Chapter 142
Although there had been a small conflict along the way, the trade negotiations proceeded smoothly.
After learning about the naga king’s sensitive point, Cindy approached the discussion cautiously. Veshkan also seemed somewhat conscious of the fact that he had gotten unnecessarily angry the last time.
Understandable. He lost his temper at a girl much younger than himself.
Showing emotion during negotiations was disgraceful. Perhaps Veshkan thought the same, because he deliberately avoided mentioning his recent outburst—as if he wanted to pretend it had never happened.
Quick-witted Cindy skillfully navigated the conversation, and in the end they were able to conclude the trade negotiations amicably.
As a result, Cindy was in extremely high spirits.
“Hmm~ hmm-hmm~”
She hummed happily to herself while checking the trade goods loaded on the sailing ship. Seeing that, Woojin spoke to her.
“Did everything go according to plan?”
“Yeah! Lord Veshkan made a lot of concessions, so our expected profits will probably increase!”
“Really?”
It seemed the usually strict naga king had deliberately allowed Cindy to earn a share.
Since it was only proper to return a favor when one had received something, Woojin thought for a moment and then gave an order to Arwen, who was standing beside him.
“Bring the thing I packed separately in the luggage.”
“How much should I bring?”
“Hmm… let’s start with three.”
After preparing an appropriate gift in return, Woojin headed straight to the naga fortress with Arwen.
Before long they arrived at the naga king’s residence. Sensing their presence, Veshkan—who had been examining something—looked up.
“What brings you here?”
“Nothing much. I came to slip you a little bribe.”
“That is certainly welcome.”
Veshkan lifted the chessboard and moved it aside. His hands were extremely careful, making sure the pieces placed on the board didn’t topple over.
Woojin smirked.
“Is chess really that fun? You seem to be staring at it every day.”
“I was reviewing my defeat.”
Veshkan answered flatly. Hearing that, Woojin glanced sideways at the chessboard.
Both black and white pieces looked as if they had captured each other in chaos. The result was white’s defeat. The flow of the game looked familiar.
He’s replaying the match he had with Claire.
Yesterday Veshkan and Claire had played chess. Claire had given the naga king the first move, and as a result Veshkan—playing white—launched an aggressive attack…
But of course, Veshkan lost. Beating Claire in a battle of intellect was nearly impossible.
Perhaps that defeat had ignited the naga king’s competitive spirit. Veshkan had been practically shut inside his room ever since, staring only at the chessboard as if undergoing secluded training.
Looks intense.
It would be better not to disturb his practice and simply finish his business quickly. Without hesitation, Woojin took out the items he had brought.
Three glass bottles filled with red liquid.
Seeing them, Veshkan flinched slightly.
“What exactly did you bring? It seems to carry an unusual aura…”
“A part of an ancient being I hunted recently.”
Hydra’s blood.
A rare inner core that could not be obtained anywhere else. The perceptive naga king seemed to have roughly guessed its identity even before hearing the explanation.
Veshkan spoke carefully.
“What do you want in return?”
It was far too valuable to accept casually. To balance things out, he would need to place something of equivalent value on the scales.
Woojin replied casually.
“Just keep taking good care of the people around me, like you’ve been doing.”
“…That’s all?”
“Yeah. There’s nothing else I want right now.”
He didn’t particularly need anything at the moment, and he had brought it as a gift in the first place. Woojin had no intention of demanding more.
Veshkan nodded.
“I will do my best.”
“Good. But before that, try drinking it. You should confirm its effects before deciding anything.”
Woojin gestured toward the bottles. If the inner core’s effect was disappointing, their entire conversation would become meaningless.
“A reasonable suggestion.”
Veshkan readily agreed. The naga king gulped down the hydra’s blood in one go.
Immediately afterward, his eyes widened—then he frantically reached for the remaining bottles and drank them as well.
In an instant, all three bottles were empty.
Then the change began.
Crack… crackle—!
The naga king’s muscles swelled and contracted repeatedly without pause. Veshkan coiled tightly in place, as if restraining something about to burst from within him, closed his eyes, and began meditating.
Woojin quickly understood what was happening.
He’s trying to elevate his level using the power of the inner core.
After sensing something, Veshkan had consumed all the hydra’s blood at once. A single massive wave could cause more dramatic change than many smaller ripples.
In such a state he would be vulnerable to outside attacks. To guard against any accidents, Woojin stayed nearby to protect the naga king while observing the transformation.
After waiting for a while…
Tick. Tick.
A strange sound echoed—like a chick pecking at its eggshell while hatching.
Soon Veshkan’s scales split apart.
The naga king was shedding his skin.
Now larger and stronger, Veshkan exhaled, releasing a chill like a winter wind. Being a reptilian species, he seemed to have absorbed the hydra blood’s potential perfectly.
His eyes flickered eerily like blue sulfur flames.
Seeing this, Woojin let out a faint sigh.
He was already ridiculously troublesome… and now he’s even stronger.
He wondered if this had really been the right choice. If the naga king started his conquest again someday, things could become troublesome.
Even so, it was better to invest ahead of time.
If we’re going to face the dark priests, we need to strengthen our allied forces as much as possible.
