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    『Excerpt from Earthian Language Glossary for Imperial Nobles』


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    Dawn rose over the City of Scums.


    As the sunlight stretched its hand and chased away the darkness, the sleeping city below slowly opened its eyes.


    According to the laws of nature, the first place the sunlight touched was the eastern part of the city.


    It was a place where factories left behind by the Soviets and the workers’ residential areas were mixed together.


    And in a back alley of the eastern district, in the attic of a tavern called ‘Camel’s Tears’, a young man opened the window to breathe in the morning air.


    It was an uncanny coincidence, but the moment the young man opened the window, the sunlight brightly illuminated the area.


    The unanticipated sunlight made the young man frown slightly. And after blinking a few times to get used to the light, he took in the scenery below.


    Working-class people, drenched in fatigue, heading to work, merchants heading north, and taverns that were just starting to close…


    The scene unfolding outside reminded the young man of the back alleys in Incheon. Were all places where people lived the same?


    As he gazed at the city, which smelled of rusty metal and clammy chemicals instead of sea salt, he nostalgically thought of his hometown.


    And he continued to reminisce until he heard the sound of a door opening behind him.


    As soon as the door opened, the young man turned his head and saw a black-haired girl who was still half-asleep.


    Dragging the hem of the dress she was yet to change out of, she entered the room and sat in the only chair before speaking.


    “Good morning, Yeomyeong, though it can’t exactly be considered ‘good’… anyway, why are you up so early? Did you stay up all night?”


    “I did sleep, not deeply though.”


    As soon as Yeomyeong replied, the girl stretched her arms. Her smooth armpits were briefly visible through her dress before disappearing.


    Yeomyeong quickly averted his gaze and shut the window.


    As the sunlight was blocked and a faint darkness filled the room, the girl leaned back in her chair, putting her weight on the backrest.


    As the chair creaked in the lingering silence, Yeomyeong spoke up.


    “Seti, why are you up so early?”


    “Well, for the same reason as you.”


    She couldn’t fall asleep. She hesitated for a moment before asking cautiously.


    “Yeomyeong, what do you plan to do regarding that proposal from last night?”


    Despite her abrupt question, Yeomyeong didn’t ask her to elaborate but instead recalled the words of Bykov…uh, the Eastern Count Palatine, from the previous night.


    After revealing his true identity, the Count Palatine, disguised as the tavern owner, began his explanation.


    Yeomyeong didn’t ask if the rumors were true. He had already heard the same thing from the arms dealer, Joseph, a living witness to the rumors.


    With that, the Eastern Count Palatine extended his hand to Yeomyeong, his voice filled with earnestness.


    However, instead of shaking his hand, Yeomyeong asked him for some time to think about it.


    Was it because the Eastern Count Palatine was allied with the Elf who had ambushed him?


    While that was indeed one of the reasons, the bigger issue was that they were people who intended to leave the city.


    Yeomyeong and Seti had only one thing to do in this city—To find out what the shepherds of the Korean government, in alliance with the Western Count Palatine, were plotting in the shadows.


    Whether they would kill the shepherds or just uncover the conspiracy and leave was still undecided.


    Either way, Yeomyeong planned to take the train out of the city as soon as the task was completed.


    He intended to return to the academy before the Superhuman Olympia tournament. Hence, there was not enough time to get involved in something with the Eastern Count Palatine.


    While Yeomyeong was lost in his thoughts, Seti suddenly spoke up.


    “I’m against it.”


    “Why? I thought you’d be in favor.”


    As soon as Yeomyeong inquired, Seti’s elegant eyebrows arched slightly.


    “While time is also a problem… I just cannot bring myself to trust that Eastern Count Palatine, that old man.”


    “Cannot trust him… well, that’s true.” S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Using a Russian name and having allied with a commie Elf wasn’t the issue. However, the fact that he was hiding his true identity and running a tavern was.


    Yeomyeong had spent far too many years in the back alleys to simply overlook this as a mere hobby.


    From the location of the tavern, where everything could be seen, to the secret codes he exchanged with the Elf… it was obvious.


    The Eastern Count Palatine was either deeply involved with the back alleys or knew exactly how they operated.


