Chapter 110
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 110
Chapter Title: What a Fucked-Up World
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Conquering the first layer of Blackout wasn't exactly a monumental achievement in historical terms.
After all, Blackout was overflowing with hidden secrets.
So up until then, people in the industry just saw it as, "Some impressive folks have shown up from the lower layers."
But the story tangled up with Shylock's Jengar Mage Tower and the Volcatornic Mage Tower wasn't something you could just brush off.
Back then, the count had swung his blade like a butcher, and the heads that rolled weren't just one or two.
Figuratively and literally.
The incident even made the Imperial Family flinch.
Even Cloi had to hide Jun's existence to move carefully on that front.
But despite those efforts, it all came out into the open—not just inside Blackout, but on the surface world too.
...The surprising part was that those digging for info had even uncovered the incident at Aclotes tied to the Ariclotos Church.
Thanks to that, the White Whale Mercenary Corps became known as the "heroes who thwarted the Dimension Reverse phenomenon not once, but twice."
—And the fact that these people had done all this in just their first year in Blackout left countless others stunned.
Jun nodded as he listened up to that point.
Sure enough, even compared to the game, their growth was beyond insane—it was off the charts.
No veteran player could pull off a performance like this!
"But it's weird that kids are even playing games with our names now..."
"Oh, that? It's because some famous bard heard your story, got all inspired, and spread it as a song."
"Ah."
It really was the kind of tale folks in this era would eat up.
Not just one, but two massive feats in their first year in Blackout, capped off by slaying an Orc Lord and going down in a blaze of glory.
A passionate, tragic hero saga if there ever was one.
"Word is, the upper crust has already polished up your story into a play."
"Stop!"
"Kuheheh!"
Cloi clutched her stomach, barely holding back her laughter at Jun's reaction.
His face had twisted up like some wrathful demon.
"Fucking hell..."
Hero treatment?
Fine, whatever. That was the goal with the reputation farming, after all.
But there were limits.
Fame that should've built up slowly over years had piled up in less than one.
'This is straight-up maddening.'
There's a reason "overkill" is a thing.
"So yeah."
"Kuhuh... right. The world's under the impression you're dead. Of course, that's changing starting today."
"..."
If they'd died with that level of fame, they'd have just gone down as an honorable mercenary corps.
-Oh man, we had no idea such accomplished legends were out there!
-What a shame! If only we'd spotted them sooner, we could've made use of them!
But now, it wouldn't end with reactions like that.
"...Cloi. You have a plan, right?"
"Kuku... Yeah?"
"You've been laughing like it's someone else's problem this whole time. You do have a way, don't you?"
At that, Cloi flashed a grin with a whole different vibe.
"Of course. Why else would I keep you here this late?"
"Really?"
Knock knock.
Someone rapped on the door right then.
The Gilenoi Merchant Guild lived up to its name—swarming with busy staff even at this hour.
But not many came all the way down this corridor.
Cloi got treatment up here on the surface rivaling a princess, so staff only showed unless it was critical.
"Come in."
And she showed maximum courtesy to whoever was knocking—standing up and yielding the head seat.
"It's an honor to meet you, Count."
"Oh... it's really you. You're alive."
A middle-aged man clapped Jun's shoulders with both hands, a friendly smile on his face.
Despite his dignified looks, he had a witty expressiveness to him.
Count Mordena Albert.
The man ruling Blackout in the emperor's stead had slipped into the Gilenoi Merchant Guild in secret.
"Sorry to drag you out so late. I'll owe you one."
"No trouble at all. It's who you are that matters, not the hour."
With those words, Cloi offered a graceful bow and a faint smile.
"You two must have plenty to discuss. I'll step out—talk freely."
"Much appreciated."
The count's satisfied smile faded into something more serious once Cloi left, turning to Jun.
"You've heard from that sharp young lady, but... your fame right now pierces the heavens."
This sudden meeting with the count.
Jun returned a light greeting and cut to his questions.
"...Logically, there are way bigger adventurers and merc groups in the upper layers. Why the frenzy over us?"
"Haha. You're oddly naive about stuff like this sometimes."
The count's expression turned wistful, like he was reminiscing.
"Dimension Reverse. It's one reason our all-powerful empire obsesses over Blackout... and what terrifies the masses."
"..."
"It's died down now, but just a few hundred years ago, those words carried real weight."
-Woke up and the whole neighboring city was gone.
