Chapter 221
Chapter 221
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 220
Chapter Title: The Head Maid's Offer
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‘Wait, isn’t this setup something I’ve seen before? And not even in real life, but in dramas or movies…….’
The head maid spoke to me as I stood there in bewilderment.
“I’ve put in something that won’t leave you feeling shortchanged.”
“……?”
My brain froze for a moment. It was truly an unexpected development.
‘No way, this is for real?’
On my way here, I’d imagined being surrounded by over ten dragons demanding, “Criminal, raise your head!” I never expected a kindly aged noblewoman to simply hand over an envelope.
I barely pulled myself together and asked,
“Why are you giving me such a generous reward?”
“…….”
The head maid stared at me silently in response to my question. Her gentle features held eyes that gleamed with an indescribable depth.
“Head maid?”
“Yes…… At least there’s no malice or ulterior motive.”
She said that, then fell silent again for a long while. She stared at me as if she meant to devour my face whole before speaking calmly.
“Everything I say from now on must remain strictly confidential. It cannot leak anywhere.”
I desperately feigned composure.
This was an incredibly dangerous situation.
‘No way, is she actually going to tell me? The true identity of F·D?’
The cosmic superstars, the Five Dragons, were primordial dragons from time immemorial—the archetypal beings of all chromatic dragons in the greater universe, known as the Chromatic Dragons.
Thanks to the unique timeline of ‘Ardenia,’ which granted immunity to time stop, I had learned this fact by sheer chance.
‘It’s far too dangerous a secret.’
The Chromatic Dragon was an Emperor Class being, infinitely close to the upper gods, and the eldest of the dragon race.
What did that mean?
‘It means they’re among the strongest entities in the universe.’
The top gods of the greater universe, renowned for their prestige, all bore duties and restrictions befitting their stations.
Even the Game Master, famous for having almost no obligations, and the king of the Grotesque, [King], were so busy they rarely showed their faces in the material world—that was the consensus in academic circles, wasn’t it? In fact, when I briefly met him, he had acted as if time itself was chasing him.
There was a reason mid-tier transcendents were called [Emperor Class] instead of just [Mid Gods].
Top gods rarely stirred, making active upper gods rarer still in the greater universe.
By mid-tier transcendent level, one was an emperor in this vast cosmos, regardless of faction or origins.
“Could I…… perhaps not hear this?”
I politely raised my hand and asked, but the head maid shook her head with a solemn expression.
“No, you must hear it. And…… I suspect you might already know this secret.”
‘……Fuck?’
My hands and feet trembled. How could she even suspect that? It was a fact unknown even to F·D themselves?
“No, wait a second.”
“The cute and talented idols, Five Dragons, are in fact…….”
“Wait just a moment……!”
“The progenitors of all chromatic dragons in this world, the great and mighty Chromatic Dragon, His Majesty [Khan]’s children.”
“…….”
I couldn’t react for a moment. Fortunately, the head maid seemed to interpret my shock as astonishment at the unexpected secret.
“You seem surprised. F·D didn’t tell you?”
“Ah…… Yes. They only mentioned they had a special bloodline.”
I answered calmly while thinking.
‘No way she doesn’t know? Or maybe she’s only revealing this much.’
Even the fact that the newly ascended holy dragons F·D were doing idol activities had shaken the universe.
‘It’s like a nation’s president, a chaebol chairman, or a historical giant becoming an idol.’
Dragons were mighty transcendents, powerhouses, and one-person conglomerates.
Yet revealing that these idols weren’t young dragons fresh into adulthood but legendary beings who had lived for hundreds of thousands of years? Impossible.
“As you likely know.”
The head maid spoke as I sorted my thoughts.
“They’re still children. From a human perspective, living just over a century might seem long, but to us, they’re immature minors who haven’t fully grown.”
Her expression was grave.
“I won’t complicate it. Please part ways with them.”
With that, she extended a slender finger and slid the envelope across the table toward me.
Swoosh.
But I grabbed the envelope and pushed it back to her.
