Chapter 92

"Huh?"

"…Who is it?"

It was more than just unexpected.

I could feel that everyone, whether seniors or juniors, was taken aback by the sudden appearance of the beautiful Caucasian woman.

Even Jung-hoon himself was so bewildered that he couldn't even speak properly, so how could they be any different?

In that situation, the first person to regain composure was Jung Jin-soo.

"Um, are you perhaps an acquaintance of Jung-hoon…?"

Even in his confusion, he managed to ask a very normal question.

"A mere acquaintance would be an understatement. We share a deeper connection."

Her calm response only made the situation more bizarre.

"Wow! Wow!"

"Did you hear that? A deeper connection."

"Amazing. I admire that."

Jung Jin-soo looked at Jung-hoon with a puzzled expression, as if asking what was going on.

…To be honest, I was the one who wanted to ask.

"Yes. A bond that has continued from our past lives…"

Indeed, she is a ninja.

I never thought she would attempt a 'social assassination.' And it was a very lethal attack in reality.

If left unchecked, it would undoubtedly have a significant impact on his social life, so Jung-hoon quickly interrupted her.

"I, I'll be going now. Sorry. Let's talk again next time!"

Jung-hoon immediately left the clock tower with Hanjo.

A desperate struggle to avoid social annihilation!

As they left, Shin Ji-a asked Jin-soo.

"Senior."

"Yes?"

"What exactly does 'deeper connection' mean?"

"Well, I don't know… I'm not sure…"

"Hmm. A deeper connection. A deeper connection…"

"Right. Everyone is hot, right? Let's go to a café and have some coffee. I'll treat you!"

Jin-soo could only say that, breaking out in a cold sweat.

* * *

"Haa."

After entering a nearby café and placing the order, Jung-hoon slumped into his seat.

It had been less than 30 minutes since Hanjo appeared, but he felt like he had aged 30 years.

She sat across from him, staring at him so intently that it was almost uncomfortable, before speaking.

"Excuse me for the abruptness. We haven't even properly introduced ourselves. My real name is Reina Castle."

"…I'm Jung-hoon. Can I ask you one thing?"

"Ah, so you finally have questions about me. Ask anything."

"Your speech. Is it always like that?"

I thought it was just a concept in the game, but it's the same in reality.

"Um, is it really that strange? I tried to change it, but it feels awkward."

"…You tried to change it?"

Then what was it like before?

When Jung-hoon looked at her in disbelief, she blushed slightly.

"I started learning Korean through historical dramas, so it just stuck with me."

"Ah."

It's similar to how people who learn Japanese through anime end up using anime-specific speech patterns.

In Hanjo's case, she has been interested in Eastern culture and history since she was young, so she has studied anime, games, dramas, and historical dramas, which led to her current speech pattern.

"By the way, my favorite is Korean historical dramas and Chinese wuxia dramas. The Sengoku period in Japan is also fascinating. The culture and history of East Asia can be considered treasures of the world."

"…"

Listening to a blonde American woman praise Eastern culture in the middle of Gangnam, Seoul, made me wonder if this was really happening.

"By the way, I think I've been playing the role of Hanjo for too long. It's time for a change. Hmm. I used to be a Sword Emperor, so this time, I'll be a Korean historical figure… Yes, Jeong Jun-gyeong! He is a true model of a warrior! What do you think, Jung-hoon?"

"…"

Even if she looked at me with those expectant eyes, I had nothing to say.

"But why isn't there a Korean historical drama about Jeong Jun-gyeong? It's truly a pity."

"Ah, that's probably because of his best friend's name…"

"Best friend? Jeong Jun-gyeong's best friend?"

She asked, puzzled, but Jung-hoon couldn't answer.

His name was something that couldn't be mentioned in public…

"King… No, that's not the point. If the historical drama speech pattern is so ingrained, why not just use English? I can understand the basics."

"No, that's not right. When you're in a foreign country, you should make the effort to use the local language. It's a matter of respect. I can't compromise on that."

