The Art of Giving Up
"No, if I need to, of course I'll watch it!" Even at Lee Da-bi's perfectly logical remark, Tae-hyun remained shameless. If he needed to, he watched! Even back in Pan-On 1, Tae-hyun never spared any effort in researching his enemies when necessary. Back then, he was a blacksmith, so research was even more critical. But in his current situation, a player like Do Dong-su wasn't even on his radar. He was completely confident he would win!
"Still, shouldn't you watch it since Lee Se-yeon is there too?"
"Ah. Good point."
He had forgotten. They were currently holding hands, but Tae-hyun and Lee Se-yeon had spent far more time fighting each other than cooperating. There was no telling when they would clash again once the Arena Tournament ended. Lee Se-yeon was currently smiling and acting sweet toward him, but Tae-hyun wasn't fooled.
I did run off with her crown, after all...
Because they were birds of a feather, he knew. Lee Se-yeon would never forget that crown! It was best to prepare countermeasures in advance. Lee Se-yeon was undoubtedly plotting how to deal with him as well.
"I should probably brainstorm some strategies on how to take down Lee Se-yeon ahead of time."
"What? Why would you fight Lee Se-yeon?! That can never happen!" Cain, riding a wyvern next to them, yelled as if it were the most absurd thing he'd ever heard.
"Yong-yong, ram him."
Thud!
"Aaaargh! Why did you actually ram me?!" As Yong-yong headbutted him from the side, Cain wobbled precariously, desperately clinging to his wyvern.
Falling from this height may result in death!
"What if I fell?!"
"So what? It's not my life. Besides, you still haven't snapped out of it, have you? I told you not to trust Lee Se-yeon! You need to get burned once to finally learn your lesson."
"N-No! Se-yeon is a good person! She even spoke to me so kindly!"
"Hey, the people who are nice to you for absolutely no reason are the most dangerous ones! Think about why she's doing that!"
"Have you ever said a single warm word to me?!"
Listening to the bickering between Tae-hyun and Cain, Lee Da-bi's expression turned bizarre.
...If anyone heard them, they'd think they were having a lovers' quarrel...
"Why do you hate Lee Se-yeon so much anyway? Did she ever do anything wrong to you?"
In truth, Cain's reaction was perfectly natural. In Pan-On 2, if anyone had caused harm, it was Tae-hyun harming Lee Se-yeon, never the other way around. Even during their recent clash over the crown, Lee Se-yeon was the one who ended up losing out. To explain his ill-fated relationship with her, they'd have to go all the way back to Pan-On 1... but Tae-hyun had no intention of sharing that.
"Listen closely, Cain. We stole the crown Lee Se-yeon was aiming for, right?"
"Not 'we,' you—"
"You were there too, man. It's too late to squirm out of it now. Don't you think she'll try to get it back?"
"Se-yeon is generous, she wouldn't—"
"Who would just let that slide? It's not some common, everyday item. If she tries to take it back, she'll have to attack us."
"..."
"So, since we're going to fight anyway, I might as well start hating her now."
"What kind of twisted logic is that?!"
Ignoring the sputtering Cain, Tae-hyun turned to Lee Da-bi.
"I don't think this guy has learned his lesson yet. When we head back, how about we ditch his wyvern and tell Lee Se-yeon that Cain stole it?"
"If I put the wyvern on the auction house, how much of a cut will you give me?"
"Hmm. I'll be generous. Fifty-fifty."
"Sounds like a plan!"
"I can hear you, you evil bastards!" Cain trembled violently at their blatant, loud whispering. If they actually did that, he would never be able to show his face to Lee Se-yeon again. Back when he was the guild leader of Red Zone, he had committed his fair share of theft and plunder, but he was still a massive fan of Lee Se-yeon!
As he fumed, something suddenly crossed Cain's mind.
"Ah, right! The mount! You said you'd make me a mount! If you had made it for me earlier, I wouldn't have had to borrow one from Se-yeon!"
"Ah. Did I?" Tae-hyun recalled making such a promise.
Mounts—the eternal romance of Pan-On players! Their popularity was so immense that some players obsessed over mounts rather than levels or classes. They ranged from common land mounts like horses and oxen to powerful flying mounts like the undead wyvern Lee Se-yeon had lent them.
And what Tae-hyun had promised was an Engineering mount! Even in Pan-On 1, Engineering mounts were so popular that some players forced themselves to learn the skill just to craft one, thanks to their unique aesthetic and high performance.
Come to think of it, now that my Engineering skill has reached Advanced, it might be worth trying to craft a proper one.
Advanced Engineering. Blacksmithing, which was right on the verge of reaching Advanced. Plus, Tae-hyun's absurd Luck stat. If he sat down and really focused on crafting one, he could expect something truly incredible.
I've been so busy that I haven't even had the chance to properly check the new skills I unlocked after reaching Advanced Engineering...
"But wouldn't crafting a mount like that require a massive amount of materials?"
"Can't we just order the Power Warrior guild members to gather them?"
"They are my guild members. Why is Mr. Cain trying to boss them around?"
"S-Sorry..." Cain shrunk back, thoroughly scolded for his slip of the tongue.
Tae-hyun scratched his cheek and asked, "Can't we just order the Power Warrior guild members to do it?"
"I'll get right on it!"
The exact same question, but a completely different answer!
"Hey! Hey!!" Cain yelled in outrage.
"Actually, we probably won't need to rely on the Power Warrior guild members' labor that much."
"...?"
"Our destination is the kingdom. We're going to receive a reward from the King. If we spend some contribution points, we should be able to get most of the rare materials. We only need to ask the guild members for the common, tedious stuff."
"Ah, there's that method...!"
