-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: The Final Trial
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Odobaekryeong is vast.
And home to countless races and families.
Talented individuals emerged ceaselessly, not just from the noble houses like the Baekdaesega, but from among the common folk as well.
And those with the potential to become great, though still unrefined, were praised and called the rising stars of the new generation.
But just as there's an order to things,
above the talented are the brilliant.
Above the brilliant are the prodigies.
And above the prodigies are the geniuses.
Among the countless talents of Odobaekryeong, some were simply on another level.
They were masterpieces who, far from merely having potential, had already proven their ability to shake Odobaekryeong to its core, even before inheriting their family's legacy.
These were the Paljongyungma.
The pinnacle that all rising stars aspired to reach.
...Or, like the Calamity Princess, Pandora, who was now bowing her head respectfully in Nakrang Castle, they were feared by all.
"It is a pleasure to meet you as well."
"Glad to hear it. The way you were just staring, I thought you weren't happy to see me."
"If my belated greeting has offended you, I offer my sincerest apologies."
"Hey, no need for apologies between us."
With a faint smile,
the boy added, a clear smile on his lips that even his mask couldn't hide.
"—We'll be husband and wife soon enough, anyway."
"I beg your pardon, but that will only happen after you have passed the final gate, Gongja."
"That's why I'm saying it."
"..."
The boy spoke with such composure, as if it were a foregone conclusion that he would pass the final gate and become her groom.
Perhaps it was his confidence, so excessive it was almost baffling.
Or perhaps it was the unfamiliarity of a gaze that held no fear of her.
Pandora stared at Dion for a long moment before finally speaking in a calm voice.
"Shall I explain the next gate, then?"
"Yeah, go ahead."
"Very well."
Pandora gestured silently.
Two maids soon appeared.
The maid holding a pen and paper respectfully offered them to Dion.
Meanwhile, the maid carrying a box placed it beside Pandora and hastily retreated.
As if terrified that their hands might even touch.
"Write down what is inside this box and show it to me."
"...?"
"That is the final trial of this competition: the Gate of Wisdom."
Don't touch it.
Don't approach it.
Don't smell it.
And, of course, don't open it.
He was told to write down the contents of a box he'd never seen before, one that had no distinguishing features other than being somewhat luxurious.
As Pandora calmly explained the fifth gate, the onlookers gaped in disbelief.
"Hmm, any hints?"
"Unfortunately, there are none."
"That's harsh."
The boy let out a small laugh, as if he'd expected as much.
But unlike Dion, who laughed it off, the crowd's bewilderment only grew.
"What in the world..."
"...Is that even possible?"
"I expected the fifth gate to be difficult, but isn't this going too far?"
"At this point, it feels like this competition was designed from the start to make everyone fail."
This was utterly unreasonable.
That was the consensus among the spectators.
Of course, in Odobaekryeong, with its myriad of classes and traits, an information-type Awakened One like a [Psychic Detective] might be able to deduce the contents just by looking at the exterior.
Or an Awakened One with a trait like [Clairvoyance] could see right through the box.
But such individuals were a minuscule minority.
To demand clairvoyance or deductive skills from a challenger who had already passed four gates...
Everyone was shaking their heads, thinking that if all five gates had been revealed from the start, no one would have even tried.
*Scribble, scribble.*
"Here you go."
"...???"
"What are you doing? Aren't you going to take it?"
That was why.
Not just the crowd, but even Pandora and Urk, who were watching up close.
The reason everyone failed to comprehend the scene unfolding before them for a moment.
"...What did you just do?"
"You told me to write down what's in the box, right?"
"So, you are saying you have already written it...?"
"Yep."
"..."
Protests of unfairness.
Pleas for a hint.
Racking his brain in thought.
They had anticipated all sorts of reactions.
But Dion had surpassed all expectations, writing down an answer in a mere ten seconds. Pandora watched him in silence before giving a slight nod.
And a moment later.
Just after the maid who had given him the pen and paper reluctantly retrieved and unfolded Dion's answer.
She froze.
The fingers holding the paper trembled.
"...May I ask one thing?"
"What is it?"
"What was your reason for guessing that this was what is inside the box?"
"Because that's the reason you set five trials in the first place, and it's what you desire most from your suitor."
"..."
For some reason.
As Pandora fell into an even deeper silence upon hearing Dion's answer, it was the onlookers who grew anxious.
What was written on that paper?
And was it the correct answer?
The one who saved them from their breathless curiosity was the corpulent orc watching from behind.
"Well, Pandora?"
"...It is correct."
"Kuhu, is that so?"
"...!!!"
"C-Correct?"
"He really guessed what was in the box?"
"No, wait, does that mean...?"
Thanks to the loudspeakers set up in the arena, the crowd heard every word clearly and began to stir.
The old orc slowly rose from his seat.
He gestured to the dumbfounded orcs on one side and opened his mouth.
"I, Urk Cortell!"
"Descendant of the great Orc Lord Tur, master of Nakrang Castle, and head of the Cortell family, do hereby speak."
"—I declare that at this very moment, the winner of the Groom Competition has been decided!"
*Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!*
Urk's proclamation echoed thunderously throughout Nakrang Castle.
As the raucous sound of drums followed, the dazed onlookers, who had been blinking blankly, finally came to their senses.
"Oh, ooooh!"
"A winner! We finally have a winner!"
