Chapter 46: Arthur Vs Ha-joon (1)

Chapter 46: Arthur Vs Ha-joon (1) "Yawn." "Yawn." Arthur stifled a lazy yawn as he gently moved Ellie, Nathira, and Amelia off his body. The rest of the girls were also asleep on the bed, and he didn’t want to wake any of them, so he carefully slipped out and headed downstairs. Taking a deep breath, he summoned his old mission and mission reward. 『 #Scenario 47: Completed 』 『 Appraising rewards... 』 『 You have obtained restricted information of the world 』 Arthur glanced at the notification and dismissed it. ’Yeah... I’ll pass on that.’ He knew that eventually he’d need to understand the races of the world and what happened to the ancient clans, but there was nothing he could do with that knowledge right now. ’Better to remain ignorant than stir up unnecessary trouble.’ He exhaled, his gaze settling on the full moon. ’I guess it’s time.’ The reason Arthur had awakened this evening wasn’t just to get some fresh air, but to meet someone important. That someone didn’t know he would come today. In fact, they hadn’t come with anyone specific in mind. The Moonlight Dusk. A criminal organization that despised all races, and the goddess, too. What they sought was the destruction of the Holy Church and personal gain. Every year, the Moonlight Dusk scouted academies and training institutions for new recruits, and today was the day they were supposed to arrive at Central. If the original timeline held, Ha-joon was supposed to be scouted by them. He would agree at first, follow them, kill people, make money, but when the Church caught wind of it, he would betray them, feeding the Church their information and pretending he had infiltrated as a spy. But Arthur didn’t care about their organization. There were only two reasons he needed to join them instead of Ha-joon. One: he needed a cover organization for everything he was planning. Two: the captain of Moonlight Dusk, Cherry. Cherry wasn’t a villain per se, at least not in Arthur’s eyes. She had helped him countless times in different routes. Others might see her as such, but even her goals weren’t evil. She was the first World Tree created by Goddess Tessia. But after Sylvia came into power, Cherry was cast aside and nearly killed. All she wanted were answers. Arthur didn’t plan on giving her any. He couldn’t care less how the world was formed. Reading countless stories had taught him one thing: Don’t pry into the mysteries of the world or its gods. And he was determined to do just that. If the gods attacked him, then he would have a reason to fight. But for now, he had no reason to invite unnecessary trouble. ’I think Ha-joon stood here in the game...’ Arthur stood in the middle of finely trimmed bushes, acting nonchalant despite sensing the presence watching him clearly. It was hard for anyone below Master rank to hide from him, unless they used an artifact. And Master ranks or Golden Core mages weren’t exactly common. They were those with A-rank talent, after all. Arthur turned his head slowly, eyes on a quiet bush. ’Take the hint and leave.’ In an instant, the presence vanished, leaving no trace behind. ’He must’ve gone to report to her,’ Arthur smirked. At least now he had repaid the favor he owed Cherry and found an organization to handle his dirty work, should the need arise. Arthur turned back toward the dorms. ’I have to get back before that bastard Ha-joon shows up.’ As soon as he tried to exit the garden, a figure stepped out. "Arthur Arcain." Arthur turned naturally. ’Yes, bastard,’ he thought but knew better than to provoke things too early. "Kim Ha-joon." Ha-joon’s eyes narrowed. "You actually pronounced it right. Most people get it wrong." Arthur shrugged. "Just goes to show how smart the demonic dragon race is." Ha-joon let out a short laugh, then turned serious. "Why did you do it?" Arthur tilted his head. "Do what?" Ha-joon blinked in front of him, grabbing him by the collar. "Why are you stealing my women?" Arthur’s gaze sharpened as he slapped Ha-joon’s hands away. "Watch your mouth, Chosen One, or I might slit your throat for calling my wives your women." Ha-joon’s expression twisted. "So they’re your wives now, huh? Amelia was mine first. Her father gave her to me. But you went and stole her. Cassie, Ellie, Anna... yeah, they were all mine but you—" ’What the hell is this fool saying?’ Sure, Arthur had taken Cassie and Amelia away from Ha-joon. But the rest of his wives were either nonexistent, NPCs, or dead in the game. Ha-joon grinned widely. "...Should I take this as a declaration of war on the Empire and the Holy Empire?" Arthur blinked. "Holy Empire?" "Didn’t you know? The Saintess and I are about to get engaged," Ha-joon declared with pride. Arthur smiled innocently. "Is that so?" Ha-joon was about to grin, until Arthur added: "You couldn’t help but call her the Saintess instead of that useless bitch or Cecilia. Is that how desperate you are?" Ha-joon’s face darkened. Arthur lifted a finger, as if remembering something. "Oh, did I forget to mention? I like Miss Cecilia." "Huh?" Arthur gave a mischievous smile. "I said I like—no, let me correct myself—I love Miss Cecilia. And I don’t think you’re worthy of her." Ha-joon tried to laugh. "You think Cecilia’s like those other girls you have? She’s pure." Arthur stepped in until their faces were inches apart. "Yes, the Saintess is pure, loving, and kind. But don’t mistake her purity for ignorance. And..." He stared into Ha-joon’s eyes with such cold intensity that it nearly made his knees buckle. "Don’t ever insult my wives again or I’ll make your end unforgettable." He leaned in. "Or should I tell the world you’re a grown man from ancient Korea?" "How did you—" Arthur’s eyes widened theatrically. "What? It’s true? I just made that up as a joke, but you really are an old man from another world?" He placed his hand on his chin. "Fascinating." Arthur hadn’t planned this encounter, but now was as good a time as any to begin Ha-joon’s downfall. But a simple blame game wouldn’t satisfy him. He knew it was just a game on Earth... But now, these characters were real, and they all mattered to him. Which meant Ha-joon needed to suffer for what Game-Ha-joon had done. Arthur smiled, a smile soaked in venom. "Did you hear that, Saintess?" Ha-joon’s world shattered. Behind a tree, the Saintess appeared, a cloak draped over her shoulders. Ha-joon recognized it. It was a high-tier concealment artifact, visible only to Master-rank mages or higher. ’Is this bastard a Master already while I, the Chosen One, am still stuck at mid-level Graduator?’ ’Did she hear all that?’ His thoughts spiraled, logic fading away. Had he maintained even a shred of composure, he might have seen through the illusion. Arthur wasn’t foolish enough to discuss Korea in front of the Saintess. If she traced his origins with the help of the goddess, the Holy Empire might come after him and his wives, especially Nathira. And if his family heard the truth, no matter how much they loved him, they’d side with the Holy Empire, since he had taken their son’s body. But no one ever said Cecilia had to be present in the flesh. By distorting his focus and planting doubt, Arthur had made even the so-called Chosen One fail to recognize a basic illusion spell. And once that happened, Ha-joon’s downfall was guaranteed. He’d begin to view Cecilia differently. He’d lose her. And even when he found out the truth, it would be too late. Arthur shook his head and patted Ha-joon’s trembling shoulder. "Old man, it looks like the Saintess ran away." He turned to leave. "If I’d known, I wouldn’t have said those things." He smiled gently. "But don’t worry—I swear no one will ever hear your secret." Arthur had made his point. But there was one thing he hadn’t accounted for. The person he was dealing with wasn’t a normal man or a righteous hero. But a proven psychopath. Kim Ha-joon. "Hey, Arthur Arcain..." Arthur turned toward the grinning Ha-joon. "Do you think I’m an idiot?" ─── ✦ End of Chapter ✦ ───