Chapter 118 - Chapter 20: Blitz
The coat of arms on Nayatra and Carack’s forehead, which were made of light, were gorgeous and beautiful.
The King’s Knights—the symbol indicated that they were apostles of Conquest. Conquest’s Coat of Arms meant that Nayatra and Carack, as well as Karma outside the room, were under In-gong’s control.
‘There is an effect.’
The coat of arms wasn’t simply to declare affiliation. The coat of arms itself had power.
First of all, it strengthened their abilities.
When he used Conquest Coat of Arms, all the stats of the King’s Knights increased by 20%. Additionally, the effect of Below the King’s Flag was greater. Both of these effects had a synergistic effect.
Next was the strengthening of solidarity. In-gong could see the awareness in Nayatra’s eyes, and he felt a bit of goodwill. In-gong then shifted his gaze toward Carack, who looked at the white light surrounding his body and smiled.
"I can feel my loyalty to Prince rising.”
They weren’t simply words; it truly was the case.
In-gong nodded slowly and looked at Nayatra again. Unlike Carack who was accustomed to the power of Conquest due to Below the King’s Flag, this was the first time she had experienced the strangeness of Conquest.
‘I guess I won’t have to worry about her running away?'
He had been worried because this was a contract half-accepted through intimidation. The reason why he had her join the King's Knights was so that he could use Call whenever she tried to escape. However, looking at Nayatra’s eyes right now, it seemed like there would be no need to use Call.
The third effect of Conquest Coat of Arms was strengthening his governance. Before, In-gong had only known Carack’s level but not his detailed stats, but that was different now. In-gong was able to see Carack’s stats as well as his own.
‘His persistence is no joke.’
His persistence and durability were overwhelmingly high compared to his other stats. After being strengthened by Conquest Coat of Arms, they were only slightly lower than In-gong’s stats.
‘Carack has also gained many levels.’
In-gong remembered that he had been around level 23 or 24 during the Red Lightning subjugation, but he was now level 28.
‘His intelligence is too high.’
Carack’s intelligence was higher than orc he had encountered in Knight Saga. However, intelligence wasn’t a quantification of mechanical areas such as how fast the brain thought or memory. It was different from wisdom or smarts.
‘Maybe they are high as well.’
However, they were invisible stats.
In-gong carried on by looking at Nayatra’s stats. Her level, occupations and status were listed on the coat of arms. In Knight Saga, thief and assassin had been her secondary occupations, but they were her main ones now. Rather, her secondary occupation was an escort knight.
'She also has high and low stats.’
Whether she had experienced slavery or not seemed to have created a slight difference in her stats. However, her level was lower than it had been in Knight Saga. It was inevitable since this was one year before then.
"How does it feel?"
As soon as In-gong asked, Nayatra spoke with shining eyes.
"Very good. I feel lighter.”
It wasn’t just her eyes, but her voice contained a tinge of ecstasy as well. She was in an excited state, but she meant her words.
In-gong laughed and released Nayatra’s hand. Nayatra let out a long exhale like she was enjoying it. Conquest’s Coat of Arms and the white light had disappeared, but her cheeks were still red.
"Master."
In-gong heard Green Wind’s voice suddenly in his ears. She took her solid form and clung to In-gong’s arm while looking back and forth between Carack and Nayatra.
“Master, I want to be Master’s knight as well.”
“Huh?”
"I am already Master’s, but Carack and the succubus who suddenly appeared are different. I want to be the same.”
In-gong blinked at the unexpected request. There was a strange feeling of jealousy on Green Wind’s face.
'Do I need it?’
In-gong always had Green Wind with him, unlike Carack, Karma and Nayatra. There was no need to use Call, and as Green Wind said, she was already conquered. So, he couldn’t think of her as a knight.
The number of people he could accept into the King's Knights was limited. This time the level of the King's Knights rose, so the number was slightly increased, but it was only be two places.
‘I will give one of them to Vandal, and I have one spare spot left.'
He thought it was a bit of a waste to give one of those spots to Green Wind. The situation was somewhat different from when he accepted Karma; at the time, other than Carack, he’d had no subordinate.
As if she noticed In-gong’s thoughts, Green Wind pulled his arm more firmly and gazed at him earnestly. She almost seemed like a child. In-gong couldn’t ignore that gaze, so he thought about the benefits of having Green Wind as a knight.
