Genius Wizard Hides His Sword Skills [EN]: Chapter 80

80. The Round Table of Ego (3)

[What the hell is he doing?]

The guy was begging for his life. Dorn’s sudden change of attitude was unexpected.

“Hey, human. I asked if that’s the evidence you were talking about.”

The Ho tribe chief’s roar. His voice, full of anger, seemed mixed with a sneering mockery.

“Well…”

Grantel also seemed a bit embarrassed, and the chiefs’ expressions gradually hardened.

“What are you talking about?”

The voice that broke the silence. It came from one of the Ho tribe members facing Dorn.

“Th-that’s…”

Dorn continued the conversation with his head bowed.

“Actually, I haven’t prepared all the items you mentioned yet. The quantity you requested was too much.”

At those words, the gazes of the chiefs, which had been directed at me, turned to Dorn.

“Items?”

“Yes. It’s not easy for me to get 500 magic bombs. Please give me a little more time!”

Dorn knelt down, holding his hands together respectfully.

‘Hoo…’.

I could breathe a sigh of relief at that sight.

[That’s more like it.]

‘That damn guy almost gave me a heart attack.’

I hadn’t expected him to beg for his life out of the blue.

[Weren’t you the most nervous you’ve been since coming to Ego?]

Cold sweat was beading on my back.

‘He should have gotten to the point from the beginning. What a jerk.’

In any case, the Ho tribe chief’s eyes narrowed, and the doubtful public opinion rapidly changed.

“Did that guy just say magic bombs?”

“Why is Hiray trying to get magic bombs?”

“He even said 500 of them.”

“That much…”

The Ho tribe members facing Dorn were speechless, just staring at him.

“So, what I’m saying is…”

Dorn carefully opened his mouth.

“By the way, what happened to the Gwigwang tribe?”

“Gwigwang tribe?”

“Yes. I need to send them to the human I’m trading with. I received the Wonin tribe you sent earlier, but since we agreed to hand them over together…”

“What?”

“If I get money from him, I can get magic bombs more easily. If you give me a week, I’ll get them! Not only that, but I can also get you the weapons you mentioned before.”

The chiefs who heard that far showed various reactions. Some sighed deeply, while others clenched their fists in anger.

However, they all had one thing in common.

“That Hiray!”

“He dared to sell the residents of Ego!”

They had learned the truth about Hiray.

[Things are going according to plan.]

‘Thank goodness.’

I had even planned to send out the Gwigwang tribe elder to act like a kidnapped hostage if necessary. It was fortunate that we could end it like this.

“Please believe me!”

Dorn continued to talk, unaware that dozens of eyes were watching him.

“If we can only establish a trade with him, we can get all the items Hiray wanted and more. You can get all kinds of weapons and wage war against the humans!”

At that sight, the chiefs sighed.

They knew better than anyone what a war with humans meant. Now they realized the real reason why Hiray had been selling the residents of Ego.

He had already said enough, but Dorn’s tongue wouldn’t stop.

“That guy is stupid but has a lot of money. And since he’s a pervert, he goes crazy for different races.”

The guy was even spouting strange things.

[Kyah!]!

Oberon clutched his stomach, and the chiefs frowned.

‘Is he crazy…’.

It was about time to shut him up.

“It seems like there’s nothing more to see. Let’s arrest him now.”

I could only speak with the most troubled expression possible.

With those words, a being rushed out at an incredible speed.

‘The Wonin tribe chief…’.

He was the one whose tribe had been kidnapped most recently, so his anger had exploded.

“H-huh?”

Dorn was flustered by the sudden appearance of the new alien race.

“H-Ho tribe members! Arrest that guy too! I’ll sell him too!”

He was babbling, unaware of his situation.

Paah!

The Wonin tribe chief’s long arm stretched out.

‘What an idiot.’

Dorn was knocked out with just one blow.

“Kuaaaak!”

He probably couldn’t even see his movements.

The guy grabbed his arm, which seemed to be broken from the hit.

“You treacherous bastard! This is your grave!”

The Wonin tribe chief revealed his murderous intent towards him. Just as he was about to throw another punch.

“Stop. We need to capture him alive and ask where the kidnapped people are.”

Grantel’s voice reached him.

The bushes and soundproof barriers that had been covering the chiefs had already been removed.

“H-heek!”

Dorn staggered backward, horrified by the revealed silhouettes of the chiefs.

The Wonin tribe chief’s shoulders were trembling as he looked at him. He was a guy who deserved to be killed immediately, but he was barely maintaining his reason.

“I’ll take this guy and put him on Ego’s judgment table.”

The Wonin tribe chief tied Dorn’s hands and feet with magic rope. He slung the guy over his shoulder and headed into the forest.

In the end, my words were all proven. The chiefs’ cold gazes turned to the Ho tribe chief.

“…Alright. I admit it. Since such a guy came from our Ho tribe, I will take corresponding responsibility. And we will thoroughly search our tribe and purge all the children who followed Hiray.”

The Ho tribe chief spoke, suppressing his emotions. He closed his eyes and nodded.

“However.”

His eyes suddenly opened. His sharp gaze turned to me.

“However, it seems we must also judge that guy.”

Then the Ho tribe chief approached me step by step.

