#M669800ScriptRootC1551441 { min-height: 300px; }

Chapter 7) The Versailles Continent in the Past

[TL] I made a minor change to the previous chapter. Kordadesul changed from an island to a resort city.

?????????????????????

Weed had many thoughts about the house.

“This terrain isn’t a good defence. The house needs to be reinforced.”

He cut down trees and built a barrier around the log cabin. The cut down trees were bound tightly with rope and the ends sharpened. Seo-yoon dug pits in the ground and sprinkled pieces of iron.

“Is it hard?”

Weed felt sorry every time his adventures caused her to suffer.

“No, it is interesting.”

Seo-yoon was surprisingly enjoying it. She was able to smile thanks to Weed and her tears had melted the pain in her chest. She was always happy to be with Weed.

“I really enjoyed the time we went to the north with Bingryong and the priest called Alveron. It was good when we went to the Jigolaths.”

“…….”

Shockingly, the places that troubled him were beautiful memories!

‘In addition, all the events are related to me.’

In fact, Weed and Seo-yoon had no memories of comfortable adventures on the Versailles Continent. They never got to eat delicious food at resorts or act like tourists. Crossing the cold north, suffering in the Plains of Despair and almost dying in the Jigolaths!

If Weed was in trouble then she couldn’t avoid it either. The good thing was that they conquered the difficulty together every time! When the two of them came together, they could defeat it every time! Even if the two of them weren’t holding a conversation, Seo-yoon knew Weed’s heart well.

‘How much money did I earn today? The ratings reached 23.4% so the advertising revenue….’

‘He is thinking about money.’

‘The market price for items is quite high these days. I got 5.’

‘He is thinking about money.’

‘Ah, next week is the gas bill.’

‘He is probably thinking about money.’

And on the opposite end.

‘Weed-nim is handsome. I didn’t understand it at first but he is becoming increasingly charming.’

‘The way he is looking at me isn’t ordinary. I need to be careful not to get caught.’

‘Pretty and cute. Do I have to hunt this?’

‘I should kill it with one stroke of the sword so it isn’t in pain.’

‘I don’t want to fight against human like monsters. And the monsters raising children….’

‘Kill them all!’

Weed’s misconceptions about Seo-yoon couldn’t be easily released due to her battle mode. She liked Weed so she did her best while fighting in order to not be left behind. Every time she hesitated, Weed could be in danger. If Weed experienced something difficult then Seo-yoon would be happy to sacrifice herself. She didn’t mind dying against the monsters if it meant Weed would live.

Weed also had a similar mindset.

‘Two eggs can ease some boiled ramen.’

Weed was stingy yet he was willing to give an egg to Seo-yoon! They hunted and adventured together in Royal Road, went to the same school and lived next door.

If the horrible affection, hateful affection and grateful affection had continued stacking up then Seo-yoon would’ve become empty. That’s why he had trouble expressing her beauty in sculptures for a long time.

Weed and Seo-yoon worked to fortify the log cabin. The monsters didn’t appear until evening so their work proceeded comfortably. And it was night.

Awoooo!

The sound of wolves howling could be heard from a distant place.

“Well, their leather should be soft….”

Weed licked his lips. And a cruel incident occurred.

Kang! Kakang! Keng!

Wolves leapt at Weed and Seo-yoon but the result was already decided.

“I got meat and leather.”

The next morning, the wolf leathers were folded and stacked on top of each other! The fortification of the log cabin continued.

“There are quite a few fearsome monsters on Kordadesul.”

Further inland was the Keltun Kingdom. Keltun Kingdom had a strong military and was praised for its chivalry. But as recorded in history, this was a time were all parts of the continent were suffering from monsters.

Kordadesul was untouched by humans so it remained the best beach. Weed and Seo-yoon lived on the edge of the beach while facing monsters.

Seo-yoon and a beautiful beach, it was a situation anyone would envy! They were like a poor couple that eloped and were now on their honeymoon.

“I need to build steel needles and sprinkle them on the ground. And a sufficient amount of meat can be obtained through monsters….”

Some of the land around the house was cleared and lettuce planted. Humans, in particular Weed’s ability to adapt was truly fearful!

He couldn’t stop the marine monsters that emerged from the sea. But once they went up on land, they weakened rapidly and were easily taken care of. The marine monsters became active on rainy days and they would have to fight on the waterfront.

