Chapter 80

Chapter 80
The player hailing from the Love Zone observed my special ability and declared that all skepticism on her part had vanished. The method by which I had acquired that specific power through the consumption of the Eye Giant’s core was a secret known solely to Luna. Because that particular element never existed anywhere within the game itself, no player—regardless of their experience level—could have ever deduced that the skill stemmed from anything other than a privilege. Consequently, she had no choice but to accept the truth of my words.

While securing her trust was a positive development, an unforeseen complication had immediately arisen.

“You are… choosing not to return to your own zone?”
“I only arrived today. There is no possibility of me turning around and heading back immediately.”

With those words, she communicated her intention to remain within my zone for an extended duration. Naturally, even a seasoned player would carry significant exhaustion after making the long trek from the Love Zone. Both the Commander and Meursault already viewed her as my personal visitor, meaning that had she attempted to leave right away, I would have been the first person to urge her to take a few days of rest prior to departure.

The factor that made her extended presence unsettling, however, was her behavior: she continued to harbor a sense of apprehension toward me, though this fear felt subtly distinct from her previous attitude. For instance, when I addressed her casually as “Shin,” she shook her head and explicitly instructed me to stop using that moniker.

“What alternative am I supposed to use then? Shaman?”
“Shin Eun-jo.”
“What does Shin Eun-jo signify?”
“My actual name.”
“You prefer that I use your full legal name?”
“Continuing to call me ‘Shin’ creates unnecessary confusion.”

That assertion was entirely accurate. She had never previously shown any concern regarding her moniker, leaving me completely unable to decipher what prompted her sudden shift in perspective.

“Cease your overthinking and simply head back to your designated zone.”
“At the time of my departure, I will leave one of the earrings with you. That contribution should more than compensate for a few nights of lodging, would it not?”

As compensation for food and board, the proposal was far too generous to decline.

[Allow her to stay and ensure you collect both items!]

Luna had grown increasingly shameless over recent times. Rather than hosting Shin Eun-jo personally at the Commander’s quarters, I delegated the task of monitoring her to Taejeong. Taejeong had developed a much more reticent demeanor than before, speaking scarcely at all as she blended seamlessly with the other household staff.

The instant she encountered Taejeong, Shin Eun-jo evidently accessed a character appraisal window, murmuring the younger girl’s username under her breath.

“Taejeong TaeSeBeyonce?”

Even though a stranger had just uttered her handle, Taejeong exhibited zero outward astonishment. She had likely been informed beforehand about the arrival of a visitor of similar age coming from a separate zone, and had simply assumed the newcomer possessed system access privileges.

Shin Eun-jo unexpectedly turned her attention toward her.

“I am familiar with your background. You count yourself among Dopamine Addict’s followers, correct?”
“You recognize my identity. Yet I possess zero awareness regarding who you might be, noona.”

Without even knowing the identity of the other person, she was already addressing her as noona?

“My name is Shin Eun-jo. What brings you to this location? Was your home zone not designated as Chicken?”

Taejeong’s home zone was Chicken? Upon reflection, the other players typically retained extensive knowledge about me, whereas my own understanding of them remained virtually nonexistent. T-balnom had stuck in my memory solely because he routinely sniped my navigation guides, prompting my past impersonation of him in front of BedroomGirlfriend.

I wondered if Taejeong held any insights regarding the Salvation Project. When I previously sent Dimple Eyes back to the Love Zone, I had posed a direct inquiry to her:

* Do you possess any knowledge concerning the Salvation Project?

Dimple Eyes had worn a completely blank expression, and I had not felt compelled to instruct her to consult Shin Eun-jo. Nevertheless, had Dimple Eyes been required to submit reports to her superior, the query should have naturally found its way to Shin Eun-jo’s attention.

Yet when I attempted to steer the discussion toward more vital matters, Shin Eun-jo bypassed the Salvation Project entirely, raising the All-Zone Clearer privilege instead. This strongly implied that the probability of her sharing any awareness of the project was exceedingly low.

