Man on the ark, forced to become king

"Calm down, Seken. Since they are messengers from all nations, it is possible for them to appear in any country. Of course, we will need to visit them later, but not now."

Scout patted Seken on the shoulder and suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Before them lay a shattered battlefield, the ground as if torn open by some powerful impact, littered with broken soil and debris, and filled with the pungent smell of burning.

The soil in the depression created by the explosion was clearly divided into two parts. One part looked like it had been pushed away by a pure shock wave, while the other part was filled with traces of being swept by high-temperature flames, showing a charred color.

Many mercenaries lingered outside the battlefield. Most of them only glanced at the scene before hurrying away. Only Scout, after watching for a while, stepped into the crater, looked around, and picked up a broken metal shell casing from the ground.

"Special type of bullets, very rare. Only large firearms have the ability to fire them. There is no one here who can use such a big thing. It seems to be the work of that messenger lady. She fought with someone here, and neither side was injured. To cause such a level of energy collision, the other party in the battle must be a very powerful mage. I think I know who it is."

"Is that the Sakota who broke the law? She's holding two staffs; she must be a sorcerer."

Touch reached out and pulled the mask covering her face a little off, her small nose twitching slightly as if she were sniffing out the surrounding scents.

"There is no trace of Originium magic left behind. It's strange. A spell that can cause this much damage should leave no trace."

"No, it was someone else who did it, the man who was with them."

Scout tossed a spent cartridge case in his hand and looked toward the town, his tone certain: "Of the three, Sakta is the most composed. Liboli has signs of fighting on him, and that man's clothes and hair are disheveled from the impact. If I'm not mistaken, the two who made the move here should be them."

"Wow, he can see so clearly from that far away? No wonder he's a sniper."

"You flatter me, it's my livelihood."

"Shall we go back now? This mission is extremely important, and their appearance at this time is probably not a good thing."

Sekken's ideas have always been radical. After listening to Scout's analysis, his first thought was to 'eliminate potential unstable factors'. Moreover, the thought that this unstable factor was the Lateran, who had never gotten along well with the Sarkaz, made his desire to take action even stronger.

"That's a messenger from all nations. Do you want to cause a diplomatic incident, Seken?"

This probably wasn't the first time Sekken had expressed his radical ideas during a mission. Scout shook his head, put the spent cartridge case in his pocket, waved for the team to turn back, and said helplessly, "You'd better keep quiet when we meet later. I'm worried you'll mess things up... Never mind, Touch and I will go meet them in a bit. You take everyone to find rooms to rest."

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Boom, boom, boom.

A knock suddenly sounded at the door of the small, not-so-spacious room. Fiametta and Mostima, who were deep in thought, exchanged a glance, the same thought forming in their minds.

The Babel Tower agents have arrived.

Ordinary mercenaries would naturally go unnoticed, but Babel Tower, which belongs to the Kazdel government, is different. They represent the will of one of the country's rulers and it is virtually impossible for them to turn a blind eye to the Lateran appearing in the country during a sensitive period.

It's important to understand that relations between the two countries are not friendly. The Lateran have been attacked in Kazdel more than once, and there have even been serious incidents where Sarkaz were robbed, killed, and had their Guardian Guns stolen. Therefore, in recent years, very few Lateran residents have entered Kazdel. Any Sarkaz who dares to enter Kazdel under such circumstances will inevitably be a focus of attention if discovered by the official forces.

“Miss Messengers, we are Babel Tower agents under Princess Theresa, and I believe this conversation will be beneficial to both of us.”

A deep male voice came from outside the door. Lin Lu thought for a moment and was about to go open the door when Mostima stopped her.

"I come."

Miss Angel didn't say anything, but just mouthed the words, and put on that slightly aloof, formulaic smile again.

Click~

The hotel's wooden door was gently slid open, and two fully armed Babel Tower agents, a man and a woman, appeared outside. Upon seeing Mostima open the door, the male Sarkaz slightly raised his hands, seemingly to indicate that he meant no harm. This relieved both Fiameta and Lin Lu, and the atmosphere immediately fell silent.

Chapter 43 The Deal with the Babel Operators

"So, the three of you accepted the mission to transport goods to Kazdel?"

Scout hesitated for a moment, then looked at Lin Lu: "Mr. Lin Lu, the situation in Kazdel is quite complicated right now. If I may be so bold, could you please reveal some information about the mission? I have no intention of breaking the rules, I just need to know which city or region your mission target is."

"This……"

Maintaining complete confidentiality regarding mission items, client information, and recipient information is standard practice in the logistics industry. However, if it's just the destination, it's not considered confidential information that cannot be disclosed.

Lin Lu thought for a moment and nodded: "I can only tell you the general area. Our destination is a free village on the southern border of Kazdel. I can't reveal more information."

"The southern border?"

Upon hearing this answer, Scout seemed relieved and relaxed slightly.

"It seems there was no need for us to clash before. The southern border is our territory. If that's the case, then we won't interfere with your missions, however..."

His voice trailed off, as if he hesitated for a moment, but quickly became firm.

"There is something that requires the cooperation of the three of you. Please do not leave here before tomorrow evening. As compensation, we can escort you for part of the journey back to the Tower of Babel."

"..."