"...The atmosphere is a bit strange, isn't it?" Tae-hyun tilted his head.
The vibe in the Atali Kingdom was off. The air was thick with an awkward, uncomfortable tension. The atmosphere Tae-hyun had anticipated was much more lively and celebratory.
-Wow! Count Kim Tae-hyun! Subjugating the Sadiq Church! Amazing!
-To even bring back the head of the traitor! Truly magnificent!
-I shall grant you another fief! And massive contribution points!
But there was none of that in the palace right now. Even the noble NPCs walking around actively avoided Tae-hyun's gaze.
You have observed an exquisite work of art. Appraisal skill has increased.
The power of the Golden Merchant increases.
"Wow! Look at this artwork!"
"Is now the time to look at that? Why is the atmosphere like this?"
"Hmm, for information regarding the Atali Palace... we might have to search the forums."
Information easily accessible to players could be found with a simple search, but highly guarded secrets weren't so easily obtained. In fact, hadn't Kim Tae-san spent a fortune in real money just to secure class-change info for his guild members? To obtain valuable information, one had to invest accordingly.
"If you pay on this site, you can view a compiled summary of information regarding the Atali Palace!"
"How do you even know about this?"
"Well, because we sell the information we gather on there."
"..."
Tae-hyun's expression grew complicated upon learning one of the Power Warrior guild's revenue streams.
"So, should I pay for it?"
"No. I don't need that."
Tae-hyun walked forward confidently. While others gathered information through various tedious methods, Tae-hyun moved with absolute assurance. He had one simple reason!
Tap.
"Oh, my! Well met, Count!"
Advanced Rhetoric skill active. Conversation bonus applied.
Title: Count. Conversation penalty with nobles negated.
Atali Kingdom Contribution Points: High. Conversation bonus with nobles applied.
A cascade of bonus message windows popped up! With his Advanced Rhetoric skill, various titles, and high contribution points, even conversing with the notoriously prickly noble NPCs was a breeze.
"Hahaha! Ahahaha!"
Tae-hyun and the noble NPC laughed heartily, throwing their arms around each other's shoulders. Watching this, Cain looked utterly dumbfounded.
"Th-That noble NPC literally spat on the ground when he walked past me earlier..."
Status was everything in Pan-On. For ordinary players, interacting with nobles was practically impossible through normal means.
Meanwhile, Tae-hyun finished persuading the noble NPC.
-Now, tell me the reason!
"Well, you see, what happened was..."
Hearing the explanation, Tae-hyun furrowed his brows.
In the Atali Kingdom, there was a tradition: when a rebellion was suppressed, the person who made the greatest contribution was rewarded with the traitor's fief. The estate previously owned by Antonio was a prime, gold-plated territory located right near the palace. It was an incredibly wealthy fief, on a completely different level from the territories players could normally acquire.
Naturally, the King was extremely reluctant to part with it.
"Ah, so he's trying not to give it to me?"
"He will likely do everything in his power to avoid it."
"Tsk..."
Tae-hyun smacked his lips at the noble's words. What a stingy king!
"What are you going to do?"
"What can I do? If he doesn't want to give it, I can't force him."
Unlike the Auston Kingdom, which was in shambles, the Atali Kingdom was a fully functioning, stable nation. Falling out of favor with the King would spell immediate danger. Furthermore, Tae-hyun's current fief was also under the jurisdiction of the Atali Kingdom.
"You're giving up faster than I expected."
"Well, I can barely manage my current fief. What would I even do with another one?"
He was already pouring all his gold into his current territory. If he acquired another one, he might actually have to start spending real money. Thus, Tae-hyun genuinely lacked interest.
Wait. Unlike the Valley, the new fief is a prime estate right next to the palace. Wouldn't gold just pour in if he got it? Lee Da-bi thought to herself, but she chose not to say it out loud.
As a result...
"Your Majesty! I merely did what any loyal subject would do! How could I possibly accept such a grand reward?"
"Ohh, Count Kim Tae-hyun!"
A preemptive strike! If it was certain he wouldn't get it anyway, he might as well reject it first to win the King's favor.
Oh? A welcome sight!
Though the system called them "requests," with Tae-hyun's level of Rhetoric and affinity, they were essentially guaranteed successes. He could even ask to borrow the royal knights!
Royal Patronage
📍 Location: Atali Palace
🎁 Reward: Increased political influence within the Atali Kingdom.
The public perception of the Archisus Church has improved following the subjugation of the Sadiq Church. The Atali Palace wishes to employ a representative from the Archisus Church. Depending on which individual is employed, the influence of the Archisus Church within the palace may increase.
"Uh..."
A quest prompting him to send an Archisus Church NPC to the palace to reap various benefits. The problem was...
I don't have anyone to send.
Unlike other churches overflowing with talent, the Archisus Church was populated entirely by walking disasters. No matter how much he racked his brain, no suitable NPC came to mind.
Hmm, hmmmm...
Ultimately, Tae-hyun decided to take the opposite approach. If he didn't have a proper candidate anyway, then...!
"Understood! I shall select the finest candidate and send them to you."
"I shall look forward to it, Count Kim Tae-hyun!"
If you fail to send an NPC within the designated period, the King may be disappointed. In that case, the influence of the Archisus Church will decrease.
Lee Da-bi asked curiously, "Who are you planning to send?"
"Hmm? Ed-an."
"...!"
Ed-an, the self-proclaimed Great Thief who had been caught trying to rob the very same Atali Palace!
"You can't send him back there!"
"Ayy, he's a former king of thieves, so it's fine. They won't even notice."
Tae-hyun's ulterior motive was glaringly obvious. He was clearly setting things up to rob the royal treasury the moment an opportunity arose!