Fame
Fame
I was bewildered.
Why had the anomaly suddenly knelt before me?
And what was this crown it was offering?
Should I take it? Could this be a trap?
Clack.
Yet before I could finish my doubts, my hand had already snatched the crown.
A purely instinctive movement.
Ssshhhk—
"Huh?"
The crown in my palm melted instantly, absorbing into my skin. A deep, refreshing sensation washed over me, leaving me oddly invigorated.
Logically, I should have felt uneasy about some strange object merging with my body—but strangely, I didn't.
Instead, the suffocating weight in my chest had eased, as though I'd reclaimed something long lost.
An odd way to describe it, but no other words came to mind.
Crsshh—
As I stared at my palm, a crumbling sound made me look up.
[............]
The kneeling anomaly was disintegrating into dust before my eyes.
I watched silently.
My mind was a whirlwind of confusion.
Everything had happened too abruptly.
The creature I thought I'd killed was alive, then it triggered some kind of erosion, and now this. One moment it was kneeling, the next—reduced to ashes.
'What the hell is going on?'
Questions piled up endlessly.
Why had it offered its crown? Why stop fighting so suddenly?
What was the crown now inside me? Could I take it back out?
But of course, there were no answers.
Talking to the monster I'd just fought to the death wasn't exactly an option.
Then, the anomaly's mouth began to move.
[My... liege... I... beg... of you...]
It lowered its head, pressing its forehead to the ground. Hands folded neatly, it kowtowed.
[I... fulfill... my oath...]
The rest was lost.
Ssshhhk—
Its lips too crumbled into ash.
Crsshh—
Before it vanished completely, I met its gaze.
"..."
Eyes brimming with clarity stared back.
"It's gone."
I looked at the empty space where it had knelt. Nothing remained.
I stood there, thinking. But with the scant clues I had, none of this made sense.
Bzzzt—
Then, Lantern floated over.
She seemed fully recovered, buzzing with energy.
Nuzzle nuzzle.
She clung to me, rubbing her cold, hard body against mine. The sensation of an inanimate object actively cuddling was... bizarre.
"You were useful back there."
Lantern had been far more helpful in battle than I'd expected.
Pat pat.
I stroked her gently.
She liked this—a small reward.
BZZZZT—!
At my touch, she vibrated violently before burrowing deeper into my embrace.
"Not there."
I pushed her back as she tried to worm into very personal space.
Bzzzzt—!
Undeterred, she kept rubbing insistently.
—Master wants it too? I'll make you feel good.
As if saying this, her movements grew even more... enthusiastic.
"Are you insane?"
Obviously, I smacked her away.
Thud. Lantern tumbled to the floor.
Yet she didn't give up.
Bzzzt—
I stared, exasperated.
Finally, I pinned her down with my foot to stop her advances.
Flutter flutter.
Then, a tattered book fluttered to my side.
"Huh? You're alive too."
Huuuung—
The Forbidden Book, torn apart when the barrier shattered during the erosion.
Between that shield and resisting the corruption, I owed it a lot.
"Thanks for your help."
Pat pat.
I stroked its pages warmly.
Like Lantern, it had been invaluable—so I showed my gratitude with heartfelt pets.
BZZZZT—!
A tiny tremor came from below. I looked down. Lantern, still underfoot, was shaking.
BZZZZT—!
She was furious.
Apparently, praising someone else in front of her was unacceptable.
"Yeah, yeah, thank you too."
Ignoring her, I kept praising the book.
Huuung—
Its pages quivered slightly. It seemed pleased, rustling loose sheets like a happy cat's tail.
At least this one knew boundaries—unlike a certain lamp. I smiled despite myself.
"Good, good."
Its docile demeanor reminded me of a well-behaved cat.
I'd never had pets, but maybe I was a cat person.
Not that I disliked dogs, but—
BZZZZT—!
"Stay still."
The more Lantern acted up, the less I wanted anything to do with canines.
I pressed down harder, trapping her under my shoe.
Crrrack—
—Haaahhn~
Huh? Her struggling stopped abruptly. Did I just hear a weird noise? Must've imagined it.
Anyway, with the book in hand and Lantern pinned, I finally took stock.
Now... how do we leave?
I scanned the area, but nothing had changed. We were still in the center of that massive castle. Could we just backtrack?
"Ha-rin. How do we—"
CRACK.
Suddenly, the air split open. Before I could react, space itself began collapsing.