"My god, I can't believe someone actually passed all five gates...!"
"Aaargh! I bet 100,000 crutal that he'd fail!"
Cheers.
Gasps.
Screams.
The shouts of the people, each for their own reason, ultimately converged into one.
—Admiration.
Having witnessed the failures of countless challengers, they knew just how fiendish this competition was, and they couldn't help but be impressed and acknowledge it.
At this very moment.
A new star had been born before their very eyes.
And so, after watching the boisterous crowd with a satisfied gaze,
Urk spoke once more.
"Now, suitor. Remove your mask and formally introduce yourself."
"And swear to take my cherished daughter, Pandora, as your wife and love her for all eternity."
"Then I shall personally grant you a domain and, if you wish, accept you as a member of the Cortell family."
A stir.
"Ooh..."
"He's really going to give him a domain."
"He's truly a man of great caliber."
The crowd was impressed again, but for a different reason this time.
Even if it was the prize for the Groom Competition, giving away an entire domain was no small feat; it was easy to make such promises but difficult to keep them.
This was not something that even a great noble with many domains, let alone one of the Baekdaesega, could do easily.
It was a display of generosity befitting the great man who had seized Nakrang Castle through insubordination.
'If that challenger marries into the family...'
'...The already formidable prestige of the Cortell family will rise even higher.'
'I'd better pay more attention to managing my connections.'
The masterpiece of the orc tribe, the Lord of Nakrang Castle.
The wicked seed of the Paljongyungma, the Calamity Princess.
And now, the new star who passed the five gates.
How much stronger would Nakrang Castle and the Cortell family, which now held them all, become, and what impact would it have on the surrounding political landscape?
Just as the nobles watching from the high seats were wracking their brains over the complex implications,
"Before I accept the domain, there's something I want to confirm."
"Kuhu? What is it?"
"The thing is, I already have a fiancée. So, is it okay if Pandora isn't my first wife?"
"..."
In that instant.
The arena, which had been filled with cheers just moments before, fell silent.
A silence just as heavy as when Pandora first appeared...
No, in some ways, even more so. It was after a long, quiet pause that Urk finally spoke.
"Are you saying... you entered this competition while already having a fiancée, and now you intend to take my daughter as your second wife?"
"That's right."
"..."
"Well, it's not like the competition had a rule saying only single men could apply, right?"
He wasn't wrong.
In Odobaekryeong, where domains often fell due to a lack of nobles—or more precisely, high-ranking Awakened Ones—polygamy was not just common, but practically a given.
But it all depended on the person and the situation.
He had made the extraordinary gesture of offering a domain as a dowry, yet this man was now boldly declaring he would take his cherished adopted daughter as a second wife.
This was a blow to Urk's pride.
He might be right, but it was the kind of right that could get you beaten to death. Urk could have killed Dion on the spot for it.
*Crrrack.*
"You...!"
That was why.
When sparks flew from Urk's eyes and he clenched his massive fist, the audience swallowed dryly, anticipating a festival of blood and tragedy.
And just as Urk was about to rise from his seat,
a single, calm voice rang out.
"Father, may I have a word with you for a moment?"
"...What is it?"
He flinched.
Even in his rage, Urk paused his actions as his adopted daughter approached his side.
Pandora then whispered something to him, her voice too low to be carried by the loudspeakers.
*Whisper.*
"What...?"
"...!"
"...Hmm."
Whatever it was she told him,
his expression shifted from suspicion,
to surprise,
and finally, to bewilderment.
For a moment, he stared at Dion, all traces of his previous anger gone.
After carefully studying the mask the young boy was wearing,
Urk spoke in a low voice.
"Kuhu. So you already have a fiancée?"
"Yep."
'...Does that kid have no fear? Or does he think he's one of the Five Heroes?'
'They say there's a fine line between a genius and a madman.'
'No wonder he breezed through a competition no one else could pass...'
Unlike the audience, who looked aghast at Dion's unabashedly confident reply, Urk did not get angry.
He merely let his gaze sink deeper.
As everyone watched, puzzled by this unexpected reaction, the old orc spoke again.
The faces of the spectators, especially the nobles, hardened.
"—In that case, is your fiancée perhaps a lady of the Baekdaesega?"
"Yeah, she is."
"...?!"
"I see. If you have such a precious fiancée, it would indeed be difficult to make my adopted daughter your first wife."
While everyone else froze at the unimaginable words, Urk didn't even question the truth of Dion's answer.
Instead, it was as if everything—his outrageous behavior and how he'd passed the five gates so easily—
now made perfect sense, and he simply nodded his head.
"However, that is your affair. If I were to give my cherished daughter to be a second wife, what would become of my honor?"
"Hmm, so you're saying the competition is off?"
"Kuhuhu, as a descendant of the great Orc Lord Tur, I cannot go back on my word."
To nullify a competition that so many had challenged?
Doing so wouldn't just be a blow to his pride; it would mean losing his honor entirely.
Urk let out a dry laugh and spoke, his sunken eyes fixed on Dion.
"Therefore, I shall make you a proposal."
"A proposal?"
"Indeed."
Unlike before, when he had viewed him as an inferior, he now showed a minimum of respect.
More than that, he looked at Dion with deep wariness and anticipation.
The corpulent orc, who had lived for hundreds of years, continued his words with profound meaning.
"I will grant you the domain as promised for winning the competition. However..."