    “So, we’ve decided to turn down the Eastern Count Palatine’s offer. Now, all that remains is whether we can investigate the Western Count Palatine’s movements.”


    “That’s easy. We have the money and Joseph, don’t we?”


    Seti explained that last night, she had ordered Joseph to retrieve the gold, remove the tracking magic and that they were to meet again in the sewers.


    Fighting an elf and doing that at the same time? Yeomyeong poked Seti’s hand lightly.


    “Good job.”


    “Don’t mention it.”


    Seti responded by poking his cheek. They both smiled at each other, stood up, and brushed themselves off.


    While it was unfortunate for the Eastern Count Palatine, they planned to leave the tavern without saying their goodbyes.


    Since they had decided not to join him, there was no reason to stay in the tavern any longer.


    “Oh, and about Neti…”


    “My sister?”


    “How did she get here? Do you sisters have some special ability?”


    “…We don’t have any special abilities. Although I wish we did.”


    “Then?”


    “Well… I don’t know either. I didn’t pay attention because I was so distracted yesterday. From what she told me yesterday before dozing off, Soe Miri opened a Dimensional Portal…”


    “…Soe Miri?”


    Did the Elf Princess have some sort of ability that could open Dimensional Portals? Yeomyeong tilted his head in confusion and opened the door.


    And the next moment…


    The girl, who had been pressing her ear against the door on the other side, tumbled into the room with a loud crash.


    She looked up at Yeomyeong and Seti with a startled expression as if she hadn’t expected the door to open so suddenly.


    “…?”


    A brief silence ensued. As Seti glared down at her, the girl hesitated before speaking up.


    “U-unnie, uh… I-I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop or anything…”


    “Neti!”


    Neti tried to make some excuse, but Seti was quicker, yelling and grabbing her by the ear.


    With her ear trapped in her sister’s grip, Neti screamed as she was dragged outside.


    Watching the sisters’ little drama, Yeomyeong shook his head before following them.


    * * *


    Neti stuck her head out of the carriage to look at the people walking down the road, then pulled her head back in and turned to Yeomyeong.


    “Brother-in-law, where are we off to now?”


    “…?”


    Yeomyeong, who had been dozing off with his back against the carriage seat, suddenly jolted awake.


    The word ‘brother-in-law’ made him feel somewhat embarrassed. He blinked as he gazed at the girl who had called him that.


    Should he ask her not to call him that? Or should he just let her be?


    He didn’t know why, but his instincts warned him not to let her call him ‘oppa.’ So, Yeomyeong simply responded to her question without saying more.


    “For now, we’re heading to the northern train station of the city.”


    “Oh, a train. It’s that one, right? The largest transcontinental railroad across the Northern and Southern continents, beyond the dimensional portal.”


    Yeomyeong nodded.


    As Neti said, there was a massive train station in the northern part of Dreitherial.


    Since Stalin, who would have given it a name, was missing, it was simply called the terminal of the North-South railway.


    “Don’t get your hopes up too much. It’s just a large, old train station for Earthians.”


    “How big is it? Is it bigger than Kaesong Station?”


    “It’s obviously bigger than Kaesong Station. It’s probably several times larger, but I’m not sure how big exactly.”


    It was commonly said that 70% of the reason this City of Scums was still functioning was thanks to the transcontinental railroad and that train station, so there was no need for any further explanation.


    Neti let out an impressed ‘oh’ before turning her gaze out the window once again while Yeomyeong closed his eyes again.


    He was hoping to catch up on some sleep, but it seemed like his sister-in-law(?) wasn’t planning on letting him rest.


    She called out to him again.


    “Uh, brother-in-law.”


    “What is it now? What are you curious about this time?”


    “How far have you and Unnie gone?”


    Yeomyeong felt rather fortunate that there was no water nearby. And if he’d been drinking, he would have spat it out immediately.


    When Neti saw him turn serious, she grinned cunningly.


    “Is my sister doing well?”


    “…Doing what?”


    “, you know. This, this.”


    Using both hands, Neti formed a certain shape and repeatedly moved her fingers in and out. It was such an explicit gesture that it would make anyone who saw it burn with embarrassment.


