What If That Were Me Too? (1)
A heavy silence hung in the office. Even though there were two more people than usual.
Including me, no one opened their mouth. Anyone might think some strange battle of nerves was underway.
I wish it were that simple...
Clink—
I took out the guest teacups and sighed while eyeing the mana brazier heating the water.
Damn it, I knew a day like this would come someday.
I tried to steel myself.
From the moment we could travel back and forth between reality and the Arcana Continent.
And from the moment I resolved to fully accept Claudy, my black history.
I'd kept in mind that there are no eternal secrets in the world.
But still, this was too sudden!
I was grateful for my body moving calmly even in this situation.
Of course, proudly serving teabags of green tea felt a bit off...
But now wasn't the time to worry about green tea.
Jessie Haynes and Mary.
Perhaps keeping up appearances to the end, they hadn't spoken.
But their faces were full of questions.
In the end, they were waiting for my explanation—or non-explanation.
If I were being honest...
I wanted to brazen it out a step further and pretend I didn't know.
But Grandfell's towering pride and arrogance wouldn't allow even that one step—a mere sheet of paper's difference.
So I set down my teacup and broke the silence.
"I shall hear your purpose."
Honestly, it wasn't too late to play dumb here.
There had to be a reason they came to see me.
I could just answer their business simply, right?
But as I said, dodging vaguely was an act his lofty pride wouldn't tolerate.
Thanks to that, I added,
"However, resolving your doubts comes first."
"...!"
The eyes of the two, who had been silent, turned to me.
"Lee Hoyeol and Grandfell."
Saying those two names from my mouth in reality... was this the first time?
A complex feeling I couldn't put into words washed over me, but I didn't show it and finished speaking.
"He is also me."
A concise explanation.
For now, Mary nodded.
She probably wasn't too surprised.
Lee Hoyeol—my name isn't that common, but it's not shockingly weird either.
My grandfather named it with great joy.
Besides.
She'd probably just accept it as a bit odd.
Considering Mary's relationship with the Claudy family, it made sense.
In fact, even without the halo effect.
I'd become a benefactor to her by restoring the Twilight Descendant.
The problem was Jessie.
I knew Jessie's personality well.
She obsessively digs into anything she doesn't know, from magic and beyond.
Which had caused me some headaches.
As expected, questions poured out.
"Then, is Grandfell your name on the Arcana Continent?"
It was my ID from the Arcana Continent beta days.
A sharp question, technically.
Of course, since she didn't ask for the full name, I wouldn't volunteer it.
Lest my mouth run ahead, I answered quickly.
"Indeed."
Jessie followed up.
"In that case, is the name Grandfell known to everyone on the Arcana Continent? Or... only known to a select few?"
What was the intent behind that question?
Is it embarrassing because it's too widely known?
I wanted to gauge her intentions from her expression, but her pointed hat blocked the view.
So I could only answer straightforwardly.
"Now, all know it."
I'd tried to hide it as long as possible...
But circumstances made that impossible.
Why, the legend of the Black Dark Dragon Lee Hoyeol was circulating on the Arcana Continent.
Not to mention the loud-voiced dragons shouting it out.
They might not know the full name, but surely up to Grandfell.
I wondered if my answer even counted.
But it seemed enough for Jessie.
Finally, her familiar exclamation mark appeared in her tone.
"I see!"
Beneath the pointed hat.
Her pupils, exhausting just to look at, were revealed.
Jessie continued.
"It suits you perfectly, like endless deep darkness or the Black Dark Dragon!"
Clink—
...My teacup trembled faintly without me realizing.
Indeed, humanity's specialty: jumping to conclusions.
Grand Archmage, Jessie Haynes.
She pierced the core exactly.
Yes, there's hardly any difference.
We could even call them synonyms.
But my shock didn't end there.
"The name Grandfell suits you too!"
...Suits me?
What did that mean?
Maybe because I had so many secrets, paranoid delusions kept creeping in.
Has this been smoothed over?
Still, I'd endured well, Hoyeol.
Now, let's see.
Having explained with lofty pride, it was my turn to listen.
Me, Lee Hoyeol.
