On the Fundamentals (1)
“Heavens!”
“Lady Reina!”
Once the dungeon was cleared, Diana and I, who had been trapped in the mechanism, were naturally ejected outside. The joy of slaying the boss and conquering the dungeon was short-lived. The four party members gathered nearby rushed over with horrified expressions at the sight of our battered states.
“It’s not that bad.”
I forced a smile at Kim Ji-eun, whose eyes were trembling in panic, as I stood up from my spot. I was still sore all over, but as long as it wasn’t a fatal wound, my recovery was quick.
“I saw the notification.”
Confirming my words were true, Kim Ji-eun let out a sigh of relief and mentioned the alert—the special reward, the unicorn. Hearing that, I glanced at Lee Se-jin, who was fussing over Diana.
I’d had my doubts myself, but in the end, the system had ruled in my favor. Maybe this is compensation for all that ‘hater’ nonsense. Who knows what might have happened if they hadn’t interfered.
“I’m just glad you’re safe. I heard the explanation. What happened inside...”
“We succeeded in the end, so everyone played a meaningful role. Yours was probably the biggest. Good work.”
Lee Se-jin, having checked on Diana, approached me with words of concern. Her sincere brown eyes showed no hint of regret over missing out on the reward. She really is a shining soul. Even drenched in sweat, even in that immodestly revealing armor, she looked noble and beautiful—like the sun itself.
Why do creeps like that have to latch onto someone like her?
It was heartbreaking how her overwhelming appeal attracted all the wrong types. Did those guys truly not realize their actions would taint her?
Of course they know.
A bitter smile crossed my lips. These were beings who’d lived as constellations for who-knows-how-many years. There was no way they didn’t grasp the consequences and implications of their behavior. The odds were high they knew exactly what they were doing—which made them irredeemable trolls.
Special Reward: The Unicorn awakens.
And at that moment, the S-rank mount unicorn I’d received as my reward began to awaken, revealing itself in a burst of radiant light before us.
“You should step back.”
“...I know.”
Just before the unicorn appeared, I whispered to Diana. Though the secret would soon be exposed across all of Fate Road through the unicorn’s own mouth, what Diana truly wanted was for that intimate space—believed to be shared by only the two of us—to remain her exclusive whisper to me alone. If she faced the unicorn’s intense disgust like in the original story, the secret would leak to unwanted onlookers. So I warned her in advance.
Thanks to that, Diana excused herself first, citing her injuries. No one paid it any mind anyway, dazzled by the elegant form of the mythical beast shimmering before them.
“Whoa...”
“Incredible. An S-rank mount!”
Kim Ji-eun gasped in admiration, while Karom eyed it with keen interest. The pure white steed, crowned with a gleaming horn on its forehead, gazed at us with brilliant blue eyes.
“Look at this. It’s no ordinary horse.”
The unicorn slowly approached Lee Se-jin, who stood at the front, and gently rubbed its head against her. I chuckled at the sight of her casually stroking its mane as if it were the most natural thing. That was exactly the attitude it showed to those who met the criteria of a pure, qualified maiden.
Should I sell it to Lee Se-jin?
Seeing that picturesque scene, I considered handing the unicorn over to her at a premium. Unlike me, she wouldn’t mind fighting from horseback.
“Here it comes...”
After leaving Lee Se-jin’s embrace, the unicorn finally approached me—its true master. My heart pounded for no good reason. Truth be told, I couldn’t claim to have zero qualms. I had no idea how the unicorn would view me, a man in a past life. Whether it could even detect that secret no one else knew.
If it shows even a hint of suspicion, I’ll kill it.
I’d come all this way, enduring every hardship, just to shut down that pointless debate I couldn’t even stand to look at. If it sparked controversy now, I might possess Kim Yushin and cleave the foal’s head off myself.
“...?”
“...What.”
Finally standing before me, the unicorn stared intently. Unlike with Lee Se-jin, who it had immediately nuzzled affectionately, this suffocating pause made my brow furrow involuntarily.
***
Unicorns were exalted beings. Their lofty egos matched their extraordinary abilities, incomparable to mere horses. They chose their own masters and could ruthlessly reject even those who received them as rewards if they didn’t appeal.
In that sense, the unicorn was now confused. The silver-haired woman before it was undoubtedly beautiful and pure. Yet, despite meeting every condition to ride its back, she didn’t draw it in like Lee Se-jin had moments ago.
“...”
The unicorn circled Reina appraisingly, sniffing curiously. It sought instinctively what made it uneasy.
“Why’s it acting like that?”
“Maybe it’s extra picky with its master?”
Whispers from the onlookers reached Reina’s ears. A vein throbbed at her temple. Her downcast eyes, fixed on the ground, burned red with rising fury. It was a demonic glare that would make anyone—even the unicorn—avert their eyes.
But oblivious to how close it was to losing its head, the unicorn turned away.
“Huh...? Why’s it coming to us?”
Kim Ji-eun and the other two, who had retreated farther back, flailed in panic as the unicorn approached. They’d all voluntarily stepped aside, assuming they didn’t meet its criteria.
“---!”
“Gah! You crazy horse!”
Confused by its instincts, the unicorn approached them to pinpoint what it loathed. Sure enough, upon seeing the men Karom and Jenus, it rolled its eyes in rage and charged. Instincts don’t lie.
Satisfied, it turned to the hesitant Kim Ji-eun with approval.
“N-no, not me. I...”
Kim Ji-eun, who had backed away claiming impurity, panicked at the unicorn’s approach. Unlike with the men, it lingered by her side, sniffing exploratively despite a hint of dissatisfaction.
“You don’t mean...”
“Eek?! No! It’s a misunderstanding!”
She frantically shook her head at Reina’s incredulous stare, but the unicorn clung to her, still probing.
Given its ferocious reaction to those who didn’t qualify, this was as good as certification. Kim Ji-eun, who’d lied about past experience, went speechless, her face flushing crimson.
The fans watching in the gallery burst into laughter. For Kim Ji-eun, whose lie was exposed, it was a mortifying moment she’d never live down.
Thanks to Kim Ji-eun drawing attention, the users chalked up the unicorn’s ambiguous reaction to Reina as mere pickiness. In the end, it hadn’t rejected her and had even let her mount willingly. The incident wrapped up neatly.
Not everyone dropped their suspicions—some diehards persisted—but they were a tiny minority. Reina’s fandom, especially manager Serpina, actively stepped in to quash the bait. The unicorn’s proof and the tiresome debate dragged up too often provided ample justification for restrictions.
“I’ll sell the unicorn to Se-jin soon. Seems like it prefers her anyway.”
“...Please do. Definitely.”
“So, why the lie anyway?”
“Urgh...”
As the party disbanded and we headed to headquarters for rest and treatment, Reina grinned and prodded. Kim Ji-eun averted her gaze, groaning. Admitting it was just a prideful fib she could never say, dead or alive.
“S-so, what now? Rest first, right?”
“Yeah, after all that unplanned hassle, I need a break.”
Reina chuckled and nodded, steering the conversation elsewhere. She had no intention of tormenting the girl further.
It’s over. Please, let this be the end.
Of course, what Reina wanted right now was to check Fate Road. From her perspective, it had taken tremendous effort. Since it stemmed from community drama, she craved her due reward.