Episode 1032
Chapter 248: Welcome to Laprarosa (1)
May 25th, 1804. It had been a week since Laprarosa was liberated.
“Ugh, there’s no room to even step.”
“Isn’t that a Mingwang over there!?”
“Looks like it! The glowing chest, and the tail…!”
An unprecedented crowd had gathered in the Great Mitra Desert. Today was the day Laprarosa was being opened to the public for the very first time.
Ordinary people who just wanted to catch a glimpse of Laprarosa, dignitaries from all over, knights, mages, beastfolk, dragons, demons, media outlets, and even personnel from the Balmel Union who had been involved in the city’s reconstruction.
Countless people were flocking to Laprarosa. The Balmel Union seemed determined to turn the opening into a grand festival for the world to enjoy. Magical pathways had been created throughout the desert, and thousands of staff members were deployed to manage the event.
This was an era that desperately needed a festival.
After the endless wars that had raged since the Sword Emperor War, people were exhausted. Even when Gliek appeared, when the Beast God was born, during the cold war between the great powers, and up until recently when the demon and enemy clans from the underworld suddenly emerged and turned the world into a battlefield.
Everyone couldn’t help but think of the “end times.” People felt it wouldn’t be strange if the world suddenly collapsed one day.
They longed for the ordinary wars fought between people, nations, and factions. This era was one where terrifying, otherworldly beings—like those from strange prophecies—kept appearing and threatening the world.
Then, amidst all this—
The Balmel Union crushed the Zito, and even wiped out the far worse enemy clans. Whether it was ending Gliek or slaying the Beast God, the Balmel Union and Jin were always at the center.
So the liberation of Laprarosa wasn’t just a boost of power for Jin alone. It was a tremendous beacon of hope for all those who pinned their hopes on him, who prayed for him to save the world.
The Balmel Union wasn’t a faction that built high walls to live comfortably within. Jin himself considered the liberated brothers as belonging not just to him, but to everyone here.
“Please, just one look here!”
“Uh, okay. Like this?”
“Wow, so handsome!”
“The hair on his hands is so charming! I want to touch his tail just once…!”
“Excuse me, Mingwang! What’s your name!?”
“I-I’m Shaku… but about the tail…”
“I saw you on the Dino Jaglun Laprarosa special! Shaku the Thunder, the one who mercilessly defeated Commander Jin the first time he came to Laprarosa! He fought fifty times and won every single one, second only to Queen Alisa of Tikan in defeating Commander Jin. Queen Alisa has beaten him over a hundred times!”
In fact, the Mingwang clan already had a fan club. Enya and Sandra’s unofficial and official Jin fan clubs had merged into the “Balmel Union Cheer Squad” (or “Bayundan” for short), and the Mingwang fan club was rapidly rising as the most popular subgroup.
“Our Bayundan Mingwang fan club will always support you!”
In some ways, it was only natural.
In this dark and desperate era, a mysterious, strongest warrior race that had vanished half a millennium ago suddenly awakened and fought for the world.
That alone was enough to captivate people, but the Mingwang clan’s individual personalities also strangely sparked the imaginations of boys and girls.
Most Mingwangs were completely unaccustomed to the adoration and worship from humans. So when faced with passionate expressions like Shaku’s, they would shyly blush, which only added to their charm from the fans’ perspective.
Not all of them were like Shaku, though. Tantel already acted like a seasoned celebrity, skillfully engaging with fans. Beliz was like the cheerful older sister next door.
Linpa often tried to avoid attention but would get caught and end up embarrassed, while Teto shouted at overly eager fans but always made sure to sign autographs.
To people, Laprarosa was truly another world. A place full of dreams, hope, and strong, lovable Mingwangs.
The Balmel Union had worked tirelessly to create this atmosphere for the opening event. So anyone could freely approach the Mingwangs or union members without hesitation.
“Alright, those who want to vote in the popularity poll, please line up here! Currently, the number one is Ban!”
“After voting, you can enter the arena to watch the duel! Jin and Ban will be appearing soon!”
Ban hadn’t appeared yet. Dino had detailed her exploits since the Beast God War, but even without that, she would have been number one. Among the entire union, not just the Mingwangs, Ban’s popularity ranked third after Jin and Luna.
“Nari! The popularity of Lady Danauri is incredible! Truly worthy of the title…!”
“Danauri…? That’s the first time I’ve heard that expression, Jet.”
