◈ Episode 46. How Cowardly
The Yusra Kingdom was developing in real time.
The speed of its reconstruction was truly beyond common sense.
More than anything, the amount of money being poured into it was enormous.
After the Cataclysm.
Non-combat players, whose positions had inevitably narrowed.
When the Yusra Kingdom began reconstruction, smiles bloomed on their faces for the first time in ages.
“Is the day when production jobs finally skyrocket coming?”
“It’s been such a long time of humiliation and persecution. In rifts, we were no different from ordinary people. Still, the day has come when I’ll make money as a player in my lifetime!”
“Hey, Mr. Kim. Stop yapping and carry the bricks.”
The first Arcana nation to appear in reality.
The capital being invested in the Yusra Kingdom was beyond imagination.
First of all, there were the large guilds comparable to most corporations.
The investment funds from Gaon and Berserker alone were impossible to ignore.
“Gaon and Berserker’s aggressive investments. How do you view them, expert?”
“A wise decision with an eye toward the future. That’s how I’d summarize it. In fact, that future may not be far off. Even at this moment, Gaon and Berserker are increasing their influence in the Yusra Kingdom.”
“So the money being invested now isn’t a waste in the slightest?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
In reality, even excluding Gaon and Berserker.
There were guilds, players, and even nations that had come to the Yusra Kingdom carrying staggering investment funds.
Among them, the most proactive was China.
“We wish to build a close cooperative relationship with the Yusra Kingdom. As a great nation’s guild, Cheonhatongil can become an even sturdier pillar for the kingdom than Gaon or Berserker.”
Along with that proposal, they offered a modest token of sincerity.
However, who was Hakuna, the king of Yusra?
He knew better than anyone the terror of greed.
On top of that, there was the realization he had gained from watching Hoyeol.
Hakuna coldly rejected every tempting offer.
“My resolve will not change.”
The only one who could change that resolve would be Hoyeol.
Besides, wasn’t the Yusra Kingdom a place that had been called a legendary treasure island until not long ago?
In truth, selling the minerals they mined would be enough to cover the reconstruction costs.
The ones who knew that better than anyone were the people involved.
Scritch, scritch—Leoni scratched her head.
“Aaaaaah.”
A scream leaked out.
The guild members who had been quietly watching whispered among themselves.
“Unnie, why is she like that again?”
“It’s obvious. She’s worrying about something useless again.”
“Ah, thinking about that person?”
Even their outrageous remarks did not reach her ears.
Leoni’s feelings were complicated and subtle.
How should she explain it?
‘……
Things are going extremely well.’
So why did it feel like her debt was increasing in real time?
She was not talking about material debt.
What Leoni felt was a debt of the heart.
Yes, just as the guild members said, it was because of Hoyeol.
“Why? Why on earth? Aaaaaah.”
Wasn’t the reward far too excessive to call it simple goodwill?
Compared to the help she had given, what she had received made no sense.
Leoni gnawed at her fingernails.
‘What is this? He’s not the kind of person who would do this. Seriously?’
Maybe she shouldn’t start liking this already.
Leoni pressed her lips together and nodded.
Her first meeting with Hoyeol naturally came to mind.
‘Right. Right. With that petty personality of his.’
That stingy personality that wouldn’t even share a cup of tea.
There was no way he would simply bestow such goodwill.
Leoni grabbed at her innocent hair.
‘……
Then what is he planning to take?’
Was there anything Hoyeol lacked enough to take it from her……?
No matter how hard she thought about it, nothing in particular came to mind.
So a possibility occurred to her.
Flinch—Leoni’s hand, which had been tormenting her hair, stopped.
‘……
No, don’t tell me, seriously?’
……
Was that tea really that precious?
So precious that he couldn’t even give her one cup?
No, that couldn’t be.
‘Just how amazing is that tea?’
Leoni thought that, then shook her head violently.
Then she turned her head and shouted.
“Fuck, this is all because of you guys!!”
“……
What the hell is she saying all of a sudden?”
“Unnie, what’s wrong? Are you throwing a fit?”
Leaving the bewildered guild members behind.
Leoni fell into agony again.
“……
At this rate, when am I going to repay my debt, and when am I going to get treated?”
“Get treated? To what? Ah, are you talking about that tea from back then?”
“Shut up.”
“Unnie, can’t you just ask him about it and buy some yourself?”
“Buying it and being treated to it are different. What do you guys know?!”
“……
I don’t know whose unnie she is, but she’s a real piece of work.”
...
“Hyung, what do you think?”
Nam Taemin asked his older brother, Nam Cheolmin.
Brothers understood each other without many words.
“What do I think? I’m just thinking about how we’re going to repay him. That’s all.”
Arcana’s official website.
The newly updated guild rankings.
The two brothers checked the rankings once again.
──────
1. Shining (-)
2. Cheonhatongil (-)
3. Gaon (+2)
4. Bohemian (-1)
5. Inazuma (-1)
…….
──────
Their guild ranking had risen by a full two places.
