Ch 67 - The Famous Visitors

Necroton's streets had grown noticeably busier over the past few days, and plenty of people had already realized that. Even so, today felt completely different. One part of the city was far livelier than usual, with an unusual wave of excitement sweeping through the area.

Most of the commotion came from the players, who had gathered in massive numbers. They crowded the streets and packed both sides of the sidewalks, stretching their necks to catch a glimpse of whatever had drawn everyone's attention.

Several knights assigned to patrol the area immediately stepped forward, trying to restore order before the crowd grew even more chaotic.

"Everyone, move back immediately!" one knight shouted. "Stop blocking the main road! Return to the sidewalks and leave the street clear!"

"Keep moving! Don't gather in the middle of the road!"

"Anyone who refuses to cooperate will be removed by force!"

"You there! Back up! Make room for pedestrians!"

The players, however, had no intention of listening.

"Oh, shut up!" one player shouted back. "Don't ruin everyone's fun, you stupid knight! I don't care about your city's rules!"

"Yeah! We're not hurting anyone! We're just watching!"

"Who cares if we're blocking the road for a few minutes?"

"Lighten up already! It's not every day people like them show up!"

"We've been waiting here since morning! No way we're moving now!"

The knights' expressions darkened. More patrol units quickly arrived, forming a line as they began pushing the players back toward the sidewalks.

"Move back now! Clear the road immediately!"

"Keep your distance! Maintain order, or you'll be escorted out!"

Despite all the shouting, everyone's attention remained fixed on the two players standing on the sidewalk, surrounded by the massive crowd that had gathered around them.

The first was a tall young man dressed in a refined white outfit, with a brilliant crimson cape draped over his left shoulder. His blond hair was neatly styled, gathered into a ponytail that gave him a clean yet striking appearance.

Standing beside him was an equally eye-catching young woman who looked to be in her late teens. She had a stunning figure, while her long, straight blonde hair flowed elegantly down her back. She wore a crimson mage robe over a fitted white mage outfit, giving her an appearance that was both noble and mysterious.

"Damn... what are Siki and Naevys doing in Necroton all of a sudden?"

"Naevys is even more beautiful in person! She's seriously gorgeous! I've been a huge fan ever since she became one of the most talented actresses in the entertainment industry. She looks even prettier inside the game!"

"Siki is so cool! Seriously... Siki, please marry me!"

"They're two of the thirteen members of the Vesperion Guild!"

"No wonder there's such a huge crowd. Those two are practically celebrities both inside and outside the game."

"They're among the strongest players in the entire game. It's rare to see either of them appear in public."

Siki let out a quiet sigh, his sharp gaze sweeping across the crowd surrounding them.

"Hello, everyone." Siki clapped his hands once to get the crowd's attention. "I know all of you want to take pictures with Miss Naevys. Trust me, I understand. But we're currently on a very important mission, and I'm sure you all know what would happen if we ended up delaying it."

The moment those words left his mouth, the players' expressions changed. They immediately understood what Siki was implying.

If their mission was delayed, the one who would be furious was none other than their Guild Master, a woman infamous for her strict personality, explosive temper, and the fear she inspired throughout the player community.

"Now then..." Siki smiled politely. "Could you please make a path for us?"

The crowd instantly scattered.

Not a single player dared to argue. They hurriedly stepped aside, creating a clear path through the sidewalk as if merely hearing the Guild Master's name was enough to send a chill down their spines.

Stolen novel; please report.

Only after there was finally enough space did Siki and Naevys continue walking through the city.

The players watched them leave from a distance before gradually dispersing themselves, leaving behind only a handful of curious onlookers.

Finally, Siki let out a long, exhausted sigh.

"It's seriously a pain every time I have to go on a mission with you. Honestly... shouldn't you have your own bodyguards? Even inside a game, people still chase after you everywhere."

Naevys answered without the slightest change in her expression.

"What can I do? Everyone in the guild already has a designated mission partner. Besides... What's with this red theme? I don't even like red. Why couldn't they make it pink instead?"

"Oh, come on. Red symbolizes power, passion, and prestige. Besides, you look even more stunning in red, you know? That's a privilege." Siki laughed. "Most people would be jealous."

Naevys simply let out a quiet sigh.

"It also makes it far too easy to attract attention. I already told you, we should've just forced those people to leave from the beginning."

Siki gave her a helpless look.

"You're not actually planning to attack other players inside the city, are you? You know this place is getting a lot of attention lately."

"Does it have something to do with the prince?"

"Yeah."

