"You, indeed! You are the talent I have, truly, been waiting for!"
With a clap, the hand grabbed him.
The king's eyes were staring at him, teary-eyed, to the point where it almost felt like they were burning. It made him incredibly uncomfortable.
"........"
Kim Jangcheol hesitated for a brief moment, about 0.3 seconds.
This steamed bun, no, the king, should he immediately shake off the hand and deliver a solid punch to his face?
But he held back.
The man looked kind, after all.
He decided to listen a little more to what the king had to say.
"....I am truly grateful for your grace."
He recited the polite speech he had learned from the chamberlain earlier.
Thanks to that, the king's face, which had been as white as a steamed bun, turned as red as a kimchi dumpling with a blossoming smile.
"Ha ha ha, wonderful. Very good."
The king's gaze toward Kim Jangcheol became even more filled with satisfaction.
In truth, it could not have been otherwise.
The king had been in a very anxious state lately.
'The expedition has been out for months with no news...'
The king thought about the expedition he had sent to the abandoned land with great ambition. It had been an expedition he had sent with serious intent. Its scale had been the largest in history.
Thus, he had high expectations.
What kind of results would the expedition bring back? What kind of thorough exploration would they have undertaken? And what kind of hope would they return with?
'But...'
There had been no results.
A report on the exploration?
None.
Interim contact?
None.
Nothing at all!
The expedition seemed to have completely disappeared! Or perhaps, they were missing or had been annihilated!
"......."
The king's gaze became a bit melancholic as he thought about the expedition that had been out of contact for several months.
And he muttered to himself.
Ungrateful fools. Perhaps they discovered a golden land in the abandoned territory and settled there. That must be it. That must be the case. Oh, my stomach...
Lately, he had been deeply troubled, pondering whether to send another expedition. Yet, there was no suitable talent to send to the abandoned land.
'Reivaj? If I send someone I've already sent, it would provoke not only the Asrahan family but the entire noble assembly. And there's no one else willing to take on this task. It's been very troublesome...'
And then, right in front of him!
An extraordinary individual, a true expert of the abandoned land, appeared! He even brought back the huge corn and kidney beans from the abandoned land that no one had ever seen before!
... Gulp.
This was an opportunity.
No, this was fate.
Perhaps, the prayer he had been desperately sending up had finally reached the heavens. Maybe the connection he had longed for was sent by the gods themselves.
" ... Hmm, hmm!"
The king struggled to suppress his rising joy. Then he posed a question to confirm his thoughts.
"Then, I must ask one more thing."
"Yes? Oh, please, ask...!"
"Right. You said you brought the enormous corn, kidney beans, and potatoes from the abandoned land. But as I understand it, to get from human lands to the abandoned land, one must always pass through a certain passage. That passage is blocked by the Magrat Fortress."
"Yes, that's correct."
"Then I am curious. The Magrat Fortress is known for its strict surveillance and management, so anyone who doesn't have my permission cannot pass through. How did you manage to pass through the Magrat Fortress and travel to the abandoned land?"
He was curious.
He was also eager.
He felt that this question could verify the abilities and authenticity of this person.
So, he asked and waited.
And then Kim Jangcheol answered.
With a face as tough as a titanium triple-layered embossed steel plate, wearing a smile that made it impossible to read his mind.
"Trade secret?"
He boldly declared.
The king was silent.
"......"
Then, one, two, three.
".....Huh?"
After three seconds of silence, the king's mouth overflowed with an exclamation. His eyes, as they gazed at Kim Jangcheol, seemed filled with the warmth of first love.
The king thought.
'This person, they're the best...'
Thump!
A feeling of his heart sinking in a good way. No, it felt like he had fallen in love at first sight.
'A trade secret... I never expected such an answer... How confident must he be in his own abilities to answer that way in front of me, the king?'
It was truly astonishing.
In a way, it was almost mystical.
'This person is the real deal. This is the one. This is the talent I've been desperately waiting for...!'
The king was convinced.
This person could become his right hand. He absolutely needed to hold onto them. If he let them go, he would regret it for the rest of his life.
At the same moment.
Kim Jangcheol thought.
The king could become his fool. He absolutely needed to hold onto him. If he let him go, he might regret it quite a bit. Watching the results of his bloodshot eyes skill before him, he smiled inwardly.
Ding-dong!
A crisp sound rang out.
As he answered the king's question, he hadn't blinked once in 190 seconds. Thanks to that, he could see right through the king's inner thoughts.
[Bloodshot Eyes (Lv.2) skill is activated.]
[Target: King Palinos]
[You can now discern the current state of King Palinos and the elements that will change over the next 7 hours.]
It started then.
He could now see why the king was so eagerly seeking him. He could also understand why the king was so interested in the abandoned land.
He could see right into his thoughts.
[The King, Palinos, wants to appoint you as the leader of the exploration and development of the abandoned land. He is genuinely happy to have finally found the talent he had been desperately searching for.]
[He is a devout believer of the religion of perfection. Thus, he believes that the world, created by a perfect god, is also perfect, and that even the most barren land can exhibit its hidden potential if humans put in the effort. Furthermore, he believes that such constant effort to cultivate is the path to practicing the divine principle of perfection.]
