Chapter 84

What a strange thing to say.

Did he mean he wanted to live an interesting life? Or that he usually wanted to die?

But I didn’t sense any gloominess from Dante at all.

‘Right, there’s no way someone like him would think about wanting to die.’

He looked like he didn’t have a single thought in his head. I dismissed the question and took a bite of my ice cream.

Dante, who had been watching me quietly, suddenly spoke.

“By the way, did you see it?”

“See what, out of the blue?”

“The video. The people who saw it are calling you ‘Migong.’”

I pointed at my chest with the ice cream spoon.

“Are you talking about me right now?”

“Of course, I’m talking about you.”

“People are calling me Migong?”

“Yep.”

“…What’s a Migong?”

A smirk spread across Dante’s face, as if he’d been waiting for that. It was an incredibly wicked expression.

“You know about the new global bulletin board, right?”

“No, they added something like that?”

“It opened as a reward for clearing the third gate. There should be a new icon next to your inventory. Check it out.”

Come to think of it, I seemed to recall a message about something opening up right before I passed out…

“Huh? You’re right.”

Dante was telling the truth. There was an unfamiliar icon next to my inventory. Why hadn’t anyone told me?

“This is the global bulletin board?”

“Open it.”

When I selected the megaphone-shaped icon, a list of posts appeared.

[Global Bulletin Board]

— ★Hunters, Must Read!★ Bulletin Board Rules. (287)

— ★Constellations, Must Read!★ Bulletin Board Rules. (♥579)

— <Administrator> Posts without a prefix will be deleted without notice.

— <Clip> Migong vs. Dana 5/5 (♥208)

— <Clip> Migong vs. Dana 4/5 (♥177)

— <Administrator> This post has been deleted. (♥75)

— <Clip> Migong vs. Dana 3/5 (♥184)

— <Clip> Migong vs. Dana 2/5 (♥197)

— <Clip> Migong vs. Dana 1/5 (♥200)

— <Pro Tip> This is how you can become a top ranker too!!! (♥181)

“What is this…”

Only Constellations had the authority to write posts, while Hunters could only ‘like’ the posts made by them.

So, Hunters were granted permission to view a community used by Constellations.

‘Why would they create something like this? Especially if we can’t even post…’

Of course, it wasn’t a bad thing for me.

‘The chat window might freeze again in the future.’

With the bulletin board, I no longer had to ask the Constellations to relay messages to other Hunters and wait for feedback like before.

I could just ask them to put a post on the board.

The number of ‘likes’ would be the number of Hunters willing to help me.

‘Not bad.’

I suppressed a smile and slowly looked through the posts on the board.

If it opened as a reward for clearing the gate, it had only been two days, but a lot had already been posted.

‘Is this what Dante was talking about?’

Most of the posts with the highest number of ‘likes’ were titled ‘Migong vs. Dana.’

I selected one of them, and a new window popped up.

It wasn’t a text post but a short clip containing footage of my battle with the Dark Knight.

I shot up from my seat as if I’d been electrocuted.

“What, what is this!”

“It’s too early to be surprised.”

“There’s something more surprising than this?”

“Why do you think people are calling you Migong? It’s because they saw that video.”

“No way! Only Hunters can see this!”

“You can project a saved image with illusion magic, can’t you? Have you never seen it?”

“Where would I have seen something like…!”

I had.

I had even seen it with my own eyes. The magic projection on the outer wall of the building when I first visited the Magic Tower.

Suddenly, the reason why people had become so friendly flashed through my mind. The reason why Jean Blanc had run out to shake my hand.

I clenched my teeth and stormed out of the cafe.

Without pausing to catch my breath, I arrived at the Magic Tower, where the video in question was playing on the building’s outer wall.

It wasn’t an artifact advertisement.

“Dammit…”

It was a video of me getting my ass kicked by the monster knight.

* * *

I ran into the Magic Tower and stopped at the reception desk. The receptionist droned on without even looking up.

“Welcome. For magic consultations, please find the appropriate counter for your field of interest. Magical items can be purchased on the first floor.”

