Earing

The Red Coat wincked. His eyes were rounded, he had a block face, black mustache, forest eyebrows, plus pale skin. Zombies. The old guard looks like a zombie in the coat. 

Yung Jae gulped, shaking his head for Jean. "What is he waiting for? A tip?"

"He's waiting for your reply," she said. "Come, give him a reply. A simple one would be sufficient, or if you kept silent, he would follow you like a cat."

"Seriously? Even If I ran?"

She nodded. "Anywhere you go."

Yung Jae didn't believe it. He was nothing. Why did the guard want to follow him anyway? Jean must be toying with him. 

Curious, he moved ten steps away, and the guard followed him. He returned to the starting point, and so did the guard. He ran, and the guard tailed him. Yung Jae zigzagged like a pro soccer player, and yes, the guard followed.

He returned to Jean and exhaled. 

So dies the guard.

Jean guffawed and hurled her belly. She squatted for a while, craning his cheerful look at Him. "Stop toying with the poor guard."

"Alright, sorry, Guard. I'm just, well, curious."

"It's okay." The guard catches his breath. "But please, may I know your name?"

Yung Jae looked at Jean as if he didn't know what to do. In response, the girl smirked without giving him anything.

He twisted his head to the guard. "Am I in trouble? Sorry, I didn't mean to disrespect the Princess early. I just said Long Life to her, nothing more."

"Your name, please."

"Yung Jae, just Yung Jae."

The Red Coat Guard put a blue earring on Yung Jae's palm before saluting with two fingers on his forehead. He draped once, then left.

"Imagine if you ran around the city, poor guard." Jean rose from her squat. "Hey, what did he give you?"

Yung Jae craned his hand up, admiring the earring. It was shaped like a tiny crest moon in blue with a sword, shield, and wings symbol, the same symbol on his sword and Kaeya's waist robe. 

Jean whistled in admiration, keeping her eyes on him. "Royal, who gave an earring. Interesting. Damn, you must have attracted her so much."

"You know why she gave me this thing?"

She shrugged and couldn't let her eyes off of the earring. "I don't know why she gave you that, but you must be special. Just be careful. I know it sounds dumb, but I fear we are not in the game anymore."

"What do you mean?" Yung Jae frowned. "We got level, and gold, and equipment, and monster drop loot."

"It changed a lot," she said. "So you didn't notice it? The NPC becomes more like us, a human, and they hate being called NPC."

"For the sake of realism?"

"I don't know. But, one pregnant lady bore a child the night of the riot. I helped her with my hand." Jean craned her palms on brown leather gloves. "It was too real to be scripted, and sadly, the mother passed out. I'm not joking. Ask that baker on Baker Street. They sure remember."

Yung Jae's mouth opened, but no words came. He did not know how to respond to that. "Where she?"

"City Cemetary behind the wall."

"It could be a scripted event."

She shook, his lips curled up. "I don't think so. Besides, they have their history. Do you believe that?" She said, "I fear we are being Isekai-es to another dimension."

Yung Jae had the same feeling about Isskai. As an animator and fan of anime, he had already created and watched many isekai stories. He kept positive thinking. All of it must be a glitch or someone messed with the data. That was the explanation from him. And he needed to back it up with the truth from Game Master.

But whatever happens, on the bright side, he had free time and skipped his job. He will sue OSCOM for sure after all of it and make them pay.

"Alright." Jean touched Yung Jae's robust shoulders and squashed it a little. "I know you want to meet her now. Listen, you should ask for the set, then give it to me." She chuckled.

"Can't promise you anything."

"Well, you should promise me to join Favonius. We need every strong man like you, Heart Bandit." She winked, smiled, and took a leave. "See you around." 

As soon as she disappeared on the crossroad, Yung Jae focused on the castle. 

It is tall, like a skyscraper, with two prominent towers guarded. All the walls were marble with a grey rooftop. Beside it, Dominators were docked on the left tower that connected to the main keep with a bridge of wall.

Meeting Princess Zara should be an honor for him, and he had feelings if this was not scripted. Besides, she might know more about Kaya, for she said early that she was a descendant of Mintgard. 

He remembers correctly. Kaeya said he fuck Mintgard's wife and asked for forgiveness. 

Yet, he had other priorities. Yung Jae put the earring in his pocket and trekked the paving road to the Control Tower. 

There, on the stairs, many Sentry Guards sat and chatted, drank, and ate. 

One guard is smoking. Bandages covered the wound of the forehead with blood stains. He smirked as the smoke came from his nostril and charged at Yung Jae. 

One had a coat open, and his arm tugged on his shoulder. Slowly, his glare followed Yung Jae. 

One by one, they twisted their rays on Yung Jae and whispered. 

"What now?"

"Does he want something?"

"Part of the white coat?"

"Nah, I don't care."

"They should never have ordered us here."

"Why should we guard this palace anyway? It is an Adventurer building. It should be their duty to guard it."

Fasting his step, Yung Jae didn't want any trouble with them. Poor condition, hot anger, and wound, a perfect combination reasons for them to do something terrible to him.

After the last step, he approached the double wooden door with a flower-shaped sculpture each.

Two guards and three men in scientist robes discussed something beside the door. One of them noticed Yung Jae and halted his pace.

Slick, a glasses man, glared at him. He looks like a man who wants to pee, or what he calls it Pickle—a Pickle on a white robe. 

"What are you trying to do, Young man?" Pinkle fixed his broken glasses. "Like we said before, we tried to fix anything. So, you should have fun with each other."

"I want to discuss something with your boss," said Yung Jae.

Pinkle's smile was annoying him. Now, his mockery voice added fuel to it. "Boss, huh?" he said. "Just tell me here, and I will send it to him."

"You don't understand," Yung Jae said as he glanced at those guards on the stairs. One by one, they raised. " Look, just let me pass, and everything should be fine. I have something to share."

Yung Jae noticed many guards grew suspicious. Sure, he had no bad intentions, but he couldn't read what was on their mind, especially after what happened. 

"Just share here." The Pinkle man asked.

"I can't."

The Pinkle chuckled. "I know you want to enter because you are curious about our palace. Don't worry, it's okay. But only for authorized persons. Mr. Takeda ordered no one to enter except us. So, get lost."

"Look, man," The Pinkle said. "You should do your daily idly and let us work here."

Yung Jae gritted his teeth. This man indeed pushes his patience. "Do you know where Chae Wo is?"

"Still lingering in the event, I see. The event is gone." The Pinkle raises his voice. "Gone! Everything was done for, and there was no winner. Do you understand? Guards, please push this man away."

Two guards came and pulled Yung Jae, throwing him off the road. He was stranded on a paved road. He glared at them like a lion on his prey, but he put down his desire to punch them. He didn't want any trouble.

"Just doing our job, no hard feelings." One of the guards said, and with his friend, returned to their post. 

Yung Jae hit the road before returning to his feet. He just needed to know where Chae won and discuss what was happening. 

But how?

He decided to stroll around the so-called Control Tower, but no tower. The building was more versatile. There was a single backdoor, but it was locked. The windows were thick and all locked. 

He noticed he, in full swing, returned to the main entrance.