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‘The gods and dragons?’
The Slab of Lost Light, obtained as a reward from the Snow Drake subjugation.
He had left the interpretation of the coding-like text on its surface to Lee Minho, and now something significant had come back.
The word ‘gods’ — not ‘god’, but in the plural.
Dragons, too, were a remarkably special presence in this world.
His instincts told him this wouldn’t end at a mere legend.
“What’s the matter?”
Kenji, who had been watching his expression, asked carefully.
Hanbit thought for a moment, then turned a question toward him.
“Has your daughter ever mentioned a goddess?”
“…Adventurer A asked me that same question, but the word ‘deity’ never came from my daughter’s mouth.”
“Then could you tell me a bit about what you heard of the other world from her?”
“Of course.”
Kenji explained in detail everything his daughter had told him.
Hanbit listened quietly, and was able to reach a conclusion quickly.
‘It’s the same place, all right.’
The world Hanbit had visited and the world Kenji’s daughter had visited were unmistakably the same.
The issue was that her journey had begun not in a large city like Edelen, but in a quiet village on the outskirts of the countryside.
On top of that, her never having met the goddess was strange no matter how he looked at it.
Even someone like Adventurer A had come face-to-face with her at least once.
After a brief moment of thought, Hanbit shifted his gaze to the unnamed devotee standing at his back.
“I just want to ask a few things.”
“…Yes.”
The girl, who had flinched, slowly nodded.
Hanbit knelt on one knee, lowered his posture, and posed the question.
“How long have you been in the Holy Nation?”
“The Holy Nation? Hmm…”
The girl’s voice, beginning to answer naturally, trailed off.
Then she tilted her head and said:
“It’s all.. hazy, so I can’t quite remember. I started being called here and there about two years ago, but before that I’m not sure.”
“What about your parents or other family?”
“I don’t know.”
“Did you have any close friends?”
“No. Every day alone… No, no! Not every day! Sometimes people would talk to me on the street!”
The unnamed devotee waved her hands, insisting she wasn’t a loner.
That reaction only made the atmosphere more melancholy.
Kenji, watching this exchange, was on the verge of tears.
“Momo…”
His daughter, who had spent two years alone in the Holy Nation.
On top of that, all her memories from reality had vanished.
He loathed himself for being so powerless and unable to do anything.
How could a person like him call himself a father?
‘Two years’ worth of memories.’
Hanbit re-examined the situation.
Momo had been replaced by the unnamed devotee and appeared within RP.
Whether the memories from reality had disappeared, or had simply been temporarily forgotten, was unknown.
What mattered was who had done this.
Only by knowing that could the situation be resolved.
‘It wouldn’t be that goddess.’
There had been more exchanges with the goddess who had worked him mercilessly than he might have thought.
The time granted after returning from each completed run.
He had a memory of pouring out anger and lamentation — and occasionally, tears.
During those moments, there was something the goddess had said, answering steadily with an expressionless face.
‘Memory is an element that is more important than anything, both for humans and for gods. Nostalgia, regret, longing, remorse — none of it must ever be lost. The same is true of your memories across every run.’
Memory.
Beyond good or bad, the goddess respected all memory.
And yet she made an exception for a girl named Momo?
Not the goddess he knew — that would never happen.
Team Zero, being children of the goddess, would not act recklessly either.
“Wait a moment.”
Hanbit rose and walked over to Kenji, who was standing with a sorrowful face.
The closer his footsteps grew, the more the man seemed to tense.
Perhaps dreading that words like ‘there is no way to save her’ were coming.
Slide—
Hanbit came to a stop one pace away and opened an image to show him.
On it was an enlarged surface of the slab.
“This is an item called the Slab of Lost Light, obtained from the Snow Drake subjugation. I had an acquaintance interpret it, and what came out was apparently a story about gods and dragons.”
“Gods and dragons…?”
“It may just be a legend, but I intend to check it in person tomorrow. Right now, I need whatever clues I can find.”
“Would it be possible for me to be present for that as well?”
Kenji immediately asked.
Understood — but the circumstances made it not so easily arranged.
“You’re in Japan right now, correct?”
“Yes. I’ll depart on the fastest available flight.”
