Chapter 342
Puk!
‘Now!’
Puk puk!
‘It will be soon!’
A young man was digging at the ground. He was a beautiful young man. His beauty and grace didn’t fade, despite having sunburned skin and dirt stains.
‘Not long now!’
Puk puk! Puk!
The young man with the shy expression. He was digging at the ground with a hand plow when he heard the cry he had been waiting for.
“It’s time for a snack!”
“…!”
The pupils of the young man greatly expanded. He jumped up and quickly used magic.
“Haste!”
Haste. It was a spell that raised the target’s speed from 1.2 to 2.5 times. It wasn’t easy to learn, but it was a useful magic that could be used extensively. Even if a person learned it, their performance would differ according to the capacity of the caster.
A magician who could double their speed with Haste? There were no more than 100 of them on the continent. However!
Swaeeek!
The squatting young man showed off a phenomenal performance. His speed was doubled and no one could catch up with him.
“That lousy person…!”
“He’s trying to take all the potatoes today!”
The farmers were indignant. The young man who used Haste was Bland. He didn’t hesitate to commit a foul by using magic to gain more potatoes.
“Did you forget that Piaro said we should divide it among ourselves?”
“I will tell Piaro!”
The farmers saw that he was about to leave and used a childish attack. Bland hesitated for a moment.
‘I have to eat!’
Earl. Bland who had a rich life as the son of Earl Ashur, one of the 10 great magicians on the continent! For him, potatoes were just food that pigs were forced to eat. He had never eaten potatoes, and only consumed the finest ingredients, which were more nutritious and tastier than potatoes.
However, that changed after being held hostage in Reidan. Bland ate only potatoes to survive. Then he became thrilled. He was surprised by the gorgeous taste and the instant feeling of fullness.
In particular, the Rainbow Potato was a delicacy. He could get seven different types of tastes from one potato. A potato that he could only eat after being captured and suffering from a desperate situation. To Bland, it was more sacred than any blessing from a god. He was able to shake off all types of troubles and anxieties thanks to it.
There was plenty of food in the developed Reidan, but the potatoes were still the best for Bland.
***
“You want one today?”
The housewives asked Bland, who had run across the vast fields. Bland nodded without hesitation.
“That’s right.”
“Wow…”
The housewives thought it was pitiful. The beautiful young man in front of them. The housewives heard he was a precious child of a prestigious family. What wrong did he commit to live in slavery to Duke Grid?
Every day Bland worked in the fields, then there were rumors that he was taken separately by Piaro to be beaten in all types of ways. It was clear that this young man must be experiencing a terrible life. It was painful enough to want to die every day.
‘Eating to relieve his stress…’
‘It’s a pity for such a good looking person.’
A housewife tearfully handed the snack to Bland. There were 10 baked potatoes and 10 boiled potatoes.
“As you know, there is only supposed to be one potato per person…”
“I know that you are always suffering, so I will give you all of this.”
“Please eat and gain strength!”
‘The people pity me.’
Bland had a unique bloodline and had been on the best elite course in the kingdom. He didn’t have many opportunities to associate with the common people. However, his time in Reidan started to change his perception little by little.
‘The people have a hard life, but they still take care of others. It’s too much.’
It was ridiculous. But he couldn’t help admiring it. Bland received the handkerchief containing potatoes and frowned.
“There’s no need to worry about me. My bloodline means my physical strength isn’t weak, so I won’t get sick. There’s no need for unnecessary worry.”
Bland’s speech was prideful and could hurt the housewives’s feelings. But the housewives were fine. They thought it was cute that the young man didn’t know how to express himself.
“Potato… I originally thought it was pig food, but I will eat it anyway.”
Bah! Bland snorted and held the handkerchief close to his chest. Contrary to what he said, he clearly cherished the potatoes. He left the place. At this time, the farmers belatedly arrived.
“He took so much!”
“Some of us might not have enough to eat!”
“Damn that man!”
‘Noisy.’
They were so excited that they had to run around and yell? It truly was shameful. Bland clicked his tongue and moved to a secluded place. It was near the north wall. He sat down to eat the potatoes when his eyes sank.
‘There are a bunch of rats’.
There was a suspicious group clinging to one side of Reidan’s high walls. There were 20 of them. They were moving carefully and slowly climbing the wall. The color of their clothes was similar to the color of the wall, making their stealth great.
The Bland from before he came to Reidan wouldn’t have been able to detect them.
“Hrmm.”
Half a day ago. Asmophel led the army away, so it seemed like something big was occurring.
“It doesn’t have anything to do with me.”
Bland didn’t care if the 20 assassins climbing the wall were successful in infiltrating Reidan. He wouldn’t care even if they slaughtered people and set Reidan on fire. In fact, looking at it from his position, he should be applauding them.
“Then why…?”
Why didn’t he like it? Bland placed a boiled potato in his mouth and stood up. The delicious potatoes, the farmers who suffered with him, and the housewives who cooked the potatoes and cared about him. They might be harmed.
“I feel bad.”
More than anything else.
“…Irene.”
