Volume 4 Chapter 107 Silver, the Price Revolution, and Its Aftermath ①
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
It was nearly two in the morning. Those gathered in the Great Hall-kept awake by the bite of Azrael tobacco and scorched coffee-finally moved from the palace toward the pier.
Kian, Priscilla, and Homolka-along with their guards, the Burier of the Cursed and the Sick Cat-were unable to utilize teleportation. They traveled instead by a carriage provided by the Cretan hosts. Kian had expected the fleet to be docked by the time they reached the harbor, but a night entry proved too treacherous. It was not until four-thirty in the morning that the ships finally pulled alongside the pier.
In the thin, gray light of dawn, Crete’s most advanced sailing vessels cut through the channel. Once all twelve massive ships were secured, a man clad in a sharp Azrael military uniform made a grand, practiced entrance from the flagship.
”Balinars!”
Guria had changed into a white gown that bared her shoulders and the curve of her chest, a dress that screamed of her royal station. She waved frantically to the sorcerer on deck. Balinars returned the gesture with a stony expression, then crossed the gangplank onto the concrete dock.
Lord Tiegel and High Priest Laios stood at Guria’s flanks. Kian stood a few paces back with Priscilla and Homolka. Lady Tiegel and Eugenia acted as their hosts while they waited. Behind them, the shark-man chieftain stood with the Burier and the Sick Cat, while Shark and Meimei saw to their needs.
”Princess, I’ve returned, though later than intended,” Balinars said. “I’ve heard the gist of our situation from Meimei’s letters.”
”We were just drafting a strategy with Kian, Lady Priscilla, and Cardinal Homolka,” Guria replied. “Please, join us. I’ll need your report on the fleet’s losses once we’re back at the table.”
Guria spoke with a practiced ease, despite the fact that the previous council had been a disaster of bickering over sea burials¹ and customs duties. Behind her smile, she was clearly strained; she had spent the entire meeting grimacing at the demands made by Homolka and Priscilla. She leaned in to whisper a quick update to Balinars regarding Circe’s status and Scipio’s condition before resuming her royal mask.
”Everyone! Our pride, the fleet of General Balinars, has returned! Our counteroffensive begins now! Victory to Crete!”
The young princess, crowned in laurel, thrust her fist toward the sky. The participants-jittery with exhaustion and caffeine-let out a weary but determined cheer. Beside Kian, Priscilla was hopping on her heels, her own fist raised high.
I thought she was the shut-in type during the Châtillon underground matches, Kian thought, but maybe she just has a thing for theatrics.
”General Balinars!” Priscilla called out. “The armies of Mansoor and Shidarkan have been wiped out. Only Gensou is left. I’m going to be on the front lines, too, so let’s win this!”
”Your confidence is a boon, Lady Priscilla,” Balinars replied. “I didn’t expect you to lend us your strength after the initial plan crumbled. And you, Cardinal Homolka?”
”It is the will of Cardinal Augusto,” the portly, elderly cardinal grunted. “I’m, even if I put up the money, had no intention of lending a hand. Don’t bother with thanks-just hurry up and abolish that grotesque habit of washing your dead out to sea.”
The air grew heavy. High Priest Laios and the shark-man chieftain, Blue, visibly bristled at the Cardinal’s words. However, the argument didn’t catch fire. Balinars put a firm arm around Guria’s shoulder and guided her further down the pier, away from the group.
They spoke in hushed tones, but Kian’s vampiric hearing caught the exchange clearly.
”Balinars,” Guria whispered, “like I said, Circe won’t wake up. This is a nightmare. What are we supposed to do?”
”First, send Kian, Priscilla, and the Cardinal back to the inn,” Balinars said.
”What?! Why?” Guria looked up at him, bewildered.
”Because they aren’t our friends.”
”They’re our allies! I… I think they are. Probably.” Guria glanced back at Kian, likely recalling how Priscilla and Homolka had spent the entire night haggling for their own interests.
”Don’t be naive. They’re wearing the mask of allies. That’s all,” Balinars countered. “Shut them out for now. We can’t have an honest conversation with them breathing down our necks.”
”But Kian-!” Guria grabbed his sleeve. Even standing next to the grizzled veteran, her silhouette remained commanding. “Kian is on our side. Without him, we would have already lost.”
