novelThe History of the Four Races
| ← Ch.257 | Ch.259 → |
The Pavroa village was located on the outskirt of the Forest of Life. The village drew in many tourists for its famous fruits.
"It feels like we came here for a nature walk..."
"Honey, this place feels much better than our honeymoon resort."
There were many couples holding their hands throughout the forest. Light filtering through the gaps on the towering treetops, small forest critters running about the forest floor, all contributed in creating a charming vacation spot.
Rabbits, deers and foxes roamed around, drinking from the stream close to the village. The animals did not flee even when people approached them. Dangerous beasts like lions or bears acted tamely to receive something to eat. Because this was the village of the elves, hunting of animals was prohibited. Some time had passed under this edict, so man and animals could live in harmony.
Suddenly at the entrance of Pavroa village, Weed and Yurin appeared in a wavering manner.
"Hmm, there are so many things to eat here."
Weed concluded simply after seeing all the animals roaming about. Yurin nodded next to him.
"Oppa, there is so much we could eat here when we are hungry."
"I already ate, but I am becoming hungry again."
They only saw the animals as food. Ignoring their hunger, Weed and Yurin entered the Elven Village. In the village under the tree numerous Elves could be seen patrolling. There was a Elven weapon shop, a restaurant specializing in their famous fruits and even a guest house built atop a tree.
If he came to the village when he just started, Weed would have had a great interest in the weapon and armor shop, but now he went directly to Randelia. Through his Blacksmithing Skill, Weed could use Elven weapons. But in truth, trying to find a good weapon in a store was next to impossible. Of course, there were rare items in the shop, but none of them were decent enough for Weed's level. Moreover, as this village was a popular travel destination, this place was a tourist trap!
"I have come here to learn about the oldest sculpture in existence."
The Elven Elder Randelia was sitting at the village center by the pond. True to her Elven heritage, she had long hair with an appearance that belied her true age.
"Oh, I am visited by a human sculptor. I have heard of you, Lord of Morata. Of your fairness to the Elves, a great love for the arts and protecting the peace of the Continent through your adventures."
Because of the various quests Weed accomplished, the Elven Elder Randelia was quite hospitable to his approach.
"Yes. My Path of Art has lead me here to obtain knowledge from the Elves."
"The oldest sculpture, the creation of the very first sculpture is a tale passed on between the Elves. The humans, with their proficiency of record keeping, did not leave behind any history. The Orcs, with their short lives, could not tell its tale. The forgotten memories of the Dwarves, who live for their passion. There is no reliable evidence of this. Do you still wish to hear it?"
"Yes."
"It was a time when the four races lived together in a cave. It was said that many sculptures were made then."
Again, a video began to play in front of Weed.
It was the early days of the Continent, when monsters roamed around with impunity. The harvests of the four races were instantly pilfered. Without any recourse, they settled deeply in the cave, living their days in hiding.
The Dwarves with their prodigious abilities in burrowing the ground, created a network of caves to handle the monsters threat and the races continued to survive due to the Orcs. Who, as competent warriors, withstood the world filled with the violent, incommunicable monsters.
"Gyhaaa."
It was a period before even the language of the humans began to take form. But, as the four races combined their strength, their number began to slowly increase and they learned how to fight against the monsters.
The Orcs were impressive soldiers, who did not back down against any monster. They saw it as their duty to sacrifice themselves for the continued survival of the Elves, Dwarves and Humans.
Eventually, they managed to leave their cave and establish a city close to a river. It was Versailles Continents' very first city and it was called 'Ratzeburg'.
You have acquired information on the origin of the Ancient Civilization of Versailles Continent.
Knowledge increased by 15.
'Ratzeburg...'
This was a story that was never recorded in the annals of the Versailles Continent, because records were only kept after the Kingdoms were established.
The image of Ratzburg was shown in front of Weed. Surrounding the city was a firm, wooden barricade created by the Dwarves. Inside the city, were houses made of mud and stone strewn about. Elves sometimes slept atop trees, and a vast difference in size could be seen just by glancing at the entrance of a Dwarf's or an Orc's house.
