Ranker’s Return

‘Good, good.’ Hyeonu smiled brightly when he received the message showing he met the conditions of the quest. He went on to say, “Really? Then I will let you go today. I hope you don’t catch my attention in the future. Understood? I’ll leave the money for the bill here.”

“What do I do…?” The girl asked.

“Why are you asking me this? You have to act on your own. Be it Chen Tai or the secret department, deal with it yourself. I won’t protect you next time.” 

Hyeonu left the store without looking back. No matter the excuse, a traitor was still a traitor. There was no reason for him to care about her. The moment Hyeonu left the store, there was a message announcing that he had cleared the quest.

[You have cleared Gucheon Secret Department Investigation]

[Experience has been acquired.]

[An additional quest has been obtained.]

[A quest has been created.]

[Identity of the Gucheon Secret Department]

[Who are the Gucheon Secret Department? Is it a weak force on the East Continent or another name for the Yuxin Empire?

Rating: S+

Conditions: Identity of the Gucheon Secret Department 0/1

Rewards: Experience.]

It was a quest that bit at the tail of another quest—a linked quest.

‘In this case, is it best to enter the imperial palace?’

Hyeonu prepared a straight ball. Moreover, it was a very hard straight ball. He never thought about going back. What about searching for clues elsewhere? That would just be a waste of time. The quickest and best way was to ask the emperor of the East Continent directly. Hyeonu had no fear as he had a strong backing.

‘In any case, there is a monster from the West Continent behind me.’

He didn’t need a dragon; it was enough to have the emperor. A viscount of the empire and the apprentice of Lebron, the greatest knight of the empire, was attacked. Could the emperor of the West Continent really bear it? It was clear that he would start a war.

‘I just have to fan the flames a few times, and it will be interesting.’

For the sake of his amusement, the emperor had spared his brother who coveted his life. Maybe he would stand at the vanguard of the war.

‘Let’s start with the quest.’

Hyeonu had to take what he could first. He exited Buncheonru and headed to the imperial palace of the Yuxin Empire on the opposite side of Buncheonru. However, he didn’t attempt to enter the imperial palace.

‘Eh... Is today Friday?’

Hyeonu felt like he had been hit in the head with a hammer. He realized he needed to stream.

‘Crazy, Gang Hyeonu. I actually forgot about this.’

He had forgotten the fact entirely. Arena was an online game, so time passed even if Hyeonu didn’t log in. Hyeonu had been playing Arena for two days but the length of time he actually spent playing the game wasn’t long.

‘I was so busy that I haven’t played Arena a lot.’

He’d been having meetings with sponsors and some planning for the future of Crescent Moon. It was this fatal mistake that caused the schedule to overlap by chance.

‘I should start streaming.’

Turning it on now would mean he was streaming at a time similar to his usual streaming time. It was a bit late, but this would allow the viewers to understand that he had a flexible streaming time instead of a set time. Hyeonu believed so.

*** 

Nevertheless, Hyeonu’s faith was shattered the moment the streaming was turned on. The viewers were outraged.

-Your original intentions are lost!!!!

-Look for your original intentions!

-Original intentions! Where is it? Get it back!

-Apologize!! Your first heart, come back!

‘No, what is this...’

Hyeonu was flustered and couldn’t speak properly. He wasn’t the type to announce the exact streaming time; he used to start streaming at flexible times. Even though he had taken this into account, there was such a storm of nonsense... 

“Everyone, did I take a break from streaming? Or was I late? I originally streamed around this time. I’m not late, am I?”

-However, aren’t you going to end it at the same time?

-Then you are late.

-Right!

-Reclaim Alley Leader’s beginning!

Hyeonu revealed his grievances, but there were no viewers listening to Hyeonu’s words anymore. Eventually, Hyeonu took extraordinary measures.

“In that case, what I’ve prepared will be done after today’s stream. As for now, I’ll just sit back and relax. I’ve already played the slot machine. Well, I don’t think it’s bad. In order to go back to my original intentions, give five coins when sending a message or I won’t answer.” 

Hyeonu regained his original intentions in an extreme manner. It was reminiscent of the time when he was hungry for money.

-Leader Big Fan has gifted you 555 gold coins.

-Go to the content. Don’t be mad.

-Alley Leader is the Best Best Best has gifted you 500 gold coins.

-That’s right. Let’s go. I don’t know what you are doing.

The named viewers were the ones who came out. They were the large-handed people who had been active since the early days of Alley Leader’s streaming career, and they were as famous as Alley Leader. These named viewers possessed a fountain of gold coins that never dried up.

“Yes, if the two of you say so, then I’ll have to do it. Today, I will visit the imperial palace of the Yuxin Empire, the only empire on the East Continent. I will meet with the emperor, so I’m going to the imperial palace.”

As Hyeonu spoke, he started to move. He was near the imperial palace of the Yuxin Empire, so it wouldn’t take long for him to get there. Therefore, Hyeonu’s explanation was very short.

“I couldn’t go there before because I was in Buncheonru. But now, the imperial palace and the emperor of the East Continent will be revealed publicly in Arena for the first time.”

Hyeonu only said these words until he got to the imperial palace. He looked sulky to everyone who saw him. There was only one person who denied it—him. Then Hyeonu arrived at the entrance of the imperial palace, which was protected by guards.

