Opportunity in the Game Becomes Reality Chapter 272
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Opportunity in the Game Becomes Reality Chapter 272
59. New Rules (2)
"Does that mean the goddess prepared everything for me?"
I've had a question on my mind lately.
It's that, in this changing world, I seem to be gaining more benefit than Grand Duke Lucas, who joined hands with the goddess.
This is something that would be impossible without the goddess's tacit approval.
After all, if an irregular like me with great power were to cause trouble by opposing the goddess, it would inevitably be a nuisance to her.
Because I helped Grand Duke Lucas, who is my reincarnation, and contributed to the integration of the two worlds, the goddess entrusted me with the task of peacekeeper and officially acknowledged my possession of the god race's power in return.
On top of that, she even promised a future meeting with the words, 'We will meet again later.'
But if all of this was a plan within a single flow, how should I accept the current situation?
Even a great man of Rondel like Grand Duke Lucas was merely a means, and the birth of such a great man was all for my sake?
'Why?'
Naturally, questions are bound to arise.
Why the goddess is going this far, and what she wants from me.
"Of course, the goddess did not explain everything in detail with her own mouth. But after analyzing everything that has happened so far, I had no choice but to reach that conclusion. In the end, I was merely a long-term pawn, and the reason someone like me was needed was all for Adrian-nim."
"So that's why you suddenly speak formally and show me respect?"
Like it or not, I am someone who was saved by his Opportunity.
Because of that, I always lowered myself before Lord Exceed, the reincarnation of Grand Duke Lucas.
And he, too, took my behavior for granted.
"It can only be so."
"Hmm..."
But if his conjecture is correct, it might be natural for him to speak to me formally.
It meant that I am someone especially cherished by the goddess.
"If Lord Exceed's words are true, what would the reason be?"
"We can roughly consider three possibilities."
The possibilities he mentioned were as follows.
"The first is the possibility that it was a setup to adopt Adrian-nim as a coordinator for the balance of the two worlds."
"The second is the possibility that the goddess intends to make Adrian-nim her heir or a new god to replace Kaeos (the god of Earth)."
"The third is the possibility that Adrian-nim is Kaeos himself, or a descendant."
The first would mean that my current role was planned from the beginning.
But for something like this, I wonder if it really had to be me.
She could simply take one obedient Heavenly King and assign the task.
Compared to the effort invested, the reason seems weak.
The second and third were items whose reasons for such effort I could fully understand, but they inevitably felt unrealistic.
"Personally, I consider the third possibility most likely."
"What is the reason?"
"Because, circumstantially, it seems most plausible that it would be her own child or descendant rather than pulling in an unknown being from another world."
She summoned Grand Duke Lucas from Earth to Rondel, left an arrangement called Opportunity, and even summoned me from Earth to Rondel to resolve that Opportunity.
Therefore, the third reason could only seem more fitting than the second.
Actually, I think so too...
If she were trying to find someone to make her heir, wouldn't it be easier to search in Rondel rather than Earth, which has many restrictions?
"The possibility that I am the god Kaeos himself, or a descendant..."
If I am the reincarnation of the god Kaeos, who is said to have died...
That would mean the goddess Sepia is my Mother.
In other words, I would have three Mothers.
I shook my head vigorously.
"Of course, it is all speculation. I cannot be certain. Only the goddess would know the truth."
"That's right."
If the conjecture is correct, the scale becomes far too large.
The situation becomes complicated as well.
I am simply satisfied with the present.
I did not want to get unnecessarily involved in the affairs of gods.
Even if it turns out that I am Kaeos himself or a descendant, I don't think it would hit me that hard.
Because the current me is merely Adrian El Lawrence.
"This is a headache."
"I imagine the goddess will reveal the truth someday. This is only my conjecture, so please take it merely as reference."
I was already planning to do so anyway.
There were many things to question him about, but his unexpected remark rendered it all meaningless.
I let out a sigh, scratched my head, and asked Lord Exceed.
"If that conjecture is correct, what do you think the goddess would want from me?"
A return as the creator?
Or a warm life as family?
Just as I couldn't find my bearings, he shook his head, saying he couldn't predict it either.
"I am not sure about that. But I don't think you need to worry too much."
"Why?"
"Because I get the feeling that the goddess cherishes Adrian-nim."
I hope so.
Having nothing more to say, I rose from the seat he had prepared for me.
And after saying a word to Lord Exceed and the Heavenly King who had been reborn as his lover, I left the underworld.
"There were many incidents, but you have finally reunited after such hardship, so be happy."
"Haha, thank you."
* * *
[Adrian El Lawrence, Chairman of the Rondel Peace Organization. Proposal for a grand summit of all national leaders of the 21 nations of Rondel and the 162 nations of Earth.]
[Stating that the two worlds, which will live together from now on, need to understand each other for the sake of their future, information from both sides is to be shared between Rondel and Earth. Information about Rondel can now be easily searched on the internet.]
[Chairman Lawrence: The conference is scheduled to take place one week from now. The first morning session will be held in South Korea on Earth, and the second afternoon session will be held in the Duchy of Lawrence in Rondel. I hope that the leaders of each nation will participate actively. Nations that do not participate are highly likely to face disadvantages later.]
Rather than clutching my head over the shocking story I had heard from Lord Exceed, I spent my time doing my work.
Nothing will change either way.