When comparing the degree of difficulty to Roderick’s Labyrinth, it was like lying down all day then eating a snack after midnight!

It seemed necessary to follow Nodulle and Hilderun’s flow in order to complete the quest.

“I’m getting tense because the difficulty is too easy. I don’t know what will come out next.”

It felt like two murderers spending time at a beach during their travels. He baked fish when hungry and spent time relaxing. Ten days passed and the level of the monsters strengthened while the fortification of the log cabin proceeded at a frightening pace.

Weed used his blacksmith skill to craft iron nails and sprinkled them. The beautiful sandy beach was full of traps so no one could enter. Marine monsters that crawled out from the sea received large damage.

“This isn’t enough.”

Weed gathered some stones from around the log cabin. He showed the ability of a sculptor by stacking the stones in a connected system to form a stone wall.

20 days passed and he found a vein of iron ore. It was thanks to his intermediate mining skill.

“We were lacking iron.”

Kang kang kang!

After digging out the iron ore and melting it, the log cabin was covered. A steel framed cabin surrounded by stone walls was built on the beach and forest of Kordadesul.

“Executioner’s Sword!”

Seo-yoon’s ability to fight was shown against the monsters. When she was in danger, Seulroeo’s wedding ring would transfer health from Weed. Weed gave support from the roof using Radiant Sword and the high elf’s bow as one month passed!

“I wasn’t this relaxed in Roderick’s Labyrinth.”

If he hadn’t resurrected Roderick then there was no doubt he would’ve suffered greatly in the labyrinth. Yet he didn’t need to create a new sculpture at the moment. Seo-yoon’s power was the strongest among Weed’s group so there was nothing to fear here.

Ddiring!

-Home for Two has been completed.

Nodulle and Hilderun spent many happy hours on the beach.

But that relaxation didn’t last for a long time.

-Quest has increased maximum health by 2,000.

“The quest was fairly easy but the content seems vaguely sinister.”

The only income was the rise in maximum health. Health was vital to Weed’s defence capabilities so he could now fight more aggressively.

It seemed he wasn’t uneasy for no reason as ships appeared on the horizon as soon the message window disappeared. It was a big fleet with 50 ships.

They were approaching the land to take Hilderun.

“This time we can’t fight with them.”

The ships had at least 32 sails! The mounted cannons were probably even stronger.

Ddiring!

-Find a Haven

Nodulle decided to take Hilderun to a safe place to avoid the fleet of the Sea God’s followers.

The place he chose was Boden village in Portu Kingdom. Move there across the continent.

The followers of the Sea God will disembark and chase you.

Level of Difficulty: Final Secret Sculpting Technique Quest

Quest Restrictions: The quest will fail if you die.

The quest will fail if your female companion dies.

The contents this time required him to take Seo-yoon and cross the Versailles Continent in the past!

“I don’t know where Boden village in Portu Kingdom is.”

Weed didn’t know the geography of the Versailles Continent in the past.

Names of places in the past rarely emerged in quests so there was hardly anyone who deliberately remembered it. Although it was a problem finding the history of the past in the future, it was simple for those living in the time.

“We should go into a city and buy a map. These leather should get quite a bit of money. And the price of travel goods shouldn’t be high. Anyway, we should raise our levels while crossing the hunting ground.”

While Weed was estimating the cost required for the quest, Seo-yoon spoke.

“Shouldn’t we get away before those people land?”

“We should go.”

In a situation where imminent escape was required, he had calculated money first. The two of them entered the house and collected their items. They had obtained a lot of leather and loot during their time hunting here.

In the past, Seo-yoon would only pick up the valuable items. But now she would even pick up coins from the ground.

“What is the value of this antique coin in Keltun Kingdom?”

“We will know when selling it. How many do you have?”

“A little more than 430.”

“That is a lot. It would be heavy. You can give me 300.”

“I’ll give you 100 pieces.”

“I can keep it and return it when we return to the continent.”

“Didn’t you say you would buy me a house for Yellowy?”

“…..100 pieces.”

She came to enjoy being frugal!

Meanwhile, the followers of the Sea God changed to small boats and moved upstream. They didn’t stop the boats so their chasing speed was very fast.

Surung!

