Chapter 183

"Aikora… You're the first to meet Aikora so easily. She's a saint who never shows her face outside. It's quite something."

"I was lucky."

"Luck again, huh?"

"Without your gift, it might have been difficult."

"So you mean you could have done it even without that gift?"

Raul looked down at Seojin's hand incredulously.

The Ring of Purification he had handed over was still there, but it was no longer possible to look down on this adventurer as a novice.

"You must have other things."

"I do."

"You saved it for the last moment, didn't you?"

"Yes. You never know how things will turn out."

"If you had used that first, you might have succeeded even without my gift… Is that what you're implying?"

"Yes."

Raul clutched his forehead. He thought he had broken free from what he considered common sense, but the adventurer staring blankly at him was beyond that.

"I think I understand why everything seemed to break my sense of common sense back then."

"How did you feel then?"

"I didn't understand. Why couldn't they do something so simple."

"And now?"

"What's so easy? How did you manage to do it?"

A light laugh escaped Raul. The fact that this adventurer was not an enemy was a relief. It was Raul who had expected help and had come looking for it.

"I'm an adventurer. We start with something different."

"Where are you from?"

"It's complicated to explain…"

"You mean I wouldn't understand?"

"Probably."

Raul seemed to have accepted the current situation to some extent.

The adventurer Seojin was not someone who could be judged by his standards. Naturally, his motives were not either. It was even worrying now.

"What did you say you wanted?"

"What the king of Valaran wants."

"Can I trust that?"

"After coming this far?"

"Do you mean you don't need help?"

"To be honest."

Seojin hesitated for a moment, then opened up without a filter.

"It's all thanks to you Raul. I started with a totally blank sheet of paper. I even had to negotiate back and forth with thieves just to enter the country."

"And now."

"I've learned quite a lot."

The side quests that Raul had consistently given. Except for their high difficulty, they were essentially guiding Seojin on how to approach others.

He had made at least some contact with key figures in the Camilton Empire.

But that was something Seojin could have resolved on his own, given time.

"I have a usable identity now, I understand how the Empire works, and I had some other things set up through another friend."

Even some core figures, like Duke Ferret, the Sword of the Empire, and the Staff of Faith Harry, were more deeply connected thanks to past quests. In the case of the Staff of Faith, it was just a matter of time before he met the person involved.

"And crucially."

"There's more?"

"I became close with you, Raul. The Empire's top vegetable wholesaler. Even if you back out now, you won't ignore me completely."

"Throwing in a compliment at the end to lift the mood. A basic technique. But effective."

"If it were mere flattery, I wouldn't have chosen you."

"You mean from the 'list' you mentioned. Wasn't it because I was the most accessible?"

"I believe something fitting is hidden in difficult places. You remember what I said when we first met?"

"An adventurer has a mentor."

"I needed someone who had already gone ahead. Even without that list, I would have managed somehow. It would have just taken more time."

Seojin spoke calmly, and to Raul, it didn't sound like overconfidence.

The information he had provided could have been learned by just sitting here for a few months.

"What I told you was just the direction. What you gained from there was entirely from your ability."

"That's right."

The conditions Raul put forward were very picky. Even Raul himself thought so. What he had asked so far was practically pushing Seojin's back just to prove his qualifications.

But considering what had to be done now, Raul had no choice.

"You said you have no intention of swallowing the Empire, right?"

"Not at all. I'm not interested in having the world in the palm of my hand."

"Why?"

"It's fun to be involved and be amazed by new things."

"So, you just want to enjoy what others have laid out."

"It's burdensome and troublesome. It might sound unpleasant to you, but in the end, I came to this world to enjoy it."

"That's your way then?"

"That's how it is."

"Fine, I keep my promises. There's still one left, right?"

"I was nervous you'd send me to the palace."

"Before that."

Instead of denying it, Raul rummaged through a chest in the corner and returned with something in his hand.

"First, a congratulatory gift. Since you really succeeded, I should give you something worthy of it."

* * *

Raul's promise to give him something better upon successful completion of the quest, starting with the Ring of Purification, was not an empty boast.

Red Lion Mask

*An item distributed to members of the "XXXX XX XXX XXXX" in the Camilton Empire.

*Wearing it removes the "XXXX XX XXX XXXX" alertness.

