is there a reason you were wandering around this area?”
Had my act been insufficient?
Instead of answering his question, I only asked questions in return.
It seemed I’d raised his guard considerably.
In this case, my answer needed to contain an appropriate level of truth.
Something the other party could accept.
“I grew concerned and decided to look around the area. I was wondering whether I should inform people and have them evacuate, or if I was just being meddlesome.”
“…Hmm. What news is that?”
Perhaps this time, he’s become interested in the news I’m bringing.
His wariness remained, but I was grateful that we could continue the conversation.
“It’ll be on the news soon enough, but Count Ponsen has raised his banner against the Royal Court.”
“Count Ponsen? You mean Count Ponsen, the Royal Knight of Meriam Kingdom?”
The man seemed to know far more about Count Ponsen than I did.
He already knew about the Royal Knight title as well.
Could he be from one of the Four Major Guilds?
“That’s correct. Count Ponsen himself declared war on the Royal Court, and Muren, Kraha, and Bexon—the territories he governed—have all turned their backs on the Royal Court alongside him.”
“Good heavens. Is that truly the case?”
Only then did the man’s emotions become vivid.
It was inevitable.
This was shocking news no matter who heard it.
It was a threat to anyone staying in Liam.
“Yes. The Royal Court knights teleported directly to Muren and caused quite the commotion.”
“Was there a direct confrontation?”
“No. Count Ponsen overwhelmed them. He issued a formal declaration of war and, following proper procedure, sent the Royal Court knights back.”
“Hmm. It seems there was no Royal Knight among the Royal Court’s forces. In that case, they wouldn’t stand a chance.”
“Do you know much about Royal Knights? This was my first time seeing one.”
“Hmm? That’s surprising. You don’t seem to be at a low level.”
“Ah, yes. I’ve spent most of my character growth in Liam and Belhard Kingdom. I’m not very familiar with the broader world setting or detailed lore.”
“I see. I can tell you didn’t come with ill intent. I’m Apotos.”
“I’m Kael.”
We finally exchanged names.
I decided to remember this nickname.
I sensed a strength from this man comparable to Eden.
Having encountered him at a poultry farm directly operated by Marim Chairman, he was likely a member of a powerful guild.
Great wealth comes with the power to protect it.
“But Apotos, will the poultry farm be alright? With the wheat fields all burned before the war, Count Ponsen might take an interest in this place.”
“…Honestly, it’s an emergency situation. May I report this to the Chairman first? Please accept this for now. It’s compensation for the valuable information you’ve provided.”
Apotos handed over a single gold coin that gleamed brilliantly.
But unlike the gold commonly used in circulation, it bore unusual engravings.
“It’s an Imperial gold coin. It’s all I can give you right now. If you sell it, you should get about 10 gold.”
This coin appeared to be currency used in the Empire.
Being the world’s most powerful nation, its value seemed high.
But ending it at 10 gold felt like a waste of this opportunity.
“If you don’t mind, would it be alright to add you as a friend instead of the coin?”

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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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