Opportunity in the Game Becomes Reality Chapter 290
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Opportunity in the Game Becomes Reality Chapter 290
61. My Goal (6)
The reason Bug, Maryang, and Miel had come to America via Cuba, passing through Miami, was nothing special.
It was because they had heard that the roots of a criminal organization running troll operations in Cuba were in Miami.
They had planned to quietly wipe out only the criminal organization and return.
America was a country that ran fine without them stepping in, and any conspicuous actions would only reach Adrian's ears anyway.
But that plan fell apart with the appearance of Arc Scarlet and Dark Square.
With two demon kings revealing themselves so boldly, it was only natural that Bug, Maryang, and Miel who had intended to operate covertly would be exposed along with them.
"So the members of Agnyang have gathered in one place."
When Arc Scarlet raised both hands in a V shape and said that, Bug and Maryang habitually struck the same pose.
It was the intro pose of Agnyang, the project girl group of the Lawrence Mage Tower.
Dark Square and Miel frowned at the sight of their companions, and the three Agnyang members slowly lowered their hands.
Arc Scarlet spoke to Bug's group.
"Adrian is angry."
It was a short statement, but more than enough to make their shoulders flinch.
Nevertheless, Bug's group showed a reaction of not understanding why, and Arc Scarlet let out a small sigh.
"The mythological beings that appeared on Earth are the goddess's arrangement. Smashing open the skull of that arrangement what were you thinking?"
Bug's group belatedly realized they hadn't written in their letter the reason they had hunted the Aztec god, and flustered, they made excuses.
"Huitzilopochtli killed a ton of people turns out he was a god of human sacrifice. So we figured he was an obstacle to the peace Adrian pursues, and we attacked without hesitation."
"Really? If that's the case, then…"
Hearing the explanation, Arc Scarlet nodded, finding their actions somewhat understandable.
It seemed Huitzilopochtli had a disposition similar to the demon race.
If one had to put it into words, perhaps closer to an evil god than a good god?
For that reason, there was a high chance Adrian would also understand and let it slide.
"If you understand, that's enough. So we're acquitted now, right?"
Even so, they couldn't send Bug's group back from here.
Their master Adrian's order was to capture them and bring them in.
Even if they'd be released later, for now they had to be dragged along.
"Report to Adrian yourselves. We've received orders to bring you in."
"Huh? If we get caught, we won't be able to enjoy adventuring anymore?"
"Adrian isn't that strict."
Arc Scarlet intended to speak nicely and take them along, but Bug's group didn't want to leave this land where they were revered by everyone.
So they shouted "Freedom!" and attempted to flee.
"Where do you think you're going!"
However, in terms of individual ability stats, Viracocha and Quetzalcoatl, who protected Bug's group, couldn't match the two demon kings.
They attempted spatial transportation, but were immediately blocked by Arc Scarlet.
However, a problem arose here.
That problem was that because their base stats were so high as to surpass a dragon, merely canceling out techniques generated a storm of mana.
-KWAAANG!
"Huh?"
That mana storm became an unintended explosion, throwing the port of Miami into chaos.
"Oh no…"
It was like absentmindedly taking a step and finding an anthill underneath.
They may have been treated as subordinates every time while tagging along with Adrian, but every one of them was someone who could vaporize a city with a single gesture.
It meant that even a single small mistake could cause harm to innocent people.
[Aren't you subordinates of Chairman Lawrence?! What is the meaning of this!?]
From the surface, a figure who appeared to be a military commander shouted at them through a loudspeaker.
It was tremendous courage.
But protesting with a face gripped by terror, no matter how strong the tone, would only be humiliating.
In response, Arc Scarlet suggested to Bug's group that they move locations first, and Bug's group, also disliking innocent people getting harmed, nodded reluctantly.
Even if they were going to run, they could just move locations first and then flee.
Thus, the two demon kings and Bug's group soared high into the sky and cut across the sea at high speed.
But that was when it happened.
-SWOOOSH!
A light arrow would fly in, aiming for the back of Arc Scarlet's head.
-KWAANG!
