◈ Episode 495. A Strange Meeting (2)
How long had it been since Hoyeol introduced someone to me?
No matter how far back Lee Yerim searched her memory, she couldn’t recall anything after elementary school.
Sitting at a corner table, Lee Yerim held her breath and watched Hoyeol.
A face without loneliness, without shadows. ‘Was it just my imagination?’ But no matter how she looked at them, they didn’t seem close enough to confide their troubles in one another. Especially when she looked at the way those two treated Hoyeol, it was completely… ‘They’re treating Hoyeol like some company president, aren’t they?’ No, maybe that made sense? She didn’t know the exact rank structure of the Holy War Alliance, but Hoyeol was supposed to be the commander-in-chief. Maybe that kind of attitude wasn’t so strange.
More importantly.
Lee Yerim mouthed silently at her parents, who were watching the mood.
“What are you two doing over there?”
“Huh? Hoyeol is working, so we thought we might get in the way.”
“You’re being more distracting like that.”
Why, just now, the moment the president’s name came up.
Their father had gone crash— and dropped a plate, hadn’t he?
Lee Yerim couldn’t believe it. ‘What is this, all of a sudden.’ Hwamokhal Mandu.
In this tiny little snack shop.
Who would have thought that such an important discussion about Seoul’s future would take place here? ‘How was I supposed to guess that?’ Even so, Lee Yerim tried to act calm. ‘He said it was something we’d find out in the end, too.’ Besides……
Squeeze.
Lee Yerim clenched her fist tightly under the table. ‘I want to know.’ As she had said, she no longer wanted to turn away.
She wanted to know exactly what sort of situation and what threats Hoyeol was facing.
Even if she was nothing but an ordinary person and couldn’t be of any help to Hoyeol. ‘Still, I need to know.’ As his family, and as one of his only three older sisters.
Lee Yerim took a deep breath and repeated it to herself.
No matter what she heard, she absolutely would not be surprised.
She muttered it inwardly again and again. ‘This is no joke.’ Perhaps thanks to that, she managed to keep her mouth shut. Even as Nam Cheolmin, a man who gave the exact opposite impression from Nam Taemin, poured out all sorts of ominous predictions about Seoul’s future.
However, Lee Yerim could not endure it to the end.
When Nam Cheolmin’s explanation ended.
As if he had been waiting for it, Hoyeol’s lips moved.
“I will become the master of Seoul.”
Her one and only younger brother’s abrupt declaration.……
Hoyeol. Don’t tell me?!
Before she knew it, Lee Yerim murmured.
“……
Are you going into politics?”*
Politics?
What kind of bullshit is that?
This menace, seriously. ‘I’m already dying of embarrassment because of the way I talk.’ Did you really have to point it out like that?!
I will become the master of Seoul.
The reason I suddenly declared that in Granfell’s manner of speech was simple.
Rustle.
The scenarios Nam Cheolmin had predicted, even taking out his tablet.
“President Jeong Hantaek has requested close cooperation from our Great Alliance and the Shinhwa Guild. In order to protect Seoul’s safety, there is a high probability that armed force will inevitably be necessary.”
Thanks to the legacy Yuggweed had left behind, Seoul was no longer ordinary land.
Furthermore, its value had been proven and spread at the same time through media outlets and players all over the world.
“To put it simply, from now on, the Seoul area where the buff is effective will be targeted in some way by everyone except Seoul itself. And its influence will likely be effective even here as well, since this place is also in Seoul.”
That was true as well.
Hwamokhal Mandu.
Even Mom and Dad’s proud space was no exception.
In my status window right now, countless messages were appearing.
Because the same buffs being applied on the Arcana Continent were being applied here too.
“To compare it more realistically……”
Was he being considerate of Dad, Mom, my menace, who were listening silently.
And Nam Taemin, who was weak against complicated discussions?
Nam Cheolmin summarized the key point in a single sentence.
“Now that it is connected to the Arcana Continent, Seoul has become land so valuable that there is no precedent for it even if you comb through all of world history since before the Common Era.”
