A Village Appeared on My Desktop

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Chapter 194 – Internal Enemy (4)

“They did commit the insane act of attacking the elves sent as envoys, but could they really declare war? What on earth would they do that for?”

“I’ve heard the Emperor is quite ambitious and greedy. It’s no wonder the Kingdom of Baruk is trying to establish a foothold in this grassland to counter them.”

Balun shared the news given to him by Jun-young. Not long after, a wind spirit sent secretly by the elves conveyed detailed information, and those in high spirits from the victory began to stir again.

The Emperor desires to conquer the Land of the Elves. And he won’t hesitate to use force to achieve that.

They knew very well how vast and powerful the Empire was, so the atmosphere quickly heated up.

“Wow, Your Majesty. The Empire is a colossal power holding hegemony. They can deploy hundreds of thousands of soldiers at any time and have a treasure trove of riches.”

“That’s not incorrect. For a long time, they were literally ‘order.’ Those who interacted with them gained strength, and thus, they had to follow their will.”

The tribes in the eastern grasslands, including Balun, had never had direct relations with the Empire and only heard rumors.

However, those from the western tribes that had interacted directly and places like the Kingdom of Baruk had a primal fear the moment the Empire was mentioned.

They understood the extent of their power and how immense they were.

“But if they turn hostile against us, we cannot bend. We must fight. Of course, you might say how we could fight, but remember this: We’ve only fought such fights so far.”

While fear spread amidst the stir, Balun steadied himself. The mention of only having fought such battles resonated strongly in persuading the people.

These were folks who started as very small tribes on the grasslands and had always faced larger and stronger foes.

It was their effort and special blessings that allowed them to overcome those foes and arrive here. It was not impossible to do it once more.

“Then how should we prepare? They will send soldiers to the Land of the Elves.”

“There’s something interesting when you look closely at the map. We have a path leading right next to the Land of the Elves, but in truth, we are terribly far from it.”

Reading the room, Rakum’s words brought a smile to Balun’s face. He had been conjuring the general outline in his head since he first heard this from Jun-young.

“From the elves’ perspective, their land is stuck in the west corner. On the other hand, our territory is in the northeast, which they have looked down on. If we’re lucky, we might get past that impenetrable iron wall while they’re off guard.”

It was a ridiculous strategy made possible by the portal that connected screens and scenes. Yet, no one questioned that fact.

What they were required to do from the start was to use the blessings and resources efficiently.

“There’s no need to rush, but let’s begin our preparations. As you know, this is for all of us.”

The justification was ample. And gradually, there was a little more room for them. After enduring fierce battles against the Bugs, they thought it would be much better to fight humans instead.

“Commander, have you heard the news?”

“It was to be expected. And if it’s the news that person told you, then this means it’s their will.”

After Balun’s orders were given, that news reached Riena’s ears as well. Upon hearing Shura’s words, who had brought the news, she put down the needle she was holding and smiled wryly, already knowing.

‘I somewhat enjoyed it, but my work appointed by them isn’t over yet.’

For the past few days, she had been living quite comfortably. She hadn’t worn armor or wielded a sword. Up until now, Riena had been the strongest warrior and the kingdom’s top swordsman, but for the first time in recent days, she had been living like a common young woman of her age, and like a noble princess who deserved to be treated well.

She felt comfort and ease in a life she had not experienced before, but she never thought it would last forever.

Her duties would continue as long as threats existed around her.

And Riena willingly accepted that destiny.

“If the Emperor had cooperated, this wouldn’t have happened…”

Seeing Riena in such a state, Shura murmured as if genuinely saddened. Riena had become a beacon to a weak girl who had lost everything, including her parents’ lives.

At the same time, being a warrior who fought alongside Riena for a long time, Shura had seen how much hardship she was undergoing. Perhaps she wished for Riena’s peace and happiness even more than for herself, who was walking the path of self-restraint.

“That person is certain in reward and punishment. As much as I work for them, I will receive more, so you don’t need to worry too much.”

“That’s true.”

“Separately, though, the Emperor’s attitude is vile. A ruler of the largest Empire doesn’t see reality and only looks at his own advancement.”

Approaching her well-polished armor hanging in one corner of the room, Riena glanced at her reflection in the gleaming armor and her eyes sparkled.

To her, the Emperor was as repellent as the Bugs. A ruler holding the lives of countless people viewed falling into wrong beliefs or ideologies as a sin.

And Riena believed she had the power to judge such people, and she considered it her duty.

Because it was the wish of the being she believed in and followed.

‘I am a sword. Their sword.’

