The Price of Fame

I was bewildered.

Why had the anomaly suddenly dropped to its knees before me?

And what was this crown it was offering?

Was it safe to accept? Could it be a trap?

Snatch.

But despite my hesitation, my hand had already snatched the crown. It was pure instinct.

Sliiiide—

"Hm?"

The crown in my hand melted in an instant, absorbing directly into my palm. A deep sense of refreshment and clarity washed over me.

Normally, having a suspicious object absorb into my body would leave a foul aftertaste, but strangely, I felt no such discomfort. On the contrary, the heavy congestion in my chest cleared up, replaced by a profound peace. It felt as if I had reclaimed something I had lost long ago.

It was a bizarre way to put it, but I couldn't think of any other way to describe it.

Crumble...

As I stared down at my palm, a dry, crumbling sound caught my attention. I raised my head and looked forward.

The body of the kneeling anomaly was turning to dust, scattering into the air. I watched it in silence.

My mind was a whirlwind of confusion. The turn of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠events had been far too abrupt. The creature I thought I'd finished off was actually alive, had suddenly unleashed some sort of Erosion, and then... this. By the time I regained my bearings, it was kneeling before me, and now it was crumbling into ash.

‘What on earth is going on?’

Questions piled up like a mountain.

Why did it offer me the crown it was wearing and suddenly stop fighting?

What was the true nature of the crown that had entered my body, and could I pull it back out?

But, naturally, there was no way to find out. For someone who had been fighting for his life against this monster just moments ago, "having a friendly chat" was never an option.

Just then, the anomaly's mouth began to move slowly.

It bowed its head, pressing its forehead against the ground. Placing its hands neatly together in front of its head, it prostrated itself deeply.

I couldn't hear the rest.

Sliiiide—

Even the edges of its mouth were already crumbling into ash.

Crumble...

Before it vanished completely, I looked into its eyes.

"..."

I locked eyes with a gaze that was filled with profound intelligence.

"It's gone."

I stared at the spot where the creature had been prostrating itself. The anomaly had turned to ash and vanished. Nothing remained in its wake.

I stood there, lost in thought. But with the clues currently at hand, there was no way to make sense of this situation.

Vrrr—

The Lantern floated over to me. It looked perfectly fine, as if it had already finished recovering.

Rub, rub.

The Lantern clung tightly to my side and began rubbing its body against me. Having a cold, hard object snuggle up to me of its own accord was truly a bizarre sensation.

"Right, you were there too."

The Lantern had been far more useful in battle than I'd expected.

Stroke, stroke.

I patted its metallic frame. It liked this sort of thing, so I did it as a gesture of appreciation.

Vrrrrrr—!

At my touch, it shuddered violently and tried to burrow even deeper into my coat.

"Not there."

I pushed the Lantern away as it tried to slip into my more... sensitive areas.

Vrrrrr—

Ignoring my resistance, it kept rubbing against me.

—Master wants it too, right? I'll make you feel good.

As if whispering those very words, the Lantern began to rub itself against me even more aggressively.

"Are you insane?"

Naturally, I slammed it onto the ground.

Splat.

The Lantern lay sprawled on the floor. Yet, it refused to give up.

Vrrr—

I stared down at it with a look of sheer disgust.

In the end, I had no choice but to step on it, pinning it to the ground so it couldn't crawl back up.

Flutter, flutter.

Just then, a tattered book fluttered over to me as I was wrestling with the Lantern.

"Hm? You're still alive."

Wroooong—

It was the Grimoire, which had been torn apart at the very end when its barrier was shattered.

Between the barrier it deployed to resist the Erosion and everything else, I owed it a great deal.

"Thanks to you too."

Stroke, stroke.

I gently patted its cover. Since it had been a massive help just like the Lantern, I caressed it with a hand full of genuine gratitude.

Vrrrr—!

A small vibration pulsed beneath my sole. I looked down. The Lantern pinned under my foot was trembling.

Vrrrrrr—!

It was furious. It seemed highly displeased that I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was praising someone else instead of it.

"Yes, yes, thank you too."

I ignored the Lantern and continued to praise the Grimoire.

Wroooong—

Its pages vibrated softly. As if delighted by my compliments, it gently fluttered a loose page that was sticking out.

Fortunately, it didn't try to force itself on me.

Unlike the Lantern, it seemed to know its boundaries, which brought a natural smile to my face.

"Good boy, good boy."

Watching it quietly enjoy my touch made me think of a gentle cat.

I'd never owned a pet in my life so I hadn't known, but it turned out I was a cat person.

Of course, that didn't mean I disliked dogs...

Vrrrrrrr—!

"Stay still."

The more I looked at this thing, the more any lingering desire I might have had for a dog evaporated.

I put more weight on my foot to keep the Lantern, which was vibrating like a rabid dog, from escaping.

Crunch—

—H-ahhh...

Huh? Its struggling suddenly ceased. I thought I heard a strange, breathless sigh, but it must have been my imagination.

In any case, with the torn Grimoire in my hand and the Lantern firmly under my foot, I finally felt like things were settled.

So, how do we get out of here?

