When the Paladin withdrew on the thirty-fourth floor, she said, “If you have to pick one person, let it be me. It’s okay. And since I mentioned that... I don’t really want the Fingills to be the dominating species of the continent. It’ll be enough if they can earn a living for themselves.” Had the Paladin been putting up an act to deceive me at the time? I didn’t think so. It was possible that the Paladin had heard about the Countess’ plan of testing me and agreed to it, but she had likely participated in the test because she trusted me, not because she was suspicious. “I’ll leave the rest to you, Death King.” She simply had not told me the whole truth. Typical of the Paladin. Patricia gently stroked the cat in her arms. “I believed you wouldn’t fail. The issue was managing failure.” “The Terras will inevitably discriminate against the Sylvans. Conflicts will arise, and they won’t disappear after they’re resolved, even if you’re there to mend the conflicts, Gong-Ja.” The Paladin chuckled. “So, I thought you might feel a bit frustrated. I never imagined you would introduce a new form of art to the Sylvans. Cavefire plays! Weren’t you also surprised, Countess? None of us had ever thought of such a solution!” The Paladin’s touches became slightly firmer. The Countess meowed. “Choosing the Sylvans to popularize Cavefire plays even further was a truly brilliant move. Cavefire isn’t just an ordinary play; it’s both a performance and a martial art. A true martial art... By the way, Assistant Leader, the way you’re petting me is kinda—” The Paladin became more animated, seemingly not hearing the Countess’s protests. “People will discriminate and scorn everything! It’s impossible to suppress discrimination and disdain entirely! However, there are two situations when people willingly let go of their contempt. It’s when they witness strength or beauty. Physical strength keeps people in check, while aesthetic beauty opens up people’s hearts!” “A-A-Assistant Leader, please stop petting me—” “Cavefire plays have both strength and beauty! It’s excellent. No Terra would look down upon a Sylvan who dances elegantly and emanates powerful aura! It changed the perception of the Sylvans. No, this caused the Terras to become more accepting toward the other species! Absolutely!” I could understand that the Paladin was incredibly excited and praising me, but it was challenging to concentrate while witnessing the cat melt like ice cream in real-time. Was it possible that the Countess’s habit of roaming around in her cat form and making her guild members wear cat ears was the Paladin’s preference? That was a rather crazy scenario. I would guess not. Even if that were the case, I would certainly respect my friend’s privacy... “You’re not paying attention, are you?” the Black Witch asked. She was getting better at reading my expressions. Perhaps her skill was approaching max level. I shrugged. “Well, I’m talented, but Cavefire plays are a tradition that the Terras already had. I only helped them develop the talent they’ve always had.” The Paladin became even more enthusiastic. “Did you hear that, Countess? I have Lie Detector activated. His statement is entirely true! Not a single lie was mixed in there! Even when he said ‘Well, I’m talented,’ my Lie Detector didn’t go off. Isn’t that impressive? Countess, it’s really different from you. Every ten seconds you talk, the detector beeps loudly for eight seconds!” “Meooow, meoooooooow!” “I see. The Countess shares my thoughts. That’s great! There’s no reason for further testing, Gong-Ja. Not only did you pass the Countess’ test, but you also tackled a challenging problem most effectively. If you choose to lead us, I'll willingly follow you.” The Inquisitor chimed in. “I agree! As some of you might know, I pledged my loyalty to the Death King right after clearing the thirty-second floor! I’d say I was a bit quicker than all of you!” The Black Witch sighed. “This isn’t really about swearing loyalty. Ah, speaking to him won’t help. I also agree with you becoming our leader.” Her eyes as dark as the night sky met mine. “I know you don’t need to be our leader. But we need you. Not me, the Paladin, the Inquisitor, or the Countess. You. All the guild leaders operate separately, so to refer to ourselves as a unit, we need you, Gong-Ja. And you need us, too.” The Black Witch nodded. Was she inadvertently revealing her conviction in something? Or was she recalling something else entirely and connecting it to what was happening right now? To my surprise, I immediately got my answers. Anastasha asked, “It’s been a while since we’ve gotten to know each other, hasn’t it?” “I’ve never heard any jokes related to Ukraine from you.” I tilted my head, confused by the statement. “Pardon?” “Ukraine. My home country.” “Yeah, I know that, but... What? Jokes? What are you talking about?” “Don’t I look pretty?[1]” she asked. Was Anastasha sick? I glanced at my esteemed friend with concern, but she just awaited a response as if it was obvious. “I’m pretty,” she repeated. I stammered, “Y-yes, you are. It’s no surprise that you and the Inquisitor are the top choices for magazine covers.” “But why don’t you ever joke about it? ‘You’re so pretty. I suppose that’s because you’re from Ukraine.’ Something like that.” What the heck was she saying? Maybe she had the flu or something. Did she become enamored with her own reflection after battling with her six or seven magic mirrors? Was there a warning in her Skill description that noted [※You become somewhat addicted to your own appearance]? “Yeah, that’s the look I know so well. It annoys me a bit because you seem to think of me like an idiot. Still, it clearly shows your way of thinking,” the Black Witch said, annoyed. “Um, I still have no idea about what you’re talking about.” “I’ve heard that joke over three hundred times. People have asked me two hundred times if I’m a communist, fifty times what I think of the Nazis, and countless times about which side I took in the civil war.” The Black Witch turned to the Paladin. “Gong-Ja has never once joked to me about Venezuela,” the Paladin said. “I sometimes make jokes about beauty or oil to lighten things up, but I can’t recall ever