Even So, What Remains Unchanged (3)

From the moment Yunak Seus was engulfed in green flames and vanished until now, if you counted the world's most talked-about stories on three fingers, the first was undoubtedly the noble sacrifice of the cat Tower Master.

"Hey, everyone's here except the Heaven Unifiers, right?"

"Even if they're not sincere, they'll show up anyway. Come on, try ignoring it when the Arcana native Tower Master threw away his life for us. You think you could handle the netizen comment bombardment?"

"Guess they're all stamping their presence for image management."

The second and third stories could also be found at the Mage Tower.

Murmurs─

Along with the click of heels, the crowd buzzes at the sight of Hoyeol making his appearance.

Whispers of Arcana natives among them.

"Senior, your hair's back to normal, huh?"

"Personally, I preferred the long hair....... Though you weren't wearing the jacket back then, imagining that long hair and the jacket draped over your shoulders fluttering together......!"

"Hey, we don't need to hear your personal tastes?"

Players had no such reservations.

"Wasn't that long hair some kind of skill back then?"

"Nah, no way Arcana has a skill like 'Long Hair Transformation.' And why would you use something like that facing a dragon?"

"It was all for the aesthetic. It looked cool, right? Long hair."

"Can't argue with that......"

Hoyeol's ever-changing hairstyles.

And the final story that followed.

Thanks to the tactless Dmitri, it was confirmed once more.

The dragon loot that Hoyeol had acquired.

Asking if he was curious what loot he'd gotten.

Dmitri breaks into a cold sweat before Hoyeol's counter-question.

"N-no, it's just, Leader......?"

Is there anything more entertaining than watching from across the river?

In a manner of speaking, Dmitri had invited the whip with his own mouth.

Among players, there was an unwritten rule.

Unless you were enemies or about to become ones, you didn't casually ask successful raiders what loot they'd gotten.

The reason was simple.

"Nothing pisses people off more than raid mother-in-lawing."

After the cataclysm, raids had become life-or-death struggles.

In a fight worthy of being called a raid, lives were naturally on the line.

Evaluating loot was tantamount to weighing the sacrifices against the loot's value.

And the sacrifices in this Yunak Seus raid were especially heavy.

"Dmitri, he really crossed the line."

The Tower Master of the Mage Tower had sacrificed himself in that battle, and this was the Mage Tower holding his memorial.

To brazenly mention loot here.

And of all people, to get caught by Hoyeol.

Some players even turned away.

"I can't watch, it's too pitiful. Speaking of, wasn't Dmitri's proposal rejection caught by player paparazzi before? Why's he always so pathetic?"

"Thinking I might've done that...... Urk, makes me wanna puke."

"I'm already getting chills. Totally normal......?"

In a situation where even the clueless would develop tact on the spot.

Save me.

Stammering Dmitri searches desperately for allies among his Shining comrades with pleading eyes.

But neither Rocks nor Camilla is anywhere to be seen—not a hair, not a shadow.

"......Guys?"

Quick-witted Rocks had slipped away early to avoid the splash damage, and Camilla had long since plunged into the crowd to find Jessie.

'Traitors......!'

Caught between a rock and a hard place.

No escape for you, Dmitri.

As everyone awaited Dmitri's 'disposal'.

Hoyeol spoke.

For some reason.

Words no one could have anticipated.

"Then await your turn in order."

Await your turn?

Procedure and formality.

Words Hoyeol was known to harp on.

But to blurt out 'wait your turn' just like that.

Hoyeol left only those words and walked on.

Dmitri, escaping ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠mortal peril, finally exhaled the breath he'd been holding.

"Whew."

Too relieved to think.

He had no choice but to ask those around him again.

Dmitri whispers to a Shining guild member and analyst.

"He doesn't mean he'll dispose of me in order, right?"

"Who knows. Could be interpreted two ways."

"......Two ways? Like what?"

"One is like you said, disposal order."

"Phew, then what's the other?"

