#72 Change of Power
Thud-thud-thud.
A Barbarian appeared where the horses roamed.
“Fuhuhu, this is my victory.”
The Barbarian, shouting without even a change in his breathing, looked around and shook his head.
“Too slow.”
None of his subordinates were in sight.
Did I run too hard?
“Let’s see.”
Cheoldu scanned his surroundings, then watched a herd of horses fleeing in surprise.
Now that I have a dedicated Mount Inventory, maybe there’s a better one than Sonatta?
“Hmm, nice.”
Fwip.
“Neeeigh!”
Cheoldu mounted Sonatta and headed further toward the outskirts. The place where a cloud-like barrier should have been was now clear.
“Hm?”
The plains, now free of the view-obstructing barrier, seemed unchanged, but as he approached the former boundary, he could feel a change on his skin.
“It’s chilly?”
Driven by strong doubt and curiosity, he kept pushing Sonatta forward.
The moment he crossed the boundary, even the air rushing into his nose turned cold.
“Hmm.”
It wasn’t cold enough to make his body stiffen, but the further he moved from the boundary and deeper into the W305 Region, the colder it got.
“Ugh, this won’t do.”
He was wearing long pants, but his upper body was just a leather belt. The cold weather caused his nipples to freeze, and the leather belt rubbing against them started to become painful.
Moreover, the Throwing Knives and Throwing Axes hanging from his belt grew cold and radiated cold.
His pants were only suitable for the warm Sinseoul Zone; the material wasn't meant to withstand chilly weather.
He quickly turned his horse back towards the boundary.
“Ugh.”
He felt his body thawing in the warm breeze.
Rub-rub.
He quickly rubbed his hands together and placed them over both nipples.
I’ll have to get a shirt when I return to the village.
My reputation as a Barbarian is shot.
Even with the Giant's Hide, the cold is still unbearable.
“What are you doing?”
“Whew, Jintae, you’re here?”
Cheoldu, who had been demurely holding his hands over his nipples, quickly rubbed them together again to generate heat.
“What are you doing?”
“Whew, my nipples almost fell off.”
“...?”
“Go over there and see.”
Seeing is believing.
“What bullshit is this? It’s just the plains.”
Clip-clop, clip-clop.
Not long after Kim Jintae rode Abangde past the boundary point, he came rushing back.
“Brrrr. Shit, what is this?”
His jaw chattering, he dismounted and started jogging in place to warm up.
“Fuhuhu. Strange, isn’t it?”
“Wow, seriously, why is the weather here so erratic?”
“I need to pack some clothes.”
“Looks like we need to pay more attention to supplies than I thought.”
“Exploring other Zones will require thorough preparation.”
“Yeah.”
“More importantly, why are you alone?”
“Ah, you crazy bastard. You went berserk and ran off alone; I barely managed to follow you on horseback.”
“That’s Abangde for you.”
“No, it’s damn fast.”
“Fuhuhu.”
A horse slower than a person.
Despite Cheoldu’s mockery, Abangde merely turned its head away. Its opponent was too strong to snort at.
“Anyway, why is everyone else so late?”
“You were just fast. They’ll be here soon.”
“Hmm. Nothing to do.”
Cheoldu abandoned the thought of taming another horse.
Kim Jintae looked around and pointed at Cheoldu’s Sonatta.
“Can’t you catch one of those for me too?”
“It’s too much for you.”
“Why?”
“A first-year Novice is only permitted up to an Abangde.”
“...Cheapskate. Forget it.”
“Fuhuhu, one horse is enough. More importantly, I think we need to find different kinds of mounts.”
“Huh?”
“Didn't you see? We don't know what the weather will be like in other Zones.”
“Ah!”
Kim Jintae exclaimed in admiration.
“Cheoldu, you seem to have gotten smarter.”
“I was always smart.”
“You did worse than me in school.”
“Fuhuhu.”
Cheoldu tapped his own head.
“The head isn't for studying.”
“Huh?”
“The brain exists only to use the body well.”
“...”
It was a topic worth considering, even if it was Barbarian-style rhetoric. It's true that smart people often do well in their studies, but not doing well in studies doesn't necessarily mean someone isn't smart.
