Having finished recalling the past, I sat perched on the bed, staring blankly at Cao Cao, who was puffing out her cheeks to the utmost.
‘As expected, the reason she’s sulking so thoroughly is a hundred percent my fault… right?’
And it was no wonder. She’d gone out of her way to offer me a high position to keep me at her side, only for me to reject her outright; I’d messed up the etiquette and revealed the depths of my ignorance; and to top it off, I’d even openly asked to keep her trusted confidant (Dian Wei) by my side.
From Cao Cao’s perspective, it was enough to make her grab the back of her neck in exasperation.
I donned a bright, innocent expression and opened my mouth with exaggerated enthusiasm.
“Ah! Did you come to fetch Dian Wei? As expected of my Lord, such an excellent idea! My sworn sister Dian Wei is one who only truly shines when she is by my Lord’s side!”
I had to continue my act as the world’s most oblivious fool, down to my very bones.
“Asking for a sworn sister in front of everyone would be a bit unsightly, so you sneak into my tent at night like this to ask! Hahaha!”
I deliberately raised my voice to the utmost, continuing my act as a rude boor who’d thrown all courtesy to the wind.
No matter how much Cao Cao took “appointing only those of talent” as her standard for recruiting personnel, she wouldn’t want to keep and employ a man this oblivious and rude by her side.
The reason I was going this far was only one.
[ A Position Quest has occurred! ]
It was because of the Position Quest that gave gacha currency.
One thousand yuanbao to go from Shizhang to Dubo, and one thousand five hundred yuanbao to go from Dubo to Quzhang.
If I had accepted a Jun Sima position at the merit review ceremony, at least 2,500 of the currency would have gone flying.
‘If I want to slowly rise through the ranks, eating up quest rewards step by step, I have to get as far away from Cao Cao’s attention as possible.’
“Ian.”
“Yes, my Lord.”
“As promised, I have sent a memorial to the court recommending you. If accepted, you would become a Langguan receiving three hundred shi of salary, and be able to enter service at court.”
Cao Cao continued listlessly.
“But the court is currently in the traitor’s clutches, a state in name only. It has no intention of accepting local recommendations, nor do I have the slightest thought of handing over a talent I’ve finally secured to the Chang’an court.”
“Me, a talent… you overpraise me.”
“Ian.”
Cao Cao, calling my name repeatedly.
“I have no shortage of talents with outstanding martial prowess. The same is true for excellent strategists capable of managing the realm and devising grand strategies.”
She looked at me with a grave gaze, then slowly rose from the bed and strode toward me.
“However, there are few talents as pure as you.”
An intoxicating orchid fragrance wafted from between the folds of her silk garments, and a precarious tension formed between us, as if our very breaths might touch.
“Not scheming for personal gain behind the scenes like the famous families of Yingchuan or the powerful clans of Dongjun, and yet stubbornly insisting on a lowly position like Shizhang despite having rendered merit.”
“M-My Lord. The distance…”
“Your resolve to understand all the factional relations despite having only just entered the army, and to swear loyalty to me alone.”
I think she’s completely misunderstanding something…?
‘I only refused to get the quest rewards…!’
“Jaon. In my eyes, you are already a talent capable of commanding a Buqu. Though I cannot fathom why you insist on climbing slowly from Shizhang…”
Cao Cao reached her hand toward me, hesitated for a moment, then withdrew it.
It was likely because the absurd incident from before came to mind.
By the way, if affection reaches one hundred, does just physical contact make it happen like that?
I had been bewildered too, but how embarrassed must she have been?
“Ah, anyway! If you truly wish to work your way up from the bottom…, I shall wait.”
Cao Cao cleared her throat softly and clasped her hands behind her back.
Perhaps slightly embarrassed to face me head-on, she turned her head slightly.
The lamp in the tent gently illuminated her silver hair, and between the strands, her earlobes were visibly redder than before.
“For now, that is all I wished to say. Tell no one that I came here today! See you at the army assembly tomorrow morning!”
“Wait, my Lord!”
“Hm?”
Cao Cao turned back.
“It’s about Dian Wei. After all, she should still be serving as your personal guard…”
“…Jaon.”