”Princess, of those three, Lord Kian is the one who scares me most. Even if we win, there’s no telling what happens when the dust settles. He could swallow this country whole.”
”Kian wouldn’t do that! He’s a man of honor!”
”Princess,” Lord Tiegel said, stepping into the conversation as his wife joined them. “Regardless of Kian’s character, we don’t know what those witches in his circle are after. We should use him to keep the Shidarkan main army in check, but he shouldn’t be involved in our internal defense. We cannot let him into the heart of our operations.”
”Tiegel, why…?”
”If the word gets out that Lady Circe is gone, our leverage in negotiations vanishes,” Tiegel explained. “Our secrecy has been perfect so far. The enemy still doesn’t know.”
”Oh… right…” Guria faltered.
”And you saw the state of the talks,” Tiegel added. “Priscilla and Homolka are obstacles.”
”But Kian hasn’t made any demands!” Guria argued.
”He will,” Balinars said.
”It’s a fair price for his help!” Guria’s temper flared. “I’m not like Princess Maribel. I won’t just use Kian and throw him away!”
”We’ll settle the bill on our terms,” Balinars said. “Princess, stay focused on controlling Asterios.”
”But, Balinars-“
”Tiegel, escort them out.”
”Understood,” Tiegel said. “What about Chieftain Blue?”
”He’s a nuisance too. He barks but won’t commit a single soldier.”
”Understood. Smaa, if you would,” Tiegel said to his wife.
”Wait,” Guria pleaded. “We can’t hope to stand against Azrael without their strength.”
”Start considering the terms of a peace treaty,” Balinars said coldly. “Even if the conditions are lopsided.”
”What?! You can’t be serious!”
”Princess, look at the horizon,” Balinars said. “The Gensou army warships, including Mithril ships², aren’t just one or two hundred. They have thousands of sorcerers. If their main force, currently pinned at Vahid, decides to move, those numbers will double.”
”But-“
”There are no ‘buts’-ssu!” Balinars snapped, rubbing his head like he was dealing with a stubborn child. “Do you want to see every Cretan slaughtered? A quarter of the population? Like what your brother, Scipio, did on Cyclops Island?”
Guria flinched as if struck.
”Give me a break,” Balinars muttered. “The ones who die for the ‘noble’ orders from above are always the poor bastards bleeding in the dirt.”
”General Balinars, that’s enough,” Tiegel warned.
”I know, I know-san,” Balinars said. He gave Guria one last sharp look, then turned back to Kian’s group with a wide, fake smile. “Everyone! Thank you for coming out! Now that I’m back, we can breathe easy. I’ll show you how we break an enemy fleet!”
”Yeah! Let’s kill ’em all!” the shark-man shouted, pumping his fist.
”But it’s late,” Balinars continued. “Go back to your inns. We’ll reconvene tomorrow once I’ve settled the men. I appreciate your patience!”
The group was indeed exhausted. Kian himself hadn’t had a proper night’s sleep in three days. As Balinars spoke, the various leaders finally noticed the sun breaking the horizon and began to trudge back across the sand.
Kian remained behind with Priscilla and Homolka, hoping to pin Balinars down for a schedule.
”Lord Kian, a word?”
”Chieftain Blue? High Priest Laios?” Kian turned to face the two men approaching him with grim intensity. Priscilla, reading the room, drifted toward Homolka to find a new distraction.
”Father, please… don’t,” Shark whispered, trying to pull the Chieftain back.
”Silence! You insisted on that fool’s errand to Cyclops Island, and it went exactly as I feared,” Blue growled. “You will not question me again.”
”I… I’m sorry, Father.”
”Lord Kian,” the High Priest said, his bald head gleaming in the dawn light. “Walk with us. This is a private matter.”
”We need your time,” Blue added. “It is a matter of gravity.”
Kian followed them to a quiet stretch of the beach. He watched Balinars and the Tiegels speaking with Priscilla in the distance before turning to the two fanatics.
”What is it?”
”Lord Kian,” the Chieftain began. “What is your belief regarding the soul’s return to the Spiritual Vein³?”
”What? Why bring that up now?”
”It is a matter of faith,” the High Priest said, his voice dropping into a low, threatening register. “During the council, you were the only one who stayed silent on the matter of the Sea Burials.”
”In fact,” the Chieftain said, “when Lady Priscilla demanded we end the tradition, you practically ignored her. You believe as we do, don’t you? That the traditions of Crete must not be desecrated?”