[King Palinos is eager to prove this doctrine of perfection through his actions and hopes that the exploration, development, and cultivation of the abandoned land will become the most significant proof of his teachings, marking his name in the history of the order.]
[However, King Palinos has been unable to find a competent person to carry out his plans, and now, in front of him, he has found you. He is determined not to let you slip away.]
"......"
Hmm.
A religious developer, huh?
As he read through the rest of the messages, Kim Jangcheol thought it was a pretty interesting combination.
[Over the next 7 hours, King Palinos will experience three bouts of hunger and have five meals. During his fifth meal, he will find himself deep in thought over what dish will perfectly finish off his dessert... ]
"....."
He skipped the unnecessary details.
Kim Jangcheol organized the thoughts about the king's intentions that he had deduced earlier.
Why the king wanted him.
What the king planned to do through him.
He could understand most of it.
Thanks to that.
He calculated.
The things the king wanted.
The things he could gain.
The things he could use.
Various possibilities and probabilities.
Situations and benefits that could arise.
Thanks to that, the conclusion was clear.
'So this, the king, the leader of the country, wants to invest in me, right? That means... this is a chance to snatch up some blind national money... no, a chance to gobble it up for free?'
It suddenly came to mind.
A scene he had often seen during his graduate school days.
The professors who skillfully gobbled up research funds, then smiled kindly!
"......"
Those guys, this must have been the feeling.
Kim Jangcheol swallowed a bitter smile and made up his mind. He wouldn't reject the blind money rolling toward him. There was no reason to refuse. The more he rolled this, the more he could grow it.
He reached his conclusion and opened his mouth.
Then, he struck first.
"I must say, with all due respect, I actually hold a certain religious belief."
"... What? Religious belief?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
With his face full of confidence!
His lips and tongue swirled the words smoothly, using big data that he had seen with a bloodshot gaze to present a tightly packed set of lies.
"This world was created by a perfect god, a place of perfection. However, I believe that because humans are insufficient, we are unable to fully bring out the perfection of this world."
"...... Oh, oh?"
"Therefore, I pray every moment as I head toward the abandoned land, risking my life. I hope that our sacrifice, my exploration, may be a small step in spreading the will of the god in this world."
"... Huh, huh?!"
The king's eyes welled up.
Had his tastes been perfectly targeted?
Perhaps he was moved.
It seemed likely.
Kim Jangcheol, gaining confidence, pushed his words even further.
"That is why I do not see this moment, where Your Majesty has summoned me, as a coincidence. This is the will of heaven. It is the will for the complete exploration and development of the abandoned land."
"... Kheh, kheh! Yes, that's it."
"Therefore, I feel truly immense grace and a sense of duty for being summoned by Your Majesty in this way."
"Yes, I feel the same. I am so grateful that you have come to me. This, too, must be the will of the god."
"Yes, Your Majesty. However, I also feel a deep sense of regret."
"... Hmm? Regret, you say?"
"My heart is already racing toward the abandoned land, following Your Majesty's will. I dream of developing the land that people call barren into fertile soil. However... to make this dream a reality, there are truly enormous practical problems that are holding me back and dragging me into the swamp of despair."
"Practical problems? What is that?"
"Money."
"... What?"
"I wish to immediately head to the abandoned land, fulfilling the will of the god and Your Majesty's desire. However... I have no money."
"...."
"I wish to immediately draw out all the places of the abandoned land on the map, fulfilling the will of the god and Your Majesty's wish. However... to do that... I have no money!"
"......."
"Therefore, I am despairing. I am trembling with powerlessness. Money, money, money! Because of that money! The reality that I cannot fulfill the will of the god and Your Majesty's wishes... it tears at my heart, I am in so much pain!"
Kim Jangcheol's cry, half genuine, half feigned, was perfectly blended.
His cry reached the king's eardrums. It knocked on his heart. Finally, a reaction was drawn out.
"What do you mean by that?!"
The king, who had been listening to Kim Jangcheol's plea, shouted out.
Then, with a firm gaze, he shouted.
"To think that you can't do something so important because you have no money! What nonsense is this! How dare you speak such words in front of me!"
"Huh, huh...! But realistically..."
"Enough! Do not embarrass me further!"
"Huh, huh...!"
"Tell me, how much do you need!"
"M-Much is needed..."
"I have a lot of money!"
"Still, I need a lot...!"
"Do not worry about that. Speak quickly. How much is needed?"
"That... that is..."
"Yes, how much?"
"First... Your Majesty must show your true devotion to the god..."
" ... What?"
The king flinched.
At that moment, Kim Jangcheol tightened his eyelids. A single tear, pushed out by the pressure of his eyelids, rolled down his cheek.
"I truly, deeply, earnestly, desperately, clearly, unconditionally, fervently, truthfully, firmly, forever, reverently, without doubt, with unwavering faith, admire and hope for Your Majesty's steadfast devotion... I believe it with my very life...."
"........"
... Deeply moved!
A straight punch of emotion hit him!
The king almost instinctively clutched his chest.
And he felt it.
He wanted to respond to this person's sincerity.
He wanted to prove his own devotion.
At that very moment, Kim Jangcheol secretly wore a smile of a con artist.
And he thought.
This time, he would really rake it in.
With that money, he would buy all the seeds he could ever need and head into the abandoned land, never to return again.