novelraw Chapter 93: Comfortable Expedition Team (4)
Chapter 93: Comfortable Expedition Team (4)
Translator: Dreamscribe
The heroes began enjoying the hostage content to their hearts’ content with bright smiles. When HandGenius installed a bomb on the hostage’s body, a very familiar scene was recreated.
“Guys, he's watching from over there.”
“Oh, is that guy the Count?”
“He really looks like a monster.”
“He looks like the Countess. They’re definitely a couple.”
The one who appeared to be the Count was standing in front of the ruined city with his knights, looking in the direction of the heroes.
The forces led by the Count were quite sizable. Even after most had been wiped out by bombardment, the number easily exceeded ten thousand. Jinwoo nodded slightly as he looked at the Count.
‘As expected, he’s different because he’s a Count.’
He was using the power of greed accumulated in his corrupted soul.
The slaves he possessed couldn’t resist him, and he could command those who had lost their will and become mummy soldiers.
Since slaves and mummy soldiers were being produced in the underground labyrinth, nobles could use them as tools and indulge in luxury and pleasures for a long time.
But now, that wouldn’t be so easy. The Lord of Greed had consumed so many authorities that it seemed difficult to replenish his forces quickly. Jinwoo’s magic power, which was deeply permeating the desert, was also interfering with the Lord of Greed.
Even if the Count brought an army of a hundred thousand, there would be no problem. The heroes here were strong and had dozens of fleets. Above all, they had RomanticBard, an asymmetric force.
“Wow...”
“If it were me, I would’ve confessed the location of the Secret Base already.”
“This is torture!”
The heroes looked at Jinwoo with eyes full of respect.
In front of RomanticBard were the hostages, trembling and screaming. Black blood was flowing from the Countess’s eyes and ears, and Kumel kept banging his head against the floor.
It was because RomanticBard was singing while playing an instrument he brought from the lord’s mansion.
Fortunately, the hellish song didn’t reach the heroes. Sacred artifacts had been laid on the ground, infused with the Light of Miracle, blocking the song from leaking out. This level of applied technique was close to an advanced sacred technique, but it was fine to show this much.
“Wow! This new song is killer!”
“This is what a bard should be!”
“Hehehe!”
“Sing one more!”
The heroes’ reactions were identical to those of the Comfortable Expedition Team.
The Light of Miracle only blocked RomanticBard’s song, so he could still hear the enthusiastic cheers of the heroes.
‘S-stop!’
‘Please....’
Though the heroes’ words were incomprehensible to them, the hostages read the mood and shook their heads violently, struggling.
-The truly scary thing is, it works on heroes too.
-Ah, that’s true.
-We better watch out for RomanticBard...
-What if he’s actually stronger than NorthernGrandDuke?
As RomanticBard’s expression relaxed, Jinwoo ended his performance. The hostages shed tears in gratitude. Naturally, it wasn’t stopped for their sake.
“Let’s send one first and see how they react.”
Jinwoo pointed to one of the administrators.
Then HandGenius grinned and made preparations before freeing the man’s legs.
The hostage was the treasure of the Comfortable Expedition Team, and since Jinwoo discovered him, all rights belonged to Jinwoo as the expedition leader. The heroes from other teams merely watched with interest.
“U-ugh?”
The man hesitated and took a step back, glancing around nervously. Only his legs were free, so all he could do was try to escape.
“Go.”
When Jinwoo pointed in the direction of the Count, the man began running toward him. He was running desperately with every ounce of strength he had.
Jinwoo and the heroes looked toward the Count’s side with wicked smiles.
It would be quite entertaining.
* * *
Jayron du Balac.
He belonged to the Eastern Noble Union and, after the Great Explosion, rose to become the core of the Eastern Noble Union. Due to the explosion creating a desert, he became the sole administrator of the “Hole of God”, which had previously been managed by several nobles.
At first, he believed this too was the will of God.
Normally, in times like this, God would send down a revelation to mediate, but there was no response at all.
‘How could God still not respond?’
Because God had not answered, he had not even received the land he had purchased for a massive amount of gold not long ago.
When his son died right before his eyes, his head exploding, he immediately left the negotiation table and declared war.
The dead son had not resurrected near the 'Hole of God'.
‘My son...’
The dead son had not resurrected near the Hole of God. He had probably either been revived as a slave in another hole of the Empire, or become one of God’s soldiers.
There had been wars from time to time, but this was the first war where God did not intervene.
‘Something must have happened.’
Now even the memories were fading.
This place was paradise, reached by betraying the Empire and offering the entire domain to God.
