Level 80

"Kang Myeong-jin. I'd like you to leave Federica's fate to me."

"…"

Kang Myeong-jin closed his mouth. His brow furrowed as if he were weighing something carefully.

I could guess what was running through his head. He was calculating which option would profit him more.

"If we spare Federica, the master of the Thorn Rose Legion, there could be backlash from all sides. The mercenaries gathered here alone are already hoping for her death."

"They're just mercenaries. Ignore them. Or did you put a clause in their contracts about taking Federica's head when you hired them?"

Mercenaries were hired soldiers, nothing more. In this world, they weren't about to turn on us and make enemies of us. Their influence was limited, and at the end of the day they moved by the logic of money. No legion ever went under just because mercenaries badmouthed them.

"The mercenary contracts are ordinary ones. What matters isn't the mercenaries — it's the legions that cooperated with us. Three of them in total. What do you plan to do about them?"

"Those are even easier than the mercenaries. Carve up the districts the Thorn Rose Legion used to control and hand them out. They'll shut their mouths on their own."

I looked around. Mostly mercenaries. That meant the three legions Kang Myeong-jin had mentioned hadn't been particularly active in the fighting. They'd helped when we hit the Thorn Rose Legion, sure — but the ambush had been nearly perfect. Federica and Santanu hadn't even managed a proper defense; they'd been too busy running for their lives.

No real losses meant a little bait would keep them quiet. They wouldn't go out of their way to pick a fight with the A-Plan Legion over something already finished.

"The A-Plan Legion's reputation will take a hit."

"Since when do you care about reputation?"

Kang Myeong-jin was no saint. He didn't move because something was good or just. Even if it was dirty work, he moved when the result benefited him. A drop in the A-Plan Legion's standing? He'd swallow that without blinking if there was something to gain.

"You must have suffered under Subjugation, yet you're reading the situation with a cool head."

Kang Myeong-jin sounded impressed.

Whatever he was imagining, I hadn't suffered at all. If anything, sleeping with Federica had been enjoyable.

"What concrete benefit do we get from leaving Federica's disposition to you?"

"Her alchemy. You saw her potions last time. Ones that temporarily turn people into werewolves. Enhancement potions that jack up stats for a short while. You know how enormous that value is."

Kang Myeong-jin looked at Federica. He was probably scanning her stats and skills one by one.

I'd talked with her that morning and learned her unique trait and alchemy skill rank.

Alchemy (S). Unique trait: Precision (S).

Precision (S) was a high-tier unique trait that layered additional bonuses onto every action. It was a perfect match for crafting disciplines. That trait was exactly why she'd become such an outstanding alchemist.

"…And your opinion?"

Kang Myeong-jin asked Federica.

She pushed herself up from where she'd been sitting on the ground.

"I'm already finished. Choosing a clean death… I've still got too many attachments left in this world. I'll do whatever I'm told. Just let me live."

Federica glanced at me mid-sentence, then begged for her life without a shred of shame.

Kang Myeong-jin crossed his arms and deliberated, and discontent erupted from the mercenaries.

"What the hell. You're not seriously going to spare that bitch, are you?"

"Fucking hell. Is this a joke? I signed on for this job to watch her die. Kill her right now, A-Plan Legion Master!"

"I don't care either way. Just finish it already."

"Just shut up. Who are we to tell our employer what to do? We take the money we were promised. That's it. Just the money."

"Jesus Christ. It's assholes like you that give mercenaries a reputation for only chasing coin, you know that?"

"Says the bastard who wouldn't even be here if there wasn't money involved. Don't act high and mighty. Hypothetically — if the employer decided not to pay us at all instead of killing her, would you accept that?"

The mercenaries kept yapping, and the area grew noisy. Kang Myeong-jin ignored them completely. He didn't so much as glance at their voices.

After a stretch of silence, he reached a decision and looked at me.

"I cannot accept Federica as a member of the A-Plan Legion."

"I get it. From the legion members on down, it's the kind of topic that invites every possible challenge."

"If you're willing to take responsibility for her as your personal slave… then I have no choice but to allow it. You've rendered considerable service to the A-Plan Legion thus far."

"So all that work being worked like a dog finally paid off."

Kang Myeong-jin snorted a laugh. The tension eased. Federica let out a breath of relief. Becoming my ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠slave was hundreds of times better than dying.

Some of the mercenaries still grumbled, but Kang Myeong-jin dismissed them. Grumbling was all they could do.

"Seong Yujin, was it? It may be presumptuous of me, but allow me one piece of advice."

Dremi — Federica's former colleague and the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠ruler of District 1,471 — approached me.

"Do I have to listen?"

"It's advice concerning Federica. Do not trust her too much. Do not ignore her either. For all her beautiful appearance, she is a vicious woman."

