◈ Episode 194

The current Shiran imperial family has three princes and two princesses.

All five of them are famous people who are very popular in the country. Even the second princess, who is notorious for being a troublemaker, is enthusiastically supported by some, which shows how powerful the symbolism and influence of the royal family is.

Among them, the first prince Maximilian Zelldorf is known for his exemplary conduct and intelligence. He is also considered the eldest son, and is virtually considered the crown prince by the public.

But there is a hidden truth in the world.

"Maximilian Zelldorf is missing."

"Really? I've never heard of that before."

Echidna, who had been called to her seat, looked puzzled.

"If it was that big of an incident, shouldn't it have become an issue a long time ago?"

"Because the royal family is keeping it a secret. There's no benefit to it if it becomes known. Besides, he's been somewhat of a mystery to begin with, and out of all the brothers, he's the one who's been exposed to the media the least."

"Well, how do you know?"

Kim Yi-hyun just stared at the gaze demanding an explanation without saying anything. It wasn't the first or second time, so he was starting to feel it was too much of a bother to beat around the bush. If he just quietly let it go, wouldn't they figure it out on their own?

"...Okay. Let's continue."

Ainoa shook her head, as if she thought she wouldn't hear an answer.

"I heard he was on the run, avoiding the eyes of his home country. This must be a familiar story to anyone here."

"Are you talking about me? I don't remember running away of my own free will."

"Oh, is that so?"

When she glared at him with her squinty eyes, Hyun shrugged his shoulders.

Or else, whatever.

"It's not a confirmed information, but if it's true, Basteterra is the most likely. I don't think there's any place where Shiran's influence is as weak as it is among the places where people live."

"What about the half-cut?"

"Would you go there if the prince is crazy?"

Echidna knew that it was a long and sluggish thing, but she didn't say it out loud. She felt a little awkward saying it in front of the princess of Bastitera.

"So you're saying you don't know exactly where it is?"

"He's probably wandering around. Even without his status as a prince, Minos is still noticeable. If he's in the outskirts, the persecution will still be severe, so he won't stay in one place for long."

There is a good reason for the game to have Rap and the Prince meet, but it is still too early. The Prince is probably living a wandering life. There is no choice but to waste time foolishly.

"Hmm. But if we start a large-scale investigation, they'll get scared and hide…."

Kim Yi-hyeon nodded in satisfaction at Echidna's muttering. It must be said that human intelligence itself is high. It was quite reassuring to see her immediately grasp the context even when information was limited and explained.

'It was a good thing I brought him back alive back then.'

It's great to know that Dustborn has someone he can talk to. In terms of combat, he may be far behind trainee Leone, but others can make up for his shortcomings.

"In the end, we'll have no choice but to dig deep. Well, isn't that okay? The chances seem slim, but if we do find them, it'll be a jackpot. If we were really busy, it might be different, but right now, we're in hiding."

For Kim Yi-Hyeon, it was a place to carry out the main episode called Bastet. On the other hand, those who did not know the details thought it was a place to escape from Shiran's clutches.

"But even if we secure it, what are we going to do next? Hostage crisis?"

"There's nothing you can't do with a hostage situation. There's plenty of room to use it."

"That would be true. As a first prince, you would be very knowledgeable about confidential information…."

As the ominous conversation continued, Ainoa's face naturally turned pale.

"You guys are really good at killing."

"I'll adjust it. Our boss has a lot of demands."

"Sigh. I can't say no."

She looked at the two of them alternately with narrow eyes, then sighed.

"I'm planning to organize it and mainly travel around the outskirts. Is that okay to understand?"

"That's right. If possible, I'd like you to give me some authority in your name."

"...Is this a request or a request?"

"Of course I ask. It's a shame between us."

What on earth was the 'between us' that Kim Yi-hyun was talking about? Ainoa felt a sense of distance that was difficult to express in words. It seemed like it would be a long, long way until the relationship she had secretly desired became reality.

"Okay, I understand. I guess a royal permit would be sufficient."

It is unfortunate, but it is true that there is a trend of ignoring Minos. If you start a fight for no reason, it will be a loss for both Kim I-Hyun and the other person. It is a convenience that can be provided sufficiently.

And one more thing, an agenda item came to mind.

"I know it may be a bit odd, but can I ask you something from my side?"

"I'll listen first."

"The Knights' dispatch requests have been increasing recently. I would like to grant them all, but since our manpower is limited, our response is getting delayed."

You can't send the Knights right away when a request comes in. If you go there and find no particular problem, who will bear the loss? You need to verify it in advance.

"Is this what you want me to check instead?"

"Yes. If you don't have a specific area in mind, I'd like you to give priority to that area."

"Well, that's okay. I guess I'll just have to do it one way or another."

While answering as if nothing happened.

Kim Yi-hyeon was secretly overcome with a strange feeling.

'This is finally starting.'

A separate incident from the ongoing Shiran episode.

The final main episode is slowly approaching.

* * *

Dustborne and Lab have joined forces to form several search teams.

Kim Lee-hyun also took on the role of team leader and led a team without fail.

There are five members in total. Kim Yi-hyun and Asterike from Dustborne, Leila and West Creek from Rap, and Carmen, who was added separately by Ainoa, took the last spot.

"Hmm, I wonder if I can be of any help here…."

"What are you talking about? Leila, just breathing helps. She's cute."

"I totally agree. I would say it's healing just by looking at it."