Seo-yoon took out her sword. They had to escape from the people pursuing them.

“It isn’t necessary to take the difficult path. Climb on my back!”

“I’m heavy….”

“It is okay. I can handle the weight. Heuk!”

Seo-yoon’s weight was no joke. The weight of her armour and baggage was included as well.

“We’re going now. Quadruped Run!”

It would be nice if he could run coolly piggybacking her but this was his fastest movement skill.

?????????????????????

Lois Castle!

Weed and Seo-yoon arrived at a great city in the Keltun Kingdom. The buildings were made of red brick and had an antique look.

Ddiring!

-You have admired the building style of the Keltun Kingdom during a period of war.

As a sculptor and King of the Arpen Kingdom, you can construct buildings with the distinctive style of the Keltun Kingdom.

These buildings were created during times of war so they are efficient and built for defence. But famous architects spread a new awareness of beauty, with the facilities containing the royal authority and religion boasting a great grandeur.

It was destroyed in the future but the Pechin Royal Palace, Nurod Cathedral and Benoar Tower were global architectures.

Special buildings can be constructed.

-Soldier Training Camp

Construction costs between 20,000 gold and 1.5 million gold.

A place for drafted soldiers to do their basic training.

The better the training facilities, the more quickly the soldiers can improve their combat skills.

Can be taught how to march quickly.

Special Effects: Soldier conscription rate will improve.

When Sword Mastery is taught, the skill will quickly reached Beginner Level 5.

 

-High Solid Wall

Construction costs at least 300,000 gold.

A wall designed to hold out against siege weapons, not monsters.

Very heavy and expensive. The construction period will take a long time and it can only be established on firm ground. However, the wall will be able to protect against outside invasion.

Special Effects: Residents will feel less unsettled despite being surrounded by an army.

Morale of the soldiers will be high as long as the walls aren’t destroyed.

Weed discovered buildings that just ate money!

“Anyway, let’s go inside the city.”

“Yes.”

After crossing the forests on mountains on all fours, he decided to purchase a map and other necessary items in the city.

“Cheap, cheap!”

“If you need things then come and look!”

Merchants were selling goods while all the stores had their doors opened. All the residents were NPCs. It wasn’t just Lois City but the whole continent.

Weed and Seo-yoon were the only users to wander around.

“It will be heavy when escaping so let’s dispose of some useless stuff.”

“Yes.”

Weed looked for a merchant who seemed to have a decent price.

‘A person with a moderate belly….’

An exclusive merchant like Mapan would be useful at a time like this. His profession wasn’t a merchant so it would be difficult to bargain when selling to NPCs.

Weed neatly arranged his items and headed to a merchant to start the bargaining strategy.

“You have a lot of marine products and leather. Hunting these should have been fairly difficult… The amount of materials is good so I will give you 14,850 gold. How is it?”

He thought it would be possible to receive at least 20,000 gold but the price was surprisingly low!

“Can’t you buy it for a slightly higher price? I came here intentionally without going anywhere else.”

“Go to other stores. Don’t look so pitiful if you want me to buy it.”

This was the past so Weed’s fame had no use.

“You have a good impression. Please help this poor traveller by adding 150 gold….”

“If you’re not selling then go away!”

A perfect cold reception! Weed tried two other locations but their quotes wasn’t higher so he had no choice but to sell. His baggage would just continue to grow by picking up herbs and hunting monsters along the way. It was inevitable that he had to reduce the weight.

If only the Sea God’s followers weren’t chasing then he could hit a jackpot with commerce. The city and aristocrats sometimes wished for a particular specialty. If he supplied the necessary item then he could gain fame, money and commerce experience. He didn’t need to compete with other merchant users so it would be very profitable.

Seo-yoon bargained with the merchants. The items she took out had a similar quantity to Weed.

“There is this much marten leather. Recently this leather has moved into the limelight due to the aristocrats. You are beautiful so I will buy it for 16,300 gold.”

The price was higher than Weed’s. There weren’t any users here, only NPCs so Seo-yoon had taken off her mask. She didn’t raise her Charm stat yet there was no one who didn’t have a favourable response to her innate beauty.

It was an appearance that could crush stats and skills. If Seo-yoon had increased her Charm stat just a little bit then the merchant would’ve probably bought it for the price she asked. It was to the extent that she could even receive proposals from kings or high ranking NPCs.

