Marquis Lucas, Near the Palace
Marquis Lucas kept a villa near the royal palace.
The nobles will be staying near the palace for a while yet... This works out.
Yujun followed the marquis into the estate. Even then, the man suspected nothing.
Marquis Lucas parted from his secretary and stepped into a room, and before the door could shut, Yujun slipped in after him. The moment he was inside, the marquis drew an image orb from his inventory and fed mana into it. The orb began to shed a faint light, and before long a figure resolved within it—a player who looked Korean. He was young and handsome, black-haired, with a grave, weighty air.
Hm?
Yujun tilted his head. A Korean showing up was one thing. But did anyone still have cause to use an image orb these days? When players needed to reach one another, they used the messenger.
Watch, for now.
He fixed his attention on the scene before him.
Marquis Lucas bowed to the man in the image.
"How did the meeting go?"
"I'm stalling, just as you instructed."
"Did they seem to suspect anything?"
"Yes. But His Majesty stepped in at the right moment, and we got through it."
"Lucas."
"Yes. Please, speak."
"The situation isn't good."
Marquis Lucas's eyes went wide.
"What do you mean?"
"The Root of Darkness was taken down."
"...What?"
"Because of that, the plague that spread through the Kingdom of Sitahel has vanished without a trace."
"Who took down the Root of Darkness?"
"I don't know. The connection with it was severed, so I looked into the Kingdom of Sitahel."
"...Could someone have caught on to this?"
"Who knows. I don't, either."
"Then what becomes of this operation?"
"We find whoever killed the Root of Darkness."
"Do you have a lead?"
"Someone connected to the Kingdom of Sitahel."
"...You already have someone in mind."
"Yes. I suspect it's Ju Gangyun's son."
"Ju Gangyun's son—Ju Donghyeon? Why would he be mixed up in this? And if he's Ju Gangyun's son, shouldn't he be in the Empire right now?"
"No. It seems he arrived in the Kingdom of Sitahel quite some time ago. Made himself a dwarf lover there, too. I only just learned of it."
"A d-dwarf lover? Has Ju Donghyeon lost his mind?"
"That isn't what matters. What matters is that he interfered with our work."
"But Ju Donghyeon is... Ju Gangyun's son."
"And?"
"If we do something to Ju Donghyeon, his father is bound to notice, isn't he?"
"Do I look like a man who would fear the likes of Ju Gangyun?"
"O-of course not!"
There was something strange about watching Marquis Lucas grovel before the man in the image.
If a marquis of a great kingdom is reduced to this...
Yujun wanted to know who that Korean-looking player really was.
"Bring me Ju Donghyeon. You have two days."
"Understood! Where should I take him?"
"The same place as before."
"Yes. Understood. I'll see to it quickly."
"I'm trusting you with this."
The image cut out.
"Hoo. I thought I was going to die of fright."
Marquis Lucas let out a sigh of relief. He said nothing more to himself. Instead he stared into empty air and began exchanging messages—not through the orb this time, but through the messenger. Most likely, he was issuing orders to have Ju Donghyeon brought in.
When the marquis left the room, his secretary fell in beside him.
"Where are you going?"
"There's a matter I have to settle today."
"Tomorrow's meeting..."
"I'm aware."
"Yes."
Yujun followed Marquis Lucas in silence. At the estate Lucas met up with some six players, then headed outside. Every one of them was a beastkin. One spoke up, cautious.
"My lord. Is it true, by the way?"
"Is what true?"
"That the... operation failed."
"It did."
"Ha... After all the trouble we went through to make this succeed."
"You lot hardly did anything."
"Ahem. That is true, I'll grant you."
"Regardless. We need to move quickly. We can't be the ones held responsible."
"Quite right, my lord."
They traveled swiftly to the Kingdom of Sitahel. Yujun trailed them, turning it over in his mind.
Keep following them, and I'll know who the real mastermind is soon enough.
Top-rankers.
The word referred to players of exceptional strength. In ordinary use, though, a top-ranker meant the strongest among the human players who had come from a place called Earth. Most of them were powerful beyond all common sense, and they possessed unusual abilities. Mere outsiders at first, they had grown at a frightening pace until they stood high enough to threaten the other races.
Many among those top-rankers were famous, but one of them worked in the shadows and still wielded enormous influence. That man was Ji Gyutae.
Now in his mid-thirties, Ji Gyutae led Coordination, an organization formed by a dozen or so top-rankers. Coordination was a secret group, little known across the Continent—a collective only certain people knew of, and one that everyone who knew of it feared. Its work took many forms. They assassinated targets. They joined hands with ambitious demons. They brought down entire kingdoms on the Continent. And Ji Gyutae oversaw all of it.
"Hmm..."
Something had gotten under his skin. The Root of Darkness, charged with spreading the plague, was dead. The thing had carried out its task well enough, but its death had left the operation only half a success.
"Lately, nothing seems to go right."
Ji Gyutae frowned. Last time, he and a high-ranking demon had prepared a major plan, only for it to be undone—absurdly—by the alliance of other races.
I was certain I'd grasped the alliance's strength. There shouldn't have been any chance of failure.
And now something like this, twice in a row, by mere coincidence? He had a bad feeling.
"Master, is something wrong?"
A slave of another race at his side asked it, worry plain on their face.
