Lion Heart Knights (1)
There’s a saying that even a dog, after three years at a private school, can recite poetry about wind and moon.
‘Well, it hasn’t been three years for me, but still.’
Even so, my head’s surely better than a dog’s. Thanks to that, I could recall it.
The lessons from the Akshan base.
—Seven Deadly Sins. Beings called great evils, just like the demon kings.
Seven Deadly Sins. That’s right, the seven sins people commonly talk about. Pride, Greed, Envy, Wrath, Lust, Gluttony, Sloth.
Yeah, even the words reek of a big shot.
Their names alone set them apart from regular demons.
—You won’t run into them right away, but recognize and stay vigilant against them. One day, you’ll surely face those great evils.
That’s what Akshan’s demon hunters had said.
Great evils—naturally, they’re strong. Back then, it must’ve meant they wouldn’t appear for a while. No need for further explanation.
But that was over twelve years ago, wasn’t it?
‘Unfortunately, that’s all I know.’
I’d quit Arcana cold turkey back then.
The twelve-year gap aches in my bones again…!
But for now, it was enough.
‘It’s certain.’
The quest window. And the message from moments ago made it crystal clear.
Yusra Archipelago begins to be tainted by Greed.
Collapse Progress: 1/10
The great evil lurking in the Yusra Archipelago.
That guy is one of the Seven Deadly Sins: ‘Greed’.
Then the collapse progress makes sense too.
‘When the progress fills up completely, the great evil awakens.’
……Whoa.
Hold on.
A chill ran down my spine for a second.
I suddenly remembered the setting of the Yusra Archipelago.
‘……This is way too perfect a trap, isn’t it?’
Aren’t the conditions way too favorable for the great evil?
The Yusra Archipelago was a legendary treasure island.
Setting aside greed for a moment—even humans would naturally want to hunt for legendary treasures.
Just like now.
The murmuring players.
One of them shouted.
“It was Shining! They already cleared one island?!”
“Wait, does that mean 1/10…?”
“Yeah. Seems like the Yusra Archipelago progress goes up every time an island is cleared. So, what’d they get? Treasures!”
“You crazy? You think they’d just reveal that? But yeah, looks like they got the island’s treasure.”
The Yusra Archipelago consists of ten islands.
Shining Guild cleared one of them.
And the collapse progress rose.
‘That tracks.’
No, it was certain.
The moment all ten islands are conquered.
The great evil sleeping in the Yusra Archipelago—Greed—will awaken.
But for a great evil, isn’t this kinda petty?
“Vile ploy.”
A big shot who sets such a trap.
“Yet it is vile, for it is a demon.”
That was my impression upon learning the truth.
And the moment I realized that truth.
“!”
The quest window blinked.
Taedom: Prologue
The beacon rises. The final demon hunter.
Illuminate a world shrouded in evil.
📍 Temper your weakened body. (Repeat)
📍 Investigate the great evil of the Yusra Archipelago. (Success)
📍 Prevent the resurrection of Seven Deadly Sin: Greed. (In Progress)
▲ ● Prevent the island’s treasure from being tainted by Greed. (In Progress)
Luckily, among the misfortunes.
It’s not “Slay Greed.”
Though preventing or slaying it—either way, it’s daunting.
‘You think I’ll just sit still?’
I turned my gaze back to the players.
“Hurry up. Island treasure or whatever—we gotta snag one too!”
“……But is it safe to touch? Looks like it’ll raise the collapse progress.”
“Senior, is that our problem? Sitting around won’t fix it. Other guys won’t care about collapse—they’ll just hunt treasures.”
I had no desire to scold them.
That was the normal reaction.
People aren’t all saints.
If you came for treasure, you hunt it.
‘And they don’t even know it’s a trap.’
So no urge to blame them.
It’s not just those players.
Right now, every player in the Yusra Archipelago is thinking the same.
That’s why it felt so daunting.
I thought realistically.
‘Persuasion? Absolutely impossible.’
Who’d believe me?
First off, they wouldn’t buy that I’m a demon hunter.
“There’s no such class in Arcana.” Or “Even if there was, everyone deleted those characters ten years ago.”
Then…
Only one way left.
I have to claim the island’s treasure myself!
The quest goal is, forever and always: prevent the island’s treasure from being tainted by Greed.
So, just acquire the island’s treasure without Greed tainting it, right?
Of course, that’s something only a saint could pull off.
But I know.
That saint is right here.
Grandfell Claudi Arpeus Romeo saw wealth as ephemeral.
Born heir to a great house, having tasted the pinnacle of abundance, he had no reason to cling to riches and glory.
Yeah, even before 110 billion.
Even before unique material items, pure emerald crystals.
No greed whatsoever.
Not even a twitch at the corner of my mouth, right?
So I didn’t hesitate.
“We must make haste.”
All to prevent Greed’s resurrection.
I must claim—no, monopolize—the island’s treasure.
*
Shining.
Rocks checked the message.
“……Collapse progress? Camilla, Dmitri.”
“Yeah, popped up for me too.”
“Me too~”
The world’s top guild, Shining.
Player ranking 2nd, Rocks.
His talent and accumulated experience proved it.
“Looks like it’s because we snagged this treasure.”
Rocks shrugged.
Yeah, the Yusra Archipelago wouldn’t cough up treasures this easily.
The real game starts after claiming all ten islands’ treasures.
“Countdown’s begun, huh?”
“Ugh. Hate it~ Thought it’d be a cakewalk.”
“By the way, when’s Jessie coming? Ow!”
Go easy.
Dmitri treated his wound.
Even with Jessie at the Mage Tower conference.
It didn’t cripple Shining’s power much.
Without her, they’d still slain the named monster on the island and claimed its treasure.