Not only had they surpassed Inazuma, they had climbed to 3rd place.
Even though it would not have been enough to dance for joy, the brothers remained calm.
“Let’s think of it as a sign that we need to do better.”
After all, the one who had brought about that rise in ranking was not them, but Hoyeol. Even thinking about it again made him dizzy. If they had not formed a connection with Hoyeol…….
‘Not only would this never have happened, Hyung wouldn’t be here either.’
From the very beginning until now.
It felt like all they had done was receive from Hoyeol.
How were they supposed to repay him?
When he thought about it, his vision grew distant.
But Nam Taemin steeled his resolve.
“Let’s properly finish reconstructing the Yusra Kingdom that Hoyeol entrusted to us first. Hyung!”
However, Nam Cheolmin’s expression was serious.
His older brother’s gaze remained fixed on the monitor.
Nam Taemin wondered what was going on and looked at the monitor as well, then frowned.
“……
These bastards. They’re starting their bullshit again?”
──────
[At This Hour in the National Assembly] “Entering 3rd place in the guild rankings is truly something to celebrate…… However, the lack of cooperation with the Shinhwa Guild is regrettable…… At times like this, we must join forces…….”
──────
Vicious media play.
It was not the first or second time they had suffered through it.
The Shinhwa Guild.
It was an open secret that they were closely connected to the political world.
It was so blatant that even netizens had begun to notice.
-There goes Shinhwa starting their media play again lol
-They can’t win with skill, so they do every dirty thing imaginable
-No, why should Gaon be the ones to lead them? lol
There were simple curses.
And there were also opinions that raised serious questions.
-How much did they get paid that every single one of those politicians is desperate to shield Shinhwa?
As they read through the comments together, Nam Cheolmin opened his mouth.
“They’re crossing the line pretty badly this time.”
“One hundred percent agreed. But I really don’t get it.”
“What?”
“No, how the hell did those Shinhwa bastards get such a tight grip on those old men? I mean, I’d heard rumors before that they were pulling dirty tricks…… But lately, it’s way too blatant, isn’t it?”
“Now that you mention it, you’re right.”
Nam Cheolmin nodded at his younger brother’s point.
What kind of creatures were politicians, if not ones sensitive to their public image?
No matter how much they loved money, their recent actions were hard to understand.
As for the reaction, one only had to look at the angry comment sections to know.
Yet despite such public sentiment, they continued to defend Shinhwa.
Nam Taemin clenched his fist.
“Anyway, those nobodies are making things annoying. Seriously.”
If this were Arcana, I would have just started a guild war myself.
“I would’ve smashed them to pieces!”
Whoosh, whoosh—His fists sliced through the air.
Nam Taemin smacked his lips in regret for only a moment.
Nam Cheolmin shrugged.
“Whatever happens, we need to make one thing certain.”
“Huh? What?”
“That none of this sparks over onto Hoyeol.”
“Ah, of course! But it’s ridiculous. Seriously.”
Nam Taemin chuckled.
“Everyone has it completely wrong, you know? Whether it’s Shinhwa or the politicians. In the end, the one who brought down the great evil was Hoyeol. All we really did was just stick a spoon in.”
“Exactly. That’s what’s frustrating me to death too, Taemin.”
The great evil, the Seven Deadly Sins, Greed.
Hoyeol had overwhelmed a monster that was level 650.
But the world did not know the truth of that day.
If he could vent his frustration, he would say, Look at this.
He wanted to show the world the footage of Hoyeol’s battle.
“At first, I was worried that Hoyeol’s combat patterns might be analyzed…… But there was actually nothing to worry about. No matter how closely anyone looks, they won’t figure it out. I’ve never seen skill usage like that either.”
Nam Cheolmin, a capable analyst.
Even he did not know what skills Hoyeol had used to hunt the great evil.
The moment this recorded footage was revealed.
The world would be turned upside down once again.
However.
“No matter what, Hoyeol’s wishes are what matter.”
“Right. Since we’re on the subject, should I leave him a text?”
“A text? Why not tell him in person?”
Hoyeol was just that busy.
Even when he was staying in the Yusra Kingdom, his face was hard to see.
Nam Cheolmin folded his fingers one by one as he checked Hoyeol’s schedule.
“First of all, he was in the middle of progressing a quest at the Magic Tower, right? Then his morning is gone in a flash. In the afternoon, he comes to the Yusra Kingdom…… But wait. Now that I think about it, Hoyeol has been spending a lot of time with Harcon lately, hasn’t he?”
Harcon, commander of the Lionheart Knights.
Nam Taemin asked, feeling an ominous possibility.
“……
Don’t tell me it’s another quest? No way, right? No matter what, there’s no connection, is there? Hoyeol is a mage, and Harcon is a knight.”
“Well, I don’t know? Let’s work harder, Taemin.”
“Aaaagh! How can you say that too, Hyung?!”
Nam Taemin also screamed.
Trying to follow a stork was about to split the legs of a wren……!
