Chapter 146

[Translator - Jjescus ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]

Chapter: 146

"The fact that you came brought everyone together, and now you're leaving right away? Does that seem right?"

"I said I'm sorry. I had to rush off to meet my master."

As Hanbit stepped inside Edlen, he listened to the girl’s complaints with a patient smile.

[Liventia Norton]

Now living once again under the name her father had given her—Liventia.

She was undergoing training to become the city’s governor, and the atmosphere around her seemed to have shifted slightly.

Still, traces of "Lia" remained unmistakably visible.

"How's life treating you?"

"It's good. Except for the endless things I have to memorize."

Liventia shrugged as she spoke, her expression bright.

Hanbit smirked and asked, "You’re not running away anymore?"

"Running? Not a chance. If I get caught by Artsvel, I'm dead."

— Hahaha

— Some things never change.

— Running = Death.

— Conditioned fear. Lol

Liventia shuddered and shook her head.

With the weight of her future role as mayor on her shoulders, there was no way Artsvel would go easy on her.

Of course, since this was a path Liventia had chosen herself, she was fully committed to it.

"The city’s atmosphere has brightened a lot."

Avantgarde , who had been following behind, glanced around.

The citizens, once burdened by excessive taxes, now appeared noticeably more relaxed and cheerful.

It was likely thanks to Henry, who had swiftly put things in order as acting governor.

"We’re here."

While they talked, the three of them arrived at the central government building.

Leading the way, Liventia stepped forward and entered through the entrance.

"Let's go in.”

***

"Is this the work of those bastards from the Holy Kingdom again?"

A large reception hall on the second floor of the government building.

The gathered former comrades listened as Black Dragon relayed the story.

"I had a bad feeling about it… You were basically on the brink of death."

Artsvel, who had voiced her concerns early on, let out a deep sigh.

The events in Ifrit had been nothing short of a constant series of life-threatening dangers.

"An entire city was nearly wiped out."

Cowen kept a sharp eye on the monster wave, likely worried that a similar threat could reach Edlen.

"We're safe here. There’s no space suitable for them to use as a nest. And with Aysis—who was at the center of those experiments—taken down, things should stagnate for a while."

Aysis wasn’t the only scientist conducting monster enhancement experiments.

Even though the others weren’t on her level, there were still researchers working on it.

Bringing things back up to operational levels would take considerable effort.

Of course, it was only a matter of time before someone else with talent emerged.

"Pirnen… ended up like that, huh."

Henry’s expression darkened at the mention of their former comrade’s downfall.

Considering how different Pirnen had been before she became obsessed with wealth, the revelation must have been a harsh one.

"Since Leon is handling it, I believe the investigation will be thorough."

"There aren’t many people who can challenge the d’Artuis family. The Captain of the Royal Guard isn’t one to bend to political pressure, so there shouldn’t be any issues."

Henry, who had been harboring the same concerns, nodded in agreement.

"But you know…"

At that moment, Liventia spoke up.

She crossed her arms and continued,"Why is the Holy Kingdom so obsessed with the Kingdom of Raven? First my father, now Ifrit… They’re relentless. Is it just because Raven is a hardline state?"

Her question was only natural.

Especially as a direct victim, their fixation must have seemed even more unreasonable to her.

"That’s part of it, but the Holy Kingdom’s schemes extend from the continent to the seas. Their ultimate goal is world domination."

"…So what happened to us is happening in other countries too?"

"Some have already fallen. The larger nations are still holding out, but even they likely have infiltrators moving in the shadows."

"Seriously… This is the worst."

—For real, these guys are insane.

—Holy Kingdom (Not holy at all).

—No players have entered the Holy Kingdom, huh?

—Black Dragon might dig up the truth.

—We're counting on you.

—Black Dragon and the Guardian of Truth, activate!

The Holy Kingdom's tyranny doesn’t discriminate.

Whether it’s the hardliners who see Erport as an enemy or the moderates who prioritize dialogue with Erport, in the end, they’re all just prey.

