50. Arcana Online

50. Arcana Online50. Arcana Online

It's already been a week since I started living in the Golden City of Eldorado.

During that time, I assigned monsters to different areas, and with supplies provided by Lala's merchant group, Lala Trading, we've entered into a stable lifestyle.

The biggest reason this was possible in such a short time.

It's not thanks to my friend Lala, but thanks to the Silver Fox Clan.

"Good work, everyone."

"We only did what needed to be done for our benefactor."

Rang, speaking prettily while looking at me.

I'm receiving a lot of help, so as a token of gratitude, I handed over a unique-grade magic stone. At first, she refused, but unable to overcome my insistence, she accepted and used it, her eyes widening.

"W-what is this..."

"It's fine, right? It's something that can only be obtained from the celestial realm."

Watching this scene, her younger sister Ran also held out both hands to me.

"Give me one too! No, please give me one!"

It's cute how she switches to polite speech as soon as she sees her sister making a fist.

When I handed her a magic stone, she showed the same surprised expression. Sisters will be sisters.

They look exactly alike, after all.

When I handed over a pouch of magic stones, telling them to give one to each member of the Silver Fox Clan, Yong-yong made a fuss.

"Kyuuu!"

"But you already ate one!"

"Kyuuuuu!"

He complained tearfully, asking if I was discriminating against him, and I couldn't help but give in.

In the end, I handed him one magic stone and set out to tour the village.

Monsters who had been assigned tasks by the Silver Fox Clan were tending to the city.

Befitting the Golden City of Eldorado, there was a wall made of gold, but it was cumbersome, so we demolished it, and rabbits were making fields to farm.

Goblins and orcs were helping with that work.

Slimes were absorbing and dissolving garbage into their bodies, and warbears were moving large stones and trees.

Griffins were flying around, keeping watch, and everyone was living while carrying out their assigned tasks.

Near what used to be the city gate, something was approaching.

The griffins flew over to inform me that it was dwarves?

When I went outside, there really was a group of dwarves approaching.

The one who seemed to be their representative approached, and it was a familiar face.

"Aren't you the dwarf who was doing business in Thalassa?"

"It's been a while."

The dwarf I had received help from before.

But something felt off.

Leading a group of dwarves with a gaunt face compared to before, what kind of story could they have?

"Let's go inside and talk first."

"Thank you."

As I led the group of dwarves inside, numerous monsters looked at them.

If it were before, they might have been scared, but now they've changed to cute doll sizes, and their gazes...

"There are many cute creatures here."

"Don't get too close. It's dangerous."

When one of the dwarves tried to approach a cute lizard nearby, I stopped him.

Despite appearances, it's one of the 7 Magic Realms. It's a named monster that lived in the Forest of Pain and Despair.

I was busy stopping it as it was about to spit out the poison it was holding in its mouth.

I guided the dwarves to a somewhat decent building, took out tea and snacks from my inventory to serve them, and asked about their situation.

"We were scammed and can no longer do business in the village."

"The same happened to us..."

The dwarves told me that they had been victims of a supply scam by a merchant group they usually dealt with, losing everything including their homes and being driven out.

Most of them said they had spent their entire lives hammering iron and selling goods, never expecting this to happen.

Trusting someone they thought was a friend was the root of the problem.

I felt sorry for them and wanted to help, but I had my own problems.

But then they made an unexpected proposal.

"We want to start anew here! If you provide us with a place, we'll build the best city for you!"

Dwarf masters are not easily found anywhere.

Moreover, since they've come all this way, I can't just do nothing.

"Is it really okay if I just provide you with a place? It can't be that simple, right?"

"W-we have nothing, so if you provide us with some capital too, we'll pay you back 100 times... no, 1,000 times later!"

When I looked into their eyes, I could tell they weren't lying.

I took out a pouch full of gold coins from my inventory and held it out to them.

The dwarves looked at the pouch with blank stares.

"I don't need 1,000 times. Just pay back the principal and buy me a meal sometime later."

