The legendary Moonlight Sculptor

V50C5P4 Hidden weapons

Fabio and Herman.

Whenever these two dwarves looked at each other, this was what they thought:

'I'm better than him.'

'Anyone would say that the quality of my swords is far more excellent than his.'

Although both of them were old enough to be treated like adults wherever they went, the competitive spirit deep within their hearts burned like an erupting volcano.

Fabio and Herman decided to go to the Garnav Plain together.

'This war sounds interesting. And we'll be able to determine who the best blacksmith is once and for all in front of the whole crowd.'

'A true Master Blacksmith should do their part in the war. The warriors who are equipped with the gears from my workshop will be able to exert their full power.'

But quite opposite to their innermost feelings, outwardly they behaved as if they were the closest friends.

"How are things going?"

"Well, there's nothing much going on nowadays… just spending my evening with beer every day. How about you, Fabio-nim?"

"I've also been busy making merry. We've worked so hard for a long time; it doesn't hurt to enjoy life a little."

They had a friendly conversation with smile on their faces, but even the war between the Arpen Kingdom and the Haven Empire was not the top item on their lists of priority.

'I will create the greatest sword of the continent.'

'Through my effort and passion, I will forge a sword of the Gods as such the people will think of themselves as fortunate if they can just behold it once.'

They continued this cordial chat and maintained their false nonchalance as they travelled together. During the entire trip to the Garnav Plain, both of them were dying to do some work with their hammer but they forcefully restrained themselves from doing so, because neither of them would be able to stand the feeling of defeat if they submitted to their competitive spirit and started making swords while their rival was being so relaxed and composed.

"This apple is delicious."

"The strawberries melt in my mouth, too."

The two dwarves walked on, stopping to pick an apple from time to time. As their legs were shorter than those of human, it took them a while to arrive at the Garnav Plain. They got out of their smithies so rarely that they wasted a considerable amount of time wandering about a wrong road, which also contributed to their delay.

"Beer Porridge, Soju Porridge! Come gather over here! We're having a head-on match against the Wine Porridge squad!"

"Anyone seen where Azalea Porridge unit is? Please give me directions!"

"I'm selling red peanuts. Freshly roasted red peanuts for just one silver!"

There were already an innumerable number of users gathered in the Garnav Plain. Although it was difficult for the two dwarves to see the whole view due to their short bodies, they could simply feel that the whole plain was covered with humans. They were having meetings in smaller groups, eating and drinking to their heart's content while frolicking and dancing with others. The huge sculptures towering over them far in the distance like mountains looked almost majestic.

'How on earth have they done all this… exactly how many sculptures are there, and in what scale?'

'I've seen them on the broadcast, but they look even more magnificent in person. I wished to have joined earlier.'

'I would've arrived earlier if I hadn't bumped into Herman on the way…'

'I could have run all the way to here if it hadn't been for this senior Fabio… Heck, I would've even clung to the back of a carriage to come faster.'

They turned to face each other and smiled.

"There's not much to see, now that I'm actually here."

"Well, I guess that's often the case with things. Once you come all the way to see something in person, it's just nothing. Yet all this fuss…"

"So that restaurant is famous? I don't understand what's so great about that place to have people wait in a queue. Tut tut."

"I couldn't agree more. It's just a meal, to fill your belly."

The two dwarves were stubbornly refusing to speak out their mind, as their dignity didn't allow it.

'I want to eat there. I'm hungry.'

'Ugh… I've come so far and I can't even have some delicious food?'

Still, they were eager to see the rest of the festival site, so they moved their short legs quickly and walked around.

"The technique of those dwarf blacksmiths is indeed remarkable."

"Wow, look at that skill! They're forming the sculptures right as they pour that molten iron. This construction wouldn't have been so easy without them."

Fabio and Herman walked towards the direction from which they could hear the talks about blacksmiths. Thousands of dwarves were working together there.

"That's the sign of the smithy in Ekverin."

"Looks like Bamby's here, too."

Many famous dwarf blacksmiths from Kuroso were hammering various pieces of weapons and armors into shape. Some were making shovels and carts, and users came to buy them as soon as they were completed.

