I Became a 6★ Gacha Character

319 - The Carriage of Madness 4

TL/Editor: raei

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With an imposing figure towering over 2 meters, hair and beard resembling those of a barbarian more than a noble, fierce eyes, and a booming voice that seemed capable of making eardrums burst, he repeated himself stubbornly. Most people, seeing his appearance, would dismiss him as an ignorantly persistent brute, but I could see more.

Beyond his intimidating exterior, the subtle movements of his eyes suggested he was gauging the reactions of those around him.

A superhuman who has reached a high level and can manipulate mana would be able to observe the breathing, heartbeats, and even the swallowing sounds of those around him.

‘He could be mistaken for a half-ogre or even a half-fox spirit.’

When our eyes met, his large mouth curved into a wide grin. Realizing that I had caught on, he placed his massive hand, as big as a bear's paw, on my shoulder and patted it in a friendly manner.

"I heard that the Vacuum Stone is a tool of the stone dwarves. It would be better for Sir Roland, the owner of the holy sword and the savior of the underground city, to request it instead of someone they don't know!"

Realizing that his stubborn insistence wasn’t working, the knight captain quickly changed his approach. Clearly accustomed to the political maneuvers of noble society, he smoothly transitioned the conversation. If Ellis hadn’t stood her ground, the Adventurer's Guild might have faced a subtle form of exploitation.

We would have had to run errands to connect the knight order with old Bobo and secure the rights to use the Vacuum Stone, only to receive a simple “thank you, it was for the kingdom” as our reward.

"It seems unlikely that the harpies will launch a counterattack, so we do plan to open the passage. However, we just returned from an expedition yesterday and intend to rest. It may take some time before we can start."

Using a bit of polite evasion learned from social gatherings, I deflected his request. While I wasn’t as skilled as seasoned nobles or merchants, I had picked up a thing or two from overhearing noblewomen’s pillow talk.

By hinting that we could do it later because we were tired, I saw the knight captain’s eyes narrow slightly.

It wasn’t a subtle hint; I was practically demanding compensation. This large, cunning man certainly understood. He didn’t seem foolish or reckless enough to push a hero into working for free.

"Haha! I know the feeling well. After an expedition, my old bones ache all over. There’s something great for times like that."

"I’m not asking you to slip something into my pocket. Consider it a convenience for the guild."

"Young folks these days lack a sense of humor."

I hadn’t expected him to try and sneak a coin pouch onto my belt.

What kind of antics had this knight captain been up to that made him so adept at such a seamless move? It felt like watching a legendary pickpocket rather than a knight.

His quick movements were expected of a high-level knight, but the way he deftly attached the coin pouch to my belt was so skillful it left me speechless.

"For the convenience of the guild… I’m not sure what to prepare, but I’ll do my best! So, how do we go about using that Vacuum Stone?"

Despite my initial refusal, the knight captain cheerfully accepted, showing no hard feelings. While he might have initially tried to subtly exploit the guild, his eagerness to get to the 46th floor was genuine, as evidenced by his palpable impatience.

Maybe even his impatience was an act, knowing I would read his intentions through his eyes and breathing, albeit clumsily.

But there was no need to drag this out further. I wasn’t the spokesperson for the Adventurer's Guild, nor did I have any reason to confront the knight order alone for the guild’s benefit.

Since my suggestion to fill the guild’s pockets a bit would likely be accepted, it was best to agree to their request.

"There’s an old stone dwarf named Bobo who represents the city. The Vacuum Stone isn’t something anyone can use freely; you need his permission."

"Of course, for a magical tool with such capabilities. So, may I use your name, Sir Roland?"

"Go ahead. We need to head back to the 46th floor anyway."

The knight captain nodded in understanding, exchanged a few words with another knight who had been silently standing behind him, and then strode out of the guild.

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Raei Translations

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If James was like the wind, the knight captain was like a storm.

James had run great distances on foot, rather than riding a horse, just to have a drink with his friend, and he shuddered when talking about the knight captain. If that straightforward muscle-bound macho guy found him daunting, I wondered what kind of person he was. Today, I found out.