A direct answer came to the question instantly.
Hanbit typed out a reply to Lee Minho and continued:
“Is your daughter still in the gear?”
“Medical equipment has been installed inside the capsule.”
“Then please stay on that side. I’ve already made a request to my acquaintance, so the meeting will take place in here.”
“…In here — you mean in RP?”
“That’s right. I can’t leave your daughter alone here or in reality.”
Hanbit looked at the unnamed devotee, who was crouched down.
Even as she stroked Sylph’s wings, her expression was visibly uneasy.
Whatever persecution she had endured, the Holy Nation had been the girl’s enclosure.
Now that it had completely disappeared, she was like a lost child with no home at all.
Having already faced an assassination attempt, returning there was out of the question.
“I don’t know how to even begin to thank you for such thoughtful consideration.”
Kenji, having understood the intent, bowed his head sincerely.
He wanted to find clues quickly to save Momo.
But just as much, he wanted to keep both the real-world daughter and this-world daughter nearby and protected.
Black Dragon was trying to make it possible for that to happen.
“Not at all. The one thing I’m concerned about is that your daughter is wary of you… I’m not sure what to do about that.”
“My daughter’s nature hasn’t changed. If I approach with genuine sincerity, she will surely respond.”
Kenji moved with a determined expression.
“Eek!”
At the sight of the fierce-looking man walking toward her, Momo’s eyes went wide.
The girl, clutching Sylph tighter, quickly hid behind a tree.
“…”
Kenji froze, hand outstretched.
It seemed best to stay with her through the early morning hours.
“It’s likely because the assassination has left her more guarded. Let’s look for a safe place for now.”
Hanbit spoke with some comfort mixed in.
Momo — neither player nor NPC.
Not knowing what her death might lead to, it was necessary to protect her somewhere as safe as possible.
“…Ah, you needn’t worry about that.”
Kenji, who had been downcast, raised his head and said.
He showed a screen with a map displayed.
“The Nio Guild headquarters is here. The membership is just myself, so I planned to move there. If you’re calling in your acquaintance, I’ll invite them as a guild member so they can use the return function to join.”
“Is that so?”
Guild grounds in RP were off-limits to outsiders.
Without the guild master’s permission, no means whatsoever could gain entry.
Guild members could use ‘Return’ to travel in from a distance, but it apparently consumed a large amount of guild resources, so it was seldom used under normal circumstances.
Of course, such limitations were meaningless to the Nio Group chairman.
“But how does Momo travel?”
“I have a Warp Crystal. If she has the characteristics of both a player and an NPC, I believe she’ll certainly be able to use it.”
There was reason in what Kenji said.
He had mentioned registering this location as well, so even if Momo failed to warp, returning immediately was simple enough.
“Then I’ll ask you to handle that. The others——”
Hanbit, having formed a party with Kenji, shifted his gaze toward the rest of the group standing a little further off.
They were looking elsewhere, as though trying not to interrupt the conversation.
With no knowledge of the other world or gods, understanding any of it wouldn’t be easy.
‘Continuing to hide it is getting strange.’
He hadn’t revealed his story primarily because it sounded too absurd.
But concealing it like a deception had reached its limit.
In the end, the members of DD Studio were people who would be moving together on the same ship.
Moving forward together with this kind of misaligned understanding was effectively impossible.
The trust they showed — it was time for Hanbit to make a decision to match it.
“For now, let’s all move to the guild headquarters together. Please gather around Kenji.”
Having passed on the message, Hanbit walked over to Momo, who was hiding behind the tree.
Still showing wariness even while playing with the spirit.
“We’re moving to a safer place. The Holy Nation people might show up again.”
“….Does the scary-looking man have to come too?”
“You might not have known, but he risked his life out there to help us. Keep saying things like that and he’s going to cry.”
“…”
Momo stole a glance and looked at Kenji.
He had just finished setting up the Warp Crystal.
“What do you say?”
“…I’ll go with you.”
After a brief moment of thought, the girl nodded and got up.
Then she came closer and took hold of one of his arms.
A faint trembling that conveyed lingering fear, and Hanbit came to a stop in front of Kenji.