“……What do you mean by that?”
“It’s not enough. Not that I’m saying that in a belittling way. It’s just…… parting with them isn’t possible for me.”
“Hoh…… You love them that much? These minors?”
Frost settled over the head maid’s calm, elderly features.
I waved my hands.
“That’s not what I mean. It’s just…… our relationship isn’t as deep as you think. We’re not dating, so how could we break up?”
The Five Dragons and I were very close. Stunningly beautiful, kind women who didn’t mind effort or sacrifice for my sake.
Even so, it fell short of calling them lovers.
‘And above all, there’s five of them.’
They possessed such diverse personalities and egos it was hard to believe they’d diverged from the same being.
‘What if I chose just one?’
Our current relationship would shatter, naturally.
‘Proclaim I’ll take all five at once?’
That would be utter nonsense.
The fastest way for a transcendent like me to commit suicide.
“Ah…… I see, that’s it.”
The head maid smiled with composed grace. She then subtly pointed to the envelope before me.
“Why not at least check it first.”
“No. It’s not that the price is insufficient.”
Even as I said that, my eyes drifted unconsciously to the envelope.
The envelope had vanished unnoticed, leaving only a single check on the table.
It read:
[1,500,000,000 Gerat]
The check’s mysterious material, the script imbued with [Power] itself, its elegant yet ornate design—none of it registered.
Only the number.
It filled my vision.
‘1.5 billion Gerat.’
The math was instant.
‘4.5 trillion won…….’
It was money beyond imagination.
Not even chaebols could dream of possessing such an amount.
A trillion.
A unit that emerged only in national budgets or corporate market caps. Even a standard model without an Iron Heart could buy a large starship; enough for an In-Grade Giggas if buying Giggas.
Buy land? A whole planet. Move to another civilization? Hire billions and found a nation single-handedly.
That history-making sum sat on a single thin sheet of paper before me.
‘We’re not dating, but…….’
I stared at the check for a moment.
‘We’re not dating, but let’s break up…….’
The shock nearly made me blurt it out as if entranced.
“……Wow.”
A stifled groan escaped me.
“I knew dragons were rich, but…… isn’t this a bit much?”
In Prince’s case, the Grotesque prince, at least a royal life was at stake.
But…… burning a trillion just to ask someone to break up?
“We’re the wealthiest faction even among the Noblesse. Time is money, and we know that better than anyone.”
I gathered my thoughts as her leisurely voice continued.
I pictured the 4.5 trillion on the table, reachable with a stretch, and the Five Dragons preparing their next album on the 34th Earth.
Then I said,
“I’m sorry.”
It tore at my heart, but I had no choice. I could have complied with a mild request like “don’t deepen ties with them,” but a plea burning 4.5 trillion wouldn’t be so soft.
‘She probably wants me to hurt them enough to drive them away.’
Like dating another woman or doing something awful to them.
But pulling that would endanger my life.
The Five Dragons were the legendary primordial dragons, the Chromatic Dragon’s offspring, weren’t they?
Even if the being before me was stronger and more prestigious……
She was still subordinate to the Chromatic Dragon.
‘And even without that, I don’t want to.’
I couldn’t treat them that way—the ones always kind and supportive.
4.5 trillion…… It hurt to pass up, of course……
‘But I can earn it.’
Yes. I wasn’t the old me working convenience store shifts.
The current me could reach the trillions with a few years of grinding.
“……Is that your answer?”
“Yes, that’s my answer.”
“…….”
She stared at me silently. Just that made my hairs stand on end.
Rumble……!
A pressure crushing my body, leagues beyond Chernein’s aura.
Thwack!
For an instant, I hallucinated my head flying through the air. If I hadn’t grown accustomed to combat precog visions, it would have rattled me badly— it was that vivid.
Stab!
This time, a massive ice spear pierced my heart.
‘This level of killing intent……!’
It was intense malice.
Only possible when one vividly imagines killing you and is utterly convinced they can.
But it wasn’t the actual future.
