Chapter 47

[Recent damage from Gates is increasing.

Each territory is responding with their private soldiers, but since the level of Gates appearing varies by territory, it’s difficult for them to handle individually.

However, I’ve heard that Edelweiss Territory has minimized damage through appropriate troop deployments.

In light of this, our alliance ‘Miya’ would like to invite Count Edelweiss…]

In short, they wanted to learn how we were handling them so well.

“Hm…”

Not a bad offer?

I opened the quest window. Since this was the main quest, it wouldn’t do for just Edelweiss to excel.

It was obvious that the Gates bursting open were linked to the continent’s destruction.

So if other territories handled their Gates well too?

Then we’d just need to find and deal with the root cause of why they were appearing.

“Tell them I’ll go. Say it’s very intriguing.”

I beckoned to Helen. It was a signal to send a very positive response.

At the same time, I didn’t forget to check the hunter chat.

Come to think of it, that’s how it was back when Gates first appeared in Korea. We’d allied with hunters from neighboring cities to clear the urgent ones first.

And those alliances became the precursors to the regional hunter guilds.

Even now, guilds formed in the early Gate crisis were top-tier in their regions.

Joo Yian-ssi seemed to think similarly to me.

In other words, as long as it wasn’t a rebel group.

That was my plan—just to scout the vibe.

But there, I received an unexpected proposal.

“Will Count Edelweiss lead us?”

Count Biya looked at me with eyes full of passion.

His gaze was hot enough to fry an egg.

“Pardon?”

“There’s no one more suited to lead the ‘Miya’ alliance than you, Count Edelweiss!”

—Thump thump!

He pounded his chest as he spoke.

“I learned so much from you during the last Gate! And now Edelweiss Territory’s Gate defense rate too!”

He glanced around at the other nobles.

The gathered nobles nodded, as if they already knew about his proposal.

Was I the only one out of the loop?

Shin Yuri—no, Team Count Edelweiss without Count Edelweiss?

Was this that college group project moment where they ask, ‘Who wants to be leader?’

“You’re not stuck in the same rigid thinking as us! In this situation, we need your flexible ideas, Count Edelweiss!”

“Hear, hear!”

The people agreed with Count Biya. As if!

“No, I don’t have enough experience to lead a gathering like this—”

I don’t want to be leader!

“Experience doesn’t matter!”

But Count Biya seemed set on it. The other ‘Miya’ nobles felt the same.

No, had everyone decided except me?

“I’ve heard that Edelweiss Territory had the least Gate damage in the entire empire this time.”

“R-Really?”

For real?

Well, with years of Gate experience under my belt, it’d be a problem if I couldn’t handle them better than you lot.

But the other nobles’ eyes lighting up at Count Biya’s words wasn’t a great sign.

“I heard you deployed knights appropriately to minimize damage. Could you share that secret with ‘Miya’?”

He bowed deeply.

“I beg you!”

“Of course, we’re not asking you to share without compensation.”

One noble spoke up. As I turned with a hesitant expression, he rapped on the table.

—Click.

The door opened, and a servant entered holding out a scroll.

No way, was this prepared in advance too?

As I raised an eyebrow,

—Rustle!

The long scroll unrolled, greeting me with a list of outrageous items.

[Silver: 20 cartloads

Fine silk: 10 cartloads

…

]

Anyway, expensive-looking stuff.

“This is a small token from each territory. Additionally, if House Edelweiss joins ‘Miya’, we’ll prioritize sending troops to any high-rank Gates that appear in your territory.”

They’d clearly prepared thoroughly.

“This very gathering was created to discuss Gate response methods and temporarily send troops to territories short on manpower—mutual cooperation!”

Count Biya’s eyes gleamed.

“The exchange of knightly techniques and burning friendships that will form in the process! Doesn’t it excite you!?”

Technique exchange sounds good, but why tack on ‘burning friendships’?

