24 Hearts

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The Tenth Fragment, Altemia

To go through the process of introduction felt out of place. During their conversation, there was plenty of room for the nobleman to introduce himself. With the way he carried the conversation, he may be deliberately keeping his identity to himself. After all, revealing a part of themselves might shift the air between them, and while Judah appreciated the sense of privacy that it gave, it made it difficult to deduce who the gentleman was.

He wanted to use the Information Window function that listed a character’s identity, ability, title, truth, characteristics, and skills, but to do so; he had to know the other person’s name. A surname wasn’t needed, but a pseudonym would be enough. Judah just needed anything that would point to his identity, but so far, the man had yet to mention a single hint about his name and how he wished the information system would tell him the other person’s information.

‘Looking at his appearance doesn’t help either…’

The clothes he was wearing were too ordinary. Aristocrats often used the monocle and chain, and the suit he wore was just as common. The fabric of his luxurious clothes could give him a hint, but distinguishing him through those means was difficult. Judah couldn’t spot any ring because his other hand was hidden underneath the other, as they both grasped a studded staff. The nobleman wore no distinguishable pendant either, just like the Blue Lancer.

‘Is this guy even an important NPC, or have I met him before? Oh, come on, this is crazy. If he was, I should be able to remember his name at least.’

He couldn’t ramble out loud, so Judah could only grunt as he rocked his head for answers. Later on, he gave up his attempt to remember the man, chatting with him instead, and soon he was able to arrive at Dempa. They got off the wagon, said goodbye to the coachman, and entered the castle together.

“Thank you. Thanks to you, I was able to arrive here comfortably.”

“No worries. Are you going to meet your daughter now?” Judah asked, recalling the conversation he had with him in the carriage. He said he had promised to meet his daughter, who ran away from here in Dempa. They talked about many things, but this was the most he could remember.

“That’s right. There’s a little time left for our appointment, but she’s probably waiting for me already. Would you like to come to join us? It’s not worth much, but I’d love to have a meal with you.”

If he was a nobleman, he could take them to an expensive and delicious restaurant, but Judah politely refused. Being in a carriage for days had bored him to death, and all he wanted was to wash and sleep as soon as he could. When he glanced at Jeanne, she looked back at him with an expression he couldn’t decipher.

“I’m sorry, but can we pass on that for now? We’re thinking of taking a break and going straight to Aslan.”

“Oh, you must really be in a hurry. It can’t be helped then. Still, it’s a bit unfortunate to part ways like this… Is there any chance you can come to Urun later?”

“Urun? Yes, I have errands to run in Urun. Even if I don’t have business there, it’s still a country I wish to visit.”

Urun was famous for its spectacular scenery and entertainment culture. It was also the place where one of the owners of the fragments was located. Other than his initial plan, he had been longing to see the country for himself. Since the nobleman had mentioned Urun, it seemed that he was not a nobleman from Philoria, but a nobleman of Urun.

His daughter ran away from home to participate in the Green Flagstaff, and at the mention of Urun, Judah finally had a wild guess as to who the man was. He was a nobleman from a foreign country and had the guts to wander around alone without an attendant, which meant he was confident in his skills. The clues were enough for Judah.

The man let out a hearty laugh, “Very well. if you visit Urun later, please come to Count Lava in the capital.”

“Count Lava?” After being silent the whole time, Jeanne blurted out with her head tilted in thought. Then, her eyes widened like a deer caught in the headlights. Her hands frantically grabbed Judah, who had never seen her look as embarrassed as she was now.

“What’s wrong?”

Jeanne’s mouth hung open, staring at their guest. The nobleman put a finger up to his lips.

Even when the nobleman gestured her to stay silent, Jeanne couldn’t hold back her stuttering, “Judah… That’s… He’s…!”

“Oh, wait. I haven’t introduced myself yet. I’m Genuine de Lava, the Count of the Kingdom of Urun.” He reached out his right hand, asking for a handshake.

Judah stared at the nobleman’s hand as his name sank in.

‘Genuine?’