*
Unlike skills, growth could not be confirmed through numbers.
However, I could tell because I was seeing it with my own eyes.
Goooo—The sword aura had become noticeably clearer.
The past few days of training as if my life depended on it had paid off, hadn’t they?
With an expressionless face, I fell into a brief recollection.
‘It was literally as if my life depended on it, truly…….’
Once again, I realized the value of [Natural Enemy Relationship].
A life-or-death battle against a level 300 monster.
I could not show it outwardly, but it had not been easy. Truly.
“An unbelievable speed of growth, Sir Hoyeol!”
Harcon spoke in pure admiration.
“That’s impossible…….”
Not only Harcon, but Yesika and Enoch, who were also sword aura users, were visibly shocked.
Yes, they would never have imagined it.
That I had raised that faint sword aura to their level.
‘It would be nice if they recognized all the hell I went through.’
Sword aura deepens on battlefields where life and death come and go.
What did those words mean?
They meant that this Yusra Kingdom had been a battlefield where life and death came and went for me.
From at least level 300 to as high as level 400!
Every single monster roaming around was an incomparable strong enemy to me.
‘There could hardly have been a more desperate struggle than that…….’
To defeat such creatures.
Without [Natural Enemy Relationship] activating.
Using only swordsmanship?
Even if I emitted sword aura, it was impossible.
Strength, agility stats.
If I had at least enough stamina to support me, then perhaps.
‘Maybe later, but right now, not a chance.’
The reality was that my stamina drained away as soon as I emitted sword aura……! So it meant I had struggled desperately while manifesting “magic” as well.
‘It was pathetic, truly.’
Of course, there was no way I would say that with my own mouth.
Clack—I sheathed my sword and spoke calmly.
“It was excellent instruction, Sir Harcon.”
I had learned everything there was to learn.
At that brazen declaration, Harcon quietly shook his head.
“What did I teach you? All I did was provide a slight opportunity for your talent with the sword to awaken. Yesika, Enoch. Did you see?”
Harcon looked at the two knights and began to speak passionately.
It was a kind of theory of spirit.
“Even Sir Hoyeol, who possesses such talent, developed his sword aura through mortal combat. What does that signify? The environment does not matter. What matters is this mindset……!”
There was a reason we communicated so well.
‘We’re both old-fashioned.’
One of us valued formality, the other spiritual theory.
If I listened any longer, my mind might grow faint.
I left my seat.
It was time to get off work, after all.
As I headed toward the portal, my smartphone suddenly vibrated.
‘Nam Taemin?’
The guild master of Gaon.
Just as I was about to check the text he had sent.
Someone called out to me.
“Hello! Excuse me, are you Lee Hoyeol? I’m reporter Jeong Manseok from Minguk Ilbo. I know this is rude, but I’d like to ask just one brief question!”
As I just said.
An old-fashioned man who valued formality.
My mood could not help but be disturbed from his very first greeting.
I felt a purely sincere question.
Even after I had pointed it out so many times.
Why did humans repeat the same mistakes?
“As a fellow citizen of the Republic of Korea…… And also to Lee Hoyeol, who was present on the day the Yusra Kingdom revealed itself to the world. I’d like to ask you one thing. What do you think about the voices of criticism toward Gaon that have recently been growing louder……?”
However, Jeong Manseok, who poured out the question, was trembling.
Yes, unlike ordinary players.
The reason I had been free from the press was entirely thanks to this prickly personality of mine.
There was no way Jeong Manseok did not know that fact either.
So he had endured his trembling and spoken to me.
‘I roughly understand what that question means too.’
Voices of criticism toward Gaon.
Just like the other media companies.
Minguk Ilbo must have been instigated by the Shinhwa Guild as well.
It was not some tabloid known only to those in the know.
‘They’re openly pushing them.’
It was an obvious ploy anyone could recognize just by looking at internet news and comments.
I looked at Jeong Manseok.
What lay over his pupils was fear.
‘I know that feeling very well.’
If those above told him to do it, he had no choice but to do it.
Even if he did not want to, he had no choice.
It was the sorrow of a salaryman.
So I opened my mouth.
“Convey this at once.”
It was not an action born of sympathy.
It was simply that I could not tolerate it.
Whether it was the Shinhwa Guild or anything else.
For their own benefit.
Hiding behind the scenes.
Manipulating people and the press in such a cunning manner.
My lofty pride could not stand by and watch it.
“It does not matter who it is. Do you want something from the Yusra Kingdom? Then do not hide in a vile manner. Do not resort to laughable petty tricks either.”
That sort of behavior was the complete opposite of the conduct of a noble.
I spoke coldly.
“Show yourself proudly before me.”
“……
Pardon?”
“All authority regarding that matter lies with me.”
“……
Pardoooon?”
The crime of properly offending my mood.
Even coming to plead three times would not be enough....
A few hours later.
The world was turned upside down once again.
“……
I-Is this video for real?!”
Just as Nam Taemin had said.