The naga and the dark priests were enemies. Fanatics had once secretly tried something, only to be discovered and crushed by Veshkan.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend. If he fed Veshkan the inner core now, the naga king would surely repay the favor someday.
Just as Woojin was thinking that…
“…Was her name Claire? I’d like you to call that female mage here.”
“Why all of a sudden?”
Veshkan grinned.
“I feel like I can beat her now.”
After shedding his skin, not only his body but also his intellect had grown. Now that he understood the cause of his previous defeat, he believed he could win a chess match.
Woojin felt slightly concerned.
“Confidence is good, but… that’ll be difficult.”
“I’m in perfect condition. Bring her here and I’ll prove it.”
The naga king was full of confidence. Since he insisted, Woojin eventually brought Claire.
About ten minutes after the match began—
“Ah, checkmate.”
“……”
Veshkan returned to his secluded training.
***
The voyage proceeded smoothly.
In fact, it could hardly be otherwise. They were escorted by excellent naga warriors, and a gigantic turtle monster was swimming beside them.
Since he had nothing else to do and was bored, Woojin occasionally watched Claire and Veshkan play chess…
…but honestly, even watching it, he couldn’t really understand it.
There were simply too many moves and counter-moves unfolding. Even watching with his own eyes, it was difficult to understand.
So Woojin spent his time leisurely—taking naps in sunny spots, practicing magic, or chatting casually with the people around him.
After about three weeks passed like that…
Land finally appeared in the distance. A place filled with deep shadows, trees stained dark and black, and the familiar smell of mold hanging in the air.
The demonic realm.
Their destination was in sight.
The crew aboard the sailing ship watched the coastline with curious eyes. A beach formed from piles of dead coral stretched out, and nearby stood a city belonging to the naga.
They had arrived earlier than expected. Woojin asked Claire to confirm.
“How many days has it been since we set sail?”
“It’s the 24th day. It’s definitely much faster than traveling by land.”
Considering this was the central region of the demonic realm, it was an impressive record. By land, it took over twenty days just to travel from Elus to the wall city of Yurgis.
Of course, there was always the risk of encountering a powerful sea monster and having the ship destroyed—but even accounting for that, the time saved was enormous.
Information the Church Alliance would definitely want.
If they used sea routes, expeditions into the demonic realm would become far easier. Reinforcements and supplies could be transported much more conveniently.
Of course, it was a shortcut that could only be used with the cooperation of the naga tribe… but perhaps it could be negotiated somehow.
I should mention it to Elder Bow later.
Thinking that, Woojin gathered his luggage.
As they prepared to disembark, the sailing ship soon docked, and Woojin and the crew finally set foot on land again.
Veshkan spoke generously.
“Let us go to the palace and rest. My subordinates will transport the cargo from the ship.”
“That would certainly be convenient.”
Woojin readily accepted the offer.
They entered the naga city together with Veshkan. Fascinated by the city of the demonic realm, Woojin’s companions looked around constantly as they walked.
The buildings were made from rough bricks mixed with coral sand, seashells, and mud. Such structures were common in naga cities.
Claire murmured in curiosity.
“All the buildings look exactly the same size and shape. It’s like looking at a beehive.”
Veshkan, who was walking in front, replied.
“That’s because this is a hatchery.”
“Oh… are you raising chickens or something?”
“I suppose I’ll have to show you directly.”
Apparently too lazy to explain, Veshkan changed direction and approached one of the buildings. The perceptive naga attendants quickly opened the door.
What they encountered inside was…
A bonfire burning in the center of the room. On top of it sat a large wooden bucket. The water inside was boiling, making the air warm and humid.
Around the fire lay several large eggs in clusters. Eggs about the size of watermelons, half buried in the sand covering the floor.
Woojin quickly realized what they were.
“Are those your tribe’s eggs?”
“That’s right.”
Veshkan nodded.
These buildings were greenhouses used to hatch the naga tribe’s eggs—places normally not shown to outsiders. Yet the naga king had readily revealed them to these distant guests.
Feeling scholarly curiosity, Claire carefully examined the inside of the building before expressing concern.
“Isn’t it too hot in here? The eggs might cook if you’re not careful.”
“That’s intentional. We need males.”
“…What do you mean?”
Not understanding, Claire asked for clarification. Veshkan explained further.
“For our species, the surrounding temperature affects the sex. Higher temperatures produce males, and lower temperatures produce females.”
Temperature-dependent sex determination.
In some reptiles—such as crocodiles, lizards, and turtles—the temperature of the egg determines the sex. The naga tribe, with their reptilian nature, was the same.
When the tribe lacked females needed to produce eggs, they lowered the hatchery temperature. When they needed soldiers, they raised the temperature so more males would be born, then sent them to the training grounds to grow into warriors.
Woojin clicked his tongue inwardly.
No wonder their army seemed absurdly large… so this is how they increase their numbers.
With such a mechanical system in place, the naga could produce far more troops in a short time than other tribes.
A cold, pragmatic method—very much like the naga.
Though it lacked human warmth, this pursuit of efficiency and structure was exactly how the naga had built such a powerful force.