Chapter 843
One week ago.
Many kingdoms and empires had tried to recruit the talents of the Beyond the Heavens Empire. They not only stretched their hands to recruit the main pillars— Spear God Ben, Brod, Elpis and the like— of the Beyond the Heavens Empire, but they also stretched their hands toward the ordinary soldiers.
This was obviously a show of contempt for the Beyond the Heavens Empire. However, they were unsuccessful, not even able to entice anyone, not even a single soldier, from the Beyond the Heavens Empire.
“Now, it’s our time to shine.”
“We have finished preparations, Your Majesty.”
Haze shook her head when she saw the serious expression on Minhyuk’s face. She had already mentioned the people that they had to recruit.
“We have to absolutely, without a doubt, recruit the blacksmith of the Ars Empire. He might not be someone that can create legendary or god-rank weapons but from what I heard, he has a mysterious power, such that the weapons that he creates are stronger compared to other weapons in the same grade. Because of that, the artifacts and weapons that he produces will quickly sell out. In fact, the sales of his artifacts account for more than 5% of Ars Empire’s trade.”
“Ardo Empire’s archeologist, Pulse, is someone that possesses extraordinary talent. He can explore and search for a variety of things, including sealed or very old and antique items. Perhaps he will be able to find what Your Majesty likes the most, which are food ingredients.”
Haze recited the names of the people that they had to recruit one after another. With a strange glint in her eyes, she brought up the last man that they wanted to recruit.
“The master of Ardo Empire’s knight order, Amacar. He’s someone that we absolutely have to recruit.”
“How come?”
“He is the one that established the Hound Knight Order, the strongest knight order before the arrival of the Sword of the Gods. The Hound Knight Order had reigned as the best and strongest knight order in the entire continent, yet surprisingly, they had been nothing but mere ordinary knights when they started.”
“That means...”
“That’s right. It’s all thanks to Amacar’s outstanding ability. He nurtured ordinary knights and made them into the best knights of the continent.”
They were now done discussing those that they had to recruit. All they needed to do was to win their hearts.
“Ars Empire’s blacksmith is said to be a man that came from a family afflicted with baldness. According to the information that we have gathered, he had poured a huge portion of what he had accumulated with his blacksmithing work into hair care. However, not a single strand of hair grew on his head.”
“...”
Minhyuk and Haze’s eyes met. It was quite a sad story.
“Actually, it was said that he had been born bald.”
“...”
Tears almost dripped down Minhyuk’s eyes when he heard that.
“Let’s send Talmor Religion’s Leader Corr.”
“I understand. Then there’s this man named Ronweiner. He leads the Falcon Archer Corps in the Effinor Kingdom. From what we had gathered, he bought Best Selling Author Aruvel’s limited edition book, Ners: The Maid Next Door for 50,000 platinum in the black market.”
“Fif— fifty thousand?”
Fifty thousand platinum was not an amount that an ordinary knight possessed.
“It is said that he used up all of his wealth and properties to buy it.”
“...Then, we will have to send Aruvel.”
“There’s Keller, the Dragon Spearman of the Accas Kingdom. He considers the spear as the strongest weapon.”
“Send Spear God Ben.”
“Yes. Murmur, murmur, murmur... omitted.”
Haze was able to see through each and every single one of the continent’s leading powerhouses. This was because she combined the information in her hand, as well as the information that Informant Abel had obtained, to determine who they would send to each and every single one of them.
The Beyond the Heavens Empire was just a newly established empire. They were in dire need of a lot of talent and money.
‘We need a lot of talented people. Only by having them by our side will we be able to protect our Beyond the Heavens Empire from the Luvien Empire and the other empires.’
They needed to have a solid foundation.
“And finally, there’s Ardo Empire’s Hound, Amacar. His special characteristic is...”
“Special characteristic?”
“His raison d'etre is to see the revival of Consteinus’ empire.”
“...”
The man that they coveted the most was the most righteous one.
“I’ll personally go to recruit him.”
“I understand, Your Majesty. After setting everything up and deploying all of the diplomats, I will also set out myself,” Haze said as she stepped out.
