God's Atlantis
I had already expected that recruiting Elena would be no easy task.
Elena was one of the Empire's Five Great Dukes — the Duke of Illusion — and the head of House Valdert. Every single thing she did carried the dignity of a ducal house on its back.
An Imperial Duke becoming an idol? Even I had to admit it sounded absurd.
District 6700 might have been its own sealed-off zone, but the moment Elena debuted as an idol, word would still trickle out and spread across all of Atlantis.
I looked around the practice room.
Yuria and Mi-ryeong were deep in conversation with each other.
"An idol group… I don't know much about it, but a pure concept would suit us best, wouldn't it?"
"No, Unnie. We have to go sexy. For a pure concept… we're just too big, you know?"
My eyes flicked to their chests on reflex. They were abundant. Just existing, they looked lewd.
"But I've heard that an overtly sexy concept makes it hard to win over the public."
"That's true too. But neither of us is exactly the pure type, are we?"
Yuria's brow furrowed for a brief moment.
"That is an insult to me. I am pure. Master once said I was like a single lofty flower blooming alone…"
"Seobang-nim said that? Sounds like empty flattery to me. Yuria Unnie's sexiness is equal to mine — or even greater."
Mi-ryeong twisted her body into an openly seductive pose, emphasizing her chest and hips. Yuria glanced at Mi-ryeong's breasts and fell silent for a second. Mi-ryeong's were a little larger than hers.
"…In any case, sexiness alone cannot make one the greatest idol."
"Come on. How many times has Seobang-nim pulled something like this? He'll half-ass it again and the whole thing will fizzle out."
"……"
Yuria didn't argue.
It wasn't just my personality. There was a practical problem stacked on top of everything else: I could only keep them summoned for thirty days.
Debut as idols and reach the absolute peak of the entertainment industry in thirty days. …Even I had to admit it sounded ridiculous. But with Ju Seo-hyeon, Yuria, and Mi-ryeong — it was possible. I would make it possible.
Ju Seo-hyeon, Yuria, Mi-ryeong. All of them have absurd beauty… but three people is still too thin for a girl group. You need at least four to look complete.
That said, I couldn't just drag in any random trainee. Unless their looks were exceptional, they'd be completely buried by the others — reduced from group member to backup dancer.
If I think about chemistry between the members… the fourth has to be Elena. There's no one else.
I picked up the conch shell again and tried calling Elena. She answered immediately.
"Elena. Let's do idols. You're the only one. The members are already ready. Once you join, we're set. We can debut right away."
"Haa. Yujin. Think about my position for a moment. I am the head of House Valdert. Me, becoming an idol? My prestige would hit rock bottom, and the other nobles would look down on me."
"Don't think of it that way. Look at it differently. If you become an idol, wouldn't the common people feel closer to you?"
"A ruler has no need for familiarity. It only erodes authority. If I wanted popularity or affection, there are far more efficient methods — distributing wealth, manufacturing good deeds. What you're proposing with idols… I lose more than I gain. Why should I dance in front of people?"
"……"
Every word was so thoroughly correct that I had nothing to fire back with. I myself ruled as a lord in Baekhwan. I knew perfectly well how easily commoners could be swayed. Give them even a little kindness and they praised you to the heavens. A certain amount of wealth was all it took to buy their favor.
I squeezed my eyes shut. The smartest move here was to give up and find someone else. But no matter how I pictured the four-member girl group in my head, Elena refused to disappear from it.
I still needed her.
"I'm really asking you. If reputation is the problem, just use illusion magic and hide your identity. And I'm not asking you to keep being an idol forever. Thirty days is enough."
"…Thirty days? I don't know much about idols either, but what meaning is there in only thirty days of activity? And you sound strangely desperate. Wasn't this idol project just a personal hobby of yours?"
"What do you take me for? Of course not!"
"……"
Elena's silence carried a thick cloud of suspicion. I glanced sideways. Yuria and Mi-ryeong were watching me. Both of them had sharp ears. They were definitely listening to every word between Elena and me.
What, even Yuria and Mi-ryeong don't believe me? I didn't explain the details, but… that stings a little. Just how do they see me?
Yuria's gaze in particular hit hard. I had assumed she would trust me three hundred percent.
"You never did explain it properly, did you? Fine. I'll listen. Speak."
"Alright. Explaining it again is a pain, so… Yuria, Mi-ryeong. Come here."
"Wait. Yuria is there?"
"Yeah. I summoned her as a girl group member."
"And who is this Mi-ryeong?"
"A fox?"
That was when it happened. Mi-ryeong suddenly threw herself at me and pulled my right arm straight into her chest. Soft, warm flesh closed around my arm. She even smelled good. My mood improved on its own.
"Seobang-nim~! I'm your eternal adorable little fox. You know how I feel, right?"
She smiled with her eyes exactly like a fox.
Yuria watched Mi-ryeong with a blank expression, then quietly stepped up on my other side and took my left hand into her arms.
"Master. My body and heart both belong to you. I will serve you for eternity."
Flowers in both hands. I barely managed to keep my lips from twitching.
