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chapter 44
[This journal tells the story of when I existed as Kamon. I intend to bury a life of regret and even my name within these records, and to fulfill my responsibility. I pray that I may achieve my purpose and become an anonymous corpse.]
-ㄷㄷ
-Anonymous corpse;
-Who is Kamon?
-Is he related to Ria’s family?
-There were more NPCs in Edlen;
The first page of the notebook began with a heavy, solemn introduction.
Hanbit slowly turned the next page.
Rustle—
[Kamon was an unfortunate man. A grotesque face, a hunched back, and skin full of burn scars. Adults and children alike avoided him with expressions of disgust. His life had not changed for over sixty years.]
[One day, someone appeared who did not despise Kamon. A blonde girl whose eyes met his by chance. Their first meeting was when she timidly wandered into the alley where his workshop was. With eyes devoid of even a speck of revulsion, the child introduced herself as Ria.]
[Ria came every day, saying she was being chased by a man named Cowen. Kamon was flustered and didn’t know what to do, but as time passed, he found great comfort in it. How many decades had it been since he last spoke like this with someone? Out of gratitude, Kamon carefully crafted a toy doll and gifted it to the girl.]
[One day, the child came to see Kamon with a man named William. He introduced himself as the girl’s father and the mayor of Edlen. Their family name was Northton. The child’s name was Riventia.]
-Riventia?
-Ria is Riventia?
-Didn’t she say it was her room when they came in?
-Yeah, there was Riventia’s diary next to it.
-So she really is from the Northton family?
-She’s even the former mayor’s daughter. LOL
-Gwanghwamun tanghulu, let’s go.
With Ria’s identity confirmed, viewers reacted in shock.
Hanbit turned his gaze toward the back.
“Ria, come take a look at this.”
“…Okay.”
Ria, who had been fiddling with the toys, slowly stood up.
“What is it?”
Standing beside Hanbit, she looked at the two notebooks on the table.
When she saw the titles, her eyes widened.
“Uh……?”
Startled, she quickly opened ‘Riventia’s Diary (Do Not Read).’
[Today I snuck out to play in the street. People gave me lots of snacks, so I was happy. But I got caught by Cowen and had to come home early.]
[I met an old man named Kamon who hides his face really hard. Is he shy? He looked like he was going to cry, so I shared one of my snacks with him.]
[Grandpa Kamon listens to my stories well. But why does he always say thank you every day? He’s so different from Cowen, it’s funny.]
[I got tons of birthday presents today. There were lots of toys, but the doll Grandpa Kamon gave me was the prettiest. I should show Dad. Ah, Cowen gave me a wooden sword, so I was a little upset.]
[Today I went to see Grandpa Kamon with Dad. It sounded like he wanted to make something for our house. I hope we get a playground.]
-So cute.
-But Cowen knew Ria?
-Is it a namesake?
-Didn’t she look for the guild master when Plona disappeared?
-Did he know she was alive to begin with?
The childlike diary continued.
Then, at a point several years later, the tone changed.
[Dad fought with Uncle Brook. Uncle is scary because he yells. I hope he doesn’t come to our house.]
[Uncle Brook came again. He asked Cowen to take me outside.]
[I went to Kamon’s workshop with Dad. But they said they had something to talk about and sent me outside. I was a little sad that they talked without me.]
“…….”
The diary ended on that page.
Ria said nothing for a while.
Only the hands holding the notebook trembled slightly.
“Look at this too. It was written by someone named Kamon.”
“…Kamon?”
Hanbit handed Kamon’s notebook to her.
Taking it, Ria examined the contents with a puzzled expression.
[When he came to his senses, Kamon found himself in charge of remodeling the Northton family’s mansion. It was the first time he had ever received such a large commission, and he was bewildered. Still, he was happy to be able to repay the Northton father and daughter, who treated him as a person, with his gratitude. Was the request to build secret passages meant for the daughter’s play?]
[Not long after the mansion renovations were completed, the Northton father and daughter came to Kamon’s workshop. Lord William sent Miss Riventia outside. Then, with a darkened expression, he made a request. He asked Kamon to create a space to preserve his daughter’s memories, somewhere no one would ever discover. The sorrow on the lord’s face as he spoke was beyond words. Kamon nodded and accepted the order.]
[A few days later, an official notice was issued that William Northton and his relatives were to be executed. The charge was subversion of the state and treason. It was absurd. Shocked, Kamon ran barefoot to the Northton mansion. But everything was already too late.]
