Chapter 634
Chapter 634
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 634
Chapter Title: God's Atlantis
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After delivering the reply to Elena and completing my mission, I returned to the Aplan Legion's castle.
The moment I stepped inside, I ran into the little one. She looked like a child around five years old. Her short blue hair and blue eyes were her most striking features. Strangely enough, the kid was floating in midair.
Via.
The Aplan Legion Master and the original story's protagonist, Kang Myeong-jin's constant companion—a young blue dragon. Now she could even transform into a human form.
"Grrrrr."
Via bared her teeth and growled at me. For some reason—instinct, maybe?—she'd always been hostile toward me.
'This kid... She's going to grow into quite the beauty someday.'
And that "someday" wouldn't be far off. Via was a blue dragon. You couldn't judge her by human standards.
Normally, I'd ignore her and head off to find Kang Myeong-jin, but right now, I found myself a bit intrigued by her.
"Via. Why do you hate me so much?"
"You have to ask? You're giving off a bad vibe! It gives me the chills! Get out—go back outside!"
"A bad vibe, huh."
Was she talking about the Heavenly Demon Divine Art? But my status screen right now showed Heavenly Demon Slayer, not Heavenly Demon. There was no way she could sense that energy.
'Or maybe the vibe is just an excuse, and she instinctively dislikes me?'
I slowly reached out toward Via's head. She flinched in surprise and bolted upward.
Thud!
"Ow!"
She'd flown too high and smacked her head on the ceiling. What a dimwitted little blue dragon.
"Where's Kang Myeong-jin or the others?"
"I don't know!"
With tears welling in her eyes, the blue dragon vanished off somewhere.
I walked past her. Thinking ahead, it made sense to get on her good side as much as possible. But with how much she hated me, it wouldn't be easy. Forcing it would only backfire.
I entered Kang Myeong-jin's office. He was sitting there reviewing documents. The Aplan Legion currently controlled four territories. The population was growing steadily, if slowly, so management was essential. What he did was pretty much the same as a lord's duties.
"Back already? Good work."
"No big deal. You heard about the Ten-Year Festival from Phantom Duke, right?"
"Yeah, just recently. And we've decided to accept her invitation. It was surprising she'd attend the Ten-Year Festival herself, but it doesn't hurt us."
I'd figured as much.
In the original story, Kang Myeong-jin had attended the Ten-Year Festival too. It was his debut stage, the event that put the Aplan Legion on the map.
And I knew exactly what he was aiming for there.
"Which part of the Ten-Year Festival are you entering? The ball?"
"Just you and me for the ball. Get yourself a decent tuxedo ready."
You couldn't just waltz into the ball on a whim. Only imperial nobles and those they vouched for could attend. Nobles didn't casually vouch for commoners or exiles. Without Elena, neither I nor Kang Myeong-jin would have gotten anywhere near the entrance.
"What about the rest?"
The Ten-Year Festival was a massive event held once every decade. There was more to it than just the ball. For commoners, the ball was pretty much irrelevant anyway.
Overall, the ball was the most boring part of the whole festival.
"I'm entering the monster hunting contest."
The monster hunting contest involved slaying monsters in front of a crowd. What he was after was probably the third-place prize: the "Mermaid's Tear." Using it would accelerate Via's growth.
"And the others?"
"No idea. They're free to enjoy the festival however they want during that time."
"Got it."
"You're back later than expected. Something happen with the Arphis Duke family?"
"Nothing major. There were just a ton of Yet Slugs. I spent a few days helping Princess Seira scour the Yet Mountains, hunting for the Yet Slug Queen."
"That's all?"
I glanced around. The office was empty.
"This is top secret... Just between us. I ran into a warlock on Yet Mountain."
"Sounds like trouble. The fact you're standing here unscathed means you took him out, right?"
"Yep. Turned him inside out. That warlock was hired by someone to artificially breed a Yet Slug Queen. And get this—he succeeded."
"The client's goal was Yet Powder, then. Who was it?"
"Rohad Case. An executive in the Barclay Legion Union."
"...!!"
"No way that Rohad guy acted alone. Considering the value of Yet Powder, it's almost certainly the whole Barclay Legion Union behind it."
"You're right. Best to stay quiet about this one."
Poking the Barclay Legion recklessly would wipe out the Aplan Legion overnight. Kang Myeong-jin knew that full well.
"Anyway, that's my report. Anything else on the schedule?"
"Nope. Take some R&R and prep for the Ten-Year Festival."
"Prep, huh... Besides the tuxedo, what else is there to do?"
"I've been practicing waltzes for the ball. Found a good instructor. Want to join? Botch the dances there, and the nobles will laugh us out of the room."
"I'm good. I can handle social dances. Probably better than you."
"...You? Hard to believe."
I demonstrated a social dance right in front of him, showy as could be. Social dances were similar across worlds.
His eyes went wide at my flashy footwork. He looked pretty shocked.
"D-did you learn that back on Earth?"
"Something like that."
I was a noble in the [Hundred Ghosts] world. And my dance instructor? Yuria Grace. It was bound to be flawless.
"Hoo. Guess you can just relax, then."
"Heading out to chill. Good luck."
I left the office, ignoring his envious stare. My next stop: Yoo Seo-hee and Joo Seo-hyun. Back at Aplan Legion, time to check on my dick dens first, naturally.
