The Knight King Who Returned with Gods : Chapter 13
Translators: Nyx and Ririi Rain
Episode
13 Medieval Taxes
"How
dare you lowly merchant blaspheme the divine!"
Leon's
thunderous outburst was not just any outburst.
It
came from the most exalted being in the mortal world. Words spoken by a living
saint and demigod hold their own magic.
The
fury he unleashed in his rage was not something a normal human could withstand.
"Ugh...!"
He
choked. His eardrums vibrated, and his mind goes blank.
His
heart raced as he felt the wrath of an unimaginable divine representative.
Despite
the incomprehensible rage, he understood one thing.
Park
Jong-chan understood that the life and death of the Doojeong Group, the actual
corporation, and himself, its managing director... depended on the otherworldly
man in front of him.
"Your,
Your Majesty!"
At
that moment, Hari, sensing the danger, stood in front of Leon, her legs
trembling as she forced herself to stand.
"N-
no, Your Majesty. If, if you kill him, we'll be in... big trouble!"
Being
a survivor was not a license to get away with anything. There was a fine line
to accommodate Leon's culture along with his status, and that was: not
committing a crime.
Of
course, Leon's value couldn't be compared to that of a managing director of a
major domestic company, but even so, this wasn't one of those times.
"Hmm.
I'm more than happy to provide guidance, but don't be mistaken. This king is
not some kind of thundering colt."
With
that, Hari, Park Jong-chan, and the secretary breathed a sigh of relief.
Director Park broke out in a cold sweat.
"Foolish
one. You've made your sins known."
"Ye-
yes? No, I......."
What
the hell had he done wrong? He'd tried to bargain. But how could a barbarian who
had been on Earth for less than a week know that?
Feeling
wronged, Park Jong-chan cautiously pleaded,
"I,
I really don't know what's wrong."
"Heh...
How can you be so ignorant and clueless?"
At
this point, Leon's eyes held pity, not contempt.
"The
crops come from the land blessed by Demera. A blessing the goddess bestowed
upon the farmers who sweated and sowed and nurtured the fields."
Humans
are creatures who cannot survive alone.
When
there is a bad harvest, they have to starve, and in spite of their hunger, they
go to work in the fields.
They
dig up the soil and pluck the seeds from the earth.
"Therefore,
those who are farmers should be grateful for the blessings of the land and be
thankful to the divine who gave it to them."
Faith,
divinity, and the grace of the divine. We must recognize that.
It
is not something that can be bought with gold, but is bestowed upon a grateful
heart and faith.
"Thou
art a lowly thing, deceiving others for the sake of petty profit. How dost thou
seek to profit from the product of a divinity thou hast no faith in?"
"Pro-
profit...!"
Director
Park Jong-chan gritted his teeth and retreated. As he walked away, apparently
in a wait-and-see manner, Hari voiced her concern.
"Is
it... is it going to be okay? He may be a lowly merchant in Your Majesty's
eyes, but... he's quite influential."
"Hmph.
Not even worth my concern."
Leon
is not exactly dismissive of the influence of businessmen.
Businesses
play a huge role in modern civilization. They have a vast influence in the soil
of capitalism.
"The
mighty gods are with me, and I am not a man to be shaken."
But
there was an overwhelming confidence in him. No, it could be called certainty.
Chosen
by the gods of the pantheon.
He
was the chosen one, the king recognized by the heavens.
A
living proof of the doctrine of the divine right of kings.
The
emperors of the empires, the steel dwarves of the underground cities, and the
guardians of the forests all recognize the demigod's authority.
Only
the self-indulgent take the agents of the gods lightly.
In
the world of divinity to come, they will be excluded and fall behind.
The
ignorant and unintelligent are not worth dealing with.
"Anyway,
what happened to the things I told you to prepare?"
"Uhm...
proselytizing the farmers... you mean?"
"Yes.
It wouldn't be a loss for this country, of course."
Hari
remembered Leon's request not long ago, and of course, the Hunter's Association
flipped.
"Actually,
Director Park Jong-chan contacted me before he came to visit, saying he had
some suitable land......."
There
were just too many. If Leon could solve this problem, there was no reason why
the Hunter's Association couldn't help, especially since the President was
happy to see it.
*
* * *
Humanity
had lost a lot of arable land since the gate crisis.
Countries
that were overwhelmed with dealing with gates in their urban centers failed to
discover gates in rural and remote areas.
As
a result, many gates have caused dungeon breaks, and much land was contaminated.
The
only reason humanity hasn't had a severe food crisis before is purely due to
the amount of people dying.
And
some of the fields that were unable to be dealt with have been permanently
contaminated, creating countless refugees.
The
Naju Plain, where Choi Yeong-nam, who had spent his entire life plowing fields,
was one of them.
"Dad.
Are you still looking at the field from the start of the day?"
"......."
Despite
his son's question, Mr. Choi remained silent and looked at his land which was
contaminated with maso.
While
Choi now receives a government subsidy and works as an assistant at a
supermarket in town, he was a farmer in Naju until five years ago.
