Chapter 149

'My goodness.'

This time, Seojin couldn't hide his emotions. He had suspected this was no ordinary quest. He had cleared several world quests, revived dying villages, and sought out hidden quests for rewards. But this one was different.

'This is the type of message that appears when logging in.'

The message "Act 1" was entirely out of the ordinary. In a typical game, an act often signifies a version of the game, accompanying major patches and story progressions, moving on to the next "act."

'The player will be involved in the progression too?'

Upon reflection, it seemed only natural. Considering how the forest of Salevania returned due to Seojin's intervention. But then again…

"What is it?"

"Something happened to me that surprised me as an adventurer. Your request, Your Highness, is on a much grander scale than I had anticipated."

"Even in this situation, you remain truthful."

"There's no reason for me to hide anything from you, Your Majesty. May I have a moment?"

"Take your time."

Heinrich coolly granted him time. Seojin opened the quest window. But there was only a single, simple message.

Act 1. The Throne and the Liar

He tapped it with his finger. No additional quest details or messages appeared.

'This is all there is?'

Having confirmed it, he had no more doubts.

"I'm ready."

"That was quick, considering how shocked you were."

"I've just realized the magnitude of the task. Unfortunately, there's no clue to delve into. Before I proceed, I have a question."

"No hesitation, that's good."

"Do you have a way to discern if what I say is true or false?"

"Yes."

Heinrich pointed at Seojin with his finger.

"Your aura doesn't waver, does it?"

Just as anticipated, this prince not only possessed the ability to use his League against others but also had the ability to perceive those of players.

"I'm not an adventurer."

"It is now fluctuating a lot."

"Thank you. That confirms it then. Is it unusual to be able to see this aura?"

"It is. Only a handful in the royal family can, and not many among the nobility either."

"Is there a way for me to recognize it?"

"I can't give you an answer to that. But I can offer other help. I'll summarize what I know."

"Thank you."

Now done checking, Seojin went back to the topic at hand.

"You mentioned catching the perpetrator."

"Yes."

Seojin decided to start his work.

"Are they still alive?"

* * *

The damp and musty air greeted Seojin, as he was led by the prince to their destination, an underground dungeon. This was no ordinary prison; it was a space completely isolated, accessible only to those trusted by the prince. There were only eight cells, most of which were completely empty, with just one occupied.

"That's the one," the prince indicated.

"Hm."

Seojin grimaced slightly at the strange moan. "You had a specialist, I see."

"Fortunately, yes."

What Seojin saw was a veritable mosaic of obscuration. Only the prisoner's face was visible; the rest of him covered in a dense, reddish mosaic.

"Am I able to talk with him?"

"If we awaken his mind, yes. Do you plan to interrogate him directly? If needed, I can provide tools."

"I'll just talk with him."

There was no way Seojin could conduct physical torture, nor did the mosaic allow for a clear view of the prisoner.

"Your Highness!"

"I'm sure you've heard. Prepare immediately."

"Yes!"

A mage, hastily arriving, unlocked the magical cell door. Blue light flowed from the mage's fingertips, enveloping the prisoner's head, then spreading throughout his body.

"…Whoa!"

The prisoner opened his eyes, his face resembling a corpse, due to the wounds and dried blood. His bloodshot eyes moved from the mage to the prince, and then finally rested on Seojin.

"A new face? Brought in a new torturer?"

The mage looked towards the prince. Glancing over at the prince as if seeking permission. Seojin stepped forward.

"I'll handle this. May I have the room?"

"As you wish."

Heinrich had complete trust in Seojin.

'He doesn't really trust me, but he may have some measures in place.'

Regardless, what was important was that he now found himself alone with this verbally aggressive prisoner.

"So you're planning on beating me with just your hands? Heh, I'm looking forward to it. The last guy was flashy but lacked skill."

Now alone with the aggressive prisoner, Seojin asked him, "What's your name?"

"Typical. Such a low-level tactic."

"I was just asking. If you don't want to answer, that's fine."

"Oho, what are you trying to do?"

Seojin settled comfortably on the floor, leaning back casually as he gazed at the prisoner with an expression devoid of any thought.

"I'm just sitting and resting."

"This is a refreshing change."

"I have a principle of not conversing with someone until I know their name."

"As if I'd fall for that. Is that the best excuse you could come up with?"

The prisoner chuckled mockingly. Seojin didn't respond. He began another task, as if the other man wasn't there.

'I should do this since I have the chance.'

Basic Skill: Sixth Sense

*You can see the flow of Qualification.

*You can hide the flow of Qualification.

*You can enhance your abilities using Qualification.

*Current proficiency: 0%

*When hiding your Qualification, the effectiveness of all skills is reduced by 90%.

[Available: Intimidation | Deception]

The basic skill he had obtained upon acquiring the League of Deception allowed him to see Rachel's League and also resist Heinrich Valaran's pressure.

'The problem is my proficiency.'

