Chapter 198: Oh, I Met Him.
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 198: Oh, I Met Him.
"Are you returning to Victory Academy tomorrow?"
"Yeah. There's nothing left for me here."
"Understood. I will make the necessary arrangements so you can depart immediately tomorrow."
"Thanks."
"It is my pleasure. Please, get some rest."
As Baelson finished speaking, I closed the door to my quarters and flopped onto the bed.
The first thing I did upon entering the room was announce my return schedule. I had pulled the Holy Sword and learned the Saintess's name; there was no reason to linger in Rubenia any longer.
I’ll probably end up coming back later, though.
Still, since I had obtained everything I could for now, it was only right to head back. Staying here wouldn't change anything, and I had plenty to prepare for in the future.
Now, let’s check things one by one.
It was time to review the reward information—a task that was arguably more crucial than pulling the Holy Sword itself. Depending on what was written here, my future direction could change entirely.
Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!
The moment I opened the notification window, information filled my vision alongside a barrage of sound effects. First, I checked the Saintess's information.
[Name] Liriel Rubenia
[Physical] Height: 175cm / Weight: 65kg
[Description] The Saintess of the Holy Kingdom of Rubenia, a figure who can be seen as the embodiment of Rubenia itself.
She lost her family at a young age to monsters emerging from Gates and Dungeons. Despite this, she never lost hope and maintained a heart that wished to save others, leading her to be chosen by Rubenia and awaken.
While she appears very mature on the outside, it is merely an act; she is actually a mischievous troublemaker who loves to play pranks. Her hobby is locking herself in her room to use the computer. She particularly enjoys leaving malicious comments on the internet.
She is a pure virgin. While she possesses some sexual knowledge, she is extremely shy.
[Main Skill] Cannot be confirmed as she has not yet lost her virginity.
A mischievous Saintess who loves to leave hate comments.
What a hell of a character concept, I thought.
Well, it’s fine.
It wasn't exactly a disadvantage, so it didn't really matter.
Nothing I need to know in too much detail.
As for her Main Skill, it was practically already revealed. I had already experienced the power of a Saintess who uses versatile abilities based on Divine Power.
Now, next.
If Liriel’s information was the appetizer, then this was the main course.
Achievement [Pulling the Holy Sword] reached!
Achievement [This is It!] reached!
You have pulled the Holy Sword! As a reward, ownership of the Holy Sword is now fully bound to you.
Furthermore, because you overcame an impossible situation through your own strength, you have acquired the Sub-skill [Challenger] (C) as a reward.
Challenger (C): Overall stats increase when facing an unreasonable situation.
Ding!
The existing skill [Tyrant] rejects the Sub-skill [Challenger] (C).
A Tyrant does not "challenge." They only look down upon the underlings below.
A King must look down from a place of solitude.
Searching for alternative reward...
Additional merits regarding the Holy Sword are granted.
You are now able to use a portion of the sealed Holy Sword's Divine Power.
However, since this Divine Power is converted from your own strength rather than the Saintess's, it is not cost-effective. Excessive use will place a heavy burden on your body.
What is this?
I finally got a skill, and I didn't even get to use it before it was swapped for something else. It sounded pretty good, too. Since it was "Challenger," it probably would have helped me break through status effects or incapacitation.
I didn't know Tyrant had a drawback like this.
I guess the skill has its own sense of pride. Still, it wasn't a total loss.
Being able to use Divine Power is good.
Even if it wasn't efficient, Divine Power was still Divine Power. If I learned how to use it properly from Liriel, it would definitely be useful. Plus, since ownership of the Holy Sword was bound to me, I didn't have to worry about losing it.
"Now for the real deal."
I spoke aloud, consciously trying to relax my body. This was the main dish of main dishes. It was time to read the information window regarding the Protagonist Share.
By pulling the Holy Sword, your Protagonist Share increases by 10%—%@#@!
As the narrative has shifted, the rate of increase is modified.
Protagonist Share increases by 5%.
Ding!
Your Share has reached 50%.
As your Share is now equal to [Protagonist - Kim Min-su], you will no longer face discrimination in the unfolding story.
