The Bicorne of Napoleon
A new transcendent summoning slot had opened up, but unlike when Vanessa arrived, the transcendent didn’t appear right away. Instead, a sleek black luxury vehicle quietly pulled up near the General Store. It was such an exorbitant model that even passing pedestrians stopped in their tracks to stare. A car emblazoned with the R&R emblem. A Rolls-Royce. And not just any—the limited-edition Phantom Bespoke.
Wow, I wonder how much something like that costs. Whoever was inside had to be filthy rich. I was quietly admiring the vehicle when the driver’s door opened and a familiar figure stepped out.
“Huh?”
My eyes widened at the sight of that familiar face. Impeccable posture in a perfectly tailored suit that reflected her upright personality. Deep blue eyes like mountain lakes. The person who emerged was Rachel.
While I watched, Rachel opened the door to the General Store and stepped inside.
“Ancestor, I have come to escort you,” she said in her slightly accented, polite tone.
“Rachel, you’re early.”
“I determined that departing early would be best for entering the Gate. If you have matters to attend to, I will wait.”
“No need. As it happens, I was waiting for you as well.”
I had promised to meet Rachel today. It was regarding an artifact connected to Napoleon. Just then, Jeanne, who had heard the door open, emerged from the back.
“Rachel, welcome.”
“Jeanne, it has been a while.”
The two had already become acquainted at the Toulon Gate, so they greeted each other warmly. Next came Vanessa.
“I’m Vanessa Walker.”
“I am Rachel Bonaparte.”
“I heard you helped our benefactor.”
“Benefactor…” Rachel looked puzzled for a moment, but when she followed Vanessa’s gaze to me, she shook her head. “It was nothing of great importance.”
“Hmm, I see.”
Vanessa, who had been trailing off, broke into a bright smile. “Please take good care of us.”
“Likewise, I ask for your kind cooperation.”
Had Vanessa always greeted people like that? It was an unexpectedly warm response from someone who usually showed little interest in anyone except me and Jeanne. I wasn’t sure if it was a good sign, though.
“All three of you, please follow me. I will escort you to the Gate.”
“Thank you. But…”
I tilted my head, glancing at the inside pocket of Rachel’s black jacket. Her phone had been buzzing nonstop for a while now.
“Are you sure you don’t need to answer that?”
“It is not important. It’s fine.”
Rachel took out her phone and pressed the decline button. We left the General Store and were just about to get into the car when—
“This is Rachel Bonaparte. I have answered the call.”
—My lady! How many times have I told you not to drive yourself when you are overseas! And last night you—
Beep.
Rachel ended the call and turned to me with a perfectly calm expression. “It was nothing. Please get in.”
“Ah, yes.”
Her natural reaction suggested this wasn’t the first time. I couldn’t understand the French, but it definitely sounded like a scolding.
“It was a scolding,” Jeanne whispered softly into my ear.
So it was. Even the head of the Bonaparte family wasn’t spared from lectures. Somehow, it made the ever-upright Rachel feel a little more human.
Anyway…
This is no joke.
The moment I stepped into the vehicle, the daytime world outside turned into night. The ceiling displayed a sparkling galaxy, and a small refrigerator sat between the seats.
“We will depart now.”
Rachel, now in the driver’s seat, smoothly pulled the car away. I felt strangely like I was being chauffeured.
I should buy myself a car like this later… Even if I only have a license collecting dust in a drawer.
“Rachel.”
“Yes, please speak.”
“I understand the purpose of today’s Gate is to recover one of Napoleon’s artifacts.”
“Correct. Intelligence indicates that Napoleon’s bicorne is located within the Hall of the Goblin King.”
I already knew the rough details from Rachel before we left. The goal was to retrieve Napoleon’s artifact. Of course, not all relics of great figures were inherently good. Their value varied wildly depending on how much personal meaning the owner had poured into them. Just as you couldn’t treat something used for a few days the same as something cherished for a lifetime.
That was the general rule.
But not with Napoleon.
Napoleon was famous for imbuing even the smallest objects with meaning. Every item he used or bestowed carried enough significance to register as at least Rare grade. That was why his artifacts were scattered across the world in uncountable numbers. One could say nearly everything that came out of the Bonaparte imperial house qualified as a Napoleon artifact.
Yet precisely because of that, Napoleon held an intense affection for himself. So much so that his relics could only be fully wielded by Napoleon himself. The problem arose when those relics fell into the hands of monsters and became corrupted—they could still exert a portion of their power. If it happened to be an artifact he had placed great value on, the result would be nothing short of a catastrophe.
This was exactly why Rachel sought to recover Napoleon’s relics. As for me, she had said I could take any we recovered, so I simply tagged along.
If it’s there, it’s good for me.
If it proved useful, I could use it. If not, I could absorb its mana into the Seolhwaseok. After all, I was the only person in this world capable of fully awakening Napoleon’s artifacts.
She said the bicorne was in this Gate.
A question suddenly occurred to me, so I asked Rachel, “I understand there are quite a few of Napoleon’s bicornes. How many are there in total?”
“According to the main family’s estimates, there are 326 of Napoleon’s bicornes.”
“Estimates?”
“Yes. More will likely be discovered if we search.”
“……”
Was this guy the King of Hats? I recalled my past encounter with Napoleon. Even back then, he changed hats frequently. Every time he visited the General Store, he wore a different bicorne. There was even a theory that during battles he would throw his bicorne to his subordinates as a form of encouragement. Yet the rifle he gave me was imbued with such meaning that it registered as Legendary grade. Was he bragging? My feelings were strangely complicated.