[Kamon collapsed onto the ground and wept bitterly. He came to truly loathe himself for being able to do nothing. At the very least, he could have willingly given up this worthless life. Just then, a man named Vares approached.]
-Vares?
-Why are you here?
-The king of betrayal.
-Should’ve killed this bastard from the start.
At the appearance of the name Vares, viewers erupted in anger.
A powerful helper in the Edlen episode, and a villain who would continue to torment players in later episodes.
Despite being known information, players had no choice but to follow Vares’s words at this point.
No one could find concrete proof that he was the mastermind at this stage.
“Vares……!”
The trembling in Ria’s hands grew stronger.
Clenching her teeth, she suppressed her anger and turned the page.
[Vares, who took Kamon somewhere, introduced himself as a confidant of the new mayor, Brook. Then, for some reason, he delivered an order to build a Holy Nation temple in the underground waterway. Detailed blueprints were included.]
[A monotonous threat: obey or die. Kamon placed no value on his own life. His only regret was that he could not help the Northton father and daughter. Everything was already too late, but at the very least, he had to fulfill the former mayor’s request.]
[From that day on, the work began alongside strange dolls. They seemed to be labor created through Holy Nation technology. Though absurd, having no people around was preferable for Kamon’s plan.]
[There are no secret spaces in Edlen. Therefore, hiding it within a new space was the best approach. A space to preserve Miss Riventia’s memories. That would be the room in the mansion where she had spent the most time.]
[All room layouts confirmed during the mansion renovation were clearly engraved in Kamon’s mind. In addition, there were reference materials provided by the mayor. The most important thing was one of the Northton family heirlooms—a magic ring. Using it as an authentication device was crucial. It was an extremely tricky artifact, but by procuring ancient texts from across the sea, Kamon succeeded in deciphering it.]
[Thus, Kamon created a space beneath the temple altar. He did his utmost to match even the smallest details. He decorated the entrance wall with the young lady’s playful graffiti, and faithfully recreated the toy dolls he had gifted her. Finally, he carefully placed Miss Riventia’s diary on the table, together with this notebook that contains my own story.]
[If someone reaches this space through the ring, they must be someone connected to the Northton family who followed the former mayor. If you wish to know the truth, if you wish to judge the vile and filthy Brook and his cohort Vares, go to my workshop.]
The record, written from the author’s perspective, ended there.
What remained was a message hidden on the back of the final page.
[Now I leave words from a father that will never reach his daughter.]
“…?”
Seeing that sentence, Ria slowly lowered her gaze.
There, written in a completely different handwriting, were these words.
[To Riventia]
I’m sorry your birthday present is so late.
You may resent this foolish father, and you may cry as much as you want.
My beloved daughter, Riventia.
I pray that happy days will be with you.
“Ah…….”
Ria traced her father’s dearly missed handwriting.
Tears quickly welled up and streamed down her cheeks.
That silent crying told the story of the life she had lived.
-ㅠㅠㅠ
-Fuck Brook.
-Vares is the mastermind.
-They’re all the same trash.
-Black Dragon, let’s kill them all.
-So this was the real main story;
-A player progressed the story without the protagonist?
-It’s all Adventurer A’s fault.
-Agreed.
Viewers, resonating with the emotions, began to rage.
The Edlen episode they had experienced was only a tiny fragment of the whole.
From the start, progressing without Ria made no sense at all.
“So this was the real story?”
Yeonwoo, who had progressed the same way as other players, also looked bewildered.
However, anyone could reach this place if they took the time and effort.
Ding—
[Main Quest #3 has been completed.]
[You have received 80,000 gold.]
[4 stat points have been awarded.]
[Experience has increased by 40,000.]
[You have leveled up by 1.]
[1 stat point has been awarded.]
[Progress has greatly increased.]
[Main Quest #4: Evidence]
You have discovered the Holy Nation temple hidden in the underground waterway and Riventia’s room concealed within it.
The name Cowen appears in the diaries and Kamon’s records.
He may know something.
Objective: Speak with Guild Master Cowen.
Reward: None
*Current progress: 43 percent
-Is that progress real? LOL
-It jumped like 15 percent.
-You need like 16 main quests to hit 40 percent.
-My fault for trusting the guidebook and community.
-Newbies did nothing wrong.
Regardless of the familiar viewer reactions, the story progressed rapidly.
Hanbit turned his gaze to Ria, who was still crying.
“Ria, let’s get out for now. There might be Holy Nation people around.”
“…Okay.”
Wiping her tears with her sleeve, Ria nodded.
Taking the notebooks, they left the secret room, sealed it, and headed back out of the waterway.