Though shame bred needless resentment toward them, I couldn't act petty.
Beyond pride not allowing it.
Definitely.
It was a situation where those two would request a meeting.
Twilight Descendant and Grand Archmage.
The AAU report was correct.
A link called a new class quest had formed between them.
Mary laid it all out honestly.
"With my staff bereft of light, I couldn't precisely grasp what the class quest entails... But I believed I could aid this young lady."
It wasn't a matter of intellect.
I knew well from players and Arcana natives how hard it was to absorb knowledge from a completely different world.
So what surprised me was the word "young lady."
"I'm not a young lady, though?"
Jessie looked at Mary too.
"Oh, my apologies? I hadn't heard your name."
"Ah."
They were standing side by side without even introducing themselves.
Confirming Mary's words true, Jessie bowed deeply to her and introduced herself.
"Jessie Haynes. My class is Grand Archmage."
"Grand Archmage..."
Mary mulled it over meaningfully, and it seemed her confidence had basis.
With progress on the class quest, Jessie showed no sign of refusal either.
But this meddlesome nature of mine wouldn't let it slide easily.
"Are you truly certain, Mary?"
Mary replied without bending.
"I am certain. But if you have concerns, I shall heed them."
It wasn't some grand worry.
As I just said, understanding something from a completely different world isn't easy.
The Lee Hoyeol of reality tormented by Grandfell of the Arcana Continent, and me profiting off it daily— that's the exceptional case.
"Ability is not the issue. Merely, your foundations differ so greatly that mutual understanding eludes you. Do you truly believe you can impart—and receive—true guidance from such an opponent?"
Jessie was the same.
She must have witnessed it purely thanks to the Grand Archmage class.
Even before guests, no skipping duties.
As soon as I entered the office, I checked the parchment on the desk.
It held evaluations from seniors and Marcelo regarding Mary's demonstration.
"Regrettably, we seniors, myself included, witnessed nothing."
Unable to evaluate due to lack of capability.
Even the world-renowned Marcelo couldn't witness Twilight Magic and mana.
For Jessie, who had just taken her first step into Magic, expecting her to understand Twilight was absurd.
Mary answered.
"Considering Miss Jessie Haynes's manifestation power, you are right, Lord Grandfell. Moreover, if an element unknown to me, like the class quest, stands between Miss Haynes and me..."
Mary trailed off, and Jessie fell silent, seemingly at a loss.
Of course, I wasn't bringing this up to discourage them.
"Then there is but one way."
Who am I, who is Grandfell?
Even if it meant struggling.
I'm the type who sees problems through to the end.
I got straight to the point.
"I shall join you in that endeavor."
I'll say it upfront.
This counts as meddling too, strictly speaking—but meddling with reason.
From the Holy War Alliance Commander's view, growing a specialty asset like Jessie was only natural.
And.
Truth be told, I'm interested too.
In Twilight Mana and Twilight Magic.
I'd experienced their effects firsthand.
I might not wield Twilight myself, being neither Twilight Descendant nor related Grand Archmage.
But.
Why not challenge it while I'm at it? No loss.
Having declared I'd join.
I'd push through even if refused.
Fortunately, neither seemed reluctant.
"I hope I'm not imposing..."
"Sorry, but it's reassuring, Chief Lee Hoyeol!"
Good enough.
I shifted my gaze from them to my teacup.
I couldn't show it, so it probably didn't show on my face...
They'd never guess I'd peek over their shoulders to learn.
Is this truly befitting of overflowing pride...?
Doubts arose.
But in the end, it was me spitting in my own face.
"Then, speak."
At times like this, best to just down the green tea...
*
Thursday arrived.
The world was wrapped in a strange tension.
Today was the day the victor between Raymon Sean and Hoyeol would be decided.
On thin ice, Hoyeol was unchanged from usual.
Fulfilling his role as Mage Tower Chief.
Not forgetting his duties as Yusra branch head.
"...How can he be so calm?"
"I knew he didn't get tense, but..."
"If it were me, I'd take the day off, for real."
While the world whispered about Hoyeol's actions.
Time flowed, and the regular update loomed.
And.
"...Huh?"
Nothing happened.