Flocks of birds could be seen flying above the wide plains that were filled with harvests and fruit trees, with the sparkling river that ran leisurely next to the city.
DING!
'The Genesis of Sculpting' has been completed.
The Elves had passed on a tale from generation to generation about the cooperation between the four races and the sculptures. Perhaps now you can assume some semblance of truth concerning the very first sculpting skill.
Quest Reward: You can receive your reward from the Elven Elder, Randelia.
While Weed completed his quest, he was not in the least happy. The Sculpting Master Quest did not simply end here, but continued on as a chain quest. The Elf Randelia continued to speak.
"Although our race is long lived, there is still a limit to oral tradition. Right now, the sculptures they spoke of, the location of the city that the four races lived in, are all unknown."
"I assume so."
The Continent was rife with the perpetual rise and fall of Human Kingdoms. The races migrated depending on the movement of the monsters, and even a dense forest could be changed into a great plain over time. The age of the Versailles Continent was 10 million years since its creation!
The birth of each race and the monsters were way after nature established itself, even then, it was still in the darkest, unrecorded part of history. Since then, tens of thousands of villages perished due to monsters and each race had migrated to their own secure territory. It were merely thousands of years since the current composition of the Continent was established.
"I believe only a sculptor, who can create from the impossible imagination, can find the location of Ratzeburg. You, the human sculptor, you who walks the resplendent Path of Art, will you not go and uncover, if us the Elves, have been speaking the truth about Ratzeburg?"
DING!
City of Ratzeburg
Purported to be the city where four races lived in harmony.
Presently, the city cannot be found anywhere.
Go and discover Ratzeburg!
Difficulty: Sculpting Master Quest
Quest Restriction:
Minimum Advance Level 8 Sculpting Skill
Requires Sculptural Memories Skill
Continuation of the Sculpting Master Quest!
Weed replied with confidence.
"Even I believe that Ratzburg existed. I shall go and discover more about the city where the four races lived in harmony."
You have accepted the Quest.
And then, Weed glimpsed at Randelia speculatively. He was wondering what kind of reward he would receive for the quest.
'It would be brilliant if it was an Elf Bow. It doesn't have to be a bow, even an Elven item that raises elemental power is fine. Or even something with Affinity to Nature wouldn't be bad. '
Any Elven item was considered valuable. The players who chose to play as Elves, rather than Humans, received a huge disadvantage due to this. There were only few Elven blacksmiths in each Elven village, and while hunting, very few Elven equipment dropped. And when it did drop, it was usually the basic equipment that were used by the beginner Elven players. This was why, great effort was required in acquiring Elven equipments. It was with that the Elves were good with basic physical abilities and were experts in Magic, Elemental Powers and Archery, so required light leather armor for mobility.
At last, the Elf Randelia opened her mouth again to speak and the reward for the first quest was......!
"If you go to the house I live in, there are many fruit trees on my backyard. It will be impossible for me to eat them all, so please take as many as you like."
You can now harvest fruits from the tree in Randelia's backyard.
"Huk!"
Weed's expression turned gruesome. It was like going to a rich friend's house and only receiving ramen! Without eggs even!
"Thank you. This is quite fortunate as I was craving for some fruits recently."
"Then I pray that you will become a great sculptor. As us Elves do not have any more information about Ratzeburg, please feel free to quit this unreasonable task anytime you wish."
You can give up this quest.
If you give up this quest, your friendship with Elf Randelia will drop and you will have to restart the Sculpting Master Quest from the beginning.
Rather than wasting time, unable to solve the quest, the game gave the option to give up at this point.
*****
Weed went to Randelia's backyard with Yurin.
There were apples, pears, oranges, figs, pomegranates, chestnuts, apricots, Jujube and Elven fruits. On the vast variety of trees, fruits could be seen hanging on it's branches.
"Those look good."
"Oppa, fruits are expensive these days."
