C769
(Note: There was a misunderstanding—Luche is a man, not a woman. It's the Koreans' fault for not using pronouns.)
The destination Jin and Luche were heading toward was the construction site of the secret shipyard.
Before entering, Jin didn’t forget to check Luche’s background and conduct a verification through Euria.
There was still the possibility that Luche was a spy for Zipple, so it was necessary to exclude him.
Bringing someone into such a highly classified area naturally required a thorough check, and Luche accepted it without resistance.
In the end, it was true that Luche came with a pure heart, seeking to join the alliance without any connection to Zipple.
From the start, he couldn’t hide his excitement about visiting such a highly classified area of the alliance.
“Wow...! As expected from the Vamel alliance, to have something like this hidden away!”
Even in the midst of his amazement, when Luche saw the light left by Ron, he calmed his heart and approached, offering a silent prayer for a while.“Hey, why did you leave and come back again? What did you leave behind? And who’s that boy?”
Qwaul, who was in charge of the construction, approached Jin and asked.
“He’s not a boy.”
“He looks like a kid to me.”
“My name is Luche Fibrizo, eldest son of the Fibrizo family, official fan club president and...”
“And the provisional contractor for Barbobo, the God of Architecture. Dr. Qwaul.”
Jin spoke on Luche’s behalf, and Qwaul’s eyes widened in surprise.
“What!? Is that true?”
“Your name is Qwaul-nim, right? Anyway, nice to meet you. I’m also a member of the alliance from today, so let’s get along.”
Qwaul looked Luche up and down as if he found it hard to believe.
For a while, Jin explained the trial Barbobo had required of Luche.
“Becoming responsible for a project even worthy of the God of Architecture... Haha, if it’s a project designed by me, that’s only natural. Hey, kid.”
“It’s Luche.”
“Yeah, kid. Go inside and ask Barbobo to take a good look. He’ll surely be satisfied.”
When they went underground, Luche marveled once again.
When they opened a door barely wide enough for a person to pass, an infinitely vast underground space was revealed.
Ironically, it was much brighter than the gloomy surface.
The entire space, from the ceiling to the walls, was illuminated by bright lights called magic lamps, and the alliance members bustled about below.
Even for Luche, who knew nothing about architecture, it was clear that the project was immense.
Luche suppressed the excitement in his heart and eagerly awaited Barbobo’s voice.
Jin and Qwaul also waited for that voice.
If, by chance, Barbobo didn’t react even after seeing this place, they’d have to reconsider things.
[Hey!]
Fortunately, Barbobo spoke immediately.
Luche jumped in surprise and stumbled back, while Jin calmly faced Barbobo’s soul manifestation above his head.
“You startled me! Mr. Barbobo, let’s make the contract now!”
[I don’t like it!]
“Ah, what is it that you don’t like?”
[I had a reason for giving you such trials, Luche. I wanted to see you, naive and untalented as you are, hone your own skills through the provisional contract with me and overcome the trials I set for you, pushing yourself as your blood dried and your bones wore down, growing step by step. I wanted to witness that.]
“Huh? What are you saying?”
[I wanted to unleash your talent with my powers once you finally became responsible for a project even impressive to Barbobo... But you resorted to such tricks!?]
“Whether tricks or whatever, as long as the conditions are met, isn’t it fine? You seemed impressed too, Mr. Barbobo.”
“I apologize for the delay in greeting you, Mr. Barbobo. I’m Jin Runcandel, the young patriarch of the Runcandel Family.”
[Hmph... Very well, Jin Runcandel. Your name has been heard often among the gods lately. Did you allow Luche to resort to deception?]
“Yes, though I didn’t think of it as deception.”
[It’s impossible for someone like you not to understand my intentions.]
“Please, hold back your displeasure. Or perhaps this site doesn’t impress you?”
[That’s not it, but it seems that Luche’s opportunity for growth has been lost.]
“The current situation is quite chaotic, Mr. Barbobo. If Luche had started working elsewhere, especially under Zipple, without meeting me, there’s a high chance he would’ve been enslaved through mind control or that you would’ve been absorbed into the Demon God Orb.”
Barbobo surprisingly showed signs of agreeing with Jin’s words.
[You’re not wrong. This idiot could have been caught by Zipple, babbling about his abilities. In that case, I would’ve been trapped in the Demon God Orb.]
“So please lend us your strength, even though it’s a bit regrettable. Although Luche didn’t face the trials alone, being the chief director of this site as a member of the alliance will lead him to many realizations.”
Jin spoke in his usual friendly manner, but in reality, Barbobo was overwhelmed by the peculiar dignity emanating from him.
Partly, this was due to the stories circulating among the lesser gods.
Jin recognized that Barbobo was taken aback.
“If there was any rudeness in my words, please let me know.”
[That’s not the case. I just briefly wondered if you’re truly worthy of your role.]
“What do you mean?”
[If you are someone who can protect the gods who fear being absorbed by the Demon God Orb.]
