[T.L: punisher87]
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***
The destination where Jin and Luche headed was the construction site of the secret shipyard.
Before entering, Jin didn't forget to review Luche's past and conduct verification through Euria.
There was still a possibility that Luche could be a spy for Zipfel, so it was necessary to exclude that.
Taking someone to a highly classified area naturally required verification, and Luche accepted it without any resistance.
In the end, it was true that Luche came with a pure heart, seeking to join the alliance without any relation to Zipfel.
From the beginning, he couldn't hide his excitement about coming to the alliance's highly classified area.
"Wow...! As expected of the Vamel alliance, to have something like this hidden away!"
Even in the midst of that, when Luche saw the light left by Ron, he calmed his heart and approached it, offering a silent prayer for a while.
"Hey, why did you go and come back again? What did you leave behind? And who's that kid?"
Qwaul, who was commanding the construction site, approached Jin and asked.
"He's not a kid."
"He seems like a kid to me."
"My name is Luche Fibrizo, the eldest son of the Fibrizo family, the president of the Jin Runcandel's official and unofficial Fan Club..."
"And the reserve contractor for the god of architecture, Barbobo. Dr. Qwaul."
Jin spoke in place of Luche, and Qwaul's eyes widened.
"What!? Is that really true?"
"Your name is mister Qwaul, right? Anyway, nice to meet you. I'm also a member of the alliance starting today, so let's get along well."
Qwaul looked Luche up and down as if it was hard to believe.
For a while, Jin explained to him the trial that Barbobo had demanded of Luche.
"To become the person in charge of a construction site worthy of even the god of architecture... Haha, if it's a site designed by me, it's only natural. Hey, kid."
Soon, Qwaul's arrogance rose, and he confidently spoke.
"It's Luche."
"Yeah, kid. Go inside and ask Barbobo to take a good look around. He will definitely be satisfied."
As they went underground, Luche exclaimed once again.
When they opened the door that only one person could barely enter, an endlessly vast underground space was revealed.
Ironically, it was much brighter than the gloomy surface.
The entire space, from the ceiling to the walls, was illuminated by the bright light called magical lamps, and members of the alliance were bustling below.
Even to Luche, who knew nothing about architecture, it was clear that this construction site was enormous.
Luche suppressed his pounding heart and eagerly waited to hear Barbobo's voice.
Jin and Qwaul were also waiting for that voice.
If, by any chance, Barbobo didn't react even after seeing this place, they would have to reconsider.
[Hey!]
Fortunately, Barbobo immediately spoke up.
Luche jumped in surprise and stumbled backward, while Jin faced the soul-like manifestation of Barbobo above his head.
"You surprised me! Mr. Barbobo, let's make the contract now!"
[I don't like it!]
"Ah, what is it that you don't like again?"
[I had a reason for giving you such trials, Luche. I wanted to see you, a naive and talentless person, realize your own abilities through the reserve contract with me and overcome the trials I set forth, making every effort as your blood dries up and your bones wear away, growing step by step. I wanted to witness that!]
"Huh? What are you saying?"
[I wanted to unleash your talents with my powers when you finally become the person in charge of a construction site worthy of even impressing Barbobo... But you resorted to such trickery!?]
"Whether it's trickery or whatever, as long as the conditions are met, it's fine, right? You seemed impressed too, Mr. Barbobo."
"I apologize for the delay in greeting, Mr. Barbobo. I am Jin Runcandel, the young patriarch of the Runcandel clan."
[Hmph... Fine, Jin Runcandel. Your name has been frequently heard among the gods recently. Did you allow Luche to resort to trickery?]
"Yes, I didn't think of it as trickery, though."
[There's no way someone like you didn't understand my intentions.]
"Please withhold your displeasure. Or perhaps this site doesn't appeal to you?"
[That's not it, but it feels like Luche's opportunity for growth has disappeared.]
"The current situation is quite chaotic, Mr. Barbobo. If Luche had started working elsewhere, especially under Zipfel, without meeting me, there's a high possibility that he was enslaved by mind manipulation, or you were absorbed into Demon God's Orb."
Barbobo surprisingly showed signs of agreement to Jin's words.
[You're not wrong. This idiot could have been caught by Zipfel, babbling about his abilities. In that case, I would have been trapped in Demon God's Orb.]
"So please lend us your strength, even if it's somewhat regrettable. Although Luche didn't face the trials alone, being the core manager of this site as a member of the alliance will lead to many realizations."
Jin spoke in a consistently friendly manner, but in reality, Barbobo was overwhelmed by the peculiar dignity emanating from him.
Part of it was due to the stories circulating among the lesser gods.
Jin recognized that Barbobo was disconcerted.
"If there was any rudeness in my words, please let me know."
[That's not the case. I just briefly wondered if you were truly worthy of that role.]
"What do you mean?"
[Whether you're someone who can protect the gods who fear being absorbed into Demon God's Orb.]
Recently, Jin's name had been frequently mentioned among the lesser gods.