Arc Scarlet, who had struck down the surprise attack barehanded, flashed blood-red killing intent in her eyes and looked in the direction the arrow had come from.
Where their gazes landed, a man in Indian garb holding a large bow and a mechanical bird wreathed in a shadow flickering like flame were flying in fiercely.
[Beings who bring chaos to this land.]
[We shall destroy the demon.]
At the two's words, Arc Scarlet's lips curled, revealing sharp fangs.
"Have they gone mad."
They were the mythic beings who had appeared in America: the Eskimo's Iron Crow and the Indian's Chinigchinich.
"W-what are those things?"
"The situation's getting strange."
Perhaps angered by the unexpected surprise attack, Arc Scarlet's expression, gleaming with madness, was one that even Bug and Maryang, who had done stage activities together, were seeing for the first time.
At that, Bug spoke to Dark Square, who stood with arms crossed and a troubled expression.
"We can't fight here! We're still close to land!"
"Her eyes have rolled back. No one can stop her now. If you don't want to get swept up, you'd better run."
Bug didn't know the Iron Crow and Chinigchinich, but at a glance he could tell they were mythic beings.
If those beings and Arc Scarlet fought openly, tsunamis and earthquakes would occur.
The nearby city of Miami would be reduced to scorched earth.
It meant the odds of Adrian being broken grew even higher.
"Ugh...."
Moreover, no matter that Bug hadn't wanted it, she knew well that this situation had arisen because of them.
So, feeling a sense of responsibility, she asked.
"Viracocha, Quetzalcoatl. Can you stop the fight?"
Viracocha, the golden clay doll, and Quetzalcoatl, the small serpent with wings, momentarily lost their words at Bug's request.
But soon they answered.
[Understood.]
[We'll try.]
Unintentionally, a battle involving four mythic beings and two demon kings was about to unfold off the coast of America.
Who could have predicted that the Iron Crow and Chinigchinich, indifferent to America, would suddenly insert themselves into a family quarrel?
Even for Adrian, this was a situation beyond calculation.
* * *
"How is our Kali so pretty?"
I shook a rattle in front of my daughter 'Kalisia El Lawrence,' who had an appearance far too neat for a newborn, and kept spouting exclamations of admiration.
They say even a hedgehog finds its own child pretty, but Kalisia was someone anyone could admire with a third party's eyes.
Of course, I don't know if it's only natural given who her parents are.
But sometimes there are children who don't resemble their parents, so in many ways I couldn't help but feel proud.
Even if looks aren't everything in life, there's no harm in being exceptional.
"She'll be breaking men's hearts later on."
Arcia is a peerless beauty anyone would admire, but with brown hair and green eyes, she has a serene air.
But Kalisia had inherited my silver hair and sapphire eyes on top of Arcia's features, possessing a splendor as well.
She was truly a child who fit the word 'princess' perfectly.
-Rattle. Rattle.
"...."
If there was one regrettable thing, it was that the child was oddly expressionless.
No matter how hard I shook the rattle, only her eyes moved and there was no particular reaction.
Even when I checked to see if something was wrong with her body, she was normal, so I could only tilt my head.
"I suppose...."
But soon I let out a soft laugh.
Thinking about it, it occurred to me that her expressionless look resembled Arcia.
Now her expressions had become quite rich, but in the past Arcia had been exactly like that.
"Let's eat, mama."
Her strong appetite was exactly the same too.
According to the nannies, Kalisia eats about twice as much as children her age.
Perhaps because of that, her size also grew faster than other newborns.
"Is it because of the god's energy? I'd feel sad if she grew too fast."
In the royal family, childcare relies on the help of lady-in-waitings and nannies, so it isn't that hard.
Because of that, I found myself thinking it would be nice if she grew slowly, so I could watch her cuteness for a long time rather than have her grow quickly.
I poked with my finger the plump cheek of Kalisia, who had clung snugly to Arcia, whose front had been undone, and made a thrilling expression.
Truly.
She's so lovable.
"Your Highness the King is confirmed to be a daughter-fool."
"I know, right."