"The other, I'm hoping......"

The pondering man continues.

"If Player Lee Hoyeol ever intended to reveal Yunak Seus's loot...... Then 'wait your turn' could mean something else."

"......Ohhh."

Heaven or hell depending on interpretation.

Dmitri had only one way to foresee his future.

So, what was Hoyeol's next schedule, who valued procedure so highly?

The Mage Tower mages knew better than anyone.

Jibril whispers to Cley amid the crowd.

"Isn't today the day of the Roundtable Conference, Cley?"

Be grateful, Dmitri.

'For not fixating on my long hair like those people......'

The shock from last night still lingered.

The incessant vibrations of the smartphone notifications.

Nos. 2 and 3, who always nagged him as usual.

Even big sis, offering consolation that wasn't consolation.

They were utterly loathsome......!

He'd braced himself, but the aftermath was brutally harsh.

The silver lining in the misfortune was that [Heaven and Earth Sole Respect], that damn skill by name alone, had deactivated, returning his hair to normal.

'And the misfortune in the silver lining.'

Activating it again would make his hair flow wildly once more......!

Strength traded for shame.

Fine now, but worrying about the future.

Learning Grandfell's past through Darkness Understanding.

Would raise Heaven and Earth Sole Respect's proficiency too.

Master it, and he'd be sweeping the floor with his hair......

So he had to be grateful.

'For changing the mood with the loot question.'

Thanks to that, he could head to the next schedule, the Roundtable Conference, without fielding questions.

And per procedure, he ascended the podium ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in the Crystal Hall where the Roundtable Conference was held.

As commander of the Holy War Alliance, I opened my mouth.

"Yunak Seus no longer exists in this world."

Numerous players had joined, but the Holy War Alliance had led the Yunak Seus raid.

Settling the raid's outcome was my duty.

"Thanks to your noble sacrifices."

Nam Taemin, Hisagi Kazuma, Leoni Bellucci, Skal......

My gaze shifts one by one.

Finally stopping at Harcon Kingsguard.

Harcon had lost both legs in this battle.

His crushed legs worsened by the plate armor melted in the extreme flames.

Beyond modern medicine or the Mage Tower's healing magic.

"Such sacrifices deserve utmost respect."

I nodded to Harcon.

Harcon had led the Holy War Alliance in my stead for six unexpected days of absence, only to lose his legs.

I wanted to express deeper respect, but my damn neck remained stiff even now.

But in my place.

Clap clap clap─

All attendees of the Roundtable Conference rose and applauded Harcon.

Harcon smiled sheepishly.

"Well...... This is embarrassing in its own way."

As the applause died down, I continued.

"Yunak Seus was a formidable foe incomparable to mere demon kings or great evils. Protecting reality from such a Yunak Seus was thanks to you all."

"......!!!"

I feel the audience flinch.

Who is Grandfell of the world?

A picky soul who rarely praises.

Praise pouring from such Grandfell's mouth.

Not just the Mage Tower mages, but first-time player attendees thanks to the full opening were visibly shocked.

Without grasping the deeper meaning.

'Look at him puffing out his chest even now.'

In any case, my contribution to slaying Yunak Seus was overwhelming.

I hadn't struck ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠directly, but I'd endured the heat while he spewed extreme flames to the end.

'In the end, it means I'm the greatest.'

Proof: Breaking through level 800's wall.

A whopping 26 levels gained beyond that.

Plus all of Yunak Seus's loot auto-acquired due to high contribution.

Yes, I'd taken the podium to reveal that.

Why, mustn't words spoken become reality?

"I shall now reveal the legacy left by such a Yunak Seus to you all."

AAU Korea Branch.

As if a storm had swept through.

Seong Hyunjun and Yoon Sugyeom catch their breath.

Two large venti iced Americanos are placed beside the two men.

"Huh?"

"......Branch Chief Park?"

Miserly Branch Chief Park Minjae.

