Arcana Online
Inside the Frey Guild headquarters.
As I was sipping a cup of black tea in the quiet office, someone kept peeking in from the doorway, craning their neck to look inside.
“Leader! Where did the door go?”
“I took it off. It’s less stifling that way, and I like the sense of openness.”
Shasha had come all the way inside and was now sitting on the guest sofa, staring at me with laser focus.
I could see exactly what she was thinking.
“I got rejected.”
“Why!?”
“Well, you see.”
When I told her the story, Shasha looked crushed.
“A-a stalker···.”
“For the record, I heard she plays on Channel 1004.”
“Leader···? You mean the one I’m thinking of?”
“Who knows?”
Talasha, the trade city, was a place where rare items and endless information gathered together.
I’d already heard from a guild member who had taken part in last night’s sudden quest.
A gigantic dragon had appeared and swept through the monsters, and the leading theory was that it had been a summon.
The dragon’s name was Yongyong.
Just in case, I’d asked about the name of her—no, Yuna’s—summon too, and it was Yongyong as well.
If Yuna had logged out last night and her summon had moved on its own, then the summon’s name would appear in the rankings.
No hard proof, but plenty of circumstantial evidence.
In that case, how could I not recruit her?
I wasn’t going to give up, no matter what.
This was the start of a perfect two-for-one plan: teach Yuna how to enjoy life and get the guild a mascot at the same time.
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Before logging into Arcana Online, I found myself absently turning over the business card I’d received.
Printed on it was the name of Frey Guild’s leader, “Kathlea,” but did the game really make that much money···?
I looked it up online, and the answer was absurd.
The ten guilds at the very top of the rankings were called the Ten Great Guilds.
I heard even the executives in those guilds made salaries in the hundreds of millions, so just how much did a guild leader earn?
I was so shocked by the fact that someone could make that much money that I spent a while dazed out, then came to my senses and logged into the game.
When I opened my eyes in bed, Yongyong was sleeping in my arms.
As soon as I got up, Yongyong did too and looked at me.
“Did you sleep well? Nothing happened during the night, right?”
“Kkyu-ung!”
Yongyong’s cute little voice still wasn’t something I could get used to.
More importantly, what was this?
Rewards for clearing the sudden quest have been distributed.
An irregular form of play was detected, so some rewards have been adjusted.
Adjusted rewards will now be issued.
Blue windows kept popping up and disappearing again and again. What was going on?
When I opened my inventory, it was packed with all sorts of items.
The one that stood out most was a magic stone, but something about it was different.
Magic stone used when researching supreme magic.
If the magic stones Yongyong usually ate were the size of marbles, then this Supreme Magic Stone was the size of a bowling ball.
I suddenly felt a gaze on me and turned to look at Yongyong, only to find drool spilling from his mouth.
“Do you want it?”
“Kkyu-ung!”
“If our Yongyong wants it, of course I have to give it to you!”
“Kkyuuung!”
After watching the adorable sight of Yongyong happily chomping away on the magic stone, I checked the rest of the rewards.
Class-Specific Grimoire
You can obtain a skill suited to your class.
So I was finally getting my second skill!?
Just like last time, the moment I pulled it from my inventory and opened it, the book turned into light and vanished.
You have used the Class-Specific Grimoire.
Passive Skill: Devour has been obtained.
├─ Tier 1:The more magic stones a summon eats, the stronger it becomes. ✓
├─ Tier 2:[Enhanced ability] ✓
└─ Tier 3:[New ability — UNLOCKED] ★
At that exact moment, something unusual happened.
Light began to radiate from Yongyong’s body as he devoured the Supreme Magic Stone.
Yongyong was shining brightly, but then, as though nothing had happened at all, he went right back to munching on the stone. What in the world?
Thinking maybe the skill was defective, I checked something else—and then what now!?
When I looked at my status window, I’d already passed level 20.
It felt like I’d won the lottery overnight.
At this rate, I could leave on my journey right away.
Excitement at the thought of traveling and regret at leaving this village mixed together inside me.
Where there are meetings, there are also partings.
After Yongyong finished eating the magic stones and burped with a satisfied look, I gathered him up and left the room, heading downstairs to the first floor.
Bell was hard at work again today.
“You’re awake? Could you wait just a moment?”
“Bell-eonni. I have something to tell you.”
She glanced at me, then told me to sit and wait a moment before heading into the kitchen.
While I was sitting in a chair, idly prodding Yongyong’s cute little belly, she brought me breakfast along with a bundled-up pack.
“What’s this?”
“I put everything you’ll need for your trip in there.”
“How did you know?”
“I may look like this, but I’ve been running an inn for ten years. I know the drill.”
She gently brushed my hair with her hand.
For some reason, that warm touch made tears spring to my eyes.
Bell smiled as she wiped away the tears running down my cheeks.