Lin Lu knew that the Babel Tower agents, who were also armed with firearms, did not completely trust them. This Babel Tower team might be carrying some important mission to this remote town. Therefore, before the mission was completed, they needed to eliminate any 'unstable factors' that might affect it. Given the Sarkaz's temperament, this level of surveillance was probably the most lenient approach they could take.

To be honest, being suspected for no reason and being monitored for a whole day is really annoying, but Lin Lu doesn't think it's necessary to have a conflict with the Babel Tower operators over such a trivial matter.

After all, the other party represents half of Kazdel, and taking action could have very negative consequences.

“Not enough, Mr. Scout. I think you understand that your request is completely unreasonable to us. We need to ensure that the goods are delivered within the mission deadline. Staying here will affect the mission progress. Of course, we have no intention of being enemies with the Tower of Babel, so we can agree to your request, but you must make compensation for it, actual compensation.”

"What kind of actual compensation do you want? LMD? Or supplies?"

Scout didn't hesitate much. The terms were reasonable and there was nothing wrong with them. If paying a small monetary price could eliminate any potential instability in the mission, then it was a very worthwhile deal. After all, the money spent on the mission could be reimbursed later.

"A pure Originium, a processed pure Originium that can be used as a medium for spellcasting by a sorcerer."

Lin Lu shook her head and held up one finger.

However, Scout did not answer immediately. The price Lin Lu asked for was completely beyond his expectations. If it were LMD or supplies, he would not hesitate at all. But processed pure Originium was different. It was a real strategic resource that could be used as a staff or the energy core of certain spells.

It's not that they don't have them, but rather that handing such a thing over to strangers carries a certain degree of danger.

"Alright, one pure source stone. As the price for obtaining it, you must not leave our sight before sunset tomorrow."

After weighing the pros and cons, Scout finally agreed to the condition.

"Pleasant to work with."

"It's a pleasure working with you, Touch."

Their hands touched briefly before separating. Scout waved to the Sarkaz woman behind him, who had remained silent, signaling her to bring out her belongings.

"Tsk, you already have one, why did you have to use my staff core..."

Touch complained reluctantly, but still pulled a fist-sized metal box from his tactical backpack and handed it over.

"I hope you can keep your promise; it would be good for both of us."

The transaction was complete. Scout gave Lin Lu a deep look, then pulled Touch out of the room, closing the door behind him.

"What are you going to do with collecting so many Pure Originium?"

After the two Babel Tower operators left, Mostima's formulaic smile relaxed, and she asked a question that she was very interested in.

She knew that Lin Lu carried several pure Originium stones with her, and now she had taken the opportunity to get one from Babel Tower... One of these stones could be used as the spell core of a staff for several months or even years. Even a mage specializing in Originium Arts wouldn't carry many with them.

Moreover, as a dangerous item in a certain sense, this thing is inconvenient to exchange for money, so what's the point of having so much of it?

"I'm going to use them to make something, as for what it is... you'll see when it's done."

Lin Lu kept it a secret and didn't say it outright.

He has now confirmed that the Originium of Terra is indeed similar to the Glowstone of the Borderlands, just as Lani guessed. They are not necessarily the same thing, but they are similar in function. The most obvious difference is that the Glowstone magic he uses can be released by drawing on the energy contained within the Originium.

By the same token, he might be able to use Originium as raw material to create certain magical items unique to the border regions. He also happens to have mastered the crafting techniques for Radiant Stone items—the Radiant Stone craftsman's notes that he painstakingly collected back then weren't read for nothing.

If he can actually produce a finished product, then he will have many more ways to fight his enemies.

"More than that, what do you think those Babel Tower operators are trying to do by going to this remote border town?"

"Who knows."

Mostima wasn't particularly interested in the topic and didn't even bother to guess. Seeing that Lin Lu was unwilling to say more, he didn't press her further but instead picked up his staff.

"Now that they're gone, can you teach me that spell now?"

She was more interested in the new spells she had never seen before than in guessing the troubles of the Tower of Babel.

"Right away, right away, I'll teach you."

Lin Lu thought for a moment, then suddenly turned to look at Fiameta, who hadn't said a word from beginning to end, her gaze fixed on her hands wearing tactical gloves.

Such a pair of hands that frequently handle precision weapons like firearms must be quite dexterous, right?

"Um... Miss Fiameta, could you please do me a favor?"

Chapter Forty-Four: The Great Artist of the Borderlands

"So why should I do this for you?"

In the cramped hotel room, Fiameta angrily put down her tactical dagger and glared at Lin Lu.

On the table in front of her were three large, milky-white stones, two of which had been carved with clear outlines, revealing human faces covered in beards.

“It’s useful, it’s useful. This is a very important magical item. Mostima will need it later.”

Lin Lu was leaning on the windowsill, sketching and drawing on blueprints. Upon hearing this, she looked up at Fiametta's work progress and was immediately very satisfied.

As expected of a super Terran who can withstand the recoil of a large gun with her bare hands, the Liberi girl's seemingly slender wrists actually possess considerable strength. She can carve stones as easily as slicing tofu with just a tactical dagger.

Of course, the high quality of the daggers made by Laterano also played a part, but it is undeniable that the girl's own superhuman strength played a very important role in the process.

"Be quiet, Suffering Manifesto, do not disturb my study of magic, I am almost there."

Mostima, who was holding the foot of the bed where the staff was, opened her eyes, and a faint blue light flowed on her palm.