Pick me Up – Chapter 248 – The Princess of the Sun (1)
[Group 1, gather in the first-floor plaza!]
Sometime during the night.
Iselle’s voice echoed loudly in the Lobby.
<It was a good moment.>
Gugukon shook his head and slowly walked out.
One could say the timing was good. If it had been ten seconds later, he would have been cut to pieces by Halgion in the illusion. He was in the middle of a battle with that guy.
‘Come to think of it…’
He hadn’t paid much attention to other things while learning the inscriptions.
The Lobby maintenance was over, and the climb was in progress.
The group in charge of the 50th floor section was Group 2.
While Group 1 members, including myself, were engrossed in training, they had been completing missions. Nerissa used to report the progress every night.
The vacant position of Edith, the leader of Group 2, was filled by Roderick, the middle-aged lancer who had retired.
Roderick. He was a three-star warrior summoned along with Yvolka at the start of the climb. Roderick had left the group to become the head of the Training Camp but returned due to a lack of personnel. This was an order from Anything, so he couldn’t refuse.
Anyway, Group 2, reorganized under Roderick’s leadership, had been completing missions… and our group was called for a specific task.
‘The 55th floor?’
The speed is quite fast.
I gulped down the water bottle next to the chair and stood up.
When I went down to the first-floor plaza, I could meet up with the Group 1 members.
“Big brother, over here! Over here!”
Jenna saw me and waved her hand vigorously.
Beside her, the other group members were lined up.
“Lately, it’s hard to see each other. Especially you brothers who don’t leave your rooms because of so much training… Isn’t this the first time we’ve all gathered since the 50th floor?”
Jenna squinted her eyes at me.
“Until recently, it was just the five of us working together.”
“It’s a natural change. We all had a lot to do. Isn’t that right, Major?”
Belkist, leaning against the wall, smiled.
He was also hard to see. Since obtaining the White Dragon’s Blood, he hadn’t left the practice hall, despite previously insisting on daily training.
“I just wanted to rest for a day.”
Katio muttered with a weary expression.
This guy hadn’t had a moment’s rest while fixing the airships.
“… Hehe.”
Kishasha had a strange smile on her face.
She had found a beastman unit within Pria’s mercenary group. Moreover, she had evolved her inscription with an item obtained from the Beast King. All Group 1 members, including myself, had been busy getting stronger.
“Brother, do the briefing as usual.”
“There’s not much to say.”
“Come on, don’t say that.”
What a bother.
I clicked my tongue and began to explain.
Nerissa had given me the basic information.
‘A small mission requiring a single group.’
The airship can’t participate.
Compared to the 50th floor, which required dozens of groups, this was ridiculously small.
And the difficulty?
Group 2, which had advanced instead of us, had completed missions up to the 54th floor without much resistance.
According to the pattern so far, difficult missions always appeared after the easy ones.
The sub-stages were easy, and the boss stages were hard.
It had always been like that.
‘They said they had gathered all the necessary troops for the upper floors.’
All the difficulty concentrated.
One of the reasons why the 50th floor’s difficulty was especially high.
“If you stay alert, it won’t be that hard.”
“Is it a boss stage?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
I stepped into the Rift of Space-Time that was wide open.
I heard footsteps following me from behind.
[Climb the tower and save the world.]
[Main Dungeon: Current number of floors climbed – 54]
The mirror in the center shone with light.
I put my hand on the sheath hanging from my belt. Soon after, a familiar sensation of weightlessness enveloped my body.
It was the signal for the mission to begin.
[Main Dungeon, Current Challenge Floor: 55.]
[The door will open in 10 seconds. Prepare yourself!]
[The mission is being recorded. Gameplay records will be preserved.]
<It’s finally time to show results. Are you ready?>
“Don’t interfere.”
<Hahaha!>
Gugukon laughed loudly in my ear.
I closed my eyes and let the wave of light carry me away.
When I opened them again.
“Let’s show those bastards who use the goddess’s name what a spear feels like!”
“Let’s go!”
Men with scruffy beards were running across the plain.
With various weapons and armor, they were slaughtering all the soldiers they encountered.
They seemed disorganized, but their movements were efficient and filled with combat experience. Every time their blades flashed, the plain was stained red.
‘They’re mercenaries.’
I looked around the plain.
[Human Mercenary Lv.???] X 8473
There were so many mercenaries that I couldn’t count them, waving their flags as they advanced.
The plain was full of screams and wails, and the sound of clashing weapons filled the air.
The war had already begun.
“Wow, here it is…”
Jenna stepped forward.
We had materialized in the middle of the battlefield.
[55th Floor.]
[Mission Type – Siege]
[Mission Objective – Capture the base]
[Special Objective – Survival of NPC Priacis al Ragnar and NPC Yoshu Girze.]
The mission objectives window appeared in the center of my vision.
‘Siege, huh.’
I looked to the right of the plain and saw a high, steep wall like a cliff.
Almost ten thousand mercenaries were advancing toward that wall.
“It looks like the civil war has started.”
Katio murmured as he observed the surroundings.
“Well, it seems we don’t have to intervene. The mercenaries are advancing smoothly while the order’s soldiers are being massacred.”
I raised an eyebrow.
Katio was right. While the mercenaries advanced unimpeded, the order’s soldiers were retreating with heavy losses.
“This is strange. We’ve always fought on the disadvantaged side.”
Jenna scratched her cheek uncomfortably.
I took a deep breath and looked at Katio.
“Katio, can you take charge of this?”
“Take charge of what?”
