Chapter 171

"Yes. There are no additional matters to discuss. Though, I've heard about your close relationship with the king…"

A dry and courteous voice filled the room. The speaker was Jeong Seyeon. She scratched her disheveled hair while speaking into her phone.

"Thank you for your concern, Master… I mean, General Manager. As you instructed, I will report the progress in real time after conveying your message. Yes, thank you."

She ended the call and carelessly set the phone aside. Yanking open the curtains, the midday sun flooded in through the window.

'…How long did I sleep?'

She tried to recall what time she left work yesterday but couldn't remember precisely. She vaguely remembered working on the task Ferguson had assigned until early in the morning.

'At least I managed it. Feels like my efforts paid off, right?'

Master Ferguson. To meet his stringent standards, even as a Hidden Class blacksmith, she had to work tirelessly, day and night. Even though she was acknowledged as a talented blacksmith by Ferguson, he had never directly said so. Yet, he always admired her work, albeit without verbal affirmation.

'…I feel a bit guilty, though.'

Only then did her thoughts return to reality. Jeong Seyeon glanced at her casually placed phone. The call just now was from General Manager Kim Jeonsu of the Strategic Planning Department. For months now, without even showing up for work, let alone sending reports on time, Director Kim had been contacting Jeong Seyeon with a voice as if he could pull out her liver every time.

'Surely the General Manager knows that it's unnecessary for me to go to work anymore.'

The items she had crafted and sold so far brought in more than enough to blow her former salary out of the water. Although General Manager Kim might not have known this, the fact that she continued to maintain a relationship with Seojin was enough for him to infer.

'…It's a mutually needed relationship now.'

General Manager Kim didn't always receive without giving back. The news he brought her this time was no exception. The developer of Midgard, just like he showed Seojin's test last time, had compiled a log of the entire siege battle for the Strategic Planning Department.

'Surely if I tell Seojin, he will figure something out.'

Furthermore, General Manager Kim was also diligently working on Seojin's request to uncover the developer's identity.

The situation had changed significantly compared to the past. The Strategic Planning Department's attitude towards Seojin had become much more respectful, and Seojin, in turn, could freely make various requests from them.

And Seyeon played the role of a mediator.

To perform this role adequately, she thought, 'Maybe I should go for a jog and then log in.' She had to live up to the expectations placed upon her.

* * *

"Master! Good to see you!"

"Late again. Start with cleaning."

"Yes, sorry!"

As soon as Jeong Seyeon, known as BunnyRabbit, logged in, at her master's stern words, she grabbed the cleaning tools and got to work.

This was part of her everyday routine. For a blacksmith, the smithy was irreplaceable, and Ferguson's principle was that it should always be clean.

She dusted off the overnight debris and arranged all of the tools in an easily accessible manner.

Just as she was about to resume her work, Ferguson called her.

"We have a visitor!"

"Yes, right away!"

A visitor already? Did she already have a regular customer?

Excited, BunnyRabbit rushed out and was greeted by a most welcome face.

"Seojin!"

"I've been hearing that you've improved a lot. Ferguson wouldn't stop praising you."

"Nonsense. I never said such things!"

Seojin chuckled.

"Maybe I misheard then. Do you have a moment? I got permission."

"O-of course. Master, I'll be back shortly."

"Go on."

"Yes!"

BunnyRabbit hastily took off her gloves and goggles and stepped out the back door of the forge.

"I wish you had told me earlier so we could meet somewhere else! There's nowhere for you to sit here…"

"No need to worry, I won't take up much of your time. I brought something to share and a gift for you. Your proficiency improved a lot, right?"

"A lot! Master may say that, but he really takes good care of me. Just yesterday, he even…"

Her heart fluttered with excitement.

"I made a unique-grade equipment!"

"Wow."

Seojin's surprised expression made BunnyRabbit feel like she could soar through the sky.

"With a little more improvement, I could make equipment suitable for you! I'm really trying my best!"

"Glad to hear it. Hope my gift will be helpful."

BunnyRabbit quickly waved her hands.

"I can't accept more! I've only been receiving from you. It's time I give you something… I should…" she trailed off. Her resolve to refuse wavered.

BunnyRabbit looked into Seojin's eyes with trembling pupils.

"Is this, uh, perhaps…?"

"Orichalcum, adamantine, mithril – a set of all three. First time I've seen mithril myself. Should make for some nice colored equipment."

