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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
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Chapter 232
“When the demon awakens, Riadolf shall fall.”
This is a legend every resident of Riadolf knows.
Most dismiss it as an absurd tale, something to ignore.
But today, the demon has awakened.
"Damn it!"
"It’s a demon!"
"Return to the castle at once and report this!"
The sentries who were searching for intruders paled, fleeing from the demon in terror.
Yet, many stood frozen, paralyzed by the demon’s overwhelming presence.
"Running is pointless…."
"We’re all doomed…."
They didn’t even have the courage to fight back.
Then… what was this?
Someone was firing arrows at the demon.
Not only that, but a barrage of arrows rained down on the demon, pressing it back.
As a result, both those who had been running away and those who were headed back to the castle to report turned around and gathered in the center, captivated.
And there, they witnessed it:
A human defeating a demon.
***
A crowd quickly formed around Jeong-hoon.
Ignoring them, he focused on the sentry ahead of him.
It was the very same sentry who had pointed his sword at him at the castle gate.
[Episode Quest: Hero]
- Condition: Defeat the Archdemon Baramuth
- Reward: ??
- Description: You have become a hero of Riadolf. Enter the royal palace to claim your reward.
The quest was simple: claim the reward.
If helping Crawford evacuate had been the end, then this hidden episode’s condition was to defeat the Archdemon Baramuth.
Jeong-hoon had met that condition and accepted the sentry’s quest.
"I came here to take down that demon."
An absurd excuse, but he had eliminated the demon that threatened Riadolf.
They couldn’t very well treat him as an intruder after he’d done that.
"My apologies! We didn’t know…."
The sentry bowed repeatedly, looking contrite.
"There will be no more demons."
"Is that so? You’re sure there aren’t any more…?"
"If there are, I’ll take care of them too."
Hearing Jeong-hoon’s promise to exterminate any remaining demons, the sentry nodded, visibly moved.
"Truly, you are different, Hero."
At that moment, a squad of knights came rushing to the center.
The captain leading them approached Jeong-hoon and the sentry urgently.
"What is the situation here? A demon has been slain…?"
"The Hero defeated it!"
"The Hero?"
"Yes!"
The sentry looked at Jeong-hoon with admiration in his eyes.
"Is that true?"
The knight commander turned his gaze to Jeong-hoon, seeking confirmation.
Jeong-hoon nodded.
"Yes."
"On behalf of the knights, I thank you, Hero. Without you, Riadolf might have fallen."
Commander Eurice had been training knights when he witnessed the demon’s appearance. Even from afar, he instantly recognized the demon as a harbinger of Riadolf’s destruction.
He quickly returned to the palace, reported to the Emperor, and led the knights to the city center to subdue the demon. Yet, despite his loyalty, Eurice anticipated their defeat, fearing they could not prevail against such a monster.
But upon reaching the center, he found the battle already over. The sight of the demon’s lifeless body brought him immense relief.
"It was merely my duty."
"Of course… I understand."
With a moved expression, Eurice nodded. To see one so humble about such a feat—this was the mark of a true hero.
"Then, I’ll be on my way."
Jeong-hoon turned to leave.
"Please, wait a moment!"
Eurice urgently stopped him.
‘We can’t just let the Hero leave like this.’
It was only right to recognize his contribution in defeating the demon and bestow upon him a hero's reward.
"Hm? Is there something more you’d like to say?"
Jeong-hoon asked, pretending not to know.
"Would you be willing to accompany us to the royal palace?"
"The palace?"
"Yes! Once His Majesty hears of this, he will surely want to reward you!"
"Hm… Very well."
"Excellent!"
Eurice instructed his knights to escort Jeong-hoon, and so Jeong-hoon began his journey to the palace.
---
"Damn it! Damn it!"
Valderian was punching the wall in rage.
The Archdemon Baramuth, who was supposed to bring Riadolf to ruin, had been brought down without much resistance.
"Guild Master, that cursed outsider… he defeated the demon…."
That wretched man—the one who had both resolved Valderian’s long-standing grudge and, at the same time, dragged him into despair.
"How could this even happen?"
Valderian shouted in frustration.
"We don’t know… but one thing’s certain: he overpowered the demon."
Blocked from leaving Riadolf by a barrier, Valderian had sent several guild members to the center to assess the situation.
And there, they had witnessed the outsider overwhelming the demon.
"So… how could this even… ha."
Valderian staggered for a moment, his blood pressure spiking and bringing on a wave of dizziness.
"Guild Master!"
A guild member rushed to support him, but Valderian waved him off.
"I'm fine. More importantly, what happened to him?"
"Please wait a moment."
The guild member contacted those who had yet to return, trying to get an update on the situation.
Before long, the remaining members returned to headquarters, bringing news that was, to say the least, unexpected.
"So… that bastard went to the palace, is that what you're saying?"
"Yes."
"…Then we’re leaving the capital."
"The capital?"
"Yes. If he went to the palace, he could reveal our existence."
"Understood…."
"Destroy anything that could serve as evidence."
***
Riadolf Royal Palace.
King Vernac VI sat on his throne, listening to Knight Commander Eurice’s report with a satisfied nod.
"So, you’re our hero."
His gaze shifted to Jeong-hoon.
"Hero… You flatter me, Your Majesty."
"Not at all. You’ve practically saved Riadolf."
When Vernac VI heard of the demon’s appearance and the threat it posed to Riadolf, he’d shut his eyes in despair. It was a hopeless situation.
But now, with the demon vanquished, calling Jeong-hoon a hero felt entirely fitting.
A savior.
For Riadolf, Jeong-hoon was more than a hero—he was a true savior.