*When worn, it grants authority comparable to "XXXX XX XXX XXXX"

*Can activate League of Valor.

*League of Valor can be used in conjunction with other abilities.

*Silver Tongue Exclusive.

*Information is incomplete. Collect enough clues to unlock the information.

A piece of exclusive equipment.

The mask, blood-red in color, was shaped like the face of a fierce lion.

Raul sighed heavily, observing Seojin's reaction.

"You even recognized that. Adventurers are really unpredictable."

"Recognized what?"

"Anyone else in the market would think it's just a weird mask."

"Ah, well… that's because they wouldn't know what this is."

"That's what I'm saying."

Players could discern hidden options through the equipment status screen.

But for the NPCs, unless they were related in some way, it was impossible to even guess its true nature.

"Who used this before?"

"I did."

Seojin was certain at this point.

If an NPC used equipment exclusive for Silver Tongues, then they must be one themselves.

"…Besides you, Raul. If someone got it through the proper channels."

"There are crazies who wander around causing chaos with it. I don't know their names or affiliations. Just wearing it when they pop up keeps me out of trouble."

"Did you feel a bit braver when you wear it?"

"Extremely. It took a lot of self-control. It's like being drunk? You feel stronger."

This was genuinely unknown to Seojin.

Even if he knew, he wouldn't share it.

Then Raul asked again.

"So, did you set a specific appointment with Aikora? Like when she'll reach out?"

"Not really an appointment. I just asked her to contact me."

"How do you know them?"

"Them?"

"Those gods. The forgotten gods."

"That's… a little complicated to explain right now."

This was a game, and Seojin ranked first in the prequel game, thanks to having invested his whole life back then. The developer just happened to give the rankers of that game some peculiar treatment.

It was too much for even Raul to grasp.

Raul seemed to accept this as an adventurer's business and tossed aside the vegetable bundle he'd been fiddling with.

"I'm not in the mood for this."

"There's still one more test, though?"

"Whatever I ask, you'll manage to do it. There's nothing left to touch, except the palace."

The main quest's start condition was completing ten sub-quests. But Seojin had only completed nine. Yet, Raul spoke as if there was nothing left to assign to him.

"This is the last test."

Where could it be? Seojin wondered if a new name not on the list might come up. Then Raul threw out an unexpected name.

"Contact the Brave Lions. The method is up to you, and what you gain from them too. It must be something satisfying."

"The Brave Lions… those guys, right?"

Raul nodded affirmatively.

The Brave Lions. That was a guild's name.

"They're adventurers shackled by the grand emperor."

Every member was an adventurer.

* * *

Sub-quest: Freedom for the Free Spirits

*The Camilton Empire didn't make the same mistake as other nations. Convinced that adventurers posed the most critical threat to imperial authority, Grand Emperor Kalus implemented meticulous plans to restrain their movements.

*Gift freedom to the adventurers who have forgotten what it is to be free. Any means are acceptable. You might find a way in the dark, damp labyrinth.

Raul's tenth quest was to make contact with adventurers. There were no specific objectives or rewards mentioned.

'Just achieve something meaningful by any means… is what he's saying. Is this a new quest added because of the adventurers?'

Seojin had a deja vu from his experience in the Kingdom of Valaran.

Due to the intervention of adventurers, namely, the Ironblood Knights, a quest that wasn't originally planned fell into Seojin's lap.

Meaning, if the adventurers hadn't been restrained by Grand Emperor Kalus, this quest wouldn't have even existed.

'Problems caused by players must be solved by players, creating new quests in the process. I felt it before, but the developer really has a firm philosophy.'

Developers never directly intervene in in-game issues. They were practically gods in the world they created after all.

If the developer wanted to, he could delete the grand emperor's data or remove the restraints on the adventurers, all within a few days.

'But he chose not to… interesting.'

It might be an attachment to the world they created, or something akin to a genius's perfectionism.

And most importantly,

'The developer considers this quest significant.'

Adding a quest itself implies a desire for its resolution.

A quest imbued with the hope that someone else will solve a problem they can't handle themselves.

Then what about the reward? Naturally, it would be prepared with genuine gratitude, and it's clear that it would aid in the conquest of the Empire.

'Dark, damp labyrinth, huh?'

Entering: Camilton — Dungeon of Lamentation.

Confident, Seojin stepped into the location for his next quest.