Siki nodded as he continued walking, his tall figure standing out among the pedestrians.

"This Prince Caelan... it's like something suddenly snapped inside his head. He used to be an incompetent prince. Arrogant, selfish, and hated by almost everyone."

He paused before spreading both hands dramatically.

"And then... boom! All of a sudden, he actually started using his brain. Well, not as much as I do, obviously," he added with a grin, "but it's still pretty impressive."

Naevys remained completely uninterested.

"What exactly are you complaining about? They're just NPCs. The developers can change them however they want. Give an idiot better AI, tweak a few behavioral patterns, and even the dumbest character can suddenly become competent. Isn't that just how games work?"

Siki shook his head and let out another sigh.

"You don't seriously believe that, do you, Naevys?" he said. "We're at the top of this game, and you still think everything here is nothing more than code written by the developers."

"Not your ridiculous theory again," Naevys replied without the slightest interest. "It's ridiculous. I seriously don't understand why you keep bringing it up over and over. It's just a game."

"Okay, okay." Siki chuckled, raising both hands in surrender before flashing a grin. "But listen. There's something interesting about Prince Caelan."

"Whatever it is, you said this would be over quickly, didn't you?" Naevys answered flatly. "This was supposed to be Windious and Clover's mission, yet it somehow ended up becoming ours. If this drags on for too long, we'll fall behind in levels. I'm already tired of cleaning up other people's messes."

"You don't have to worry." Siki smiled confidently. "As long as you're with me, we'll always find opportunities to earn massive amounts of XP. There's no way we'll lose to someone as obsessed with grinding as Windious."

Naevys gave a small nod before looking straight ahead once more.

"Alright. So, what's this amazing theory of yours about the prince... and the clown?"

"See?" Siki said with a grin. "I've been gathering information, and I found someone among Prince Caelan's newly recruited maids who closely resembles the woman we've been searching for. Even her name is the same. I'm convinced they're the same person."

"The Saintess?"

"Exactly."

He nodded.

"And for some reason, I can't shake the feeling that there's a powerful force supporting Caelan from the shadows. I still can't pinpoint exactly who it is, but I'm convinced someone is playing a major role in the prince's sudden transformation."

"So..." Naevys said. "You're suggesting that Prince Caelan is the one who took the Saintess away and is now hiding her somewhere within his territory."

"That's exactly what I came here to find out."

"But Clover said it was a clown who took the Saintess away. What does that clown have to do with the prince?"

Siki let out a quiet chuckle.

"That's the interesting part. I have a feeling there's something much bigger happening behind all of this."

He looked at Naevys with a confident smile.

"If my guess is correct, then the person we're about to meet holds a very important role in everything that's happening behind the scenes."

Siki turned toward Naevys, a faint smile forming on his face.

"And if I'm right, this mission could become much bigger than simply finding the Saintess. We might end up uncovering something far more significant than what we originally came here for."

"Alright," Naevys said. "I think we've found the person we came here for."

Siki slowly turned around.

Standing directly in their path was a clown.

There was no mistaking that he was a player. He casually tossed three colorful juggling balls into the air, catching and throwing effortlessly while wearing a bright, exaggerated smile.

"Ladies, gentlemen, honored adventurers!" the clown said. "Feast your eyes upon the greatest juggling performance this side of the kingdom! These marvelous little spheres have survived countless drops... unlike my dignity."

"So tell me, are either of you looking for a clown who can solve your problems... or create brand-new ones? I'm exceptionally talented at both!"

He burst into laughter before giving them an exaggerated bow.

"And for today only, every smile comes absolutely free! The trouble I cause afterward, however... that comes with premium pricing."

Siki smiled faintly.

"I have a feeling I'm going to like this guy," he said with a quiet laugh.

Before he could say anything else, Naevys calmly walked forward until she was standing directly in front of the clown.

The sudden movement startled him just enough for both juggling balls to slip from his hands. They bounced across the ground as the clown stared at Naevys with exaggerated disbelief.

"...Whoa. You scared me so badly my balls dropped."

He let out an awkward cough before quickly pointing at the juggling balls rolling across the pavement.

"The juggling balls! I meant the juggling balls! Please don't misunderstand, that's terrible for business."

"Clown," Naevys said. "We need the Saintess. I know she's with you. Hand her over now, and I won't have to spend another fortune cleaning up this mess."

"Oh, easy there, easy there." The clown raised both hands. "No need to rush. We just met, and you're already asking me to hand over a beautiful lady? At least buy me dinner first."

He added. "Now then... why don't we all calm down and have a nice, civilized conversation?"