“Let’s move.”
* * *
“Oh…”
“It’s been decorated in quite a charming way.”
Altea, a small city in the south of Raven.
Hanbit’s party entered the large building and reacted with curiosity.
For a guild headquarters, it felt more like a colorful child’s room decorated by someone who loved adorable things.
“Wow…”
Momo, standing beside Hanbit, looked around rapidly and marveled.
Fortunately, her warp had succeeded safely.
Looking at his daughter, Kenji’s face was a mixture of joy and sorrow.
“You’ll be staying here from now on. Is that all right?”
“Yes!”
Momo nodded, apparently genuinely pleased.
Through the swaying gaps of the veil, eyes and a mouth curled in a smile were visible.
“What are we doing about her clothes, by the way? She can’t be found out as a devotee, right?”
Haneul, who had been given a brief summary of the situation, looked at the girl in the white robe and said.
Leaving things as they were was certainly not an option.
“Player-style clothing should fit her too. Cosmetic outfits are sold in the auction house, so I’ll pick some up.”
“I want to pick them out. She’s around my age, right?”
“She said she’s fifteen, so she’s one year younger than you.”
“A younger sister?”
Haneul’s eyes sparkled at that.
Had she wanted a younger sibling?
Ding—
Just then, a message from Lee Minho arrived with the alert.
Word that preparations for the meeting were complete.
“Haneul, could you stay with Momo? It’ll be a video call, so you’ll be able to see and hear everything from the meeting.”
“Of course. I’ll keep her glued to me! Let’s go!”
“….Huh? W — wait!”
Haneul grabbed Momo’s arm and moved upstairs with her.
Watching them from behind, Hanbit shifted his gaze to the others.
“Then let’s get started right away.”
“Yes. A place has been prepared on this side.”
Kenji nodded and guided everyone to a reception room set up in one part of the first floor.
There were more than ten chairs, leaving more than enough room for everyone to sit.
Fwish—
Just then, a sound came from outside the room.
Turning his head, he saw a familiar face — Roper — whom he hadn’t seen in some time.
“That was fast.”
“You said there was something incredibly important to discuss. I rushed in as soon as I heard.”
Yeonwoo, who had received the message and quickly logged into RP.
Invited as a Nio guild member, he had used the return function to arrive here.
Something Hanbit had asked of Kenji.
“This is the first time meeting you in person, Chairman. I’m Joo Yeonwoo, head of DD Studio. Thank you for your consideration.”
“Matsumoto Kenji, chairman of the Nio Group. I am the one who should be thanking you, for passing along my message to Black Dragon. Please take a seat.”
The two exchanged greetings with a handshake.
And once everyone was seated, Hanbit spoke up.
“Then since preparations are ready, let’s begin.”
He used the party system to share the video call screen.
『Testing, testing — can you hear me?』
Lee Minho, on the screen, looked slightly nervous.
Perhaps because he had been told the Nio Group chairman was attending.
“I called at such a late hour. I’m sorry.”
『Don’t be sorry — I was going to be up till morning anyway.』
Minho shrugged and mentioned that his days and nights had been flipped.
Looking at him, Hanbit made introductions to the group.
“This is Lee Minho, a developer of RP gear. As I mentioned, he took on the interpretation of the Slab of Lost Light.”
“How do you do. Matsumoto Kenji, chairman of the Nio Group. I apologize for intruding uninvited on the two of you.”
『Ah, not at all! Please don’t say that! I just helped with the interpretation…. 』
At the chairman’s greeting, Lee Minho sprang to his feet and waved his hands.
It was the moment a dress shirt on top and sweatpants on the bottom were revealed.
『…I’m sorry. I was rushing to get ready.』
Lee Minho’s face went slightly red as he quickly sat back down.
Watching him, Hanbit opened first.
“I’ll say my piece first. Minho, please listen carefully too. It’s going to have significant implications for gear interpretation.”
『Gear interpretation?』
The out-of-the-blue remark drew a puzzled reaction from Lee Minho.
When everyone’s gaze converged at once, Hanbit revealed for the first time the secret he had kept all this while.
“I am a returnee who was taken to the other world by a goddess.”