“Dunno. No word yet.”
No contact from Jessie.
But Rocks knew the Mage Tower incident, more or less.
The world’s top guild, Shining.
Plenty of members could attend the Mage Tower conference without Jessie.
And they all said the same.
‘Good thing we marked him as a person of interest.’
Lee Hoyeol.
His movements were unusual.
Of course, this Mage Tower incident exceeded even Rocks’s imagination.
‘I’ve never even been to the upper floors.’
Let alone talked to the chief mage.
So it was time to clarify.
“What stance should we take?”
Friendly or hostile.
Time to decide on Lee Hoyeol.
Rocks brushed back his fallen bangs.
“I’d prefer to keep it friendly, if possible. Right?”
“Agreed. Skal alone is a headache.”
“Me too~ Skal and Jessie together would split my head.”
No real reason for hostility, then.
As Rocks muttered, Camilla whispered.
“More than that, better not piss off Jessie if you know what’s good for you. She’s got that glint in her eye. Just like when I first fell in love……”
“Isn’t that just some weird skill? Her eyes only sparkle then.”
“……You’re such a buzzkill. And you get women’s hearts? If you did, you wouldn’t rent out a whole hotel lounge just to get dumped~”
“……Am I crazy? Hey, you done talking?!”
Anyway, the moment Shining decided on Hoyeol.
Another message appeared.
Yusra Archipelago begins to be tainted by Greed.
Collapse Progress: 2/10
It’s really starting now.
Probably Cheonha Tongil got an island treasure, right?
Rocks addressed the bickering pair.
“Time to move. Next island.”
*
Yusra Archipelago begins to be tainted by Greed.
Collapse Progress: 2/10
Is it because of the solid rewards?
The progress is fast.
At this rate, my grand plan to monopolize the island treasures needs revision.
‘At least this island first.’
I must secure this island’s treasure.
It’s natural that even one is overwhelming.
Not just top guilds like Shining and Cheonha Tongil.
Even ranking 1st, Skal, is likely moving.
Securing the treasure amid competition with them.
The silver lining: claiming just one island’s treasure prevents the great evil’s resurrection.
‘Miss even one, and the condition fails.’
……Still curious, though.
What item is worthy of being called an island treasure?
‘Is this greed?’
Of course, I won’t let body or mind succumb to this greed.
Why? I’ve experienced it firsthand.
Recall Grandfell’s pride, unyielding even in life-or-death.
I know it well from experience.
That’s when I emerged from the palm grove.
Something gleaming in the distance.
‘Armor. Plate armor, at that.’
Not strange in the player-packed Yusra Archipelago.
If anything, my suit makes me look weirder.
Anyway, what made me pause was their uniformity.
‘All in plate armor.’
At least a hundred.
All clad in plate armor.
That’s when I realized.
‘Not players.’
Plate armor is for warrior or knight classes.
‘No reason for a single class to group up like this.’
Efficiency drops hard.
So, NPCs then?
Even as I pondered, my confident steps didn’t stop.
‘Bingo.’
I spotted the emblem on the armor.
Lion’s head on the shoulder.
I spoke.
“Lion Heart Knights.”
Even I, who’d cut ties with Arcana for twelve years, couldn’t forget that emblem.
The lion’s head.
Symbol of the empire’s strongest knight order, famed as Lion Heart Knights.
‘Like the Mage Tower, the Lion Heart Knights got summoned too.’
Indeed, befitting the empire’s strongest.
Their discipline was impeccable.
Plate armor gleaming mirror-like, spotless.
Even Grandfell’s aesthetic sense would approve.
“Impressive. As their reputation suggests.”
Of course, Arcana is no longer a game.
NPCs too.
They won’t ignore my mutter.
“Who might you be?”
The man who seemed their leader asked.
……What’s with this familiar tone?
I replied as always.
“Lee Hoyeol. I never expected to encounter the Lion Heart Knights here.”
……Wait, anyone hearing this would think we’re filming a historical drama!
This was a different kind of cringe.
Almost too compatible, stirring embarrassment?
But like with Greed.
My inner shame didn’t show.
I brazenly asked back.
“Might I ask your name as well?”
The man visibly flinched.
“……Your attire marks you as an adventurer, clearly.”
Brings back memories.
NPCs called players adventurers.
Didn’t expect an NPC to comment on my outfit.
Makes me wanna get armor fitted. Seriously.
The man continued.
“Yet you feel different from other adventurers. I am captain of the Lion Heart Knights, Harcon Kingsguard.”
The captain himself.
Suddenly, I worry for my liver.
‘Has it swollen past the limit?’
Empire’s top knight order.
Standing tall before their captain.
Not weird, though.
I’d done bolder with Mage Tower’s chief mage, Marcelo.
“However, adventurer. Regrettably, now is not the time for idle chat.”
Harcon said regretfully.
As he finished.
Kuung—!
My vision shook.
Precisely, the ground beneath trembled.
I sensed it instinctively.
‘Named monster.’
From the update notes.
One per island, ten total.
Judging by Harcon, he and the knights were hunting it.
Of course, that doesn’t change my plan.
“You’re right. No time for talk.”
Knights drawing swords and shields.
I too raised my mana.
Harcon looked shocked.
“Adventurer. That beast is dangerous. You should retreat…?!”
Retreat what?
Harcon trailed off.
For some reason, his gaze fixed on my suit… no, my brooch.
Harcon, with a “could it be” expression, asked.
“Could that brooch be…? Adventurer! Do you have any connection to the Mage Tower?”
……Hold up, this reaction’s intriguing?
But as I said moments ago.
Harcon awaited my lips.
I stated firmly.
“Didn’t I say? Chat after the deed is done.”
Kung—!