A Gathering of Nobles

The knights tucked their tails the moment they confirmed Tae-hyun was a Count. Now they finally understood why Count Marcel hadn't simply crushed him with his authority and had resorted to such foolish antics instead. They were of the exact same rank!

"Are they gone?" Count Marcel peeked his head out of the carriage window.

Tae-hyun stood right in front of his protruding face, locking eyes with him. "I'm still here."

"Gaaah?!" Count Marcel gasped, jumping as if he had seen a ghost. "When did you get so close?! You useless fools! What do I pay you for?!"

"W-we are terribly sorry, my lord." The knights bowed their heads in shame. They couldn't exactly stop Tae-hyun when he had demanded they step aside using his authority as a fellow Count!

"Why take it out on your men? They only stepped aside because I told them we were close friends."

"C-close friends?"

"We are, aren't we? Or are you saying we're not?"

Tae-hyun's eyes flashed dangerously.

"O-of course we are! Indeed! We are the best of friends! I am still so incredibly grateful to you for saving my life!"

Watching from behind, Evangeline nodded knowingly. She was finally starting to grasp what Tae-hyun meant when he claimed to be "close friends" with someone.

"Haha. Shall we share a cozy carriage ride then?"

"Haha. Is there any way we could... not?"

"Haha. Do I really need to pull out the contract we signed back on Katerand Island?"

"Haha. I was only joking! Please, climb aboard!"

A chilling conversation masked by cheerful laughter! Count Marcel swallowed his tears and personally opened the carriage door, inviting Tae-hyun inside.

Thud, thud, thud.

"...?"

As Tae-hyun prepared to board, the rest of his party began to follow him. Rufo stared at them, utterly dumbfounded.

"What do you think you are doing trying to climb in?"

"...Oh, well, we thought we could ride along too... Since there's plenty of room left..."

"Do you think a Count's carriage is some sort of joke? Everyone, step back."

Tae-hyun nodded approvingly at Rufo's words. "Well said, Rufo."

"Thank you, my lord."

"As a reward, I shall grant only you a horse. You may ride it."

"Pardon? A horse?"

"Yes. A horse."

Tae-hyun grabbed one of the escorting knights and yanked him right off his mount.

"Aaargh?!" The knight tumbled onto the soft ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠grass, rolling over once.

Tae-hyun held out the horse's reins to Rufo.

"N-no... I am perfectly fine. I prefer to walk!"

If he took that horse, he would undoubtedly become the target of the other knights' intense resentment. Rufo waved his hands frantically in refusal. Walking was infinitely better!

"Is that so? Suit yourself."

With that, Tae-hyun climbed into the carriage. The rest of the party had no choice but to trudge along behind it.

"Yikes! Holy crap! I thought that was a monster!"

"..."

The knights jumped in fright upon catching sight of Evangeline. Her current appearance was just that hideous. It wouldn't have been strange at all for someone to mistake her for an undead knight monster.

As the temporarily halted procession set off once more with its newly expanded roster, nearby players watched in absolute shock.

"Just now..."

"That was Kim Tae-hyun, right?"

"Kim Tae-hyun is doing a quest here! Kim Tae-hyun is here!"

The information spread like wildfire.

Players who simply wanted to catch a glimpse of Tae-hyun packed their bags and headed toward Anong Castle. Meanwhile, the more calculating players began to speculate on his reasons for being there. Rankers and expert-level players never acted without a clear purpose!

Is there some hidden quest nearby?

Maybe we can join in too?

One of the most envied groups of players in the game were those who, during the Katerand Island quest, had mindlessly raised their hands in the plaza and ended up traveling all the way to Katerand Island. To outsiders, it looked like they had barely put in any effort and had simply lucked into a massive quest thanks to Tae-hyun.

Of course, the reality for those who went to Katerand Island was entirely different. They had been tricked and dragged away!

Let's check it out!

It's not like we have anything to lose by going, right?

If Cain had heard them, he would have shaken his head and shouted:

"You have plenty to lose, you idiots!"

Of course, the players couldn't hear Cain's warnings. As the rumors spread, players began flocking to Anong Castle.

And then, there was one particular person.

"F-finally... sob..."

"Calm down. Pull yourself together, man."

"Phil, sniff... I had such a hard time!"

Gu Sung-wook clung to a dwarf, weeping bitterly. That was how deeply wronged and sorrowful he felt! After spending so much time and effort, the NPCs of Tyrum had stabbed him right in the back.

Go obtain that blueprint from my disciple!

I will never trust those Tyrum bastards again!

Why did he have to suffer so much for a mere game? Gu Sung-wook could no longer give up on the Ure blueprint. Even if it was out of sheer spite, resentment, and a sense of injustice, he was going to get his hands on it no matter what!

"Calm down, and make sure you speak to him properly. Got it?"

"Yes." Gu Sung-wook nodded with a look of grim determination. Judging by his expression, one would think he was a legendary hero marching off to slay the Demon King!

"I had no idea Kim Tae-hyun was such an incredible player. If I had known, I would have made a different proposal."

"It's not your fault, Phil."

"I know, but it's still a shame. Seeing him around Tyrum City back then, we might have been able to invite him to our guild. If only we had been a bit more proactive... But he's grown far too big now. There's no way he'd join a guild like ours."

Phil was on the older side among the guild members, which allowed him to view the situation objectively.

"We might not be able to recruit him, but we still absolutely need to get that Ure blueprint, right?"

"Of course! I'll do it even if it costs me my life!"