I scanned our surroundings, but there were no major changes. We were still standing right in the middle of the massive castle. Would we be able to escape if we just retraced our steps?

"Ju Harin. What should we do now—"

Just as I turned around to ask her, a sharp shatter echoed.

Cracks suddenly began to spiderweb across the empty air. Before I could even react, the space itself began to collapse, starting from where Ju Harin and the necromancer were standing.

"I guess we can leave through there."

A rift had formed where Ju Harin and the necromancer had vanished. That was likely our exit.

"Stay still."

I picked up the now-subdued Lantern. Tap, tap. I dusted it off and walked toward the rift.

"Let's get out of here."

Finally, an escape. I never expected a job I thought would be easy to turn out this grueling. Still, I had captured the necromancer alive and eliminated far more enemies than the request had specified. Surely I could expect a hefty bonus this time too?

Imagining the massive figure that would soon be stamped into my bank account, I stepped into the rift.

Boing—

And I was bounced right back out.

"What the...?"

I tried stepping in again, only to be bounced back once more.

"Don't tell me..."

Just in case, I tore a small piece of cloth from my sleeve and tossed it into the rift.

Whoosh—

The scrap of fabric passed through without a hitch.

Next, I tossed the Lantern.

Boing—

The Lantern failed to pass through and bounced away.

"Am I really unable to take things from this place with me?"

Desperate to prove myself wrong, I kept testing it. But after several trials, the truth became undeniable. It seemed I couldn't take the Lantern and the Grimoire outside.

"I guess there's no choice."

It was a massive shame. The sheer power of the Lantern and the Grimoire was on a completely different level compared to mere talismans.

‘Well, maybe not that much of a difference.’

I recalled the Fire Goblin that had emerged from the talisman. Its destructive power had actually surpassed the Grimoire's pillar of light.

Still, a loss was a loss. I'd grown somewhat attached to them, even if it had only been for a short while. Was there really no way to bring them along?

As I stood there pondering,

Craaaack—

The sky was collapsing. This was dangerous. My instincts screamed at me to run.

I threw the Grimoire and the Lantern to the ground. Regret could wait; surviving came first.

Vrrrr— Wrooooong—

I heard them crying out to me from behind, as if begging me not to leave. But I had already thrown myself into the rift.

"Phew!"

Just as I thought, they were the ones holding me back. As I squeezed through the rift, bright sunlight greeted me. I had successfully made it out.

"Another survivor has emerged!"

"Verify their identity!"

As soon as I escaped, a man in a suit rushed toward me.

"Are you Mage Siwoo?"

He looked a bit clumsy and green.

"Where are the necromancer and Ju Harin?"

"Ah! Yes! The necromancer has been secured! Mage Ju Harin is over there."

He pointed in a direction. But I looked him dead in the eye and asked the most important question.

"I went through a lot of trouble to bring him back alive. Is there an extra reward?"

Perhaps due to the lingering tension and stress, my voice came out sharper than usual.

"Yes! Of course!"

The suited man snapped to attention, answering with a stiff, disciplined expression.

‘Thank goodness.’

I let out a sigh of relief. Dragging that noisy bastard around had been an absolute nightmare. If he had survived the entire ordeal with me only to bleed out and die now, I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠would have been utterly devastated by the lost profit.

"Rookie! Go help over there. I'll guide the Mage myself."

"Understood!"

Just then, the clumsy rookie stepped aside, and a man with prominent dark circles under his eyes approached.

"I am Section Chief Oh Suhyeok of the Management Bureau. Congratulations on your safe return," the man said, placing a hand over his chest.

"We have confirmed that the request, originally graded as Rank 5, was of a much higher difficulty. Your compensation will be adjusted accordingly. Furthermore, we have taken custody of the necromancer. We will be transporting him to our facility for his execution."

Bowing his head, he continued, "It is the Bureau's responsibility for failing to gather accurate information beforehand. I sincerely apologize for this oversight."

I nodded in acceptance of his sincere apology, and he handed me a business card.

"Please contact me if you ever require our assistance in the future."

I had just put the Management Bureau in my debt.

I watched the man's back as he hurried away. He was busy directing the suited agents moving between massive machines, managing the aftermath of the incident. He seemed like a very busy man.

In any case, my job was done, so it was time to go home. I looked around to find the broker who had brought me here.

"Siwoo!"

Just then, someone called my name desperately and ran toward me. It was a woman with violet hair and an elf-like beauty. Ju Harin.

"Thank you—!"

She rushed up to me, grabbing my hands as she looked up. Her wide, sparkling eyes came into view. The tears welling up in them spoke volumes of the terror she had felt.

"I... I was so scared! I couldn't do anything...!"

Ju Harin looked at me, on the verge of bursting into tears. The confident, arrogant young lady I had first met was nowhere to be found; the Ju Harin standing before me now was like a timid, frightened little girl.

I placed a hand on her shoulder and patted her gently.

"It's alright now."

"Siwoo...!"

Her face drew closer to mine. Delighted by the comfort, she tried to bury her face in my chest. As I debated whether to push her away or just let her be, an unpleasant voice cut through the air.