"Thank you, dwarf-nim."

"No problem."

Anywhere outside Thor, it was near impossible for several thousand dwarves to gather in one place, yet there were more than one such meeting place of dwarven master craftsmen scattered across the Garnav Plain. With so many users assembled and the preparation for the war underway, there was no time for a break for those dwarf masters.

"Hmm."

"Ahem, hem…"

Fabio and Herman were itching to step forward.

Master Blacksmiths!

Their shoulders automatically stiffened with pride, as they knew they were among the few who had realized the ultimate dream of every dwarf.

They wanted to boast their accomplishment, but were reluctant to do so before anyone acknowledges them.

"Master Fabio, is that you?"

"Herman-nim?"

Before long, several dwarves recognized them.

"Oh. It's really them!"

"It's usually extremely difficult to meet them in person, yet here they are!"

"Senior Fabio! Is it true that you have become a Master Blacksmith?"

"Herman-nim, could you please demonstrate your skills just a little? I'd like to see how you handle molten metal. No, let's start from how you start a fire!"

Other dwarf blacksmiths, who looked like mere apprentices needing many years of hammering ahead of them to the eyes of Master Blacksmiths, swarmed in to talk to them.

A moment had come at last to gratify their ego.

A smile slowly dawned on the faces of Fabio and Herman.

***

The orcs had arrived at the Garnav Plain.

"Chhhwiiiickk."

"Chhwiiit!"

The thick smell of delicious food entered the orcs' nostrils full of sweat and dust.

"This is paradise, Chhwiit!"

"Tha, that's food over there. Chhhwiichhhwiit!"

"Chwiiiiieeck!! I will eat it all!"

"Chwichwichwichhhwiit."

Various kinds of orcs, large and small, joined the festival in Garnav Plain. The orc lords had a chance to meet separately in a tent and have a glass of beer in a quiet place.

"Wrong choice of race. Chwieet!"

"I'm so sick of those orcs. Chwiiekk!"

"Always hungry. Chwik. And all they do is whine about wanting to fight more… Chwichwiet!"

While other users were interested in enjoying adventure, hunting or recreation, these orc lords were different.

'We will have countless many orcs under our command. And they will march across the plain. The whole world will belong to orcs[1] .'

There was just no sport in hunting individually or as a party. They swept whole dungeons with hundreds of orc warriors. And if that wasn't enough, they could simply unleash thousands more.

The charge of an army of roaring orcs — that would be every orc lord's ultimate fantasy.

This aspect of the orcs was also part of the influence Weed had left on people during his time as Karichwi the orc, but this was only the good side.

Orcs' bodies normally stank, which was quite natural considering how rarely they took a bath despite the fact that they sweated a lot. Even if one could get over the smell problem, there was the issue of their undying appetite. The second after they had a meal they wanted more, and even if you fed an orc until its belly was threatening to burst, it will still try to have more food. On top of it, they did not enjoy vegetarian diet, and persistently searched for meat.

"Beer. Nice. Chwiitt!"

"Foaming stuff. Foams, foams. Chwiissk!"

Ever since they had had a taste of Morata beer, they had demanded for more of it every day.

Fresh meat, and a glass of beer.

The orc lords eradicated the monsters appearing in the outer regions of the Arpen Kingdom with their orc army. They had secured a vast territory and many spoils of war, but most of the profit had to be spent on food products and weapons. Orcs complained that they were starving when hunting was not going well, and when hunting WAS going well, they complained that they wanted some decent quality food. And they were quite fond of shining new weapons, too.

The orc lords often spent their time regretting their choice of race when they were not engaged in a battle. Even so, they had to admit that orc was too fascinating a race to give up; the joy of roaming about the vast continent with tens of thousands of orc warriors under their banner was something only an orc could feel. The untamed life in the wild, and the pleasure of sinking your hard teeth into fresh, raw meat… Orcs could sleep in a rocky mountain, and explore the unknown land across rough and difficult terrains. Along with the help from the adventurers, the contribution of orcs was a critical factor in the border expansion and territory stabilization of the Arpen Kingdom.

