The Returnee's Hidden Strategy Stream

[Translator - Jjescus ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]

Chapter: 113

"You're finally here!"

"What are you doing?"

"Oof!"

Bolivo, who was sitting on a chair at the entrance of the worn-out hut at the northern end, was startled and fell to the ground when Hanbit tapped his shoulder.

Startled, he looked around and spotted Hanbit's face.

"Why are you just coming now?!" Bolivo stood up and shouted urgently.

It was a strange reaction.

"What's wrong?"

"The guild master came here! He looked me straight in the eye and asked, 'Aren't you the original owner of this place?'!"

"...Jinuk?"

Hanbit paused for a moment, taken aback by the sudden news.

It was a situation that had never happened before.

But it was natural for variables to arise.

After all, their current actions were a new challenge.

"How was the investigation?"

"He didn't say anything. He checked the dwarves inside and didn't say anything! What kind of punishment is he going to give us..."

From what he heard, Jinuk had quietly inspected the place.

He had simply left without any warnings or expressions of anger.

For Bolivo, who was trembling, it was a terrifying prospect.

'Was he too shocked?'

The strongest emotion Jinuk had felt during the monster wave was powerlessness. The existence of monsters that he couldn't stop.

Given his confident and self-assured nature, the shock must have hit him hard.

And knowing Jinuk, he would definitely try to improve himself, even if he was angry.

"Xenon, have you heard anything?"

"I heard that the guild master is investigating the forest around Ifrit. He's going northeast where the monsters appeared."

"Really?"

The information Xenon provided matched what Hanbit knew.

It was the order he had received from his sister, the mayor, to investigate the cause of the monster wave and the surrounding changes.

'I need to act quickly.'

There was a high possibility that other variables would arise from Jinuk's investigation.

Given the expected circumstances, it was best to prepare as soon as possible.

"Let's go inside. You come too."

"No, what about the guild master? Am I in trouble? If something happens... Ugh!"

Hanbit pushed Bolivo into the building.

A new space had been created underground.

"This is an unusual structure."

"The dwarves did it themselves. The lower part is used as a residence..."

Hanbit's words trailed off as he descended the stairs.

The space before him was completely different from the last time he saw it.

'They're really fast.'

The rough, unfinished look of the underground had completely disappeared.

Instead, it was now a beautifully decorated dwarven hall.

"You're here!"

Kudran appeared, a tool belt around his waist.

"Did you finish this already?"

"We all worked together to revive our old skills! I hope His Highness will like it!"

-Amazing;

-Are these really dwarves?

-They're so good at this...

-Without blessings?

-This is different from making equipment.

-They should become architects.

The dwarves who lived in the village had been doing odd jobs and manual labor for years.

They needed to get their hands dirty to work on repairs like the city walls.

"It's great. I'll bring the others too."

Hanbit sent a message to Kim Jaeha.

It was a short message asking him to come with Gorik.

"I need to talk to you for a moment. Where should we wait?"

"Oh, this way to the reception room!"

Kudran led the way with an excited voice.

Hanbit arrived at the second underground floor.

"How many floors are you going to build?"

"We've only constructed up to the second floor for now. Ideally, I'd like to recreate the entire old castle."

"...Wasn't it eight stories?"

"How did you know that?"

"I heard it from His Highness."

Upon hearing the grand construction plans, Hanbit and the others entered the reception room on the second underground floor.

Kim Jaeha and Gorik were expected to arrive in about 10 minutes.

"What a waste of effort,” Gorik, who was sitting across from him, muttered gruffly.

He was commenting on the familiar scenery of the underground.

Kim Jaeha, acting as a mediator, opened his mouth.

"You seem to like it."

"When did I say that?"

"You were muttering to yourself about how much you liked it."

"Hmph. They haven't perfectly captured our traditions. The angle of these pillars and the depth of these grooves..."

Gorik continued to point out the details, seemingly dissatisfied.

However, his reaction was a clear sign of approval.

If they had simply created a beautiful structure, Gorik would have left without a word.

'They seem to have gotten closer.'

Gorik, the stubborn craftsman, continued to point out flaws, while Kim Jaeha patiently listened.

They looked like a master and apprentice who had worked together for years.

"I apologize! We'll do our best to make it perfect!"

"We'll do our best!"

"..."

The dwarves apologized and expressed their determination.

But the prince didn't respond.

'It's too soon.'

Gorik, who had called out the names of the villagers in the devastated town, had a genuine heart.

Despite his sincere actions, the past was a dark chapter.

It would take time and effort to heal the emotional wounds.

"Isn't the dwarven prince supposed to be missing?"

Xenon, who had been quiet until now, suddenly asked a question.

