"So you mean it’s dangerously not a joke?"
It’s Park Gwangrim.
Park Gwangrim, who said he would escape Mokpo to avoid danger, for some reason called from Gongju in South Chungcheong Province.
"Why Gongju of all places?"
"Gyeryongsan... True, plenty of cultists are attached to that place."
"Hmm, Gongju..."
What a ridiculous event.
Manse Ilwon Church, which ran rampant in Mokpo, was finally crushed by the Foreigners Administration led by Yang Seoho.
And Yang Seoho, astonishingly, captured the monstrous leader of Manse Ilwon Church— Dokgo Gyeom.
Park Gwangrim repeated in his characteristic intonation.
He isn’t excited because Yang Seoho caught Dokgo Gyeom.
Yang Seoho decided to transport Dokgo Gyeom to Sejong City. Hearing this, the remnants of Manse Ilwon Church rallied the sects connected to them, heteromorphs, and criminals and—
"They’re going to launch a full-scale rescue operation? Did I really understand that right?"
"Ha, what is this, a medieval fantasy?"
Just how far does this game intend to go?
They were quiet because I got a vacation from this game’s Administrator.
No, wait. Is the causal order reversed? Were they able to boast the quiet because they anticipated this situation?
Right, rather than having sealed off every last cultist, which are all independent anyway, it may be that they pretended to give me rewards to keep me from moving.
Or maybe it’s both.
If he really is this world’s Administrator, he can get multiple effects from a single move.
"Even so, if it’s widespread enough to be known, Yang Seoho would have prepared for it, right? He could just change the date or route. Isn’t this too preposterous a rumor?"
"Sigh— what is it?"
Yeah, plausibility isn’t the issue.
"That’s tough of him. A frontal breakthrough?"
"Planning to sweep up anything conspicuous along the way?"
So it’s, I’ll go like this, come at me if you dare?
"A real hegemon, a hegemon."
The tag you’re-it I played with cultists in Paju feels laughable.
A tyrannical march flaunting overwhelming force.
"A ruin?"
"Good grief, everyone’s being so bold."
In this small country, everything happens.
"So what’s your point?"
"They are."
The Foreigners Administration is currently shorthanded.
No major incidents occurred during my weeklong vacation, but right before that there were continuous big cases they couldn’t handle alone.
Even just in Paju, organized thugs fought in the city center with heavy weapons— practically a war; there was a huge accident where an apartment construction site collapsed entirely; and the Great Barrier north of Paju still hasn’t been restored.
"..."
All because of me.
Especially the hole in the Great Barrier is causing the most critical situation.
There, not only the Foreigners Administration but even the military has been mobilized, yet with the monsters pouring in from the north, restoring the barrier keeps stalling.
"What about it?"
A meaningful question. The answer is simple.
"Both."
He kept circling with words, but I see what he wants.
Park Gwangrim has a very unique gift called [Dowsing]. The ability to locate a desired person.
At a battlefield where even picking up trash yields great profit, Park Gwangrim’s ability becomes a commodity he can sell to both sides.
"You’ll need someone to protect you."
So I go as a set with Jang Hyundeok and escort Park Gwangrim around.
"Sorry, but I decided not to play strategist for a while—"
That much is true.
Sounds like this will gather a headcount greater than Masquerade.
It seems absurd, but in [Cthulhu World] there is an event with a similar feel. Looks like it’s being implemented here in a slightly altered form.
And lastly, that ruin.
Park Gwangrim thinks it’s Gyeryongsan, but if I’m right it’s on the Buyeo side. Seems the Baengma River heritage site was unearthed. And in that ruin...
"I’ll think about it. I’ve got a lot to do right now."
The call ended around there.
"Good grief, on the last day of vacation, everyone’s yanking my arms so I can’t even rest properly."
Saying that, I recalled another proposal that came in.
Right after Go Gyeongsu left Vasiliisa.
"Well?"
"What do you mean, well?"
"Our Gaegyeongsu. He always struts around saying he’s the boss, but every time he’s in need he comes whining."
"It’s a dilemma."
Cure may be a competitor to Hellistic, but compared to Hellistic, which long ago built secret labs and bases nationwide, they’re a step below.
They also entered Korea late as a second mover.
But even so, there’s one reason they were able to wield influence at a pace comparable to Hellistic.
"Because there’s an Abyssal entity behind them."
Hellistic has a similar backer, but Cure’s side is closer to a cult. And the Abyssal being they serve is...
"Hmm, sounds like you’re leaning toward taking Gaegyeongsu’s request?"
"Wasn’t that why you introduced him?"
"Anyone else could take that request. Whoever goes, I get paid the same. And—"
With that, Tudor winked at me and pointed to her office. Then, playfully,
"Young lady, shall we go someplace quiet and talk in private?"
"...Who are you calling young lady."
Saying that, I moved to Tudor’s office.
"Honestly, did you have to pry into a lady’s private affairs in front of everyone like that?"
