Chapter 28 – Lionheart Knights (1)

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Translated by Heavenly Cat

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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There is a saying that three years of living at a schoolhouse will make even a dog recite poetry.

‘Well, it hasn’t been three years though.’

No matter what, my head should be better than a dog’s, right.

Thanks to that, I could remember.

The class at the Akshan base.

-The Seven Deadly Sins. Being called Great Evils like the Demon King.

The Seven Deadly Sins.

It refers to those commonly spoken seven sins.

Pride, Greed, Jealousy, Wrath, Lust, Gluttony, Sloth.

Yes, the scent of a big shot radiating from those words themselves.

Just from the names, they’re different from ordinary demons.

-You probably won’t have any reason to encounter them right now, but. Be aware and stay alert. Because the day will definitely come when you will face those Great Evils.

The Demon Hunter of Akshan had said that too.

Great Evils, it’s natural that they are strong.

He probably meant it wasn’t the time for them to appear back then.

There was no need to explain it in detail either.

But isn’t that a story from ten and two years ago?

‘Unfortunately, that’s all I know.’

Because I had quit Arcana just like that.

Once again, the 12-year gap cuts to the bone!

However, it was enough for now.

‘I’m certain.’

The quest window.

And the message from just now made me realize it clearly.

[The Yusra Islands begin to be tainted by greed.]

[Collapse Progress: 1/10]

The Great Evil crouching in the Yusra Islands.

That that guy is the Seven Deadly Sins, ‘Greed’.

If so, the Collapse Progress makes sense.

‘When the progress is fully filled, the Great Evil will awaken.’

Wow. Wait a minute.

I almost got goosebumps for a moment.

It was because the setting of the Yusra Islands suddenly came to mind.

‘This is way too much of a perfect trap, isn’t it?’

Isn’t this an environment way too advantageous for the Great Evil?

Since the Yusra Islands was a legendary treasure island.

Setting greed aside.

As a human, it’s natural to want to find legendary treasures.

Just like right now.

The murmuring Players.

One of them shouted.

“It was Shining! I heard they already finished clearing one island?!”

“Wait, then one-tenth, does this mean?”

“That’s right. As expected of the Yusra Islands, I think it goes up every time an island is cleared. By the way, what did they get? The treasure, that is!”

“Are you crazy? As if they would obediently reveal that? But it seems true that they acquired the island’s treasure.”

The Yusra Islands, consisting of 10 islands.

Shining Guild cleared one of them.

Then the Collapse Progress went up.

‘It makes sense.’

No, it was certain.

The moment all ten islands are cleared.

The Great Evil slumbering in the Yusra Islands, Greed, will awaken.

But, for a Great Evil, isn’t this too petty?

“Despicable.”

For a big shot to even set up a trap like this.

“However, because they are despicable, they are demons.”

That was my impression upon learning the truth.

And the moment I realized that truth.

“!”

The quest window blinked.

[Class Quest: Stirring]

The prelude has risen and the beacon has been lit.

O last Demon Hunter.

Illuminate the world covered in evil.

-Train your weakened body. (Repeat)

-Investigate the Great Evil of the Yusra Islands. (Success)

-Prevent the resurrection of the Seven Deadly Sins, Greed. (In Progress) ?

?Do not let the island’s treasures be tainted by greed. (In Progress)

It’s a relief in the midst of misfortune.

That it didn’t say, ‘Kill Greed’.

Anyway, whether it’s kill or prevent.

It’s equally daunting.

‘Would they stay still?’

I turned my gaze towards the Players once again.

“Let’s hurry up. The island’s treasure or whatever. We need to snag one too!”

“But is it okay to touch it? Just by looking, it seems the Collapse Progress will increase.”

“Senior, is that any of our business? It’s not a problem that’ll be solved if we just stay still anyway. Other bastards won’t even care about the Collapse degree or anything and just look for the treasures, right?”

I didn’t intend to say anything about it.

Because that was the reaction of a normal person.

It’s not like people are saints.

If you came to find treasures, you’ve got to find them.

‘And because they don’t even know this is a trap.’

So I had no desire to criticize them.

It wouldn’t just be those Players acting like that either.

At this moment, every Player in the Yusra Islands would be having the same thought as them.

That was the reason for the daunting feeling.

I thought realistically.

‘Persuasion? Absolutely impossible.’

As if they would believe my words well.

For starters, wouldn’t they not even believe that I’m a Demon Hunter?

Saying where in Arcana is a class like that.

Saying even if there was, everyone would’ve deleted their characters 10 years ago.

