The Soulmates of Erance
"Now, leave this place. If you continue to shake the earth, I shall not forgive you."
"A truly generous decision, Master."
Lich Zaggaran, acting like a goblin who had some experience in social life, quickly flattered the entity.
"Is... is he gone?"
"I think he's gone?!"
The Spirit King fell silent, seemingly satisfied. Once the voice from below faded, the players finally regained their senses. The spirits that had completely surrounded them had also vanished!
"You bastard, Cain! Untie this right now!"
"Yeah, you jerk! I'll sell your location to the Guild Alliance!"
As soon as they came to their senses, the bounty hunters turned their anger on Cain. They might have feared Tae-hyun, but for some reason, Cain felt approachable. Even though he was a high-ranking ranker, he had a strangely pushover-like image!
"Those... those insolent fools! Sir Cain! Cut them down this instant!"
"Such arrogant bastards...! Cain! What are you doing! Strike them down!"
The knights and Prince Cain were furious. If anyone gets to insult Cain, it's us! Why are you guys doing it!
But Cain was deeply moved, almost to tears.
These guys... I guess rolling around in the Demon Realm together meant something after all...
Thanks to their shared hardships in the Demon Realm, Cain's intimacy, loyalty, and internal reputation with them had reached near-maximum levels. Seeing Cain being looked down upon, the knights and the prince immediately flew into a rage.
"Wait, aren't those knights...?"
"They look like knights of the Erance Kingdom..."
The players flinched at their fierce momentum. Though few in number, a knight was still a knight! Not only were they powerful, but fighting them meant risking a bounty from the Erance Kingdom.
Seeing the bounty hunters hesitate, Cain felt a surge of indignation. These jerks aren't afraid of me, but they're afraid of the knights?
Whew. Let's calm down.
Cain was trying to build a new habit.
What would Kim Tae-hyun do in a situation like this?
If it were Kim Tae-hyun...
"...On your knees, you bastards!"
"????"
"Has he finally lost his mind?"
"Hey. Do you know how many of us are here? You think you can threaten..."
As the bounty hunters muttered, the rankers behind them also exchanged whispers, reading the room.
—Wait, aren't they going to capture us right now?
—They seem distracted by Cain.
—As expected of the world's best tan...
—Stop talking nonsense and let's run!
—But the curse hasn't been lifted yet.
—We can lift the curse later! If we get caught now, it'll be a real headache!
Just as they were venting their anger at Cain...
You did not obey the command!
A curse has been bestowed upon you!
All stats are temporarily reduced by 50%!
"...????!?!?!?"
"What the hell is this?!"
"Fck!"
Various curses in different languages erupted from all directions. They had expected a curse, but they didn't expect one so brutal that it cut their stats in half. Truly a curse worthy of a Spirit King! The scale of it was insane.
Cain asked, curious.
"What's the curse?"
"Our entire stats got cut in half, you son of a bitch! Undo this right now!"
"Oh..."
Cain thought about it again.
What would Kim Tae-hyun do?
"If all of your stats are cut in half... then you guys couldn't beat me even if you all attacked at once, right?"
In Pandemonium Online, if the gap in levels or stats was too wide, there was almost nothing one could do. If one Level 100 fought two Level 50s, the Level 100 would overwhelmingly win. But now, everyone's stats had been cut in half...
In this state, no matter how many of them there were, numbers meant nothing. It meant everyone was effectively below the level of a high-level player.
"...W-Wait."
"Cain, let's not do this. You're not this kind of person. Why are you acting like Kim Tae-hyun?"
"Sir. I must have lost my mind for a moment. I've been a bit forgetful lately..."
"Cain, I watched your last match. Honestly, the MVP was you..."
"No, the MVP of my heart was always..."
"Shut up, you lot!"
Prince Cain offered some advice from the side.
"It would be best to drag all of these pathetic fools along with us."
"Drag them along? For what?"
"Haha. Cain, you don't seem to know, but keeping worthless trash like them around always proves useful eventually."
Prince Cain was obnoxious, like a typical noble. But his advice was actually useful.
True...
Taking people with him wasn't a bad option. Besides, the Guild Alliance might target him...
"Fine! Follow me! We're going to the Erance Kingdom!"
"???"
"Why the Erance Kingdom... this is scary..."
"We're not going to prison, right?"
"What do you take me for? Just follow me!"
"Kim Tae-hyun's right hand?"
"Kim Tae-hyun's henchman?"
"Human bomb?"
"Everyone who just spoke gets cursed!"
"Aaaargh!"
Leading such a large crowd of players made him feel much more secure.
—Wait, now that I think about it, these rankers still have bounties on them...
—Aaaargh! Cain! Cain! Save me!
A fight almost broke out among them, but Cain managed to stop it. If they refused an order, they'd start with a 50% stat reduction, so how could they possibly fight the rankers?
But seriously, what do I use these guys for?
He couldn't take them on quests, there were no major battles happening right now, and the Demon Realm Expedition had temporarily returned...
Should I just dump them in Kim Tae-hyun's Valley?
Forced residency for one year! Of all the ideas that came to mind, this was the most reasonable and realistic. Even the bounty hunters would probably accept it. Using the Valley as a base would be annoying, but not completely unacceptable.
If a player registered a town or city as their base, they would generally resurrect there upon death and receive various additional benefits from the territory. It was nice to have, but not having it wasn't excruciating. Beginners died a lot, but once players reached a high level, their chances of dying dropped drastically.
"Cain, behave yourself in front of my father. He is extremely fastidious and sharp."
"I know, okay?"
Cain replied curtly to Prince Cain.