Using it wasn't an issue. Seojin could guess how to use it effectively, as he had done in Heinrich's case. However, the penalty when hidden was undoubtedly severe. What if his opponent was another player? What if, like this time, even NPCs could read Seojin's Qualification?

'I have to hide it at all costs.'

"You really plan to keep this up? Wouldn't it be more efficient to bring out a red-hot iron instead?" The prisoner's response was still sharp. There was plenty of time.

"Whoosh."

A purple aura, the League of Deception, blossomed around Seojin.

* * *

Flappy crossed her arms and stared straight ahead.

"Is this really okay?"

"…It should be fine. He's just an adventurer, after all. Though they sometimes do unexpected things…"

"That's the problem. Rachel was the guide. If the prince went to such lengths…"

Several humans dressed in fancy attire were having a serious conversation.

'Bad guys, eh?'

Although Flappy was generally indifferent to human affairs, she wasn't ignorant about them. In fact she was more knowledgeable about them than the average human.

'Oh, a rebellion? Are they reckless, or is the king just too easy of a target?'

Flappy wasn't sure about the history of Valaran. But one thing was certain: these humans were planning to overthrow the royal family. The adventurer they spoke of must be Seojin.

'I'll have to remember their names and what they said, to tell him… He promised me a gift after all this was over.'

Usually, Flappy wouldn't be so enthusiastic. But now? Well, Seojin had promised her a gift.

'And I am a spirit who always returns a favor.'

That was the standard of trust and the secret to maintaining a positive, long-term relationship. Flappy scoured the entire palace. Fortunately, apart from the king's chamber, there was nowhere she couldn't go.

'Why are there so many traitors? At this rate the state could collapse at any moment.'

To Flappy, Valaran seemed excessively corrupt.

'Are there no decent nobles? Poor king.'

The king granted land and titles to the nobles, but now, they were eyeing the throne. What was more, from what Flappy had heard, the rewards promised to these people weren't even that big.

'Human greed really knows no end. But even so… I don't understand.'

Fully understanding and accepting humans was beyond Flappy's capabilities. After all, they were different species.

And then, after some time, "Don't worry about anything leaking. I've sent someone trustworthy."

"A trustworthy human? Did you keep something valuable as leverage?"

"Of course. I've raised them since childhood. The guild master has nothing to worry about. I assure you."

Finally, Flappy had found the adventurer. Opposite him was a duke. Despite being an aristocrat, second after the royals in terms of nobility, his stumbling appearance felt awkward.

"Then I suppose I'll have to take your word for it then, Duke. Shall we proceed as if he's dead?"

"No, that's not…"

"You told me to trust you."

As the young adventurer pressured him, the duke faltered.

"You sent a trustworthy person, yet you're not sure if they could succeed. So, trustworthy just means tight-lipped?"

"Of course not! You won't find such an assassin anywhere in Valaran of the same caliber."

"Shall we bet? To see if we're more remarkable than your trustworthy person."

"Of course, I meant apart from you adventurers, when I said that. My apologies for the misunderstanding."

A duke of a nation, rendered speechless. Flappy was intrigued, so she watched for a bit longer.

"How much longer should we wait?"

"We should proceed as soon as we possibly can…"

"So, when?"

"…Just give me ten days."

"Alright. I'll come back in ten days then. Then we'll proceed without delay. Got it?"

"Yes, of course."

The duke smiled brightly. The adventurer disappeared in a flash of light, and so did the duke's smile.

'…This guy seems pretty important.'

At least, the most important among the nobles Flappy had seen. This noble was the only one to interact with an adventurer.

So, what next?

-I've got some'n. Want to hear it?

Reporting to Seojin was the next step. Maybe he would add in a little something extra for a job well done.

* * *

-That's how it is, huh?

-Yes. It's the royal palace, but how can the king have so few allies? There's definitely a problem.

Seojin was exchanging messages with Flappy in the dungeon, with the prisoner still grumbling before him.

-Did you get the adventurer's name?

-No, it didn't come up.

-How about the duke's name?

-Klein Merrychild.

Seojin frowned. Merrychild… He was sure that he had seen that name in Robert's secret warehouse list.

-…Good job. Just hang in there a little longer.

-When are you getting out of there?

-Soon. I've already prepared your gift, so look forward to it. What about the prince?

-I can't get in through the main gate. Should I look for another way?

-If possible. I'm asking too much from you, aren't I?

-Oh, not at all! Don't worry, just trust me! The palace is so big, there must be a way in.

The promise of a gift proved to be effective. Feeling reinvigorated, Flappy began to move once more. Seojin withdrew his Qualification and sharply turned his gaze toward the grumbling prisoner.

"Nameless mister."

"Oh, did your high-and-mighty principles finally change? I'm thrilled. I was getting bored…"

"Merrychild, you know him."

"…I have no idea what you're talking about."

"I may not know your name yet, but it's your master's name that's more important, right? Shall we start?"

Finally, Seojin began his questioning.