“What do you mean?”

Grantel blocked my path.

“A human has set foot in Ego and heard all our inside stories. Since when have we treated humans like that?”

The Ho tribe chief continued, looking around at the surrounding chiefs.

“Isn’t the rule of Ego to drive out any human who enters this place? Moreover, he even colluded in killing Hiray.”

“That’s because Hiray committed a crime first, so he was punished.”

The Ho tribe chief approached, ignoring Grantel’s words.

“No matter what Hiray did, a human who harmed the residents of Ego must be executed. That’s the rule of Ego.”

It was sophistry. Under the pretext of Ego’s rules, it was just an unreasonable demand to harm me.

‘He’s being unreasonable.’

A small portal opened behind my back, out of everyone’s sight. As Illimita’s space was activated.

Thump.

A small being popped out of it.

[Why Ratatosk? Are you trying to start a fight?]

Of course, that wasn’t the case. Ratatosk was a famous magical creature, but that was when it was an adult. In its current small form, it couldn’t possibly be a match for the Ho tribe chief.

‘It’s not that. I’m trying to signal Angel.’

I had instructed him to hide nearby in case something happened. The powerful members of the Central Council were stationed nearby, hiding.

[Ah, you said that if he pops out, it’s a signal that it’s dangerous, right?]

‘Yeah. It’s not the ending I wanted, but I can’t help it.’

[Right. We need to escape from that Ho tribe guy for now.]

I didn’t want to drag the Central Council into a fight. I just wanted to get their help to get out of here.

Ratatosk secretly left into the forest. Angel, who saw that, would be ready to help at any time.

‘Hoo. The Ho tribe chief’s temper is no joke.’

It was much easier to look at him now that my mind was at ease.

“Look here, Ho tribe chief. That seems like too hasty of a judgment.”

Once again, it was Grantel who blocked the Ho tribe chief.

“…I’m being hasty?”

“If he’s a person who killed a resident of Ego, as you said, then killing him immediately is the rule of Ego.”

“But why are you stopping me?”

“But there are exceptions to the rules of Ego. What you’re doing is just being unreasonable.”

“Exceptions?”

Perhaps it was because Grantel was well-trusted in Ego. The other chiefs chimed in at Grantel’s firm attitude.

“Yes. Isn’t the benefactor of Ego exempt from that rule?”

“This case seems special.”

“Hiray’s mistake was too big.”

The Ho tribe chief’s face gradually turned red. In the end, he shouted.

“What are you all talking about? Are you saying that this human is a benefactor of Ego!”

The Ho tribe chief openly exuded his energy and bared his teeth. The other chiefs had no choice but to flinch.

“I think we can see him as a benefactor.”

There was one exception. The Merchant Tribe Chief was the only one who could respond to the Ho tribe chief with force in this place.

“…What?”

“Ho tribe chief. Stop it. He is definitely a benefactor of Ego. He removed the magic bomb before, and he prevented the incident that Hiray was about to cause this time.”

“Even if that happened, I could have stopped it enough after the incident occurred…!”

The Merchant Tribe Chief grabbed the wrist of the excited Ho tribe chief.

“He minimized the damage before it happened, so what else would you call him if not a benefactor? It seems that the priority now is to find the kidnapped children and clean up the aftermath.”

When even the Merchant Tribe Chief gave his opinion, the Ho tribe chief had no choice.

“Keureung!”

He just glared at me and turned away without a word.

‘Hoo.’

[Angel won’t have to step in.]

That was fortunate. The Central Council had resolved the matter without revealing themselves.

‘Besides, a benefactor.’

The reason why the chiefs protected me. They thought of me as a benefactor of Ego.

“Thank you, Merchant Tribe Chief. I almost showed this boy who helped us a difficult sight.”

Grantel thanked them on their behalf. The Merchant Tribe Chief, who was closest to him, gave a gentle smile.

“There was such a human a thousand years ago. The one who brought us together and allowed us to mingle with humans. Thanks to that human, many new clauses were added to the rules of Ego.”

His gaze also reached me.

“Boy. You should be grateful to that human. He provided the justification to stop the Ho tribe chief.”

I couldn’t help but smile at those words.

[You saved yourself.]

‘That’s why you should live a good life.’

What I had done a thousand years ago had affected me now.

“Anyway, thank you. You prevented a big incident that could have happened in Ego. Come to our village tomorrow. I’ll treat you to a cup of tea.”

The Merchant Tribe Chief finished speaking playfully. He patted me on the shoulder lightly and turned away.

The other chiefs also moved their steps with pleasant smiles.

‘I got recognized faster than I thought.’

The moment I was recognized as their companion.

It was the first step to restoring the relationship between the residents of Ego and humans.

“Thank you. Merchant Tribe Chief. And to everyone else too.”

I shouted towards their disappearing backs.

“For the Merchant Tribe Chief to say that. You must be quite to his liking.”

Grantel muttered quietly at that sight.

“Is that so?”

“He’s not usually such an easygoing person. It seems like if you go to the Merchant Tribe’s village tomorrow, a gift will be waiting for you.”

The Merchant Tribe was known for their strong sense of loyalty.

[Are you going?]

‘Are you kidding me.’

There was no reason to refuse his kindness.