1: Return of the King
ACT 1 Return of the King
“Phew.”
A heavy sigh flowed out. His expression sank even more as he looked at the residents gathered in the town hall. Galen the mayor of Lancel village, the Meow and Wolrang representatives as well as the thieves who were the representatives of the Samcheong College of Education were gathered. The group of people were why Shambala was sighing. An unidentified bandit group was scheming to loot Lancel! He grasped that the bandit group had 300 people and that the numbers would increase even more. After Galen heard the shocking information, he summoned the representatives of each species for a meeting. And the meetings to prepare a counterattack continuously repeated. Since they were unable to come up with an answer over the last two days, a tired sigh would naturally emerge.
“Why is this happening……? The number of residents had increased and the village was finally becoming stable…..if we’re attacked then Lancel village will become like it was before…… Ah, why do these things always happen to Lancel village…….?”
Galen murmured with a pained expression. Then Shambala replied in impatient voice.
“Are you going to complain or resolve the problem? This is not the time for that. Like I said, this isn’t long left.”
“I know that. I understand……”
Galen sighed again with his haggard complexion.
“It’s really frustrating! How can we solve this problem?”
Then someone struck the table and shouted. With a flowing, silver ma, the big figure was the elder of the Wolrang clan.
“What’s the point of this meeting in the first place? We know the enemy will strike. In addition, they’ve also killed many of our species! Then isn’t there only one answer? Fight! Fight them to the death!”
“That’s right!”
“There is no need to wait for those guys!”
“Instead, we should go out and show them an example!”
The Wolrang clan members showed off their fangs and growled. Until recently, the Wolrang had been slaves in the vampire territory. After travelling to Lancel from the vampire territory, their wild instincts had awakened while travelling the continent. Therefore the Wolrang had awakened their instincts as warriors. When the Wolrang expressed their savagery, the atmosphere instantly became serious.
“No, that is……”
Galen stuttered with an unbearable expression.
“Bah, these dogs never change.”
The Meow elder Hassan who was sitting on the other side of the table snorted with her nose in the air. The eyes of the excited Wolrang simultaneously focused on Hassan.
“What you do mean by that you hairy balloon?”
“Didn’t you hear me? As expected from dogs, never listening to other people speak.”
“What? Dogs?”
“Haven’t you been listening? There are at least 300 of them. Furthermore, aren’t they all foreigners equipped with considerable skills? If we haphazardly attack without a plan than there is no telling what will happen.”
“Those cats…..do you want to try us?”
“Try you? It wouldn’t be bad.”
Hassan laughed and showed her claws. The Meow and Wolrang in the room growled at each other after being provoked. Then the raccoon clan representative cautiously said towards the two clan elders.
“My opinion is a little different. There is no way to stop the enemies with Lancel’s current power. Then shouldn’t all the residents take shelter and wait for those guys to pass? If they stay too long than the soldiers of Jackson will get involved and those guys will be forced to leave Lancel. If we protect the residents then we can reconstruct the town.”
“What?”
The two elders shouted simultaneously.
“Are you running away because you’re a little afraid? Do you expect the Wolrang to take such dishonourable actions?”
“Bah, what a typical idea from the raccoons who only dig tunnels! They’re no different from the dogs!”
Thus another shouted match began. Both the Wolrang elder and the raccoon representative hit the table with an unpleasant expression.
“Tunnel? What do you mean? Aren’t you the ones who created the overpasses? We’re the ones who struck the nails in most of the buildings in this village! Do you think we want to leave it?”
‘Damn, it’s starting again.’
Shambala shook his head with a disgusted expression. There were a number of reasons for the unsuccessful meetings but this was the biggest problem. Lancel village was split into four different types of inhabitants. The ex-thieves, the Meow, the Wolrang and the raccoons. And the species that had the most right to speak were the natural warriors the Meow and Wolrang clan. But these two were literally cat and dog and didn’t get along. Since their living areas were separated and any big problems were arbitrated by Galen, this problem hadn’t really occurred before. Now if the Wolrang gave any advice than Hassan would just laugh, while the Wolrang would ignore Hassan is she tried to speak. Even the raccoon clan would sometimes interject their feelings, so the fighting meant the meetings couldn’t proceed properly.
‘Besides, there is also an issue with the mayor.’