-Finished work, came home, village evaporated.
-Cousin in another region got turned undead by some monster that popped up outta nowhere.
And so on.
To surface dwellers, Dimension Reverse was scarier than natural disasters or plagues.
The others at least had warning signs—this was lightning from a clear sky.
"Hell, just fifty years back, a whole national city got wiped out."
The trade hub of Merdaine fell overnight to the Dimension Reverse at Aclotes.
Casualties beyond imagination, and the empire trembled in fear for a while after.
"You stopped that Dimension Reverse. Not once, but twice."
"..."
Only then did Jun start to accept the situation.
"But as you know, too much fame can be deadlier than the blade at your throat."
"...Fair point."
Countless would covet the White Whale Mercenary Corps' renown.
Some to woo them, others to label them threats.
And Jun had to ignore them all outright.
"You made me a promise."
Political neutrality.
Back in Bizhou City, when he'd handed over the [Growth Pill]—that was the deal.
More precisely, to build trust by keeping Aiden around for the count.
"You said it back then."
"Hm?"
"That I'd get change back."
"...Haha."
The count let out a hollow chuckle at Jun's words.
Yeah.
Back then, handing over the [Growth Pill], he'd said its value dwarfed Jun's contribution—plenty of change due.
Jun had conditioned it on "political neutrality" thanks to Aiden.
Now, Jun was calling him on it.
"True... clinging to that change after all this time would be shameless. Undignified, even."
"Is it?"
"Volcatornic Mage Tower. Thanks to the intel you brought me, I've gained a lot. You know that, right?"
He didn't—not the details, anyway.
He could guess, but not the fine print.
Just that he'd seized power even the emperor couldn't touch lightly.
"When I tallied up what I gained... haha. This time, I'm the one with change left over."
"..."
In other words, now it was the count's turn to pay Jun back.
Unlike before, Jun upholding neutrality now held far greater value.
"There's a way to solve your problem while benefiting us all."
Of course, Count Mordena wasn't that generous.
No tree gives without taking more.
So he proposed spinning this into mutual gain.
Whatever it was, it wasn't bad for Jun.
"We'll hash out the details later. For now... yeah. Realizing your position anew is enough. I'll bring change fitting for it."
"Looking forward to it."
"Haha, don't get your hopes up. I'm no rich man."
He played it like whining, but it wasn't entirely wrong.
The count commanded imperial troops, but led no personal organization.
'Though he's got the emperor as his massive backer.'
A fox riding a tiger.
That was the count's spot.
"Whoa... moving up in the world, huh?"
Cloi returned after seeing the count off, eyeing Jun with a mischievous grin.
Jun grumbled back.
"How long you known the count?"
The White Whale Mercenary Corps had been back less than a day.
Yet the count had shown up personally.
'And in secret, too.'
He could sense artifacts masking presences.
Not an official visit.
"A while. Specifically, since you got back from that Aclotes mission."
No matter how much the Ariclotos Church wanted to bury what happened, they couldn't hide it from the emperor.
So Pope Elahim had quietly tipped off just the count.
Naturally, the count realized the White Whale Mercenary Corps was involved and approached Cloi to confirm.
"We've been chatting ever since."
"Wasn't some overnight thing, then."
Now Jun got why Cloi had been smirking at him earlier.
"But the count stepping in doesn't fix everything. Frankly, you're too damn juicy right now."
"..."
Jun quietly straightened his clothes at that, setting off Cloi's laughter again.
"Kuku... Anyway! Catch one of you, and what d'you think comes with it?"
"More than a few."
On the small scale: the White Whale Mercenary Corps. Their fame.
On the large: what that fame brings...
"Gilenoi Merchant Guild?"
"Bingo."
An opening to snag the guild, deeply tied to the mercs in so many ways.
So why would other groups sit idle?
"Sure, with the count involved, the emperor might step in directly. You'd be safe then. But..."
"Can't fully relax."
Even with the count and emperor moving, someone would scheme against Jun and his crew.
Too tasty a prize to just suck their thumbs.
"Who gets the golden-egg-laying goose found in the wild?"
"But that's not the real issue."
Cloi was right.
Who owned the goose didn't matter.
What did was:
"How the ones who let that goose slip through their fingers react."
Jun nodded at Cloi's follow-up, covering his eyes with his hand.
"What a fucked-up world."
They'd clawed back alive from hell, and now death gods were clinging to their pant legs.