Seoul Station.
Players clamored excitedly.
"I told you! Raymon Sean's all talk!"
"Who was chain-smoking till just now?"
"That's... Yeah! Blame the rift abstinence phenomenon!"
No more balance patches existed.
Hoyeol had proven it, as declared.
"Hey, since it's come up, wanna run a rift?"
"Call! Sounds good to me!"
"Wanna bet all loot on it?"
"Call on that too!"
The past week.
Pent-up frustrations truly melted away.
Not figuratively, literally.
AAU's real-time rift status updates.
Recorders let out hollow laughs.
"Looks like everyone was waiting for this. Excluding a few confirmed new rifts... Almost all are entered by players. Percent-wise, nearing a whopping 95%, Branch Chief!"
In just a week.
"Heh."
Could players' fickle—nay, eccentric—hearts turn so dramatically?
I was newly awed by Yusra Branch Chief's prowess.
London Branch Chief Baker smiled faintly.
"You've surpassed London's miracle with a new era's miracle."
The new era post-cataclysm.
In a reality where rifts meant life and death, Arcana, players, and the public were inextricably linked.
Thus, good news for players was the world's good news.
Yet some couldn't enjoy the festive mood.
China.
Cheonha Tongil.
And Ryu Ojuncheon.
"..."
Ryu Ojuncheon stared silently at the screen.
His secured access devices numbered seven as of today.
He'd thought they'd provide solid momentum to pull ahead decisively.
But...
"Absurd."
Lee Hoyeol played in different waters.
Ryu Ojuncheon's eyes turned to the access device.
To obtain it.
He'd danced to Raymon Sean's tune and suffered heavy losses.
But what of Lee Hoyeol?
He'd crushed the Raymon Sean who toyed with him, as if to show off.
Sensing Ryu Ojuncheon's discomfort.
Knock knock—
The door opened right on time.
"Success, my lord!"
Ryu Ojuncheon rose silently and walked over.
"We see you, my lord!!"
His destination held seven prototype access devices and an equal number of Cheonha Tongil guild members.
Noteworthy: all wore eyepatches over one eye.
A mark to recognize each other on the Arcana Continent?
If so, why eyepatches?
The question didn't linger.
Whoosh—
A fully charged holy grail was placed before Ryu Ojuncheon.
He gazed at it.
Precisely, at the rippling liquid surface.
'Chalice of the Harsh Contract' effect triggers.
Sharing contractor's vision.
Current contractors: 7
"...!"
Then, seven subtly different visions floated on the surface.
Roll—
A normal person might wonder what rolled inside the grail.
But Ryu Ojuncheon was far from normal.
"Consider it an honor to be my eyes."
"By your command!"
His mind held only thoughts of viewing the Arcana Continent through the grail.
Experience from the continent alone wouldn't satisfy.
I shall see.
Ryu Ojuncheon was certain.
The land fit for a monarch to unfold his will.
Not this puny reality, but the Arcana Continent.
These lying in access devices now were sacrifices to realize his conviction.
The humming devices quieted, and visions began emerging one by one in his grail.
Ryu Ojuncheon clenched his fist.
I won't settle for reality, Lee Hoyeol.
While you waste time on the Mage Tower, Yusra Kingdom, Holy War, and such vanities.
I shall witness new possibilities on the Arcana Continent.
I shan't mind, Lee Hoyeol.
Even if you glimpse the continent first—what I have, you don't: vision.
The [Monarch's Eye] to grasp continental-scale flows.
Finally, all seven visions fully emerged.
Ryu Ojuncheon's lips slowly curved up.
As expected.
"Hahaha."
Spring and Autumn Warring States era.
The stage for monarchs—no, tyrants—was right there.
"What desolation is that continent?"
Ryu Ojuncheon sneered.
"You've fooled them all, Lee Hoyeol."
His mistake was overlooking one thing.
"...!"
No matter the shared vision.
He couldn't peek at messages output to contractors.
[Innumerable unbelievable messages]
"Wh-what is this?"
"No way...!!"
"Lee Hoyeol, Lee Hoyeol is dangerous. My lord...!!"
Innumerable unbelievable messages.