Borrowing Pioneers for a Day
“That reaction means you already knew about Astra, right? Did Luna tell you?”
Reading Hanbit’s expression, Diorama turned his gaze away. Luna nodded and placed her smartphone on the table.
“We told you we’d help with the Snow Drake subjugation, remember? Astra is handling the raid party recruitment.”
An app with a star logo popped up. Judging by the UI and the number of recent posts, it seemed like a more active community than expected.
“But can’t you use an Astra invite? I’m not a pioneer yet.”
“No need to worry. This is a special perk given to sponsors.”
“A perk?”
“Yes. When Astra was founded, sponsors who provided capital each received one invite. It’s been over a year, but I can use it whenever I want.”
The community Astra had been created under the leadership of a pioneer named Grace. Apparently, lacking initial funds, they’d gathered a few sponsors to lay the foundation. That must mean they were eager to attract top-tier pioneers.
“But will Grace really accept?”
Rapina, who’d been listening, spoke up with concern. Luna’s reaction was much the same.
“Yeah, I can’t picture it. That prickly woman would flat-out refuse.”
It was less a guess and more a certainty. Curious, Hanbit asked the two of them.
“What’s Grace like?”
“Elite meritocrat? That’s the vibe. She doesn’t even want to deal with anyone below her level.”
“Ah……”
Her description painted a clear picture. It was a type he’d seen often among the nobility in the isekai world—probably no different in the modern one.
“Grace is picky about people, but you’ll be fine, Mr. Black Dragon. You’re the one shaking up the RP world the most right now. I’ll take responsibility and make sure she accepts.”
“…CEO, you’re not gonna get chewed out again, are you?”
Rapina voiced her worry once more. What on earth had happened?
“You two don’t know Grace well. Getting flak is actually a good sign—it means her reason’s shaken.”
Diorama declared it with a confident face. This guy wasn’t ordinary either.
“Anyway, this discussion only matters if the deal goes through, right? What do you think, Mr. Black Dragon?”
Luna turned to Hanbit and asked. The reason Bestige had offered the invite as compensation? They wanted information beyond the Bellmora episode.
“Selling episode攻略 is fine. I like the 1.5 billion price tag. But the real deal is……”
“Hold on!”
Just then, a voice came from the conference room entrance. Turning, Hanbit saw a familiar face.
“…Yeonwoo?”
The unexpected arrival was a surprise. He walked over to the seat next to Hanbit and greeted everyone.
“I’m Juyeonu, CEO of DD Studio. Sorry I’m late.”
“Hi. I’m Rapina.”
“Ah, you made it after all? I’m Luna.”
Quick introductions exchanged. Hanbit asked Yeonwoo, who’d sat beside him.
“What’s up? Didn’t you say you couldn’t come?”
“You didn’t check your phone?”
“My phone?”
At that, Hanbit pulled out the smartphone buried deep in his pocket. He’d had it on silent, but there were 20 missed calls stacked up.
“…Something came up.”
“I saw the subway exit chaos and figured. Glad you’re not too late, anyway.”
Yeonwoo was set to join the Bestige deal too. But a pre-scheduled Japan trip had been bumped up, scrapping his attendance. His sudden appearance meant it got canceled, then.
“Nice to meet you, Roper. We were just about to get into the deal talk.”
“Nice to meet you too. Been a while since anyone called me Roper. Mind filling me in first?”
“Of course.”
Diorama briefly recapped the prior discussion. The terms were just proposed—the real negotiation started now.
“So, if we provide the info Bestige needs, you give us an Astra invite.”
Yeonwoo nodded, summarizing. The 1.5 billion Bellmora攻略 was bait. The true trade lay in the ‘needed info.’
“No point beating around the bush, yeah.”
Diorama, with no intent to hide, nodded and pulled a large map from a lower box, spreading it on the table.
“A custom RP map made by Bestige. Not bad quality, right?”
“…Not bad? This is insane.”
“This is… impressive.”
Yeonwoo and Hanbit, peering close, were stunned. The terrain was depicted in exquisite detail, with key locations and verified info recorded—a treasure of a map.
“A lot of staff worked on it together, so……”
“Still amazing every time. My sister would lose her mind.”
Rapina with her modest brag, Luna still awed despite multiple views. Watching their reactions, Diorama smiled.
“Even I think making this was a smart move. Especially since Adventure A’s guidebook skimps on details—we pooled our own strength.”
