Chapter 92

[See you soon at the banquet.

– Clona Eisen]

Hunter So Yeri—no, Mage Tower Lord Clona Eisen—gladly agreed to attend the “East-North Miya Expansion Commemorative Banquet.”

When I relayed the response to the knight from the Viya family, word got back that he was thrilled and dashed into the Gate in a burst of passion.

“He’s just so loud in every way.”

Doesn’t he ever get tired being that enthusiastic? Doesn’t he overheat?

Anyway, thanks to her business with the Miya Alliance, Hunter So Yeri would be staying in our territory for a good while.

“Good things are good, right~?”

She looked delighted.

Honestly, she probably didn’t care about the Mage Tower and knights’ alliance or whatever. She was just bored being alone, right?

Seeing her lounging around me instead of doing research, it was nine times out of ten spot on.

“But is it really okay to be away from your post this long?”

At my question, Hunter So Yeri waved her hand dismissively while sprawled on the sofa.

She had a book floating in midair with her [Invisible Hand (B)] skill.

“It’s fine, it’s fine~ Besides, our guardian knight captain has to protect me, right?”

She winked with that ‘The tower’s so insecure~ Oh, so insecure~’ act, but it felt utterly sincere.

Sincere in that she had zero anxiety about it.

Just then, Shin Jae-heon’s chat popped up. Hunter So Yeri’s eyes sparkled as she started typing.

Even while enjoying her vacation, she never forgot to check the Apocalypse Chronicle now and then.

—Rustle!

As if on cue, she pulled the Apocalypse Chronicle from her inventory, probably to check again.

And after flipping through a few pages…

“Huh?”

She shot up from her seat like she’d been launched.

“What appeared?”

Anything less would explain that reaction?

I stepped closer to her.

I’d seen the update about the failed attempt to seal the Mage Tower Lord’s magic.

But the next line was entirely new.

True to form, Yian ssi was the first to worry about danger.

Our eyes turned to the updated Apocalypse Chronicle.

Dangerous? Well, sort of…

A warning? You don’t mean when I let that assassin who tried to kill Yian ssi go?

Telling the Eastern Empire’s crown prince to hold still and wait for his neck to be chopped… no, to keep his head if he knew what’s good for him?

As she read the added Apocalypse Chronicle entry aloud, Shin Jae-heon’s chat popped up right on cue, as if reading my mind.

I hadn’t expected him to back down from that.

But seeing that we’d sent an assassin our way, I figured he’d grasp the power gap and hold back.

Instead, he was grinding his teeth?

Had he finally lost it for real?

If it weren’t for needing the Eastern Empire’s RP points, we’d already be playing tennis with the crown prince’s head.

I was so baffled I hammered out a chat, but Hunter So Yeri narrowed her eyes.

Then she said seriously,

“What if we send an assassin too?”

Th… this woman means it!

But I had to agree with her.

If we had an assassin class in our party, they’d be en route to the Eastern Empire already.

Thankfully, peeking into the future via the Apocalypse Chronicle meant the only one hurt in our group was Hunter Yian.

But Hunter Yian… he was in real danger.

“……”

I narrowed my eyes.

Remembering how shocked he was made me want to snap that crown prince’s neck.

But that would trigger an unavoidable RP dungeon penalty.

What would it say?

‘RP Dungeon Penalty Alert! Unprovoked international conflict!’ Something like that?

Even if the crown prince was a moron, he was an L-rank dungeon figure.

Who knew what level of dealers and healers were around him? I couldn’t charge in solo.

If the whole team went, we could take him without casualties.

And with the West Empire’s emperor on our side, we could spin the Gate incident into a war declaration…

But then Shin Jae-heon would go down as the first S-rank hunter to die from overwork.

He’d have to manage the Eastern Empire too.

Besides, shaking up the geopolitics in an RP dungeon like this just created more variables—not a smart move.

As “Yian’s Outing Manual No. 72,” the vacation staple, got shared in chat, I looked down at Hunter So Yeri.

“Anyway, you’re staying here until three days from now, right?”

The Miya banquet was set for three days later.

Hunter So Yeri nodded.

“Yup.”

She stretched languidly.

Anyone could see she was a total couch potato! Not someone here for research!

Glancing at the stack of work on my desk, I turned to her, and she slowly sat up from her sprawl.

Perched on the sofa, she winked.

“Even busy people need their rest. A true hunter rests even in an L-rank dungeon, right?”

“If you know that muuuch!”

Help with some work at least!

This count family territory management was swamped enough—why could the Mage Tower Lord lounge like an unemployed slob without issue?

“Want some help?”

Hunter So Yeri slyly stood up.

She felt a bit guilty, apparently.

“No, just stay put.”