    While Yeomyeong massaged his throbbing temples, unable to come up with a response, Neti spoke up again.


    “Could it be… she didn’t act like… a ‘Starfish’, did she?”


    “…What?”


    “I was actually really worried. Even though she doesn’t show it, my sister’s pretty shy… What if she can’t do anything when it’s actually time to do it…?”


    “…”


    “And, brother-in-law, you have numerous suitors, right? Meanwhile, my sister… she has no sex appeal whatsoever…”


    As she trailed off, Yeomyeong responded sternly.


    “…Seti is quite attractive.”


    “Oh, please. My sister only wears the same old underwear they gave her as supplies. I was planning to gift her some with black lace this time—”


    Neti’s words were cut short as the carriage came to a sudden stop.


    Did Seti arrive? No, that wasn’t it.


    She had left separately for the southern part of the city to bring back Joseph, the gold, and Balagu.


    Feeling uneasy, Yeomyeong got out of the carriage.


    The road outside was full of carts, wagons, and carriages, but everyone had stopped and was facing north.


    Yeomyeong grabbed a middle-aged man who was standing still and asked.


    “What’s going on here?”


    The middle-aged man carrying an A-frame back carrier seemed to be a laborer in transportation, but he wore a somewhat dazed look, as if he had seen something strange.


    “D-didn’t you see it?”


    “See what?”


    “Uhm… what do you call it? A meteorite? Yes, a meteorite fell.”


    “…A meteorite?”


    A meteorite fell from the sky? If so, how was the city still intact?


    Yeomyeong was sure that the middle-aged man was either mistaken or had witnessed some magic.


    He looked back to see Neti getting off the carriage, then swiftly leaped to the roof of the carriage.


    The coachman was startled, but Yeomyeong didn’t care, narrowing his eyes.


    The road to the northern train station was completely blocked.


    “Neti, do you know how to use the Flying Kick technique?”


    Neti didn’t answer. Instead, she leaped onto the carriage roof using Feather Step.


    That was an answer better than a hundred words.


    Yeomyeong tossed a coin pouch to the coachman and used the Flying Kick technique to leap onto the roof of another carriage.


    From the carriage roof to a cart, to the side of a building, and back to another carriage roof.


    As he dashed, almost flying, he glanced back and saw Neti keeping up without much trouble. In fact, she looked more comfortable than Seti in some ways.


    “Brother-in-law, don’t worry about me, just go faster!”


    Neti shouted, and Yeomyeong was more than happy to speed up.


    So, using the Flying Kick technique to cover the distance quickly, the two of them zipped through the streets.


    After a while, Yeomyeong frowned as the distant train station and the smoke rising beyond it came into his view.


    “What the… did it get bombed?”


    Looking at the station, Neti shared her thoughts. Yeomyeong didn’t deny it.


    The train station, even larger than Kaesong Station, had a massive hole blown in it.


    The two of them slowed down and approached the northern train station slowly.


    Along the way, firefighters, merchants, and guards managed by the three different Count Palatines were rushing around, trying to bring the situation under control.


    Going past them, they entered the train station, only to find the interior was even worse than the outside.


    Beneath the collapsed and melted steel frames, countless trains lay overturned. But the bigger problem wasn’t the trains—it was the tracks.


    Even from Yeomyeong’s perspective as a layman, the railway tracks were melted to the point where even repair seemed impossible for a while.


    “This… is not an accident, it’s terrorism. They specifically targeted the railway.”


    Neti said as she looked around. Yeomyeong frowned without responding to her.


    Was this because their plans to take the train to the city with the Dimensional Portal had been ruined? No, that wasn’t it.


    It was because he had grasped what kind of fire had struck the train station.


    “How did they attack it? A missile? A meteor?”


    “…Neither.”


    “Huh? Do you know what it is, brother-in-law?”


    Yeomyeong nodded and looked at the railway tracks. More precisely, he stared at the still-burning blue flames that were consuming the tracks.


    “Dragon’s Breath.”


    That was the breath of a certain Skeleton Dragon, something Yeomyeong had already seen back in Manchuria.