“This isn’t a place for just anyone to enter. Please go back.” The guards weren’t coercive. Rather, they were courteous as they restrained Hyeonu.

Hyeonu touched the mask he was wearing and then pulled something out. “Is it impossible to enter even with this?” 

He had pulled out the golden plaque he received from Liu Yongyun, the third imperial prince and lord of Yuanyang.

The guard examined the gold plaque closely and maintained a polite attitude as he said, “Can you wait a while for my superior to come? I don’t have the ability to recognize it... I’m sorry.”

The viewers were amazed by the guard’s attitude. It was 180 degrees different from the attitude of the guards in the West Continent.

-Why so kind?

-He is gentle, gentle.

-The West Continent pretty much just has swearing.

-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Compared to this, the bad attitude of the guards in the West Continent is almost at the level of ignoring people.

‘There is this side of looking at it.’

Hyeonu agreed. Indeed, the guards here were very polite. The guards in the West Continent didn’t treat Hyeonu badly, but in comparison to this person, they were a bit... It was true that they lost.

“No, feel free to go. I will be waiting.” Hyeonu waved his hands.

The guard bowed toward Hyeonu and quickly disappeared.

Hyeonu remarked, “He is a very polite guard. If I were his supervisor, I would give him a holiday along with a bonus...”

-Yes. I would also give it.

-This is the service mindset.

-Shocking. A guard turns out to actually be a service worker...

-Alley Leader must learn something like this.

-He needs to be kinder to us.

“Aren’t I already kind enough?” Hyeonu said in a huff.

Hyeonu was having a leisurely conversation with the audience when the guard brought his superior over.

“I am Shen Xianzhe, captain of the imperial guards. Excuse me, can you please show me the gold plaque again?” Shen Xianzhe introduced himself as the captain of the imperial guards and was just as polite as the guard.

Hyeonu nodded silently and once again showed off his gold plaque. No, he placed it in the hands of the guard captain. Upon receiving the gold plaque, Shen Xianzhe examined and even injected magic power into it. Once Shen Xianzhe’s magic power was infused, a giant tiger sprang out of the gold plaque and shone with a brilliant gold color.

‘So it’s like this?’ Hyeonu was stunned when he saw the tiger emerge from the gold plaque. No such thing had happened when he injected his magic power into the gold plaque. It had just eaten his magic power instead.

‘Does it only react to certain magic powers?’

Hyeonu cocked his head while Shen Xianzhe returned the gold plaque to him.

“The owner of the gold plaque is 3rd Imperial Prince Liu Yongyun. The holder of the gold plaque will receive the same treatment as the royal family just once. What can I do to help you?” Shen Xianzhe asked.

“I would like to meet His Majesty the Emperor. Is that possible?”

“Of course. The authority of the gold plaque was determined by His Majesty, the first emperor. The current emperor is no exception. Follow me. I will guide you to His Majesty,” Shen Xianzhe responded firmly to Hyeonu’s words.

Hyeonu saw this and thought of a few words: ‘A firm, principled person.’

Shen Xianzhe was a man who didn’t compromise with the rules set. As such, he was well suited to be the captain of the imperial guards.

‘Of course, sometimes it can be frustrating...’

In any case, it didn’t matter to Hyeonu. The imperial palace of the Yuxin Empire had an old-fashioned atmosphere, rather than a gorgeous one. The buildings were made of stone and wood, while the original patterns were harmoniously blended.

-It is luxurious.

-Can’t this be a tourist destination?

-It will be a tourist destination only when the empire falls.

-Indeed... Today’s tourists attractions are also places that weren’t accessible in the past.

-We just have to watch the stream well. I don’t think I can see it in my lifetime...

The viewers marveled at the buildings of the Yuxin Empire, which had a different look from the splendid imperial palace of the West Continent.

“This is the palace where His Majesty oversees affairs of the empire. I’ve already contacted him, so you can go inside.” Shen Xianzhe bowed slightly before turning and heading to his original location.

Before entering the palace, Hyeonu had opened up all his senses and placed the return scroll and the message from the West Continent’s emperor in his clothes.

‘It’s just in case something happens...’

The return scroll was a type of insurance, just in case things went wrong. It would be too much of a waste to lose his life in a place like this. Of course, the viewers who saw this scene couldn’t understand Hyeonu’s actions at all.

-What did he take out and hold?

-In my eyes, it looks like a return scroll?

-So why hide it in his clothes?

-Is he thinking about going back to the West Continent after talking to the emperor?

-Doesn’t it look like he is preparing for trouble? It clearly means he will escape if it’s too much.

Still, some viewers made accurate predictions.

‘They can pluck out everything. They are fortune tellers.’

Hyeonu was amazed by the audience.

“It is insurance, insurance. There could be an accident. Wouldn’t it be too unfair to die here? I will die someday, but I don’t think now is the time,” Hyeonu said these words and entered the imperial palace.

There were many court ladies and servants inside the imperial palace, but no one was making a sound. They moved quietly without even making footsteps.

“Now, everyone. I think I’ll have to turn off the microphone for a while. It is because the conversation is a secret. I’m sorry.”

Hyeonu arrived at the emperor’s office and turned off the sound output connected to the streaming media. It was because his name would be exposed. Just then, the door in front of Hyeonu opened, and the scene inside the office naturally entered Hyeonu’s eyes.

“!!!”

6th Anniversary Event Link (Submission Final Date: 15th November)