“Yes!”
“How many times must I say I don’t need her? Hm?”
“…….”
—Swish!
Cao Cao spun around as if thoroughly angry and dashed out of the tent.
In the remaining tent, only the thick orchid fragrance she left behind swirled chaotically.
“Is she gone…?”
I scratched my head as I looked at the fluttering tent entrance.
I carefully poked my head outside the tent and looked left and right.
Aside from the sound of Cao Cao’s retreating footsteps and the regular intervals of the guards’ patrols, nothing could be heard.
“Whew, no one else is coming now, right?”
Letting out a sigh of relief, I firmly tied the tent entrance shut with a rope.
No more disturbances allowed.
Because from now on, I had to perform the most important ritual.
With a devout heart, I knelt down, placed my hands together neatly, and took out the ‘Wei Kingdom Premium Gacha Ticket’ from my inventory.
—Ding!
Along with the alarm sound, a golden ticket fluttered down from the air.
Just looking at it made me feel full.
Normally, the probability of drawing an SSR-grade general from the gacha was about 1.4 percent.
From about the seventieth draw, the probability increased exponentially, so theoretically, one could get an SSR-grade general on average every eighty draws.
If lucky, two or even three were possible.
“But with this ticket, an SSR-grade general pops out immediately upon use. And from Wei at that!”
Under my command currently, I only had Yue Jin, Dian Wei, and the three peasant soldiers.
And even combined, they couldn’t exceed 100 Intelligence—a hopeless situation.
That was why, for this draw, I desperately needed either a strategist to serve as our brain, or a political advisor with high Politics to smoothly handle the logistics in the rear.
“Please…! Xun Yu! Guo Jia! Cheng Yu! Or even Jia Xu…! Give me a brain to carry my muscleheads…!”
I clasped my hands and prayed earnestly, then took a deep breath and pressed the [Use] button hard.
[ Using Wei Kingdom Premium Gacha Ticket. ]
[ An SSR-grade character is guaranteed to be summoned! ]
—Paaaah!!!
Though it wasn’t like the flashy golden gems appearing as in the game, an intense golden light filled the tent to the point where I couldn’t open my eyes.
Soon, along with a tremendous light as if the sun itself had been compressed, dreamy golden particles scattered and began to slowly form the silhouette of a person.
“Oooooh…!”
Who could it be?
I clutched my pounding heart and gulped.
Beyond the slowly clearing golden mist, silk garment hems stretched long as if touching the floor, and above them, a graceful and beautiful figure was revealed.
‘What she’s holding looks like a fan… it’s definitely a strategist. Nice!!!’
[ Attempting to summon an SSR-grade character…… ]
Color from reality was gradually overlaid onto the silhouette, taking human form.
“Where is this? I was clearly imprisoned in Chang’an… Am I dreaming…!”
A dreamy woman’s voice tickled my ears.
[ You have acquired SSR: Dong Zhuo Assassination Xun You! ]
——
[ General Information ]
Name: Xun You (荀攸), Courtesy Name: Gongda (公達), Grade: SSR
Command: 74, Might: 35, Intelligence: 94, Politics: 89, Charisma: 85
Affection: 0/100
——
‘Xun You? That Xun You, one of Cao Cao’s three greatest strategists?!’
It was a jackpot.
Xun You, the nephew of Xun Yu, was an immovable tier-1 strategist of Wei in Romance of the Three Kingdoms 8, with no equal.
He was called a “human rights character” even before Cao Cao, the Grand Administrator of Dongjun, whom I’d wanted so badly to obtain.
“Where… what…?”
Xun You looked around with languid, half-closed eyes, seemingly tired.
Soon, when her eyes met mine, she flashed her half-open eyes in surprise, then began to tighten her disheveled collar and grow wary.
“Who are you…? Did you bring me here?”
Xun You hid the fair skin briefly visible between her collars.
Clutching the fan in one hand tightly, she glared at me with frightening eyes.
It was then.
—Ding!
[ You have summoned an SSR general! ]
[ Do you wish to proceed with the contract with this general? ]
[ Once the contract is completed, causality will be applied and the general will serve you as their Lord. ]
[ SSR General Contract Condition: Spend 2,600 yuanbao (3500/2600) Condition met! ]
“Yes! Yes! Of course!”