"No, don't go risking your life over it..."

"I will bring it back, even if it costs me my life!"

"Count Marcel."

"W-what is it?"

"When I saved your life on Katerand Island, you made a promise, didn't you? ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠You swore you would repay this debt of gratitude."

"W-well, yes, but... that didn't mean I would do absolutely anything..."

"Surely a noble wouldn't stake his honor on a promise only to break it so easily."

"...What is it you want?!"

"I need you to help me out when I speak with Count Anong. You're close friends with him, right?"

At Tae-hyun's words, Count Marcel's face swelled with pride. "Indeed, we are. Did you know Count Anong treats me as his older brother?"

"What? There's actually someone who treats you like an older brother? Did you pay him off?"

"..." Count Marcel's face crumpled like a piece of scrap paper.

"...We are distant relatives. Count Anong has looked up to me ever since we were children."

"Relatives, huh? Well, I suppose all the noble NPCs on this continent are connected somehow."

Since nobles constantly married within their own circles, tracing any family tree far enough would inevitably reveal some distant connection.

"In any case, at least it wasn't bribery."

"I told you it wasn't!" Count Marcel beat his chest in sheer frustration. "Wait. What do you mean by helping you in your conversation? What on earth are you planning to talk about?"

"Haha. It's nothing major."

"..." Count Marcel stared at Tae-hyun, his expression filled with deep unease.

"What do you think they're talking about inside that carriage?"

"Probably some high-society noble stuff."

"Man, I'm so jealous. I want to get a title too..."

"Aren't you dreaming a bit too big?"

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with dreaming big, okay?"

The players whispered among themselves as they watched the procession enter the castle.

"Since Kim Tae-hyun even received the title of Count, he must be..."

— Hoho. This is premium coffee harvested from Mount Asma. Would you care for a cup?

— Ah, you truly are a man of culture, Count. Haha!

An elegant, aristocratic experience impossible to find in the real world! The players were convinced that Tae-hyun was enjoying exactly that kind of luxury.

Of course, what was actually happening inside the carriage was a far cry from their imaginations.

"Like I said, it's no big deal. If we need to mobilize troops or launch a subjugation campaign, and Count Anong hesitates, I just want you to egg him on."

"How is that not a big deal?! You're talking about mobilizing a fief's military!"

"Well, it's not my army, and it's not your army, so it's not a big deal to either of us. Now, if I asked you to bring your army here, that would be a big deal."

Technically speaking, he wasn't wrong!

Even so, Count Marcel tried his best to resist. Having known Count Anong for so long, he didn't want to drag him into any trouble. As Count Marcel continued to drag his feet, Tae-hyun shut him down with a single, simple sentence.

"Should I order you to drag your own army all the way here instead?"

"Haha! I will do absolutely everything in my power to assist you when you speak with Count Anong!"

No ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠matter how much he protested, Count Marcel was a selfish man at his core!

"Count Anong will arrive shortly. Please make yourselves comfortable."

"Very well."

Count Marcel responded to the servant's words with a stern, solemn, and dignified expression. It was a complete 180 from how he acted around Tae-hyun!

"..."

Tae-hyun stared at Count Marcel with utter disdain before speaking up. "By the way, what kind of person is Count Anong?"

"He is an exemplary noble, just like myself."

"Oh, really?"

To Tae-hyun's ears, "an exemplary noble like Count Marcel" could only mean one thing: "an exemplary pushover like Count Marcel."

Another noble who's just as easy to exploit as Count Marcel? Is this some kind of buy-one-get-one-free deal?

Tae-hyun grinned from ear to ear. Perhaps sensing Tae-hyun's sinister thoughts, Count Marcel shot him a suspicious look.

"What is with that look on your face?"

"Ahem. It is nothing."

Perhaps because he knew Count Anong would be arriving any second, Count Marcel was putting on airs more than usual.

Click.

The door swung open, and Count Anong stepped inside.

He's huge!

Standing nearly two meters tall, his bulging muscles were clearly defined even beneath his formal noble attire. To top it off, his face was covered in battle scars. He looked like a walking tank. Anyone could tell at a glance that he was a warrior noble who excelled on the battlefield!

"Haha. Quite similar to me, wouldn't you say?"

"..."

Tae-hyun was utterly speechless at the sheer shamelessness of the pot-bellied, waddling Count Marcel. In what universe did they look similar?

"Brother, it has been too long. And is this esteemed gentleman Count Kim Tae-hyun?"

"Yes, indeed. You have keen eyes."

"I have heard of your deeds and held you in the highest regard! It is an absolute honor to finally meet you!"

Count ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Anong bowed politely and extended his hand to Tae-hyun.

Watching from the side, Count Marcel looked incredibly anxious. His face practically screamed: Don't get too close to him, he's not a good guy!

But Tae-hyun simply smirked and shook Count Anong's hand. There was absolutely no reason to reject someone who was practically throwing their affection at him!

"I am still young and inexperienced, so I was deeply astonished when I heard of your exploits from afar. I wonder how one can achieve such legendary feats. I, too, wish to devote myself to achieving greatness, just like you, Count Kim Tae-hyun!"

Hearing a battle-hardened veteran who looked like he had survived a hundred wars refer to himself as "young and inexperienced" was a bit hard to digest. However, Tae-hyun knew exactly how to handle this kind of situation.

Hiding his true intentions, Tae-hyun flashed a bright smile. "Of course. So, you wish to become a hero?"

"Yes!"

Beside them, Count Marcel's face turned pale.