Among the gods, there were many who feared being absorbed into Demon God's Orb.
Currently, with Demon God's Orb becoming stronger, the lesser gods were at a level where they would be absorbed the moment they were captured by Zipfel.
When Barbobo explained this to Jin, he nodded with a resolute expression.
"For me, defeating Zipfel is an inherent mission that must be accomplished, and naturally, in the process, I can't help but assist the gods. However, we have quite a few gods in our alliance, and I've never heard such stories before."
[Newcomers like Picon Minche cannot participate in these meetings. On the other hand, high-ranking gods like Olta rarely have any involvement with us, so it's possible.]
"Anyway, I have a clear intention to help. There's no reason to ask for anything in return, as simply preventing the absorption of gods into Demon God's Orb will prevent Zipfel's power augmentation."
[It seems like you're expecting something in return from me.]
"If you say that you won't help with this site, of course, it would be disappointing, but I won't hold a grudge against you, Mr. Barbobo."
"Mr. Barbobo, can't you just help? Make a contract with me."
Barbobo appeared lost in thought for a moment in response to Jin and Luche's words.
Then, he nodded as if he had made a decision.
[Fine, I'll help. However, in return, you must protect the gods close to me. They are in a particularly dangerous state because their positions have been almost exposed to Zipfel. There are three of them. Kaytam, the god of painting, Ochs, the god of frames, and Telpen, the god of pencils. Among them, the god of painting, you and…]
Barbobo stopped himself from saying more and lowered his head.
[...I think it's better to hear it directly from Kaytam. Anyway, find and protect those three. Don't let other gods know about this. There's no need to provoke Zipfel's search for gods without reason.]
Although Jin was curious about Kaytam, he decided to meet him in person and didn't ask any further questions.
"If you let me know their locations, I will immediately take care of them."
[I will write it down later. I'll count on you. Luche, the bright one without deceit. Kneel down with reverence. Let's proceed with the contract.]
"Ooh!"
As Luche sat down, a round circle was drawn on the floor, and light emanated from it.
[I, Barbobo, the god of architecture, contract with Luche Fibrizo and bestow my blessing upon him. Luche Fibrizo, as an official contractee, will be able to borrow my abilities... ]
The light permeated Luche's body. After trembling for a moment, he opened his eyes, and now the construction site appeared completely different to him.
Just like when the fog clears to reveal something hidden, he begins to understand the problems throughout the site at a glance.
"Unbelievable, this is the power of a god."
[Uh, I'm tired after completing the contract. I'll rest for a while, so have Luche take on some tasks. There's more than one thing to improve.]
"Sir Jin! No, lord patriarch? My Lord? Alliance leader? I want to address you differently."
"Usually, people call him 'my lord.'"
"Then I'll call you elder brother Jin, elder brother! From what I can see, there are many areas in the site where I can make improvements. First, the joints in those pillars will develop cracks in about two months, and we can dig deeper over there."
"What? You can tell just by looking?"
"The positioning of the material storage area is not appropriate, and the ground over there will sink if it becomes heavier."
All of them were areas that Qwaul had somewhat recognized as well.
So Qwaul was experiencing an even greater shock.
"What about the gates? Can you see them over there? We're working on creating gates for the battleships to go through. Is it okay?"
"Well, I'll have to observe it a bit to know. What kind of structure is the gate?"
"You can see that in this blueprint..."
For a while, Luche and Qwaul discussed while looking at the blueprint.
Qwaul nodded his head in awe each time, while Luche's voice was filled with excitement due to his newfound abilities.
What's even more remarkable is that Luche's abilities are still at a beginner level.
Just as Jin had honed his skills, Luche could also study architecture and further enhance his abilities.
"Hey, Jin. It seems like the construction will progress much faster. We need to recruit more workers and increase the supply of materials."
"From today onwards, I'll stay here, elder brother Jin! I'll provide you with the address, so please take care of my family. It's getting chaotic, so don't send them this way. Just find a safe area and get them a house. I can introduce the family later since there's a lot of work to be done!"
Jin nodded his head, feeling a mix of emotions.
Luche was already rolling up his sleeves, preparing to start working.
"Understood. If you need anything, you can always request it through Dr. Qwaul."
"Yes, elder brother, I'll take a look!"
"Work with Luche, Doctor, and let me know the estimated completion date when it's available."
"Got it, I'm looking forward to it."
As he left the shipyard and returned to Tikan, another piece of good news awaited Jin.
"Jin."
Valeria appeared, heading straight towards Jin as if she had been waiting.
"You look happy. Is there some good news, Valeria?"
Valeria took out a piece of paper from her pocket.
On that paper were dozens of names that Jin had never seen before.
"What are these names?"
Valeria smiled mischievously and replied, "These are the names of the magical engineers who have requested to join after hearing my name. Didn't I say? Once my existence is known, people driven mad by Hister's magic will come seeking me."
The blessings kept rolling in.
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