If so.

In the end, there would be only one method.

I have no choice but to monopolize what’s called the island’s treasure!

The objective of the quest is, until the end.

To not let the island’s treasures be tainted by greed.

Then wouldn’t it be fine to acquire the island’s treasures without greed?

Of course, that’s also something only a saint could do, probably.

However, I know.

That that saint was right here.

?To Granfel Claudi Arpheus Romeo, riches were a fleeting thing. Born as the heir to a great family and having tasted the end of abundance, there was no reason for him to obsess over wealth and honors.?

Yeah, even in front of 110 billion.

Even in front of the Unique material item, Pure Emerald Crystal.

Let alone greed.

I didn’t even twitch the corners of my mouth, did I?

So I didn’t delay.

“I must hurry.”

Everything is to prevent the resurrection of Greed.

I must take the island’s treasures.

No, I have to monopolize them.

*

Shining.

Rox checked the message.

“Collapse Progress? Camila, Dmitri.”

“Uh, it popped up for me too?”

“Me too~”

The world’s number one guild, Shining.

Player Ranking 2nd, Rox.

Talent as well as accumulated experience was telling him.

“I guess this is thanks to us acquiring this treasure.”

Rox shrugged.

Yeah, there’s no way the Yusra Islands would give up treasures this plainly. The main game will probably begin after all treasures of the total of 10 islands are acquired.

“So the countdown has begun?”

“Ugh. I hate this~ Just when I thought things were going a bit smoothly.”

“By the way, when is Jesse coming? Ouch!”

Please go a little gentler on me.

Dmitri treated his injury.

Even if Jesse was absent due to attending the Mage Tower’s conference.

It didn’t mean there was a huge problem in Shining’s fighting power.

Even without Jesse, they had just killed the named monster existing on each island and acquired the island’s treasure.

“Well. There’s no contact yet.”

There was no contact from Jesse.

However, Rox had a rough idea.

Of the incident that happened at the Mage Tower.

The world’s number one guild, Shining.

Because even if it wasn’t Jesse, there were more than enough Players at the level to participate in the Mage Tower Regular Conference.

Those guild members were all saying the same thing.

‘As expected, it’s a good thing I set him as a dangerous individual.’

Lee Ho-yeol.

That his moves are unusual.

Of course, this Mage Tower incident was beyond imagination even for Rox.

‘Even I’ve never gone up to the upper floors, after all.’

Of course, I haven’t even been able to talk to the Chief Mage either.

So he had to make it clear at this point.

“What stance should we take.”

Favor or hostility.

They had to decide on their position regarding Lee Ho-yeol.

Rox swept up his falling bangs.

“I’d like to go on good terms as much as possible. Right?”

“Agreed. Skal alone is tiring enough.”

“I agree too~ Just dealing with Skal and Jesse breaks my head.”

Then it means there is no particular reason to be hostile.

As Rox muttered, Camila whispered.

“Above all, if you guys don’t want to be hated by Jesse, you all better be careful? It’s unusual~ The way her eyes sparkle. It’s just like when I first came to know what love is.”

“Isn’t that just because of a weird skill? The only time Jesse’s eyes sparkle is at those times.”

“You really kill the mood, you. And do you even know a woman’s heart? Though if you did, there wouldn’t be an incident where you rented a whole hotel lounge and then got dumped~”

“Are you crazy? Hey, are you done talking?!”

Anyway, the moment Shining decided on their position regarding Ho-yeol.

A message popped up once again.

[The Yusra Islands begin to be tainted by greed.]

[Collapse Progress: 2/10]

It began in earnest.

It must beUnification of World who acquired the island’s treasure, right?

Rox said, leaving the two bickering people behind.

“Let’s get moving soon. To the next island.”

*

[The Yusra Islands begin to be tainted by greed.]

[Collapse Progress: 2/10]

Is it because an explicit reward is placed.

The progression speed is fast.

At this rate, I’ll have to revise my grand ambition.

To monopolize the islands’ treasures.

‘First of all, just on this island for now.’

I must absolutely acquire the island’s treasure.

Actually, it’s natural to be overwhelmed by just one.

Top guilds like Shining and Unification of World, of course.

Ranked 1st, Skal, was there a high probability he’d make a move too, they said.

It meant I had to acquire the island’s treasure in competition with those Players.

The only fortunate thing was that acquiring just one island’s treasure could prevent the resurrection of the Great Evil.

‘Because if even one is lacking, the condition cannot be met.’

Anyway, I am curious though.

What kind of item is it.