Starting from where Ha-rin and the necromancer had stood.
"That's our exit."
A rift had formed where they'd vanished—likely our way out.
"Stay."
I picked up Lantern (now subdued) and dusted her off before heading toward the fissure.
"Time to go."
Finally, escape. I hadn't expected this job to be so grueling. But we'd captured the necromancer and taken down more enemies than the contract listed—so the payout should be hefty.
Imagining my bank balance, I stepped into the rift.
Bwoomp—
And got ejected.
"What?"
Tried again. Same result.
"No way..."
Testing, I tore off a sleeve scrap and tossed it in.
Fwoosh—
The fabric passed through smoothly.
Next, I threw Lantern.
Bwoomp—
She bounced right back.
"Can we not take anything from here?"
Denial made me test repeatedly, but the results were clear: the book and Lantern weren't coming with us.
"Damn it."
A real shame. Their power dwarfed even talismans.
Well—almost.
The fire goblin from that talisman had outshone even the book's light pillars.
Still, I'd grown attached.
Was there no way to take them?
Creeeak—
A sinister sound cut my thoughts short.
I looked up.
CRRRREAK—
The sky was fracturing.
Instinct screamed danger.
I dropped both items immediately.
Regrets could wait—survival came first.
Bzzzt—!
Huuuuung—
Their calls followed me as I leaped into the rift.
"Pfft!"
Just as I'd guessed—they were the reason I couldn't leave.
As I stepped out through the rift, bright sunlight greeted me. I'd successfully made it out alive.
"Another survivor coming through!"
"Verify their identity!"
The moment I emerged, a man in a suit approached me.
"Are you Mage Si-woo?"
He had a slightly scatterbrained air about him.
"What about the necromancer and Ha-rin?"
"Ah! Right! The necromancer is currently in custody! As for Mage Ha-rin, she's over there—"
He pointed somewhere, but I stared straight into his eyes and asked the real question.
"I went through hell to capture them. Any extra compensation?"
Maybe it was the lingering tension and stress, but my words came out sharper than usual.
"Yes! Of course!"
The suited man snapped to attention as he answered.
Thank god.
I sighed in relief. Dealing with that noisy bastard had been exhausting. If he'd bled out and died after all the trouble I went through to keep him alive, that would've been the biggest insult.
"Rookie! You handle this side. I'll escort the mage."
"Understood!"
Just then, the scatterbrained man stepped aside, and another man with heavy dark circles under his eyes approached.
"I'm Section Chief Oh Su-hyeok from the Management Bureau. Congratulations on making it out alive."
He placed a hand over his chest as he spoke.
"We've confirmed that the request, initially rated as Class 5, was of a higher difficulty. Your compensation will be adjusted accordingly. Additionally, we've secured the necromancer. We'll be taking him into custody for disposal."
Then, bowing slightly, he continued.
"Failing to accurately assess the information was the Management Bureau's responsibility. For that, I apologize."
I nodded at his sincere apology, and he handed me a business card.
"If you require our services in the future, please don't hesitate to contact us."
Now I owed the Bureau a favor.
I watched as the man hurried away, already barking orders at other suited figures weaving between large machines, managing the aftermath.
He looked like a very busy man.
Either way, my job here was done. Time to go home.
I glanced around, searching for the broker who had brought me here.
"Si-woo!"
Just then, someone called out desperately and came running toward me. A girl with shimmering purple hair and an almost fairy-like appearance—Ha-rin.
"Thank you—!"
She grabbed my hands and looked up at me, her bright, round eyes glistening with unshed tears.
"I... I was so scared! I couldn't do anything...!"
Her face was on the verge of breaking into sobs. The proud, arrogant young woman I'd first met was nowhere to be seen—instead, she looked like a timid, frightened little girl.
I patted her shoulder reassuringly.
"You're safe now."
"Si-woo...!"
Her face drew closer. Whether from relief or gratitude, she buried her face against my chest.
I hesitated—should I push her away or let her be?—when an unpleasant voice cut in.
"My, my. So this is where you rushed off to in such a hurry—to throw yourself at some stranger. Tsk tsk tsk."
I turned toward the source.
An old man leaning on a large staff slowly approached.
"N-no, that's not—"
"Tsk tsk tsk. You said you had no interest in men, yet here you are, lying through your teeth."
The two seemed to know each other.