Seo-yoon wasn’t familiar with bargaining but she learnt from Weed.

“Could you buy it for 17,000 gold?”

“Ah, I was too rude. I tried to gain too much profit. I can’t maintain my conscience as a merchant. Then I will buy it for 17,700 gold if you come visit again.”

“…….”

Weed didn’t have much to say. The world was originally unfair!

Students could study day and night to raise their test scores but those who played around got better grades. Later a normal salary might but 1~2 million won but the son of a wealthy family would inherit billions in elementary school.

‘Lots of money, intelligent, pretty and good natured.’

The world was really too unfair. Her combat capabilities also excelled in Royal Road. But he took comfort in the fact that Seo-yoon had a weakness.

“It’s really a fatal weakness. She can’t eat gamjatang (pork spine soup), haejangguk (hangover soup) and pig intestines. They are so delicious…”

“Huh?”

“No, nothing. I just had a pitiful thought.”

Weed bought a map of the continent and Portu Kingdom from the market. Portu Kingdom was heavily based on the west of the Central Continent but it was a small kingdom.

“We have to cross the mountain range and southern wastelands in order to reach the Portu Kingdom…. Or there is a shortcut across the border where the Keltun Kingdom is at war with the Mapon Kingdom.”

The residents of the Keltun Kingdom were talking about the war with the Mapon Kingdom. Now they had to set a path.

“Which one is better?”

“There are many monsters in the mountains. The roads are demanding so it will take a long time to cross. Those guys will be quickly chasing us.”

“If we cross the border then there is a high possibility we’ll be involved in the war. I’ve experienced it in the past due to the Tower of Heroes so the Mapon Kingdom is quite scary. If we take that path then we need to be prepared for the war.”

Weed and Seo-yoon pondered their choices.

Monsters and steep paths or a battlefield! Anyway, either path had the risk of damage.

“I think any road won’t be easy. It is hard to determine which one is better with a lack of information.”

“Usually I would go across the mountains. It might be steep but we can take care of the monsters.

But let’s just go west for now.”

“….The reason?”

“I was always unlucky so I’m going to make the reverse choice this time. The so-called contrary idea.”

Weed and Seo-yoon bought everything from the city.

Once the crossed the battlefield in Mapon Kingdom, they could quickly arrive at Portu Kingdom.

?????????????????????

Yoo Byung-jin tilted his head to one side as he watched Weed’s adventures.

Weed had established many nice things during his time in Royal Road!

“Adventuring with a beautiful woman…there’s also the dancer.”

That was even more difficult then becoming the God of War. Moreover, Seo-yoon’s tone and expression showed that she would be happy as long as she was with Weed.

On the actual Versailles Continent, the Haven Empire was continuing the large scale battles against the other kingdoms.

The Haven Empire’s surprise attacks were successful but the other guilds had allied together. The other side was strong so they desperately hired mercenaries and conscripted soldiers. They were desperate to stop the Haven Empire so fierce battles were waged.

However, Weed was having a romantic adventure with Seo-yoon in another time zone of the Versailles Continent.

“There is even a chance of acquiring the final secret technique.”

-Should I start calculating the odds?

“No.”

Yoo Byung-jin decided not to check the probability and to watch. Weed had a long and winding road in front of him in order to complete this quest.

?????????????????????

“This battle has also been won.”

Bardray saw the flag of the Haven Empire flying on Loube Fortress while riding his horse. He led the main force of the Haven Empire in an intense battle against the Black Sword Mercenaries. But the enemies were defeated and the Haven Empire occupied that territory.

The first strike from the strong magician and archer unit! After that, Bardray and the 4 Imperial Knights Divisions disturbed the enemy. Once the infantry division moved, the enemy was incoherent. It wasn’t possible for them to endure.

It was reckless to fight the Haven Empire on the plains. The users in the Hermes Guild had some of the best skills and levels on the continent. Their potential power was enough to fight against the entire continent.

“The damage is 14,873 people killed in battle and 30,000 injured.

The knight Ramos who commanded the NPC soldiers came and reported back.

The Black Sword Mercenaries were outstanding mercenaries so they had dealt a colossal amount of harm to the Hermes Guild. The Black Sword Mercenaries had the co-operation of the Mercenary Guild so they were a formidable enemy.