"Kukukukukuchwiitt!!"

Galch, a successful orc lord, brought no less than 4.6 million warriors to the Garnav Plain. He was a man of such great popularity that he had a separate interview for broadcast, and he did not hide his delight to receive the news of the coming battle.

"For the Arpen Kingdom. I fight. Chwitt!"

"Yes, let's have an epic battle. Chwiittt!"

The orc lords decided to think about a battle strategy together to fight more effectively.

"…"

"…"

"…"

Everyone was silently sipping from their glass of beer, as if their brains also turned into those of orcs.

"Chhwikk."

There was occasional snorting, too.

The problem was, of course, that the orc lords had never used any battle strategies other than full frontal assault.

***

The Royal Club!

An unofficial society in the Versailles Continent, but which had strict conditions for accepting new members: in order to become a member of this club, one needed to own at least three trillion won's worth of property between himself and his family in the real world.

"It seems like this battle in the Garnav Plain might even affect our fate."

"Tsk. The Hermes Guild is not as competent as we thought."

"Well, our expectations might have been simply too high from the beginning. These minor issues will only add to the fun, don't you think?"

"I suppose."

The users of the Royal Club were either the lords of some regions, or equipped with rare and fancy gears. Even to these men of wealth, the Versailles Continent was as close to a paradise as it could be. After a few days of using the game as a vacation spot while enjoying the clear air and the restful landscape, they would be filled with other kinds of ambitions. Sometimes they wanted to explore the vast and perilous continent full of mystery, and other times they felt a compulsion to engage themselves in a fierce battle against monsters. The energetic atmosphere of cities bustling with numerous users made their hearts pound with excitement, and the pleasure of feeling the improved physical capacities whenever they leveled up was equally thrilling.

'I want to become stronger, faster than anyone else.'

'I want to make a big accomplishment. A man of my status shouldn't have an ordinary life in this world.'

Royal Road was the new rising trend among the wealthy class; gone were the days when they all devoted their time and enthusiasm to golf.

Based on their wealth in real life, the club had been making regular deals with the Hermes Guild. Weapons, armors, hunting grounds, cities and mercenaries — there was an endless variety of things that they could get, depending only on their desire. And the users of the Royal Club did not want the Hermes Guild to be destroyed.

"A crisis can always turn into an opportunity. The Hermes Guild has recently made an inquiry on our interest in investment… it seems they need a lot of money due to the cost of war."

"And what will we get in exchange for our investment?"

"The cities in the North."

"That doesn't sound like a bad deal."

The several hundred wealthy users of the Royal Club decided to make a large-scale investment in the Hermes Guild.

***

Boemong, the giant knight leader of the order of Crimson Knights, assembled the forces under his command.

"That's a huge number."

The army that gathered in the front courtyard of Borgo Castle alone consisted of two thousand knights and five thousand soldiers. On top of that, he had recruited mercenaries to increase that number further to twenty thousand.

"More importantly, they are not some ragtag band of idiots pretending to be soldiers. They will easily wipe out an army of 500 000." said Bess, the vice-captain, smiling confidently.

One benefit of occupying the central continent was that they could conscript more soldiers or hire mercenaries at any time. Although it cost some money, within the Central Continent that had been through countless wars there were many forces that they could recruit as part of their army.

"Now, all there is left to do is to win."

"Of course."

Boemong recalled the earlier agreement among other lords and rankers of the Hermes Guild to bring their military forces together. If it had been a long-term war, even the Hermes Guild wouldn't have been able to maintain the size of its army due to the tremendous expense. But for a single battle, they could expand their military forces as much as they wanted.

And they will rake in every last troops in the Central Continent.

"This is going to be a showdown. It's an incredibly precious opportunity for us."

"Kukuku. Weed has made a colossally stupid mistake this time."

There were a lot of users in the Hermes Guild who were eagerly awaiting the upcoming war just like Boemong.

***

Lancelot[2], the lord of the Vroner Castle.