“Take charge of Group 1 in my place. Observe the battlefield and join in at the right moment. Don’t do anything reckless. I have to go somewhere else.”
“You want me to take charge of them?”
“That’s right.”
I patted Katio on the shoulder and dashed off.
I felt the wind on my face as I moved several meters in an instant.
‘There was a special objective.’
That means that person is here.
I quickened my pace. The battlefield, where the two forces clashed, was approaching rapidly. Finally, the gazes of the mercenaries on the periphery of the field fell on me.
“What’s that? Why is he so fast?”
“Why is he coming here…? Is he an enemy?”
I stopped.
It seemed these mercenaries were wiping out an order unit, ensuring no survivors.
A man who appeared to be the leader raised his bloody sword at me.
“Who are you? What are you doing interfering?”
“Where is Pria?”
“Pria?”
“Priacis al Ragnar. I’m looking for her.”
The man’s jaw dropped.
“Damn lunatic… Do you dare use the princess’s name…?!”
“Are you an assassin sent by the order? You’re doomed! Today is your judgment day!”
“…As expected.”
I didn’t think they would answer easily.
“If I cut off an arm, I should be able to take him.”
A bald mercenary lunged at me, waving his sword.
“Hngh!”
Crack!
With a swift strike, I knocked him down, blood splattering everywhere.
“This guy is strong. Get him!”
“You won’t reach the princess alive!”
Suddenly, I was surrounded by mercenaries.
‘It seems she’s quite loved.’
I smiled.
Even if she were just a nominal princess, compared to the treatment she received before, it was like night and day.
“Attack!”
Five mercenaries lunged simultaneously.
They were quite well-trained, having participated in several battles, but…
Pow!
“Ugh!”
“What’s happening?”
They were sent flying just as they lunged at me.
I only gave them a light jab in the jaw, so the pain shouldn’t be too intense.
They tried to get up with confused expressions but fell several times while attempting to stand.
“This guy… we can’t let him reach the princess…”
“Quick, alert the others…!”
No choice.
These guys probably didn’t know my face.
I shook the blood off my fist.
“So, where is Pria?”
“Do you think I’ll tell you?! Even if I die…!”
“Ah, there.”
I looked towards the hill.
“What? How did you know?”
“You should be more discreet with your glances.”
If they glance towards a specific place while talking, it’s very obvious.
“Damn it! I won’t allow it, no…”
“What won’t you allow?”
I murmured as I descended the hill.
After walking for about ten minutes, I saw a luxurious tent in a corner of the plain.
The tent, made of fine white silk, had gold details everywhere.
‘It’s too obvious.’
Anyone could tell there was someone important there.
I clicked my tongue and headed to the back of the tent.
“Ah!”
On the way, some mercenaries saw me and tried to blow a whistle.
“Don’t bother me.”
I don’t feel like explaining.
I made all the mercenaries faint and kept walking.
I decided to climb the high rock behind the tent to be less visible.
I jumped from the rock and landed near the tent.
Surprisingly, there weren’t many guards around.
I shrugged and headed to the tent entrance.
‘…Let’s see.’
I slowly put my hand on my sword sheath.
I had barely taken a few steps when a sword silently appeared, aiming for my forehead.
I unsheathed my sword in an instant.
Clang! Clang!
The two swords clashed and sparks flew.
If I had been a second slower, the blade would have pierced my forehead and exited the back of my head.
“Who are you?”
The guy stood facing me.
The fact that Pria didn’t have more bodyguards meant this guy must be quite skilled.
“When did you learn swordsmanship? Your skill is not ordinary.”
“You are…”
Confusion covered the young man’s face as he looked at me.
“That…”
“That?”
“You’re the sponsor!”
“…Sponsor?”
Yoshu lowered his sword.
Then he sighed deeply.
“Ha, I almost had a heart attack. I thought you were an assassin. We barely paid off our debts and you disappear again. Couldn’t you tell us where you were going?”
Yoshu scratched his head nervously.
I smiled lightly.
“You’ve grown a lot.”
“Of course, I’ve grown. Ten years can change a lot. But you, brother, haven’t changed at all.”
Yoshu looked at me skeptically.
‘They call him the King of Mercenaries.’
The childish appearance of Yoshu had almost completely disappeared.
His face, which used to be delicate, was now full of scars, and he had a beard covering his jaw.
The boy who used to wander with wanted posters had grown up like this.
“Why did you disappear after that? The princess searched for you for a long time.”
“I had my reasons. But now I’m here.”
“For you, brother, three years pass in a blink.”
I frowned.
“Three years?”
“It’s been three years since the battle in the forest. Didn’t you know?”
I looked at Yoshu again.
He no longer had the appearance of a child.
He was now a fully developed man.
“So, Pria…”
“She’s been waiting for you for three years.”
For me, it had only been a month.
Did… three years really pass?
“So, have you been in a civil war for three years?”
“Yes, it’s been three years since we started the war against that prince. Do you know how long the princess cried for you? Seeing her cry every day was heartbreaking.”
“…”
“This highly visible tent was also ordered by the princess, hoping you would come. Risking being discovered by enemies.”
“So I could find her easily?”
“Of course.”
Yoshu complained.
I was speechless.
“She must have noticed by now.”
Yoshu sheathed his sword and stepped back.
I could hear soft footsteps from inside the tent.
‘Three years.’
While I was out on my missions and training, so many years had passed here.
“Brother, you haven’t aged a bit.”
“It’s because of my special constitution.”
Yoshu laughed silently.
I lifted the tent’s curtain.
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