"No, the color's not what's important here…"

Her gaze fell again. The colorful ores captivated her.

Each one was a divine mineral, out of reach for ordinary players.

'With these, I could make…'

She gulped hard. In her mind, she already had made a list of equipment to craft with these ores.

True to Ferguson's words about her overflowing talent, she had become a blacksmith through and through.

"Just take it."

Tap.

Seoiin pressed the bundle into BunnyRabbit's arms, leaving her unable to refuse.

Mumbling thanks, she could only look down, too shy to meet his eyes.

"T-thank you…"

"Not at all. Now, about the next plan…"

"Before that, I have something to say. No, you first… I mean!"

Seojin gestured for her to calm down and speak.

"Please go ahead first."

"The developer shared your siege logs again! At the Strategic Planning Department's office!"

"Again? Who saw it?"

"Just General Manager Kim Jeonsu for now. He prevented even Team Leader Baek from seeing it… Said he shared it directly through his computer!"

"Anything else?"

"No!"

"I'm going to the Empire."

"The Empire… What?" BunnyRabbit's face blanked out. She hadn't expected this at all.

"The Camilton Empire, right?"

She finally regained her composure. Normally, she wouldn't get excited so easily. She began to think clearly, the same intellect that got her into Hailstorm Co.

"Yes, The Camilton Empire. It's a quest from the king. Didn't I mention it before? The message that appears when logging in?"

"When logging in…"

"The one that says Act 1, The Throne and the Liar."

"Oh, yes."

"That one."

"So, it's the Kingdom of Valaran's… is that the final quest?"

"I'm not sure yet. If I complete it, maybe the next act will come with a patch. I would need to know the developer's mind to know the answer to that, right? He's a genius."

"So that was a quest…"

Ordinary games wouldn't call that a quest. It's just the first chapter of the story intended by the game designers, typically moving to the second chapter with the next major patch.

"In my opinion, other countries might have moved to the second story. We were just delayed because of Ironblood."

"Any guesses where?"

"Nope."

"I'll look into it through Strategic Planning Department. Using information brokers… but it means our information might leak. Is that okay?" BunnyRabbit cautiously asked.

If she asked the information broker about this, it would mean someone in Valaran had started the quest, obviously pointing to Seojin.

"No problem. I'd appreciate it if you could also find related information about the Empire. If my journey is going to be revealed anyway."

"Any specific information you're looking for?"

"Everything. Anything and everything related."

"I'll pass it on to them. I'll also… First, should I prioritize this over my blacksmithing work?"

"If we can't function without BunnyRabbit, we're in trouble. Focus on your work. Just pass the message."

BunnyRabbit realized anew.

Seojin regarded her not just as a business associate, but as a colleague, prioritizing her convenience.

"I'll convey your request. I won't rest until it's resolved."

* * *

Kartna, the guild master of the thieves guild in Valaran, spoke to his most significant client yet.

"I'll accept."

"Wise decision."

"Truth be told, I've was leaning towards accepting from the start, but the sheer scale of the task made my hands tremble. I was pondering whether or not it was something I could handle with my own capabilities."

"You mean you were worried that I might stab you in the back?"

"…Yes. But after much thought, I realized you're not that kind of person."

"I know sweet-talking your way out is second nature to you, but it's unproductive. I'd appreciate it if you could restrain that habit while working with me."

"I'll try my best."

Kartna shook his head, acknowledging Seojin's point. Deceiving others was his job, but the adventurer sitting across him was not to be fooled.

"Let me start with what I've gathered."

"Go ahead."

"There's only one official way for adventurers to enter the Camilton Empire: passing through the gates located in each region."

The Camilton Empire was bordered by twelve gates connected to neighboring countries or wastelands. These gates were naturally manned by the Empire's elite forces, and anyone passing through had to comply with the required procedures.

"For adventurers, identity verification is first. Once qualified, they receive an ID badge. Only with that, they can enter as tourists."

"How about as a king's envoy?"

"As an envoy, you'd certainly enjoy certain privileges, but in principle, you're still a tourist. No country is as wary of adventurers as the Empire is. And… you're obviously not planning to enter that way, right?"

The answer to that was obvious. Seoiin nodded in agreement

Kartna continued, seemingly having expecting that answer.

"The official way is as I described, but fortunately, there are methods for friends like us who aren't exactly law-abiding. In fact, there are three."

Kartna pulled out three cards, each with a note written on it, and smiled.

"Just choose whichever method you prefer."