Once the commander-in-chief of the Haven Imperial Army tasked with the conquest of the North, he had now lost his position among the inner circle of the Empire. He did not attend the meetings for the heads of the Hermes Guild, and hardly ever visited Aren Castle.

"Revenge. I will have my victory by any means necessary."

Ever since he was defeated by Weed, Lancelot had been sharpening his sword for the moment of vengeance, grinding his teeth in rage.

Hunting, and only hunting! He fought monsters and won. Sometimes he had to suffer a drop in his level and skill proficiencies caused by an occasional death, but he could put up with it. He could have chosen a life of wealth and comfort as a great lord, but he only obsessed about hunting.

"I will kill Weed with my own hands."

Lancelot was even delighted whenever the Hermes Guild was defeated, because this way people would forget about his failure to conquer the North, and the thrill of finally taking his revenge on Weed would be even greater.

After the date of the battle in the Garnav Plain was decided, Lancelot felt that the day of his vengeance was drawing near.

"Assemble the entire troops in the castle."

Vroner Castle had been in the state of war for some time. As its entire capital had been spent on the training of army, in no time there were forty thousand soldiers ready and waiting for orders.

***

Draka!

A powerful user who was currently ranked in the 6th place of Royal Road.

"A war is what I've been waiting for!"

He once led the Haven Imperial Army in the conquest of the Northern Continent as well. His powerful army took over the territory of the Arpen Kingdom little by little and reached the Earth Palace, but a series of absurd events took place. He had to face the resurrected warrior Hestiger, and his army was slaughtered when the Earth Palace itself collapsed upon them.

"So they've built the palace on top of a mountain… to prepare for an occasion like this?!"

He was defeated by a method that no military strategist or tacticians would have been able to predict. Even so, his army was powerful enough to equally match against the enemy despite all those misfortunes.

While rebuilding his army with the help of his colleagues, Draka had been waiting, in order to pay back for the one and only defeat in his entire life.

"I will wipe them all out. I will show them what real power is."

***

The Kallamore region.

Evaluk Castle, ruled by Dain, was crowded with users.

"This place is pretty liveable."

"Yeah, it's not too bad, although I often feel angry whenever I think of the Hermes Guild."

With the technology and commerce of Evaluk Castle increasing frighteningly fast, the users were happy — it was the only land in the Kallamore region where they could afford to have some hope.

However, as Evaluk Castle was making a rapid progress, Dain also received the draft call issued by the Hermes Guild.

- Assemble all of your troops and set off to the Garnav Plain.

"…"

For some time Dain considered rejecting this order, but in the end she concluded that she had no choice but to follow it.

'I've received too much from this guild.'

Even though her tie with Weed had not led to any deeper relationship, it was still very precious to her. However, as long as she belonged to the Hermes Guild, she couldn't betray it either.

'I'll just have to hope that he will understand my situation even if we fight each other.'

Dain decided to participate in the war along with her army. When she started to recruit soldiers, a surprisingly large number of users came to Evaluk Castle to sign up.

"We should at least save the face of our kind castellan, shouldn't we?"

"Yeah, it looks like that Hermes Guild is already quite displeased with her because of what she's done for us. So let's fight for her this time."

"But the Arpen Kingdom is also on the side of the users. All the accomplishments of Weed, especially, had all been for people of this world."

"That's true, but we still need to think about how much Lord Dain has given to us."

"Yes, we shouldn't abandon our loyalty."

As the users of the Kallamore Region gathered, Dain's troops amounted to a number greater than 200 thousand. Most of the common users were those who had sided with the Haven Empire.

(Continued on next part…)

[Notes]

[1]The original sentence in Korean directly translates to "The whole world shall turn into orcs." I do not know what exactly the author means by it, so I chose to change it slightly.

[2] This name was wrongly translated Rensullot instead of Lancelot in previous translations. Vol 32 Ch 10: "The elite members of the Hermes Guild led their knights and troops into the other kingdoms. From now on, they didn't care about revealing the hidden power they built up to the other kingdoms. And a battalion of 70,000 troops led by Rensullot moved towards the Arpen Kingdom."