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Leading Figure.
Every time they move, the continents shake. So what happens when a leading figure and a leading figure meet. Even the continents can't hold them, so it's not often that they like each other....
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The Red Eyes Clan, Dune.
The patriarch, Shahin Dune, looked out into the sky. An intense aura was captured in his red eyes that could penetrate the essence. After calming his rampaging horse, Shahin spoke.
"A dragon as a guest. An unusual guest."
Kudhanax, Earth Dragon.
He is the largest of all dragons.
The king of all things.
A normal person would shrink at the mere sight of it.
Instead, Shahin puffed out his chest and laughed.
"You've truly returned, Claudi!"
That attitude showed that Shahin was a big man.
To the west, Shahin was entering Claudie's territory.
To the south was Garmond Phil, the Diamond Top.
"Yay!"
There was a saying about the Golden Top.
It is like a title given to a person who controls the continent. However, even such luxurious titles are not enough for Garmond Phil.
Not a single one.
Is this really the desolate Arcana continent?
It was a procession that would make you believe your eyes.
Dozens of wagons heavily loaded with luggage.
The number of top soldiers escorting him was a dozen times that.
It was no exaggeration to say that the estate was literally moving.
"Let's see, let's do the math, assistant."
Snap.
A merchant's carriage covered in diamonds.
His chubby fingers tap the jewels embroidered on the seat without hesitation.
"Hmmm...."
Garmond rolled his eyes at the approaching Claudi's estate. Now that Claudie is back on the Arcana continent.... Garmond clenched his fists.
"After all, I'll have to stick with Claudi for a hot meal, won't I?"
Diamond Top.
Garmond didn't covet a title that surpassed gold.
That's because it wasn't a title he earned through his own abilities.
Garmond's eyes sparkled with ambition.
'Time to prove yourself, Garmond Phil.'
There's a time and a place for everything.
There's a time and a place for everything.
Trading in peaceful times?
Spices, gold mines, luxury goods....
The income was substantial, but it paled in comparison to the family fortune. At this rate, he would never escape his father's shadow. For a more dominant return, he would have to ride the wave of a new era.
"Like now."
Garmond decided that now was his chance to multiply his fortune.
The reasoning was simple.
The merchant's perspective was far different than the criminals'.
Garmond turned to his assistant.
"You see, the crumbling Arcana continent. It's hard to believe there were so many buildings in the past, but it's all in perspective. If it's fallen, shouldn't it be rebuilt?"
Garmond's plan was simple.
If Claudi had truly returned to the continent, it would only be a matter of time before the continent was at peace. And what if he could monopolize the continent-wide construction business on a peaceful Arcana?
"Diamond? No, you will be reborn as a great leader that cannot be modified by minerals or anything else! That means...."
His eyes suddenly sparkle like jewels.
"I'll be a greater merchant than my father, than all my ancestors, and no one else, but me!"
Oh no, he's too excited.
Garmond controlled his excitement.
He wasn't sure.
Was he even sure?
"I wonder, does the returned Claudi have that ability?'
Garmond did not live at the same time as Claudi.
But he knew of Claudi's reputation for a simple reason. It was because of him that the Diamond Top exists today.
Garmond blurted out.
"Can you believe it, assistant? A strict, overconfident, arrogant father who took all the credit. The fact that he cringed at the name Claudi."
"You mean the ...The previous Lord?"
"Yes. No, he wasn't the only one."
Dozens of times that came to the Diamond Top.
You said that Claudi was the one who led that period every time.
Still, Garmond wasn't optimistic.
'I'm the last person to judge.'
"I'm the one to judge.
Even if the survivor did return.
Will it be possible to immediately restore the enormous reputation of the past?
He had to be skeptical.
'It would be like that even if it were just a territory.'
Would Claudi's territory remain intact?
Not a chance.
So Garmond moved with great calculation.
"It's not right to jump to conclusions, assistant."
"I'll keep that in mind."
"And if that's not enough, we need to insure it."
Numerous carriages are a kind of insurance.
To keep Claudi's family on the straight and narrow, he'd need a modest fortune. Regardless of ability. It wouldn't be a bad business to get the Claudi family out of debt for just this much.
"Whoa."
The coachman's voice called out.
They've entered Claudi's territory.
Garmond opened the carriage window and peered out.
"Let me see...."
Then he doubted his eyes.
"...!"
A mansion loomed over him, a massive presence even on the horizon. For a moment, Garmond felt the shock of being slapped in the back of the head.
Was it because the mansion was more ornate than his own?
No, there was no mansion on the Arcana Continent that was more luxurious than the Phil Family's jewel-encrusted mansion. Unless you count the legendary Treasure Island....
But Garmond muttered to himself.
"...It's beautiful."
Aesthetically, it was flawless. Even without the extravagant decorations, the beauty of its structure and shape is indescribable. It was like looking at a sculpture.
But the surprises were just beginning.
"Lord!"
A voice called out from the leading carriage.
Garmond stuck his head out a little further, and a giant statue came into view. An animated statue, to be precise, facing off against his top bodyguards.
The statue opened its mouth.
"You may not enter the Claud Territory without an invitation."
"...!!!"
Garmond instantly realized he had made a mistake.
The Claudi were not to be judged by the common sense of the Arcana continent.
Whoosh!
Garmond got out of the carriage and pulled out the invitation.
He knew what it took to be a successful merchant.
And quick thinking, like flipping a palm.
"Here's the invitation! I apologize for the delay. As you can see, I've been working tirelessly to bring gifts to celebrate the return of our great family, Claudi...!"
*
East, west, north, south.