"My lady. I wondered where you were heading in such a rush, only to find you throwing yourself into the arms of some strange man. Tsk, tsk, tsk."

I turned toward the source of the voice. An elderly man leaning on a large staff was slowly approaching us.

"No... that's..."

"Tsk, tsk. You claimed you had no interest in men, but it seems that was a lie."

The two clearly knew each other.

"Do not worry. This is actually a good thing. Now that we know you no longer shun men, you will surely have no objections to marrying my nephew."

"That's..."

Ju Harin couldn't find the words to refute the old man's claim.

It was a fascinating sight. I had thought of her as an arrogant, spoiled brat who never listened to anyone. But looking at her now, it was hard to believe this was the same person who had called people insects and spat out insults left and right.

"My lady. I am so glad you are safe."

Just then, another person appeared. He was exceptionally handsome and taller than average. To put it bluntly, he looked like a total pretty boy.

He approached Ju Harin with a gentle, amiable smile.

"I was so worried. I rushed over the moment I heard the news. After all, I promised I would always fly to your side whenever you were in danger."

"..."

Under his gaze, Ju Harin squeezed my hand tightly, as if she refused to let go.

Perhaps because of that, the pretty boy's gaze shifted to me. The emotion in his eyes was a far cry from the warmth he had shown Ju Harin. His eyes were filled with disgust and mockery. Curling his lips into a crooked smirk, he spoke.

"My lady, you must have been terrified. Do not worry, for I am here now. So, come into my arms."

Despite his words, Ju Harin didn't budge.

Eventually, he turned his attention to me.

"Hey, insect. Why don't you read the room and get lost?"

"..."

It felt like deja vu. Judging by his attire, he was a mage too, but his manners upon our first meeting were utterly atrocious. For some reason, it seemed like every single mage I ran into was completely unhinged.

Tremble, tremble.

I could feel Ju Harin shaking through our joined hands. Where had that haughty attitude of a proud family successor gone?

‘Is this her true self?’

Reading the room, I figured the old man was probably an elder of her family. And this guy was her fiancé, or something similar. If so, why was she unable to stand up for herself? It was likely the result of long-term gaslighting. That was my guess.

"If you don't get lost, I'll kill you."

"...Don't talk to Siwoo like that! He's the savior who rescued me!"

Ju Harin raised her voice, snapping at the man's aggressive threat. However, when the old man glared at her, she immediately shrank back, unable to utter another word.

It seemed my guess was spot on. I had thought Ju Harin was just a bizarre woman, but she was actually a deeply pitiful creature. I couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy for her. But now was not the time for pity.

"An insect like this saved you?"

"Are you doubting my own eyes?"

When Ju Harin glared at him with icy eyes, he smirked, as if this was the perfect opportunity.

"This insect has deceived you. Allow me to rescue you from this fraud."

At that moment, the air grew heavy with tension. The prelude to a fight.

I realized things were taking a turn for the worse.

‘This is bad.’

I had no weapons to fight with. My talismans were completely depleted, and I had left the Grimoire and the Lantern behind. What should I do? As I was pondering—

Suddenly, a loud alarm began to blare.

"What's happening?!"

"The collapsing rift is expanding again! An anomaly might be crossing over!"

"Damn it! Everyone, get ready!"

Craaaack—!

At that moment, a massive tear ripped through the sky. And from within the tear, a familiar object emerged.

"Unidentified object crossing over! Measure its energy readings immediately!"

An agent staring at the monitor of a massive machine spoke with a trembling voice.

"It's not an anomaly... It's a magical tool! An ancient magical tool!"

"Damn it! That's even worse! What's the grade?!"

"It's... it's Calamity-class!"

"What?!"

Chaos erupted. I tried to use the confusion to slip away quietly. However, the pretty boy blocked my path.

"How dare you deceive our innocent lady. An insect like you deserves to be torn to shreds and fed to the beasts."

This guy was completely out of his mind.

"A Calamity-class object just appeared. Shouldn't you be running?"

"Ha! Don't make me laugh. Calamity-class magical tools only manifest in the mortal realm to seek out their masters. I have no intention of wasting my energy on tools that will soon vanish to who-knows-where."

Oh, is that so?

The man suddenly smirked and said, "Did a Calamity-class magical tool appear because I arrived here? If so, I'll make you its very first victim, hehe!"

"The magical tools are moving!"

The two objects that had emerged from the rift began flying directly toward where the man and I were standing.

"What! Is this for real?! Bwahaha! Come to me! With a Calamity-class magical tool, I can rule the family even without that girl—"

However, his expectations were shattered in an instant.

Vrrrrrr— Wroooooong—

The Calamity-class magical tools weren't heading for him.

The Lantern and the Grimoire. They had literally torn through dimensions to return to my side.

"Now this is a fair fight."

Holding the Grimoire in one hand and the flickering Lantern in the other, I looked at the pretty boy.

Pfft!

A laugh escaped my lips.

His jaw had dropped so low it looked ready to dislocate, and a waterfall of mixed drool and snot was pouring from his mouth. His bloodshot eyes looked as if they were about to pop right out of his skull.

To put it in a single word...

Yes. It was a truly delightful face.