The Strongest in the World Doesn’t Want To Do Anything

47 – Episode 47 Discipline Measures / Now in the Eastern Region…

“These guys are selling potions again? And right in front of our sacred courtyard?”

“Wolfgang’s house! In the courtyard!”

As Wolfgang sternly reprimanded the dwarf who had been trampled on the back of the head, Raeli, who was beside him, echoed his words like a parrot.

“T-that’s a misunderstanding. We were just passing by.”

Behind the fallen dwarf, a cart full of boxes and two goblins and a tree spirit who were moving the cart were kneeling with their hands raised. Behind them, a ghost was exhaling blue flames through its nostrils, creating an atmosphere of discomfort.

“Misunderstanding or not, how dare you do this in my presence?”

“In your presence!”

“I didn’t want to know either.”

The more the dwarf thought about it, the more unjust he felt, almost bringing tears to his eyes.

“Hey! And when I smashed your potions in the forest before, how are you boldly roaming around with them again?”

“Roaming around!”

“Excuse the explicit language, but it’s not ‘porno’ but ‘forest’…”

“Is that important?”

“Important?!”

“Yes. I didn’t think it was an important detail.”

Wolfgang exerted force on the foot that was stepping on the dwarf’s head.

“Aaargh! I don’t know how those things are still around! They’re boxes that came out when we dug the ground following the marked map of our leader! We were just passing by as commanded to move them!!”

Wolfgang didn’t feel like the dwarf was lying, but it was challenging to trust them hastily given their cunning nature. Wolfgang sighed deeply and lifted his foot from the dwarf’s head.

“Raeli.”

“Rael… Oh, your master.”

“Don’t call me that way.”

“Please let me call you that way.”

“It’s awkward… Anyway, can this guy be frozen?”

Raeli looked where Wolfgang’s finger pointed. A small sprout had grown on top of the tree spirit’s head, and the flames of the ghost were burning on it. The frightened tree spirit tried to extinguish the fire by continuously hitting its head. The goblins next to it laughed at the sight. Raeli couldn’t help but laugh at the scene too.

“Pfft, that poor tree spirit, huh?”

“Yeah. Specifically, tear the left side of that tree spirit and freeze it.”

“Why?”

“There’s a core there. In our terms, it’s like a heart.”

“Does that mean they die?”

“Surprisingly, they don’t die. Even if the core of the tree spirit is not within their bodies, as long as the core itself isn’t destroyed, they can live just fine.”

“Then why do they carry it around on their bodies? Wouldn’t it be better to keep it in a safe place?”

“They feel that the safest place for it is within their own bodies. They’re wanderers without a home. Try hiding it somewhere and see if they forget its location. It’s precarious.”

“I see.”

“Yeah. Now go and do it.”

“Okay. I’ll try. But may I ask why you’re doing this?”

“Well… as insurance, shall we say.”

The dwarf, caught up in contemplation during Wolfgang and Raelle’s conversation, trembled as he spoke.

“Is it necessary to go to such lengths?”

“Yeah. Judging by your reaction alone, it’s effective, isn’t it?”

“What do you want from me?”

“Whether you sell drugs or whatever else, I couldn’t care less. So, don’t tell anyone you saw me here. If your non-human lot sets foot on this land again, your lover is done for.”

“Lover?!”

Raelle was startled to learn of the relationship between the dwarf and the tree spirit. Wolfgang left her with the aphorism: “There are no races in love.”

“Does that mean… you’ll let us go?”

“That’s right. Once your lover’s core is ready, pack up and vanish.”

“Understood!!! We won’t come back!! And no other non-human will come here either!!!”

Later, following Wolfgang’s orders, Raelle froze the side of the dwarf’s lover, the tree spirit, by cutting into its flank. Initially shocked by Raelle attempting to take its side, or more precisely, its core, the tree spirit succumbed and yielded its flank due to the dwarf’s persuasion and Raelle’s kindness.