The leader Michel was one of the top 5 users in Royal Road! That was the reason Bardray appeared directly. But due to the situation, the two of them avoided each other. Bardray took pride in the fact that he was the strongest in Royal Road. But no one knew what could happen in a war.

If he was besieged by several members of the Black Sword Mercenaries then Bardray could lose his life. If Bardray died then the Haven Empire’s continent conquest plan would receive a great setback. It would be an opportunity for the guilds not involved in the war to counterattack.

Michel also didn’t do any risky gambles. Bardray was his rival but Michel had no confidence in a one on one match. It would be difficult to grasp a chance with the Royal Guards and the Hermes Guild. Even if he won the battle, there was a high probability of losing.

The Black Sword Mercenaries were spread over the Masen and Norton Kingdom so they aimed to drag the enemy deeper and reverse the situation. The users that reconnected and the trained NPCs would be waiting. The system was the same for all the guilds allied against the Hermes Guild.

They called this strategy Lion Hunting.

?????????????????????

Lafaye and his advisors stayed in the Haven Empire’s vast territory and organized things like logistics, troops training, support for new troops and other similar work. There was a lot of work but small mistakes could happen so it was important.

“The southern front?”

“They’re crossing the Beimond Plateau. Currently there is an intense sandstorm…they are being delayed due to bad weather.”

“The enemy might use the sandstorm. Notify the 3rd and 5th armies.”

“Send 3,000 reinforcements to the Britten Alliance Kingdom occupation forces. It seems like we need more cavalry on that front.”

“There are enough reinforcements but it will take 4 days to move them.”

“Make sure that the cavalry moves to the Aidern Kingdom first. Once they take care of one side, they can help the Britten Alliance Kingdom.”

The entire war was controlled by Lafaye and his advisors. There was a commander for each army but all plans were drafted at Aren Castle in the Haven Empire.

As time passed, the power of the Haven Empire and the Imperial Palace rose. This had been set up for a long time by Lafaye so the Haven Empire kept extending. Administration of domestic affairs had deteriorated due to construction of the Imperial Palace and the war but Lafaye showed exceptional abilities to minimize the aftermath.

“Lion Hunting. Huhuhu.”

Lafaye knew the strategies of the Allied Forces like he was reading it from his palm.

It was due to the placement of spies he planted in advance! Moreover, a guild they were secretly allied with belonged to the Allied Forces.

“I’ll gradually have them devoured by the lion.”

The Hermes Guild was relaxed since they knew they knew the tactic of the Allied Forces. They would continue to fight to occupy the area and then throw all their power at the proper time, causing a complete surrender.

“Dispatch the Northern Expedition army to help.”

Lafaye didn’t inform the guild of all the thoughts in his head. When he organized a force to destroy Weed and the Arpen Kingdom, he knew that they wouldn’t succeed.

Of course, it was fine if Weed and the Arpen Kingdom were destroyed but it didn’t matter if the troops failed. The strong forces of the Haven Empire sent to the north were completely wiped out. The Allied Forces were able to gain great courage and disparage the Haven Empire.

Expectations that they could win were planted. But the Haven Empire was the one thoroughly winning in the Central Continent. The opponents were on a losing streak but the Northern Expeditions’ failure gave the illusion that they could win.

And they aimed for a dramatic reversal with Lion Hunting. Lafaye would profit from both the success or failure of the Northern Expedition.

The Haven Empire troops were placed around the continent without a hitch.

Lafaye was the brains behind the Hermes Guild and they knew how scary he was after multiple wars.

“But it is difficult with that bandit group running amok.”

The activities of the resistance army was continuing in the Kallamore Kingdom, Lasalle Kingdom and Britten Alliance Kingdom.

Security was weakened and the resulting damage of the bandit group in the mountains was surprisingly large. The territory of the Haven Empire was causing more of a headache than the battlefield.

They couldn’t spare any military fighting at the borders to return and the reserve troops at the city couldn’t be used to chase after the bandit group. The activities of the Embinyu Church was also multiplying.

The Haven Empire was huge and Lafaye knew how hard it was to get rid of something once it started to fester.

“It can’t be helped. Using precious troops here…send an assassination squad.”

Large and small events continued spreading in the Haven Empire. Lafaye managed the huge forces like a puppeteer and gradually took possession of the continent.