Judah’s gaze turned to his right hand. As their hands shook, the nobleman’s hand tilted slightly. An old fashioned ring glinted in the light, in an alluring red tint. The moment Judah saw it, his mind leaped in shock. Like a wave, memories he had forgotten came flashing by.

Count Genuine.

It was the name of the man who owned the fifth fragment, the Valentine of Glory. With the power of the ring, he ascended the post of a great mage at a relatively young age of thirty-five and was famous for turning many of those who coveted his ring into a block of charcoal.

‘He’s so different in the game!’

The Count was a stubborn nobleman with fierce eyes in the game, but the Count in front of him was a middle-aged man with a completely different atmosphere. He even had a daughter, one with a desire to join the Green Flagstaff, and all of which was almost a forgotten memory to Judah until now. That was why he couldn’t recognize Count Genuine.

The man laughed at him, “Oh, why are you so surprised? I stopped talking a while ago… Are you not going to shake my hand? Don’t worry, l won’t turn you into charcoal, unlike what I’m known for. I promise. I won’t cast magic upon you, well, of course, unless you do me harm.”

“Oh, excuse me.”

Judah shook his hand, forgetting to return the gesture.

Jiiing!

However, when their hands touched, the two of them were forced to take their hands off quickly. Their hands brushed naturally before the Count’s vibrated upon contact. The two of them stood stunned by whatever had happened.

‘Is it possible for the fragments to react to each other?’

Fortunately, however, Carpe Diem, worn by Judah in his left index finger, showed no reaction. The only thing that reacted abnormally was the Count’s Ring. The vibration quickly stopped, but the shock in the Count’s eyes remained. He stared at his ring, then to Judah, and back to his ring again in absolute wonder.

“There’s never been a reaction like this in the last decade…” He muttered to himself, but Judah heard it clearly. He seemed to have experienced this for the first time in a long time.

“I’m sorry, can you give me your hand again?”

Judah gladly obliged, shaking his hand again. The fifth fragment reacted the same way as before the moment Judah and his hand touched. The Count paused for a moment, then sighed a little.

“Strange. I don’t know why this is happening. But as I said, when you come to the Kingdom of Urun, make sure to come to Count Lava. I will remember you. If you come, I will treat you very well.”

“I’m looking forward to it. I won’t forget to visit you.”

“I’m sorry for taking too much of your time. If you have time, I will see you in Aslan again. I am looking forward to that. Good day.”

The Count greeted Judah and Jeanne, then turned around and went on his way. Judah watched him go, as everything made sense to him. It was true that his daughter took part in the Green Flagstaff after running away. However, it seemed very strange that he, a nobleman, roamed Philoria alone without an attendant, but he was Valentine’s owner and it was understandable.

Genuine scoured many places as an adventurer to raise his low-income family before getting his fragment. Judah remembered that he was already famous as a white silver adventurer even before he got the fragment, and after he got it, he ascended to platinum at once. Considering his career as an adventurer, it must have been a long time since he went on his own, but why was he alone now? Judah figured the Count was struck by nostalgia and decided to go alone for this trip.

‘After all that, I didn’t even think of taking his fragment.’

If he tried to take it anyway, he could not have taken it. His current skills would not be able to break through his shield. He didn’t even realize that Jeanne was still holding onto his clothes until she finally let go.

“Judah.”

“Yeah?”

“How could you be so insensitive? He is a man with a fragment! There are only twenty-four fragments in this world!”

Judah also had a fragment, and he could only smirk at Jeanne’s excited reaction. It was natural for her to have such a reaction. After all, anybody would be excited. Judah met a Chinese player once, who had collected all twenty-four fragments. The player even met with Bill Gates to ask for help, and Bill Gates said she wanted to eat together, but he refused. Judah found himself laughing as he remembered the memory.

“What a sad laugh… Were you thinking of taking his fragment?”

“Oh, no.” Judah stuttered, “If we wanted to take it, we’d be a block of charcoal in no time. We can’t go against that with the skills we have now. It’s also stupid to have such vain hopes and expectations. If you’re a Wielder of the Spirit Sword… it’s possible.”

“…It is.”