Recently, Jin’s name had been frequently mentioned among the lesser gods.
Among the gods, many feared being absorbed by the Demon God Orb.
Currently, with the Demon God Orb growing stronger, the lesser gods were at a level where they’d be absorbed the moment they were captured by Zipple.
When Barbobo explained this to Jin, he nodded resolutely.
“For me, defeating Zipple is an inherent mission that must be accomplished, and naturally, in the process, I can’t avoid helping the gods. However, we have quite a few gods in our alliance, and I had never heard such stories before.”
[Newcomers like Picon Minche can’t participate in these meetings. On the other hand, high-ranking gods like Olta rarely have any involvement with us, so it’s possible.]
“Either way, I have a clear intent to help. There’s no need to ask for anything in return since simply preventing the absorption of gods into the Demon God Orb will stop Zipple from gaining more power.”
[It seems you expect something in return from me.]
“If you say you won’t help with this site, of course, that would be disappointing, but I wouldn’t hold it against you, Mr. Barbobo.”
“Mr. Barbobo, won’t you help? Please make a contract with me.”
Barbobo seemed lost in thought for a moment in response to Jin and Luche’s words.
Then, he nodded as if he had made a decision.
[Very well, I’ll help you. However, in return, you must protect the gods close to me. They are in an especially dangerous state because their positions have almost been exposed to Zipple. There are three of them. Kaytam, the God of Painting, Ochs, the God of Frames, and Telpen, the God of Pencils. Among them, the God of Painting, you, and...]
Barbobo stopped himself from saying more and lowered his head.
[...I think it’s better to hear it directly from Kaytam. Anyway, find and protect these three. Don’t let other gods know about this. There’s no need to provoke Zipple’s search for gods without reason.]
Although Jin was curious about Kaytam, he decided to meet him in person and didn’t ask further questions.
“If you let me know their location, I’ll take care of it immediately.”
[I’ll write it down later. I’m counting on you. Luche, listen to my command. Kneel with reverence. Let’s proceed with the contract.]
“Ooh!”
When Luche knelt, a round circle was drawn on the ground, and light emanated from it.
[I, Barbobo, the God of Architecture, make a contract with Luche Fibrizo and grant him my blessing. Luche Fibrizo, as an official contractor, shall borrow my powers…]
The light permeated Luche’s body.
After trembling for a moment, he opened his eyes, and now the project seemed completely different to him.
Just as fog dissipates to reveal something hidden, he began to understand the problems throughout the site at a glance.
“Incredible, this is the power of a god.”
[Uh, I’m tired after completing the contract. I’ll rest for a while, so have Luche handle some tasks. There’s more than one thing that needs improvement.]
“Sir Jin! No, patriarch-nim? My Lord? Alliance Leader? I want to address you differently.”
“Normally, people call him ‘My Lord.’”
“Then I’ll call you Elder Brother Jin, Elder Brother! From what I can see, there are many areas on the site where I can make improvements. First, the joints of those pillars will develop cracks in about two months, and we can dig deeper over there.”
“What? You can tell just by looking?”
“The placement of the material storage area isn’t right, and the ground over there will sink if it gets heavier.”
All of these were areas that Qwaul had also somewhat recognized.
So Qwaul was experiencing even greater shock.
“And the gates? Can you see them over there? We’re working on creating gates for warships to pass through. Are they okay?”
“Well, I’ll have to observe them a bit to know. What kind of structure is the gate?”
“You can see it in this blueprint...”
For a while, Luche and Qwaul discussed while looking at the blueprint.
Qwaul kept nodding his head, while Luche’s voice was filled with excitement due to his new abilities.
What was most surprising was that Luche’s abilities were still those of a beginner.
Just as Jin had honed his skills, Luche could also study architecture and further improve his abilities.
“Hey, Jin. It looks like construction will progress much faster. We need to recruit more workers and increase the supply of materials.”
“Starting today, I’ll stay here, Elder Brother Jin! I’ll give you the address, so please take care of my family. Things are getting chaotic, so don’t send them here. Just find a safe area and get them a house. I can introduce the family later, as there’s a lot of work to do.”
Jin nodded, feeling a mix of emotions.
Luche was already rolling up his sleeves, preparing to get to work.
“Understood. If you need anything, you can always request it through Qwaul.”
“Yes, Elder Brother, I’ll keep working!”
“Work with Luche, Doctor, and let me know the estimated completion date when it’s available.”
“Understood, I’m looking forward to it.”
Upon leaving the shipyard and returning to Tikan, more good news awaited Jin.
“Jin.”
Valeria appeared, heading straight toward Jin as if she had been waiting for him.
“You seem happy. Is there good news, Valeria?”
Valeria pulled out a piece of paper from her pocket.
On it were dozens of names Jin had never seen before.
“What are those names?”
Valeria smiled mischievously and replied:
“They’re the names of magical engineers who applied to join after hearing my name. Didn’t I tell you? As soon as my existence becomes known, people crazy about Histor magic will come seeking me.”
Blessings kept coming.
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