Even so…

[That individual appears remarkably cautious. We cannot dismiss the possibility that she is deliberately concealing information.]

Luna’s assessment carried weight. At the very least, while Shin Eun-jo maintained her residence here, I could casually probe her reactions to determine whether she possessed any familiarity with the Salvation Project.

Having settled on that course of action, I turned my gaze back toward Taejeong.

“Keep a close watch on her throughout her stay here. I intend to send her back prior to the entrance examination, so have no concerns.”
“Leave the matter in my hands, hyungnim.”
“An entrance examination?”

Shin Eun-jo fixed her eyes on me, visibly intrigued by the phrase’s implications. Rather than offering an explanation, I chose to respond with an intentional note of warning.

“If your desire is to remain in this place, you would be wise to avoid meddling in the internal affairs of my zone.”
“Even armed with capabilities of that magnitude, you remain defensive toward a simple player like myself?”

I had not anticipated that she would diminish her own status to that of an ordinary player simply because I demonstrated a single special ability.

[Regardless of whether her sentiment is genuine…]

You do not happen to possess some variety of truth-detecting skill, do you?

[Hardly.]

I prepared to issue another caution, but Shin Eun-jo interrupted me.

“Prudence is a sensible virtue. Unless you explicitly summon me, I have no intention of crossing the threshold of my quarters.”
“Your sudden display of compliance is precisely what breeds my suspicion.”
“I am being entirely sincere. What conceivable benefit is there in antagonizing a player wielding such absurd power? None whatsoever.”

My instincts insisted that every syllable she uttered came from a place of honesty. Why, then, did the interaction leave such an unpleasant aftertaste?

“I shall remain confined to my room, then. Should any situation arise where assistance from me proves useful, feel free to call upon me at any moment.”

Following those remarks, Shin Eun-jo truly adhered to Taejeong’s guidance, retiring to her designated quarters without emerging again. The suggestion that I might call upon her whenever I required assistance sounded remarkably amusing. What conceivable circumstances could ever drive me to seek aid from a player originating in the Love Zone?

—

“Lady Daphne declined a meeting with Meursault?”
“That is correct.”

The Commander delivered the update while studying me with an expression that suggested my astonishment was entirely misplaced.

“Why should my reaction cause you such bewilderment? Daphne is my legally wedded wife. It stands to reason that she would reject a private encounter with Meursault.”
“She did not, however, reject an audience with you. Her stipulation was that you may visit provided you leave Meursault behind.”

She agreed to grant me an audience on the condition that Meursault remained absent? What on earth could have altered her perspective during the course of our military subjugation campaign?

I had given my word to Meursault that I would arrange a tea meeting for him with Daphne, yet he was now barred right at the threshold. How could I possibly deliver such disappointing news to him?

If my recollections served correctly, Daphne had explicitly stated back then that her intention was to confess her true affections directly to Meursault. While the declaration had carried the ominous ring of a death flag, it had never been uttered as a casual or meaningless statement. Why, then, was she actively avoiding any face-to-face contact with him now?

As I stood absorbed in heavy contemplation, the Commander spoke up with a look of genuine confusion. If I chose to fabricate a narrative insisting those two were destined to marry, he would eventually see through the deception. It was far wiser to avoid spinning falsehoods that faced imminent exposure.

“I simply feel a sense of pity for them.”
“For Daphne?”
“No. For all parties involved.”

The statement represented a blend of evasion and raw truth. Daphne remained bound in marriage to a man she did not love. The Commander had married Daphne purely because the woman he held affections for desired it. Meanwhile, Meursault was relegated to serving as a subordinate under the very man who had wed the object of his own devotion. Their destinies were tangled to such a degree that I felt an urge to restore every piece to its proper place. Resolving an outstanding debt simultaneously would simply be an added benefit.

Whatever interpretation the Commander drew from my words, he merely offered a brief, dismissive laugh.

