Chapter 80 - EPISODE 80 – THE KAPLAN EFFECT (1) (1/2)
Terms used in this chapter:
Praise makes even a whale dance – an old Korean saying which means that praises makes a person feel good.
Magician of words – also known as wordsmith, which means a person who is an expert in the use of words.
Jude also had something called a conscience.
“Really?”
“Why are you pretending like it’s someone else’s business? You’re an accomplice too.”
“Cordelia doesn’t know anything. I was just following Daddy.”
Cordelia pretended to be cute and innocent in front of him, and Jude couldn’t win against her.
“Hehe, I’m really cute so you couldn’t win, right?”
“No, it’s not?”
“Hehehe.”
Cordelia cheekily laughed and lightly knocked on Jude’s chest.
“Apparently, you have a conscience here too.”
Jude’s conscience.
As she had said, Jude also had a conscience.
Even for Jude, it was unreasonable to extort more from the Fairy Queen as a reward for her single request when they had already received the Earth Protection and over twenty magic tools.
‘Though the truth is, we have nothing else to extort from her.’
There surely would have been more treasures, but it was questionable if the Fairy Queen would hand it over to them.
There was no need to destroy a good relationship just because of greed.
“That’s why you got this?”
“It’s enough.”
Jude replied with a smile before spreading out the map he received from the Fairy Queen.
“Magellan, the kingdom of magic.”
It was a powerful magic kingdom built by the High Elves, who were also known as the ancient elves.
The map displayed and recorded in detail the geography of not only the Raptor Canyon, but also of Endymion, the capital of the former magic kingdom.
“Lena must be here somewhere, right?”
“Perhaps. Even if she isn’t here…we still have to know about Endymion in order to save Lena.”
After nodding at Jude’s words, Cordelia turned her gaze towards the left corner of the map and smiled.
“This is the hot spring we’re in now. And since this is the bathhouse sign…hehehe, there are more than ten bathhouses in Endymion alone.”
Although it would not have been completely preserved like the bathhouse they were in that was managed by the wild fairies, the fact that there were bathhouses was still important.
“Good for you.”
“Yes, yes, I love it.”
Seeing Cordelia’s broad smile, Jude’s mood also became better.
“Let’s stop by these places on the way. Anyway, we gained a lot from today’s meeting.”
“Yes, you’re right.”
They got the map of Endymion, the Earth Protection, and several magic items, which included the Spell’s Echo.
‘There’s even information.’
Information such as what monsters lived in Raptor Canyon and which surrounding terrain and so on, that they should be careful of.
Jude and Cordelia got more than they had thought.
“Let’s change our equipment setting first, minus the items that has effects that cancel out each other. Let’s set it at the highest efficiency.”
“Leave it to me. I’ll set up yours at the highest efficiency.”
Cordelia lightly knocked on her chest and began sorting out the equipment they had brought, and Jude approached the fainted Kaplan who was still lying on the floor.
“How’s Kaplan?”
“He looks fine. He’s just sleeping well.”
After answering Cordelia, Jude checked Kaplan’s pulse before he untied the ropes.
‘Indiana Kaplan.’
An adventurer and archeologist from the Argon Empire.
He was a character the player could meet at least once when they explored the ruins in the Argon Empire. He was always involved in accidents, so beginners would call him the god of disaster while rotten waters called him the god of bliss.
“Are you going to wake him up?”
“Yes, because we have a lot to talk about.”
He wanted to know why Kaplan came to the wild land, and what and how much Kaplan knew about Endymion.
“Wait, if you’re going to wake him up, I’ll wake him up with magic.”
Cordelia put the sorted equipment into their newly brought magic bag before she quickly walked towards Jude.
“<Awake>.”
As she gently stroked Kaplan’s shiny head and whispered, the spell’s effect was activated.
“Uhhh…uh…”
Kaplan opened his eyes with a groan and was half-asleep for a moment, but he soon jumped up and raised his upper body.
“Hyuuuk?! Where am I?! What about the monster?!”
Jude and Cordelia left him alone for now as Kaplan exhaled roughly and looked around him before he stabilized his position.
“Ba-bathhouse? High Elf style?”
As expected of an archeologist.
Jude unknowingly smiled, and then said to Kaplan who was covered in cold sweat.
“You’re Sir Indiana Kaplan, am I right?”
Kaplan flinched at the sudden call, but he soon nodded.
He was too busy to look around, so he didn’t properly notice Jude and Cordelia standing next to him.
“I’m Indiana Kaplan. Here…n-no. I remember. While being chased by the White Giant Bear…”
“Yes, we saved Sir Kaplan.”
“We saved you. If not for us, you would have been eaten by the White Giant Bear.”
Cordelia emphasized the fact that they saved him even if Jude didn’t ask her to.
‘Why?’
‘No, I’m just proud.’
She grew up well.
But he partly felt awful when he thought that he had corrupted an innocent child.
In any case, Cordelia’s emphasis on doing him a favor worked.
“Oh! You two were my benefactors! Thank you very much! I lived thanks to you two.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Ahem, ahem, now then…”
Cordelia immediately nodded, but Jude stealthily stopped Cordelia as he stepped forward.
Because Kaplan wasn’t a fairy.
Emphasizing that he owed them was good, but if it was too obvious, there was a possibility that it would be slightly counterproductive.
“It’s an honor to meet Sir Indiana Kaplan, a renowned archeologist.”
“Hoho, it’s just a bit of an empty name.”
Kaplan stroked his beard as if he was embarrassed, but praise makes even a whale dance.
Kaplan felt much better.
“I am Jude, and this is my fiancée, Cordelia.”
“I’m Cordelia. It’s an honor to meet you.”
Cordelia’s courteousness made Kaplan’s face flushed.
“Your fiancée is a very beautiful woman. I’m envious.”
“Hahaha, thank you.”
In fact, Cordelia didn’t notice because she didn’t pay it much thought, but Jude had always stressed the fact that she was his ‘fiancée’ whenever they met someone.
In the midst of the friendly atmosphere, Kaplan spoke.
“By the way…you don’t look like people who live in the wild land.”
“Yes, we are from the Sälen Kingdom.”
“Ho! Sälen! The Sälen Kingdom has long been in war with the barbarians, so how come you’re here…”
“There were various circumstances…but the biggest reason is to explore the ruins.”
“Explore the ruins?”
“Yes, explore the ruins.”
At the same time as he laughed ‘hoho’ at Jude’s answer, Kaplan’s face was filled with curiosity and nervousness.
“The ruins you’re talking about are…”
“The capital of Magellan, the magic kingdom. The Endymion capital.”
“Oh! You’re the same!”