The woman he once loved was in Reidan. He had no lingering feelings for her. She had already become the woman of another man.
‘I want her to be happy.’
Bland’s mind was made up by the time he put the third potato in his mouth.
“Fire Arrow.”
Hwaruruk!
The 20 assassins climbing the wall. Eight fire arrows were shot at them. The momentum was completely different from a usual Fire Arrow. It was natural. He had been trained by Piaro for 16 months while doing field work every day.
He farmed… No, he could now borrow the natural mana of the ground. It was similar to the Natural State that belonged to the legendary Piaro.
***
Daluka. A legendary assassin wrapped in the veil of mystery. There were many speculations that Doran and Kasim were disciples of Daluka. Then one day 10 years ago. The Eternal Kingdom were lucky enough to obtain one of Daluka’s hidden techniques.
From then on, they started raising the Silver Dragons group. They took 5,000 orphans from all over the kingdom and trained them as assassins, giving them Daluka’s hidden technique.
Of course, it wasn’t easy. Of the 5,000 children who endured the training and survived, only 40 were trained in Daluka’s technique. Of these 40 people, not one of them had mastered the technique. They could only scratch the surface.
But this alone was enough. One year since the launch of the Silver Dragons group. The Silver Dragons had a 100% success rate with their missions. Prince Ren was confident. With the power of the Silver Dragons, the Eternal Kingdom would grow until they could eventually threaten the Saharan Empire.
At that time, the silver dragon drawn on the flag would spread open both wings again.
‘What is happening?’
The 20 members of the Silver Dragons were baffled. Agricultural fields spread out in all directions from Reidan’s outer walls. They had to pass through this place to get to Reidan, but the conditions of the farmers were strange.
‘Why are they farmers?’
There were dozens of farmers scattered through the vast fields. But their movements were unusual. The way they wielded the sickle and hand plow was reminiscent of swordsmanship. In particular, a few farmers were strong enough to make the Silver Dragon members sensitive towards them. They seemed like influential people who would represent a kingdom.
‘What is this?’
The Silver Dragons had learned Daluka’s Absence of Worldly Desires technique. It was a breathing method that allowed them to infiltrate many places, even if it was only at the 5th stage. And the 20 people assigned to this mission were elite 5th stage Absence of Worldly Desires members. It meant they wouldn’t show any agitation, even when facing death.
However, the farmers couldn’t help making their hearts unsettled.
‘It is better to move more carefully.’
The Silver Dragon members made the correct judgment and lay flat on the ground, crawling through the fields. They didn’t want to be seen by the farmers. The result.
‘Pant pant… It’s dirty.’
A lot of time and stamina was consumed by the time the Silver Dragons reached Reidan’s outer walls, making them fall behind schedule. Originally, they should’ve already had the duchess. Yet they hadn’t even crossed the outer walls yet? It was truly shocking for the Silver Dragon members.
But they were elites.
‘Erase the shaking.’
The members regained their calm thanks to Absence of Worldly Desires. Then they used ‘Daluka’s Clothes.’ It was a technique that could achieve the ultimate stealth by making them like a chameleon.
Susuk.
Sususuk.
Even the gods in the sky wouldn’t be able to see them right now! Then fire arrows flew towards the backs of the Silver Dragons climbing without any doubts.
“Heok!”
How were they noticed? The Silver Dragons avoided the magic and hurriedly looked around. The magic flew from the direction of one person. It was a farmer eating potatoes. The sun-tanned skin really made him seem like a hillbilly. It was unexpected, but this person was certainly a farmer.
‘Did he use the magic?’
It was fast and powerful magic that they couldn’t completely avoid!
‘The farmers in this area are crazy!’
The eyes of the Silver Dragons shook. Their 5th stage Absence of Worldly Desires started shaking.
‘We can’t delay any longer. Should we ignore him and continue the mission?’
‘No. Witnesses must be taken care of immediately in order to complete the secret mission.’
The Silver Dragons made a quick decision. They dropped down from the wall towards the farmer chewing potatoes. A magician had very weak defense. They believed that they could easily overpower the magician.
The magician’s bombardment? There was no need to worry about that. Don’t give him time to cast!
“Heok?”
The confident faces of the Silver Dragons distorted. The guy was a farmer or magician. Now he was creating a shield and pulling out a sword?
‘What is his identity?’
Farmer, magician, swordsman. It was uncertain. Bland shot Fire Blast at the Silver Dragons. Using another spell while creating a shield as well?
“Double casting!”
The Silver Dragons paled. Their 5th stage Absence of Worldly Desires was broken.
At the same time.
“Throw it again.”
King of Shadows, Kasim. The strongest assassin who had taken numerous lives was busy spending time with a newborn baby. He kept forcing the baby to do something.
“Abu! Abuuuu!”
The baby clamored with sharp eyes that resembled his father’s. It felt like he was saying that he would do it this time. Then…
Peok!
Lord flew a block at a doll 3m away and it fell. It was an achievement that had taken two days. The growth was much faster than what Kasim predicted. Kasim was convinced as he felt something beyond admiration.
‘This child…! This child will be able to master all of Master’s skills!’