Hearing my words, the dwarves bowed their heads.

Surely they're not crying?

They held my hand tightly, tears flowing.

"We promise on the honor of dwarves. When my friend is in trouble, I too will help."

[You have acquired a title.]

Friend of the Dwarves.

When I told them I'd connect them with Lala Trading so they could purchase necessary items, they looked at me with moved expressions, but it was burdensome.

All dwarves look like grandfathers...

After finishing our talk, I gave them a tour of the city, telling them which areas were safe to enter and which would be dangerous.

"That area over there is dangerous. They're all children carrying poison, so you could cross the River Jordan in 3 seconds."

"That's scary."

After finishing the tour, they all took out hammers from their bosoms, saying there were many parts that needed repair, but where did those come from?

"We'll do the repairs we can do right away. We'll start the rest when the materials arrive."

"Please take care of it."

With those words, I waved goodbye, and the dwarves set off to do repair work in the distance.

We've gained reliable allies.

At this rate, won't there be more later?

Thinking about the future, I should make preparations.

You never know what the future holds.

"What should we do first?"

"Kyuuung!"

"Huh? We're already excavating, though?"

True to its nickname as the Golden City, all sorts of rare treasures are buried underground.

We're gathering them in the treasury, but the first treasury is already full, so we're piling them in the second treasury, and I can't even guess how much more is buried.

"Kyuuung!"

"Do we really need to extract magic stones? We can just buy them from the celestial realm if we need them, right?"

"Kyuuuung!"

Our Yong-yong strongly insists that we should do it as a top priority.

Surely not...

"Is it unique-grade...?"

"Kyuung!"

He confidently says it's the same grade or higher.

"As expected, our Yong-yong is a bundle of fortune!"

"Kyuung!"

He rejects my affectionate advances, saying it's gross.

Such a cold-hearted dragon.

When I raised my left hand, the Silver Fox Clan twin sisters Rang and Ran appeared from somewhere.

"Did you call for us?"

"Did you call?"

I gave instructions to the twins looking at me.

"We need to prioritize extracting magic stones."

"Understood."

"Got it."

With those words, the twins disappeared.

Now all we have to do is wait.

How convenient is this?

Everything gets done with just one word.

Since it's come to this, should I try being a king later...?

You know, I want to hear things like "It cannot be, Your Majesty!" like in historical dramas...

As I was looking down at the city from the highest building with Yong-yong, dreaming of grand things, I felt a sensation.

"Kyuung."

"It seems so."

Is it because my level has increased?

Thanks to my keener senses than before, I could tell.

"Come out."

Hearing my words, a being revealed itself.

A suspicious being wearing a black mask and hood pulled low.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Traveler Yuna. I am Judge Nia."

The mysterious being Nia, who introduced herself as a judge.

Holding Yong-yong in my arms, I approached her and asked.

"What's a judge?"

"We are beings who observe and judge anomalies occurring in the Arcana continent."

Judging by her thin voice and way of speaking, she's a woman.

If that's the case, this conversation should be easy.

"Shall we sit down and talk first?"

I offered her a soft chair and served her sweet snacks and fragrant tea on the table.

Then I called a warbear.

"Kyang!"

"Are you the youngest? This is perfect."

The youngest of the warbear family.

The smallest and cutest in size.

I handed the warbear to the judge who was sitting in the soft chair eating sweet snacks. At first, she was flustered, but then she started petting the warbear with careful hands.

"Kyang!"

The judge was so distracted by the warbear acting cute that she couldn't focus.

"So, what brings you here?"

"Uhh... N-no... That is..."

As I watched her stammer, I gave the warbear a look. Sёarᴄh the nôᴠel Fire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Telling it to use its ultimate technique.

The warbear nodded and acted as cute as it could, causing the judge to make strange noises and bury her face in the warbear's belly while taking off her mask.

A girl with silver hair and red eyes.

Seeing her expression melting, it's a success.

Just as planned.