In specific situations, you can compete with Kim Min-su to seize the role of the lead character.
You can now proactively lead the story.
Your actions will directly write the next sentence of the narrative.
Competition will always begin from an equal standing.
"..."
The moment I read the window, my breath hitched.
I did it.
This was the sweetest value I had ever obtained. A sugary rush that felt like it could melt my brain washed over my entire body. It was painful that the 10% had been cut in half, but that was fine. The important part was that we were tied.
Kim Min-su is finished now.
Kim Min-su had never beaten me once since I received the quest. If I could do that much when we weren't even on equal footing, the conclusion was as good as decided now that we were eye-to-eye.
Though Kim Min-su wasn't my ultimate goal to begin with.
Kim Min-su was merely a stepping stone. My true objective was to catch Chubby Ahn. My goal was to hunt down and crush that bastard who threw me into this novel and then washed his hands of it. I had just taken the first step toward that.
Nothing else.
There was no dessert. I could understand that, considering how hearty the main course was. Besides, there were more hidden benefits than just the visible rewards.
Let's go back.
It was finally time to return to Victory Academy.
*
"The Saintess is coming?"
"Yes. Not immediately, but she said she would come later."
"I see."
Inside the Rubenia private jet heading back to Korea, I was chatting with Baelson.
So she really is coming.
The Saintess had expressed her intention to come to Korea as soon as she recovered her strength. That statement had already set Korea ablaze; I didn't even need to look to know my face would be all over the thumbnails of every nationalistic YouTube channel for a while.
"What about Kim Min-su?"
"We need to investigate further. There are a few other suspicious points besides this incident."
Kim Min-su hadn't been able to board the private jet with me and was currently detained in Rubenia. Though "detained" just meant he was being questioned at his lodgings, it was still a massive improvement. If our Protagonist Shares hadn't been equal, he might have just slipped away as he usually did.
"By the way, I'm surprised they let the Holy Sword on board."
"It's treated as a holy relic. It's a bit of a loophole, but if you focus on its symbolism rather than its function as a weapon, it's entirely possible."
I had just learned that the Holy Sword could be brought onto any flight. You could even carry it into a meeting with a world leader without issue. It seemed like a massive gamble, trusting the character of a Hero more than one's own life, but when they explained it was how a Hero was treated, I accepted it.
Well, it's good for me, so no need to complain.
Since the topic had come up, I looked at the Holy Sword sitting in front of me. It was still covered in rock, shaped like a blunt club. Rubenia hadn't mentioned anything about this. They talked as if everything would be solved once it was pulled, but clearly, they had left this little plot hook because they weren't omniscient.
The God didn't say anything, and Liriel doesn't know either. What am I supposed to do with this?
I’d have to ask Liriel to set up a meeting with Rubenia once she recovered.
I spent a few more hours chatting with Baelson and lost in thought.
—We will soon be arriving in Korea. Please follow the instructions of the cabin crew...
I had arrived in Korea. I couldn't believe I almost felt homesick after being abroad for only a few days. Traveling abroad really wasn't for me.
Vrrr, vrrr, vrrr.
"Hm?"
The moment I turned on my phone after disembarking, it vibrated violently. The caller was...
Melanie?
Why was she calling all of a sudden?
"Hello?"
—What took you so long to answer!
"Ah, I just landed in Korea. I picked up as soon as I got off, so don't be too hard on me."
—Ahem... well, I saw the news. You did something incredible. Congratulations.
"Thanks. Is that why you called?"
Being a tsundere, Melanie gave her encouragement only after a sharp remark. She was like a concentrated ball of cuteness in human form.
—It's not that. Looking at the arrival times, I thought you might overlap with my fiancé. If you happen to run into him, try to avoid him as much as possible and tell me—
"I'm telling you, why isn't the entry being processed immediately?!"
Before Melanie could even finish her sentence, a loud roar echoed through the immigration hall. I didn't even need to look to know who it was.
"Yeah, I just met him."
Had the system said I could lead the development myself now?
Let's get right to it.
It was time to officially become the protagonist.