Published: July 4, 2025
"That was really close, wasn't it?"
"Indeed."
"I don't want to involve Andalusia in any combat. Peace is the greatest thing in human existence."
Ryo and Abel were walking along the road by the southern river, riding on Andalusia and Feiwan.
"It all started because Abel forgot to bring his identification..."
"I'm sorry! I've told you many times... but Ryo, you didn't notice anything until we were surrounded, right?"
"Are you blaming me? You were so engrossed in your book that you didn't notice anything either!"
The swordsman and the mage exchanged accusations.
Both let out small sighs.
"When riding, let's not read books."
"We mustn't let our guard down."
The two made a firm resolution.
Ten minutes later.
"This bun is delicious!"
"It's filled with minced meat, and the juice is amazing too."
The two were munching on what seemed to be meat buns they bought along the way.
They weren't reading!
They weren't letting their guard down!
But still, they needed to enjoy their journey.
And the joy of traveling is eating on the go!
The road from the City of Nomon to Fenmu had been quite barren, but along the road from Fenmu to Bolhen, there were shops.
This was likely because this road followed the southern river.
The southern river was indeed a large river, with widths of over a kilometer in various places.
As a result, many boats, big and small, traversed it, and numerous shops lined up to cater to them.
The two were benefiting from those shops...
"On the road from Nomon, just getting close was punishable by death..."
"Even on this road, it took more than an hour after leaving Fenmu for shops to appear. I suspect that even this road isn't safe for ordinary people near Fenmu."
"Not being able to visit a grave is tough."
Ryo responded to Abel's reasoning with a common person's thought.
"Sure, it's not just the royal family's tomb, but there are multiple burial goods as well. We can't allow tomb raiders to get close."
"Ah, I see."
Throughout history, the tombs of kings and emperors contained valuable burial goods.
This was sometimes due to the desire for the deceased to live comfortably in the afterlife... but for tomb raiders, it simply meant wasted opportunities.
"They won't be using it anyway. We'll put it to good use."
"That's certainly an audacious thought!"
"Well, yes..."
Ryo was indignant, while Abel chuckled.
Indeed, Abel was the king, and eventually, he would be buried with those same burial goods.
"My golem will always protect your grave!"
"Uh... I appreciate that."
Of course, Ryo had yet to create a golem capable of serving as a grave keeper.
When he finally does... it feels like a sad tale of a golem that would guard the grave long after humanity has perished...
"I came up with an even better idea!"
"...For some reason, I feel like I shouldn't ask."
"What if we modified Abel's body so he wouldn't die?"
"Yeah, definitely shouldn't have asked..."
Of course, Ryo didn't have the technology to make Abel immortal.
"There are various methods I think. We could turn Abel into a vampire, or extract his soul and stick it onto a golem. Don't worry, technological progress is rapid. By the time Abel dies, there will definitely be developments!"
"Uh, give me a moment to think about this..."
Mad scientist Ryo was born here!
"By the way, I felt Ryo's pressure for the first time... it’s incredible."
"Pressure? Oh! Former King Robert Pirlo praised it too. Is that so? I learned it from the neighboring Dragon King while in the Forest of Rondo. After all, it’s direct instruction from 'the real deal,' so it must be exceptional."
Ryo answered with a pleased expression.
Former King Robert Pirlo was the predecessor king of a nation that constituted the Handalu Federation and had praised Ryo’s presence when they traveled to the Western Nations together.
Dragon King Ruin was the king of dragons residing in Ryo's territory, Duke Rondo's territory, and he occasionally brought seasoned meat or rice to Ryo.
To Ryo, it felt like a year-end gift or offering.
He felt it was quite a bargain since he could learn various things in return.