"That's why we need to take everything, without leaving a single fruit behind."
Compared to players who just took a small nibble for a taste before heading out for the next quest, they were different.
"Shake as hard as you can!"
They picked up every fruit that fell. As they laid down fabrics below the trees, they swept up the fruits into their backpacks without worrying about the fruits bruising. The two even filled up the extra backpack they carried around and soon, the trees Randelia was cultivating was bereft of even a single fruit.
Weed spoke as he took a bite out of a ripe apple.
"Then let's head out to Ratzeburg now."
As no clues has been given, the situation could only be described as hopeless. The chances were high that even asking the Elves or Dwarves would yield no results. But Weed watched the video on Ratzeburg. He could use that as the clue to find the location.
"The last thing that would change due to time, is the river and the rock types."
He saw clearly the types of rocks used as materials for the houses. With his sculpting skill, Weed had experience in carving all types of rocks throughout the Continent.
"Well, I can approximate the scope of the location at least."
Rocks and river, birds and a wide plain, putting these variables into his calculation, Weed could approximate the location more precisely.
"I need to calculate a bit more for a pinpoint location..."
He needed to gather more information to process everything. As Weed hesitated, unable to pinpoint his next destination, Yurin spoke.
"Then should we return to Morata?"
"Not really, we came from Morata so... Let's go to Vargo Fortress. Pale, Master and Sahyung are there eating together so let's visit them."
"Okay, then I will start drawing."
Shasak
Vargo Fortress was drawn with precision and beauty. With the Fortress changing and developed rapidly, there was no need to draw it precisely to its present shape. It was as if Yurin was flaunting her skill, built on the experience of countless drawings, as she was sketching a first-rate picture.
"But didn't you say you were studying at the library a few days ago? I tried to deliver your lunch box, but I couldn't see you there."
Shashashasak
Yurin's sketching speed increased once again.
*****
Petrov became a celebrity within Vargo Fortress, where almost everyone in the vicinity recognized him.
He was known as the Painter, whose paintings were only second to reality and could confuse monsters. While he was not widely known, it was only a matter of time till he would be known as the greatest Painter on the Continent. His fame was to the extent that there were tv coverages of his paintings, with masterpieces plastered on various walls and buildings.
"This new building we are trying to construct... we want to draw a painting on it's side, do you have the time?"
"Hmm, with the current placement, I don't believe my painting will make it look better..."
"Then please let us hear your opinion. We will adapt our plans immediately."
The planners working on the restoration of Vargo Fortress eagerly sought out Petrov's paintings.
Petrov was the Painter that was rising like the morning star.
Vargo Fortress Influence
Lord Weed: 43, 198.
Aqualight Painter Petrov: 3, 239.
Petrov's aim to surpass Weed's influence in Vargo Fortress was still very far off. Weed had gone through a fierce war against the Undead Legion to recover the region, and commanded extremely loyal residents and soldiers. To surpass and take over territory in a short period of time from the current Lord was by no means an easy feat. It did not help that there were only few residents in Vargo Fortress that enjoyed arts and culture, slowing the rise of his influence even further.
"If it was easy, it wouldn't be fun. But in the end, my will will be done."
But as Petrov's painting covered important parts of Vargo Fortress, that day would come. Even now it sent a shiver of delight that the Painter Petrov, not the Sculptor Weed, was spoken of first when the players of Vargo Fortress spoke of art.
"Eat as much as you want."
"Wof Wof!"
He gave food, clothing and even bought houses for the Sculptural Lifeforms. The watchdog of Hades, the great Cerberus, wagged its tail like a cute puppy whenever it stood before Petrov. Even the Fairies that played around in Vargo Fortress came to praise his skill.
- You draw really well!
- Can you see me? Gyaaru.
- Draw me! Draw me! Quickly!
The Fairies would sit on his shoulders or mischievously pull on his hat.
"Truly my skills work anywhere. Well, it's a sure thing, so there really isn't anything to be especially happy about."
Nothing could impede Petrov's progress in Vargo Fortress.