”Wait… this ‘grave matter’ is just about how you bury your dead?”
”Exactly.” “There is no higher concern.”
Kian felt a wave of cold disbelief. It was more than being stunned; he was appalled. Shidarkan and Mansoor were gone, but the hammer of Gensou was still poised to fall. Crete was staring down an existential threat, a war they were poised to lose, and yet these men were obsessed with the logistics of the afterlife.
”Death is an immeasurable agony,” the High Priest hissed, leaning in. “And yet the heathens speak of cremation. Imagine it, Lord Kian. What if the soul does not return to the world’s currents? What if it remains trapped in the cold meat of the body? Have you ever imagined that horror? To be pinned in your own corpse, unable to move, as the fire begins to eat your flesh? To feel the scream in your throat as you are reduced to ash?
The soul is meant to cycle. It returns to the Great Sea, and from the waves, it is born again. But what happens if you bury a corpse in the earth? What if you burn it? The cycle⁴ is broken, and that soul is doomed to wander the void forever! At that point, being dragged off by Hades for forced labor in the Underworld is a mercy by comparison!”
”────────”
”Lord Kian? Are you even listening?” Chief Blue asked.
”Ah… yes. Of course. I’m all ears,” Kian replied.
Kian offered a thin, practiced smile. He was actually reeling, but he understood that for Chief Blue and High Priest Laios, this was everything. The Chief’s tribe viewed the Great Sea as a holy cradle, while High Priest Laios felt a desperate need to defend their national faith against the theology pushed by the Western Church.
Neither of them could go back to their people and say, “So, sea burials⁵ are over. I represented the community at the summit, but I came back with nothing. Sowwy! ☆”
If they did, their social structures would collapse. Their families would be outcasts.
”First, we need to know where you stand, Lord Kian. What is your own view on life and death?” the High Priest asked.
”I’m just a drifter, an exile from Azrael. I only associate with Cardinal Homolka as a friend,” Kian said after a pause.
Kian chose his words with clinical precision.
”I have no deep ties to the Western Church’s dogma or Crete’s traditions. As for Azraelism… I was cast out and spent a decade in total poverty because of it. I’m hardly a devotee. I don’t really have a ‘spiritual north star’ to guide a debate like this.”
”So… you stayed quiet because it’s none of your business?” Laios asked, his face falling into a mask of disappointment.
It would have been easy to shut them down with a cold “I don’t care,” but Kian felt that would be a bridge too far. He couldn’t argue theology, but he could grasp the practical core of their anxiety and offer a secular solution.
”Let’s look at the facts,” Kian said. “Chief Blue, your point is that without the sea, reincarnation fails. Therefore, you can’t stop the burials. Correct?”
”Exactly da,” the Chief said.
”And High Priest, you see these burials as an essential pillar of Crete’s identity? You find the proposed cremations… what, offensive?”
”I find the ‘alternative’ disgusting!” Laios barked. “To take a man who died in agony and burn him, doubling his suffering? It is sacrilege! Utterly preposterous!”
Kian tilted his head at the fuming priest.
”Until now, the sea serpents carried the dead to Underworld Island, where they were basically served as snacks for Minotaurs. If we assume the dead can still feel, I’d say being incinerated and having your entrails ripped out by monsters are both equally terrible ways to spend an afternoon.”
”I… er… well,” Laios stammered. “I suppose that’s a fair point noja.”
”Besides, if sea burials were truly that sacred, you wouldn’t leave the dirty work to Old Man Gaius alone, would you? It sounds like the burial itself isn’t the ‘core’ of your faith… right?”
”Well… no, it isn’t the core,” the priest admitted.
Kian watched the balding man nod, his mind already working through the politics.
”Based on my talks with Cardinal Homolka, I don’t think they’re trying to destroy your culture for fun. It’s a health crisis. Corpses are washing up on the shores, and they can’t ignore the rot. They just want the ‘drifting’ to stop. It’s an unfortunate side effect that their solution hits your traditions.”
”Does it matter why they’re doing it? It’s still a cultural execution ru!” Chief Blue argued.
”The Chief is right! I… we priests see this as nothing less than cultural imperialism by the Western Church! We won’t stand for it noja!”