He
had spent his entire life herding cows and driving tractors. But five years
ago, a failed Red Gate triggered a dungeon break, and the entire Naju Plain was
polluted with maso.
The
contamination was so intense that many farmers, including Mr. Choi, lost their
land.
"Haa......."
You
can't do anything on land contaminated with maso. Ordinary people were poisoned
just by stepping on it, and only hunters could survive.
No
one wants to buy land that doesn't grow crops. There were government subsidies
based on the size of the land, but they were pennies compared to the value of
the land.
They've
been buying reagents to purify the maso from the Magic Tower, but even that has
its limits. The reagents were unable to cleanse the land of excessive
contamination.
Perhaps
the next new reagent will work, and the next one will be better.
Mr.
Choi spent his fortune buying the reagents from Magic Tower, even though he was
now the only one buying them in the neighborhood.
"Give
up now. It's a land where even a king can't do anything."
"Hush!
You and your brothers. I fed you all with rice grown on that land, I sent you
to college. What kind of land is that? My land I worked my whole life
for!"
Since
his birth, there had been a great war that had divided the people. He grew up
in a war-torn country, receiving rations from the U.S. military.
He
had big dreams.
He
wanted to buy his own land and farm it. He wanted to raise his children right.
He
bought the land with the money he had earned by risking his life fighting the
Viet Cong in Vietnam. It was the land he had expanded whenever he could spare
the money.
The
land, the fields, were everything to him.
'All I had to do was farm it one last time and
then pass it on to my children, and I'd reap the rewards of my life's work,' he thought........
"Fucking
wretches. You vile monsters!"
They
appeared and polluted his land. After twenty-five years of trembling at the
thought of the maso polluting his land, and hoping that they would never appear
on his land, they did.
Now
he had only one wish.
'Just once, I want to plant a new seedling on
my land and see those golden colors once more.'
He
wanted to see it once before he died.
"Dad,
did you hear what Mr. Lee said? The Hunter's Association is introducing
something."
"Another
new drug. Something unhealthy and expensive."
The
reagents sold by Magic Tower were expensive. Even though they were subsidized
by the government, they were still expensive.
The
probability of purification was not high, and it would take two years if they
were lucky.
And
it didn't work at all in a highly polluted land like the Naju Plain.
"Let's
hear what crap they're cooking up."
Although
Mr. Choi was always cursing the Association and Magic Tower, he never missed a
single gathering like this. He wanted to hold on to a glimmer of hope.
"My
name is Leon Dragonia Lionheart, and I have come to spread the faith to
you."
The blond nobleman, accompanied by the
Association's staff, spouted more nonsense than the usual visiting mages of the
tower.
And
then──
A
golden glow sprang up in the land of Mr. Choi.
"Ah......."
It
was a land that could not be purified by expensive reagents, holding exorcism,
or even a priest's sermon.
It
was a cursed land where not a single pest could breed, let alone crops.
But...
But.......
"Alas...!"
Mr.
Choi fell to his knees before the blond man. He thanked the man for the miracle
he had created.
"Who,
who are you?!"
Everyone
told him that this was a trial from the gods: The magic tower salesman, the
boisterous shamans, the priests.......
To
him, the man in front of him was a messiah, a savior.
"Farmer
with noble hands. I am King Lionheart. I am a messenger of the Pantheon, and I
have come to bring you the divinity of life and abundance."
On
this day, the first worshipper of Demera on Earth offered his faith, and the
farmers of the polluted lands followed suit.
*
* * * *
It
was real.
Hari
marveled at the purified Naju Plain.
The
Honam Plain was still in the first stages of contamination. Even with the
reagents available in the Magic Tower, it could still be cleaned up.
To
Hari and the rest of the Association's staff, the purification of the Honam
Plain was simply a special power that Leon possessed.
But Leon insisted that it was a miracle of the
gods, and he demanded a place to prove it.
That
was the cleansing of the Naju Plain.
Five
years ago, after a Red Gate's dungeon break, the land was completely
contaminated and became barren.
Even
the new reagents from the mages of the Magic Tower had no effect.
Leon
is willing to cleanse the wasteland. On one condition.
"First,
inform the President. It is a pity that he cannot see me in person."
"Please
let that slide."
With
the proposition delivered over the phone, the President gave the Hunter
Association the green light.
"As
per the agreement, 8,735 hectares of the private farmers of the Naju Plain will
come under the control of His Majesty's 'Guild' as a benefactor. Of course...
provided that the residents agree and sell their 'blessed rice' to the
government."
"No
problem."
With
the help of the Association, Leon established a guild in the country, which he
named the 'Pantheon'. It was the name he chose to spread the faith of the gods
across the world.
The
guild was given a special autonomous region where it could house, train... and
support its members.
For example, a blacksmith or toolmaker's
workshop under the guild. Even related businesses could move in and pay taxes.
It
was a measure forced through by the Ten Guilds, but it gave Leon a legitimate
territory.
Of
course, the government has put in place certain measures, so it's not a
permanent arrangement.
"Don't
worry. I would never covet the lawful lands of another nation. This is only to
spread the faith, and I will return them to the President when the time is
right."
