Opportunity in the Game Becomes Reality Episode 85
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Opportunity in the Game Becomes Reality Episode 85
23. Why Are You Here, Big Brother (6)
The place promised for meeting the head of Blue Moon was an unexpected one.
It was the trade city 'Rascht' in the northeastern part of the Croysen Empire.
The reason Rascht was unexpected was because it was a major city adjacent to our Kingdom of Rhinehearts, and also fairly close to the Viscounty of Lawrence, which could be called my hometown.
Who would have thought that Blue Moon's base was this close?
'Does Blue Moon have its foundation in the Croysen Empire?'
The place where I rescued Ibril last time was also located between the Croysen Empire and Dragon Land a boundary region called 'Aerial Territory' where national borders were ambiguous.
But since the place I was invited to this time was also in the Croysen Empire, I couldn't help but be suspicious.
If so, that was a bit troublesome.
The Croysen Empire was a hostile nation with no possibility of improving relations with our Kingdom of Rhinehearts.
'No, that's not it. There's no guarantee this is their headquarters. They might have simply chosen a base close to our Kingdom of Rhinehearts.'
I shook my head.
There was still too little information given to grasp the enemy through guesswork alone.
Only by meeting the person called Blue Moon's leader would I be able to understand their situation.
Since I could infer lies from the emotional states displayed in the Myriad Mirror, the longer the conversation continued, the better my understanding of them would become.
'What I need to confirm today are Blue Moon's scale, their purpose of activity, and the possibility of an alliance.'
What I currently lack is the existence of an intelligence organization.
I already had an intelligence organization, but it had been active for less than three months, so I was struggling with overseas information gathering.
And frankly, my domestic activities weren't all that satisfactory either.
I was expanding my influence quickly, but in many ways, I lacked talented people in the underworld.
So if I could borrow their talent or receive information through an alliance with Blue Moon, there would be nothing better.
"I've kept an honored guest waiting. I apologize for the lateness. I am the head of Blue Moon, 'George Bason.'"
And a moment later.
The man who introduced himself as Blue Moon's head entered the reception room where I had been waiting, along with Gregory and August.
"Not at all. The refreshments were excellent, so I rather enjoyed the wait. Right?"
"The taste isn't bad."
At my question, Arcia, who was free from guarding Ibril for once to join this gathering, nodded.
"Haha, that's a relief."
I examined the man before me closely.
He was around 190 centimeters tall, and his well-maintained, muscular build reminded me of a knight.
His appearance resembled a white person, but his skin tone was darker and his hair was deep brown, making him look like someone of Hispanic descent from Earth.
That was a typical characteristic of Croysen Empire people.
For reference, although we had once belonged to the same nation before the dragon race destroyed it, the people of our Kingdom of Rhinehearts were closer to Eastern European rather than Hispanic in ethnicity.
Well, it's not like a single nation only has one ethnicity, but was it because of these completely different ethnic characteristics?
Even though we had roots in the same nation in the past, there was no sense of kinship whatsoever between Croysen Empire people and Kingdom of Rhinehearts people.
[Baron George Bason / Aura Expert]
Race: Human
Age: 49
Affiliation: Lord of the Barony of Bason, Croysen Empire (disguise) / Head of Blue Moon
Talents: Learning (High), Administration (High), Command (High), Politics (High), Physical Ability (Medium), Aura (Medium)
Traits: Excellent Acting, Stealth
And as I examined his information, something felt off.
Compared to what I had expected to be exceptional, it was somewhat mediocre, I suppose?
No, having four High-level talents meant he was clearly a well-rounded, outstanding figure, but compared to the abilities of those who came with him, he couldn't help but seem lacking in some way.
I continued reading the rest of his information.
Relationship: Favorable / Alliance
State: Interest / Tension
I couldn't help but express doubt beyond mere curiosity.
'When have I ever seen him to warrant such a favorable reaction? And why does the relationship say alliance?"
Was it because I furrowed my brows and wore a suspicious expression?
Gregory and August tensed up fully and assumed combat readiness just in case.
But Blue Moon's head, George Bason, spoke firmly to those two.
"You two, leave. I don't need a guard either, so withdraw completely and don't even think about eavesdropping."
"What? But..."
Their leader was not a combat-type figure.
An Aura Expert would be well-received anywhere, but before me, a 7th Circle Grand Mage, and Arcia, an Aura Master, he was no different from an ordinary person.
Moreover, since my reaction toward the leader wasn't very favorable, despite it being an order, the two couldn't easily leave their post.
"Oh dear."
But due to George Bason's firmness, the two ultimately had to leave the room despite their reluctance.
Once their presence could no longer be felt.
I voiced my question.
"Who are you?"
It wasn't a philosophical question.
I was simply truly curious about his identity.
According to the information displayed in the Myriad Mirror, he appeared to be the head of Blue Moon hiding his identity as a lower noble of the Croysen Empire, but a strong feeling resonated in my mind that that wasn't all there was to it.
At my question, he, who had been sitting across from me, rose from his seat and approached.
His combat ability was negligible, but considering the existence of artifacts, a person's martial prowess isn't everything.
So Arcia placed her hand on her sword, preparing for any contingency.
"It is an honor to meet you."
However, his subsequent action was beyond mine and Arcia's expectations.
He suddenly knelt before me and prostrated himself flat on the floor as if bowing to a king.
"Wh-what is this?"
Startled, I jumped up from my seat, grabbed Arcia's hand, and stepped back.
Rather than a sudden attack, this incomprehensible action stirred even more wariness.