‘First, I need to get into the investigation team.’

The audience was counting on Hanbit to uncover everything.

But barging into the Holy Kingdom now would accomplish nothing—he wouldn’t even make it past the entrance.

Expanding his influence would only be possible after officially joining the Kingdom of Raven’s investigative team.

"Shouldn't we start preparing for what’s to come?"

Henry, deep in thought for a moment, finally spoke.

It was a declaration that they wouldn’t just sit back and take the hit.

"That’s why I came back. First, we need to start fostering adventurers."

"Adventurers?"

"Yes. Rather than just strengthening the city’s defense forces, we need adventurers who can contribute to the city in various ways."

Hanbit picked up the parchment and pen on the table.

He began writing, recalling the talented individuals from his memory.

"…Are these really the right people?"

Cowen’s expression hardened as he read the list.

A mix of unfamiliar names, adventurers with questionable pasts, and those who seemed completely ordinary—it was a chaotic selection.

"They are. Your role is crucial, Cowen. No matter what happens, you have to stick with them and help them grow."

"……."

As Hanbit handed him the parchment, Cowen’s expression grew even more serious.

After scanning the list again, he let out a quiet sigh.

"If you say so, there must be a reason. For Edlen’s sake, I’ll do my best."

His trust in Black Dragon outweighed all his concerns.

That trust solidified his resolve.

"You won’t regret it. Now, moving on…"

Hanbit continued discussing strategies, offering a few pieces of advice along the way.

Their conversation lasted until the stream came to an end.

***

The Next Day at Noon

After finishing his preparations, Hanbit left the house.

The headquarters of Vestige, his destination, was about an hour away.

‘Is this appropriate?’

Seated on the subway, he adjusted his suit—a formal outfit he had worn at his previous company.

It felt a bit too stiff, but this was business. A negotiation.

It only made sense to dress respectfully.

‘And the mask… I should probably keep it on.’

Last night, just as his stream ended, he had received a message from Luna.

It was a simple piece of advice: Wear a hat and mask.

Having dealt with trouble before, Hanbit took her words seriously.

Clunk—

The subway rattled as it came to a stop at his destination.

‘Exit 3… should be this way.’

Right in front of the exit stood the towering Vestige headquarters.

Hanbit followed the stairs up.

And then—

"Wait, isn’t that him?"

A massive crowd was waiting for him.

"Is that really Black Dragon?"

"It’s him!"

"Black Dragon! Please, just one look over here!"

People pushed forward, shoving cameras and microphones toward him.

Even beyond the reporters, regular bystanders were recording him on their smartphones.

This was supposed to be a quiet, private meeting. How did it turn into this?

"Uh, excuse me, I—"

Caught off guard, Hanbit instinctively took a step back, trying to create some distance.

At that moment—

BEEEEEP-!

A piercing noise rang through the air.

"Argh!"

"What the hell?!"

"Who did that?!"

The shrill sound momentarily disoriented the crowd.

At the same time, someone grabbed Hanbit’s wrist.

"This way."

A woman, wearing a pulled-down black cap, swiftly led him through the chaos.

By the time they escaped the crowd, they had reached the back entrance of the headquarters.

"Things got more complicated than expected. Are you okay?"

Letting go of his arm, the woman removed her mask as she spoke.

Hanbit recognized her immediately.

"Luna?"

"Hey. Feels weird seeing me like this, huh?"

"No, actually… The atmosphere is the same, so it doesn’t feel that strange."

"Is that so?"

Even in person, Luna carried that same cold, composed aura she had in-game.

It wasn’t hard to see why she was so popular.

"Thanks. You really saved me back there."

"It’s my fault for not anticipating this. I guess the press swarmed the area after seeing us together on yesterday’s stream."

A swarm of reporters dedicated to covering RP-related content.

When they saw Luna moving with Black Dragon and Raphina on stream, that alone was enough for them to station people outside major company buildings.

"But what was that sound earlier?"