After preparing to depart, the Forest party waved their hands towards Wolfgang, Raelle, and the Ghost, pulling a cart filled with boxes.

“Thank you for sparing us!! We’ll live as if this never happened! Thank you!”

“Yeah. Farewell.”

“Cherish your beautiful love!”

Watching their departing figures from afar, Raelle suddenly became curious.

“Um, sir.”

“Don’t address me like that…”

“Hehe. But why did you tell me to freeze the tree spirit’s core? It could’ve just been kept safe.”

From Noble mtl dot com

Without a word, Wolfgang entered the house and brought out a glass jar and a bottle of alcohol. He began pouring the alcohol into the glass jar containing the carefully frozen core of the tree spirit.

“I’ve always wanted to try this. An ice bead made from the core of a tree spirit. I wonder if there’s any difference from regular ice beads. Maybe it affects the taste of the alcohol or something.”

Raeli observed Wolfgang, who was swirling his glass and savoring the taste, and thought to herself.

‘How could that crazy guy have been a hero of humanity.’

“Kya – something does feel different.”

Wolfgang sipped his glass, gazing at the beautiful sunset gracefully descending.

***

Due to its unique closed diplomatic policy, the Eastern region, long isolated from the outside world, was governed by several clans without a central government. Among them, the Chae Clan was the smallest and weakest, a negligible presence.

The Chae Clan’s territory was a region called ‘Du Myung,’ located on the eastern outskirts, along the border between the east and west, on barren land.

When demons first appeared in the western world, the empire, which held dominance until then, had repeatedly sent diplomats to the Eastern world, requesting joint resistance. However, the majority of lords, considering it an affair unrelated to them, rejected the request.

Only the Chae Clan, positioned closest to the west and well aware of the seriousness of the situation, accepted the request. Chae Won-hyung, the head of the Chae Clan and the father of Chae Won-so, the lord of Du Myung, knew that their power alone could not stop the demons. He tried to persuade other lords in the East, but they paid no heed.

As time passed, the empire fell to the demons, and even the peaceful land of the East began to face demonic invasions. Having observed the demons from the beginning, the Chae Clan had gathered much information about them. They made preparations and, being renowned for their ‘Ki Gong’ technique, had skilled practitioners to withstand the demons’ onslaught on the front lines.

However, other lords who ignored the warnings of the Chae Clan were helpless against the demons. Only a few powerful clans managed to survive the onslaught.

As the war prolonged, even the Chae Clan reached its limit, and Chae Won-so witnessed her father’s death in the battle against the demons of Du Myung.

Having narrowly escaped death and fleeing Du Myung, Chae Won-so wandered the west until she eventually joined Wolfgang’s Determination.

Having experienced the weakening of the demons’ influence through her actions in the Determination, Chae Won-so set a single goal in her mind.

The unification of the East.

A world ruled by an absolute sovereign.

“Why haven’t they arrived yet?”

Chae Won-so looked down from the tower of Du Myung.

Having received news that the army requested by Terosa was dispatched the morning before, Chae Won-so expected them to arrive at least by tonight. However, their delay was much longer than she anticipated.

Initially, she thought the delay was reasonable, considering it was her ‘estimate.’ But as a day passed, it became evident that something was wrong in Terosa.

Although Chae Won-so had left Terosa for the East right after Wolfgang’s arrest, she kept herself informed of the situation through Handro and exchanged letters. She knew that Wolfgang had killed the warrior Adeus and fled, and Haganess had taken control of the sect, completely separating from Terosa.

Initially worried that the conditions promised to her by betraying Wolfgang might not be kept due to Adeus’s death, Chae Won-so was reassured by Terosa’s unconditional pledge to ally with her forces, considering the significant national loss in Terosa.

In truth, Chae Won-so had no knowledge of whether Terosa was being consumed by Wolfgang or devoured by Haganess’s sect.

Her goal was solely the unification of the East by her clan.

And for that, she needed Terosa’s help.

So she thought.