The dwarven prince had disappeared from Ifrit.

He looked exactly like the face in his memory.

"Why is a human adventurer here?"

Gorik also expressed his discomfort.

For him, the people of Ifrit were still people to be wary of.

"I think I should explain everything at once."

Hanbit began to explain the situation in detail.

He revealed everything without hiding anything, from the dwarven heirloom to the monster wave.

"I never expected this."

When Hanbit finished, Xenon looked serious.

After a moment of thought, he turned to Hanbit.

"To summarize, you need the dwarven heirloom to protect Ifrit from future threats, right? And the reason you want to hunt the Snow Drake is also related to that?"

"Retrieving the heirloom is our top priority. You must have noticed that the monster wave was unusual, right?"

"...It didn't seem like a simple instinctual attack. The strange behavior of those undead-like trolls, and the fact that different types of monsters attacked at the same time, was unusual."

Xenon nodded, agreeing.

It was clear that the monsters hadn't attacked randomly.

'He's very observant.'

Xenon was one of the most perceptive adventurers in Ifrit.

Unlike the guild master, Jinuk, who was more focused on combat, Xenon was better at strategy and planning.

"I think the next wave will be even more dangerous. The protective barrier around the city won't be enough."

"The barrier... I see."

Xenon didn't need much explanation.

However, there was still a practical problem.

"I understand why you want to recover the dwarven heirloom. But I don't know how long it will take to find the Snow Drake."

"Haven't there been any sightings in over 200 years?"

"There was a sighting 200 years ago, but the reliability is questionable."

-200 years lol

-Maybe it doesn't exist in the first place?

-You won't know until you see it.

-Schrödinger's field boss;

-Gorik is sad.

As Xenon said, no one had seen the Snow Drake for a long time.

But that didn't mean it didn't exist.

It simply meant that it hadn't been seen by anyone.

"I saw it with my own eyes. I ran away to save my life, but I saw that white, gigantic creature clearly!" Gorik stood up and shouted.

"I'm sure it's there. If it was defeated, the snowy mountains would have changed. The important thing is to figure out how this recent monster outbreak..."

"Ah."

Ding-!

Kim Jaeha, who was sitting next to him, furrowed his brow.

He turned his head and showed a message to Hanbit.

「Division Manager Taeyul - Lee Hojung」

「Hey, you bastard. It's been a long time since the deadline. Why aren't you here yet?」

Checking the time, Hanbit realized that their meeting had already passed.

Of course, he didn't plan to rush.

"Don't worry about it, let's finish up here first."

"Alright."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Kim Jaeha nodded in agreement.

Hanbit turned his attention back to everyone.

"Anyway, our goal is to find the lord of the snowy mountains and recover the dwarven heirloom. I'll explain the details as we go."

"If you have a strategy or plan, why don't you bring more people? You'll have a much wider range of options."

Xenon immediately suggested a solution.

It was a reasonable suggestion, but bringing more NPCs now was a tricky choice.

"Since the guild master is investigating, many skilled adventurers must be out there, right?"

"Yes. But most of them will return by afternoon."

"Afternoon is too late. I'll take care of recruiting more people."

"You must have a party in mind. It's good to have more reliable people."

Xenon nodded in agreement.

It wasn't entirely wrong to consider Taeyul's party as reinforcements.

"Then, let's discuss what we need to prepare here. Your Highness, what do we need to defend the city?"

"Are we only dealing with monsters?"

"Just focus on the monsters. I'll handle the rest."

"Hmm."

Gorik stroked his chin in thought.

Then, with a displeased expression, he continued, "It's going to take a lot of work if we don't replace the damaged walls. We'll also need to make weapons and magic tools. The materials won't be easy to find."

"That's fine. Just write down the materials you need here."

Hanbit handed him a large sheet of parchment.

It was big enough to cover the entire table.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course."

"...Fine. I'll write everything down."

Nodding, Gorik picked up a quill and began to write.

After about 30 minutes, the parchment was filled with writing.

"This should be enough for now, depending on the situation."

Gorik put down the quill and nodded.

Thanks to Xenon's input, the list was more detailed than before.

Hanbit turned to Bolivo, who was gaping.

"Do you know what to do?"

"Are you really going to make me get all of this?"

"Yes, and I'll pay you for it. But if you're late, forget it."

"Hmph. As if I would."

Bolivo's attitude changed when he heard about the reward.

He took the parchment and stood up.

"Ah, Kudran, please help Bolivo and the other dwarves."

"Yes!"

Kudran nodded and left the reception room with Bolivo.

Hanbit also stood up.

"Let's go."

[Translator - Jjescus ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]