The Art of the Imposter

"What are you planning to do with that disguise?" Lee Se-yeon asked, utterly dumbfounded but unable to contain her curiosity.

"I used to be on pretty good terms with the King of Erangs, you see."

"Ah. Right, I forgot." ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Lee Se-yeon nodded. Whenever anyone talked about Kim Tae-hyun, one thing always came up: his absurd network of NPC connections.

The bulletin board erupted in heated jeers. People were sick of this exact same argument repeating.

"Isn't Player A, who played in the League, the best?" → "I know Player A is great, but Player B didn't participate. If they did..." → "Then just participate, damn it! Talk after you actually play!"

People couldn't help but get annoyed when others kept trying to claim moral victories using players who hadn't even competed. It was pure frustration because there was no way to prove it!

However, there was one topic even those stubborn contrarians couldn't dispute.

"But right now, it seems the King of Erangs is in a pretty bad spot," Tae-hyun said.

If the King were in his right mind, there was no way he would have banned Tae-hyun from roaming around. Even if they weren't best friends, they had built up a significant amount of intimacy.

Lee Se-yeon caught on to his implication and asked, "So... you think the princes are keeping the King locked up?"

"I'd say there's a very high probability."

"Actually... I've heard similar rumors from rankers active in the Erangs Kingdom's army."

"What? Really?" Tae-hyun looked surprised.

"Why?"

"No... I'm just surprised you actually have ranker friends."

"..."

Lee Se-yeon's face went stiff. "Do I look like someone who doesn't have friends?"

"Well, I don't really have friends among the rankers. I figured you wouldn't either."

"..."

Now, Lee Se-yeon was the one who felt apologetic. "...D-Don't let it get to you. It's fine not to have friends."

"But you just said you do."

"No... I mean, it's not a crime... and we're not even that close anyway..."

Se-yeon suddenly felt a wave of unearned guilt.

Meanwhile, Tae-hyun and Lee Da-bi had already taken a step back, whispering to each other.

"To be fair, Se-yeon has been incredibly popular ever since Pan-On 1," Tae-hyun murmured.

"Well, someone as amazing as Miss Se-yeon is bound to be popular, right?" Da-bi replied.

"Then what about me?"

"...I'm always on your side, Mr. Tae-hyun!"

While Se-yeon didn't have an exceptionally wide social circle either, compared to Tae-hyun or Da-bi, she was practically a social butterfly. Tae-hyun, on the other hand, was a complete outcast among the rankers.

During Pan-On 1, he had been public enemy number one. And in Pan-On 2, even after his popularity skyrocketed, he simply had no interest in socializing.

Other rankers usually called up acquaintances or pooled their strength to tackle difficult dungeons and quests...

But Tae-hyun just cleared everything by himself, smooth as silk. Since he never needed help, he had no reason to make ranker friends!

"Mr. Tae-hyun, Miss Se-yeon is your friend. And she's a ranker too," Da-bi offered gently, trying her best to comfort him in case his feelings were hurt. Though it wasn't much of a consolation!

"I highly doubt Se-yeon actually considers me a friend..."

"Of course she does! Right, Miss Se-yeon?"

Da-bi's sudden question caught Se-yeon off guard. "F-Friend... right? We're friends, aren't we?"

"Really? For someone who thinks that, you sure talked a lot of trash about me to your guild members..."

"..."

The years of badmouthing Tae-hyun since Pan-On 1 had finally come back to haunt her!

"Well, close friends usually tease and bicker with each other, don't they?" Da-bi quickly intervened.

"I don't think that's what this was, but... whatever. Let's just say that's the case."

Persuaded by Da-bi, Tae-hyun let it slide. It didn't really matter if others had dozens of ranker friends. Tae-hyun had always been a solo player anyway!

"So, what did those rankers in the Erangs army say?"

"They said only the princes have been showing their faces, while the King is nowhere to be seen. They suspect something fishy is going on."

Tae-hyun nodded at Se-yeon's explanation. Her information was indeed helpful. It made perfect sense!

"If Count Besgo is currently incapacitated, we can use this opportunity to slip in. Let's move."

Se-yeon turned to Da-bi and whispered, "Does he always tackle quests like this?"

"Pardon? Oh, no."

"I knew it..." Se-yeon let out a small sigh of relief. Surely, he didn't pull this kind of stunt every single time!

"Usually, his methods are way more bizarre than this."

"...?!?!"

"Count Besgo was a noble close to the Third Prince. So, the army the Count led should be stationed near the Third Prince's camp."

"Will the other NPCs buy it so easily?"

"I'll try to persuade them using my speech skills, reputation, authority, and so on. Even if it doesn't work perfectly, they won't be able to kick us out as long as the disguise holds."

Tae-hyun was confident. No matter how much of a useless degenerate Dorango was, if the Count and the other high-ranking officers were all down, the soldiers wouldn't dare kick out the Count's only son!

