Episode 257.
An antique room occupied half of the second floor.
Display shelves placed throughout the interior were filled with works of art.
A man and a woman sat facing each other at the table in the center.
“The village of Kalikabe, deep in the southeastern mountains. There is a unique piece of art there. Do you know what it is?”
Elencia asked with a serene expression.
It was a remote village that one would never discover unless going there with a specific purpose.
Although information about the place was quite limited, Hanbit immediately offered an answer.
“A distorted statue. It was excavated 300 years ago.”
“Then why is the statue incomplete?”
“A being that no one can see clearly remains in each person’s mind as tens of thousands of memories. That is the explanation the sculptor hid on the underside. Self-proclaimed experts treat the theory that he suffered from a mental illness as the established theory. Personally, though, I think it is a commemoration of the war that took place at the time.”
“…So, your confidence wasn’t in vain.”
Elencia slowly nodded at the refreshingly accurate interpretation and explanation.
It was because not a single word was out of place.
The speculation she had added as "personal" turned out to be exactly the same as her own thoughts.
"It is my turn now. There is a glass bottle found on the northern coast, and the corner of the painting inside…"
The conversation, structured as a competition, proceeded in the form of a back-and-forth exchange.
These were details that would be difficult to know even through rumors unless one was truly well-versed in art.
"-What kind of conversation is this?
" "-The game genre is changing;
" "-Even the developers must have forgotten.
" "-What on earth is the Black Dragon…?"
"-Ellencia deserved to risk her life."
Viewers reacted with bewilderment to the conversation centered on art.
It was because the details were so minute that it was hard to consider them part of the established lore.
In particular, the existence of Princess Ellencia, who had never been seen on this island, was mysterious in many ways.
"…As found in abandoned ancient books, tearing off the corners of paintings was a form of aesthetics. It was also only recently revealed that the artistic standard popular in the North at that time was 'lack.'"
Ellencia, concluding the correct answer with a voice that seemed to draw people in.
The confidence to stake one's life was not without merit.
And when the exchange reached the 30-minute mark, she spoke with a faint smile.
“The time is up.” It was
a limited time that had been set in advance.
The question-and-answer session lacked the tension one would expect from a life-or-death gamble.
It was closer to a conversation about things they were well aware of.
“I didn’t know there was someone in the investigation team with such artistic knowledge and insight. It is a shame that we ran out of time. I was hoping to see this through to the end.”
Having expressed her honest thoughts, Elencia glanced out the window. She
looked as if she were checking the position of the sun.
“I am grateful that a member of the Livray royal family would say so. I hope you consider my earlier provocation as a tactic to pique your interest.”
“I am fine with a challenge filled with sincerity. After all, art is bound to be passionate. Krembel, come in.”
Answering with a smile, she called for the guards waiting outside the door.
“Princess!”
Krembel quickly opened the door and stepped inside with his servants.
Then, seeing Hanbit unharmed, she let out a sigh of relief.
“Fortunately, you held back well. If you had actually intended to harm a member of the investigation team, it would have been irreversible.”
“What do you mean?”
Elencia turned her gaze and asked puzzledly.
At her reaction, Krembel also spoke with a questioning expression.
“Didn’t the Princess win the match? When you said you were staking your life, my heart really sank. The investigation team is not such a lighthearted place…”
“It’s a draw.”
“Huh?”
“We spoke equally during the time limit, and we acknowledged it. The life-or-death match is now null and void.”
“…Did you just say it’s a draw? How can that be… impossible!”
“Your opinion doesn’t matter. The result won’t change.”
-I admit it.
-You thought the Princess would definitely win. Hahaha. -Ta
-da, there was no such thing as ‘unconditional’~
-The opponent is the Black Dragon.
Elencia answered nonchalantly and stood up from her seat.
Then, turning to Guild Master Kadon, who was wearing a blank expression, she asked,
“You announced an interesting quest; is there a meaning behind it?”
“Ah, well…”
At the royal’s question, Kadon looked at Hanbit, flustered.
He had a look on his face as if he didn’t know how to begin.
“It is something I proposed.”
“…You?”
As Hanbit answered on his behalf, a question clouded Elencia’s face.
The content of the quest commissioned to the adventurers was simple.
The task was to capture and report either the evil Lotus Gorilla or the evil Silver Owl.
“Is there a specific reason why it had to be those two monsters?”
“It is for personal investigation purposes. I suspect there might be something the investigation team missed in the past.”
The reason the investigation team had entrusted the management of Feria Island to the Adventurer’s Guild was simple.
Nothing had been discovered during the comprehensive investigation conducted in the past.
The monsters themselves were not particularly dangerous, so there was no need to station the team’s personnel there permanently.
Of course, if things were left as they were, the current reality would soon reach Charlotte’s ears.
“Do you intend to take action yourself?”
“I should. As a member of the investigation team, it would be strange to just stand by and watch.”
Hanbit shrugged his shoulders as he replied.
However, the ultimate goal was not to find the two rare monsters.
After all, they were merely devices serving as gateways to awaken the wild instincts.
'It might take about 30 more minutes.'
The numerous adventurers and players had stepped outside.
Considering the number of people searching simultaneously, they would soon be able to spot them.
It was simply because the task required many eyes and meticulous searching.
Anyone who had reached this island was fully capable of subduing the monster as well.
“Speaking of which, Princess, what brings you to Feria Island?”