?????????????????????

A groan emerged from Weed’s mouth as he saw the battlefield between the Keltun and Mapon Kingdoms.

“Uhh, we won’t be able to avoid it.”

An all-out war with more than 100,000 soldiers! The infantry, cavalry and magic units were fiercely attacking.

“If we don’t pass through here then we’ll have to go back. Then taking a shortcut would be meaningless.”

The Sea God’s followers were 1~2 hours behind them. Waiting for the battle to finish or going back would be the worst choice.

“The only way is to break through. I’m fortunate that this won’t be like Princess Remy.”

He had failed the Tower of Heroes’ quest because he left Princess Remy along in order to fight and she died. If it was Seo-yoon then he didn’t have to be that worried.

Surung!

Seo-yoon smoothly pulled out her sword. She was a natural berserker in battle. Rather, she would be the one defending Weed.

“Are you ready?”

“I am.”

Seo-yoon answered vigorously. She would go anywhere with Weed. Anyway, this moment would be a fun memory for later.

“Let’s go!”

She cried in a loud voice but Weed didn’t move. When Seo-yoon rode forward first, he followed behind her. The spirit of a female was shown on the battlefield!

“I’ll protect you! Don’t pass me. Stay behind.”

The special quality of a berserker could be understood as she participated in the large battle.

Seo-yoon wielded her sword.

“Dance of the Mad Warrior!”

Kwa kwa kwa kwang!

The soldiers blocking her way fell down. She earnestly attacked from the beginning without worrying about defence.

“Radiant Sword!”

Weed also used his sword technique from the beginning. The thunderbird flew through the Keltun Kingdom’s military and shot out thunderbolts. Hundreds of lightning and thunder flew on a clear sky.

Strategically it was better to side with the Mapon Kingdom instead of the Keltun Kingdom. Once they passed through the Mapon Kingdom’s camp, they could safely reach their destination.

“Unconditionally kill as much as you want. Pile up the achievements for when we cross the Mapon Kingdom….”

Seo-yoon attacked when the knights of the Mapon Kingdom approached.

Bang!

The body fell to two pieces.

Seo-yoon showed a berserker’s capabilities as she killed and wounded many.

A berserker was the strongest on a battlefield. The disadvantage of a berserker was that they couldn’t distinguish between friend or foe on a battlefield. The area seemed to distort and everyone looked like an enemy to the berserker. Sometimes unharmed children would look like monsters and honour would decrease after they were killed.

Under these kind of circumstances, Seo-yoon couldn’t distinguish between the army of the Mapon Kingdom and the Keltun Kingdom. She just focused on killing all enemies that approached.

“A crony of the Mapon Kingdom.”

“Minion of the dirty Keltun Kingdom!”

Weed and Seo-yoon became the target of two kingdoms…

“This isn’t it. I would hire someone like that if I won the lottery. Yet they would get crazy when protecting me.”

Although Weed complained, he adapted to it quickly. It would be difficult to die with Seo-yoon using all her power. The important thing was that the Mapon and Keltun Kingdoms were busy fighting each other.

“Pierce through the troops on the right side. Run there!”

Weed stuck closely to Seo-yoon. Seo-yoon cut any soldiers or knights that they passed. Weed didn’t have to worry about attacks while next to Seo-yoon but there was something else.

“If my eyes turn black then get far away from me.”

“Huh?”

“When that time comes, I won’t be able to control my body anymore.”

Another disadvantage of a berserker was that they became stronger when they saw blood. The commands of the leader wouldn’t have any effect after that. They would go crazy and just attack at random around them.

“Why didn’t you mention such side effects sooner?”

“It is just a small side effect.”

“…….”

Seo-yoon made a light joke. But Weed didn’t hear it as a joke!

This was entirely different from when he had to guard Princess Remy. The longer the fight went on, the more insane a berserker would become and that was dangerous.

“Please keep a clear head. We need to live and escape from here.”

“I will try my best.”

“You must not fight too long. We will leave the battlefield and flee to a safe place.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Ah, that is the adamantium boots that are hard to obtain. Go there!”

Weed’s eyes scanned all over the place.

Thanks to the clash between the Keltun and Mapon Kingdoms, many precious knight items were scattered everywhere.

|

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.