I Became a 6★ Gacha Character

335 - Knights' Valor Poem 5

TL/Editor: raei

Schedule: 5/week

Illustrations: Posted in discord

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I finally understood what it meant to be scared out of my mind. The only comforting thought in this terrifying situation was that the Harpy Empire's capital on the 50th floor dwarfed the cities below.

"...This is unbelievable."

"It's all built by those damn stone dwarves anyway."

Unlike the lower cities you could see at a glance from the mountaintop, this one couldn't be taken in with a single look. You had to turn your head from left to right as if scrolling to see it all, making you wonder how they built such a massive city in the mountains.

The stone dwarf race wasn't some dragon-enslaved underlings. What kind of technology did they have to cram such a huge city into the mountain basin?

Thinking it impossible to conquer such a vast city in a day, the knights who'd climbed ahead of us were huddled in discussion. Because of this, the adventurers and mercenaries waiting in the caves and stairs, packed like sardines on a subway, were visibly annoyed... but they had no choice but to wait since they couldn't earn money without the knights.

"What do you think, Hero?"

"Hmm... With a city this big, how about taking it zone by zone?"

"But the buildings have no ceilings, making them dangerous as bases."

"Ah, I see. A city with buildings without ceilings..."

As the knight commander subtly approached us again, Han Se-ah responded, but her head shook side to side, showing her dilemma.

Han Se-ah felt overwhelmed by the city's size when trying to find clues. Conquering and thoroughly searching each zone seemed like the best option... but as the knight commander pointed out, it was practically impossible with buildings lacking ceilings.

Too few in number to occupy, too big to breakthrough. The Harpy soldiers we'd encountered so far were nothing special, but this was the 50th floor. Even a quick glance showed it was a whole different level.

Moreover, would the kingdom's knight commander start a campaign without intel? Even novice adventurers knew that every ten floors, a boss stronger than the average monster of that level appeared.

However, the deliberation couldn't go on forever.

"Hmm... If there's no clever solution, we only have one option."

After all, Edward Aquitaine was the brute who once ran faster than a carriage to drink with me, someone who even other muscle-brained men said, "The Commander is a bit... yeah."

"Kill today, kill tomorrow, keep killing and retreating until they're all dead. Harpies lay eggs, right? They don’t just pop out of thin air like some mindless tower monsters, do they?"

Killing all the harpies would naturally lead to the city's conquest. Thinking this way, he raised the banner and led the knights down the slope toward the city.

Having heard that the other cities had fallen and that harpies were being hunted indiscriminately, the harpies guarding the cave flew up, their red and black wings fluttering.

It seemed the capital of their so-called empire used black harpies as battle slaves, not just red ones. With bodies like eagles rather than humans, they could carry heavier loads, like fighter jets and bombers.

The Knight Commander raised the banner high as the knights followed in orderly ranks. Watching this, the adventurers and mercenaries scattered like unleashed dogs. As the chaotic melee ensued, we turned to Han Se-ah.

“What do you think, Hanna? Should we try to find something in this city too?”

“That would be best. Unless the harpy empress comes out herself... I don't think a monster that claims to be a god would move lightly.”

-The boss monster will probably be well-hidden, lol.

-Wouldn't it be funny if she suddenly jumped out and screamed, "I'll kill you all for threatening the empire," and went on a rampage?

-Han Se-ah’s usual luck suggests there’s a chance this might happen.

-Haha, saying that to someone with a 6543 party? What about those with a 2232?

-It's a bit heartbreaking that someone’s highest star is another’s lowest...

Han Se-ah said this with a hardened expression, looking at her party members. Everyone nodded and smiled to ease her determination and tension.

Of course, only I knew that this tension wasn't due to the impending battle with the Harpy Empress but because she was worried about missing steps in her quest and becoming an international embarrassment. I shared her anxiety about failing my awakening quest and ruining my future performance.

Please, let there be a hidden second artifact or an awakening condition in some temple corner…!

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Raei Translations

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The harpies' capital on the 50th floor was huge. Combined with the incredible craftsmanship of the stone dwarves who were enslaved, it was more beautiful than any modern tourist attraction.

Some viewers even joked that playing this game was more worthwhile than traveling to Europe. The city’s elegant and expansive design was so aesthetically pleasing it could be a computer wallpaper, with its striking yet clean lines.

But, of course, it was full of harpies.

"Right flank, start from the outskirts and fall back!"

With the single plan to kill as many as possible before retreating from exhaustion, the Knight Commander charged. The knights followed orders, and we watched McDonagh’s head disappear among the adventurers and mercenaries as we hid in an alley.

We thought sneaking into the harpy city as humans would be impossible, but were they confirming the stereotype that harpies have bird brains?

"Humans, humans here!"

"Just carry the load, you idiot! Go call for support!"

Han Se-ah pulled out a stone dwarf toolbox borrowed from Old Bobo, and the harpies flying overhead began to ignore us.

A corner of the city was being overrun by a slave race that was armed, and citizens were dying. But the harpy soldiers, in a rush to respond, didn't bother to check working slaves. Grace murmured with a wry smile.

"So we could have just come straight to the 50th floor..."

"Maybe if we didn’t have the Knights, we could have infiltrated the palace? With Old Bobo, we might have reached the Harpy Empress."

"Too bad the Knights got involved..."

From the inventory, Han Se-ah took out five wooden boxes without lids. Inside were tools covered in grime, from hammers and wrenches to magic devices resembling awls.

These weren't expensive tools; Old Bobo had just gathered five boxes of old tools from his friends’ houses.

Carrying the boxes on our shoulders like sacks of rice and walking in a line, the harpies were fooled, and our group muttered quietly.

-Seriously, they fell for this?

-Han Se-ah isn't smashing the city, so I guess they're focused on the knights?

-Yeah, there aren't any armored humans in Harpy Town, just people in robes hiding their faces, lol. Wonder why.

-We need to find something in the city before the knights cut off the Harpy Empress's head.

-But can we find anything in time if we stick together?

The massive harpy army flying toward the steel-clad knights was majestic, with black and red feathers blending as they threw not just spears but all sorts of magical devices, creating a spectacle like movie CGI.

Even though they had reached the intermediate-level, it was a brutal 50th floor where even a moment’s distraction could get them killed like new recruits on a battlefield.

It felt a bit absurd that the key to the 50th floor was a worn-out toolbox.

“Are you scared? Did you forget? Foolish human! The slave quarters are that way!”

“Ah, thank you.”

"Stupid but polite! Wonderful!"

One overly helpful harpy even kindly guided us through the city and then flew away. I could only imagine how baffled the millions of viewers watching this through Han Se-ah’s camera must have been.

“Never thought I’d be getting advice from a harpy. Playing this game for a long time sure brings surprises.”

-Thanks for the help!

-Haha, it looks like we can conquer the 50th floor without a fight.

-Is this going to be a long-term conquest of the Harpy Empire through politics?

-If this were the 10th or 20th floor, there would be a ton of harpy empire vloggers by now.

-Many streamers with a fetish for feathers would be showing up.

Seeing this ridiculous scene, the tension visibly drained from our group.

“Irene, are you okay?”

“I’m fine, Roland. Even at the temple, I used to move blankets myself. These toolboxes are lighter than children, so don’t worry.”

“Alright. If you feel tired, let me know. We can swap out the contents or just carry empty boxes. I doubt they’d notice.”