"Haa."
A sigh came through the conch shell. It seemed to carry some complicated emotion, but Elena immediately returned to her usual tone.
"Explain the situation. For reference, I hate being interrupted. No — I loathe it."
"Yes, yes. So, to put it simply… I'm going to conquer District 6700."
I went on and laid out the current situation for Elena in full.
"Conquering District 6700… Did you know? The Empire once attempted to conquer District 6700 under the Imperial Family's lead."
"First I've heard of it. They did?"
Looking at District 6700's current state, the result was obvious. They had failed.
"District 6700 developed along a completely different path from the Empire. Instead of magic, they had science and technology. The Empire was deeply interested. Science could be used by anyone, unlike magic, and culturally they had advanced beyond even the Empire. His Majesty judged that if we dominated and analyzed District 6700, the Empire itself could advance further."
The Emperor's authority at the time had been even stronger than it was now — never weaker.
"The moment His Majesty gave the order, every last bard and dancer of any renown in the Empire gathered. From among them, they selected the absolute best bards, dancers, and top-tier staff, and sent them into District 6700."
"And they failed?"
"Catastrophically. They didn't even crack the top ten. The Empire had underestimated District 6700 far too much. His Majesty ordered a thorough investigation and analysis. In the end, he abandoned the conquest entirely."
The systematic training that began from childhood was not something the Yustia Empire — weak on the cultural front — could overcome overnight.
"The greatest reason His Majesty gave up was the current apex of District 6700. I don't need to tell you who she is, do I?"
"…Rainbow Foam."
The divine seat contracted to Li Mei.
The most famous goddess of beauty.
"Aphrodite."
Also known as Venus.
"To dominate District 6700 means surpassing that goddess of beauty. Can a mere idol group possibly overtake Aphrodite's popularity?"
"It can."
I answered without hesitation.
I had already seen Aphrodite's beauty. Finding her photos in District 6700 was trivial. She was beautiful, befitting a goddess of beauty. If it had been Ju Seo-hyeon alone, surpassing Aphrodite's popularity would have been impossible.
But if Yuria, Mi-ryeong, and Elena joined to form a girl group… they could surpass her.
"In my eyes, all of you are far more beautiful than the likes of Aphrodite."
Faint smiles touched Yuria and Mi-ryeong's lips at my words. There was no woman who didn't enjoy being called beautiful.
"You're so certain it's almost incomprehensible."
Elena grumbled. But from her voice, she didn't seem to mind the compliment.
"Because it's true. And Aphrodite isn't a perfect celebrity. There are cracks to exploit."
"Oh? Then tell me. What are the goddess of beauty's cracks?"
"Aphrodite is too famous. Look at the myths… her promiscuity is no joke. That's the weakness."
As far as I knew, the entertainment industry ultimately came down to image warfare. Even if this district was relatively tolerant of scandals, even if Aphrodite was a goddess — someday that image would drag her down. And that "someday" was going to be very soon.
"We don't need to surpass Aphrodite. We just need to get close enough. Then she'll fall on her own."
"……You said Yuria is among the members? Just knowing Yuria is involved makes the odds of success feel higher."
"Elena. Let's do idols."
"Wait a moment. Let me calculate."
Elena fell quiet as she began weighing gains against losses. While I waited for her answer, my hands didn't rest. I teased Mi-ryeong and Yuria — cupping their breasts, stroking their hips. Their faces grew steadily flushed, and the atmosphere was just starting to turn red when—
"I have conditions."
"Yeah. Figured as much. Tell me what you want."
"First, I will not reveal my identity."
"Can't be helped. I understand."
"Second is a share of District 6700. Guarantee me thirty percent."
"Fine."
I answered without hesitation.
If the plan succeeded, the dominion rights would be mine. Yuria and Mi-ryeong would be reverse-summoned after thirty days, and Ju Seo-hyeon couldn't refuse my orders. Besides, she had no interest in this kind of thing. That left Elena… and handing her around thirty percent was fine. Dominion would still end up with me.
"I misspoke. Not thirty — fifty percent."
"Don't do this, Elena. I'll make sure you're taken care of properly."
"……Fine. I'll settle for thirty. In exchange, House Valdert handles the distribution of goods from District 6700."
"Goods distribution? District 6700's products can't be circulated outside, can they?"
"With dominion authority, one percent of District 6700's production can be distributed externally. You didn't know?"
I hadn't expected such a fine-grained benefit.
One percent.
By my standards — someone who could freely bring modern goods into other worlds and use them however I liked — it looked small. But for Elena, it would be different.
"Alright. I'll accept all your conditions. In exchange, by tomorrow… no, by tonight, come to District 6700. You can get a ticket on your own, right?"
I wasn't particularly worried about an entry pass.
Elena was a Duke of the Yustia Empire. She had both money and power. An entry ticket to District 6700 would be trivial for her to obtain.
"Haa. How did I end up becoming something as ridiculous as an idol…"
Elena's lament came through the shell. I ignored it and went back to teasing Mi-ryeong and Yuria.