***
‘At this rate, I’ll be in a position where I have to hand over the casino to the Council.’
Hudson.
Possessing the talents of a Great Merchant, he had settled here in Arcana with wild ambitions. However, contrary to how he appeared to others, he was currently undergoing a severe financial crisis.
‘Raising taxes on the pretext of a Great Expedition? While still stuffing their faces with bribes!’
Damn Arcana. Damn City Council!
The Council raised taxes related to entertainment and imposed additional collection fees on amounts that had not been reported previously. However, Hudson could not accept this. The reason he hadn't reported those taxes was entirely for the sake of lobbying the Council. Thus, the Council had known and simply turned a blind eye.
But to suddenly clean him out under the guise of 'tax evasion' was far too shameless. No matter how much Arcana was a place where money was everything, the Council had crossed the line. No matter how one looked at it, Hudson had become the Council’s periodic prey. It was no different from eating the hunting dog after the hunt was over.
The only breakthrough was one thing.
‘It’s so filthy that I’ll just become a Councilor myself!’
Specifically, becoming a member of the City Council. Hudson’s desire to reach Level 10 was beyond imagination.
"……What do you mean by telling me to speak only the truth? Are you saying that I am not truthful?"
Had a god finally heard Hudson’s wish? A miracle had arrived at an exquisite timing. However, upon hearing the Star-Awakened's proposal, Hudson could only tilt his head.
"The Stars do not listen to the words of those filled with lies. If you truly wish to obtain the Qualification, you must cast away all falsehoods."
"I am truthful."
"That is a lie."
"Exactly what is a lie? Is the fact that my name is Hudson also a lie, then?"
"It is a lie."
"……."
Even though the name of the casino was boldly carved as 'Hudson,' the Star-Awakened said even that was a lie. Of course, he couldn't refute it. In reality, Hudson’s true name was not Hudson.
‘Does he know I’m a Player? Surely he isn't a Hunter pretending to be a Star-Awakened?’
There were NPCs who specialized in hunting Players. They referred to Players as 'Sinners' and executed them the moment they were discovered. The number of Players killed by them was countless. Since their methods of approach and attempts to find out information varied greatly, one had to be careful.
Until just a moment ago, he had said he would do whatever proposal was offered, but it was true that he still felt a bit uneasy. If, by any chance, the man before his eyes was a Hunter pretending to be a Star-Awakened...
"Serengeti."
"……Wait. Please wait a moment."
The moment that name popped out, Hudson’s expression turned pale. He quickly scanned his surroundings and pressed hidden buttons one after another. He turned off the power to everything that was being monitored and wiretapped in real-time. It was as if he was making sure no one could ever see or hear this.
Then, with a face that was still deathly white, he asked.
"H-how do you know that name?"
"The only daughter of the House of Marquis Weiser in the Kingdom of Valan, the Pure White Knight, Serengeti. You held a secret engagement ceremony with her."
"……?!"
He even knew a secret that absolutely no one else knew. His engagement ceremony with her was a secret known only to the two of them. He had never told anyone. There was no way she would have leaked it to someone, either. How on earth did the Star-Awakened know a secret that no one in the world should know?
This alone was surprising enough to turn the world upside down, but the Star-Awakened’s words were not yet finished.
"The casino is merely a superficial reason. What you truly want is to proudly rise to the position of City Councilor and propose to the House of the Marquis, isn't it?"
"……."
"It works out well. Serengeti lost both her legs during the Great Expedition and became a cripple. If you are a City Councilor of the Golden City, Arcana, even the House of the Marquis won't be able to refuse. In fact, wouldn't they welcome you with open arms?"
"……."
"But... what to do. A Hudson who is neither Level 10 nor a City Councilor will have no value to the House of the Marquis."
Hudson’s gaze became intricately entangled.
And the reason I knew all this was simple. It was because I was the Final Gamer and, at the same time, Wilhelm, the strongest character in the game. Naturally, there was no one who knew more about the Great Expedition that attacked the Demon Realm than I did.
- 'Wilhelm. O supreme and most honorable Knight King. If the expedition is successful, please protect him, Hudson. And please deliver this and my words to him. Tell him I'm sorry for going first... and that I truly loved him...'
Serengeti.
She, who had participated in the Great Expedition, was an important talent. She was called the Pure White Knight and had entered the war leading as many as five hundred knights. And when I fell into the trap of the Demon King's army, she was a courageous person who jumped in on my behalf. Back then, I thought it was just a special event...