That was right.
That was precisely why I had declared myself the master of Seoul.
Someone might sneer.
You bastard, Lee Hoyeol.
So you finally cast aside your so-called incorruptible integrity and reveal your true colors……! But if incorruptible integrity were something that could be cast aside so easily, I would probably have been the first to do it. ‘This isn’t greed, and it isn’t an election declaration. This is a kind of burden too.’ The fact that the Arcana Continent’s buffs were effective in Seoul?
In other words, it meant Seoul was now being treated no differently from land on the Arcana Continent. As a [Territory]. ‘Naturally.’
The [Territory] system would be activated in Seoul.
If I’ve said this much, you should be starting to understand.
That was right.
I was concerned about the abuse of the [Authority] system that activated when relationship level and influence in a given region reached their maximum.
‘Because, quite literally, the possibilities are endless.’
In the Yusra Kingdom, in Frost, and in countless places great and small, I had activated the [Authority] function many times. Of course, I had never really displayed the true power of that [Authority].
It couldn’t be helped.
Who was Granfell?
A saintly gentleman who didn’t use even the money earned from clearing rifts for personal gain.
With that personality, would he ever abuse the [Authority] function?
So let us imagine the possibility.
What if someone other than Granfell activated Seoul’s [Authority] function?
In Seoul, the Constitution of the Republic of Korea would no longer serve as law. Because the words spoken by the person who activated the [Authority] function would become the new law.
I opened my mouth.
“It will not only be players who covet this land.”
“As expected, Commander-in-Chief, you thought so too.”
“Of course……!”
Not only players, but certain beings from the Arcana Continent could also activate the [Authority] function.
For example……. The high-ranking Demon Kings who must have watched the entire situation through the Evil Eye could not be overlooked either.
Clack.
At that point, Nam Taemin set down his spoon and chopsticks.
“That is why we had no choice but to seek you out, Commander-in-Chief.”
In contrast to his grave opening words.
Was it because he had been inhaling dumplings?
Nam Taemin’s expression looked somewhat bright.
“To be honest, until just now, my head was so complicated that I ended up focusing on eating without even realizing it……. But if you are going to become the master of Seoul, Commander-in-Chief, our Great Alliance will also do our utmost to cooperate with you!”
Do their utmost to cooperate, huh. ‘Honestly, everyone trusts me far too much, don’t they?’ But I had no intention of rejecting that trust.
I, Lee Hoyeol.
Though I honestly did not want to admit it, no matter how much I thought about it, I seemed to be the only person fit to sit in the position of master of Seoul. ‘Strictly speaking, not me, but Granfell.’ Now that Seoul had become a land of wonders.
No matter how many times one emphasized not only its value but also its danger, it would not be enough. Depending on the situation, threats from the Arcana Continent might flood in without even the safety device known as rifts.
That was not all. ‘We cannot overlook threats from reality either.’ Nam Cheolmin’s finger hesitated over the tablet.
“In particular, most of the world’s major guilds have branches in Seoul, close to the Magic Tower. Since everyone is, in one way or another, in the same boat as the Holy War Alliance, I do not want to harbor unnecessary suspicion, but……”
I nodded.
“I understand your concern.”
Because this was not simply an issue at the guild level.
Just as Gaon had been the symbol of the Republic of Korea.
A guild in the rankings would naturally have a close cooperative relationship with its nation. ‘Aside from the pride of each individual player.’ Like Inazuma in the past, which had been swayed by the Japanese government. It meant a situation might arise where players would be forced to cooperate with their nations, even if they hated it.
Because this Seoul undoubtedly had that much value.
However.
“That must be the responsibility a master is meant to shoulder.”
Who was Granfell?
He was the head of the Claudi Family, no less, and the master of the Claudi Territory, a domain of even greater value than Seoul, which had become a land of wonders. ‘There’s no way he’d feel burdened.’ My words, filled with certainty, seemed to serve as a clear answer.
The Nam brothers’ eyes flashed for a moment.
Then Nam Taemin rose from his seat and began carrying plates to the kitchen.