He pointed to a spot on the map: a city on the outskirts of the Bastia Alliance in the continent’s east. Another starting city, Bellmora.
“As Rapina mentioned, Bestige has focused on Bastia. Unlike the set path of Raven, we bet on this alternative’s potential.”
A reasonable direction. Understandable, but tough due to scarce info.
Low expected value, though.
The gap between Raven and Bastia was clear. It wasn’t about reward value—it was the Holy Nation ties. Closing that took time.
“Do any of Bestige’s pioneers start in Bellmora?”
“Two of them. They’re giving it their all, but lately, it feels like we’ve hit a wall.”
Representing Bastia for Investigation HQ candidacy, they’d poured in time and effort. But progress had stalled recently.
“You’re in the verification process now, right?”
“Yes. Like the Raven ones, stuck at episode eight.”
Completing a nation’s episodes elevates players to Investigation HQ candidates. Passing the HQ’s verification makes them official, granting continent-wide influence. Top pioneers were all agonizing over this ‘verification’ now.
“So, what info do you want?”
Yeonwoo cut to the chase. Diorama shifted his finger to Bastia’s top and said,
“We need a way to break the stalled episode. And advice on future direction.”
“…Future direction?”
The solution was expected, but the follow-up was vague. Hanbit asked Diorama,
“You mean consulting?”
“Exactly. We want to leverage Bastia’s advantages without falling behind the Raven pioneers.”
Bestige’s RP ops included not just pioneers but many regular players, mostly in Bastia Alliance. They wanted to maximize it.
“Of course, that’s aspirational. If you lack this info, we’ll adjust the deal. But the Astra invite would be off the table.”
Diorama wasn’t provoking. Even if Black Dragon had unique info, its limits were clear. He wasn’t foolish enough to chase clouds.
“Hm.”
Hanbit pondered. Holding back info was complex. His growth pace versus others’ leads, info value tied to him, plus first-mover titles. Investigation HQ blurred national lines, impacting the whole continent.
“Bottom line: I have all the info you want. In detail, enough for a deal.”
“…I see.”
Diorama’s vibe shifted instantly. Though his eyes were hidden, his voice and posture screamed resolve. He was dead serious about RP and his players’ growth.
“What’s your take?”
“Tough call. Depends on what info you share—how much it boosts Bestige’s pioneers.”
Yeonwoo nodded, eyeing the invite, then turned to Diorama.
“Frankly, I’m not sure how valuable an Astra invite is to Black Dragon here. Sure, info gets shared there, but most of it’s probably in his head.”
“…Can’t argue that.”
Bestige’s CEO nodded readily. Even a pioneer-only community traded info—and Hanbit likely knew it all.
“What do you think, Luna?”
“Me?”
Hanbit suddenly asked her. Picking up a candy from the table, she replied,
“Personally, I’d vote yes. Astra’s worth it for the verified pioneers already in.”
“For networking?”
“Networking, yeah—and as Black Dragon’s standing rises, more ways to use them. Like recruiting for this Snow Drake raid—treat people as resources.”
She focused on pioneers’ utility over RP info. Verified talent would be convenient; building ties long-term was smart.
“But trading for what the CEO wants? Not equal value. For someone packed with RP knowledge like Black Dragon, it’s half a reward.”
Luna stated flatly that the deal was unfair. Even before friend Rapina and frequent contact Diorama, she took his side without hesitation.
“True, it favors us. Thought it was a shocker, but my bad for not scouting ahead.”
Diorama apologized humbly.
“Nah. My situation’s unique.”
One invite from early sponsorship. Using it as trade bait was trickier than it seemed. Someone might pay a fortune for it. For some reason, Rainzer’s face flashed in his mind.
“So, how should we structure the deal? If there’s something Black Dragon wants, we’d prepare it……”
Rapina wanted his info too—for her beloved company and colleagues’ sake.
“Hm.”
Hanbit, holding the reins, thought it over. Simply, demand more cash. Whirlwind Tower mats aside, expenses piled up. But wasting this chance felt off.
“……?”
Glancing at the map, something caught Hanbit’s eye. Past memories surfaced naturally. He looked at Diorama and asked,
“Bestige’s pioneers are hunting clues here right now, yeah?”
“Correct. They’ve been online since morning. Operating from this base camp.”
Diorama nodded, pinpointing the spot. Confirming it, Hanbit grinned and laid out his term.
“Then, can I borrow those folks for 24 hours?”