???
A few days later, I headed to the city near the legion with Lilsne, the only elf in the Aplan Legion—and the one infamous for her pickiness.
Lilsne was the picture-perfect elf: golden blonde hair, green eyes, and a slender figure.
Getting her to come along had been a breeze.
"As promised, I'll help you pick out a tuxedo, Eugene. But in return, you have to buy me an outfit too. The most expensive one. That okay with you?"
Lilsne was a total gold-digger. She loved freebies like crazy. As long as you had the cash, reeling her in was easy.
"What if it's not?"
"Then I'm heading back right now."
"Kidding. Just kidding."
I flashed a clean, innocent smile, like I had zero ulterior motives.
"But do you really need me for this? Aren't there women in the legion you're close with?"
"You know Yoo Seo-hee's fashion sense. She'd just pick out a bunch of slutty stuff. And Joo Seo-hyun? Zero fashion sense. I'm counting on an elf's aesthetic eye."
"Fair enough. Elves are renowned for their superior sense of beauty. Good call. Once I take on a job, I do it right, so no worries."
Lilsne said it confidently. Honestly, I wasn't too convinced. She always wore practical leather outfits. Hardly a fashionable look.
"Wanna grab some food first? It's lunchtime anyway."
"No. Let's stick to the plan and hit the clothing store. Time is money."
"I was thinking the city's priciest high-end restaurant... But if you say so... Guess we starve."
Gulp.
I could hear her swallow from here.
"Can't ignore your sincerity, Eugene. Let's eat lunch first, then shop."
"Sounds good."
I'd done my homework on Lilsne over the past few days and nailed down her type: rich guys. It tied back to her origins. Her home Earth, "EG 741," valued wealth above force or power.
She wasn't the type to sell her body for money, but flashing cash would win her heart eventually.
"What a steak. The aroma alone is next-level."
"It's 50,000 pennies. Worth every coin."
"Gasp. F-fifty thousand pennies... for one steak?! I-I must've misheard."
"You heard right. Prime cuts from the absolute best, cooked by an ex-imperial chef."
"N-no way..."
50,000 pennies.
A straight-up 500,000-won steak.
She gripped her fork and knife tight, slicing into it with utmost care—super carefully.
I just hacked off a chunk and shoved it in my mouth.
'Damn, that's good.'
Food that even granted buffs. The head chef here must have cooking-related skills.
"Sniff... Sob..."
Lilsne ate her steak in tears. I was taken aback.
"Th-that good?"
"Yes. It's so delicious. I've never had anything like it. And... thinking about how much that one piece in my mouth costs just fills my chest with emotion. I can't hold it in... How much is the steak sauce? Sob..."
I gave an awkward smile.
Her crying over a steak made her look half-insane.
She teared up over dessert too.
"This bite-sized ice cream... 20,000 pennies for dessert?!"
"Boosts your mana stat. Pretty cheap for that. And it tastes amazing."
"It's a one-hour buff! Is it worth 10,000 pennies?!"
"You know how huge even a single point in stats can be."
"True, but... Sob."
Meal over. I dragged the still-lingering Lilsne to the clothing store—the most famous and expensive one in town.
"Welcome. What are you looking for today?"
The madam greeted us. She looked mid-thirties, quite the beauty. If I weren't targeting Lilsne, I might've tried hitting on her.
"Tuxedo for me. A dress for the lady beside me."
"For the Ten-Year Festival, I take it. You've come to the right place. I'll find the perfect outfits for you both."
The madam led us upstairs.
The vibe screamed luxury. Clothes neatly arranged, every piece exquisite. I was unfazed, but Lilsne froze, overwhelmed by the opulence.
I eyed a nearby dress on a mannequin—a red one with intricate gold embroidery that oozed class.
"Madam. How much for this dress?"
"15 million pennies."
"...!!"
Lilsne's eyes bulged. Looked like they might pop out.
I got it—converted to won, that was like 150 million.
"Too pricey? We have more affordable options downstairs."
"No. It's perfect."
I grinned. Lilsne shot me a shocked look.
Not bluffing. I'd pocketed everything worth taking while working under Elena last time. Bribes from nobles too—maxed out. 15 million? Ten times that wouldn't faze me.
"Still, that dress doesn't quite suit the lady. She strikes me as someone who'd shine in fresher colors and a more elegant design."
"Agreed. Let's pick my tux first."
"Right this way. We have tuxedos ready. If none catch your eye, we can custom-order. No disappointments here."
We followed her. Tons of tuxedos—similar yet distinct in color and vibe.
I nudged Lilsne's arm with my elbow.
"You promised to help. Which one's best?"
"W-well..."
For reference, every tux started at 10 million pennies minimum.
Lilsne panicked, glancing around, then pointed one out.
"This tuxedo would suit you, Eugene!"
A deep navy one. I nodded.
"Nice. I like it too. My turn to hold up my end? Madam, recommend a dress for her."
"Of course. We have plenty prepared just for elf ladies like her."
"N-no, I'm fine. This is too much..."
"A promise is a promise. You hate breaking contracts more than anything, right?"
"True... A promise is a promise..."
Lilsne looked conflicted, but her green eyes sparkled.
Everything was going according to plan.