“Mother, Father. Thank you very much for the meal.”
“Really? Was it to your taste? I’m glad.”
“If you ever visit our Gaon Tower, I will properly take care of you, Mother and Father! Ah, I might not be there sometimes. In that case, if you contact the number on this business card……”
“Oh my, oh my. Then shall I accept without hesitation? Hoho.”……
Honestly, he sure had a way with people.
While I was thinking that.
Nam Cheolmin, who had been wiping the table, stopped and spoke to me.
“We will support you in both material and nonmaterial ways, Commander-in-Chief.”
Sincerity dwelled in his eyes.
“Ever since the Magic Tower appeared in Seoul, we at Gaon have worked in many different ways to respond to national-level threats. I do not know whether you will need our help, Commander-in-Chief……. But if you trust us, this time, we will definitely become reliable allies.”
Allies, huh.
If he was offering that for my sake, of course I should be grateful.
As I said, I had no confidence. ‘Because this isn’t my field of expertise.’ Real-world politics, schemes, and the nerve wars between nations were things neither I nor Granfell knew much about.
Of course, we couldn’t have a deeper discussion at this point.
Everything was still only speculation, wasn’t it? ‘And……. the location is a little awkward too.’ What exactly had she been so diligently eavesdropping on since earlier?!
Because of that menace, Lee Yerim, I couldn’t say anything.
Even so, I had still run my mouth without caring.
“Today, we were truly rude.”
“Not at all. Come again next time.”
“Thank you for the autograph, Mr. Taemin!”
“Not at all, Mother!”
Thank you for the meal.
Leaving such a message behind in the shop, the Nam brothers departed. Ah, they had also taken several photos, hadn’t they? Considering the advertising effect of a player on Nam Taemin’s level, today’s dumplings were practically free……
That was the moment I was thinking in such worldly terms.
“Hey, Lee Hoyeol.”……
Damn it, what had to come had finally come.
My menace was calling me.
At the same time, my heart sank.
What topic would she start tormenting me with?
I had committed so many sins that I couldn’t even guess. ‘Resurrection? Or the master of Seoul? Ugh……!’ If I could.
I wanted to smack this mouth of mine a few times with my palm.
This must be what they meant by a disaster one brought upon oneself.
“This older sister still doesn’t know what’s going on, you know.”
“I am listening.”
“You.”
But.
“Later, you’re going to tell us everything, without leaving a single thing out, right?”……
Huh?
I thought it wouldn’t have been strange even if she interrogated me right away for days on end. Even if Mom and Dad understood me. I thought that, at least, my menace would bombard me with relentless questions.
“Until then, we just have to trust you and wait, right?”
My menace.
Lee Yerim.……
No, my second older sister said nothing more after that question. Honestly, to the point that I wondered if she had eaten something strange, but I did not hesitate to answer.
“I will never betray it.”
In truth, I could answer even now. ‘It’s not that difficult.’ The fact that I had died and come back to life was thanks to the title, [The Last Adventurer]. And saying I would become the master of Seoul was, in reality, merely saying I would activate Seoul’s [Authority] function. ‘However.’
There was just one thing I could not confess honestly.
That was right, my and Granfell’s dark history.
At least for now, I simply could not bring myself to say it with my own mouth……!
At this moment, I held my tongue.
“That heavy trust.”
When everything was over.
When I could speak of everything with a smile.
When this present moment had become a memory.
Well, perhaps then I would be able to say everything.
Not only me, but my older sister would have to make some effort for that day as well.
Suddenly, my second older sister’s brow twisted.
“That aside……. Can’t you seriously do something about the way you talk?!”
See? If she’s already like this now, how could I possibly confess everything?*
The Demon Realm.
The Ten Thrones blinked in unison.
Because they had seen it through the Evil Eye.
The Demon King of the Ninth Throne, noble Paimon.
“You.”
He, too, opened the eyes he had kept closed.
Inside the teacup.
The surface of the black tea trembled finely, like his state of mind.
“This seems a little different from our agreement, does it not?”