◈ Episode 148. Know Your Place
Hisagi’s serpent-sharp eyes went round.
Needless to say, the other two were the same.
“Ouch—” Nam Taemin rubbed his lips, scalded by the hot green tea.
“We can see the Arcana Continent? Us?”
[Demon Eye
’s Telescope]
It still had a cooldown remaining, so I had to wait, but there was no reason we couldn’t see it.
However.
It was not some one-time effect like a scroll, after all. More than anything, I needed to view the Arcana Continent from various perspectives.
‘Through the eyes of a Player, not an Arcanan.’
Of course, I was a Player myself.
But I had a gap of over ten years.
No matter how much I relied on modern civilization and the internet, there were bound to be limits.
But Nam Taemin and the other two were different.
They were Rankers who had been active since the days when Arcana was merely a game.
It was only natural that their knowledge of the Arcana Continent was far deeper than mine. If we viewed the continent from their perspective, wouldn’t we be able to find some helpful information?
I took out the telescope.
Thanks to the cooldown, its eye was still closed, at least.
The squirming blood vessels were plainly visible; aesthetically, it was as unpleasant as ever.
“An item, right? But I’ve never seen an item like this before.”
“……I’m sorry. You were considerate enough to share, and yet—urk.”
“What? Hisagi, your eyes look way scarier.”
Nam Taemin retorted.
Hisagi covered his mouth, but I spoke generously.
“I understand.”
Yes, he couldn’t help but understand.
After all, this was a telescope that had failed Granfel’s aesthetic standards numerous times.
In that sense, Leoni had an impressive stomach.
Seeing this thing yet still gripping her teacup tightly.
‘Does green tea even suit European tastes?’
Well, it suited Granfel’s palate, so it wasn’t strange.
Anyway, I had to wait until the telescope opened its eye again.
I asked a question while also checking on their well-being.
“May I ask how you have fared during this time?”
“Ah, of course!”
“Has Lord Hoyeol been faring well, more so than any of us?”
“……Excuse me, Hisagi. Please don’t interrupt our conversation, and might I suggest you keep covering your mouth? I ask with due respect and formality.”
A grand alliance.
I didn’t know which of the three had come up with it, but it was truly an impressive decision.
Simple interests weren’t the only thing at stake—international relations were entangled as well.
They were three guilds that had given up much to form an alliance.
“You’ve all achieved remarkable growth.”
It wasn’t empty praise; one look at their levels told the tale.
Nam Taemin and Hisagi had entered the level 400s.
Leoni, who had been lagging behind, was at 399, if I recalled.
Accumulating the experience needed to level up couldn’t have been easy. Seeing their levels rise steadily, it seemed they had hunted tirelessly in the rifts without rest.
Nam Taemin made an awkward expression.
“Wow, being praised by you again, Hoyeol, really hits different.”
From my position, the praise flowed out naturally.
My already dependable allies had joined forces amongst themselves, growing their power even further before reuniting with me.
But strangely, the nuance in Hisagi’s continuation was disquieting…
“I apologize. At first, I doubted your decision.”
……Wait, decision?
What decision?
Had I made some kind of decision?
I was bewildered, but as always, I didn’t show it.
One thing I had learned while suffering through my dark history.
If I kept my mouth shut, half the battle was already won.
‘……First, shut up and listen.’
As I listened in silence, I gradually began to understand.
……This, I mean, they’re saying *I* created the grand alliance?!
What kind of dog-chewing-grass nonsense is this!
They say the interpretation is worse than the dream, but this is excessive, isn’t it?
I had certainly shown more through actions than words.
But that was only.
‘It was simply because I didn’t want to run my mouth.’[Predator’s Swamp].
No, it seemed the interpretation had begun all the way back at the [Secret Garden of the World Tree]
.
Thinking about it calmly, I had indeed provided the cause.
Clack—without heed to my troubled heart, I leisurely tilted my teacup.
Eventually, I opened my mouth.
“You’ve all had a hard time because of my sudden decision.”
……Damn, what a guy I am!
It wasn’t just once or twice, but my shamelessness was truly astounding.
Yes, I tried to tell myself it was fine since the results were good and move on.
Yet because my shoulders swelled with pride without my knowing, the self-loathing wouldn’t fade.
“Ah, no, Hoyeol. It wasn’t hardship.”
“I apologize. Only now do I finally realize your grand intention.”
“I didn’t fight. These guys just fought at the drop of a hat.”
To think they filtered my harsh words so well.
I couldn’t help but feel even more grateful to the three of them.
So I couldn’t delay the decision any longer.
Srrrk—cooldown over.
The telescope opened its eye once more. From an aesthetic standpoint, it had grown even worse, but Hisagi didn’t cover his mouth.
He must have known it was an important moment.
“The item’s name is the Demon Eye’s Telescope. Its effect allows me to share vision with the Demon Eye floating in the skies over Arcana. In other words, we can glimpse the state of the Arcana Continent through the Demon Eye.”