A rare soul in modern times who loved canned and instant coffee.

Yet here he was, setting down cafe iced Americanos.

Has the sun risen in the west? Or did he win the lottery?

To the two men ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠staring blankly, Park Minjae speaks.

"......My wife bought them."

"No wonder, ma'am was here?"

"Yeah, while you two were pounding keyboards like mad......"

But come to think of it, isn't this indirectly on me......?

As Park Minjae's eyes sadden.

Quick-witted Seong Hyunjun strikes first.

"Wooow, thank you! We'll enjoy them! Branch Chief Park! As expected, coffee you buy tastes the best. Oh, and did you see? Breaking news has been flooding the media since earlier."

"Breaking news? Mage Tower stuff?"

"Yep."

Just in case, Seong Hyunjun turns the monitor toward Park Minjae.

Park Minjae scans it and nods.

"Of course I read every single one."

"Feels like it's finally over properly now."

"Yeah."

Fidget fidget─

Park Minjae slyly reaches for Yoon Sugyeom's coffee, but Yoon Sugyeom's hand is faster.

Yoon Sugyeom quickly sips through the straw and asks.

"Want some water?"

"......Tch. No thanks."

"More importantly, what the hell did that bastard do."

Here, 'that bastard' was naturally Raymon Sean.

The dragons who called Hoyeol the Black Dark Dragon and followed him.

No reason for such dragons to now breathe on reality and players.

"Yunak Seus who swallowed the evil fruit. That 'evil' prefix was probably the cause."

"So I dug through the Cosmo database again. There's good and evil fruit, but no evil fruit concept at all. Even deleted data has nothing. Where did it all go wrong......"

"Well, we wouldn't know, right? Being an emergency update, even Raymon Sean probably didn't expect it."

"Karma for him, in a way."

Sip sip─

Seong Hyunjun and Yoon Sugyeom nod over their Americanos.

Speaking of unexpected.

Seong Hyunjun speaks.

"Never imagined the Yunak Seus raid would end like this. I half-expected Lee Hoyeol, Yusra general manager, to sort it out......"

"Didn't expect the long, flowing hair?"

"Th-that too? But the general manager always delivers. I have infinite faith in him. No big surprise."

"Testimony time, huh?"

He's no different from me.

Park Minjae swallows a chuckle briefly.

Seong Hyunjun continues.

"But Yunak Seus turning evil dragon after swallowing the evil fruit, causing real damage, getting remembered and recorded like this? Totally unexpected."

"Really?"

Park Minjae recites the breaking news headline.

Yoon Sugyeom adds.

Because it was Hoyeol, who treated wealth and fame as trifles.

Only possible because the Dragon Heart went to such a Hoyeol.

Park Minjae suddenly recalls the Arcana Continent saga settings.

"It was basically the final content we planned for Cosmo's early Arcana Continent saga, right? Zero Mountains and the dragons at its peak?"

"Yes."

"Even without the cataclysm, players would've succeeded in dragon hunts eventually. Of course, the saga wouldn't end there. Endless new content would've been added."

"Probably."

"Still, dragon raids would've been a major turning point. The point where the world expanded beyond our planned Arcana."

Seong Hyunjun and Yoon Sugyeom gasp in admiration simultaneously.

"Oh...... It all lines up?"

"Anyway, the Yunak Seus raid became the turning point. Opening a portal to a completely different world, the Arcana Continent. Truly an unimaginable perspective, Branch Chief."

"Yeah?"

Worth the pricey coffee.

Park Minjae shrugs smugly.

Yet he thinks.

Yes, truth is always singular.

Merely differing viewpoints.

In that sense.

Truly unfathomable heights.

Surveying all from on high.

With unchanging perspective and interpretation.

Park Minjae sighs unwittingly.

"Even the evil dragon Yunak Seus, who nearly burned the world, was seen by Lee Hoyeol, Yusra general manager, as a torch to usher in a new era—the Arcana Continent......"