I Told You to Straighten Up
"I told you to straighten up."
"Fuck."
One of the three rejects who failed the dragon's test. Geomju thought to himself. This situation was totally fucked.
Geomju had failed the test for months now, and the reason was simple.
'It's too damn intense.'
To him, running 3,000 laps around the nest was utterly insane. He hated even one lap around the school track back in reality—how could he possibly run 3,000 with his head feeling like it was getting bashed in? Sure, his body here overflowed with power unlike in the real world, but he still hated running.
So he'd tried smashing the golems somehow, but that failed too. In the end, all Geomju could do was secretly practice the mana circulation method he'd glimpsed.
"Damn it."
He could give up and leave for somewhere else, but dragon quests were super rare. Lea had declared she wouldn't take any more disciples, and missing this chance might mean never getting another dragon-related hidden quest. Hidden quests were precious to begin with.
He'd been half-assing his training, starting to think about quitting, when...
'Give me info, and I'll pay you. No, I'll even give you one of the weapons I looted. How's that?'
Rank 7 ranker Husk—who'd recently challenged NyaNya and gotten wrecked—made the offer. Reveal the nest's layout, get millions in gold and a weapon.
Geomju accepted without a second thought. No hope anyway, might as well make some cash. Sure, super high chance of failure, but it wouldn't involve him.
'This is a hidden quest.'
He'd been grinning ear to ear, fondling the gold from Husk, when...
He saw it.
'Ah, thief jail.'
'Gonna lock him up for like 50 years.'
'Not funny?'
The fate of the guy caught trying to steal the exalted dragon's treasure. The 50-year bit made the nest players—who'd been trying to win Lea's favor—shudder, but they weren't too scared. Get caught once, and it's permaban-level punishment, but Lea had locked up Husk for trying to steal treasure. She'd made training brutal and painful, but never jailed or killed anyone without reason. Stick to the basics, and no worries.
But not Geomju.
'...Fucked?'
He was the traitor who'd sold internal nest info. If that got out, he'd get long-term jail time, maybe not 50 years like Husk, but still. Only Geomju and Husk's guild knew, but info could leak anytime.
Geomju bided his time and decided to leave the nest. Kinda suspicious timing with no other deserters, but whatever.
That was the plan, until...
'That damn bastard for real.'
The culprit behind it all, Husk, summoned Geomju. Water ghost tactic or something? Geomju thought about bolting now but hesitated. Dragon might chase him down, and even if he escaped, traitor label would screw future activities. Nothing gained yet, pure no-return high risk.
"Ah, seriously..."
"What?"
"Nah, forget it."
Geomju shook his head at the player training the flawed mana method with him and stood up. Heart ping-ponging between heaven and hell, he arrived where Lea slept. A small iron cage came into view.
Clang!
Clang!
"Kuuuuh..."
Lea still slept peacefully.
Clink!
"What."
"You came."
"Spit it out quick. I'm leaving right now."
"If you're going, take my cage too."
"Cut the bullshit or I'm out. For real."
Geomju turned without hesitation. Total waste of time. Gotta move before Lea wakes...
"Kill me."
"...?"
"More precisely, take the legendary weapons and gear I stole, then kill me. I'll come find you after."
"...Kill you?"
"Yeah."
"What's in it for me? Just pissing off the dragon."
To Geomju, it was a total bust. Already risky, now help him escape by killing? Same as 50 years next to Husk. No matter how scared of Husk spilling, this was too much.
Husk shoved legendary weapons and gear through the bars, face dead serious.
"Think about it. One of these changes the game. No need to run laps or grind mana method."
"......"
"Half the stolen treasure. No, 80%. Take what you want."
"......"
"You'll be number one. No need to watch dragon's mood."
"...Just kill you."
"Yeah."
Geomju pondered deeply. Right choice? Tell him to shut up and run without looking back? Even running, can he survive with legendaries?
Tough call.
"Fine, kill you."
"Yes! Do it. Then you're number one."
"Open your eyes."
"Go go go!"
Inner greed tempted him. Yeah. Do it. Quest he was quitting anyway. Think of it as high-difficulty hidden: kill thieving hero, snag gear, escape.
Geomju carefully lifted the cage as inner greed said. Kill outside to avoid notice, then escape.
Just get out and...
"But you're pretty brave to actually do this?"
"Right? I wouldn't."
"Open your eyes already."
"Lea blocked the view."
"Could you even kill him?"
"Maybe stab through the bars..."
"...?"
Inner greed felt off...
"Huh?"
Geomju finally opened his eyes. Narrowed vision widened, sensing tons of presences behind.
"Hiya!"
"...Huh?"
Suddenly, behind him: inner greed—no, Haring and other players clustered.
Geomju panicked, looked at cage—Husk equally shocked.
Clink.
Cage now in Lea's hand. She stared at panicked Geomju, smiling.
"Thought you'd be lonely, so I brought friends?"
"L-Lea... Th-that's not..."
"Then that's what I'll do."
"My mistake..."
Clink!
"These heroes are so arrogant these days~..."
I shook my head.
Just caught a rare good nap, felt presences. Thief thrashing to escape, ignored it, but he stared at air, called another hero. Not passer, but Geomju who'd been active in nest.
Curious, blocked their outside view, watched. Another hero appeared behind.
'What?'
'For real... Lea? You awake?'
"Yeah."
It was Haring. She glared at Geomju distastefully, explained. Someone leaked nest internals, she and some heroes hunting the culprit.
Wondered if she'd go that far, but overhearing thieves' talk was ridiculous.
"W-We lived nicely!"
"Right! Not involved with him!"
"Really?"
"Yes!"
"Yep!"
The other two rejects nodded furiously at my question. Worried about fallout.
I stared, then turned away. Didn't care if they leaked. Planned to boot all three in a month without results anyway.
'Can't keep 'em forever.'
Watched surging heroes like soothing mood. Tried staying still, but they're crossing lines. Thought thief mess would quiet 'em, but no, straight to this.
'Immortals all like this?'
With hundreds, not ten, repeats would tire me out. Can't pokemon-ball 'em all...
"Won't work."
"Cookies today...? Huh?"
"Get parchment. Pen too."
"...Ah. Yep!"
Hidni, farthest away, rushed with stacked parchment box from corner.
I spread table, lifted quill over fancy parchment.
Phee~
Three days later, Legion Kingdom castle, villa.
Former emperor Bahamut Legion sipped tea leisurely when a new statue-shaped messenger bird arrived.
Bahamut naturally took and opened the letter.
'I told you to straighten up.'
"Heh heh... What a spectacle."
I told you to straighten up.