Over ten million citizens and many Imperial people had been devoured in terrible agony, but this paradise was worth the sacrifice.
The Count had been promised endless happy times with his family by God.
“A-an invader has entered Balan!”
“That’s impossible! Didn’t we sign the Contract of God?”
Contracts signed in God’s name were absolute. Even if it was an unknown invader, it was believed they could not defy God. Occasionally, beings from the outside would cross over like that invader, but God had always revealed His authority and destroyed them. The Count assumed this invader was the same kind.
Even though God wasn’t answering now, the contract bearing His name should still wield absolute power. Besides, he had entrusted the city to Kumel, so he thought there would be no problem.
The Count, who had been leading a large force, turned back upon hearing the unbelievable news.
“A-ah....”
There were several cities within the Count’s domain, but this was the most precious one. It was the city where he and his family lived in happiness.
“M-my city! Aaaargh!”
That very city was in flames.
The beautiful buildings had all collapsed, and the temple was destroyed beyond recognition. The mansion where he had lived happily with his family for over a hundred years was engulfed in flames, pouring out thick smoke.
The Count couldn’t accept reality.
How could anyone commit such a cruel act!
“T-there! It’s t-them!”
The Count spotted dozens of fleets above the desert. Contrary to Kumel’s casual report, seeing them in person was overwhelming.
The invaders were laughing and chatting as they carried away treasures looted from the city. The Count ordered a charge, but the bombardment from the fleets wiped out all his forces.
Thud!
The Count fell to his knees and looked up at the sky.
“O God! Please punish those invaders!”
The Count called out to God, but there was no answer.
He glared at the invaders. They were laughing proudly, holding up the stolen goods. Among them were treasures he had cherished deeply.
“Gasp!”
The Count saw someone emerging from a sack on the gunwale. He hurriedly snatched a telescope from a nearby knight and looked through it.
“Ma-Mary!!”
His wife Mary, whom he loved more than any treasure, was tied up in restraints. She was trembling and crying uncontrollably. Seeing her suffering from strange torture made his heart feel as though it were being torn apart.
The Count was overwhelmed with extreme fury.
“O God! Please! At least save my wife!”
He begged and begged again, but God still gave no reply.
“One of them was released! It’s Sebas, who was in charge of managing the mansion!”
Sebas was running toward the Count with all his might.
Were they sending a message?
Upon reaching the Count, Sebas collapsed to his knees. He seemed overjoyed to have escaped the invaders, sobbing tears of relief.
When the Count looked at the captain of the knights, the knight approached Sebas and removed what was blocking his mouth.
“Kh-khuh! M-my Lord!”
“What did they say?”
“Huh?”
The Count glared at Sebas. Under the Count’s rage-filled gaze, Sebas trembled.
“Th-they didn’t say anything. Uh… we couldn’t communicate to begin with...”
The knight captain began untying the restraints that were wrapped around Sebas.
There was something attached to Sebas’s chest. It was firmly secured, with a red light blinking. It looked like a square box, with three wires coming out of it. One red, one blue, and one black.
The mage standing beside the Count examined the device.
“I can’t say for certain, but it appears to be some sort of disarming mechanism where you cut the right wire. If we disarm it, something might happen.”
“They’re doing strange things. Try disarming it.”
At the mage’s report, the Count frowned deeply. The knight captain stepped up himself.
“My Lord, which wire should I cut?”
“Hmm, cut the black one.”
The knight captain drew a dagger and cut the black wire.
At that moment.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
An ominous sound rang out.
At the sound, everyone around turned to look at Sebas.
Beep-beep-beep-beep-beep!
The ominous beeping started accelerating.
“W-what is this? Something’s wrong! P-please take this off me!”
“L-let him go!”
“Quick, get it off...”
Sebas, sensing danger, grabbed onto the knight captain’s leg. The knight captain tried to push him off, but it was already too late.
Beeeeep-!
A long warning tone sounded, then stopped.
Sebas raised his head and looked at the knight captain, still holding onto his leg. It was in that moment their eyes met.
KWA-BOOOOM!
Sebas exploded in a massive burst of flames right on the spot.
The knight captain, caught in the explosion, was hurled into the air and then slammed down onto the ground.
Thud!
The knight captain’s condition was horrific.
His lower half was completely gone, and even his remaining upper body was engulfed in flames.
Ssssssshh!
His scorched armor burned his flesh, emitting smoke.
“Ku-kwaugh! Kugh! GAAAAAH!”
The knight captain writhed in agony and then died just like that.
What had just happened?