“Nari, in this world there is only one Nari, and exactly two Danauris. One is Lady Ban, and the other is Sir Shiron.”
“Haha, Jet. I’d be lucky if I could even open my mouth in front of Father. Or maybe not? Father has softened a lot, so maybe I can speak now?”
Luntia smiled at Jet.
“Maybe even before transcending his demonic form, Father would have just laughed lightly at a title like Danauri, Luntia-nim.”
“I agree with the youngest. During the Black Sea expedition, Father was strangely merciful to Ozdok. Jet was in the same division as Ozdok, so he was fine. When I first returned, I thought Jet was Ozdok.”
“Hey, Jet, you little… Shouldn’t I be called Danauri too then?”
“Hmm, Murakan-nim is just Murakan-nim.”
“That’s oddly infuriating. We should have trained him better at Akin. Now that he’s senior, he’s lost some of his edge.”
“Ahem! Despite appearances, this Jet is now a respectable Balmel Union officer, the leader of the Seven-Colored Bird Intelligence Unit, and Nari’s beloved!”
When Murakan groaned, Gilly chuckled and fed him a piece of strawberry pie.
“Oh, strawberry pie, how precious to be fed directly by you…”
“You must eat quickly, Murakan-nim. Ban will be coming out soon.”
Though it was a good excuse, Gilly couldn’t stop smiling as she watched Murakan eat the pie. As always, Jin felt a chill and turned away from the two.
“Murakan, let’s go. Time’s up.”
Veil entered the arena and said. While Jin and Ban gave their speeches, he, Murakan, and the Golden Ark were scheduled to make a majestic appearance in the sky.
“Everyone just can’t stand seeing me have a good time with strawberry pie, huh? Strawberry pie, how about we sneak off together later to enjoy some tea and chat while inspecting Laprarosa?”
“Sounds great, Murakan-nim. We can have tea, read books, and talk while on inspection.”
Murakan was excited as he stepped outside with Veil.
“I’m going to slack off here without anyone noticing. What a brilliant idea.”
Hearing that voice, Gilly instinctively stood up, covering her mouth.
It was Ban’s voice, just as she approached her comrades. Of course, Ban had no intention of scolding Gilly. Just as Gilly was about to respond, Ban quietly placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Strawberry… no, sorry. That nickname just stuck. Anyway, Gilly, you are like a mother to my brothers. Therefore, you are as free here in Laprarosa as I am.”
Ban had treated Gilly this way from the very first day of liberation.
“Our Mingwang clan can bring you all the gold in the world, erase the seas, or tear the sky apart if you wish.”
Other comrades stood up to greet Ban.
“L-Lady Ban, that’s a bit much.”
“Later, the brothers will make you kakto and tea. The best room in the arena will be free, so you can relax there with Murakan. If you want a particular atmosphere—like the color or texture of the blankets—feel free to say so…”
“W-What!? Blankets!?”
“Uh, ahem! Brother Ban?”
Jin was so flustered his voice cracked. Finding their reactions amusing, Ban let out a low chuckle.
Ban looked very pleased. Since liberation, all the Mingwangs had been enjoying this kind of happiness every day.
The wounds from the liberation war hadn’t fully healed. They had endured dimensional distortions and enemy bombardments throughout the war, so even Ban needed time.
But fundamentally, Ban’s dignity remained intact. From now on, she would give everything for Jin and the world he sought to create, alongside her brothers.
“Heh, it’s always refreshing to see Brother Jin’s embarrassed face.”
“Brother Ban’s mischievous side is quite new too.”
Ban stood side by side with Jin.
As Jin nodded, the union soldiers pulled back the curtain covering the balcony of the arena. The crowd’s cheers and excitement swelled even louder as the two slowly stepped forward.
Then, as if by magic, the cheering stopped.
Everyone who had been shouting Ban’s, Jin’s, and the Balmel Union’s names fell silent. Without any orders or restrictions, Ban’s presence gently enveloped the crowd with quiet authority.
When the two finally appeared on the balcony, not a single breath could be heard. Despite the millions of people stretching from the square in front of the Duel Arena all the way down to the end of Golden Avenue.
“Welcome, everyone, to Lafrarosa.”
She didn’t bother to state her title or name. From the very moment she had stepped forward alongside Jin, everyone across the Great Desert already knew she was the Duel Commander.