"Nothing for you to worry about."
Ji Gyutae sank back into thought.
With the Root of Darkness dead, spreading the plague again is impossible. All I can do is wait for Lucas to bring Ju Donghyeon.
The situation was turning into a nuisance. It grated on him. Who was interfering with his work?
Marquis Lucas and his subordinates arrived at the Kingdom of Sitahel. The castle gate lay in ruins, and no one stopped them from walking straight into the kingdom. The dwarves who had caught the plague were only just coming back to themselves.
"Tsk."
"Are we... going to be punished by him?"
One of the subordinates said it with an uneasy face. The Kingdom of Sitahel was far more intact than they had expected.
"If we fail to bring Ju Donghyeon, we will. The Root of Darkness dying isn't our fault."
"Th-that's right, isn't it? Thank goodness..."
They found Ju Donghyeon's location quickly enough.
"Pardon me. Might I ask something?"
"What is it?"
"We've come from the Koruna Kingdom to deliver supplies and take stock of what remains. We heard a man named Ju Donghyeon did a great deal for the Kingdom of Sitahel, and His Majesty wishes to send a gift. Do you know where he is?"
"Oh, if that's all. He's at the shelter over there. You can see the large building."
"Thank you."
A reason invented on the spot was all it took. The dwarves told them where Ju Donghyeon was of their own accord.
Marquis Lucas threw the shelter door open. Ju Donghyeon was there with his dwarf lover.
"Ju Donghyeon."
"Who are you?"
"If you don't want to watch every dwarf in here die, come quietly."
"..."
Ju Donghyeon swiftly took the measure of Marquis Lucas and his men. He gave a silent nod and walked out, slow and steady. Then one of the subordinates spoke.
"Hey. Bring your lover out, too."
"...What?"
Ju Donghyeon's face hardened.
"I can't do that."
"No?"
Marquis Lucas moved his hand. Mana poured from his palm, wrapped around Christina—Ju Donghyeon's lover—and dragged her out by force.
"Stop!"
"Then follow without a fuss."
"..."
Ju Donghyeon bit down hard on his lip. There was nothing he could do. He turned his back on Marquis Lucas and started walking.
"Don't get any ideas. The moment you do, your lover's head comes off."
"I understand. You have my word."
Without further trouble, Marquis Lucas brought Ju Donghyeon and Christina to the Koruna Kingdom. Once inside, he led them into a tall seven-story building on the outskirts. No lights burned within. It was as dark as if they had stepped into an underground cave.
"What do you want from me?"
Ju Donghyeon was the one to break the silence.
"Want? You already know. There's someone who wants to see you."
"Who?"
"Wait."
Marquis Lucas produced the same image orb he had used in his room. When he poured mana into it, a human appeared in the image, and the marquis bent deeply at the waist toward the man on the screen.
"You bow, too."
"...I don't even know who that is."
"Enough. That isn't what matters right now."
The man in the image had spoken.
"What do you want from me?"
"I wanted to see your face and talk. First, an introduction. I'm Ji Gyutae."
"...Ji Gyutae?"
"So you've heard the name."
"Of course. The Saint of the Continent. Right?"
"Yes."
"And a saint is allowed to do this? Kidnapping? No—you're tied to the plague as well. If word of this gets out..."
"Then the lover beside you dies, too."
"...What?"
"Listen. Did you kill the Root of Darkness?"
"What's the Root of Darkness?"
"You're lying. You know what the Root of Darkness is."
"...On what grounds?"
"I can see everything you're hiding. You're terrified of me. Afraid I'll harm someone precious to you. Scared?"
The corner of Ji Gyutae's mouth lifted, just slightly.
"Speak honestly. Lying in front of me means nothing."
Ju Donghyeon closed his eyes, then opened them.
"I've seen the Root of Darkness."
"Where?"
"An alley. Somewhere that smelled strongly. It was inside the Koruna Kingdom."
"Good. No lies so far. Who killed it?"
"..."
This time, Ju Donghyeon couldn't bring himself to answer.
"I asked who killed it. You don't know?"
"That's right. I don't."
"Lucas."
"Yes!"
"Kill that dwarf."
"W-wait!"
Ju Donghyeon shouted, desperate. Ji Gyutae burst out laughing.
"We're both Korean, aren't we? We ought to be honest with each other. Don't you think?"
Ju Donghyeon sent Yujun a message first—an apology. There was no time to explain the whole of it, so he sent only this place's location.
"Speak."
Ji Gyutae's voice had dropped low. Marquis Lucas set a dagger against Christina's throat, and Ju Donghyeon hung his head.
Is telling them really the right thing?
He owed Yujun a debt. Thanks to him, the lover he cherished had been restored to a dwarf's form instead of that of a hideous monster. Yujun had also killed the Root of Darkness that spread the plague through the Kingdom of Sitahel, and because of that, the kingdom had found peace again. Repaying all of it with betrayal was something he could never accept.
Ju Donghyeon clenched his teeth.
"Talk, now! Do you actually want to watch your lover die?"
Marquis Lucas barked and shifted the dagger—and that was when a low, level voice cut in.
"Shin Yujun."
The words had not come from Ju Donghyeon's mouth.
"...Huh?"
"Wh-who are you?"
Yujun slipped the ring from his finger and revealed himself.