“Huff, puff! Captain!”
Excluding Kim Jintae on horseback, who had an unfair advantage, the first to arrive was Oh Junhwan.
“Oh! Warrant Officer!”
“Huff, huff! Why are you so fast?”
Behind the panting Oh Junhwan, Choi Junseop soon arrived.
“Aaaaaah!”
He collapsed with a thud, gasping for breath.
“Pant, pant! I'm second! Haa!”
“Junseop, why did you run so hard?”
“Gasp, gasp. There's prize money!”
“You're not part of our Mercenary Corps.”
“Huh? Huff. Gasp!”
“Fuhuhu, you make me state the obvious. The prize money is only for the Mercenary Corps.”
“Damn it! Shit!”
“Swearing at me?”
As Cheoldu raised his hand, Choi Junseop screamed even louder, straining his voice.
“Whew, shit, I'm such a stupid bastard! Motherfucker!”
“...Strangely annoying.”
Should I hit him?
Just then, starting with Gi Yongsu, the mercenary members began to arrive in droves.
Since Gi Yongsu wasn't part of the Mercenary Corps either, he was excluded. Cheoldu handed the pouch of Stat Stones to Oh Junhwan.
“Distribute these according to rank.”
“How many?”
“All of them.”
“Gasp! Yes, sir.”
Stat Stones can be obtained again in the future.
Increasing the Mercenary Corps' strength will make it easier to get more Stat Stones.
Since they had nowhere else to spend the weekly wages they'd received, each had bought several Limit Break Scrolls from the Goblin Merchant.
Soon, Rankers would start popping up like mushrooms within the Mercenary Corps.
Ranker, huh.
The time to officially register as a Ranker was approaching.
All stats except Mana at 49 were within reach.
“Everyone, tame a horse! On the way back, we train in mounted tactics!”
“Whoa!”
The mercenaries, having received Stat Stones according to their rank as prize money, roared in unison.
Massive construction was underway in Sinseoul. Anyway, there was plenty of land left in the various areas north of the portal.
Laborers came and went, erecting pillars and joining roofs, to the point where there wasn't a place that wasn't a construction site.
Several empty temporary barracks were also being refurbished, preparing to receive new recruits.
Timber around Sinseoul had run dry, and the trees felled from distant forests were enough to carve deep ruts into the castle gate road.
There were no carts pulled by oxen or horses, but handcarts pulled by strong men, even stronger than beasts of burden, moved ceaselessly, transporting construction materials.
“Bring more tents!”
“Yes, sir!”
“Hurry and cover that area. Make space over there too!”
They were busy making clothes, having requisitioned all the spare cloth within the city walls.
During the Apocalypse Test, those who proved their qualifications came through with items bought from the Goblin Merchant, but that wasn't the case now.
Perhaps because it was an Escape Quest from a constantly open portal?
When those who became Novices after defeating Pillager Goblins crossed the portal, they arrived completely naked.
Leaving everything from Earth behind, they were transported to Nova in their primal state, so partitions were set up everywhere, and piles of clothes to be distributed grew.
Prices fluctuated wildly in Sinseoul's burgeoning Free Market, and forcibly freezing them led to complaints popping up here and there, known and unknown.
Most construction laborers were soldiers, but technicians were mixed in among them, and they were just as anxious.
“I wonder if we won't get paid for this?”
“No way. That Magistrate fella, when he mobilized us for corvée labor, he always paid wages promptly.”
“That's true.”
With artisans lending their skills and soldiers their strength, Sinseoul, where large-scale buildings were rising, bustled with activity.
The busiest person in such a bustling Sinseoul was none other than Supply Officer Ahn Seungwoo.
“Please approve this first.”
“What? Why scrap iron?”
“We're desperately short on nails.”
“Hmph, alright. Take it out.”
“Yes, sir.”
It pained his heart to see the warehouse stockpile dwindling.
The unique anxiety of a supply officer intensified.
Haah, I miss the Commander.
“Clerk.”
“Yes, sir!”
Captain Ahn Seungwoo, who had bowed deeply and turned around, wore a sulky expression.