“I’m here to see the person in charge of the magic broadcast that’s currently playing.”

“That would be under the jurisdiction of the Master of the Magic Tower. Do you have an appointment?”

“No.”

“It’s difficult to meet with Sir Kaiel without an appointment. You’ll have to find another mage or come back later.”

“Just go and ask him. Ask if he’s ever been sued for using someone’s image without permission.”

“…”

The receptionist’s head snapped up. I recognized her face and my eyes widened.

‘Isn’t that the summoner who summoned that cute little thing for me?’

Was her name Yulia? What was a summoner doing at the reception desk?

“Aaaah! Princess Astell!”

A sharp scream echoed through the first floor of the Magic Tower.

She leaped over the reception desk like a wild animal and rushed toward me.

“Princess! Are you alright? You’re all better now, right? I’m so happy to see you! Could you please visit more often from now on?”

“…”

I took a step back from Yulia, who was chattering away with her face pressed close to mine.

The way she cupped her face with her hands and stared at me with sparkling eyes was so much like Zenia that it was overwhelming.

“I need to see the Master of the Magic Tower. Right now.”

“Of course, of course! You absolutely must! You said you don’t have an appointment, right?”

“Right.”

“Oh, who needs an appointment between us? I’ll take care of everything, so don’t you worry!”

What ‘us’?

Yulia led me toward the stairs.

“Here, this way. Stand in front of the stairs and say ‘Kaiel,’ and you’ll be transported to his office.”

Even after I stood before the stairs, Yulia didn’t look away.

She was staring so intensely that my cheeks began to tingle.

“Um, Princess. I have a favor to ask…”

“What is it?”

“Could I possibly tag along to Sir Kaiel’s office? I’ll be as quiet as a doll and won’t say a single word.”

“No.”

“I won’t even blink. Still no?”

“Yeah, no.”

“Then should I wait here until you’re done talking with Sir Kaiel? I have so many questions for you, Princess. Like if you can summon, too, and how you tamed the chimera, and how you figured out the strategy to defeat the monster knight… No, wait, I should just escort you to the estate! We can talk on the way!”

“That’s a no, too.”

“Haaah, your decisiveness is so cool. Can I copy you?”

“…Kaiel.”

Ignoring the clingy Yulia, I called out his name, and my vision distorted.

‘Ugh! What is this?’

My feet suddenly felt like they were lifting off the ground, and my stomach churned.

‘I was fine when I teleported with Kaiel last time.’

The moment I arrived in the office, I stumbled. I couldn’t find my balance at all. My knees gave out, and I pitched forward.

“Ugh!”

Kaiel, who had been selecting a book in front of a bookshelf, raised a sharp eyebrow before his eyes widened in surprise.

“Who dares to enter without permission… Astell?”

The books stacked in his arms tumbled to the floor with a loud thud.

In an instant, he was by my side, catching me.

“Astell!”

I collapsed into Kaiel’s arms just before I hit the floor.

“As… Princess! Are you alright?”

“Motion sickness. Ugh, I feel sick.”

“Motion sickness?”

Kaiel held me close and stretched out a hand.

A glass filled with water floated through the air toward us.

He snatched it without looking and brought it to my lips.

“It must be the teleportation circle. It was installed with efficiency in mind, so the quality of mana is lower. You must be very sensitive to mana, Princess.”

“To meet with you… ugh, do I have to go through this every time?”

“I will install a dedicated teleportation circle just for you, Princess.”

“The guild too? Ugh, I feel nauseous. Can you install one there too?”

“…Are you really in a state to be saying that right now?”

“A teleportation circle installed by the Master of the Magic Tower himself. Ugh, I don’t know when an opportunity like this will come again.”

“The teleportation circle will only connect my office and your office. I’d rather summon a creature for you to ride as you please.”

“Then please, hoo, make it the cutest one you have.”

“…You’re truly impossible.”

Hearing Kaiel’s voice, a mix of disbelief and resignation, I slowly opened my eyes.