Chapter 12
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: Twilight Moon
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Jenellu taught me all sorts of things—not just about life in this place, but even details about this body of mine.
Kai was an orphan who had lived in Astera's back alleys.
There were several clans in the back alleys, and the one I belonged to was called the Twilight Moon clan.
It wasn't the top clan in the back alleys, but it was a solid mid-tier one.
There was the clan master, Karuos, and Jenellu here in front of me was the sub-clan master. Under them were five lead clan members, he said.
"But it said I don't belong to any clan?"
"That's right. You're not one of our clan members."
"Pardon?"
He'd just called me one of his clan members earlier, and now what was this?
"You've never officially joined our clan. In a word, you're our secret weapon. Clan membership history is verifiable through the Status, so we never registered you."
Ah! So that's how it was?
"Then there must be a good reason for that?"
"Heh heh. Looks like your head's finally starting to turn."
Jenellu smirked at my words. I'd initially thought he was a pretty rough-looking guy, but seeing him smile, he actually had a certain charm.
'What am I even thinking right now...'
Was I just getting used to him the more I looked?
"Anyway, the reason we didn't have you join the clan was to get you into the Hainel Kingdom's knight order."
"Pardon? The Hainel Kingdom's knight order???"
"That's right. We knew early on that you had talent as a Pilot, so we kept you out of the clan. No one from a back-alley clan can join a knight order."
"Why does it have to be the knight order specifically?"
"Truth be told, members from other clans had already infiltrated the Hainel Kingdom's knight order, knowingly or not. We're just a bit late to the game. Becoming the kingdom's top knight order means wielding immense power, so there are clans using that to gradually extend their influence over the back alleys."
'In other words, like that movie New World—they want to plant me in the knight order?'
"Do I... really have to?"
Joining the knight order probably meant carrying out missions and living without much freedom.
If I were originally from this world, maybe it'd be different, but I was someone who'd entered this game world from the real one. The thought of being stuck doing civil servant work made my stomach churn.
"You got your Status through us, and now you're saying that? Besides, Kai, wasn't your dream always to become a knight?"
"I may be Kai, but I'm not that Kai."
"Ha..."
Jenellu pressed his palm to his temple like my words were giving him a headache.
"Becoming a knight isn't such a bad deal. You'd gain honor and power, plus access to dungeons exclusive to the knight order."
Jenellu was persuading me now, urging me to join the knight order.
"And in return, I'd have to watch the Twilight Moon clan's back?"
"To say it again, we're the ones who raised you after you were abandoned as an orphan. You wouldn't forget that favor, would you?"
Jenellu began persuading me without any high-handedness, even bringing up past favors now.
It was probably because he knew I had an SSR-grade Valkyrie.
Well, it wasn't a favor I'd received, but since this body had been raised by the clan, I couldn't exactly brush them off coldly.
"So, what do I need to do now?"
"In three months, there's the knight order entry test. Show good results there, and you can join. Excel, and you might even get into the kingdom's top knight order, Hainelrune."
"Guess I'll have to grind levels hard for the next three months?"
"Exactly. To join, you'll need at least level 30."
"No support from the clan?"
"As I said... we can't support you openly."
Jenellu said with an awkward expression.
"Man, you're really no help at all. Sheesh..."
"Even if your memories are gone, that cheeky attitude hasn't gone anywhere."
I couldn't help but burst out laughing at Jenellu's words.
"Anyway, just grind hard for three months, got it? Nothing else I need to know?"
"Put this on the counter at your lodging, and we'll come whenever. Don't call for trivial stuff—only when you really need help."
Jenellu handed me a silver badge as he spoke.
"You even know where I'm staying?"
"Don't underestimate our intel network."
"Hmm... alright, got it. I'll head out then. Take care."
I said goodbye to Jenellu and left the building. Meeting him had been helpful in all sorts of ways.
I could get info when I needed it, and even if it wasn't entirely my choice, having a goal was a good thing.
'Level 30 in three months? Piece of cake.'
But contrary to my thoughts, I soon learned that leveling up wasn't that easy.