”The ‘why’ is actually the most important part,” Kian said, standing up. “If they were actively trying to invade your minds, we’d have to fight their worldview. But since this is just a public health issue, we can give the sea burial ritual a contemporary spin. We arrange the ceremony so the bodies don’t wash up. If we solve the pollution, the Western Church loses its leverage. And if they still complain, then you can scream ‘cultural imperialism’ and the people will actually back you.”
”A ‘contemporary spin’? What does that look like?”
”Make the funeral boats easier to sink. Or hire a sorcerer to ensure they hit the seafloor far away from the coast,” Kian suggested.
”But the bodies will still be in our waters ru!”
”Even with weights, it’ll look like a dumping ground for a gang hit,” Chief Blue grumbled. “Corpses at the bottom of the bay like someone who didn’t pay their debts ru? It’ll ruin the view!”
”That’s where you have to find a balance. An alternative that doesn’t poison Crete or the Western Church’s territory. Take this back to your inner circles and debate it.”
Kian looked between the two leaders.
”I doubt your gods specifically demand that you pollute the neighbors with rotting meat. I believe in religious freedom, but you can’t make your faith everyone else’s problem. If the Church did this to you, you’d be calling for blood, wouldn’t you?”
The two men fell silent.
”I’ll say it again: they just want the bodies gone. If you solve that, they’ll back off. Focus on evolving the tradition so it survives the century.”
Kian jerked a thumb toward Homolka’s direction.
”I’ll ask the Cardinal for a follow-up. Not today-we have more pressing fires to put out-but soon.”
”They’re the ones being stubborn! Why are we the ones on the defensive ru?!” Chief Blue muttered.
”We do agree that the Phantoms⁶ are a bigger threat noja,” Laios added quietly.
”I think you’re both right,” Kian said. “That’s why I didn’t take their side during the session.”
”Truly?”
”But your culture shouldn’t cost the lives of the common folk in the Church’s lands. I know you don’t value their lives any less than your own.”
”Of course not ru,” “Indeed noja.”
”Then bring me a real plan before the next talk. Give me a date, and I’ll tell the Cardinal.”
”Tomorrow noja?” Laios asked.
”If we don’t have a solid pitch, we’ll just be talking in circles. Lord Kian is doing us a massive favor here. We shouldn’t waste it ru. We need a plan, Laios.”
The priest went quiet, his mouth a thin line of lingering doubt.
”Tell the Temple of Mount Olympus that you’ve secured a second round of negotiations,” Kian suggested. “That should save your faces for now.”
”…Hmph. Fine noja. And for the record, I wasn’t worried about my reputation. I was thinking only of the faith.”
”Sure you were. I’ll tell the Cardinal to expect you.”
I’m definitely overstepping, Kian thought. But he knew Homolka would say yes. They had that kind of understanding.
After the leaders thanked him and left, Kian met with Balinars and Madam Tiegel. They handed him a schedule for Asterios to attend and asked him to head back to the Merchant Guild Kian grounds. With no reason to linger around Guria, Kian finally left ‘Water Island’ behind.
* * *
He took a Wyvern Golem from Old Man Gaius’s hut and flew toward ‘Grass Island.’ Asterios wasn’t due for a meeting for three days. If an emergency hit, the guild would fetch him.
Truthfully, Tiegel and Balinars had no intention of letting Asterios near the real decision-making. They trusted his sword, not his head. Whether they signed a treaty with the Phantoms or held out for better terms, they’d just tell Asterios what to do after the fact.
It made sense, but it left Kian with a sudden, massive hole in his schedule.
He could go check on Aliona’s fortress, or help Talia and Isthbaran. But the Lightning Knights were swamped, and he couldn’t exactly drag one of them off for a s*x-fueled date.
He briefly considered a solo m**urbation marathon to see how many rounds he could go, but he decided it was finally time to study. The guild house had Umar’s books on golems. It was time to actually learn the theory. He wouldn’t understand a word of it at first, but every journey starts somewhere.
He might not be able to build beetle-golems like Sarah’s, but he wanted to at least understand the ‘Damocles’⁷-that lightning-rod weapon Aliona and Rufna had built. Even a little knowledge would help him keep up when the witches started talking shop.
But as he landed on ‘Grass Island’ atop “Dick” (Kian decided that since all Wyvern Golems looked the same, they were all named Dick), he realized his free time was already gone.