The Count couldn’t comprehend it. He just stared blankly at the knight captain, turning to ash before his eyes.
WOOOOOOO!!
The invaders let out a thunderous cheer, jolting the Count back to reality. The invaders were overjoyed by the explosion.
The Count hurriedly raised the telescope to zoom in on his wife. She also had the same device Sebas had been wearing, attached to her body.
“Demons...”
Those invaders were surely the incarnation of evil.
The Count called to God once more, but still, there was no answer. It felt as though God was dead.
“Prepare… the negotiations.”
At the Count’s order, his retainers hurriedly assembled a delegation.
Surely, they hadn’t kidnapped her just to kill her.
If they intended to kill her, they would’ve done it already.
‘My beloved Mary! No matter the cost, I will save you. Just endure a little longer!’
The Count thought this as he desperately suppressed his anxiety.
* * *
The heroes watched the guy who had run to the Count with bated breath. When he finally exploded just as they had hoped, they burst into cheers and joy.
“Whoa!”
“HandGenius-nim’s bomb is truly a masterpiece.”
“I want to try it too.”
“Ooh, should we make it an event?”
The heroes were having fun, but the hostages were seized with overwhelming terror. They, too, had those bombs attached to their bodies. The hostages all trembled, barely even breathing, and the Countess and Kumel had even wet themselves.
“HandGenius-nim, what was the correct wire color?”
“The correct one was a fourth wire hidden underneath the box. If you look closely, there’s a hint, but unfortunately, they cut it too hastily.”
Ah-ha!
HandGenius answered the hero’s question as if it were no big deal.
From the Count’s side, knights and a magician were approaching.
“Shall we load them into a cannon and fire them?”
“Whoa! Hostage bombs!”
“Or maybe...”
Until they arrived, the heroes tossed around various ideas.
When the mage heard what they were saying through the translation spell, he was appalled.
Jinwoo applied a light filter so the magician couldn’t understand, making sure they couldn’t identify the heroes' true identities.
“H-hear this, invaders! C-Count Jayron du Balac, the rightful administrator of the Sanctuary, wishes to negotiate!”
The knight’s voice trembled violently as he spoke.
“Tell him to come here himself. Also better come well-prepared.”
Upon hearing Jinwoo’s words, the knight and the mage fled back toward the Count as if running for their lives. Haebyul, after a moment of thought, approached Jinwoo and spoke up.
“Comfortable-nim. We're negotiating here, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then I think we should prepare something a bit more convincing. How about we take this opportunity to occupy this place?”
Haebyul pulled out the Occupation Monument from her inventory and showed it to Jinwoo.
The Occupation Monument could only be obtained by offering a huge amount of invasion Contribution Points to the Grand Temple. Haebyul and UruBear had spent everything they had earned in the expedition team to purchase the monument. On top of that, they had even upgraded their ship, so they were practically broke.
“Ooh!”
“So that’s the Occupation Monument.”
The heroes murmured in awe.
“That’s a great idea.”
Jinwoo nodded.
If a base were established here, it would certainly be convenient in many ways.
Thunk!
Haebyul embedded the Occupation Monument near the underground labyrinth, and golden waves surged as a Territory was established. A golden line appeared at the boundary of the Territory, indicating its size.
[A Hero’s Territory has been established! The Comfortable Expedition Team is now affiliated with the Territory.]
*You may install Territory-exclusive facilities using invasion Contribution Points, plundered treasure, or paid currency.
It was still a small Territory.
Jinwoo paused to think, then looked at the heroes of the Comfortable Expedition Team.
“How about we invest everything we just looted? I’ll put in my entire share.”
“Please add mine too.”
“Since we’re doing this, let’s just throw it all in!”
All of the Comfortable Expedition Team members agreed. Once they poured in all the loot, the Territory expanded and instantly took control of the surrounding area.
[A Domain has been born!]
*You may now designate a Lord (Junior Baron). Priority is given to the hero who used the Occupation Monument.
*The Lord can assign positions to heroes affiliated with the Domain. The higher the Lord’s rank, the more heroes can be recruited into the Domain.
*Voting rights for policies are granted according to the ratio of invasion Contribution Points and treasure offered.
*The Lord can use invasion points, plundered treasure, and paid currency to borrow the authority of the Goddess Ella and shape the Domain’s environment or construct buildings.
*The national laws of the Kingdom of Sillion apply to the Domain.
*The Flower of Heroes will bloom in the Domain. The Lord may open the Flower of Heroes to other heroes.
Haebyul shared the information window with all the heroes. No one could take their eyes off the newly revealed information about the Domain.