“Sending knights to other territories…”

I opened cautiously. In this world’s lore, knights from one house entering another territory required tricky procedures.

And it wouldn’t look good to outsiders.

It could even spark rumors of infighting between lords.

But the noble who unrolled the scroll shook his head, saying not to worry.

“His Majesty has already been informed of this gathering, and everyone has agreed.”

“Moreover, only agreed troop sizes will be sent, strictly along mutually approved routes. If they deviate, word will go to every member of ‘Miya’!”

Count Biya raised his voice.

“Then all of Miya will watch that one! Right!?”

“Exactly!”

Count Biya should’ve run for parliament. He wasn’t the type to rot(?) in a monarchy.

“What do you say?”

The scroll noble looked at me expectantly, eyes shining.

All eyes gathered oppressively.

“…”

It wasn’t bad. No, it was actually good.

I was a new noble house, and aside from the knights Shin Jae-heon sent, I hadn’t trained proper ones yet.

Plus, if a Gate popped in a neighboring territory, no guarantee the monsters wouldn’t wander into ours.

For the main quest to protect the continent, other territories needed Gate management know-how anyway…

In the end, I nodded.

“So the dispatched troops will mainly be knights?”

Feeling the positive vibe, the nobles’ faces brightened.

“For now, yes. Supplies and such… not yet.”

I hadn’t asked about supplies.

“What about mages…?”

The nobles exchanged glances at my words.

“There might be a few mages occasionally…”

“Are there still houses with mages?”

“A few.”

The nobles nodded and chatted.

They didn’t even classify mages as troops!

“Our house mage’s exclusive contract hasn’t ended yet… We’ll send them right after.”

One noble was basically planning to kick out his mage.

In short, they weren’t thrilled about mages joining.

What, why?

No way you’re planning to brute-force Gates?

“Still, you never know what happens inside a Gate. Wouldn’t it be better with priests or mages?”

Guys, shouldn’t you cherish your healers and supports?

Every territory should have a small temple anyway, so they could supplement healers there.

But the nobles’ thoughts differed from mine.

Their faces soured unpleasantly.

“Mages are still a bit…”

“Unless it’s the Tower Master, what can backroom researchers staring at papers do on the battlefield?”

Ignoring offensive magic researchers entirely showed their baseline poor view of mages.

Still, guys, shouldn’t you set aside personal feelings?

You’d do this for an A-rank Gate too?

But their animosity ran deeper than expected.

After minutes of murmuring, Count Biya raised his voice.

“How can we join forces with temples or the Magic Tower!?”

“Hear, hear!”

What’s right about that!

“Carman stands on the sword! Defending with the sword shows loyalty to His Majesty!”

Even that Shin Jae-heon gets heals!

“Long live the Emperor!”

“Long live the sword!”

These hopeless blockheads! I clutched my head in the end.

But this wasn’t just happening around me.

The temples and imperial family had begun seriously combining forces for Gate cleanup.

Combining forces didn’t mean balanced teams like hunter parties with healers and dealers.

“We must clear this Gate before the temple does!”

“Wooo! Show them the power of the sword!”

The imperial side would shout like that,

“Show them the grace of Saint Xan!”

“Glory to Saint Xan!”

And the temple folks would charge in with their own chants to wipe out the Gate.

In short, it wasn’t cooperation—it was pure competition.

And if rival teams entered similar-level dungeons at the same time, they’d always ask after clearing.

“How’d the temple team that went into the yellow Gate do?”

Then, when info came in, depending on the results…

“They say we came out two days earlier!”

“Raise your glasses!”

They’d celebrate, or

“They came out a day before us?”

“Fall in, you above, me below.”

“Yes, sir.”

Someone would run laps in the training grounds—one or the other.

Watching this, Hunter So Yeri gave a sharp assessment.

Total agreement.

But these guys would learn soon enough.

Dealers, healers, supports, tanks—without other classes, no one can perform properly.

And sure enough, chaos soon erupted in various territories.