‘Will the Call effect apply to White Eagle?’
White Eagle came flying when called, but there was a difference between flying and appearing instantly. It was limited to once a day, but it wasn’t useless.
‘And the strengthening effect... isn’t it more effective than I thought?’
Green Wind’s power had dropped significantly after leaving Enger Plains. Thanks to this, she couldn’t utilize the various buffs that had been used at Enger Plains.
Maybe Conquest Coat of Arms wouldn’t just affect the numerical stats but the capabilities of the target as well. It was quite possible that he could restore Green Wind’s power.
"Master?"
Green Wind asked again, and In-gong laughed.
"Yes, Green Wind is always with me.”
The limit of the King’s Knights would increase again when the level rose. The utility was sufficient, and he didn’t want to disappoint Green Wind, who was satisfied with the smallest of praises.
Green Wind laughed brightly as she received In-gong’s permission and knelt down. In-gong was reminded of his first meeting with Green Wind at Enger Plains.
He accepted Green Wind as his knight in the same method as he had done with Nayatra.
“Ahh.”
Green Wind opened her eyes slowly and breathed out. The Conquest Coat of Arms formed on her forehead as well.
‘Her power has recovered.’
From the beginning, she had been a higher-order guardian. Carack was surprised when he saw Green Wind, while In-gong felt the sacredness and mystique he had felt when he saw her for the first time.
“Thank you, Master. You are a great master.”
Green Wind embraced In-gong tightly before turning around and spreading her arms.
"Okay, with this, there is nothing that I’m not part of.”
Nayatra’s eyes narrowed at the sudden declaration, and she asked In-gong,
"Hrmm, Master, who is she?”
It was clearly a soft and gentle voice, but strangely, it didn’t sound like it. In-gong answered hurriedly,
"She is Green Wind, the guardian of Enger Plains. Now, she is my guardian.”
Green Wind’s eyes sparkled at ‘my guardian’.
"Yes, I am Master’s. My history and traditions are different from you who came suddenly.”
"Haven’t you only been here a couple of months. So, what history?”
Green Wind growled at Carack’s sharp point, and Carack quickly turned his gaze elsewhere.
Nayatra nodded silently.
"Then we are almost like siblings. Please look after me in the future.”
Her smiling face was very beautiful, but In-gong felt scared for some reason. Green Wind faced Nayatra with wide eyes and grasped her hand. One side was laughing while the other was alert, but the atmosphere seemed to be the same. They were both wary of each other.
In-gong felt something in his chest warm at the confrontation between the two of them.
‘W-what? This strange sense of fulfillment...’
It was a type of happiness that he hadn’t experienced before. He didn’t know why Green Wind and Nayatra felt opposed to each other, but it was still a good thing.
However, In-gong soon regained his spirit. After he stopped the confrontation by releasing Green Wind’s solid state, he ordered Carack and Nayatra to go rest. It wasn’t a situation in which they could afford to keep talking and laughing. Starting tomorrow, he would have to keep working hard.
Nayatra left respectfully, while Carack left after expressing his concerns.
Although there was still Green Wind, In-gong appeared alone on the surface, so he sat down.
‘Nayatra has joined me.’
One of his three most beloved subordinates in Knight Saga...
She had been the one who provided the information which led to the lycanthrope subjugation.
He felt like he had taken one step further to his goal; there was a strong sense of accomplishment.
‘Vandal.’
The handshake In-gong shared with him came to mind, and a smile formed on his face.
‘The barbarian king is strong. I need to be vigilant. I need to win the fight with Vandal as well.’
In-gong took a deep, determined breath and cleared his head. He was going to practice his aura like usual before going to sleep.
However, he then heard a knock at the door.
“Shutra, can I enter?”
It was Felicia’s voice. In-gong opened the door to see her wearing a creamy night gown. It seemed like she had finished her preparations for sleep.
“Is the talk finished?”
Felicia asked as she closed the door. In-gong responded with a relaxed expression,
"Yes, Nayatra will be accompanying us in the future. She will be in charge of gathering information.”
It was essential to have someone in charge of gathering information. Carack was a competent aide, but he didn’t have the ability to gather information like Seira or Delia. Nayatra was a specialist in gathering information, so she would reinforce what Carack lacked.
At the end of In-gong’s words, Felicia sat down on the bed facing In-gong.
