The Accidental Sovereign
"So, you have entered..."
"...!"
The moment he stepped inside, a slow, dragging voice echoed in his ears.
Okenoas has teleported you to his presence.
Flash!
Suddenly forced to teleport, Tae-hyun tensed and immediately checked his surroundings. Was it a trap after all? Fortunately, his worries were unfounded.
"So... you are... the successor... of Akisus. I assumed as much because of the letter written by the Gold Dragon..."
You have met the Ancient Dragon Okenoas face-to-face.
Okenoas treats you with goodwill. Your Reputation has increased significantly.
Okenoas was lying in a massive, water-filled hemispherical nest. Even deep underwater, his size was overwhelming. To exaggerate slightly, his torso alone looked capable of snapping several ships in half. He was a true dragon, unlike Yong-yong or Heuk-heuk, who had started with their levels severely depleted from overusing their breaths.
Now that is a real dragon!
—Master, I feel like you're thinking of something highly offensive.
—I wasn't thinking of anything. I was just thinking that Okenoas actually looks like a real dragon.
—If that's not offensive, then what is?!
Unaware of the telepathic bickering between the two, Okenoas spoke again.
"By the way... is that Black Dragon also a divine beast of Akisus?"
"Ah, that's actually Sadiq's demonic beast."
"???"
You have astonished the ancient dragon Okenoas, who has lived for an eon. Your Reputation has...
...
"You command... a demonic beast of Sadiq...?"
"It just sort of happened..."
"Hmm... If it is Akisus, I suppose nothing should surprise me..."
Tae-hyun wanted to ask why Akisus made it unsurprising, but he held back. Now was not the time!
"Those two dragons... are far too weak... It seems they have exhausted much of their power..."
◈ Description: A restorative elixir infused with Okenoas's power.
◈ Effect: Highly specialized for restoring the strength of dragon-type creatures.
"...!"
To think he would just hand over such an item for free! Tae-hyun's opinion of Okenoas instantly flipped. He seems a bit lazy, but what a kind-hearted dragon!
"Thank you so much!"
"Just so you know... there is none for that Black Dragon... I despise Black Dragons..."
"..."
Heuk-heuk pouted. I hate you too!
Okenoas, after sizing Tae-hyun up, quickly lost interest and got to the point.
"More importantly... I summoned you because I wished to meet the successor of Akisus... but as I said... those without qualifications should not enter here... I would appreciate it if you could pass this message to those outside... If they keep bothering me, I will have to go out and sweep them away..."
"What exactly are those qualifications?"
"There must be someone who found the letter... Without that letter, the door to my resting place would not have opened..."
"...!"
Tae-hyun immediately realized what he meant. In other words, Chairman Yoo—the one who actually found the letter—had to come in person!
"Other people died for nothing because of you, Elder!"
"...Are you saying this is my fault?"
"No, I'm just saying."
Chairman Yoo grumbled at Tae-hyun's bright, cheerful remark. He had been peacefully fishing outside when Tae-hyun suddenly sent him a whisper, dragging him all the way here.
"Bring... the letter..."
Okenoas's grand voice echoed. But Chairman Yoo focused on a completely different detail.
"Wait, why is that beast speaking so informally to me?"
"Elder, that 'beast' is probably way older than you. ...In terms of the game's lore, at least."
"Shouldn't we count age from the moment Pan-On launched...?"
"Ah, stop talking nonsense and just hand over the letter."
At Tae-hyun's nagging, Chairman Yoo reluctantly handed over the letter. Okenoas nodded.
"The King of Arantis... had asked me to keep the crown safe... It seems the time has come to return it..."
Wait, he's just giving it away?
Tae-hyun was slightly surprised. Normally, for an item like a crown, shouldn't there be a grand, ten-part questline before the NPC says, "Fufu... you have proven your worth..." and hands it over? From finding the location while fishing to this, it was an incredibly bizarre quest in many ways.
"However, human... this crown is not something just anyone can receive."
I knew it.
"To accept this crown... means to bear the weight of the Arantis Kingdom, bound to it until the very end of your soul... Are you prepared for such a commitment?"
Wait, this is highly suspicious.
It didn't sound like a simple reward. It felt more like, 'The moment you accept this, you are shackled to this kingdom forever.' Chairman Yoo hadn't realized it yet, but Tae-hyun's sharp instincts immediately picked up on the danger.
"Well... I don't have that kind of commitment..."
"...!"
Tae-hyun stared at him in surprise. Did the old man notice something? Fortunately, that wasn't the case.
"I have fishing to do, other places to visit, so many sights to see... Dealing with headaches at my company in the real world is more than enough. Yes, indeed," Chairman Yoo muttered, nodding to himself.
While other players would have fought tooth and nail to become the king of a nation, Chairman Yoo had absolutely no greed for such things. Okenoas frowned and turned his gaze toward Tae-hyun.
"Then... perhaps you..."
"I don't have that commitment either!" Tae-hyun rejected instantly.
"...One of you must accept it... Otherwise, I will have to keep waiting here forever..."
Okenoas was so incredibly lazy that he wanted to get this over with right now. His entire body radiated sheer exhaustion and annoyance.
"You, who found the letter... You... possess a detached mind, untainted by greed..."
He's totally making up excuses because he's too lazy to wait, Tae-hyun thought to himself.
Ignoring Tae-hyun's internal commentary, Okenoas droned on.