After she left, Minhyuk looked up at the sky with a faint smile on his face and said, “Obren, do me a favor. Please.”
[Your Guardian Deity is looking at you incredulously.]
[Your Guardian Deity is looking at you angrily for trying to make him do that.]
[Your Guardian Deity swears that he will never, ever, help you with that.]
However, Minhyuk knew him all too well.
‘I know you will do it for me.’
Minhyuk set off for Ardo Empire with a faint smile on his face.
***
Ars Empire’s Blacksmith Hansen was one of the empire’s pride. Although he could not produce legendary or god-rank artifacts, Hansen had a special ability. As long as he gave it his all, it would be possible for him to create items that were better than items of the same rank.
On top of that, he was one of the top producers of artifacts in the empire. So, he was considered as one of the most profitable figures of the empire. Some would even say that all of the troops of the Ars Imperial Army were equipped with Hansen’s artifacts.
There was only one reason why he worked hard and produced a lot of artifacts. This was all because of the words that his father had left him.
—Son.
—Yes, Father.
—Women do not like men with bald heads.
It was all because of their curse of baldness! A curse that had been passed down from their ancestors down to him, the 28th generation descendant!
—Work hard and live diligently.
Hansen had always kept those words in his heart. Because of that, he had been working really hard. Thankfully, his diligence allowed him to meet his wife, who was kind enough to see through him and not his outside appearance.
However, because of that, Hansen had to face a new challenge.
‘Son...’
They gave birth to a son and Hansen was left in despair. He felt very sad to see that his son would have to walk the same path as him. He did not want that for his son. So, he spent the hundreds of thousands of platinum that he had earned so far to find a treatment for baldness. But not a single strand of hair grew on their heads.
‘Not! Even! A! Single! One!’
Hansen’s childhood nickname was Sweating Octopus. His father’s nickname was Sun, while his grandfather was nicknamed Shining Octopus. As for his great grandfather? He was nicknamed Bald Eagle. There was also his grandfather’s grandfather’s grandfather.
Hansen was truly in despair. He knew how heartbreaking and painful those words were. Unable to find a way to cure baldness even after spending hundreds of thousands of platinum, Hansen could only cry as he hugged his wife and child.
In the end, all Hansen could do was go to the smithy today and work hard. He had to make money. If he could make money, then one day, he would be able to find a way to end this terrible curse. If he could end this terrible curse, then his son would be able to live a different life from him.
Then, at that moment, he heard a commotion.
Murmur, murmur—
“What’s the matter?”
“How come another empire’s imperial army is in our empire?”
“They’re diplomats. They’re trying to recruit talented people.”
“Talented people?! Ho! How dare they say that in another empire?!”
“From what I heard, this was what they had already discussed in advance.”
A man waved to Hansen, who was walking down the street.
“Hansen, I think you’re going to be recruited by that empire?”
“I’m not someone that can be swayed so easily.”
Hansen ignored the crowd. It was none of his business. Even if they come, he would just hit them with his hammer.
The truth was, there was only one reason why Hansen loved this empire. This was because this empire had brought him a lot of money and they even actively cooperated with him to help him find the cure for baldness.
Hansen arrived at the smithy just like that. He had never stopped hammering to find the cure for baldness.
Drip, drip, drip—
With every swing of his hammer, a trickle of sweat would flow down his shiny head. This was the reason why Hansen was nicknamed Sweaty Octopus.
Then, at that moment, the diplomats of the Beyond the Heavens Empire appeared.
“We are from the Beyond the Heavens Empire. I hope that you will listen to Sir Corr, the diplomat that our empire has dispatched.”
“Not interested.”
“Please don’t do that, just listen to us...”
“You moth*rf*ckers! Can’t you see that I’m busy?!” Hansen shouted emotionally. All of the pent up sadness and despair exploded at this very moment.
Hansen was a tall and burly man. He started swinging his hammer and threatening the soldiers of the other empire that came to bother him.
‘I didn’t want to go bald either!!!’
‘Why?! Why does my son have to carry on this pain?!’
Tears streamed down Hansen’s face as he raised his hammer like a bull charging at its opponents.