hearing them from him.” Ummm... I just don’t really know a lot about Venezuela... The Inquisitor chuckled. “I can’t really recall him being disrespectful. Even when I told him about my past, he just listened. He never prodded for details! Ah, how strange. It would be perfectly natural for you to be curious!” “O-oh, I’ve never heard a curry joke from him,” the Countess barely said as she endured the Paladin’s petting. “Aren’t you curious about my religion? Haven’t you ever wanted to know if I’m religious or not?” “Have you ever thought about it?” The Countess chuckled. “Meow. You’re not at all interested in that.” “Your indifference brings us comfort. It’s not that you lack interest in us as people; quite the opposite. You seem genuinely eager about what we’ve said and done, even our mistakes. To put it bluntly, you like us, yet your interests are surprisingly narrow. The Black Dragon Master and others think of you as a kind person.” Finally, the Countess leaped off from the Paladin’s embrace. She was a cat in mid-air, but upon landing, she transformed into a human. Her stunning emerald sari billowed like a cloak, concealing the Countess’s shadow as it flowed in the air. Eventually, the sari settled as the Countess fanned herself with a mischievous grin. “I don’t care if you’re good or bad. Your personality may simply reflect your aversion to being disliked by others. Perhaps, deep down, you possess a strong desire for recognition, and your behavior around us is merely flattery. That still doesn’t matter to me. What I want to know isn’t the origin of a person’s character, but their goals and achievements. The destination you’ve set sights on is very convenient for us.” Wasn’t she flattering me a bit too much? Yes, I wanted them to think well of me, but I was suddenly worried. Could it be that they accepted me a little too much, and that I would not be able to handle the full extent of their fondness for me? Would I be able to constantly meet the expectations and trust of my colleagues, who were now my friends? Was my success too great? I would probably disappoint them. “Nisha,” the Countess said. “That’s my real name. You heard it when the Paladin casually called me this way one day.” Yes, she was correct. During the battle against the Immortal Happiness Preacher, the Paladin had undoubtedly called the Countess by her real name. Although the Countess had not directly told me her name, it had lingered in my mind. “But you never used it. Actually, you never even implied knowing my name in my presence.” “I was only doing what was—” “You thought you were only doing what was right,” the Countess interrupted as she fanned herself. “That’s why I—we—want to elect you as our leader. Please become the right leader for us, Gong-Ja.” [The quest is in progress.] [The Purens have begun voting.] I turned back to the Sword Star. His aura, which had once threatened us, had completely vanished. Now, he was simply observing us with a faint, wrinkled smile. “Before I arrived, I told my people that, if they don’t hear fighting after thirty minutes, they can start voting. I see they followed my instructions.” “I’ve already agreed with the Countess’s plan. I didn’t help you clear the floors at all. Instead, I did my utmost to remain uninvolved, observing to see if you guys could cooperate sincerely and progress through the floors.” [All votes have been counted.] [Choice 2 Voting Percentage: 23.81%.] [Choice 1 Voting Percentage: 76.19%.] “It wasn’t just me, but all the species watched what you have been up to thanks to the Mirage-Walking Princess. Responsibility is a huge burden. I too have once taken responsibility and led the floor expeditions of the Tower. To assume even a fraction of the responsibility for the Great Purge, I stepped back from the front lines and avoided any involvement in the Tower’s ruling.” The Sword Star chuckled. “In a way, I am a failure. What you see now is the worst-case scenario, a reflection of a grim failure, a manifestation of your worries and concerns coming to fruition. Now, tell me, Death King,” he said with a smile. “Does this failure truly seem so intolerably dreadful?” “No, you aren’t the worst-case scenario, Mr. Carlenbery. Not at all. At least, not to me.” The Sword Star nodded. “That’s a relief. Then your failure won’t be as dire. I’m not sure if the words of an old man like me have some credibility, but don’t let the fear of failure consume you. Perhaps you’ll also have a second chance like I did. Someone might appear, making you change your mind about retirement and bringing you back to the field.” [The forty-sixth floor has been cleared.] Ruler of: Shellmounts Voting Percentage in Favor: 77.50% Voting Percentage in Favor: 88.40% Voting Percentage in Favor: 98.68% Ruler of: Bloodborns, concubi Voting Percentage in Favor (Bloodborns): 97.55% Voting Percentage in Favor (concubi): 100% Real Name: Marcus Carlenbery Voting Percentage in Favor: 76.19% Real Name: Kim Gong-Ja. Voting Percentage in Favor: 100% And now, the last voting session. “Oi, oi, seriously? No one else objected? Everyone is too nice for their own good. If human relationships could be summarized with simple exchanges like ‘Hey, I like you’ and ‘Wow, I like you too,’ then all psychiatrists would be out of work and living on the streets. That’s why emotions exist. Some things can’t be voiced.” A one-eyed swordsman stepped forward, moving through the jungle’s shadows. He raised his hand. “Hey. Like we talked before, I’ve done a splendid job in my seclusion training. Right now, I feel like the protagonist of a murim novel. Because of this, I should speak with my sword, not my mouth. That’s the way of murim. My children also told me to forget about the voting results until they see the end of our match, so what can I do?” Among the people gathered around me, except for the Sword Star, the swordsman standing before me had been the first to reveal his true name to me. “Draw your sword, Gong-Ja. Forget about everything else. Let’s go for a round.” Voting Percentage in Favor: Undecided] [The quest is in progress.] [The Skians have begun voting.] 1. There is an old-fashioned saying in Korea that implies Ukraine is brimming with beautiful women. ☜