"Now are you in the mood to tell me more?"
"You’re curious about Orb and Pani, right?"
"Yeah."
"Too bad, I can’t tell you anything grand. Huh? Don’t get up— sit. I’m not teasing you."
Only then did I sit back down.
"Did you make a secret oath?"
"No, it’s that I really don’t know. To me, it’s just—"
Tudor raised one hand and covered her right eye. She looked at me for a moment with only her left eye, then spoke again.
"I have a gift others don’t."
"A gift?"
"Yeah, I can sense the moments when this world’s continuity collapses. My grandmother called it the ‘evil eye’ (bascania)."
"What do you mean, the continuity collapses?"
"It seems to happen when the world’s form gets drastically twisted— or when someone turns back time. I’m not exact. I learned this by living a long time, having many experiences, and researching old texts."
It’s not exact, but Tudor is a witch who has lived in this world for at least over two hundred years. “A long time” here is that scale.
"But it isn’t some amazing power. I can only perceive it. I can’t exert any influence."
"Then what about Gong Isu?"
"Oh come on, I told you before, didn’t I? I don’t really know about Gong Isu. Maybe he’s an exception? But—"
"But?"
"Except for Gong Isu, when that kind of event happens, something similar mostly occurs."
"What is it?"
"A person appears in front of me. Not every time, but— someone who has lost the memories from before, and their own head."
"..."
"A few months ago I felt it again. I realized the world’s continuity had collapsed, and the world’s structure had been reconfigured. And—"
"I appeared?"
"Right. You were hard to recognize, different from Orb or the person who appeared before then, but it’s probably you."
"I have my head, and my memory is intact."
"But your influence on this world is tremendous. Maybe there’s someone else who lost their head. But it doesn’t matter."
"It doesn’t?"
"I’m not collecting headless people. I’m just being kind to the ones I like."
"..."
"How about now? Satisfied?"
"You really know nothing else? Really?"
"Oh, come on. Really."
Plenty remains dubious, but I decided to trust her for now. Even if she’s hiding something, I can’t dig it out right this moment.
Tudor giggled, then spread her arms.
"All right, I told a secret. Now you owe me."
"Ugh, what? What do you want?"
"Are you serious about that ridiculous ‘break’? Not working?"
"I only exaggerated to Go Gyeongsu. I’ll start again two days from now."
"Ah— so that’s it?"
"Yeah."
Tudor tapped her nose tip with a finger, then said,
"Then, along with Go Gyeongsu’s proposal, consider one more for me."
"So it was a job request after all."
"Right. My love, Colly, seems to be in a bit of trouble."
"Curtain Call?"
"Yeah, I told you before. Sokcho."
"Ah, that thing Yeonam Construction is building on Seoraksan?"
It’s the building Moon Seunghee of Yeonam Construction is putting up on Seoraksan.
It should have been finished quickly, but local notables hired fixers to interfere with the work.
Gwak Daeyong asked me to help, and I once formally received the request and refused it— looks like Curtain Call took it.
And there again?
"Right. But something troublesome came up there. If you won’t go, Seotin will, but I still trust you the most."
"What’s the trouble?"
"During blasting they accidentally found a strange cave."
"Aha."
My reaction must have rubbed Tudor the wrong way. She frowned slightly and pointed it out.
"Aha? Well, well, you knew something again?"
"No, I only knew there was an undisclosed ruin there."
"Ugh, so it’s a ruin, not a cave?"
"Yeah. It’s a ruin. Those local notables and ‘fixers’ Yeonam thought they were dealing with— they’re cultists serving an Abyssal entity related to that ruin."
Strictly speaking, the fixers are fixers.
That cult’s numbers are so small they had no choice but to hire fixers.
"So, how about it? Want to take it? Yeonam says they’ll pay whatever it takes if it’s resolved quickly."
"Hmm, I was going to rest until tomorrow. I’ll think on it a bit more."
"Ugh— fine. Tell me as soon as you decide. If you won’t, I have to send someone else, so say ‘no’ quickly if it’s a no."
"Got it."
After all that, yet another proposal came in.
"What should I do. Sokcho, Gongju, Busan. Which of the three should I move on?"
The instant my mutter ended, a message window suddenly popped up before my eyes.
[Did you get sufficient rest for a week? In the meantime you received a total of three requests. Because these require you to travel to places quite far apart, if you choose one you won’t be able to go to the others.]
Have you been watching me this whole time?
It’s a message like it was just waiting for me to say that.
[Which of the following three quests will you accept?
Ally : Go Gyeongsu
Location : Busan
- <Dokgo Gyeom and Yang Seoho, a Duel of Two Proud Powerhouses> Client : Park Gwangrim
Ally : Park Gwangrim
Location : Gongju or Buyeo
- Client : Yeonam Construction
Ally : Curtain Call
Location : Sokcho or Seoraksan
Please select your destination.]
- Client : Yeonam Construction