"With someone like you... I can safely entrust the crown..."
"No, I said I don't want it, you overgrown snake!" Chairman Yoo barked.
"I cannot hear you... human..."
Okenoas completely ignored Chairman Yoo's protests and pulled a crown from thin air. It was the brilliantly shining [Crown of Arantis]!
"No! I said I don't want it!"
"Do not move."
Okenoas has cast Word Magic.
You cannot move.
Tae-hyun, watching from the side, saw a different message window pop up.
You have witnessed the Word of Power skill of a great being.
The level of your Word of Power skill has increased.
"Oh... You know how to use the Word of Power? I suppose it makes sense... since you are the successor of Akisus..."
Seriously, what kind of god is Akisus to Okenoas for him to react like this?
Meanwhile, Chairman Yoo desperately called out to Tae-hyun for help.
"Hey! You rascal! Don't just stand there watching, help me!"
"Well, look who we're dealing with. I'll help you, sure. Besides, it's not like he's hurting you. He's giving you a crown, isn't that a good thing?"
"I don't want to be a king! I want to be a free fisherman!"
"Stop complaining when you're being pampered."
"Be quiet, human."
"Mmph! Mmph!"
With Chairman Yoo's mouth now magically sealed, Okenoas slowly lowered the crown onto his head.
This crown cannot be unequipped.
The King must remain within his kingdom. While wearing this crown, you may only leave the sea for three days a year.
"......?????"
What on earth...? Only three days a year?
In other words, he was forced to spend almost all of his time in Pan-On on the sea!
Chairman Yoo stared at Tae-hyun and Okenoas with absolute dumbfoundedness. But the two of them, as if they had rehearsed it, simultaneously looked away.
"You absolute scammers!"
"Human... congratulations..."
"Congratulations, my foot!"
"Congratulations, Elder!"
"You rascal... you knew, didn't you?!"
"Hey, how could I possibly know about the crown's curse?"
Tae-hyun feigned innocence, but to Chairman Yoo, he looked incredibly suspicious.
The current status of the Arantis Kingdom is as follows:
...
You can now issue commands across the entire kingdom.
Public security has severely deteriorated due to ongoing conflicts among adventurers within the kingdom. You must restore order.
Would you like to issue a command to the kingdom's Merman Guard?
"...First, ban all fighting within the kingdom."
Chairman Yoo issued the command and turned back to argue with Okenoas, but the dragon was one step ahead.
"Human... now leave... Go and rule your kingdom well..."
"You overgrown snake—"
"No need to thank me..."
Flash!
You have been expelled from the dungeon!
Thud!
Chairman Yoo dropped straight onto the deck of his ship. The nearby guild members gasped and rushed over.
"Elder?!"
"What is that on your head?"
It was only natural to be shocked when someone who had entered a dungeon suddenly materialized in midair wearing a crown.
Chairman Yoo stomped his feet in sheer frustration.
"Do you have any idea what just happened in there?!"
"W-what happened?"
"That dragon bastard in there forced me to become the king!"
It was a cry of genuine, heartfelt rage! The guild members tried to sympathize... but stopped. Something felt off.
"...Wait, is that really something to be angry about?"
"Hold on. What? King? Elder, you became the king?"
"That's... a crown!"
Only then did the guild members fully grasp the situation. They let out a collective cheer and swarmed Chairman Yoo.
"Long live the Elder! Long live the King!"
"Does this mean we get some perks too?!"
They tossed him into the air in celebration.
As he went up and down, Chairman Yoo yelled in a choked voice, "You fools! I can't leave the sea anymore! Is that something to celebrate?!"
"Hey, if you get to be king, that's a small price to pay!"
"Exactly!"
"Though, not being able to go on land does sound a bit annoying."
"It's fine. It's not like we can't go on land."
Hearing his guild members whispering among themselves, Chairman Yoo clenched his fists. I will rule you ungrateful bastards with absolute tyranny and oppression!
"...And you... why are you still here...?"
Okenoas is drifting back to sleep.
His eyes were already half-closed. But Tae-hyun had no intention of letting this opportunity slip away. On the continent, the chance to converse with a dragon was incredibly rare. Usually, the moment you met one, they would roar "Begone!" and blast you with their breath. Who knew when he would ever meet another dragon who looked upon him with favor like Okenoas did?
"I have something I want to ask you!"
"Ask me... later... In about five thousand years..."
"I can't wait that long!"
"Ugh... why must you torment me... successor of Akisus..."
Okenoas groaned, tossing and turning in annoyance.
"I just fulfilled a troublesome promise, and now I must catch up on my sleep..."
"When else will I ever have the honor of meeting the great Okenoas again? I am trying to work toward the peace of the continent, and I would love to receive your aid!"
"...The successor of Akisus... working for... the peace of the continent...?"
"..."
"That makes no sense... If anything, Akisus would be the one ruining the peace of the continent..."
Okenoas tilted his head in confusion, and Tae-hyun felt a sudden pang of guilt.
"Very well... I owe a debt to Akisus... so I shall listen... Speak of only one thing..."
Okenoas lends you temporary Contribution Points.
This can only be used for a single inquiry. If you miss this opportunity, it will disappear.
Tae-hyun answered immediately, sensing that Okenoas might fall fast asleep at any second.
"You seem to know a lot about Akisus. Do you happen to know anything about the Authorities of Archisus scattered across the continent?"