With her armor in front of her, she smoothly removed the elaborate clothes she was wearing with Shura’s help and began to don her armor.

*

‘Issues are everywhere.’

The Emperor’s actions seemed strangely reminiscent of some individuals in the world I live in now.

I could understand it. Looking at history, human history has always been a history of division and unity. People choose one side at times for their own benefit.

I was no different. I had to choose one side for my own life and the lives of those around me.

This choice was much easier to apply in a world where I reigned as a deity who was revered.

Since I wasn’t a real god nor all that great, I tried to keep this in mind and not harbor such thoughts until now, but this time, I wanted to actively voice my opinion.

No matter how I thought about it, I felt that if I didn’t strike them down now, all our efforts to fight off the enemy Bugs would be in vain.

‘Three-term Councilor Lee Yong-koo.’

I broke my gaze from the citizens and read the message added by Lee So-Yeon. In this community created with the powers of the Master Program, where others couldn’t see, we had a more private and secretive conversation.

If anyone else saw this, they might report it to the police. It was certainly illegal and could possibly be something even worse.

“Thank you for the information.”

– When will you move?

“Right now.”

– You’re, really just going to scare them, right?

I could sense her emotions through her writing. Chuckling to myself, I replied that was the case. I wasn’t some crazy psycho out here just attacking and killing folks.

I just planned to scare them silly and persuade them to rethink.

[Demoniac Mask]

Draped in a cloak, I grabbed a new item. This item, which I obtained using my reward ticket and pulled from Creature Hunting, was a special item that didn’t exist in the original game.

Its function enhanced my stealth skills and allowed me to blend instantaneously into shadows.

Fully armed like this, I pulled out my phone to open a portal. Similarly, using the function obtained through rewards, I headed to a currently quiet luxury apartment complex.

‘Gotta hold onto hope. They might just come around willingly, right?’

My purpose, climbing the apartment stairs in a state of stealth that others wouldn’t detect, was indeed persuasion. I wanted to talk to those who were intent on opposing simply out of political arguments, ignoring the dangers posed by the Bugs.

In truth, I had little interest in politics, so I didn’t really know what kind of beliefs that person held or what political stance they possessed.

What I wanted was merely to see this world liberated from the terrible monsters and for all people to unite as one to achieve that.

‘Sorry to my family a bit, though.’

Standing in front of his house, I activated the mask’s ability. The tightly locked door could smoothly blend into shadows, allowing me to quietly approach my target while still keeping a low profile.

As known, he was living with his wife since his children had become independent. Fortunately, it seemed they were having separate rooms, so I thought I’d be able to handle it without waking up the third-party wife.

[Magic Scroll: Silence]

Standing silently in front of him, who was snoring, I pulled a magic scroll from my belongings. This item that Lee So-Yeon had prepared for me was brought from the game world, just like the gear I was equipped with.

Using this, I could activate the stored magic of Silence. No matter how much chaos erupted within the barriers, it wouldn’t leak out.

“Councilor Lee Yong-koo. I have important matters to discuss. So please wake up.”

Having completed all preparations, I gently shook him awake. For now, I thought it best to treat him courteously since he still didn’t know anything.

“Councilor? You need to wake up.”

“Ugh, uhh?”

Unfortunately, since he couldn’t seem to wake up easily, I had no choice but to flash my phone in front of his face. This was the most ludicrous way I had ever woken anyone.

“Wha-what! Who are you!”

As he opened his eyes and looked at me, it was understandable that he screamed in horror at the sight of a bizarre mask underneath a hood.

“No matter how much you scream, it’s useless. I’m just here to talk quietly, so there’s no need to be so scared.”

‘Oh, is that too suspicious of a line?’

I had prepared it a bit, but now that it came out, it didn’t seem all that effective. He was genuinely fearful, backing away and trembling.

If he considered me some suspicious intruder in this situation, I felt that no matter what I said to him, it wouldn’t be delivered properly.

“I am a user who has a track record of driving back the colony-type Bugs. I’ve come to deliver a warning about the fate of the world, so listen carefully.”

“…!”

So, shock therapy was needed. His eyes widened at the mention of a user who succeeded in pushing back the current uproar of the colony-type Bugs stirring the whole world.

“This is no longer an issue that politics can intervene in. Our lives, and the fate of our civilization are at stake. So, immediately gather those who follow you tomorrow and change your stance. If we don’t launch a total assault against the Bugs right now, we won’t be able to stop them.”

“W-what does that mean?”

I expressively communicated my opinion. I felt like I had done all I could, and now the question was how he would take it.

He was educated, experienced, and of a mature age, so I had a glimmer of hope that he might understand.

My desktop village appeared.