"…You're surprisingly practical in this aspect."

Her practical statement from someone who is otherwise so unconventional hit home even more.

"I hope a world where historical drama speech patterns are accepted will come."

"Such a world will never exist."

So, instead of trying to change the world, it would be better if you changed yourself.

"Even just changing the endings to 'ge' or 'ya' would make it much better."

"I'll try."

"…I'll see how it goes."

"I'll try."

"Good. Excellent."

"Haha. It's a bit embarrassing to be praised by you… I mean, 'ge'? 'ya'?"

"…"

It seems more time is needed.

* * *

"I'm back."

-Oh, you're back? So, how was the date…? Why do you look so exhausted?

"Bro, it seems that leaving home is tough. Rase is the best."

-…What did you go through? Your face looks like you've run a full marathon, even though you were just on a solo raid.

"No, it's not that bad."

The real estate tour with Hanjo wasn't as difficult as I thought.

In this day and age, it's unlikely that someone would scam you with a lease contract.

We just checked the important parts of the contract and visited the leased apartment to ensure the plumbing and drainage were working properly, which are essential things to check before moving in.

The reason I'm tired is… just meeting people after spending so much time in my room playing games made me feel exhausted.

-…You look like a shut-in gamer. Try living in the real world. Don't just log into reality occasionally while living in Rase.

"Listening to someone who has been so immersed in Rase that their soul is pickled is frustrating. Anyway, it wasn't a bad outing. I was tired, but it was fine."

Especially, visiting Hanjo's leased apartment was interesting.

Seeing her immediately sign a contract for a high-end, fully furnished office building that was much more luxurious than I imagined… it was a great motivation.

-Well, she was a top-ranked player. A lease deposit is nothing to her.

"Watching her made me a bit envious. I want to buy my own place. Is it possible?"

-You're joking, right? In five years, you'll be able to build a building in the middle of Gangnam, not just a fully furnished office building.

"That sounds a bit exaggerated, but it's nice to hear."

-Exaggerated? Sure, it sounds exaggerated now, but we'll see.

"Then, for the future of a landlord, I'll work hard at the game today."

Karp said this and headed to the training ground of the Lamarque Royal Castle.

There, Gillian and Drek greeted him as if they had been waiting.

"Oh? You're here."

"Welcome. You are the descendant of the Demon King."

"Yes. Hello. How have you been?"

"It's only been a day since we last met. What could have happened to us? The problem is with you."

Gillian frowned slightly, thinking of the quest given by the king just before they parted.

"He's making all sorts of demands. I don't like it. Besides, they're all absurd… Ugh. I want to argue, but…"

But Gillian didn't take any further action.

Even as the highest elder of the country, further intervention could undermine the king's authority.

"Since helping is forbidden, I can only cheer you on."

"I've received a lot of help. Thanks to you, I feel much less burdened. Thank you."

Karp said this and opened the quest window.

[Lamarque King's Trials]

[To achieve the second class promotion, you must complete three trials given by the king.]

Originally, there were twelve trials, but Gillian's stern words reduced them to three.

The three tasks he had to complete were as follows:

[Obtain the hide of the 'White Nightmare']

[Defeat the 'Black Plague']

[Kill the centaur in the underground labyrinth]

All three were hunting quests.

Fortunately, this was a field where Karp felt most confident.

"The White Nightmare and the Black Plague. These are stories from legends."

However, there was a problem.

The locations of the quest targets were ambiguous.

The centaur in the underground labyrinth had a clear location, but the 'White Nightmare' and 'Black Plague' seemed to be mythical creatures from Lamarque's legends.

"This clearly shows that the king doesn't want to meet you. We need to do something…"

"General, please hold back. The ministers' views of you are not favorable these days."

"Huh. When have I ever cared about such views? If I don't like something, I tell them to come and talk to me directly!"

"Please act your age. Please…"

"It's fine. I'll handle it myself."

The fact that the quest appeared normally meant it wasn't impossible.

There must be clues, and following those clues would eventually lead to completing