“From what I can see, this is a curse that has been passed down for a very long time.”
“...”
A noble and majestic voice rang in Hansen’s ears. The voice sounded arrogant, like God’s Voice, but it was also filled with warmth, a warmth that seemed to embrace Hansen.
“That curse. It has been passed down in your family from one generation to another and has been making your family suffer for a very long time.”
There was a kind smile on the man’s face. The man walked one step at a time as he approached Hansen.
Hansen huffed. “What do you know?! Do you know what it feels to be bald from one generation to another?! Do you even know how I felt when I learned that my son has to live his life as a bald man?!!”
In the end, Hansen fell to his knees crying.
Corr looked at him and said, “It must have been hard and painful. You must have been suffering for a very long time.”
“Sob, sob, sob, sob, sob...”
“I am the leader of Talmor Religion, Corr. I came running for your sake,” Corr said as he slowly placed his hand on Hansen’s head. Then, he continued, “Follow me. Follow me and I will let your hair grow.”
The truth was, Hansen was already at his wits end. He felt that life was so sad and unfair to him that he could not even tell for a second what was happening to him. He just grasped the straws that were dangling in front of him.
“Grow, grow hair, grow.”
“G... row... Sob... grow... h— hair... grow...”
“Louder! With more power!”
“Grow, grow... hair— hair...!”
“Loudeeeeeeeer!!!”
“Grow, grow hair, groooooooooow!!!”
Then, at that moment, Corr took out his flute and began to play a tune. A warm power wrapped around Hansen’s sweaty head.
‘It— it’s warm...’
It was a feeling that he had never felt before. Then, not long after, a ticklish sensation spread on top of his head.
Originally, the effect of Corr’s Talmor Treatment would not appear in just a day. However, Corr had grown a lot as the leader of the Talmor Religion.
Twitch, twitch—
Hair started to grow on Hansen’s head. The dazed Hansen rubbed his head in disbelief. It was thick and abundant!
“Oh— oooooooooh... Ooooooooooooh...!”
Hansen was so thrilled that he could not even utter a single word. The curse of baldness that had been passed down to 28 of their family’s generations was now gone!
“I am Corr, a diplomat of Beyond the Heavens Empire. I am asking you to move to the Beyond the Heavens Empire. Do you know the reason why you have to move to the Beyond the Heavens Empire?” Corr spoke kindly.
“Because I’m the only one that can end the curse that is afflicting your family.”
Then, Corr continued with a kind and gentle smile on his face, “The One that has been freed from baldness.”
“Please— please speak.”
“Go and buy your very first shampoo.”
“...!”
The teary and emotional Hansen ran out to buy shampoo for the very first time in his life!
***
At the same time.
Ronweiner, the commander of the Falcon Archer Corps of the Effinor Kingdom, was a huge fan of Best Selling Author Aruvel. That was why he spent the huge amount of 50,000 platinum to buy one of his limited edition books.
Of course, he had always been single since birth. That was why for him, Aruvel’s works had always been his friend and salvation. When he met Aruvel, the man that he considered God, he cried tears of joy.
“Come to the Beyond the Heavens Empire.”
Ronweiner was an outstanding talent with a level that went beyond Level 550. Even his skills with the bow could be said to be the best and finest in the kingdom. However, he was born and raised in Effinor Kingdom. Even though he was an orphan, he had grown up outstandingly thanks to the support and welfare given by the Effinor Kingdom. That was why he had sworn his life and body to serve the Effinor Kingdom.
“H— how... How can you say that to me, Sir Author!” Ronweiner cried. “I, Ronweiner, am an orphan born and raised in this kingdom. This kingdom’s royal family has raised me and I will continue to live for their sake...!”
But then, Aruvel said, “You will be given the right to preview my new works forever.”
“...!”
“This privilege will only be given to you.”
“...!”
Ronweiner bit his lips strongly.
‘How can he say that?! How can the author and the person that I admire say that to me?!’
“Can we go now?”
Ronweiner switched sides faster than light. Erotic novels were truly amazing.
Updat𝒆d fr𝒐m freew𝒆bnov𝒆l.c(o)m