It wasn’t just Talia and Rou at the trading post; he could sense the presence of Aliona and Rufna’s golems as well.
If Rufna had come to check on the war, then Aliona’s presence – despite being in the middle of fortifying Underworld Island⁸ – meant something had happened that required a council. It occurred to Kian then that Rufna hadn’t sent a golem just for a status report; she likely had urgent news regarding the situation in Izerland.
Under the brilliant glare of the sun, Kian jumped down onto the trading post’s sandy beach and waved to the waiting Talia and Aliona.
”Hey, you two. Balinars is back, so I officially got kicked out of the meeting,” Kian said.
”I see. Welcome home,” Talia replied.
”Kian, the Chief Sorceress wants to discuss our next steps,” Aliona added. “I was in the middle of my chores, but the Shidarkan fleet started moving toward the Nile. I left the grunt work to the Leprobus and flew straight here.”
”How is the fortification of Underworld Island coming along?” Kian asked, unpinning his black formal coat and peeling it off.
The clothes Talia had picked out were beautiful and fit well enough, but their sheer opulence felt like a burden. Kian much preferred a plain shirt and trousers. They felt honest – more his speed.
”It’s a work in progress, but most of the defensive monsters have been deployed,” Aliona said. “Now I’m looking forward to the fun part: designing a unique ecosystem full of lethal traps for any intruders.”
”Want something to eat? You must be starving,” Talia asked.
”I’m all right. Where’s Isthbaran?”
”The General is patrolling the island,” Aliona answered. “In dragon form.”
”Hylonomē is keeping the enemy blinded,” Talia added. “The General isn’t so much ‘patrolling’ as he is running a dress rehearsal for obliterating the enemy fleet in his dragon state.”
”His attack range is far too limited in human form, after all,” Kian muttered.
”Exactly. But thanks to that, we’ve managed to seize quite a few Shidarkan ships. We’ll repaint them and draft them into the fleet of Merchant Guild Kian,” Aliona said.
Kian led the two witches through the doors of the trading post. A massive strategy table dominated the entrance hall. Rou was there, along with Rufna’s golem – a bird perched on the edge.
”We’ve secured thirteen large vessels and about twenty smaller ones. But given the refitting and maintenance costs, it might be smarter to sell off a few,” Rou suggested.
”Isn’t that a waste?” Kian asked.
”If you hand them over to me,” Aliona interjected, “I can fuse them into the Underworld Island Fortress. If I integrate them into the ecosystem, they won’t cost a cent to maintain.”
An ecosystem that eats ships? Kian wondered, tilting his head. Meanwhile, Rou stepped forward, offering a high-end ceramic cup filled with coffee.
”Chairman, something to wake you up,” Rou said.
”Thanks, Rou.”
”Yo, Boss. Good work out there,” the bird-golem chirped. “Sounds like the haul from Cyclops Island was top-tier.”
Kian sat in the chair Rou pulled out and unfastened his collar. “Hardly. It was a disaster. Circe is dead, and Sir Scipio is in critical condition.”
”Oh, please,” Aliona giggled. “Well, isn’t that just wonderful?”
”Aliona, were you even listening to me?” Kian asked.
”I heard you. I’m just glad the obstacles to taking over Crete are clearing themselves out. As for His Excellency Scipio… hmm. I wonder if he’s worth more to us alive?”
Kian remained silent.
”What’s the word from Balinars?” Talia asked, taking the seat next to Kian. “Did he mention surrendering?”
”Not surrender. He told Guria to look into negotiating a peace treaty with Gensou,” Kian replied.
”Hmph. Figures,” Talia muttered.
”Right on cue,” Aliona added.
”Man, if that’s the case, doing business in Crete is going to be a real pain, isn’t it?” The bird-golem clattered its beak.
Kian watched as Aliona began dumping obscene amounts of sugar into the coffee Rou had given her.
”I walked the streets,” Kian said. “The markets are ghost towns. It depends on how long the war drags on, but even if we grow sugarcane, we’re finished if the international trade ships find a different route.”
”You think they’ll wait that long? Kian, that’s not how this works,” Aliona said. “Before that happens, Gensou will have Balinars set up a puppet government in Crete.”
”I see… So, has Balinars really sold out Crete?”
No one answered. Aliona merely offered a thin, knowing smile. The betrayal was so obvious it didn’t even require confirmation. Once Rou took his seat at the foot of the table, the bird-golem at the head spoke with Rufna’s voice.