Thus, I had desperately saved her life, but both her legs had already been severed. Due to a powerful curse, it was a state where it was difficult to do anything. Furthermore, just before losing consciousness, Serengeti had entrusted me with a locket. There, I had discovered a photo of her holding an engagement ceremony with Hudson.
‘That was something that couldn't happen. It was an impossibility.’
As far as I knew, Serengeti had no man she had promised her future to. Such a setting simply did not exist. Hudson was merely the owner of a single casino in the metropolis of Arcana, so how could he promise a future with the only daughter of a Marquis from a distant foreign land? Two people who had no point of contact and even lived in vastly different regions.
If that was possible, it was only because Hudson was a Player.
‘The love between a Player and an NPC.’
To Hudson, this place was not a game. It was reality. How could something he yearned for so intensely be just a game?
Hudson, who was dazed, asked in a half-defeated manner.
"What truth... do you want?"
"Everything."
"If you say everything...?"
Where should I start? If it was Hudson, he would know many stories that I needed to know. For example, about this world, about the Players, and about the 8 Heroes. However, if I asked only about those things specifically, his suspicion would only grow.
My attitude had to be, to the end, to the effect of 'I know everything about you.' Because that sense of mystery would make Hudson mistake me for a Star-Awakened.
"Let’s start from the beginning. Where you were born, and how you have lived."
So, let's listen. To Hudson’s story. To his true life history.
✺✺✺
Scritch, scratch, scritch.
The sound of the knife moving was noisy. There was clearly a lot of conversation around us, but for some reason, only the sound of the carving knife stuck in my ears.
‘……Is she sulking?’
Because I had been listening to Hudson’s story, I ended up being late for the appointment. Who would have known he would actually speak in such detail? I couldn't exactly tell him to stop in the middle, either.
Thanks to that, I also came to know the names of the bastards who were playing hero after erasing Wilhelm's name and claiming to be the 8 Heroes... Those guys were likely the traitors who had hindered me the most. An antagonistic relationship where we could never live under the same sky.
"Is the meat to your liking?"
"Yes. But isn't this place expensive?"
After a long silence, the conversation finally began. But the location was the problem. A steakhouse in Cheongdam-dong. I had made an appointment promising to treat her to a steak that cost 160,000 won per person, but I happened to be late. For a moment, I thought about whether I should be the one to pay... but then.
"You got rid of that stalker for me. Honestly, even this isn't enough."
Kim Hana smiled. The stalker. He was definitely a guy who wasn't in his right mind.
"It was naturally something I had to do."
"No. It’s an action that someone couldn't do unless they were truly courageous."
Stepping forward when someone is being threatened is by no means an easy thing. It's because that threat could be directed toward oneself. Honestly, I was also a little surprised. If I hadn't been synchronized with Randolph, would I have been able to step forward? I probably couldn't have. Even if I wanted to, my body wouldn't have followed.
Then, Kim Hana, leaning her body forward, spoke carefully.
"But... isn't the woman in the back seat the person who was with you back then? She keeps glancing over here."
……It seemed Kim Hana had also noticed. The fact that the woman sitting at the table behind us was Kim Seoyeon.
‘There’s no coincidence like this.’
Kim Seoyeon was sitting with the boyfriend whose profile picture she had briefly taken down. The wealthy businessman. The party involved in the 'transfer breakup.' Certainly, Kim Seoyeon’s current boyfriend was a person who looked wealthy at a glance. He was wrapped from head to toe in luxury brands and was wearing a Rolex watch. Unlike me.
I had been trying my best to ignore her, but unknowingly, Kim Seoyeon must have been concerned about this side as well.
"You don't need to worry about it. We are truly nothing."
"Hmm, I see."
Kim Hana also noticed the strange vibe, but she didn't delve deeper. It was because she knew all too well that getting involved in other people's relationship matters only led to headaches.
"Park Hyunmyeong?"
……If only the bastard hadn't approached and spoken to me, I would have completely ignored them.
"Did you seriously follow our Seoyeon all the way here?"
"……?"
What kind of novel nonsense was this?
"Stop being so clingy, you punk. I'm embarrassed for you."
"O-Oppa. Let’s stop."
"Seoyeon. You're too kind, and that's the problem. You have to tell guys like this clearly for them to understand. Because you don't say anything, he’s deluding himself and being clingy. Like a stalker. For a guy who’s nothing."
What kind of bullshit were these two wretched people spouting right now?