"Don't worry. This is actually good news. Now that we know you're no longer avoiding men, you won't refuse my nephew's marriage proposal, will you?"
"That's..."
Ha-rin couldn't muster a proper response.
It was bizarre. I'd thought she was an arrogant brat who never listened to anyone. But the girl in front of me now was nothing like the person who'd once dismissed others as insects.
"Young lady, I'm relieved to see you unharmed."
Then, another man appeared. Handsome, tall—the kind of pretty boy people would call a gigolo at first glance.
He approached Ha-rin with a charming smile.
"I was worried. The moment I heard the news, I rushed here. After all, I promised I'd come running whenever you were in danger."
"..."
Under his gaze, Ha-rin tightened her grip on my hand, as if refusing to let go.
Maybe that was why. The gigolo's eyes shifted to me, and the warmth they'd held for Ha-rin vanished. Disgust and mockery filled his gaze as he curled his lip.
"Young lady, you must've been terrified, hm? Don't worry. I'm here now. So come to me."
Ha-rin didn't move.
Finally, he spoke to me instead.
"Hey, vermin. Why don't you take a hint and scram?"
"..."
This felt like déjà vu. Judging by his attire, he was a mage too, but his manners were atrocious. Why did every mage I meet seem to lack basic decency?
Shiver.
I could feel Ha-rin trembling through her grip. Where was the haughty heiress who'd acted so high and mighty?
Is this her real self?
From the looks of it, the old man was probably someone from her family.
And this guy—her fiancé? Something like that.
If so, why couldn't she stand up for herself?
Maybe it was the result of long-term gaslighting.
That was my guess.
"If you don't disappear, I'll kill you."
"...Don't talk to Si-woo like that! He's the one who saved me!"
Ha-rin snapped at the man's violent words, raising her voice. But when the old man glared at her, she shrank back and fell silent.
Seemed my guess was right.
I'd thought Ha-rin was just a weird girl, but she was actually pretty pitiful.
I couldn't help but sympathize.
But now wasn't the time for that.
"You're telling me this vermin saved you?"
"Are you doubting my eyes now?"
Ha-rin glared at him sharply, but he just smirked, as if this was exactly what he wanted.
"That con artist tricked you. Let me save you from him."
The air grew tense.
A prelude to a fight.
I realized things were about to get messy.
This is bad.
I had no weapons on me. I'd used up all my talismans, and I'd left the cursed tome and Lantern behind.
What should I do? As I hesitated—
BWEEEEEEEE—
A loud alarm suddenly blared.
[WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!]
"What's going on?!"
"The rift that was closing is expanding again! Aberrations might come through!"
"Damn it! Everyone, prepare!"
CRACK—!
At the same time, a massive fissure split the sky.
And from within it, something familiar emerged.
"Unidentified object confirmed! Measure it now!"
A Bureau employee monitoring a large machine's screen spoke in a trembling voice.
"It's not an aberration... It's a magic tool! An ancient magic tool!"
"Damn it! That's even worse! What's its class?!"
"C-Calamity-grade!"
"What?!"
Chaos erupted.
I tried to slip away quietly in the confusion.
But the gigolo blocked my path.
"Daring to deceive an innocent young lady... A maggot like you deserves to be torn apart and fed to livestock."
This guy was seriously unhinged.
"A Calamity-grade just appeared. Shouldn't we be running?"
"Ha! What a joke. Calamity-grade magic tools descend into this world to seek their masters. I have no time to waste on tools that'll disappear soon anyway."
Ah, I see.
The man suddenly smirked.
"Did the Calamity-grade tool appear because I arrived? If so, I'll make you its first victim—kukuku!"
"The magic tools are moving!"
Two objects emerged from the rift and began flying toward where Si-woo and the man stood.
"What?! Seriously?! Kuhahaha! Come to me! With a Calamity-grade tool, even without that girl, I can—"
But his expectations shattered in an instant.
BUZZZZ—
HMMMMMMMM—
The Calamity-grade tools weren't heading for him.
Lantern and the cursed tome.
They tore through dimensions to return to my side.
"Now we can fight."
Holding the tome in one hand and the flickering Lantern in the other, I stared at the gigolo bastard.
"Pfft!"
A laugh burst out of me.
His jaw hung open like it might unhinge, drool and snot mixing into a waterfall down his face. His bloodshot eyes bulged as if they might pop out any second.
In a word...
Yeah.
What a delightful expression.