The Founding Monarch Became the Mastermind

Chapter 5

“Here we are.”

With those words, Derkios fell silent as if he had never spoken.

I stared at him in disbelief, feeling a sense of futility, but soon composed myself.

I had spent over 80 years in this world; now that I knew the answer, another 20 years wouldn’t be much of a problem.

“Fine, I get it. Then let me ask another question…”

“Based on the imprinted memory, this is as far as I can answer.”

“What?”

Si-on squinted one eye at the sudden change in Derkios’s demeanor.

“You are an incomprehensible existence that defies the rules. I took that into account and made exceptions to answer some of your questions. I even told you things that I shouldn’t have shared with Users like you.”

Si-on was momentarily at a loss for words.

Seeing this, Derkios slightly curled his lips, appearing to smile.

“But if you have any pressing questions, I might still answer within my authority. However.”

“However?”

“From now on, you’ll have to make a deal.”

“A deal, huh…? Fine, let’s hear it.”

“Although I call it a deal, I hope you understand that this is actually a considerable favor I’m extending to you. Anyway, here are my terms. I want you to take care of the goblins that have dug tunnels near my lair. In return, I will answer one of your questions.”

A dragon asking someone else to deal with goblins because he can’t handle them himself?

It sounded absurd, so I replied curtly.

“Goblins? Can’t you handle them yourself?”

“According to my imprinted memory…”

“Alright, alright.”

Though I had known him for only a few hours, I had a rough grasp of Derkios.

With his remarkably high intelligence and years spent in solitude, he enjoyed conversations and was exceedingly curious.

He frequently referred to his imprinted memory and portrayed himself passively, but I had a feeling it was partly intentional.

In my experience, highly intelligent beings like Derkios never simply took someone’s words at face value.

‘Why, though?’

I was curious but didn’t bother asking.

After all, his answer would probably be another “imprinted memory” excuse.

“What’s the scale?”

“The last time I checked, it was fewer than a hundred, but some time has passed, so the numbers have likely increased.”

“Hmm.”

I nodded in agreement.

Goblins had a lifespan of around 20 years, which was extremely short, but with a gestation period of just three months, their reproductive rate was high.

Once a goblin horde settled somewhere, it was easy for their numbers to triple or quadruple in just a year.

“The location?”

“It’s about half a day’s walk east from my lair. For you, that is. In human measurements, it’s a little over 12.5 kilometers.”

The specific number and the fact that a dragon from another world was using Earth’s units of measurement seemed odd, but it didn’t bother me.

For some reason, the units in this world were always perceived by me as meters and grams, the measurements I was familiar with.

What I found a little ridiculous was the distance.

Over 10 kilometers was considered “nearby.”

Then again, since Derkios’s territory spanned the entire Dragon’s Wasteland, he might indeed consider 10 kilometers close.

“Let’s head out right away.”

“The sun will set soon. Even if you’re a User, the night in the Wasteland is dangerous. Judging by your condition, it’d be better to rest for a few days before setting off.”

“Hmm… Fair enough.”

Having wandered through the Dragon’s Wasteland for months, I was in no state to argue, so I accepted Derkios’s suggestion.

Even as an immortal superhuman, I still felt fatigue, and there was a chance I could gather more information from Derkios during my rest.

But Derkios only provided what I needed and did not speak further or answer any questions.

After escorting me to a lower section of his lair where I could stay alone, he didn’t show up for days.

Left with no other option, I spent my time recuperating.

After four unproductive days, I set off to the location Derkios had pointed out.

* * *

“Damn it…”

Drenched in blood and flesh, I slumped down, swearing.

The underground cave, dimly lit by torches, was filled with goblin corpses.

Though it was underground and hard to keep track of time, I felt as if it had been more than two days since I’d entered the goblin lair.

During that time, I hadn’t had a moment to rest or sleep, constantly battling goblins.

“A small horde, huh? You said there were fewer than a hundred when you last checked?”

I hadn’t bothered to count them all, but I was certain that I had killed thousands of goblins since entering the cave.

In this main area alone, which seemed to be their base, I had to fight around four to five hundred goblins.

“Huff, huff…”

I took deep, labored breaths.

No matter how weak goblins were compared to humans, sheer numbers could overwhelm anything.

Moreover, this was the goblins’ home turf.

Navigating the maze-like terrain, avoiding traps and snares set for intruders, and facing cunning foes were mentally and physically exhausting.

Even my killing intent, used when facing large numbers, couldn’t be employed endlessly.

As it consumed significant emotional and mental energy, and without a status window to check, I estimated that I could use it about five or six times a day within a 20-meter radius.