After all, wasn't the favor the goddess asked of me the peace of the two worlds?
So I simply continue with my daily life.
"As expected, the reaction is extremely heated."
Rondel and Earth were abuzz day after day on broadcast programs and in the press over the proposal I had made.
Some reacted with anger at the one-sidedly fixed meeting date and the threatening remark, 'Nations that do not participate will face disadvantages later,' but others coolly supported the 'grand summit,' calling it a good proposal.
"Even if it's noisy, there's no helping it. If we don't arrange a seat this semi-coercively, it would take ages for everyone to gather in the same place."
"That is true."
I conversed with Count Elfried, representative of the Bringham Empire and advisor to the Rondel Peace Organization who had visited Earth, while looking down over the city of Seoul from above.
"Rondel is eyeing Earth's lands, and Earth is voicing concerns about Rondel's military power and the strength of the single church, but I believe the real problem lies elsewhere."
Count Elfried said that while gazing with interest at the dynamic figures of Seoul's citizens.
The problem she was worried about, besides territory, military power, and religion.
I could easily guess what it was.
"You mean Earth's political system, where the feudal system has fallen?"
"Correct. For now, the nations of Rondel feel superior, so they won't pay any mind to Earth's political system."
"But once peace takes hold and exchanges between the two worlds increase, you think the situation could change."
"Naturally. Until now, the perception in Rondel has been strong that a republic is an inefficient political system, but Earth is the exact opposite. Then there will inevitably be people who raise questions."
Even so, it won't be easy.
Unlike Earth, what Rondel's power holders held was not money alone.
However, one cannot rule a nation through coercion alone.
If time flows on and on, like clothes getting soaked by drizzle, who knows how things might turn out.
"What does His Majesty the Emperor think of my proposal?"
"He judges it to be not bad, but..."
"It seems he has many complaints."
"That is correct. He strongly desires expansion into Earth."
The expansion into Earth that the Bringham Empire desires will never be peaceful.
For their military power was more than double that of the Rainhatz Empire, to which the Duchy of Lawrence belongs.
Even so, they are holding back from invasion.
The reason is that they understand me better than anyone.
On the other hand, nations whose analysis of me lags behind are still fervently pushing for expansion into Earth.
"Surely you are not thinking of turning a blind eye to the expansion of weak nations while blocking only that of powerful nations?"
It would be more accurate to regard this question as not hers, but the Bringham Emperor's.
"That is not the case. Because I intend to recover all the land they have acquired."
"That is a relief. However, complaints that you are only favoring Earth's convenience continue to flow out among the nations of Rondel. Please keep that in mind."
That would certainly be so.
I nodded, saying I was aware.
Count Elfried smiled at my reaction and then changed the subject.
"Those ones?"
Soon her gaze turned toward a hunting ground not far from the bustling district.
There, a party of nine was hunting a Minotaur.
It was an experimental party belonging to the soldiers I had rescued from an ogre hunting ground not long ago.
Having grown with my full support, they had reached a level where they could contend with Minotaurs in a short time.
"Yes, they are growing very quickly."
By using magic stones obtained from hunting grounds on Earth, one can strengthen not only Gifts, but also Aura and magic.
For that reason, it was only natural that she showed interest.
"The hunting ground issue will probably become one of the main agenda items at the summit."
Hunting grounds have still only been discovered on Earth.
That is also why the nations of Rondel desire the lands of Earth even more.
Naturally, the nations belonging to Earth would want to protect the hunting grounds, and the nations of Rondel would want to secure them.
It was a rather troublesome problem that the goddess had pushed onto me to mediate.
"May I ask to what level their abilities have developed?"
"For now, the Gift users were originally at the 3rd-circle level. But in only five days, they grew to the 5th-circle level."
"What?"
The difference between 3rd-circle and 5th-circle is two stages, but the difference in combat power is more than tenfold.
So it was only natural for Count Elfried to be surprised.
Her eyes, as she looked at that party, then grew cold.
She had judged that the existence of the hunting ground could become a threat to Rondel.
"But that is all."
"If that is all, you mean?"
"Until now, they could easily power up with magic stones provided by others, but no longer. There is a limit to growing through external support. From now on, they must grow by hunting directly and obtaining magic stones themselves."
Naturally, with that method, the speed of growth was bound to drop sharply.
It seemed the goddess had considered balance in her own way.
"The strongest monster that party can currently hunt is an ogre. But even if they kill an ogre and absorb one magic stone, there is no significant change. It has been concluded that for them to reach the 6th-circle level, they would need to obtain and absorb about 1,500 magic stones on their own. It will take well over a year."
"I see."
Even so, they could grow faster than Mages or Knights continuing ordinary training, but that speed was not as dramatic as the growth I had achieved through the game.
"How do Mages and Knights grow when they absorb magic stones? Does their realm improve? Or is it only the power of their magic or Aura that improves?"
"Their realm improves."
"That means it is possible to become an Aura Master or a Grand Mage through hunting alone?"
"That is correct. Of course, since they must continue life-threatening battles, it will not be easy."
Still, it would be better than becoming a Grand Mage through the existing method.
The fact that one could grow through hunting meant that, at least, it did not depend on talent.
"Huu, this is not even a game."
At the sight of Count Elfried shaking his head as if lamenting, I shrugged, agreeing.
The appearance of hunting grounds was no different from meaning a complete change of era.