The Time-Stop Breeding Uncle Want’s to Retire

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The Human Kingdom had obtained a national treasure.

The news quickly spread to the other races.

Like the Human Kingdom’s treasure, other races also possessed weapons left by their ancestors to fight the demons. Though now, they were all lost.

Surprisingly, until now, the other races hadn’t tried to recover these artifacts.

The reason was simple, the cost was too high.

The balance of power between the races was, unexpectedly, not that different.

This, of course, excluded the Dragons and Vampires.

In any case, wasting resources searching for artifacts whose existence was uncertain would inevitably lead to repercussions.

That’s why they were hesitant to search for the artifacts.

They didn’t want to waste their strength needlessly. But then, the Human Kingdom, considered the weakest, suddenly found their national treasure.

[The Human Kingdom has claimed new territory.]

[And they’ve obtained a national treasure too?]

[This is dangerous. The balance of power is shifting.]

This posed a threat to the other races.

Immediately after the Royal Knights’ collapse, the Human Kingdom had seen the most significant development among the allied races.

Putting aside everything else, they had recommended Hans, an exceptional talent, to the collapsed Royal Knights, and their subsequent support of the Royal Knights was a contribution beyond imagination.

Furthermore, they used their connections to establish relationships with the Dwarf Kingdom and the 12 Tribes, initiating various projects.

Recently, they had even extended their reach to the Orcs and Elves, with whom they had previously had little interaction.

Now, it was no longer possible to simply dismiss the Human Kingdom.

Their influence was steadily growing. And in this situation, they had expanded their territory and obtained a national treasure?

[We cannot remain idle.]

[We need a plan.]

[And for that….]

A sense of crisis, of being left behind, coupled with the desire for power.

Ironically, this stemmed from hope.

The hope that they too could fight and defeat the demons.

And their gazes naturally turned towards the symbol of that hope.

“The Dwarf Kingdom has requested our support?”

“Yes.”

Hans clicked his tongue.

The Human Kingdom’s victory in the siege had expanded their territory, and they were continuing to advance. He had thought they finally had some breathing room.

But what was this? Other nations kept sending requests.

Moreover, the Dwarf Kingdom was an ally of the Human Kingdom and one of the Royal Knights’ biggest sponsors.

He couldn’t simply ignore them. And with Ruby, a Dwarf, among his Knights, ignoring the request seemed like a surefire way to a bad ending.

Hans sighed.

“So, where are they attacking this time?”

“Actually, the Dwarf Kingdom isn’t launching an expedition.”

“They’re not?”

“No.”

“I’ll explain.”

Ruby interjected between Cluna and Hans.

Cluna’s expression momentarily soured, but Ruby ignored her.

Hans, however, was concerned about Cluna.

What’s wrong? Why the sudden change in expression?

“Is there a problem?”

“Nothing, Commander.”

“Focus on me, not that stuck-up elf!”

“Do you know the details?”

“The Dwarf Kingdom is trying to capture the Purgatory Workshop!”

“Purgatory Workshop? What’s that?”

This was the first time Hans had heard of it. In the original story, the Dwarf Kingdom had been destroyed.

A Dwarf heroine eventually rebuilt it, but it was more like a refugee camp than a proper nation.

While the lore books provided some information, he had never heard of the Purgatory Workshop.

Ruby smiled and continued her explanation.

“The Purgatory Workshop is part of Dwarf legend!”

“Legend?”

“Yes! It’s where a giant, imbued with the wisdom of our ancestors, sleeps, waiting to oppose the Great Evil! Soon, it will be tempered in intense heat, and the giant will rise again!”

“But isn’t that just a legend?”

“Yes! At least, that’s what the people believe!”

“The people believe it… so that means…”

“The Purgatory Workshop exists!!!”

Ruby’s outburst gave Hans a headache.

It sounded dangerous. And a Steel Giant? That sounded similar to a Mobile Fortress.

Those were terrifying.

The Mobile Fortress was a weapon of mass destruction created by the demons after absorbing Dwarf technology.

A giant fortress moving and firing cannons? It was a nightmare.

In the game, encountering the Mobile Fortress for the first time was incredibly frustrating and demoralizing.

Other bosses could be strategically defeated, but the Mobile Fortress was different.

Unless thoroughly prepared, capturing it was extremely difficult.

Players usually progressed halfway through the story, then grinded to prepare for the Mobile Fortress.

However, since he had saved the Dwarf Kingdom from the demons, that terrifying Mobile Fortress shouldn’t reappear. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Of course, to a veteran player like Hans, it would be child’s play. But this wasn’t a game, it was reality.

Minimizing powerful enemies was the best option for the future.

Hans considered the possibilities.

A weapon comparable to the Mobile Fortress as an ally?

“Alright, we’ll accept this request.”

“Thank you!”

“It’s the logical choice, considering the future.”

“The Steel Giant…”

“Have you heard of it?”

“No, I haven’t.”

Cluna had crossed her arms in thought, so Hans asked her, just in case. But Cluna shook her head.

It seemed she didn’t know about the Steel Giant either.

After some deliberation, Hans accepted the request.

He couldn’t ignore it anyway, and it seemed less burdensome than an expedition.

He decided not to take all the Royal Knights.

The previous expedition was to reclaim demon-occupied territory, but this time, they were going inside the Dwarf Kingdom.

It should be less dangerous.

“Since it’s a Dwarf matter, Ruby will definitely participate. I’ll just take one more person.”

“Nice!”

“Is anyone physically up to the task?”

Hans wanted to give his unit members some rest, especially the young Helia, and Yuren and Cluna, who had worked the hardest.

However, his unit members had other plans.

‘This is my chance.’

‘A chance to get ahead of the others!’

‘I can’t miss this.’

Until now, they had always cooperated.

They had to.

During the True Demons’ invasion, they had barely won by focusing on the immediate enemies.

The second expedition had been a matter of the Royal Knights’ survival. But this was different.

This was a relatively manageable request, allowing him to adjust the number of participating members.

And that meant an opportunity to get ahead of the others.

If they could share a bed with the Commander during this request… it would solidify their position.

“It seems no one’s willing to back down.”

“Apparently not.”

“Should we settle this by force?”

“Settle it by force? How did you even reach that conclusion?”

As his unit members naturally drew their weapons, Hans panicked and stopped them.

After some struggle, Bayard was chosen to accompany them to the Dwarf Kingdom. The reason was simple.

“Bayard gets along best with Ruby.”

🚨 Important Notice 🚨

); }

“That’s true!”

“Th-thank you, Commander! I won’t forget this favor!”

“It’s not a favor.”

From Hans’s perspective, Bayard was the easiest to manage. Clara and Yuren were difficult to control, and Helia and Cluna were slightly intimidating.

Bayard was the safest choice.

After deciding on the personnel, Hans packed minimal supplies and departed immediately on a wyvern.

He felt like staying any longer would only lead to unnecessary conflict. …Or rather, that was an excuse.

Since that day, the day the unknown memory surfaced, Hans had been subtly avoiding Helia.

He didn’t understand why. He simply felt uneasy around her.

“Ruby.”

“Yes? What is it?”

“Nothing.”

He had considered discussing the issue, but he shook his head.

He didn’t want to burden his unit members.

He would sort out his thoughts during this request.

He couldn’t avoid Helia forever.

That’s what he thought.

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[Translator Notes]