Even though I could hear the nannies' laughter-filled talk from behind, I pretended not to hear.
How much time of happiness did we spend like that?
-Knock knock!
"Y-Your Highness the King!"
A knock echoed through Kalisia's room in the men-only zone, and Gregory's flustered voice followed.
At that, I voiced my confusion.
It was the first time in recent days that I had heard Gregory's flustered voice, after all.
"I apologize. You weren't answering the phone."
So he had opened the door himself, and I ended up receiving an unexpected report.
It was the story that Bug's group, the two Demon Kings, and figures from American mythology had all become entangled and were fighting in the waters off Miami.
Frowning, I asked Arcia to excuse me.
"I think I need to make a quick trip to Earth."
With her sharp ears, she had probably already heard everything.
Perhaps because of that, Arcia handed the child to the nannies and stood beside me as always.
"Let's go together."
"I suppose there's no helping it."
I nodded.
I felt sorry toward my daughter, but it probably wouldn't take that long.
We headed straight for America.
* * *
The battle that had broken out in the waters off America.
The proceedings were transmitted to the White House in real time, and everyone was left speechless by the battle, which resembled a scene from a movie like a natural disaster.
The battle, which had seemed as though it would not end until the world was destroyed, was unilaterally brought to a close with Adrian's appearance, but the battle of transcendents that had taken place in America was more than enough to instill a sense of crisis in the White House.
"Casualties?"
"There are no deaths and twenty-one injured. However, most of these occurred during the evacuation, and there were no direct victims from the battle itself."
"Is that thanks to Trinity's protection?"
"It seems so."
Even though the battle took place two kilometers above the sea, earthquakes struck the surface and the waves became tsunamis that ceaselessly pounded the land.
Nevertheless, the reason the damage was so light was that Bug's group had minimized the damage to the surface.
Thanks to that, there were no deaths among the American people, but this entire situation could only be humiliating.
"Has there been any contact from Grand Duke Lawrence?"
"As it happens, it just arrived a moment ago. He conveys his deep apologies for this matter and says he will take responsibility for and compensate all damages."
At least Adrian's swift action had somewhat cooled the anger, but the feeling of being toyed with by him could not be erased.
And that feeling only grew stronger with the report that followed.
"And as it turns out, the three women who lead Trinity were also people on the Grand Duke's side. They had apparently run away from home saying they wanted to adventure on Earth."
"What? Adventure? Running away from home? America felt threatened by people like that?"
The President of the United States let out a laugh, saying it was absurd.
But no one could laugh along with him.
For some reason, that laughter came across as pitiful.
"What about the Iron Crow and Chinigchinich?"
"Chinigchinich is dead, and the Iron Crow appears to have suffered severe injuries."
"Why did those two suddenly intervene?"
"That's... I'm not sure either..."
It was hard to blame this entire situation solely on Adrian, because it was the gods who had appeared in America that had escalated the battle.
Yet those who had actually escalated things had not only been routed but had even died.
How utterly pathetic was that?
"However, the situation is not bad."
"Why is that?"
"Because the Iron Crow has requested a deal."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. If we procure the minerals needed for its treatment, it says it will maintain a friendly relationship with the American government going forward."
An unexpected deal proposal.
Perhaps realizing, from the sight of Adrian effortlessly subduing and dragging away the Demon King who had smashed them, that there is always a higher heaven above the sky, the once-haughty Iron Crow's attitude had completely changed.
This was good news from America's standpoint.
The President seemed satisfied for the first time in a while, but soon returned to his original demeanor.
"This incident has made us realize once again that our strength is insufficient."
"Indeed..."
Individuals stronger than nations.
This gap in power felt like a chasm that could never be narrowed.
Because of that, everyone worried about the future with sullen faces.
And then, at that moment.
"Um..."
Among those participating in the White House emergency meeting, a senior official belonging to the Department of the Interior arguably the lowest-ranking person there carefully raised his hand.
"Actually, someone contacted me today in Baghdad, Iraq. Perhaps we might be able to resolve this problem."
Everyone in the meeting room, including the President, turned to look at him all at once.