”Alright everyone, sorry to call you in while you’re slammed. We have an emergency agenda for today,” Rufna said.
1. The surge of anti-Maribel factions in Izerland.
2. Assessing the feasibility of large-scale development in Dacia if Crete becomes unviable.
3. The inheritance crisis of Cardinal Augusto.
”You can all see the board, right? Regarding item one – the anti-Maribel forces – some heavy intel just landed in my lap,” Rufna continued.
”What happened?” Kian asked, a cold knot forming in his stomach.
”The Eldest Young Lady was wounded protecting Princess Maribel from an ambush,” Rufna said. “According to her, the enemy has a devastating magic swordsman⁹ on their side – the former Rank 1 Adventurer, Rean.”
—
Summary:
General Balinars returns with his fleet to Crete, greeted by Princess Guria and Kian’s group. While Guria views Kian as a hero, Balinars and Lord Tiegel conspire to keep Kian at arm’s length, fearing he might seize control of the nation. The scene ends with Kian being pulled aside by religious leaders who are more concerned with funeral traditions than the looming invasion.
Kian successfully mediates a conflict between the Western Church and the leaders of Crete regarding sea burials. By proposing a technical ‘modernization’ of the ritual, he prevents a total cultural breakdown and secures a follow-up meeting. Upon returning to Grass Island, Kian plans to spend his free time studying golem engineering, but finds his leisure time cut short.
Kian returns to the trading post to find Aliona and Talia waiting for a council. They discuss the strategic acquisition of enemy ships and the grim state of Crete’s economy. The meeting shifts to an emergency agenda regarding political instability in Izerland and the appearance of a legendary warrior.
—
Trivia:
- Balinars and Tiegel are actively hiding the fact that Circe (a key figure) might be dead to maintain leverage.
- The Gensou army has a massive numerical advantage, including over 2,000 sorcerers.
- Princess Guria is tall enough to stand eye-to-eye with the former Captain of the Guard.
- The ‘Blue’ Shark-man chieftain is the one who previously insisted on a failed attack on Cyclops Island.
- Priscilla is using the masculine ‘boku’ pronoun in her dialogue, contrasting with her ‘shut-in’ reputation.
- Kian’s name for his golems is a vulgar joke (‘Dick’).
- The Western Church’s concern is primarily public health (hygiene), not religious suppression.
- The Crete leaders are more worried about their personal social standing and reputation than pure theology.
- Asterios is being intentionally excluded from political decision-making due to his lack of logic.
- Damocles is a specific lightning-based weapon developed by Aliona and Rufna.
- Aliona is literally building an ecosystem that can incorporate inorganic objects like ships.
- General Isthbaran is a dragon currently using the island for a ‘dress rehearsal’ of destruction.
- The betrayal of Crete by Balinars is considered ‘pre-established harmony’ by the witches.
- The ‘Eldest Young Lady’ refers to a specific high-ranking individual in Kian’s circle who was wounded.
- Rean is not just an enemy, but a former Rank 1 Adventurer, setting a high power ceiling for the conflict
—
Character Insight:
Guria shows a growing moral backbone, refusing to exploit Kian like the mentioned Princess Maribel. Conversely, Balinars reveals a cynical ‘soldier’s pragmatism,’ willing to accept a lopsided peace treaty to avoid total annihilation, contrasting with the High Priest’s blind religious fervor.
Kian shows significant growth as a diplomatic ‘Rational Agent,’ using his secular background to find middle ground where religious leaders failed. However, his internal thoughts reveal a deep sense of social isolation and a desire for connection (or distraction) through either s*x or intense study.
Aliona’s sociopathic pragmatism is on full display; she views the death of allies as a positive development for their political goals. Kian remains the moral anchor, visibly affected by the casualties while his associates treat it as a board game.
—
Behind the Scenes:
The author uses the ‘Sea Burial’ debate to highlight the absurdity of internal cultural conflicts during existential crises, a common trope in political fantasy.
The author uses the conflict of sea burials vs. cremation to mirror real-world historical tensions between traditional disposal methods and modern sanitary requirements. Kian’s ‘Consultant’ persona is a staple of ‘Rational Protagonist’ isekai tropes.