That it’s called an island’s treasure.

‘Is this what greed is?’

Of course, there wouldn’t be cases of my body and mind being swayed by this greed.

You see, even in life-threatening situations, it didn’t break.

I think back on Granfel’s pride.

I knew that very well through experience.

It was when I made it out of the palm forest.

Something sparkling in the distance caught my eye.

‘Armor, plate armor at that.’

In the Yusra Islands full of Players, it wasn’t a strange sight.

Come to think of it, me dressed in a suit would be a much stranger sight.

Anyway, what made me pause was that uniformity.

‘They’re all wearing plate armor.’

At the very least, it looked like a hundred people.

All of them were wearing plate armor.

I could realize from that feature.

‘They’re not Players.’

Wearing plate armor is.

Only for Players of Warrior or Knight class types.

‘There’s no reason to move in crowds.’

Because there was nothing with worse efficiency than a single class moving in a clump.

If so, are they NPCs after all?

Even while racking my brain, my dignified steps didn’t stop.

‘Just as I thought.’

Thanks to that, I got to see the crest engraved on the armor.

The lion’s head on the shoulder.

I opened my mouth.

“The Lionheart Knights.”

That was a crest that even I, who had completely cut ties with Arcana for 12 years, could never forget.

A lion’s head.

Because that was the symbol of the Lionheart Knights, widely rumored to be the empire’s strongest knight order.

‘Like the Mage Tower, the Lionheart Knights must have been summoned too.’

Indeed, befitting the reputation of the empire’s strongest.

Above all, their ranks and files matched perfectly.

Their plate armors were also shining like mirrors without a speck of dust.

To the point where words of passing the test would automatically come out from even Granfel’s aesthetic sense.

“As expected, it lives up to its reputation.”

Of course, Arcana was no longer a game.

NPCs would be the same too.

Meaning they wouldn’t just let my soliloquy pass even after hearing it.

“Who are you?”

A man who looked like the captain of the knights asked.

What is with this tone of voice that makes me feel a sense of kinship.

I replied just like always.

“I am Lee Ho-yeol. I did not know I would run into the Lionheart Knights in a place like this.”

Wait a minute, anyone seeing this would think we’re shooting a historical drama!

This was an embarrassment of a different kind than before.

Should I say I feel a sense of shame precisely because we communicate too well?

However, just like greed.

There wasn’t an occasion where my internal shame would be expressed.

I brazenly asked the man back.

“May I also ask your name?”

At my question, the man clearly showed signs of flinching.

“Looking at your attire, it is clear you are an adventurer.”

Brings back memories.

NPCs used to call Players adventurers.

Anyhow, I didn’t know I would have my attire pointed out even by an NPC, me.

Because I’m so sad, I’ll really have to get some armor fitted or something.

Soon the man continued his words.

“You feel a little different from the other adventurers. I am the Commander of the Lionheart Knights, Harkon Kingsguard.”

To think he was the Knight Commander.

It’s anew, but I feel like asking after the well-being of my guts.

‘Hasn’t my audacity crossed the line at this point.’

The empire’s greatest Knight Order.

Even in front of the Knight Commander of Lionheart.

To be able to stand so uprightly.

Well, it’s not a strange thing either.

Because I just came back from doing worse to the Chief Mage of the Mage Tower, Marcelo.

“However, Adventurer. Unfortunately, now is not the time to be sharing personal chat.”

Harkon seemingly feeling regrettable.

The moment he finished speaking.

Rumble–!

My vision shook.

To be precise, it was because the ground I was stepping on shook.

I could intuit.

‘It’s a named monster.’

The one I saw in the update details.

It’s certain it’s the named monsters that exist one on each of the ten islands.

Seeing his intention, it seemed Harkon was planning to hunt that named monster with his knights.

Of course, even so.

My plan wouldn’t change though.

“You are right. There will be no time to share personal chat.”

Knights taking out their swords and shields.

I also drew up my magic power.

Then Harkon spoke with a surprised face.

“Adventurer. That demonic beast is dangerous. Backing away is?!”

Backing away is what?

Harkon trailing off his words.

For what reason, his gaze was fixed on my suit.

No, on my brooch.

Harkon asked me with a questioning expression.

“Could it be, that brooch is? Adventurer! Do you perhaps have some kind of connection with the Mage Tower?”

Wait a minute, this is quite an interesting reaction?

However, just as I had said earlier.

Harkon, who was only waiting for my lips to part.

To him, I spoke firmly.

“Did I not say so? Let us share personal talk after the work is done.”

Thud-!