He just needed to get his foot in the door. Once inside, he could gather information on what was happening within the Erangs Kingdom.

"Besides, the Third Prince is a total pushover. Once I get close enough, I can just threaten him."

"...???"

Se-yeon tilted her head, unable to comprehend Tae-hyun's words. "The Third Prince is a pushover?"

"He is, isn't he?"

"Wait, Kim Tae-hyun. Are you misunderstanding something?"

Flustered, Se-yeon pulled up a video. It was a clip uploaded by rankers and players active in the Erangs Kingdom. One of them captured the Third Prince.

— Kuoooo...

— Look, there goes David, the Third Prince of the Erangs Kingdom! He looks absolutely magnificent! Truly a prince among men!

— Kuoo... Kuoooo... Kuooo...

A massive warrior clad in seamless, heavy metal armor rode slowly on a horse that was similarly draped in steel.

Instead of speaking, the Third Prince only let out heavy, wheezing breaths that sounded like "Kuooo, Kuooo."

The players watching were utterly awed by his suffocating majesty.

"Whoa! Now that's what a prince should look like!"

Just ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠being near him triggered a fear penalty! The players in the video shouted in excitement.

— The Third Prince is an absolute legend!

— What level is he? 800? 900?

— Is that armor a special royal treasure of Erangs?

"...Wait a minute." Tae-hyun's face went pale as he watched the video. Something was seriously wrong.

"The Third Prince wasn't like that!"

When he had done quests in the Erangs Kingdom before, all the princes had seemed somewhat lacking and incompetent. Of course, Pandemonium Online was a game where appearances could be deceiving. There were plenty of cases where a weak-looking NPC turned out to be incredibly high-level.

But... the princes definitely hadn't felt like that!

"T-Tae-hyun. Is that really the Third Prince? No matter how I look at it, he seems like a completely different person."

— Kuoo. Kuoooo.

The Erangs royal family possessed all sorts of treasures and ancient scrolls. He must have made a highly suspicious covenant using one of them.

What kind of contract? Did he make a pact with a Demon Duke? Or a god?

Yeah. And I'm in deep trouble too...

"......"

Tae-hyun and Carbanog both wore grim expressions. They had expected a pushover, but seeing this walking mountain of iron made them feel utterly lost.

Will my speech skills even work on that thing?

It looked like he wouldn't even be able to start a conversation, let alone persuade him...

"Se-yeon, do you have any info on the First or Second Prince?"

"Ah, yes. I have one video of the First Prince. This isn't public info, so don't go sharing it, okay? Not many players have managed to get close to the First or Second Prince."

Se-yeon played the video of the First Prince. In the distance, the First Prince and his retinue could be seen passing by.

"..."

"..."

"No, this is just wrong."

The First Prince also looked like he had consumed something highly toxic; dark, malevolent energy was billowing from his entire body. He looked like a demonic magic swordsman straight out of hell!

While he didn't look exactly like the Third Prince, the sheer, unnatural transformation was identical.

The Erangs Kingdom has completely lost its mind.

Tae-hyun was dumbfounded. At this rate, it wouldn't even be surprising if the Second Prince showed up with three heads and six arms.

"Oh, Father! Father!"

Dorango—no, Tae-hyun—wailed dramatically the moment he arrived at the camp.

Tae-hyun actually had a higher intimacy rating with Count Besgo than the Count's actual son, Dorango. Dorango had truly been a spectacularly unfilial son.

— Wait, Dorango is reflecting on his actions??

— That piece of trash Dorango is actually crying??

— Is that really Dorango?

— How could Dorango have grown up so much?

"..."

"..."

Tae-hyun, who was face-down on the ground, and Se-yeon and Da-bi, who were standing behind him in disguise, all broke into a cold sweat.

Just how much of a despicable scoundrel had this guy been for the NPCs to react like this?!

"I wish to see my father!"

— Hmmm...

— Hmmmm...

— Hmmm...

The Count's vassal NPCs stared down at Tae-hyun with expressions of deep distaste.

"I know I have been unreliable, but I am still my father's flesh and blood! Please, let me see him just once!"

Whoosh!

Behind Tae-hyun, Se-yeon could swear she saw a literal halo of light radiating from him.

So that is the power of a speech skill!

Even the NPCs who despised Dorango flinched and were forced to back down under its overwhelming pressure.

"????"

Tae-hyun was utterly dumbfounded.

Wait... if the persuasion was successful, why am I getting a quest?!

"Wow, amazing. I didn't think you'd actually persuade them," Se-yeon whispered, impressed.

"No, it's a failure. I have to clear a quest first."

"Did they just give you a quest?"

"They said they'll let me see the Count if I complete it."

"...Isn't that basically a massive success?"

Se-yeon stared at him, completely speechless. Just how easily did this guy expect to get through things?!