The term ‘Fortress-ification’ (Fortress化) suggests a mechanical or magical progression system common in management-style fantasy novels.
—
TL Notes:
Notes:
• Sick Cat – A girl wearing an eyepatch and heavy black makeup. She is cold, inhumanly focused, and shows a predatory physical attraction to Kian’s coldness.
• Homolka – A Cardinal of the Western Church. He is a friend of Kian and is open to further negotiations despite the official conclusion of the meeting. A fat, elderly Cardinal. Primarily interested in financial profit and staying out of direct combat.
• Kian – The protagonist—a vampire exile from Azrael with super-hearing, now Chairman of the Kian Merchant Guild. A pragmatic wanderer in poverty for a decade, he mediates between the Western Church and Crete. High-minded warrior to some, threat to others; accompanied by Priscilla and Homolka, dressed simply in black coat over plain clothes.
• Balinars – An associate of the Merchant Guild Kian who works alongside Madam Tiegel. General of the Cretan fleet. Former Captain of the Guard. Wears an Azrael-style military uniform. Cynical and pragmatic.
• Guria – Princess of Crete. Tall silhouette. Wears a white dress with exposed shoulders and cleavage, and a laurel wreath. Defensive of Kian.
• Eugenia – Red-haired girl with a ponytail, serving as a messenger pigeon for Sir Scipio.
• Meimei – A dwarf girl-knight and member of the Lightning Knight Order (Raiko Knight-dan).
• Tiegel – A middle-aged Tiger Beastman and influential Cretan lord/official tied to the Kian Merchant Guild. Flashy with gold and jewel rings, he’s strategically cautious of Kian’s sway. A grieving father whose daughter was crippled and sterilized in war; handles key admin and logistics.
• Laios – High Priest of Crete. He is a balding man who represents the national religion. He is highly resistant to Western Church influence and views cremation as sacrilege. The bald High Priest of Crete. Intensely focused on the religious sanctity of Sea Burials.
• Shidarkan – Gloomy, bearded son-in-law of the Malc family (Flora’s clan); once a modest Malc magician, ordinary next to Shajar’s elites. Attends the Cyclops Island war council after losing his wife, Flora, and sisters-in-law in the northern base’s destruction. First appears Vol. 4 Ch. 45. Reminder: bereaved Malc son-in-law—sober, doubtful, and dim but dutiful.
• Mansoor – Crimson-eyed elder monk and Azrael’s Divine General from the Shakerdoust domain near Dacia. Wielding mist form, blood-drinking, rapid healing. He ties to allies like Ryoma and Hanami Tsai. First appearing in Vol. 4 Ch. 25. Quick tag: vampiric red-eyed grandpa-general who mist-forms and drinks blood, obsessed with rescuing his captured son unlike other human monks.
• Gensou – Eccentric young Eastern monk-general in Azrael’s army, playful yet ambitious. Wields sun-like magic, swordsmanship, and assassination tactics. Linked to three masked wives—Seishi, Oushoukun, and Yougyokukan (Head Magician). Ally of Mansoor and Oji, serves under Jibril, proposes Operation Assassination. First appears Vol. 4 Ch. 45. Reminder: playful Eastern general with masked harem wives, always late but magically explosive, contrasting serious monks with his bathrobe vibe and schemes.
• Smaa – Amora’s mother, and a retired court magician; fiercely protective of her daughter. Tigress Beastman.Wears intricate silks of a Cretan sorceress.
• Chief Blue – Chieftain of the Blue Shark-man clan—a massive fishman with a shark tail, clad in a white toga adorned with shells and bones. Stern father to Shark, he fiercely guards his tribe’s sacred view of the Great Sea as a cradle of reincarnation.
• Isthbaran – The High Warlord of the ‘Storm Herd.’
• Talia – A high-ranking vampire spirit currently possessing the body of Lyritisse. In this form, she has flaxen hair, blue eyes, and thick lips.
• Ali – The oldest of the elite warrior monk trio, referred to as General Ali.
• Leprobus – Rou’s comrade who sacrificed his chance to escape during a pirate raid by pushing Rou off in a small boat. He returned to the deck, sword in hand, to protect the others. Distinguished by his giant blood and burning red hair, marking him as more than human. He is released by Kian on Cyclops Island jail.【v4c23】.
• Mag – The wolfwoman under Yelmar—the one who was caught by Kian’s group earlier.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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