The Fairies responded positively to his drawings of them. With their ability to manipulate space, the Fairies surprised him by entering his painting and played hide and seek. The high level players even queued up to commission a painting from him. When he revealed the next location of his painting, thousands came to watch. He reigned as a Painter, controlling the crowd.
Right at the moment when Petrov was becoming elated with his success, some people approached him, asking for a drawing. It were three tough looking guys.
"I heard you draw well, I will give you 20 gold so won't you draw the three of us?"
Petrov was about to scoff at them.
'Who would so brazenly approach me and demand to draw them a portrait?'
And they were offering a paltry 20 gold! These three must have heard the rumors wrong. For a novice Painter, this would have been a great commission. But for Petrov, it was several hundreds of gold too short for him to accept.
It was just a moment before Petrov was about to rebuke them for speaking such preposterous nonsense and chase them away...
"Geomchi 3 Hyung-nim, did you hear that one of our lads nabbed a guy?"
"Of course. Didn't the new guy get 3 ribs broken and 2 teeth knocked out in that fight?"
Petrov immediately stopped what he was about to say and momentarily reassessed the situation. Thought rose unbidden in his mind that this was some kind of conversation between gangsters.
"That kid just can't contain his temper."
"I only heard the basics. But when a man starts lifting his hand, he can't leave it half finished! You should have made sure to finish him properly."
"I understand what you're saying. I sincerely apologize for this lapse of education on the boys. We should have completely shattered both his legs and left the guy to crawl."
The Geomchis were talking about the new trainee in their dojo. The trainee had come across a rapist and before anything could happen, fought the armed rapist and prevented an incident.
"He should at least have broken both of that bastards arms, he's not even scuffed up!"
"Yes, he should have shattered the chin so the bastard can't swallow soup."
"Teach the boys properly. Doing it roughly won't do."
"I swear it."
"When you need to step into such situations, you must not think of your opponent as a human. Just think it's a talking animal. Don't mind the jabbering, you need to beat him down until he's on his knees begging for you to end it."
"I will make sure this mistake doesn't happen again."
As this wasn't a socially polite conversation, Geomchi3, Geomchi4 and Geomchi5 talked softly amongst themselves. But Petrov, who was curious about their muttering, eavesdropped on the whole conversation.
"Ah! Painter! Are you perhaps busy right now?"
"No, not at all. I am free right now."
"If 20 gold is too small, we can give you more."
"No, no. It's enough. I shall start on the portrait immediately."
Petrov stopped his work on the mural and started on the commission for the Geomchis.
*****
Weed and Yurin appeared together on top of the Central Tower. The vista over Vargo Fortress could be seen from the top. Down below, the repair works on the destroyed buildings caused by the battle were at its peak, the walls were being built thicker and higher. It wasn't an exaggeration to say the whole fortress was one gigantic construction site.
"My precious money..."
As Weed saw that Vargo Fortress was starting to enhance the overall vast scenery with the flat slope of the mountain base nearby, he was overcome by the sudden inexplicable feeling of the loss of his precious taxes. There were plenty of tragedies in movies, novels, poems and dramas, but the greatest tragedy of all was pouring money down the drain.
Just thinking about the money invested into the repair of Vargo Fortress could make him cry like a baby! But still, looking at Vargo Fortress following similar development as Morata was not so bad. Currently, it was shaping up to be a romantic Fortress city and players flocked to the region expecting the place to be completed soon. At the gates the thumping of footsteps could be heard, as players gathered party members and departed for the unknown settlement.
- The Lord has returned, 'Gyaruu'.
- What was he doing?
- Troll, Troll! I was with him in Rosenheim Kingdom.
The Fairies that hid within Weed's collar came out occasionally. The Fairies surrounded him and engaged in endless chatter and mischief. When Yurin lifted her finger, several Fairies came to sit or cling on it and played around.
"First, let's look for the Sahyungs."
Weed and Yurin went to the place the Geomchis were having a meal. The Geomchis were underneath the shade of a building that had yet to be repaired, preparing their food.