"She may look vicious to your eyes. I'll decide what kind of woman she is myself."

"Arrogant words. You will regret them."

I quietly laughed at him. He was putting on a gentlemanly act, but I could feel the greed and lust he harbored toward Federica.

"I'll handle it my way."

The matter was settled.

The Thorn Rose Legion had held four districts in total.

The A-Plan Legion received District 2,910 — the Machine Park. A district they'd obtained by giving up the City of Roses, no less. To outsiders it might look insane, but Kang Myeong-jin had made that call.

It would clearly pay off later.

Federica ended up living outside the A-Plan Legion's castle. I'd wanted her inside the walls… but Kang Myeong-jin and the other legion members had opposed it.

Her house was both a place to live and a workshop for alchemy. Every month she was required to deliver high-quality potions to the A-Plan Legion.

Whenever I got bored, I dropped by her place. She always greeted me with a smile.

"You look well."

"This more relaxed life isn't as bad as I expected. Looking back, I think I was moving too frantically."

I glanced around the workshop. Odds and ends were scattered everywhere. A red potion on the table caught the light.

"Doesn't look like a success."

"It needs refinement. You could say this is only the beginning. Honestly, it's pretty hard. Lifespan is an abstract concept. If this weren't Atlantis, I couldn't even make it. But do you really need this? If you're worried about lifespan, hunting down elixirs would be far more effective."

"I'm not doing this because I need it."

Elena.

This ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was a potion for Elena, who burned lifespan to use illusion arts. Not a potion that restored lifespan — one that increased its total capacity.

Even with Complete Recovery, the power she can pour out in a single use is fixed. For Elena to grow stronger, her lifespan has to expand.

After checking the potion, I walked over to Federica. She spread her arms. I scooped her up and carried her toward the bedroom with familiar steps.

"Focus on finishing the Lifespan Potion. Tell me the moment you need anything. Once that potion is complete… you can become a noble."

"I never expected the famous Illusion Duke to be so obsessed with lifespan."

"It's not obsession."

I tossed Federica onto the bed.

"Kyaah!"

She let out a small scream. The smile on her lips never faded. Through her disheveled clothes, pale skin showed. I dove toward her.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"Heh… heheheh."

A dopey laugh spilled out of me. I thought I looked like an idiot, but I couldn't stop smiling.

How was anyone supposed to look at this flood of notification windows and not laugh?

"Just as expected — I got a lot. Let's go through them one by one."

Those were my current Play slots. That made six in total, and I could now choose a new Play world.

Which world to pick was still under consideration.

Inventory — also called the item bag — was now eight slots. Hopping between Play worlds made individual slots less critical, but even one extra slot improved convenience. It cut down on the annoying busywork.

Next… Heavenly Mind leveled up. Would've been nicer if Lightning — the one that eats points by the truckload — had gone up instead.

I clicked my tongue in mild disappointment and checked Heavenly Mind's effects.

A new effect had appeared: Heavenly Fortune. A skill that actually consumed points.

It raises probability? It can actually manipulate probability?

It looked like an absurd ability had just dropped into my lap.

Can't sit still on this one. Let's test it right now.

I stretched an arm into empty air.

The probability that I raise my fist instead of lowering it!

Everything in the world is probability. Wait — does this work on random gacha pulls? Manipulating the odds of drawing an Elixir from a random pull!

Tsk…

I scowled and tried Heavenly Fortune a few more times.

And then I figured it out.

If it were a random pull, there was no way probability couldn't be manipulated. The only possibility was…

Heavenly Fortune can't be lying… so it doesn't work on the Play Life app?

Same as the Fragment of Omniscience I'd gotten before. Questions related to the Play Life app had been off-limits.

Let's try a different approach.

I opened a smartphone game I'd been playing lately — a gacha game for collecting beautiful girl characters. I hadn't logged in for a few days, and today happened to have a limited-time sale. The character on offer was a light-blue-haired girl with a Japanese sword. The mole on her face wasn't really my type… but she was a girl character, so I was pulling her either way.

Normally I'd dump money to get her… but today's different.

The pull rate for the character was 0.7%.

Worth a shot.

With Heavenly Fortune, even more so.

If I really wanted to pull without spending, I could use a hacking skill — but that would kill both the fun and the romance.

One point? Cheap. I was expecting at least ten.

Those were the points I currently held.

I gladly spent one.

Let's see if it goes all the way to 100%.

I spent more points.

I hit the pull button.

The smartphone screen blazed with brilliant light.

In a single pull, I got the character I wanted.

A character you could get for a few hundred thousand won with real money. …Hmm. Looking at it that way, spending ten points means I took a loss.