Now it was time to decide on a Lord.
“Haebyul-nim or UruBear-nim should be the Lord.”
“Oh! Comfortable-nim, are you really okay with that?”
Jinwoo nodded.
It was no exaggeration to say that Haebyul and UruBear had invested everything into this expedition team. The other heroes also agreed with Jinwoo’s opinion.
“Haebyul, you do it. Just make me the Knight Captain.”
When UruBear said that to Haebyul, the heroes’ eyes sparkled.
“Oh! Then I’ll be the Head Butler!”
“I’ll take the position of Strategist!”
“I’ll be the Finance Minister!”
The heroes began shouting out the positions they wanted. The heroes from other expedition teams looked on enviously. Especially the eyes of other expedition leaders were burning with desire.
RomanticBard gracefully walked out and stood before Haebyul.
“I shall become your personal bard, my Lord.”
Ah.
A silence fell.
“F-f-fine.”
Haebyul shut her eyes tightly and accepted RomanticBard.
[Congratulations! Haebyul-nim has become a Junior Baron! The first noble hero of the Kingdom of Sillion has been born!]
[Please name your Domain!]
“Romance!”
When Haebyul shouted that, the name of the Domain was set as “Romance”. From now on, this would be the first taste of romance that heroes crossing the desert would encounter.
“I’ll offer all of my Invasion Points too. Please construct buildings.”
Jinwoo invested all his Invasion Points into the Domain. Haebyul looked at Jinwoo with eyes full of emotion and nodded.
"I'm breaking my savings account today!"
Haebyul declared.
Now was the time to pour in the Platinum Coins!
-Get donations!
-Wow! I can't resist this romance!
-Let’s build a city!
-Please add an oasis too!
Donations from viewers poured in, and Jinwoo also gave a hefty donation. Haebyul accessed the shop through the Domain management window. She built an oasis in the center of the Domain and placed buildings that matched the desert landscape.
At the desert’s edge, she built a port.
Even without paying real money, everything could be purchased with Invasion Points or plundered goods, but Haebyul couldn’t resist.
Praise the Creator God!
She could only be thankful to FS Games for making real-money spending possible.
Jinwoo looked around the gradually developing Domain.
‘It works well.’
The buildings and environments copied from the Soul Gate were placed smoothly into the Domain through the Magic Tower’s system. FS Games had even designed the UI clearly, making it easy to adapt.
“This is real content!”
“Seeing it in person makes my heart race.”
“So romantic.”
The Empire of Evil was extremely vast.
There was so much land to seize. Ambition began to rise in the hearts of the heroes.
[Junior Baron Haebyul has opened the Domain to all heroes. You may enter and exit freely, but be aware that the national laws of the Kingdom of Sillion apply.]
The Flower of Heroes was also freely available to everyone. To use the Flower of Heroes, registration was required, meaning all would have to personally cross the desert at least once. The hostages were shocked by the sudden developments, with some even fainting on the spot.
The negotiation site was set up in front of the oasis. A canopy was raised to block the sun, and chairs were arranged. Jinwoo, the expedition leaders, and Haebyul sat in the chairs, while the rest of the heroes settled around the oasis.
“Wow! Guys, there are fish in the oasis!”
“Ooh! Should we try fishing?”
“It’s so cool and refreshing!”
“Wow! Try drinking the oasis water! It tastes like soda!”
“Damn! This hits the spot!”
Quite a few heroes changed into swimsuits and jumped into the oasis.
Time passed in a laid-back atmosphere.
Finally, the Count and his knights arrived, their faces stiff with tension.
The Count spotted the captured hostages.
"Hehe."
“Lick!”
The hostages were lined up next to the canopy, and members of the Comfortable Expedition Team were either licking their swords in front of them or placing axes against their necks.
“What is it that you want?”
The Count, stepping into the canopy, asked.
The mage interpreted beside him so everyone could understand.
Slick-
Jinwoo leaned back comfortably in his chair and gestured toward the hostages. A waiting hero placed a dagger at the Countess’s throat.
“Mm-mmmph! Mmmph!”
As the dagger pierced her thick layer of fat, the Countess let out a pained scream.
“S-stop! Tell me what you want!”
The Count shouted desperately.
Jinwoo looked at him and smirked.
“You first.”
Hero-style hostage negotiation had begun!
*****
For 15 or more extra chapters, you can check out my Patreon here --> patreon.com/dreamscribe
If you enjoy this novel, please review and rate it at Novelupdates. Thanks! 😊
To receive the latest update notifications or report mistakes, join our Discord server linked below.