I’ll hold my breath, knock it out quick, then play too!

I returned to my work desk.

She’d already said plenty, but the sentiment came through.

As the chats scrolled by, I saw Hunter So Yeri stretching again.

Wasn’t that the look of someone who’d been vegging out eating, sleeping, and watching Nutube for three days straight?

She looked like she’d played so hard she was stiff when she got up.

I narrowed my eyes and said,

No Nutube here, maybe that’s why she seemed bored.

“Still, you won’t be bored for the next three days.”

I’m confident! At my words, Hunter So Yeri’s eyes lit up.

“Why? Why? Why? What’s happening?”

Her excited voice rang out as she flew to my work desk.

I flashed her a V-sign with my fingers.

“We’re recruiting for the Edelweiss Knight Order soon.”

Thinking of all those pure dealers lined up—doesn’t it just pump you up?

Hunter So Yeri’s eyes sparkled at my words.

“No waay. A swarm of shiny-eyed newbie hunters?”

Probably not shiny-eyed, but yeah.

“What what, were you looking at their profiles? Lemme see!”

Then she plopped her butt right onto my office chair.

“I’m getting bumped off!”

“Bump away! Dealers are sturdy—they can stand!”

“That’s for tanks!”

An unexpected butt battle erupted on the chair.

Meanwhile, Hunter So Yeri snatched some profiles from my desk.

She flipped through them with a rustle.

“Ooo…”

Her cat-like golden eyes gleamed with excitement.

Of course—she frequented the Hunter Association anyway.

She’d help out newbies if the mood struck.

In short, she loved rookies.

And sure enough, the more she flipped, the brighter her face got.

“When is this? When do we pick them?”

The applicants probably had no clue they’d catch the Mage Tower Lord’s keen interest.

I pointed to one paper.

“Tomorrow at three in the afternoon.”

“Eek!”

Hunter So Yeri flailed her legs on the chair in excitement.

“I’m falling off!”

“Fall away! Kyaaa!”

Newbie hunters, oh my!

As I clung to the chair, Hunter So Yeri chatted in glee.

Yian ssi fired back lightning-fast.

Didn’t he just say he couldn’t chat during prayer?

Seemed the Shin-sian Church pope’s faith was running low.

What an end times.

Then again, he wasn’t religious to begin with. Impressive he’d managed this much.

If it were me, I’d doze off mid-prayer hall and eat a penalty.

Shin Jae-heon chimed in, curious too.

Fun stuff’s meant to be shared, right?

But sadly, no way the pope or emperor could show for a knight order selection in a noble territory.

…No way… right? They can’t come? Busy, yeah? Our nation’s safe?

Meanwhile, Hunter So Yeri was busy teasing the two guys.

Won’t tell? What are you gonna do?

You’re wasting national power on that?

In the end, I came clean.

The two guys finally got it.

They’re not coming after us, right? Right?

Thankfully, now realizing it was an RP dungeon, they didn’t mention chasing after.

Meanwhile, Hunter So Yeri chatted with glee on her face.

She was more hyped for my territory’s knight recruitment than I was.

Watching her, I couldn’t shake the bad feeling and said,

“Uh… don’t say anything stupid, okay?”

Right? You get it?

At my words, Hunter So Yeri turned to me.

Then her face hardened.

“…Not confident.”

Then don’t say anything! Argh!

I shoved her off the chair with my butt.

Yian nearly laughed reading the incoming chats.

Bursting into laughter as pope in the middle of the solemn prayer hall would mean instant penalty, no excuses.

Still, he couldn’t close the chat.

He had a hunch what it was. Edelweiss family business was predictable.

Tomorrow, yeah.

He grumbled inwardly.

After the imperial family, temple, and Mage Tower allied, he had to scout priest needs in advance.

He’d even ordered priests to apply for the Edelweiss knight selection himself.

Actually, I found out by accident…

He almost typed that but stopped.

He’d been focused on Shin Yuri the whole time, after all.

“Then, Your Holiness shall now read this grand prayer dedicated to Lord Shin-sian.”

Unlike the chat, the prayer hall was steeped in solemnity.

—Rustle.

Yian’s robes brushed the floor, echoing through the hall.

In the silence and gravity, Yian at the podium looked down at the script.

That’s how the script began.

“Commencing the Grand Prayer.”

His clear voice filled the hall.

But as he read the next line, Yian narrowed his eyes. His vision blurred suddenly.

Again.

He blinked shut and open.

A system window appeared, but he ignored it and continued reading the script through the haze.

No issues.

Anticipating this, he’d rehearsed and memorized it multiple times.

“…Then, to Lord Shin-sian, with all our hearts.”

He placed a hand on his chest and bowed briefly.

The blurred vision persisted.