"Ahaha. Thank you, Mr. Asterike, Ms. Carmen."

Grooming aside, it was a convincing statement to Kim Yi-hyun. In fact, Leila's mere presence is helpful. If this search goes as expected, Leila is definitely an essential agent.

"Take it easy. Think of it like you're going out for a bit."

They didn't necessarily reveal anything about the prince. After all, didn't Ainoa give them a reason? They probably understood it as a process of repaying Bastitera for accepting them unconditionally.

"That's right. Mr. Hyun, have you met Ms. Nepritis?"

"No, not yet. That person is a bit burdensome."

"Please don't be so hard on yourself. I am very grateful to you, Mr. Hyun."

Maybe it's because our first meeting was so unusual, but there's something about it that makes me reluctant. It's like if I button it up wrong, I might turn into a fanatic. It's a kindness of an unpleasant nature.

"When you have time next time."

I covered it up with a K-promise.

Because the landmass is so vast, I had to travel a long distance. In the meantime, I heard various stories. Like the recent news about the Silvas siblings who moved to Lab. Like news about Ismail and Atlanta.

Overall, things were going smoothly. The Silvas siblings, who would have died without anyone noticing in the game, seem to have adapted well, and Atlanta has signed an official contract with the rap company and is interacting with them.

"I was wondering what would happen when I left the lab, but things are gradually stabilizing. The underground lab that Legion left behind has many similarities to Ishrad in terms of style, so I'm remodeling that and using it."

Although it was a facility where human experiments were conducted, there was no other place like it, even though it felt uncomfortable. It would not be an exaggeration to say that it was currently the most developed place in Bastitera.

Overall, the rap was healthy.

If it had been the case, Kushan's rescue plan would have failed repeatedly, causing them to be anxious and facing a crisis while being criticized internationally. However, it could have ended with them simply coming into conflict with Shiran.

The flow is extremely smooth.

Now it's time to step on the accelerator.

On the third day of the journey, something unusual happened.

Beep, beep!

"Huh? Why is it like this?"

The pollution meter that Leila had brought with her beeped.

"What's the situation?"

"...The measured contamination index is unusually high. Could it be a machine malfunction?"

A model that targets non-human areas.

Leila's eyes became serious as she looked at the numbers displayed.

"198p, 202p. It gets exponentially higher as you go in."

The pollution index of the city where Leone had previously been rescued was 210p. It was classified as a red zone. However, this place quickly surpassed that, recording 250p.

"Mr. Hyun, would you like to go further?"

"I came to check on the abnormal situation, so I should go and take a look."

It was no coincidence.

I don't know where Maximilian is right now.

But I know the place where I originally met the professor and his group.

In the game, Bastet is destroyed in the latter half. A civil war breaks out, with the Legion washing away blood with blood, and the war escalates, and then a great disaster begins, completely collapsing the nation.

So, a few years later than now.

Maximilian gathers together the Pecatums, wandering vagrants in the ruined territory. He overcomes even the prejudice against Minos and becomes the leader of a group. And then he discovers the first 'crack'.

Cracks are the true nature of disaster.

This corresponds to the final content of Polaris.

The search team reached a forest where no human footsteps had set foot. Bare trees, snow piled on bare branches. Even though it was broad daylight, the atmosphere was eerie.

"What the heck is this…."

Leila involuntarily swallowed her breath. She could see the tiny particles floating in the air with her naked eye. She checked the meter and let out a voice full of astonishment.

"It's 377p. How could this be?"

"Let's hurry as much as possible. We can't stay long."

Although spellcasters and Pecatum have strong resistance to contamination, it is only resistance. It is not complete immunity. If they were a normal person, they would be infected in less than half a day.

The search team quickly got out of the car. They started searching the surrounding area with West Creek at the forefront. And after about three minutes, Kim I-Hyeon noticed something strange.

"It's too quiet."

"Yes. In this environment, it wouldn't be strange if beast-type parasites were swarming around."

As Westcreek says, the rift is like a monster wave. All living things in the vicinity are contaminated, and even eggs are created, causing numerous parasites to appear.

'Even if it is in the early stages of occurrence….'

At that moment, the smell of blood reached the tip of my nose.

West Creek's head suddenly turned. Kim Yi-hyun also followed his gaze. Between the trees, deep in the shadowy forest, stood the silhouette of a hooded woman.

Thud thud.

A drop of blood falls from the tip of the hanging sword.

"Carmen, protect Leila!"

Kim Yi-hyeon made a shield at the same time as he gave the order. West Creek, who was deploying the spell, also quickly took a battle stance. The blade slashed in the cold air.

A distance that was quite far is shortened in an instant.

The sword of the strange man, who had come close to my nose, swung. Kaang! Sparks flew out with a loud crash. Kim Yi-Hyeon was pushed back as if he had been hit by a moving car.

'This is crazy.'

If you're not careful, it could be even heavier than Snowfield's sword strike. In the past, he would never have been able to withstand it. There were only a handful of strong people on the entire continent.

Westcreek took advantage of the opportunity to swing his sword. The timing was perfect, even though he had not planned it in advance. However, the blade only pierced his collar.

The assailant's evasive maneuver was dynamic. He moved backwards while decelerating sharply, completely ignoring inertia. In an instant, his pink hair blew out of his hood.

Heavy swordsmanship, aggression, top-notch skills, hair color.

I could guess his identity without even seeing his face.

'Ha, what is this?'

A 6 star character suddenly popped out.