“……The
Demon Eye?”
Naturally, they couldn’t understand immediately.
But likewise, seeing is believing.
I immediately activated the effect of the Demon Eye’s Telescope.
Flash—immediately, the visage of the Arcana Continent arose.
A landscape floating in the air like an illusion.
The three of them exclaimed in admiration, almost simultaneously.
“……Holy shit, what kind of item effect is this?”
“As expected, it’s not an Epic-grade item for nothing.”
“Wow, insane…? Ah, no! I mean, this is insane.”
It happened to be night there.
Then there was no need to add further explanation.
Naturally, the admiration didn’t last long.
Soon, they would witness the devastation of the Arcana Continent.
“Don’t tell me, everything floating in that sky is a Demon Eye?”
“……Wait, there’s not a single place left unscathed.”
“I had my suspicions, but I never imagined it was this bad.”
The effect lasted only ten minutes.
Ten minutes passed in an instant.
Srrrk—as the telescope’s eyelid closed, silence fell.
It was the exact same reaction as during the Round Table Conference.
They must have realized the gravity of the situation, just like before.
If there was any difference, it was perhaps their position.
‘It’s not their homeland or anything.’
The positions of Players and Arcanans differed.
Even if the Arcana Continent’s doom spelled reality’s turn next, the threat didn’t feel imminent to them yet. It was only natural that they would feel burdened about participating in the Holy War.
‘I’m grateful, but I must make certain before moving on.’
Because they were people I was grateful for.
I had to confirm things more clearly.
Eventually, Nam Taemin broke the silence.
Yes, any answer would have been fine.
Even if they tried to back out now, I would have understood.
‘I’m only human, so it might be a bit lonely, but…’
But the answer I received was a word of thanks.
“Hoyeol, thank you for telling us the truth as well.”
Words of gratitude I hadn’t imagined in the slightest…
It wasn’t just Nam Taemin.
Hisagi, Leoni—the three of them had experienced something before.
They had already risked their lives.
The emergency update.
The [Torn Dimensional Rift] cracks that had spawned simultaneously.
Hadn’t the recommended level for those been around 900? It meant they had steeled themselves for death even in the 300s, back when they lacked the abilities they had now.
Of course, they hadn’t actually been able to give their lives.
The portal from the Mage Tower had vanished like a fleeting sensation thanks to ‘someone.’
But that day’s experience had enlightened the three.
That only with ability could they be of help.
That without ability, they were merely a hindrance.
Thus, their emotions were bound to be renewed.
“Hoyeol, thank you for telling us the truth as well.”
Nam Taemin raised the corners of his mouth.
Because finally, he felt acknowledged.
Acknowledgment that he had earned the right to move forward together.
However, one must be certain about everything.
[Quest: The Unending Holy War]
From the Arcana Continent to reality.
The Holy War against the demons was not yet over.
At the end of this war, there existed neither rewards nor spoils.
All that remained was pride.
Prove your own pride.
—Prove your worth in the designated area. (In Progress)
Like the quest objective.
They would have to prove their worth.
Hisagi broke the ice with a solemn voice.
“We shall certainly prove our worth.”
Nod nod—Leoni nodded vigorously as well.
In truth, from the moment she had been served tea.
One could say her goal had already been achieved.
But Leoni knew.
‘Because he’s obviously going to shoulder it all alone again. Just like back then.’
Their individual reasons differed slightly, but the conclusion was the same.
No matter what trial awaited, they would prove their worth.
Then, to those three, Hoyeol opened his mouth.
“There is no need for that.”
“……?”
“Because I am already well aware of your pride.”
At the same time, the quest windows of the three flickered.
—Prove your worth in the designated area. (Success)
……Success?
What did we do to deserve success?
Hoyeol continued calmly to the bewildered trio.
“I shall use my ‘Authority’ to skip the proving process.”
I had to tie them down before they changed their minds.
The military force known as the grand alliance was far too precious.
There was absolutely no chance of such inner thoughts showing on Hoyeol’s face.
“I feel more successful than when I actually hit Ranker status.”
It was only natural for smiles to appear on the three faces.
*Elder, Yugwid.
Chief, Marcello.
And all twenty senior mages.
The leadership of the Mage Tower convened in the Crystal Hall.
It was not an extension of the Round Table Conference.
Nor was it a secret discussion that needed to be hidden from skilled mages and apprentices.
It was merely a venue for exchanging opinions.
Attendance wasn’t even mandatory.
Nevertheless, the fact that the entire leadership attended meant that the high-ranking mages of the Mage Tower, with their fierce pride, could not arrive at a proper answer without hearing one another’s thoughts—such was their frustration.
“What do you all think?”
The first to speak was the eldest among them, Elder Yugwid.
She looked around at the gathered individuals.
Still, no answer came.
“Only one person is missing, yet it is so quiet.”
“Chief Yi Hoyeol—one could say his presence alone is the greatest among all mages in the Tower’s history, could one not?” Yugwid shrugged and turned to Marcello.