"The kingdom’s knight captain resembles our deputy knight captain quite a bit."

"Are you talking about the northern knight order?"

"Yes, there’s someone just like him among the deputies my father commands. Although he has gray hair."

Han Se-ah, who had slipped away to talk to a guild employee, left such an impression that even when Irene left to check on the temple’s situation, Grace and Katie continued to talk about him.

Just like outside, the two of them sat at a stone table, chatting away. They never seemed to run out of things to talk about despite being together all day.

On my right was Grace, and on my left was Katie. They chattered about the supplies the knight order brought, the large knight captain, and the deputy knight captain of the north.

"I’m back."

"Welcome back, Irene."

As I listened to Grace and Katie’s sweet voices with one ear, watching Han Se-ah’s quest progress on the holographic screen, Irene returned to the table, moving in quick steps.

Grace moved over to the next seat, patting the chair with her body warmth for Irene to sit. Irene hesitated for a moment but then sat down next to me.

"How’s the temple?"

"There doesn’t seem to be much reaction. Ah, but a few Temple Knights are coming up from below… It seems the temple is leaving it to the knights rather than acting directly."

I had expected the Temple Knights to move since the royal knights were acting so openly, but apparently not. The temple leaders, unlike the muscle-bound Temple Knights, didn’t think or act on instinct.

As Irene, who had gotten a seat thanks to Grace, placed the snacks she had bought on the table and started munching, Han Se-ah came down from the office on the second floor. She seemed to have been talking to Ellis, who had fled from the knight captain earlier.

Han Se-ah dove between Grace and Katie as if her head hurt from the conversation and started stuffing macarons and meringue cookies into her mouth.

"Wow, this is good. Did Irene buy this?"

"Yes, I bought it from the market street nearby."

-She looks like an idol but sounds like a middle-aged man.

-Is that a macaron or boiled pork? She sounds like she's munching meringue made from rice.

-She eats macarons like a middle-aged man snacking on cream buns during break time, lol.

-She looks like she belongs in a fantasy world until she opens her mouth and sounds like she came from a sauna.

-So what about the temple? Stop eating and listen to mom's story.

"Hey, don’t bother someone while they’re eating!"

Of course, the conversation with the guild must have included political topics. The guild members, being an interest group, would surely feel threatened seeing a group of noble knights swarm in.

Adventurers, knight orders, the royal family, the temple, various merchants, and guilds. It was only natural that things would get complicated when a power group like the hero’s party got involved in these intertwined interests.

Of course, it wasn’t my concern, so I decided to let Han Se-ah worry about it and figure it out on her own, despite all the advice she was receiving. To me, the thing on my shoulders was more of a helmet stand than a head. I had already used up my brainpower for the day by dealing with the knight captain who tried to force us into working for free.

“So, Hanna. What did the guild say?”

“They were in a panic because the knight order’s letter arrived late, and they weren't prepared. They seemed really flustered with the knight captain showing up and making demands. It looks like there’s no high-ranking manager here besides Ellis.”

“Oh, really?”

“Since it’s just a temporary branch meant to send up quests, they weren’t thinking about other tasks. Suddenly, the knight order showing up has thrown them into chaos.”

No wonder Ellis was sticking around the tower. She was probably trying to take it easy as the top manager. They could use the magic tower’s crystal ball for communication, avoiding the need for anyone to come and go.

The 43rd-floor adventurer branch was solely focused on tasks related to harpies and stone dwarves. Without a boss to report to, Ellis probably brought her favorite employees to slack off, only for the knight order to move in next door and start demanding work.

That explained the stress lines on Ellis’s face as she shouted angrily.

It was like a sergeant trying to avoid work by hiding in the warehouse, only to be forcibly drafted by the commander of another unit.

“And one more thing. While we were resting after returning, a large mercenary group left for the city on the 46th floor early this morning.”

“A large mercenary group?”

“Rebecca… it’s Rebecca’s mercenary group. They left for a raid. I was told to let you know."

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