“Come on, Major Lee, why are you doing this too?”
“You like being called Clerk, don't you?”
“Tch, I'm just playing along.”
Major Lee Eunyoung chuckled and said,
“Cyclops Forest has been pacified. Donations opened up like the Sanctuary. Tossed in about 100 coins, and mounts were unlocked.”
“Huh, the National Defense Research Institute's guess was right. But why are you telling me this?”
“You're the acting Magistrate, aren't you?”
“Hmph, go find the Vice Commander. I'm just the Head of Urban Planning.”
“Ah, whatever. That guy's gloomy.”
“Come on, you still have to report it.”
With the Commander absent, the Vice Commander and then the Chief of Staff are the chain of command.
Of course, those two didn't get along well with Commander Park Junpil, so they've been keeping a low profile.
“Whatever. You do it instead. The ogres are still in the forest, so the path is a bit difficult. Even a Ranker would probably die if they went alone.”
“Huh?”
“Anyway, I've made my report.”
“Hmph.”
Why is it that none of the superiors I meet are normal?
“Haah.”
Honestly, is it right to leave all the supply work to a Captain?
No matter how intense the factional strife is.
Where the heck is the entire Vice Commander's line hiding to let things get this bad?
Sinseoul is divided into the Satto Faction and the Anti-Satto Faction.
At first, Ahn Seungwoo also thought Major General Park Junpil, engrossed in playing Magistrate, was crazy...
‘Hey, Ahn Seungwoo. Community cohesion isn't built through top-down orders like that.’
Magistrate Park Junpil proved it with results.
The fact that Sinseoul's public and private sectors were well-maintained, and that its members felt a sense of unity, stemmed from these buildings and attire, so familiar to Koreans.
At least, Clerk Ahn Seungwoo acknowledged it.
“Whew, just endure a little longer.”
In a few hours, it would be exactly five days since the Magistrate left.
He should be returning as soon as the portal reuse cooldown ends, so Ahn Seungwoo could finally lay down this burdensome role.
Captain Ahn Seungwoo didn't entirely enjoy this situation where everyone in Sinseoul was looking at him, waiting for his decisions.
Time flew by as he distributed goods to departments needing supplies and then handed out military scrip to civilians for requisitioning.
“Minister!”
“Come on, Captain Ahn, why are you doing this too?”
“Heh heh, let's go, Minister. It's almost time for the Lord Magistrate to arrive.”
“Ah, geez. Sometimes it feels like you're more excited about this, Captain Ahn.”
“Ah, I'm just playing along, man. Let's go.”
Personnel from Command HQ headed to the portal.
Major General Park Junpil had always been thorough with his work, so the void left by his five-day absence felt immense.
Fwip.
From the vicinity of Paju, newly minted Novices arrived through the portal, naked.
“Huh!”
“Don't be alarmed. Please come this way and change your clothes.”
Waiting sergeants distributed clothes in order while verifying identities.
“That person looks familiar.”
“Hmm, seeing how old he is, he seems like someone of high rank?”
The white-bearded soldier, the subject of Captain Ahn Seungwoo's hushed conversation, put on his clothes and looked around.
“Hmm, so this is Sinseoul.”
Fwip.
Right behind him, Major General Park Junpil appeared, the hem of his dopo fluttering.
“Ah! Lord Magistrate!”
Captain Ahn quickly ran over, clasped his hands together, and bowed deeply.
“Was your trip to the capital comfortable?”
“Captain Ahn, I'm not in the mood for jokes. Step aside.”
“Yes, sir. Loyalty. Congratulations on the Commander's return.”
As Ahn Seungwoo, a master of reading the room, snapped to attention and stepped back, the white-bearded man chuckled.
“So you've been playing king here.”
“Not at all, sir. This way, please.”
“Hmph, very well.”
Major General Park Junpil escorted the white-bearded soldier with a stiff expression. Dozens of people, newly Novices who had just received their clothes, followed them closely.
Captain Ahn wondered what was going on and sidled up next to Major General Park Junpil to ask discreetly,
“Sir, may I ask who that person and all these people are?”
“The new Sinseoul Commander.”
“...!?”
Suddenly?