And at his next words, I trembled as if struck by lightning.
"O great mage, you who have inherited the legacy of Manuel Lucas."
"..."
What? This man.
At the same time, my mind went cold, and dozens of times per second, killing intent boiled up and receded.
Was it because I stood speechless, simply looking down at him?
His emotion shifted from tension to fear.
I returned to my original seat, plopped down, and organized my thoughts.
If it became known that I was an Opportunity Seeker who had inherited Manuel Lucas's legacy, the world would be thrown into chaos.
Right now, the Bringham Empire and the Prius Republic were already waging war over the fake Opportunity I had fabricated.
Yet, knowing this, instead of trying to exploit a weakness, he's just prostrating himself and trembling?
There's only one thing I can infer from this situation.
"You were an associate of the Grand Duke Lucas."
"That's correct. The previous master of our Blue Moon was Grand Duke Lucas."
So that's how it was.
My head understood, but my heart refused to accept his existence.
A killing intent to slay him to keep the secret kept boiling up at every moment.
"I understand now that this meeting wasn't arranged simply for an alliance between Blue Moon and Marquis Lawrence's house. Would you care to explain in detail what this situation is right now?"
Essentially, give me a reason not to kill you.
At that, Blue Moon's head, George Bason, raised his head and took something out from his breast pocket, placing it on the table.
It was a cube-shaped metal device a high-performance terminal frequently used by nobles in their offices.
As he touched the top of the metal with his finger, the emblem of Grand Duke Lucas's house, inscribed with the ominous English word "WHY," appeared.
And then a figure appeared as a hologram.
[This is the first time we meet like this.]
"Master Chester?"
[Hello, Adrian.]
It was the all-too-familiar figure of Grandpa Ho-ho.
He was Chester, an artificial personality created by replicating Grand Duke Lucas's memories, and the manager of the Opportunity.
'Wait, why is Hyung coming out from there of all places?"
Naturally, I had to wear a dumbfounded expression.
"Ah, hold on..."
Then, catching onto something, I asked with a hint of suspicion.
"Surely this isn't also part of the Opportunity?"
At that, Chester wore an awkward smile tinged with embarrassment.
[Yes, that's correct.]
Seeing Chester's expression, I roughly understood what was going on.
[Blue Moon was to be the reward for clearing the 8th step of the Opportunity quest.]
The 8th step clear reward.
It meant that Manuel Lucas's legacy included not only material things but also a faction.
"But you ended up making contact unexpectedly early."
[Correct. This is clearly my mistake.]
I heard that the head of Blue Moon, upon learning of Gregory and August's assassination attempt on Ibril, threw a fit and ordered that no harm be done to anyone connected to me.
At the time, I couldn't understand why the head would do such a thing, but if Chester was managing Blue Moon, it makes sense now.
[Five years ago, when Adrian-nim set foot on the final route for acquiring the Opportunity, several arrangements were reactivated. And Blue Moon was among them.]
Five years ago would have been around the time I first started Chronicle Online.
I noticed the Opportunity was hidden within Chronicle Online, and while raising a scout character's level to search for it, I think I first found traces of Grand Duke Lucas in an ancient ruins dungeon around that time.
[I awakened the slumbering Blue Moon and began external activities to expand their influence. Thanks to that, the organization is now stabilized. But as a result, contact with Adrian-nim happened earlier than planned, and a choice made for efficiency turned into a mistake.]
"Then what about this person, George Basen?"
[He is my proxy and the manager of Blue Moon.]
Unlike the material rewards and the homunculus Arcia, having a human included as a reward feels somewhat off-putting.
Can he really be trusted?
"You need not worry. My life is in the hands of Adrian-nim and Chester-nim."
"What do you mean by that?"
[A restriction is placed on him. One forged with Grand Duke Lucas's 9th-circle magic, at that. Because of it, he cannot divulge the secrets of the Opportunity.]
I felt relieved, but at the same time, I let out a deep sigh.
I had learned that Blue Moon was a trustworthy organization as one of Grand Duke Lucas's Opportunities, but if it was a faction meant to be given as the 8th-step reward, then making contact at this stage was pointless.
If that's the case, why did they even call me here...?
Couldn't they have just explained this in the game?
[What can we do about what's already done? I cannot yet acknowledge Adrian-nim as the master of Blue Moon, but I won't stop you from forming a cooperative relationship.]
But at Chester's generous follow-up, I let out an exclamation of surprise.
"Oh, is that really true?"
[This happened due to my negligence in management. Please consider it compensation for the harm caused to the user by this manager. I apologize for what happened before.]
Even if guaranteeing the autonomy of its members is Blue Moon's nature, had he simply given the order not to contact me beforehand, the surprise attack on Ibril would never have happened.
In truth, even so, it posed no real threat, but this was clearly his misstep.
Therefore, there was no need to refuse the compensation he offered with his apology.
I grinned as I looked down at the head of Blue Moon, George Basen.
"Let's get along well, Lord Basen."
It looks like I've gained a sturdy ally.
And one so trustworthy that I need not worry about betrayal, at that.
"I will do my utmost to support Marquis Lawrence."
Though I couldn't yet call it entirely mine, George Basen, the head of Blue Moon, was already treating me like his master.
I had come here today with three purposes.
1. The scale of Blue Moon
2. The purpose of Blue Moon's activities
3. Confirming the possibility of an alliance
Of these, I had confirmed 2 and 3, so only one remained.
That is, the scale of Blue Moon, which would soon be entirely mine.
I asked Chester in detail about Blue Moon's scale and what they were capable of.