“This is hardly a burden for you to shoulder by yourself. Go visit Daphne directly. She specified a desire to see you if you came unaccompanied, which implies she has matters she wishes to articulate.”
“Very well. I also have several items requiring clarification.”

As our dialogue appeared to draw toward a natural conclusion, Luna—who had been enjoying affectionate pats while resting on the Commander’s lap—executed a fluid stretch and arched her spine. Observing her for a brief second, I turned back to the Commander with a final query.

“Ah—she turned away Meursault exclusively, is that accurate?”
“Indeed… for what reason do you ask?”
“I happen to have a separate companion with me.”
“Another companion?”

The Commander tilted his head slightly in confusion, as though entirely failing to grasp my meaning—until a knowing smirk slowly spread across his face.

“Now that you mention it, you did lodge that young girl hailing from the Love Zone inside my residence.”
“It is hardly proper to cast a visitor out after a single day.”
“Yet you persist in keeping your relationship with her a secret, despite her traveling this immense distance solely to find you?”
“No formal relationship exists.”
“No relationship, yet she specifically sought you out? A child originating from a completely different zone?”
“During our previous subjugation efforts, I happened to rescue a lost minor.”
“Ah… I believe reports of that incident reached my ears. The rumor was that you returned her unharmed with uncharacteristic gentleness.”
“The visitor who tracked me down happens to be that child’s older sister.”
“An older sibling?”
“Her sole purpose was to express gratitude. I would appreciate it if you refrained from jumping to peculiar conclusions. Convey that same message to Meursault.”

Only then did the Commander nod, appearing to accept the explanation.

“As I have iterated on numerous occasions, I too was once delivered by Luna Moon’s intervention within an alternative zone—”

I bolted from the office entirely, completely forgetting to gather Luna before my departure.

—

This sequence of events ultimately led me to seek assistance directly from Shin Eun-jo. The inaugural words leaving my lips were delivered without hesitation:

“Are you genuinely a female? You are not participating in any form of catfishing, are you?”
“Do males invariably utter such pathetic inquiries?”

Her reaction mirrored that of someone who had already been subjected to the exact same question by someone else—perhaps Home Protector?

“Why should the reality of my gender hold any significance?”
“Because an individual possessing your particular temperament is far more likely to successfully reach Daphne than I am.”
“Daphne?”

Shin Eun-jo regarded me with visible curiosity.

“So your leniency was not restricted to the Commander and Meursault alone. You intend to keep Daphne breathing as well? Are you attempting a pacifist run?”
“My goal is to orchestrate a formal divorce between them.”

Shin Eun-jo stared at me intently for several seconds, as though questioning my mental stability, before speaking again.

“You are opting for legal separation instead of execution?”
“The reasoning will become apparent once you observe Daphne firsthand. A divorce is precisely what she desires.”
“My understanding remains limited… but what exact objective am I meant to accomplish through an encounter with Daphne?”

Her sharp intellect remained intact. She grasped the underlying objective instantly.

My ultimate aim was for Daphne to confide her genuine sentiments directly to Shin Eun-jo. Daphne was clearly concealing information she refused to share with me—whether due to my status as Luna Moon’s child, my close association with Meursault, or simply because I was a young male.

Consequently, the core task assigned to Shin Eun-jo was simple:

“Uncover her true feelings regarding Meursault.”
“……Ha?”

Shin Eun-jo’s forehead furrowed into deep lines. Within the framework of the Safety Zone game, Meursault appeared strictly as an unrequited, potential home-wrecker pining after Daphne, rendering any inquiry into Daphne’s reciprocal feelings for him profoundly absurd.

At least, that was my assessment—until Shin Eun-jo’s next sentence utterly dismantled that assumption.

“Meursault is not even categorized as a romanceable entity, is he?”
“That fact is known to me as well—hold on, repeat that?”

She possessed prior knowledge that Meursault fell outside the pool of romanceable characters? This revelation forced me to seriously reconsider my earlier hypothesis that Shin Eun-jo was entirely ignorant of the Salvation Project.