"Umm...
technically, it will be returned to the people."
Leon
had no interest in the land. This country is too small to be so greedy.
It
would take more than that to restore the Lionheart Kingdom to its former glory.
'Fortunately, a suitable foothold is in sight,
and once I have built up my forces, I will make my advance.'
"First,
we'll need to get the residents' consent to join Your Majesty's Guild, since
they have the right to reside in the Special Territory."
"No
problem."
Leon
approached the waiting farmers. Some were middle-aged, some were elderly.
"Uh,
uh, uh... may I help you, Leon De... Dera.......?"
Mr.
Choi bowed and greeted Leon, but couldn't quite memorize his long name.
'Ah... He's going to be in trouble.'
She
thought King Lionheart would be furious. He doesn't even allow her to say his
first name.
But
contrary to Hari's expectations, Leon smiled gently and his voice softened.
"Your
Majesty is sufficient, old man."
"Aigoo...
I'm sorry."
'What, are you discriminating against people?!'
Hari
made a sour face, but Leon continued,
"Did
you say your name is Choi Yeong-nam?"
"Yes,
that is right."
"You
have sworn to serve the goddess Demera, the goddess of life and fertility. What
about the others?"
At
that, a middle-aged man stepped forward.
"So...
are you going to cleanse our land as well?"
Leon
frowned at the middle-aged man's words. He spoke as if lecturing the unpleasant
but vaguely,
"Do
not attempt to bargain with the divine, for I promise you nothing in
return."
He
despised narrow-minded faith.
He
despised shallow beliefs that demanded wishes be granted in exchange for
offerings, faith, or devotion.
You
can't trade with God.
Only
sincere worship will be granted by the gods.
To
ask for a request in exchange for faith is to doubt the divine and try to
trade.
"I
will give you the right instruction. Will you listen to divine
instruction?"
"Yes,
I will listen."
"I
am not forcing you to believe. It is your choice."
Just
then, a young man approached, a rarity in this part of the country... a son, to
be exact, who had inherited his late father's land and was invited to this
meeting.
"I,
I... I go to church......."
"It
doesn't matter. You can believe in both."
"Is,
is that okay?"
"Divinity
is plurality. There are many good gods in the world, so why should we believe
in only one?"
There are many faiths in the Pantheon.
It
is a polytheistic religion by nature and does not place restrictions on
beliefs.
"It
is only up to you to follow the teachings and practice them, I will not impose
my beliefs on you."
Of
course, if someone worships an evil deity, he will mercilessly decapitate them
and tear their souls apart.
"Join
my guild. Follow proper procedures to enter the enclosure that I, the King,
will erect and receive the teachings of the Divine."
"I'll
follow, please let me!"
Mr.
Choi eagerly embraced the faith. It was a miracle that neither the government
nor the Magic Tower nor the shamans nor the priests could accomplish.
He
had come face to face with a real holy man, and he had purified his land.
How
could the farmer not believe then?
'How could I not be grateful to the one who had
given this old body a chance to plow the fields once more?'
Mr.
Choi rejoiced with tears of gratitude that he could reap the beauty of his
life's work.
"Yes,
I will follow you."
"Me,
too...!"
One
by one, the hesitant ones stepped forward.
The
land was contaminated with maso and could not be sold, so what was there to
lose by giving it a cleansing?
"Do
you swear to follow the Divinity of Life and Fertility and to practice its
teachings?"
"I,
I swear!"
"I
swear!"
With
that, they were officially inducted into Leon's Guild, the 'Pantheon'.
Leon
knew they had their eyes set on the purification of the land, but he was
confident that one day they would find their true faith.
"Very
well, if you believe and follow, you too are children of the Goddess. I, on
behalf of the gods, will bless you as you deserve."
Leon
lifted the chalice and poured the holy water within onto his new followers.
The
holy water flowed over their heads, energizing them.
"Oh,
my God... my head is clear and my body is full of energy!
"I
feel like I can see the world differently!”
"Is,
is she really a goddess, that straw doll?”
"Oh,
yes, Goddess. Goddess Demera...!”
The
lion's heart inside Leon was filled with faith, as those who believed in the
goddess already appeared. Goddess Demera would turn it into holy power.
"Build
a temple. It doesn't have to be anything fancy, just a place where everyone
gathers weekly to pray."
Leon
preached the teachings of life and fertility, which shouldn't be too hard to
follow.
Then
came the most important moment.
"What
about the offering... how do we pay?"
The
followers embraced this new faith, but were uneasy about it.
After
all, religion is all about collecting periodic offerings under all sorts of
pretenses.
You
pay to make your child study well, you pay to expand the temple.......
It
was already a tight living. They hadn't been able to farm for five years, so
it's no wonder.
"You
only have to pay one thing."
The
worshippers' faces lit up at the words. No need to make a new offering for
every holiday or season? What a blessing──
"Ten
percent."
""......?""
To
the wide-eyed followers who wondered if they had misheard, Leon declared
proudly,
"Then
you will present the rest of the harvest as an offering. How merciful."
Hari,
who heard it behind his back, thought,
'Isn't this evil?!'
***
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