“Now, though, Count Genuine owes us a dinner, right? I’ll meet him later when I visit the Kingdom of Urun. At that time, if we have any questions, we can ask him everything. It will be a pretty thrilling experience.”

Jeanne blinked at Judah.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” He tilted his head, staring back at her.

“Oh, it’s… uh, you’ve matured, Judah.”

“I hear that very often. Now, we should go and look for a place to stay in. We have to go to Aslan quickly.”

Judah flashed a smile before going on his way. There was nothing to see in Dempa, so he planned to get enough rest and leave for Aslan right away. On their way to find an inn, Jeanne spoke up.

“By the way, Judah.”

“Yeah?”

“Remember when you saved me in the ruins?”

“I do.”

“At that time, didn’t you say that you want to visit many countries and explore?”

Judah nodded slowly, trying to look occupied by looking around. He didn’t tell her his plans of collecting the fragments, merely telling her that he wanted to explore. When he looked back at Jeanne, her eyes were fixated on him with such a fierce gaze, like she knew something he didn’t.

“But Judah, that contradicts what you told me in the carriage.”

“I made a contradiction?”

“Yes! You told me we weren’t out here for sightseeing.”

Oops. Judah didn’t expect her to remember a slip of the tongue, “Yeah, and? There’s little to see in Philoria except for the martial arts competitions and castles, but nothing’s different in their tourism, culture, and country’s life. Why, do you have anything to suggest? We can do one, I guess.”

“…?”

Jeanne stopped in her tracks, eyes averting to an alley by her side. Judah was a few steps ahead of the Blue Lancer, walking over back to her to see what caught her attention. There was a market.

“There is no place as good as the market to experience the wonders of another country. If I may, I would strongly suggest you explore that place tonight or tomorrow!”

* * *

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#Setting 3. 「Fifth Fragment-Valentine of Glory」

The ring is known by the name of Valentine, coveted by many of those who desire Pernen’s fragments. While this ring may be of great value for its eccentric appearance, it had the power to reverse the lives of those who owned it.

For non-standard beings such as Perrnern, it only increases their amount of magical power, magical talent, and manifestation speed. When an entity below a certain level has the ring, the owner gains wealth, honor, and an outstanding talent for magic.

If a talented person got the ring, he would be able to ascend his powers.

But without luck, even if you get the ring, you’ll either remain the same way you are or die before living a successful life. Rest assured. At least so far, those who owned the ring have not only sat in high positions but have gained fame through adventure and a spouse blessed with charm and skills.

However, no matter how successful their life was, the path of those who wore the ring was incredibly miserable. Of the many fragments, it was this fifth fragment that frequently changed owners.

The one who turned this fate around and now owned the ring is known to be Genuine, the Count of the Kingdom of Urun, but no one knew if this was true. The belief came from his and his family’s sudden rise to fortune one day, and soon he was given a gorgeous wife and became a high-ranking mage at the young age of thirty-five.

His life kept getting better and better. Those who wanted to live longer coveted this ring and attacked Count Genuine, but they all turned into charcoal at the mercy of the Count’s flame magic.

How about you? Are you ready to challenge him and take away the fragments?

If you fail, there will be nothing left but your charred remains, but succeeding will lead you to an unimaginable future.

If you’re not afraid to risk your life, you may try to challenge Count Genuine.

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[Name: Chae-ya Family Ring]

[Rating: Only]

[Equipment: Ring]

[effect]

Magic Defense/Resist 10% increase

[Explanation]

It is a ring that proves you are a member of the Chae-ya family from the Baekje Empire, a sort of identification card.

It is made of silver, and the pattern is less intricate, indicating the wearer must not be directly related.

-Chae-ya Family (Passive): A family of warriors famous for their swordsmanship and has produced Flying Fighters from generation to generation. Receives a bonus for sword skill proficiency.

-Passive: Purifies the poison that has entered the body. If a toxin is ingested, the color of the ring changes first, indicating the infliction.

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I don’t know if this is important later, but in the Chae-ya family of the Baekje Empire, Ea was not a very loved child. That’s why I came up with that little bit of trait. She’s dead anyway, so what I set was useless.