"It was simply my duty."
"Indeed. Then it’s only right for us to fulfill ours."
With a gesture from Vernac VI, an aide brought out a treasure.
Yet Jeong-hoon’s interest in the treasure was minimal.
Legendary grade… It’s tempting, but completing the episode takes priority.
The treasure was of legendary quality, but it wasn’t what he needed at the moment.
"I don’t require a reward."
"You don’t?"
"That’s correct. But I do have a favor to ask."
"Very well. Speak."
Vernac VI gestured, and the aide stepped back.
"Do you know about Soberian?"
"Soberian? Yes, I do."
Soberian was a small country that Vernac VI had annexed eight years prior.
The reason for the annexation had been simple.
In Soberian, they had found something that should never have been uncovered.
Tablets engraved with prophecies of Riadolf’s doom.
And it wasn’t just one or two; several had been discovered.
Outraged, Vernac VI had annexed Soberian, taking advantage of the situation. Additionally, Riadolf had reaped significant benefits from Soberian’s exclusive resources.
"Please release Soberian."
"Release…?"
Vernac VI furrowed his brows at Jeong-hoon’s request.
"Yes. That’s all I ask."
The liberation of Soberian.
Crawford’s ambition had never been just about awakening demons—it was about bringing ruin to Riadolf and, in doing so, freeing Soberian.
"…Sigh."
Vernac VI struggled to make a swift decision. Soberian was far too valuable to simply let go.
But he would have no choice.
[Reward has been modified.]
[Releasing Soberian from Riadolf’s control.]
It was for the sake of the reward.
These were mechanisms in place to reconstruct a dimension lost to the episode. The system’s constraints could not be ignored.
"Once again, I ask that you release Soberian."
"…Very well. For a hero, how could I deny this request?"
At Vernac VI’s words, the audience began to murmur. Knight Commander Eurice quickly spoke up.
"Your Majesty! We shouldn’t release Soberian so easily!"
The invasion of Soberian had cost many knights their lives. The Soberian defenders had set up strange traps and fought relentlessly, refusing to surrender.
"The demon is gone. There’s no need to keep Soberian bound any longer."
"That may be true, but…."
"Knight Commander Eurice, are you defying me?"
Vernac VI’s expression twisted with anger.
"My apologies, Your Majesty. I spoke out of turn."
Realizing he couldn’t sway the Emperor’s will, Eurice backed down.
"From this moment, Soberian is free!"
With this proclamation, Vernac VI declared Soberian’s liberation, and a message appeared before Jeong-hoon.
[Riadolf: Partially completed hidden episode.]
[Hidden episode cannot be completed until all episodes are resolved.]
All that remains is Crawford.
Jeong-hoon’s next step was to confront Crawford and bring the episodes to a close.
***
As Jeong-hoon exited the palace, he unfurled the Celestial Compass and headed straight for Crawford’s headquarters.
Several guild members, including Valderian, were seen leaving the building with their belongings, suggesting they were shutting down operations.
"I’ve arrived," Jeong-hoon announced, approaching them with a casual expression.
Since he’d used the Celestial Compass, they hadn’t detected his approach and, startled, quickly raised their weapons at him.
As soon as the guild members, including Valderian, confirmed it was Jeong-hoon, their eyes were filled with fury.
"You bastard, what are you doing here?!"
Valderian was ready to charge at Jeong-hoon in an instant.
"I told you, I’m fulfilling my wish," Jeong-hoon replied, his expression serious.
"Wish? Ha! You’ve ruined ours!" Valderian spat angrily.
The demon was supposed to bring about Riadolf's ruin, but Jeong-hoon had killed that demon, destroying their entire plan.
Jeong-hoon maintained his composed demeanor.
"Is it the liberation of Soberian you're concerned with, or the destruction of Riadolf?"
"...?"
"If the demon had been left alive, Riadolf would have fallen. Soberian wouldn’t have been spared either."
Soberian was a small nation located to the east of Riadolf. If the demon had wiped out Riadolf, Soberian would have fallen as well.
"So what? You killed the demon for that reason?" Valderian sneered.
"Yes. And Soberian is now liberated."
"Liberated...?"
Valderian’s expression shifted from anger to disbelief.
"Yes. I just met with His Majesty, the Emperor, and he proclaimed Soberian’s liberation."
"That’s nonsense!"
"Guildmaster!" At that moment, a guild member who had been scouting near the palace rushed back urgently.
"What’s going on?"
Valderian, still holding his weapon aimed at Jeong-hoon, turned his gaze toward the scout.
"They... they say Soberian has been freed! And that they'll maintain a friendly relationship with us!"
"What...?!"
At that, all the weapons that had been pointed at Jeong-hoon dropped to the ground.
"Now, do you believe me?"
Jeong-hoon grinned smugly.
"How...?"
It was clear that Valderian was asking how Jeong-hoon had managed to convince Vernac VI. Everyone knew how possessive Vernac VI was. No one could believe he would release Soberian just because the demon was slain.
"There were ways," Jeong-hoon responded, vaguely.
"Ah... So that’s what you meant by fulfilling your wish," Valderian muttered under his breath.
Above his head, a notification popped up.
[Quest completed.]
[The dungeon clearing progress for the episode "Episto" has reached 100%.]
[Episode: Crawford completed.]
[The episode collection system is now open.]
[The episode has been added to the collection.]
[The Riadolf episode: Hidden episode completed.]
[The hidden episode has been added to the collection.]
[Episode completion increased by 10%.]
It was done.
With this, two hidden episodes were now registered in the collection.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Kiteretsu]
[Proofreader - Kyros]
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