“Do you see any chance of victory in this war, Chief Marcello?”
Marcello immediately shook his head.
“Slim.”
The conditions were far too unfavorable.
“The enemy has extended their demonic reach not only to the Arcana Continent but to this world—the world of adventurers—as well. Yet we have only just begun to explore the bizarre space known as the rift.”
Marcello was speaking of his own research.
He had failed to produce any meaningful results.
And even that meager outcome would have been impossible without Chief Yi Hoyeol.
Benche, who had been silent, raised his hand.
“But! Didn’t Chief Yi Hoyeol visit the Arcana Continent? Of course, he said it was thanks to the Demon King’s loot effect… Still, if we research that magical device, couldn’t we find some kind of clue?”
Research on the magical device.
Naturally, eyes turned to the senior of Enchantment Studies, Kiko Armin.
Kiko shook her head side to side.
“Chief Yi Hoyeol had indeed requested as much. However, with the current level of Enchantment Studies, extracting effects from a magical device of that caliber is impossible…”
Kiko bit her lower lip.
‘To think that effect would be one-time use.’
He hadn’t said anything about that, so she hadn’t even suspected.
If only he had hinted at it slightly.
If only he had given them a little more time…
They would have stayed up several nights to find a way.
—“I apologize for stealing time as precious as gold, Senior Kiko.”
That chief had left only those words.
And left the Garnet Hall without hesitation.
Tch, Benche clicked his tongue, and Marcello continued.
“Research to raise unfavorable conditions to equal footing was precisely the joint research topic of Chief Yi Hoyeol and myself. However, at this point in time, we cannot even guarantee when the theory might be established.”
In short, it was simple.
“In the end, we have no choice but to continue this unreasonable war.”
There was no way to reach the Arcana Continent.
Even if they won a great victory in battle, it would be impossible to counterattack or seize the initiative completely.
But Marcelo knew.
No, by now, every mage of the Magic Tower knew.
“However, on the Arcana Continent, there are still those fighting against the demons. News of our victory may have a positive effect on them as well.”
So what the Magic Tower had to do was simple and clear.
With a gentle smile, Yugweed opened her mouth.
“In short, we need only cut off every claw that reaches toward us perfectly, correct?”
Nod—A grim resolve settled in the eyes of the twenty senior mages.
The moment Arcana’s strongest armed group united as one.
Marcelo closed his eyes for a moment. ‘……
Is it merely coincidence?’ Among the millions of demons Chief Lee Hoyeol had hunted.
What were the odds that a demon related to House Simuard’s “curse of a limited lifespan” had happened to be included? He had clearly said that millions of demons were nothing more than a drop in the bucket.
Marcelo shook his head.
He had thought about it endlessly, but it only made his head throb.
However. ‘I cannot let this opportunity slip by.’ It was fine even if the curse of a limited lifespan had not completely vanished.
His current physical condition was at its peak.
If not for Chief Lee Hoyeol,
this was a body that should already have drawn its last breath.
Marcelo murmured toward the demons. ‘You overstepped yourselves without knowing your place.’ Marcelo recalled the purpose behind the Magic Tower’s founding.
The pursuit of true truth.
The demon worshiper, Karimzeva.
Considering that he had longed for the true truth until the moment of his death, perhaps the Magic Tower had been a rotten organization from the very moment it was founded. But had Chief Lee Hoyeol not said it?
—“If it has gone astray, then it need only be set right.”
Just as he said.
It was not too late, even now.
At last, Marcelo opened his eyes.
“Now is the time to set the ‘true truth’ right.”...
That startled me.
All of a sudden, my vision flashed.
It was the quest window.
Nothing had happened, so what was this about…?
No way, the required training amount for my class quest hadn’t increased again, had it?
With that ominous thought, I checked the quest window. [Quest: Reconstruction of the Magic Tower]
The Magic Tower quest I’d forgotten about for a while.
For some reason,
the final quest objective was sparkling. ─Find the true truth. (In Progress)
I see.
Was it because the Magic Tower had begun to move in earnest?
The quest that had been silent was making progress.
I still didn’t know what the Magic Tower’s true truth was.
But for me, this was good news. ‘As expected of the Magic Tower.’ I would be satisfied as long as I could fulfill the quest objective.
Of course, that didn’t mean I was just going to sit around doing nothing.
I’d also had a few things crop up in reality that I needed to deal with in my own way.
I skimmed through the headlines of the internet articles that came to mind. [Government Official Says, “We regret Player Lee Hoyeol’s unilateral actions… We believe prior consultation with the government of the Republic of Korea is necessary.”] [Excessive concentration of power? Voices of concern grow…] [AAU Official: “Holy War? There is no way to know whether it is really underway.”]
Then, in a manner befitting me, I offered my impression.
“The brighter the light, the darker the shadow becomes. However, the shadow’s place is always at the rear. Had it kept its proper order, I would have had no intention of interfering.”
No, I issued a warning.
“A shadow that steps ahead must be made aware of its place.”