"I am going to have a proper meal thanks to the humans."
"Thank you for the food. But it would be nice to have beer to wash it all down."
There were Dwarves and Barbarians with the Geomchis. The Dwarves and Barbarians of Vargo Fortress found a kindred spirit in the Geomchis.
The Geomchis and Barbarians moved from comparing their strength and bulk, to hunting together to becoming fast friends.
"There is a really hard monster to kill..."
"Let jump to it and cut it into pieces."
"The warriors who can clear that dungeon will receive the recognition and respect of our village! This will become a point of great fame for the humans."
"Dungeons are nothing. Let's go!"
The Geomchis and the Barbarians hit it off extremely well.
Drinking beer with the Dwarves, the Geomchis became amiable with them. The Geomchis were able to acquire weapons and armors, increasing their friendship with them to the point of becoming drinking buddies.
Since the inception of Dwarves and Barbarians in Vargo Fortress, their number had increased greatly. And so the meal was prepared in a somber atmosphere, because excluding Surka, Irene, Romuna, Maylon and Hwaryeong, there were close to 800 males. It was at this moment that Weed and Yurin came.
"What! Sayhungs! How can you eat like you are at a funeral?"
"Weed!"
"I will prepare for you a magnificent feast."
Weed's master was there, and to repay for the toil they had to suffer fighting the Undead Legion, he decided to take over the whole preparation of the meals.
"I won't spare anything as this is food for the Sahyungs."
Staple foods in Vargo Fortress weren't plentiful as all of it was imported from Morata. But within the current company were the Barbarians who had brought back over 4 thousand kilograms of various meat from their hunt.
"At the most, with this amount, every person will only be able to eat 5 kilograms of meat. Running out of meat during the feast won't do."
While the ordinary person would be satisfied after eating 1 kg, the Geomchis were gluttons who eat till they are almost at death's door. Mindless with their food, and also mindless with their fights, that was the Sahyungs. And on top of this, eating meat with the cool breeze gently blowing in their outdoor setting made them even hungrier than usual.
"I will need to use my authority as Lord."
In Vargo Fortress, many residents were part of the repair works. One way or another, as he had to provide food for the workers, he decided to willingly go all in.
"Region Information Window!"
Vargo Fortress
A region that was once part of the Niflheim Empire.
Just recently King of the Undead, Balkan Demoph, and the Undead Legion were stationed in this Fortress. Through the endless tide of monsters attacking the Fortress, there is a high chance that this fortress will be destroyed. Under the miraculous leadership of Lord Weed, restoration of the Fortress is underway in this hopeless situation.
Military Forces: 432
Economic Power: 268
Culture: 192
Technology: 71
Religious Influence: 67
Regional Politics: 7
Influence on Nearby Areas: 11%
Influence from the past Niflheim Empire: 2. 9%
(Influence deeply relates to the military, economics, culture, technology, religion, population and quests)
City Development Rate: 33
Hygiene: 24
Public Order: 41%
Many residents from Morata and other parts of the Northern Continent migrated here, believing in the ability of the Lord.
Through the dedicated and outstanding builders, the castle, residences, roads and the wall are being constructed and repaired. A large scale repair is under progress, collapsed parts of the Fortress are by large being repaired.
This region still has many dangers in store. Through the repeated monster assaults, the soldiers' real battle experience is rising quickly. They are especially adept at firing arrows.
The security situation outside the fortress is grave, the residents cannot start any economic activities. They want to start farming, mining and breeding livestock. But they are satisfied about the rapid improvement of their lifestyle as the facilities within the Fortress are being restored. While the residents are uneasy about the monsters wandering outside, they feel slightly secure within the strong fortress.
There are Fairies abound, and bustling trade with the Elves, Dwarves and Barbarians. Most of the taxes of Vargo Fortress are collected from trade. The buildings, culture and artwork provide some comfort on this barren land.
The regions religion is dominated by the Church of Freya. The resident's faith are steadfast, they want a church built for their religious activities.