I didn’t care how much currency I had to spend.
The probability of obtaining a “human rights character” was truly like winning the lottery.
‘What kind of highway robbery system is this…? If you used a gacha ticket, you should just give them; where do they get off charging a separate contract fee?!’
No wonder it gave currency more generously than the game—there was a reason for it.
Anyway, having my entire fortune taken as a contract fee stung a little, but my finger was already instinctively rushing toward the [Accept] button.
—Tap.
“Huh?!”
“…Huh?”
I had definitely pressed the button, but my index finger hadn’t touched the Accept button.
It was near the collar that Xun You was clutching tightly.
That is, my finger had very firmly ‘pressed’ the soft skin just below her exposed collarbone, peeking slightly through the gap in her collars.
“…….”
“…….”
Silence arrived in an instant.
Xun You’s half-closed, languid eyes grew rounder than I’d ever seen, alternating between my finger and my face.
This was no time to feel the soft and warm sensation at my fingertip.
I hurriedly withdrew my hand and opened my mouth.
“Um… this is, well, the contract…”
—Ding!
[ You have paid 2,600 yuanbao and formed a contract with SSR: Dong Zhuo Assassination Xun You! ]
[ Remaining yuanbao: 900 ]
[ Causality intervenes, reconstructing the character’s memories and situation to fit the present. ]
At that fleeting moment, the system window flashed with a cheerful alarm.
“Ugh…! M-my head…!”
Xun You hunched over, holding her head with one hand and staggering.
At the same time, faint golden particles seeped into her head above, and soon she collapsed to the floor, and I hurriedly supported Xun You.
A moment later.
“Haah…”
Xun You, letting out a languid sigh, slowly opened her eyes.
“Please let go now…”
“Ah, yes!”
Xun You, who had been in my embrace, freed herself with her own strength.
The sharp, wary gaze she had directed at me just moments ago had settled into something strangely calm and gentle.
“It was you…”
“…?”
“The unidentified knight-errant who broke through Chang’an’s strict guard and rescued me from the prison bed, Jaon.”
‘She knows my name? Is this the causality thing…?’
In Xun You’s mind, it seemed I had been recognized as the one who rescued her from prison.
“I owe you my life, Lord Jaon. Judging by your appearance, it seems you are a soldier in Cao Cao’s army.”
“That is correct.”
As I nodded awkwardly, Xun You covered her mouth with a jade-colored silk sleeve and smiled gently with her eyes.
“I am already a body sworn to serve a Lord. There is no need to be so stiffly formal with me, hehe.”
Xun You lightly fluttered her fan and continued.
“For someone possessing the martial might and strategy to break through Dong Zhuo’s strict surveillance network and rescue me from prison. If you are to be my Lord, then you ought rightfully to rise to the position of General commanding tens of thousands.”
“Ahaha… a General…”
How many steps would it take to become a General?
Since I’m a Shizhang now….
Hmm….
I wonder?
“King Zhuang of Chu hid his ambitions for three years, biding his time to accomplish great deeds. Heroes know to crouch and wait for their moment. Even if your current position falls short of expectations, never be disappointed or ashamed.”
Xun You spoke with overflowing confidence, striking a pose.
“You are a hero of the realm recognized by me. This Gongda shall take responsibility and lead my Lord to the highest place.”
‘Yeah. With how much currency I invested in you, you’d better.’
As I nodded and painted a rosy blueprint, Xun You gently tilted her head and asked.
“Now then, let me ask, my Lord. What position do you currently hold in Cao Cao’s army? Surely you hold the rank of Colonel or Commandant commanding thousands?”
“…Huh?”
“Hehe, a Jun Sima then. That is fine. It is the perfect position to raise an elite army.”
“Um… well.”
“What is it? Surely… it is not lower than that?”
I nodded.
“Then a Quzhang commanding a Buqu? Or could it be, perish the thought, a Hundred-Man Commander?”
I shook my head and opened my mouth.
“Shizhang…”
“…?”
“I’m a Shizhang.”
“…Huh?”