“We have arrived.”
While I was lost in thought, we reached Inwangsan Mountain, where the Gate was located. After climbing the old stone steps, a gloomy forest unfolded before us.
A dark forest steeped in eerie energy. Blue goblin flames danced sporadically among the trees.
The atmosphere really is different for a high-rank Gate.
The Hall of the Goblin King was an A-2 Gate. It was on an entirely different level from the Gates I had experienced so far. Even the air felt heavier, perhaps it was just my imagination.
Thud. Thud.
The forest trembled as a goblin wielding an iron club appeared. It looked similar to an ogre, except it had two heads.
A twin-headed ogre?
Since it was Korean, it was probably more accurate to call it a goblin. Looking closer, it even had three arms.
“Grrrr…”
Two pairs of bloodshot eyes glared at us. And then—
Slice—
One of the goblin’s heads fell to the ground. Before it could even react, its limbs and remaining head were severed in quick succession.
“Let’s go.”
Rachel, who had swung her sword at some point, flicked the blood from her blade. It was as casual as if she had just swatted a weak mob.
“Ah, yes.”
I followed after Rachel as she walked ahead. But first, I should collect some mana.
◈ Absorbing mana from defeated goblins
As we ventured deeper into the forest, more goblins with grotesque numbers of limbs and heads appeared one after another. Yet there was no tension. A brilliant flash of light—
“Graaaah!”
The goblin struck by Jeanne’s holy light clutched its eyes and rolled on the ground. Then—
Slice— Slash— Chop—
It was carved apart like weeds by Rachel and Vanessa.
“Um… what should I do?”
“Benefactor, please take care of any goblins we miss from behind.”
“That would be best.”
But… there weren’t any that they missed…
◈ Continuously absorbing mana
The Seolhwaseok floating in the air diligently absorbed the mana from the fallen goblins. And then—
“Ancestor! You may finish this one!”
Rachel sent a goblin my way to help with my training.
“Guh… guuuuh—”
Uh, this one feels a bit pitiful to kill…
The goblin Rachel sent me had only one arm left. Its posture was also hunched and awkward.
Still, it’s pretty strong.
I didn’t let my guard down. Using Shadow Step, I closed in on the goblin.
“Guuuuh!”
I dodged the swing of its remaining arm and—
Thud!
Pierced its chest with the Twin Dragon Sword to finish it off. Dodge, then stab. The feedback felt pretty good. After that, Rachel continued sending me one crippled goblin at a time.
Is this… power-leveling?
It really felt like she was only letting me deliver the final blows. I briefly wondered if this was okay, but quickly brushed the thought aside. Whatever. Good is good. Since it was a high-rank Gate, the training was surprisingly effective. The mana gains were solid too.
◈ Mana capacity increasing steadily
In the distance, a goblin wearing one of Napoleon’s bicornes on one of its heads charged toward us in a rage.
*
“Ancestor, you worked hard.”
“Benefactor, thank you for your efforts.”
“Seojun, good work.”
“What did I even do? You three did all the work.”
It felt awkward receiving praise when I hadn’t contributed much.
“Not at all, Ancestor. Your movements have improved compared to the beginning.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Benefactor, you have definitely gotten better.”
“Your Shadow Step has improved too. It would be good if you continue training like this.”
…Was that so? We had only cleared one Gate. I was skeptical, but since all three of them said so, it must be true. I really had improved. Though it also felt like they were praising me just to keep me in the backline. Shaking off the slight unease, I examined the Napoleon’s bicorne we had obtained from the Gate.
Napoleon’s Rifle has recognized Napoleon’s 168th Bicorne.
◈ A bicorne that Napoleon, satisfied with his hair, bestowed upon his personal barber, Constantin.
◈ Wearing it makes one feel as though all fear would vanish on the battlefield.
This is basically a troll item.
Now I understood why the goblin wearing the bicorne hadn’t tried to run even after losing its limbs. But—
“Are you really okay with me taking this?”
“If you want it, please take it. As long as it doesn’t fall into the hands of monsters, that is all that matters.”
With Rachel’s permission, I absorbed the bicorne’s mana into the Seolhwaseok on the spot.
Vrrrr—
The Seolhwaseok vibrated as it absorbed the mana from the bicorne.
It looks like the color has deepened.
If I fed it just a little more mana, I would be able to slot it into an artifact slot. Though I’d need to increase my slots first.
“Thank you, Rachel.”
“I am glad it was helpful.”
Rachel smiled faintly.
“Then, which Gate should we tackle next?”
“…There are more?”
“Yes. Thirty-eight of Napoleon’s artifacts have been confirmed within Korea.”
Was this guy the Artifact King? I was dumbfounded, but it was good for me. All I had to do was keep increasing my mana. After clearing the Gate, we rode back to the General Store in Rachel’s car.
“I will see you next time.”
“Thank you for your hard work.”
Rachel bowed her head, got into the driver’s seat, and soon the car drove off. I watched the departing vehicle for a moment before opening the door to the General Store. But—
“Hmm?”
Inside the General Store, which I was certain I had locked, stood a person I had never seen before.
A thief?
It was a massive man with bronzed, muscular build.
“Benefactor, please step back.”
Vanessa moved in front of me, her eyes cold as she warily watched the man.
“Ah, my apologies. The owner wasn’t here, so I was simply looking around.”
The man lifted his head. Intense, beast-like amber pupils locked onto me. At the same time, a message appeared.
You have encountered a Transcendent from a failed worldline.
The man I had mistaken for a thief was actually a transcendent who had come to my General Store.