Specialties: None.
Total Population of the Fortress: 6, 892
Monthly Tax Income: 24, 978 Gold.
Fortress Operating Expenses: Military 47%. Repair Work 34%, Quests and Monster Suppression 19%.
The current situation was incomparable to Morata. With the current development rate of Morata, its economic growth of a few days was similar to the whole economic activity taking place in Vargo Fortress. But if the bustling trade with the other races was taken into account, with the extremely difficult hunting grounds scattered within the vicinity of the Fortress, the economic potential of Vargo Fortress was enormous. If only the Public Order was set straight, the overpopulated Morata would've lots of migrants to Vargo Fortress and development would explode.
Weed thought that ruling over two territories rather than one was much better.
'That's how I gather more taxes. '
If Vargo Fortress was considered as a preparation period, the current speed of its repair was at an unbelievable pace. After the battle with the Undead Legion was concluded, it was rare to find a serviceable building. The walls were at a state where it couldn't even prevent a starving wolf from entering, but now the Fortress was becoming close to impregnable.
"Lord's Command!"
Use your authority as Lord to command the residents.
Forcible commands can reduce the resident's loyalty and could destabilize the Public Order.
"Release the meat from the stores in the Lord's castle and let them eat as much as they want."
In Vargo Fortress, relevant buildings like granaries in Morata were prioritized for construction.
Are you sure you want to release the stockpile of meat in the storehouse to the residents?
"Let's just eat already."
Following the Lord's command, the meats are being distributed.
The doors to the food storehouse were opened, and the residents took as much meat as they wanted. As there was a lot of game in the area, there was quite a huge stockpile of meat.
Weed built up a 20 meter tall meat tower. For any ordinary people, this amount would make them sick and tired of meat, but it had the different effect of whetting the Geomchis appetite.
"Let's barbeque and eat everything!"
"Uwaah!"
"As expected of Weed."
"The human Lord of Vargo Fortress is quite generous."
Only by showing off his generosity would the people express their gratitude.
Irene came and asked him.
"Um, excuse me... If all the meat from the storehouse is finished, what will they eat tomorrow?"
"Well, you know what they say, 'never put off to tomorrow what you must do today. '"
"What?"
"Moral of the saying is that, we should think of tomorrow's work, tomorrow."
"......"
Weed interpreted the saying however he wanted to. Regardless, a meat party erupted in Vargo Fortress. The merchants doing business stopped to roast some meat, the players who were about to depart for an adventure gathered in groups of two and three and started fires. Nowhere else other than Vargo Fortress, would the sight of ten thousand players all roasting and eating meat be seen.
Weed was quickly cooking up stew and other dishes that complemented well with meat. Cooking that filled up the whole wide table for 10! As many varieties of food covered the table, the players all began to think respectively.
'With his high Cooking Skill, just the aroma is making me drool. '
'I need to get married to a guy who's good at cooking. Someone like Weed-nim, who would always prepare breakfast, would be perfect. '
'He can cook so many dishes so quickly. '
As the main course, the meat was still being cooked. No one had sampled the other dishes yet. While the masters and the trainees fidgeted a little, Geomchi had yet to touch his food and was sitting on his chair like the elder he was and waited calmly for it to be done.
Weed was cooking massive amounts at once so that it could be placed and shared on each table, with that, his preparations were extremely quick. Fruits and, even the fish that Zephyr brought were prepared and placed on the table.
Seeing the abundant foods placed on the table, one would have the feeling they could eat until their stomach bursts. Even the players who came to see Weed began to drool at the sight. Once the table was brimming with food, the meat was cooked and added to the table, too.
CRAACK!
The table could not withstand the weight and with a great sound, its four legs buckled and broke. It was because Weed had weakened the table before hand by cutting it slightly. Nothing whet one's appetite like the table breaking before a meal!
Geomchis lifted their forks.
"Let's eat!"
"Dig in!"
A meat party began in Vargo Fortress.
| ← Ch. 257 | Ch. 259 → |