“I am here to find an unnamed work of art. There were only records stating it existed somewhere on the island.”
Elencia spoke, gazing beyond the castle walls outside the window.
The identity of the unnamed artwork she spoke of—
it was a clue to the entrance leading to the Demon Realm. It
was Hanbit’s goal, but in a way, it was a matter of greater importance to Elencia.
“May I make a proposal?”
Lost in thought for a moment, she met his gaze and asked.
Hanbit, having anticipated the content, pretended not to notice.
“Go ahead.”
“I would like you to take me along in the search for a rare monster. It won’t go against the interests of the investigation team. Of course, I will pay you.”
-?
-Going into the forest together?
-Hmph… Is that okay?
-If it’s a Black Dragon, I think it’s possible while guarding it? -For the sake
of it?
-It is for the sake of it, but the pay might be delicious?
Elencia's proposal sparked a heated debate in the chat.
Most argued that acting while protecting her, a princess, was unnecessary.
However, that was a huge misconception.
There was absolutely no need to protect Elencia, the Princess of Livray.
“Very well. Let’s do that.”
*Ding*—an
alarm sound ringing in his ears along with Hanbit’s reply.
Thinking a quest had appeared, he gazed at the holographic window that popped up in front of him.
But the content was not what he had expected.
[Title: New effects for Recorder No. 55 are unlocked.]
“……?”
The title “Recorder No. 55” had appeared early in the game.
It was also the source of immense power that brought back past experiences.
It had been quiet for quite a long time, so he had forgotten about it; he never imagined a new effect would be unlocked.
Surprised by the unexpected situation, Hanbit immediately opened the title list to examine the contents.
[Recorder No. 55]
The experiences accumulated by the Recorder are unlocked.
1. The proficiency of all experienced skills builds up extremely quickly. Performance is boosted based on the level of experience.
2. All Spirit Affinities are activated, and the effects of Spirit Power increase dramatically.
3. You are freed from the equipping and usage conditions of all items.
(However, performance degradation due to stat differences remains, but the amount is minimized.)
4. If you meet the qualifications, you can receive special quests from eligible NPCs.
5. Unreleased (Keyword: ???)
'Special Quest?'
The newly introduced term was unfamiliar.
However, there was no need to dwell on it.
Ding-
[Special Quest #1]
You have been asked to accompany a search by Princess Elencia of the Kingdom of Librey. Let
's head to the forest with her and assess the situation.
Objective: Assess the progress of the quest commissioned by Kadon Reward
: Lucky Reward Box (Stage 1)
*Special Quest Reward Guide
1. The Lucky Reward Box contains a large amount of Gold, Experience, Stat Points, and Record Points by default.
2. The stage of the reward box increases according to the progress level of the special quest, and the reward amount doubles with each stage.
(e.g., Upon reaching the final Stage 4, you can obtain 8 times the reward based on Stage 1.)
3. Upon clearing a special quest, rewards are distributed based on the final achieved stage. Additional special rewards may be provided depending on the stage.
4. Upon clearing a Special Quest, all quests related to the progression are considered cleared. This includes the initial clear qualification, and the rewards are placed inside the final stage Lucky Reward Box.
-?
-Huh?
-What is this?
-Special Quest?
-Rewards doubled?
-No, isn't number 4 insane?
-It says auto-clear?
-??
Unlike the title's effect, the Special Quest window was visible to the viewers as well.
The heated reaction was entirely understandable.
'…So they put something like this in.'
The reason for the Special Quest's existence was simple.
Just looking at the description, one could picture the immense convenience and overwhelming amount of rewards.
Did the Goddess of Silence foresee this situation where the Holy Faction dominates the rankings?
Or did she simply want to move forward at a rapid pace?
Or was there some other ulterior motive?
It was the desire to quickly tear off the shackles of the seal and awaken.
“Phew.”
Hanbit let out a short breath and gathered his thoughts. Although
the title's effect had been added unexpectedly, it felt like a weapon prepared solely for him.
Now was simply the time to move forward.
“Let’s move.”
***
Ta-da!
Having escaped the city, Hanbit headed into the forest.
Running beside him was Elencia, dressed in adventurer’s attire.
-Princess, why are you so fast?
-This… we might lose?
-But we already lost .
-A princess hiding her power;
-Fact) I didn’t hide it.
Viewers reacted with surprise at Elencia’s unexpected appearance.
Even if not at full speed, she was following Hanbit with ease despite his considerable pace.
“You are quite fast. Did you train separately?”
“I used to travel all over the world in my own way.”
When I deliberately asked the question, Elencia answered by deflecting the question. She
could not yet reveal that the source of that power lay in her innate nature.
Ta-dat!
The two continued moving forward and reached the vicinity of the center.
“Wait a moment.”
Stopping his feet, Hanbit headed toward the top of a towering tree.
Slowly turning his head, he stopped his gaze at one spot.
“Is it over there?”
Elencia, who had followed them up without them noticing, looked in the same direction and asked.
There, the bushes could be seen shaking violently.
“It looks like it’s the gorilla. It seems someone discovered it.”
“I thought it would be quite rare, but it happened sooner than I expected?”
The Evil Lotus Gorilla, one of the quest targets.
As expected, finding it wouldn't be difficult once the necessary numbers for the search were assembled.
Hanbit, glancing around, looked at Elencia and said,
“Let’s head over there.”