Dealing with noble NPCs wasn't a first for him... well, it was only his second or third time, but he wasn't stupid enough to not know that.
And thinking about it, this Prince Cain was the root of all this!
If only you hadn't opened your mouth...!
As Cain glared at him, Prince Cain avoided his gaze, feeling self-conscious. He muttered under his breath.
"You're getting a reward because of me, yet you're so rude..."
"You dare speak back to me...!"
"N-No! It's nothing! I misspoke!"
No matter if he was a prince or not, Cain would grab him by the collar the moment he lost his temper! The fact that their intimacy and reputation didn't drop even after this was truly mind-boggling.
Cain didn't know, but if Tae-hyun had seen this, he would have been horrified: How does intimacy not drop after that?!
The audacity to grab a prince by the collar inside the royal palace! Prince Cain and Cain were truly soulmates born of the same cloth.
"Please enter."
Following the royal guards' command, Cain stepped inside. He had seen the King of Erance a few times, but this was his first time facing him one-on-one!
Should I dismiss the Shadow Elf? No, the Shadow Elf is better than having six arms.
A strangely depressing dilemma!
You have met the King of Erance Kingdom in person!
Your Reputation has increased significantly!
Quest successfully completed and reported.
He had received rewards when he returned from the Demon Realm, but meeting the king granted him additional rewards. Three levels up, even though it was just a bonus! Yet Cain remained calm.
Pretty average. Eh, they could've given a bit more.
This was the kind of reward one quickly got used to when hanging around Tae-hyun! Because they specialized in massive, high-profile quests, this felt ordinary.
Of course, if Tae-hyun had heard this, he would have smacked Cain on the back of the head!
"Are you not the sl... knight who serves the King of Atali? I am pleased to meet you like this."
"T-Thank you."
Did he just say sl...? What is sl...? Sloth?
Unfortunately for Cain, he didn't have a divine entity like Carbanog to give him the answer.
"Prince Cain."
"Yes?"
"No, not you."
"Ah. My apologies..."
Cain quietly shrank back.
"To think you would step forward as the vanguard. When I was poisoned, you didn't even show your face, you little bastard..."
"Y-Your Majesty. Your dignity..."
The Chief Chamberlain beside him gasped and cleared his throat. With a hero from another kingdom present, what kind of reckless remarks were these?
"Ah, right. My apologies. Yes. When I was poisoned, you didn't even show your face, so when you finally stepped forward, I thought... well, let's see what kind of bullshit... ahem, what you would do."
Prince Cain listened in silence. The King of Erance looked like a dignified, benevolent, and wise ruler on the outside, but his sons knew better. They knew exactly how foul-tempered and petty the king truly was!
"I thought you would run away, but to go to the Demon Realm, build a new fortress, and pacify the surrounding area... this is truly a remarkable achievement."
"Of course, it was thanks to my hard..."
Prince Cain was about to say "thanks to my hard work!" but caught Cain's glare from the side. If he actually said that, Cain looked ready to grab him by the collar right in front of the king.
"...rather than my own efforts, it was because of the knights who helped me and Sir Cain's assistance..."
The King of Erance Kingdom is deeply impressed by Prince Cain's words!
"Incredible! I fully expected you to shamelessly spout some bullshit about doing it all yourself!"
"......"
"......"
Both Cain and Prince Cain fell silent. Cain looked at Prince Cain and thought, How on earth have you survived until now?
"You have truly changed. I was waiting to see what kind of nonsense you'd babble... hmph. This must all be thanks to Sir Cain. To learn by watching a hero. It feels a bit too late, but I am pleased."
"T-Thank you!"
If Prince Cain had spoken shamelessly, the king had fully intended to punish him severely, but he changed his mind. He's a shameless brat, but he seems to have matured a bit this time!
"Sir Cain. Thank you. Thanks to you, my immature brat... ahem, my immature son has finally come to his senses."
"Y-You're welcome?"
"A knight of your high reputation surely desires no reward..."
"N-No, actually..."
It was Prince Cain who stopped Cain from speaking, frantically nudging his side.
"...But if I do not bestow a reward, the honor of the kingdom would be compromised. I wish to grant you a territory."
"!!!"
Cain's eyes widened.
Before Cain had left, Tae-hyun had definitely said this:
—Hey. With a quest reward of this scale, they might give you a territory. Looking at past precedents, it's entirely possible.
Seeing how Alcott had received a barony, it was highly likely Cain could too. Even Prince Cain had suggested it himself, though he had stupidly ruined it before...
—This time, please don't decline or anything. Make sure to accept it, okay?
—I-I know. I'm not an idiot. I'm definitely accepting it this time!
—.......
—Why are you looking at me like that?
—No... just feeling anxious. Whew. I trust you, Cain. Don't blow it!
Ugh. That jerk Kim Tae-hyun thinks I'm such an idiot.
Of course, he was a bit simple-minded, but that was only in comparison to Kim Tae-hyun. Compared to the average player in Pandemonium Online, Cain was confident he was highly intelligent.
"...Are you listening, Sir Cain?"
"Pardon? Yes, yes!"
"Do you like this territory?"
Prince Cain was frantically nudging his side again.
Ah. Is he telling me to say yes?
Seeing that, Cain nodded.
"Yes! I like it!"
"Wait... really?"
"Yes!"
"...No... but this territory is a bit..."
At that, the Chief Chamberlain spoke up desperately.
"Your Majesty! How can we change the fact that Sir Cain is a selfless and honorable knight! Please preserve his honorable name!"
"Even so, this territory is a bit... isn't it? Chamberlain. If we grant Sir Cain this territory that you suggested, what will the people outside say?"
"..."
Only then did Cain begin to feel that he had made a mistake.