"Hmm, I am curious if you got her to join because she is a succubus, but... I believe in Shutra.”
It meant that she wouldn’t ask anything. In-gong had no way of explaining it, so he accepted Felicia’s courtesy.
“Thank you.”
"Well, there is no need for thanks.”
Felicia laughed and crossed her legs.
"Shutra, do you know why I came?”
He could guess. Therefore, In-gong asked something else before starting.
“Caitlin noona?”
"She is already sleeping. Today was fairly tough on her.”
She had gone shopping around Takar during the day and fought at the auction house at night.
"Now, tell me the story.”
Felicia prompted as she crossed her legs the other way. In-gong took a minute to think about where to start the story, then he made his decision. He pulled the Dragon King’s Golden Helmet from his inventory.
"This object is called the Dragon King’s Golden Helmet. Paratus, the younger brother of the barbarian king, attacked the auction house because of this.”
In-gong handed over the golden helmet. Felicia turned the helmet to the dragon face and asked,
"The Dragon King’s helmet?”
"The legendary barbarian king wore it. He was worshipped as a god.”
“Ohh.”
As a specialist in ruins exploration, Felicia was deeply interested in relics. Her eyes were filled with delight as she looked at the helmet.
In-gong continued speaking,
"The significance of the Dragon King’s helmet is unusual for the barbarians. It is something similar to a crown or a seal. This is an item that certifies the king’s authority.”
"Was this part of the items at Takar’s auction house?”
“I don’t know the reason either, but the ones who attacked the auction were after it.”
It could have been stolen or found during a war, but he didn’t know the details.
Felicia touched the surface of the golden helmet slowly. There was a different light in her eyes. It wasn’t the gaze of a scholar excited about exploring ruins but the gaze of a princess of the Demon King’s Palace.
"Indeed, it can come in handy in some ways.”
Although it was a symbol of kingship, it was impossible for them to rule over the barbarians simply by using the Dragon King’s Golden Helmet. If a dark elf tried to become the ruler of the lycanthropes, no lycanthropes would listen to them. The barbarians were the same. It was impossible to gain authority over the barbarians simply by using the Dragon King’s Golden Helmet.
However, there were still many things it could be used for. They could break the morale of the barbarians or cause internal fighting.
Felicia didn’t need to list such examples to In-gong. So, she shrugged and asked another question,
“Did you say Paratus? Anyway, he knows that you have this?”
“Yes, although he doesn’t know who I am.”
Moreover, right now, Paratus was busy running away. In-gong didn’t know about the battlefield with the barbarians, but it was unlikely that he would face Paratus for a while.
At any rate, it was obvious that he had been obsessed with the golden helmet when he faced In-gong.
"As always, you bring a storm with you. Can’t you think about the people who will get involved?”
Felicia frowned as she asked with crossed arms. In-gong had only one possible reply to Felicia,
“Sorry.”
He truly did feel sorry toward Felicia as she always had to deal with it.
As a gloomy expression formed on In-gong’s face, Felicia stood up with an embarrassed expression.
“It’s a joke, a joke. And it is good that we got caught up with this. You don’t have to worry about it.”
Felicia winked and quickly changed the topic.
"Anyway, Paratus was only aiming for this helmet?”
"For now.”
"Hmm, then the rest of the items?”
Felicia placed her hands on her waist and tilted her head. In-gong laughed awkwardly and said,
“That, well... wouldn’t they have been destroyed by the crash if I hadn’t taken them?”
It was a valid reason, but Felicia clicked her tongue as she gazed at In-gong.
"You really speak well.”
It was obvious that he would have taken them anyway.
However, Felicia just shrugged and said to In-gong,
"Well, it was an unavoidable situation. Vulcanus is also a bad person, but we are royalty. Shouldn’t we refrain from stealing?”
"I will keep it in mind."
"Yes, please do so, Shutra.”
Felicia patted In-gong’s head softly. It had always been In-gong stroking someone’s head, so he felt quite strange.
“Anyway.”
“Anyway?”
"So, what did you get? Anything good? My favourite jewellery or paintings?”
Felicia asked with a smile, and In-gong couldn’t help smiling back. Instead of explaining, he took out the auction items from his inventory, one by one.
&
“Eeeeeh! First, the Demon King’s Palace, and now you want to drag me to a battlefield!”
"Yes."