Besides, apart from my killing intent, I had no special skills like sword aura or energy.

All I had were the combat techniques I had learned from various individuals over the years.

Depending on the situation, it was possible to handle hundreds in advantageous terrain, but facing over a thousand goblins in a place like this was a daunting task even for me.

I hadn’t felt this exhausted or strained in the last decade, to the point where I thought I might actually die to the goblins.

“Damn dragon. Did he make it sound like a casual stroll?”

The thought of Derkios’s shamelessness made my anger boil.

Of course, being a dragon, it made sense to treat goblins like pests.

“But this is too much.”

If he were here, I’d be tempted to curse him out, though I could also understand why Derkios had asked me to do this.

Derkios’s massive size made it impossible for him to enter the goblins’ lair.

Additionally, the lair’s deep and complex structure would have made it difficult to destroy it from above.

Ultimately, this task was something only a human, elf, or dwarf could handle.

“Ah.”

Something suddenly clicked, and I narrowed my eyes.

When Derkios had proposed this task, he said it was a favor to me.

“Could this be… a quest?”

If so, it made sense.

According to Derkios, this world was in the prologue stage before the main story of AWS began.

The dragon, essentially a GM, had assigned a quest to me far earlier than the other Users who would arrive in 20 years.

Though presented as a deal, it was indeed a favor.

Of course, I still rejected the notion of this world being a game.

“Let’s go back.”

With my strength somewhat recovered, I stood up.

I hadn’t exterminated all the goblins, but it would take at least a few years for the survivors to repopulate.

That should be good enough to satisfy Derkios.

* * *

“You’ve done well. The reward meant for you will be given when ‘that day’ comes.”

Derkios’s satisfied response confirmed my suspicion.

This had been a quest.

‘Not immediate, but he’ll reward me later, so it’s a win.’

Moreover, as agreed, Derkios answered one of my questions separately from the reward.

It was a critical question about what I needed to do next, and Derkios’s response was satisfactory.

However, there were still a few more questions I wanted answered.

Sensing that this deal was indeed a quest, I made another proposal to Derkios.

“I have a few more questions. Would you be willing to make another deal?”

“That’s good. Very good.”

Derkios seemed extremely pleased.

I thought that perhaps he was a bit lonely and bored.

After that, I continued solving quests through my deals with Derkios.

The quests ranged from meeting desert orcs at the edge of the Dragon’s Wasteland to hunting giant scorpion monsters that dug holes around Derkios’s lair, affecting the ground.

Since I had left both my horses in the border town before entering the Wasteland, I had to travel on foot, with each quest taking anywhere from a few days to over a month.

In this way, nearly a year passed as I completed five quests.

I still had many questions, but as Derkios increasingly refused to answer the more pointed ones, telling me to ask something else, I realized it was time to leave.

“I see. Then I should start preparing.”

“Indeed. Other Users may find it unfair, but considering your unique situation, they’ll have to accept it.”

“Let them try spending as long as I have in this world. None of them would do it.”

Anyone who complained about the few advantages I’d earned after enduring 80 years in this world, without any of the conveniences of civilization and after experiencing actual death, was a selfish bastard.

With that thought, I slung the backpack I had packed in advance over my shoulder.

“Take care, then. It’s been fun.”

“The same goes for me. I wish you well until the day the Users arrive—and, of course, afterward as well.”

“Thanks. I hope you manage, too. It’ll be boring and tedious, but you’ve lasted this long, so what’s another 20 years?”

“Hm? What do you mean?”

“What do you think? You’ve been here alone for centuries, right? It must have been boring, but in just 20 more years, the Users will…”

“You seem to be mistaken about something.”

“Mistaken?”

I tilted my head in confusion.

Derikios looked at me strangely before suddenly laughing as if he’d remembered something.

“Oh, it seems I forgot to tell you something important.”

“Something… important?”

Feeling an inexplicable sense of unease, I asked again.

When something was described as “important” in moments like this, it usually meant something incredibly significant—your typical cliché.

“I am a being with reason and emotions. It would be hard to endure such a long time alone.”

“What? So, are you saying someone else is here?”

Having seen no other presence besides Derkios for more than half a year, I felt both anxious and baffled.

“Haha. There’s no one else here but me. I was referring to the time you mentioned.”

“The time…?”

My unease only grew stronger.

“One of the abilities granted to me allows time to flow faster within my lair. About ten times faster than outside.”

“…Ten times!?”

“Exactly. So the time I’ve been waiting for the Users is now down to just a few years. That much, I can endure alone.”

Derkios smiled.

But I felt like my mind had come to a complete stop.

So I hadn’t spent just one year here…

“Ten years? It’s been over ten years?”