A few hours before the contact.
"I'm meeting the first prince of the empire…"
The man in blue clothes was thinking about the contact that would take place today.
"He must be an extraordinary person, to secretly raise a different faction at such a young age and try to create his own power base."
In fact, the reputation of the first prince had risen considerably within the empire lately.
"But things didn't go as we wanted."
What he had exchanged with the first prince was a half-and-half deal, no matter how he calculated the profit and loss.
The first prince wanted to take away the share of the Ryan Trading Guild, and he wanted to expand his foundation in the northern part of the empire.
So far, neither side had owed much to each other.
He was not an easy opponent. But he had absolute confidence that he would get what he wanted this time.
However, as soon as he heard the first words of the first prince, he had to admit that his judgment was wrong.
"I'm honored to meet the people of [Je Gal Se Ga],, one of the four martial arts sects of Manbyongwang!"
"...!?"
The man barely suppressed his shaken composure, which had been honed for ten years.
'How does this first prince know who is behind us?'
There was no force across the sea in Hwan that could be sure that they were behind the Cheongryong faction, except for the groups that had comparable power to their main house.
"It's an honor that you know our foundation in the east. You are indeed no ordinary person, Your highness."
He seemed confident enough to confront him bluntly, as if to prove his words.
"There's no point in hiding it."
The man pretended to be calm and sat face to face with Eurius.
"As I told Marius, I'm Jegal Geon, who is in charge of this Cheongryong faction. I'm honored to meet you again, Your Highness."
"Look at this?"
Eurius also spoke calmly, but he was quite flustered. The reason was the stats of his opponent.
"Stat window!"
[Jegal Geon]
Job: Spearman, Merchant, Instructor
Strength A Agility S Intelligence A Mental A Force Aptitude A Force A+
Disposition: Family love, Loyalty
[Traits]
Spear Arts (S+)
Breath of Cheongryong – One of your legacies as a player. If you learn it, you will get additional bonuses to your agility and force depending on your proficiency. You can view your unique abilities according to your legacy after you learn them.
"Ding!"
[You have discovered a player's legacy.]
[A new item has been added to the help menu. Added item: Lee Cheong-mun]
[Collecting legacies will increase your achievements.]
'I expected something about Manbyongwang.'
Of course, Eurius knew that this Cheongryong faction was a place that inherited the martial arts of Manbyongwang, so he was not surprised by the legacy itself.
What surprised him was the level of Jegal Geon, who claimed to be the owner of this Cheongryong faction.
'He's not a superhuman. But if it's pure combat ability, he's not much different from a great warrior.'
He remembered the conversations he had with Dios Duke while training with him a few months ago.
"That means there are many strong people who are not superhuman warriors."
"That's right."
Was it because he inherited a player's legacy?
This man named Jegal Geon was a great warrior in his previous life, even though he didn't have a chance to show his skills properly.
'He's just a dispatched person from another continent.'
Maybe there were more warriors like him in Hwan Empire, where his main house was located.
If someone who wasn't even the highest authority had this level, maybe there were superhuman-level warriors too.
'It would be hard to get Lee Cheong-mun's legacy unless it's a very good condition. It looks almost impossible to take it away by force.'
The reason why Eurius wanted to contact this Cheongryong faction was firstly because of the player's legacy.
He didn't know any other place where he could find out the source of it for sure.
The second reason was his plan that he had made before getting the quest about the legacy.
He wanted to grow the Cheongryong faction more in the north and make them his reliable trading partner and source of funds.
'But I have a lot of things I want from them.'
"That's fine. But I have a lot of things I want to ask from the Cheongryong faction."
"We owe you a great favor, Your highness. Please tell us anything."
He said that, but of course he had no intention of doing so.
'I don't know what you want, but there's no deal if the condition is absurd.'
"First of all, you must know that our empire is enthusiastic about developing the north."
Eurius reveals his trump card that he had been thinking about.
"I'll give you a considerable share of the profits from that development. That's the deal I'm offering."
"I don't know what you mean by development."
Jegal Geon asks with a puzzled look.
The road construction was almost completed.
Cities would gradually be built in the north and the logistics would become more active.
He was also preparing for such a business, even without the emperor mentioning it.
"This is confidential."
Jegal Geon shows a surprised expression for the first time when he hears Eurius's words.
"Are you saying that it really exists in the northern mountains?"
"Of course. I can't prove it, but it will be revealed soon when the northern development begins."
"Huh…"
Jegal Geon falls into a dilemma.
If the condition that this emperor offered was true, this deal was a huge opportunity that exceeded his imagination. It was not something that he could solve with his authority alone.
Then he wonders. What does this first prince want in exchange for such a condition?
"We have nothing to lose in this deal. But it's a big deal, so we need some time to think about it. And…"
"You also need to confirm if my initial condition is true."
Eurius interrupts him and casually gets up from his seat.
"I'm planning to stay in the north for at least a few years because of the northern development. I can be contacted anytime."
He turns his body as if he has nothing more to say.
"I'll guarantee you with my name that I hope we can cooperate more in the future."
Jegal Geon stands up quickly and bows his head.
"We will think carefully about the terms of the deal and contact our main house."
"Oh! And one more thing."
Eurius leaves one last word and leaves the room.
"Next time, bring the real owner of the faction. To be honest, it's quite unpleasant to keep sitting someone who isn't even the highest authority as a representative."
Jegal Geon stands still in his place as if he was frozen.
'Does he mean that he noticed not only who is behind our main house, but also that?'
'Well, of course I know. I've met the real owner of the faction.'
Eurius smiles inwardly and walks out of the building happily.
After he left, a moment later.
"Geon, you made a lot of mistakes today that were unlike you. You know that, right?"
"I'm ashamed. Miss."
The person who had claimed to be the owner of the faction bowed his head to a young woman who looked like a maid standing behind him from the beginning.
She was the real leader of Cheongryong faction.
"But I won't blame you. Even I would have had a hard time keeping calm today."
"Thank you for your forgiveness."
She clenches her chin and thinks.
"The first prince of the empire, Eurius…"