Shambala clicked his tongue and looked at Galen. Galen was no doubt a good mayor. That was obvious since he was able to manage the Meow, Wolrang, thieves, racoons and the Baran clan in one village without any major problems. But unfortunately Galen had no ability as a field commander. No aside from his talent as a field commander, he couldn’t even handle it when the beast clans started arguing like this. And Shambala also didn’t have any talent as a field commander.
‘It really is crazy. Isn’t this a problem that occurs when different species are gathered together? But it will be impossible to defeat those guys just by listening to this……’
Shambala surveyed the meeting room and sighed again. If it was a battle than Shambala had confidence in himself. But leading a meeting and commanding troops wasn’t in Shambala’s nature. That was the reason why he entrusted the autonomous group in Seutandal to JusticeMan. In addition, this wasn’t Seutandal. It was impossible for Shambala to command the Lancel NPCs.
“There’s no need to think about it. Let’s find their hideout and beat them to death!”
“You stupid dogs! They have a support army!”
“As expected, we should take refuge and avoid trouble!”
“Mayor, what do you think?”
The eyes of the people quarrelling focused on Galen.
“I, I…..”
Galen was stuttering when it occurred.
“Everything is rejected!”
The doors of the meeting room burst open and a rough voice could be heard. Every eye reflexively turned to focus on the door. Then they all started shouting.
“Ark!”
“Ark, you came. Thank you, thank you.”
Galen was moved to tears as he got up to greet his saviour. It wasn’t just Galen. The ex-thieves and beast clan members also flocked towards Ark.
“Ark hyung-nim!”
“Ohhhh, it is Hero Maban’s descendant!”
Ark panted as he ran out of breath and nodded.
“Pant pant pant, fortunately I’m not too late.”
“You’re late enough you idiot.”
Shambala murmured in a curt voice.
“Have you just been wandering around since you were contacted?”
“Wandering around? Can you say that even after looking at my face? Ugh!”
Ark’s face was pale white and it seemed like he was going to vomit.……It was the side effect of traversing the continent in just two days. Once again, Ark had been drinking alcohol in a tavern in Paradon when Roco had contacted him. And Paradon was a city in the northern area of Bristania. Lancel was the exact opposite and it was located in the south of Schudenberg. Even if the Letter Movement allowed ease of travel around cities, it wasn’t omnipotent. There were restrictions in the distance that could be moved. In addition, the places where the Letter Movement tower had been placed were limited. Therefore Ark had to continuously use the Letter Movement and Radun to travel between cities before finally reaching Giran. It was constant riding and travelling! Thus the ramen that Ark ate in the morning felt like it was going to come back up.
‘But there is no time for me to vomit!’
Ark swallowed down the noddles that felt like it was coming up his throat.
“…….Did you swallow? Are you coming over?”
Shambala slowly withdrew while giving him a dirty look. However Ark didn’t care and just slowly entered the hall. Ark had shown up like a comet when Lancel was in a crisis! Galen, the thieves and the beast clans all looked at Ark with expectation. After everything that Ark did in the past, none of them looked at him with doubt. Ark who had all the expectations on him was about to finally start the formal meeting.
“Uha!”
Suddenly there was a strange sound by the door. The residents reflexively turned their heads and flinched. It was a huge figure holding a greatsword! But it wasn’t because of his physical form that the residents flinched. The man surveyed the group of beasts and was brought to tears.
“Dogs, cats and raccoons are gathered to hold a meeting…… A holy land! This place is a holy land!”
“W-what, what’s with this human?”
The beast clans murmured at the appearance of the strange human.
“Kyaaaaak!”
Then there was a scream from behind the man and a woman popped out. And her hand lodged in between Hassan’s stomach fat.
“What, what the? An attack?”
Hassan burst out with confusion as she fell down.
“Heok! Heheok! What are you…..! S-stop! It tickles!’
“T-this is false! So fluffy, I’ve never seen such a cute creature! Yes, it is cotton! Cotton? It is impossible for a doll to be this cute! Zipper, there must be a zipper hidden somewhere!”
The woman rolled around the wriggling Hassan and shouted. The residents looked at the two people who suddenly appeared with foolish eyes. Shambala was staring with foolish eyes as well and he asked Ark.
“What the, these guys?”
“They came to help……”
“Help?”