"Oh, just a really loud toy. Never thought I’d actually have to use it in a situation like this."

She was clearly used to dealing with the media.

Just imagining being stuck in an endless cycle of interviews was exhausting.

"Shall we head inside?"

"Yeah, let’s go."

The two entered the building.

Fortunately, security was tight, keeping unauthorized people from getting in.

"The meeting room is on the 7th floor."

Following the directions, they took the elevator up.

When they arrived, a spacious conference room came into view.

"Oh! You’re here!"

As the door opened, a petite woman greeted them with a bright expression.

Luna stepped forward and casually tapped her head.

"This is Raphina. Quite different from what you expected, huh?"

"…Ah."

A stark contrast from her mature in-game persona, the real Raphina had a much softer, timid aura.

"Hello, I’m Black Dragon."

"Nice to meet you. Sorry about the commotion earlier… We should have picked a different location."

She bowed slightly in apology.

Having already heard what happened at the entrance, she had been anxiously pacing by the elevator, waiting for them.

"It’s fine. Luna got me out safely."

"The ones who swarmed you are the problem. Is he inside?"

"He’s been here since this morning. Black Dragon, let me take you in."

Following their lead, Hanbit stepped into the conference room.

There, standing with his arms wide open, was a man in a Hawaiian shirt.

"Welcome, Black Dragon."

"…Hello."

The man had a striking appearance.

With his white beard, white hair, and sunglasses, it was hard to gauge his exact age.

Now that Hanbit thought about it, he was the only one wearing a suit.

"Well then, let’s all take a seat first."

Following the man’s lead, Hanbit settled into his designated chair.

Luna sat beside him, while across from them were the two representatives of Vestige.

"I’m Diorama, the CEO of Vestige. It’s an honor to meet you."

"I’m Black Dragon. The honor is mine as well."

As they exchanged brief introductions, Hanbit carefully observed Diorama’s expression.

However, the man’s smile made it difficult to read his true thoughts.

"Isn’t that uncomfortable for you?"

Diorama adjusted his face as he spoke.

"Oh—my apologies."

Hanbit realized he was still wearing his mask.

Being the only one hiding his face felt rude.

Shff—

He removed his hat and mask, setting them down on the chair beside him.

The moment Hanbit’s face was revealed, Raphina’s eyes widened.

"Huh?"

His appearance was nearly identical to his in-game character, Black Dragon.

No—if anything, it was an exact match.

"This is unexpected… I didn’t think you’d look exactly the same," Luna muttered, inspecting his face.

It was rare for someone to replicate their character’s looks so precisely.

Most people preferred to create the idealized, perfected version of themselves in the game.

But Black Dragon didn’t need to.

Even in reality, he was one of the most strikingly handsome people Luna had ever seen.

"You might want to watch out for your fan club," she warned with a smirk.

"Huh?"

Hanbit tilted his head in confusion at Luna’s teasing remark.

Diorama, who had been quietly observing, slowly nodded.

"You’re a very trustworthy-looking man. Truly Black Dragon in the flesh."

Unlike the others, he wasn’t even surprised.

Instead, he seemed pleased, as if he saw it as a positive thing.

Though, in truth, Hanbit hadn’t deliberately designed his character to match himself—it had just turned out that way.

"Now then, why don’t we get the difficult part out of the way first?"

Diorama smoothly transitioned into business.

Reaching into his bag, he retrieved a small box and placed it on the table.

"As compensation for the Bell Mora Episode strategy guide, we’re offering 1.5 billion won. And if you can provide us with a particular piece of crucial information… we’ll throw in something extra."

Click—

He slowly opened the box.

Inside was an envelope, resembling an invitation.

"What is this?" Hanbit asked.

"It’s an invitation to Astra, an exclusive community accessible only to a select few among the early pioneers."

Diorama’s calm explanation contained a term that instantly stood out.

Hanbit’s expression shifted.

"…Astra?"

[Translator - Jjescus ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]