After my meeting with Jenellu, I summoned Sua. As Karuos had said, I didn't call Lije or Lussera.
I figured drawing attention wouldn't do me any good.
We went to a clothing store and bought tons of outfits for the Valkyrie and me.
Just pajamas and casual clothes set us back 500,000 gold.
I hadn't realized clothes for three people would cost this much.
Arms full of shopping bags, we headed to the Traveler's Rest inn.
The same employee was always there at this hour, greeting me brightly today as well.
"Back again. The same room as yesterday?"
"No. A four-person room, please."
"Four... person room?"
"Yeah. I'm only summoning three Valkyries."
"Aha!"
She'd thought it odd that I'd gone from a six-person room to four, but now her puzzled look cleared up.
My remaining balance was 3.7 million gold. Another 200,000 gold for the night at the inn.
I pulled out my Status and completed the payment.
"Payment complete. Please wait a moment—we'll prepare the room right away."
The employee smiled and made a call somewhere.
Moments later, she handed me a keycard.
"Your room is on the fourth floor, room 2."
"Thank you."
We took the elevator to the fourth floor.
The four-person room had a living room and one bedroom, which was pretty spacious. The bed was about the same size as the one in the six-person room.
With only one bedroom this time, the other two Valkyries would have to lay out blankets in the living room.
"Ahem... tonight, Sua and I will share the bed, and Lije and Lussera can take the living room."
I cleared my throat awkwardly. My intentions were probably obvious.
Feeling their sharp stares, I grabbed Sua's hand and pulled her into the bedroom.
Sua was dragged in by her wrist, her face flushed red up to her ears.
There was only one reason I'd chosen Sua: her affection toward me was maxed out.
That meant I could do anything with her now.
Sua and I changed into comfortable pajamas.
I slowly drew Sua onto the bed.
I laid her naturally beside me and offered my arm as a pillow.
Our faces were now less than five centimeters apart.
I could feel her ragged breathing.
Slowly, I brought my lips toward hers.
"W-wait... just a second..."
Sua urgently pushed me away.
'Huh? What's wrong? Her affection is maxed...'
"Something wrong?"
I looked at her with a confused expression.
"I can only be intimate with the one who knows my true name."
"What? Your true name is Sua. I know it."
Her sudden words threw me off, and I blurted out her name.
"Not that... the final evolution..."
'Holy shit!!!!!'
I cursed inwardly. Come to think of it, in the game, illustrations for spear knights or mages only unlocked after final evolution.
With so many characters, they only revealed art for SSR final evolutions at first, and lower ranks later.
Later I learned that D and C grades originally had no art—the devs rushed it in after I triggered their final evolutions through heavy spending.
The affection quests were the same, custom jobs for a whale like me.
And now that applied here too? To final-evolve Sua would've taken at least 100,000 pulls.
And all 100,000 had to be her—practically impossible.
With so many C and D Valkyries, pulling enough Suas made it as rare as pulling an S-rank later on.
After two years of whaling, I'd barely made her SSR. And now I had to wait for that?
Forced celibacy.
"I'm sorry..."
Sua apologized, on the verge of tears, sensing my shock.
How was this her fault? The system's rules were the rules—I had nothing to say.
'Fine. Since when did I expect the full package? Just holding her like this is enough...'
I pulled the teary-eyed Sua close.
She spoke from within my embrace.
"If you want, Master Kai, you can be with other Valkyries—I won't get jealous. But I'll wait until the day you learn my true name and hold me then."
'What is this, tagging both pure love and harem?'
She said it feeling my erection pressing against her stomach.
I couldn't promise her I'd only have eyes for her.
'Yeah, I'm trash. But with such pretty Valkyries around, if I don't, my balls'll rot.'
In the game, I'd cried tears of joy top and bottom seeing Sua's final evolution art after my pure love run, but I hadn't skipped other Valkyries' art either...
'If I have to be in a platonic relationship for two years, she'll understand my need for a harem.'
Comforting myself like that, I held Sua and fell asleep.