I looked at the gargoyles guarding the pathway to the estate.
A symbol of loyalty to Claudi left by four families.
Claudi's invitation had probably reached the Fourth Family as well.
'Of course, I don't know if you'll accept the invitation.'
A loyal employee in the past.
As so many years have passed, aren't we now strangers?
For the first time in a while, I used up enough magical power to make the circle feel stiff.
"What's on the inside is more important than what's on the outside."
Innocence.
Grandfell, who realizes that wealth is fleeting, could care less what happens to Claudi's land, but I, Lee Hoyeol, am not. First impressions are everything, even in social life.
I need to show that I'm strong.
I had a purpose in the first place.
I will use Claudi's halo to enlist allies!
To do that, I needed to prove that Claudi's halo still shone, which is why I hosted a banquet that the Grandfell didn't like.
The same goes for Claudi's mansion.
[Aesthetics: High]
Using the Aesthetics stat, we repaired what we could through reversal magic, and relied on Grandfell's aesthetic sense to rebuild what we couldn't.
'I never thought I'd end up tampering with minerals.'
The effect of [Desire for Pure Knowledge] eliminated the exploration process.
At the same time, it was one of my most used spells.
Even for someone like me, who could claim to be the creator of architectural magic, the task of restoring the Claudi family mansion was not a pleasant one.
For one thing, the size of the place was staggering.
'It was almost like a golden palace.'
But it didn't end there.
The interior would have to reflect Claudi's integrity.
Ttogak─
As we descend the stairs of the mansion,
a collection of objects that make a statement with their understated opulence.
If you ask me where I got these things.
'Treasure Island.'
I brought it back from the Yusra Kingdom for a fair price.
To put that into money terms....
I'm sure that's a billion sounds.
'It doesn't mean much.'
Actually, let's say tens of billions.
Compared to the rewards for clearing rifts you've earned so far, it won't even be a new loss. Of course, if I were a small-time citizen, I'd be terrified just looking at my bank account.
"Not bad."
Grandfell's bowl is so wide.
I returned to the Arcana continent with a full inventory.
And now.
I came face to face with Kudhanax, who was shouting my name at the top of his lungs.
'Did you have to do that...?'
I can't help but feel resentful.
There is an order to everything.
If not, I should at least ask the patient how he's doing.
"Is the body intact, Kudhanax?"
"Your concern has made no difference, Dark Dragon Lee Hoyeol Grandfell Claudi Arpheus Romeo, but at what point did you set the territory right again?"
In a way.
Thanks to his diligence as soon as he tore through the dimensions and stepped onto the Arcana continent. But where was this bravado in admitting his mistakes so easily?
"It wasn't set up right away."
"...?"
"It didn't fall down in the first place."
Did this guy really think he could talk his way out of a nirvana?
"Gee.... I didn't understand its deeper meaning."
Kudhanax shakes his head apologetically.
He really doesn't have to.
There's no such thing as deep meaning.
It was all about the pride of the Grandfell.
'Even if Claudi's whole thing fell apart.'
Because Grandfell was not broken.
In the end, it meant that Claudi was not broken at all.
Returning to the territory and carrying the weight of the lordship.
My already wide-open chest feels even tighter.
'I hope this day passes without incident.'
I was worried about the big mouth, which had been unusually aggressive since the beginning.
Kudhanax spoke up.
He spoke of his own kind, of dragons.
"Eunaxus sends his greetings to the Dark Dragon, sending his regrets that the invitation was not honored."
The grievance is understandable.
Eunaxus was an Elder Dragon, the leader of the dragons.
He's probably trying to find a solution for his people who have swallowed the evil fruit.
'At least he wouldn't be able to attend the banquet.'
The dragon to replace Eunaxus would have been Kudhanax.
Why a dragon with a big voice and a light mouth?
I was resentful, but now I understand.
'The only one who has lived as long as Eunaxus is Kudhanax.'
...Anyway, thanks for shining a light on Claudi's halo.
Even in the real world, the mages of the Magic Tower and the Healing School are working tirelessly to deal with evil. I was just about to share some good news.
...Thump!
I heard a loud, unexpected noise.
"Hmmm...?"
Kudhanax's ears perk up once more.
[Natural Enemy] has not been triggered.
It is impossible to know the source of the distant noise.
But it's a different story if that's where my [Authority] is coming from. No, not only is my [Authority] active, but this is the Claudi Territory.
"I can guess."
I understand.
A leading figure is a leading figure for a reason.
With their power and size, it's only natural that they'd clash with other leading figure, however, as the saying goes, if you go to Rome, follow Roman laws.
"But."
Here, Claudi is the law.
"Not on my territory."
*
Red-eyed Shahin Dune.
"The piglet at the Top has come to flesh."
Garmond Phil, Lord of the Diamond Top.
"Let's see, I don't think it's a bad offer for you guys who are no different from barbarians? There was a rumor that it wouldn't be a problem if only one side was used.... Sell me the red eye of the Dune clan!"
The Dune Clan's warriors raised their weapons and their escorts of Diamond Top.
The two lords openly clawed at each other.
But the life-and-death battle was short-lived.
Soon, a cold voice rang in their heads.
-Are you confident?
"...!!"
At that moment.
-Were you ready to cause a disturbance on Claudi's estate?
The pressure on the mouth and body.
It was an unspoken "command".
The two men suddenly realized the gravity of the situation.
And they realized.
"Whatever...! To be able to exercise this much power...!
There was no doubt about it.
On the Arcana continent.
Claudi has returned.
"...Would it be okay to fight on a good day, haha?"
The great family that makes even the biggest names bow their tails has returned!