Proof: [Combat Precog] remained silent.
Crack!
Boom!
Crunch!
I died five more times in my seat. All illusions, but the old woman before me could make them real anytime she wished.
The gap between us couldn’t be bridged by login/logout abilities.
‘If another transcendent were here?’
They’d lash out, unable to distinguish killing intent from real attack.
But I was different.
I only dodged once [Combat Precog] triggered on an actual incoming strike—my long-honed style.
And above all.
‘Even if Noblesse act like nobility warrants…… they can’t kill me.’
Why couldn’t they kill the Grotesque Prince? The gains didn’t outweigh the wrath of [King], the top god and cosmic monster lord.
Same for me.
‘I’m the apostle of the Game Master.’
The Game Master was such a heavyweight that Noblesse and Elohim leadership personally recruited him into the [Union].
No dragon would kill me over a romance issue.
They could intimidate, threaten…… but that was the limit.
Drip.
Finally, she ceased the killing intent. After I’d “died” about twenty times.
“Truly bold. So young, yet so detached from life and death…… Though for ordinary beings, reaching this realm at all would be absurd.”
The head maid sighed softly and rose.
The check had vanished unnoticed.
‘Ah, my check…….’
Regrettable, but I ignored it and stood as well.
The head maid said,
“……Take care of them.”
Flash!
With those final words, I was ejected outside the castle.
‘……Wait, how the hell does she warp space like that? Why didn’t Universal Resistance trigger?’
As I stood dumbfounded,
“You’re out.”
I turned at the growling voice to see Chernein standing before the castle gates.
Whoooosh——
“Ah, what now…….”
The aura from Chernein felt entirely different from before.
[Transcendent] instinct sensed despair first.
‘Absolutely…… unwinnable?’
Similar to facing the head maid. No matter what I did—even using login/logout—it felt impossible.
I soon pinpointed the unease.
Hummm……
Chernein held a long staff.
‘Just one staff…… changes it this much?’
Even fully geared before, this equipment was on another level.
In other words.
‘Transcendent Weapon.’
The dragon bastard had brought a cheat weapon.
“Weren’t we done talking?”
“Heh. Haha! Yes. I like that arrogance. Inferior breed. The greater the spirit now, the sweeter it’ll be watching you crawl like vermin……!”
Whoooosh——!
His surging energy put me instantly on combat guard.
‘Sneaky bastard, bringing a cheat weapon alone!?’
……In real battle, that was childish whining. Had I only fought barehanded?
“Yeah.”
I lowered my stance.
“I’ve wanted to face a Transcendent Weapon myself.”
Whoooosh!
My battle spirit unleashed waves of fury on the sea. I cloaked myself in qi reinforcement and stepped onto the dimensional plane.
[Stop.]
But a heavy voice halted us.
“……Elder? Why!?”
[Fool…… Don’t disgrace the dragon race further. Send him off. If you want revenge, seek him out later.]
“But earlier, we agreed…….”
[……Chen.]
As the voice lowered, Chernein paled.
Flash!
The staff vanished, and he stepped aside.
“I’ll send you off! Away you go!”
[See him off properly. Pull any nonsense, and I’ll confiscate your gear.]
“No, Elder…….”
Chernein’s whining cut off regardless.
Prince, who’d been watching warily, approached.
“Mercenary.”
“You’re still here.”
“Gotta pay up.”
He said, then lifted his Sacred Spirit Armament, Distortion.
He flicked a finger midway down the blade.
Clang!
A clear ring echoed as Distortion’s blade snapped, the piece falling into my hand.
“……This?”
“Severed a portion of the Gerat composing Distortion. Exactly 130 million Gerat.”
“Ah. Got it.”
Using a Sacred Spirit Armament like a debit card was absurd, but I nodded anyway.
Prince suddenly asked,
“How…… did you get so strong?”
I smirked at his expression, as if beholding the inexplicable.
“By working hard.”
I waved and turned.
“Earn some money.”
And with that, the mission was complete.