“On a good day, you should smile, right?”
“Yes!”
When I smiled brightly, she teased me instead, saying that if you cried and then laughed, horns would grow on your butt.
After finishing my meal and putting the bundle Bell had prepared into my inventory, I was just about to leave the village when the villagers came crowding over.
They started with the rough-looking old man who always brought me bread, then Charles, who had taught me swordsmanship.
After receiving all sorts of things from the villagers, Charles handed me a pass.
“If any trouble comes up while you’re traveling, show them this.”
Travel pass issued by Charles Caesar, former Knight Commander of the Avalon Empire’s Imperial Knights.
Wow, that was packed with all kinds of impressive-sounding details.
I had no idea what it meant, but still.
“Thank you! Then I’ll be off!”
“Take care of yourself! You can always come back anytime!”
“Be well wherever you go!”
“We’ll miss you!”
Seeing me off, the many villagers showered me with farewells as I set out along the road.
As I followed the path, I greeted rabbits, goblins, and slimes as I passed them by.
I tried to say hello to the orcs too, but they avoided me. What was with them?
Then an orc carrying a giant sword appeared.
The same orc who had saved me twice.
“Young human. Are you on your way to see the ancestor?”
“No!? I’m setting off on a journey! This may be the last time I greet you like this.”
“I pray that you never meet the ancestor.”
“Thank you! Ah, this is my way of repaying you for saving me!”
When I pulled a magic stone from my inventory and handed it over, the orc looked at me in surprise before thanking me and setting off on his way.
When I waved goodbye to the orc as he left, he seemed embarrassed and hurried away with quick steps.
After a long journey, I finally reached the edge of the village.
It had taken more than half a month to get here.
There was a signboard hanging there.
We pray for the happiness and safety of all travelers.
— The residents of Cradle Village
The moment I read the sign, my chest tightened.
I guess I’d grown attached to this village.
With a slightly downcast heart, I followed the road marker toward the city.
The first city, said to be beautiful.
City of Stars
It was said that you could admire a night sky filled with countless stars there.
As I moved along the road, something came into view far ahead.
A monster with a massive body.
A monster infamous as a newbie shredder, because it preyed on players who had only just left the beginner village.
As a first-strike monster, it was famous for rushing in first and ripping beginner players apart with its sharp claws.
The Warbear noticed me and slowly started to approach.
I tightened my grip on my staff and went on alert, but something felt off.
When it came closer, I thought it was going to attack—but instead, it sniffed me.
It huffed and sniffed at my scent, and then, the moment it glanced at Yongyong—
Thud.
It suddenly rolled onto its belly and took a posture of submission.
I stared at it in disbelief, and then it started acting cute with a little whiny voice. What the hell?
“What’s wrong, bear?”
“Kraaaang.”
It turned its body around again and lay flat on the ground.
“You want me to get on your back?”
“Kraaaang!”
“You’ll take me to the village!? Thanks!”
After struggling to climb onto the bear’s back, it slowly set off.
It was much faster than walking, and with the bear’s soft fur under me, the ride felt wonderfully plush.
And so, as I traveled along the road and looked around from atop the bear’s back, the city finally came into view in the distance.
At that moment, with a loud kraaang, it stopped and lowered itself so I could get off easily.
“You’re saying I have to walk from here?”
“Kraaaang!”
“If I get any closer, I’ll be hunted? Fair enough. Thanks, bear! Ah, here’s a present for you!”
Magic stone used when researching high-level magic.
I pulled a magic stone slightly smaller than the one I’d given the orc from my inventory and handed it over as a tip. The bear accepted it happily and gobbled it down.
Yongyong looked on with jealous eyes.
“Our Yongyong will get his later!”
“Kkyu-ung.”
After saying goodbye, I waved to the bear as it disappeared into the distance, then approached the city to go inside, only to find a crowd of people waiting there.
Were they all trying to enter the city?
There were two entrances, so why was everyone standing at just one of them?
The moment I tried to step into the empty entrance, a guard blocked me.
“Please present your pass.”
“A pass?”
“If you don’t have one, you’ll have to line up.”
Ah, so this side required a pass.
Come to think of it, didn’t I get one from Charles earlier?
The moment I took out the pass Charles had given me, the guard flinched and apologized over and over.
“S-sorry! We didn’t realize you were someone important! Hey! Recruit! Hurry and escort our young lady!”
“Yes, sir! Understood!”
A soldier in armor came running from far away, and it was strangely pressuring.
“I’m fine on my own.”
“Not at all! For first-time visitors, the city can be so complicated that you might get lost! To make sure your trip is safe and comfortable, one of our soldiers will escort you all the way to the hotel!”
“Really? Then I’ll leave it to you.”
The moment I followed the soldier inside, I was reminded all over again that the village I’d been staying in was basically the countryside.
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