Coincidence or Destiny – Part IV

In order to be in charge of the September half-way point, there were a few criteria that had to be met.

First, you had to expend a certain amount of resources in an open auction to claim the rights to the September Neutral Zone.

That was a non-issue because of my recent achievements in Paradise and my admittedly cheap ability to print precious minerals.

Second, you had to be an organization.

That... was a bit more involved. Fortunately, I had a wonderfully competent wife along with a wise coach to help sort that all out.

An event and decision that should have taken most people years to prepare for was going to be finished within a month.

And like that, we'd be able to control the Tutorial, thus letting me bring in Jinhee safely along with Seunghae and Yuri.

...Which reminded me that I needed to talk with Seonhwa about that.

Which also reminded me that I needed to talk with Gula to check what I needed to do.

Which reminded me again that I needed to use the Divine Stigmata soon and figure out who that weirdly familiar and arrogant voice I heard in my head was.

But those were later things.

For now... I had a meeting to deal with. And to prep for that, I was currently standing at the balcony of Teresa's room in Haramark castle.

"Are you sure you don't want to just set up Elysium here in Haramark, Hubby?" Teresa reached out to adjust my suit and frowned. "I've given you my everything and Daddy said that it'd be fine."

I let her fix up my clothes and looked at the sky to check the time. "I'm sure. It's better to not leave all the eggs in one basket."

Teresa snorted and stepped back. "It sounds like you're planning to run out and collect more. Just how many wives do you plan to have at the end of the day, Hubby?"

I sighed and said, "More than I'd like, less than what's necessary."

Teresa huffed and said, "This is why I keep saying you should have seriously bought me back then, Hubby. If you just took me as your wife early on, you wouldn't be in this mess."

"True. But I'd be in an even bigger mess and probably have to rush down the Parasite Queen within the month. I'd win, of course, but I've got a feeling Paradise wouldn't be left standing in the aftermath."

Teresa rolled her eyes and then stepped back to give me a once over.

I leaned against a nearby brick wall and reflected for a bit while she did that.

[spoiler] [/spoiler]

I was back in Paradise, specifically, Haramark. Ideally, I would have preferred to be back on Earth for a bit longer to sort out things with Jinhee and prep them, but it'd be for nothing if I didn't handle this side first.

After all, they'd never be able to go through the Tutorial safely if Elysium didn't control the Neutral Zone. And Elysium couldn't control the Neutral Zone if it wasn't an organization... which it wasn't.

Yet.

Still...

I crossed my arms, eyeing my suit, and said, "Is this really necessary? I'm the famous hero who saved Paradise by killing off those Army Commanders, right? Wouldn't it be fine to show up in my usual gear?"

Teresa snorted. "By 'usual gear', do you mean just a plain black shirt and jeans? Or do you mean the armor stored in the magical bracer Ian and Flone made you that you never use."

I coughed and subconsciously reached towards the bracer hidden under my left sleeve.

Teresa rolled her eyes and said, "I'm starting to understand why Hannah keeps complaining about headaches. You're a man can't help but make the women around you worried."

"...Sure. Let's go with that." I adjusted my tie and said, "So all I need to do is to get the approval of Eva's Royal Administrator, right?"

Teresa blinked and said, "Why are you asking me, Hubby? Aren't you the one who told me to arrange this?"

"I am. That's why I'm asking." I lowered my arms and then stared off towards Eva, frowning. "Eva has a lot of issues right now and I plan to fix them either way. But I'm a bit worried about how that will play over if I force their hand."

Teresa snorted. "It might be for the better that way." She leaned on the wall next to me and crossed her arms. "That sheltered princess needs a wake-up slap anyway. I'd do it myself, but..." She paused, tilting her head thoughtfully. After that, she turned to look at me. "...Hubby."

"I am not going to force Eva's princess to abdicate so you can take it under as Haramark's territory, Resa."

Teresa huffed. "Why not? You do all sorts of nice things and sweet talk your other girls. Can't you give me this one thing?"

"...I think you're the girl I've given the most to, Miss Hundred Platinum Coins."

Teresa waved her hand and said, "That was just the bride price."

"...You're getting pretty shameless these days, Resa."

"Please. I've always been this way, Hubby."

"I suppose. You *did* throw away your pride pretty quick when money came up."

Teresa nodded. "Considering who you are, Hubby, I think most women would."

"...Which is why we need to get Jinhee here ASAP to help me with that. God knows that women don't listen to me telling them to find someone else who won't break their heart."

"That's because Hubby's a vicious demon who crushes women with gifts they can't repay. But enough chitchat." Teresa brushed off my shoulders and said, "I'll lead you to the meeting room. After that... Well, if all else fails, I'm sure I can team up with Big Sis Roe and bully that stubborn princess into submission."

"...Just lead the way already, Resa."

xxx

The war council room that we had used to plan the battle against the Army Commanders.

Resa led me there and then left, saying that she was going to have some girl time with Yuhui and visit the Temple of Luxuria.

...The fact that she said that while holding the mana sword I lent her didn't make it seem like a simple house call, but I decided to ignore it for my own sanity.

These days, I had enough things to juggle.

So instead, I sat back in my chair and waited.

It didn't take long.

Before I could even start thinking about what to do about Eva's Royal Administrator, the door opened and a man walked in.

He was average height and looked pretty unassuming while wearing a simple black gown. A wrinkled face showed his age, and the fact that he was balding from the middle of his head reinforced that. Though, with his remaining white hair, he looked a lot like a more tired looking version of Tekken's Heihachi.

Eva's Royal Administrator, Sorg Kuhne.

Although he looked unassuming, Sorg Kuhne definitely didn't carry himself that way.

Adjusting his glasses, he walked in and carefully gave me a once over.

I immediately stood up and walked towards him, holding out my right hand. Smiling, I said, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Royal Administrator."

He glanced at it and then looked back at me. Afterwards, he nodded and shook my hand. "I should be the one to say that, Unyielding Emperor."

I forcibly calmed my face, resisting the eye twitch that came with being called by that title. Instead, I laughed and said, "That's a bit much. I'm not even a proper hero, let alone an Emperor."

"Hm." Sorg Kuhne let go of my hand and said, "Is that so? Many who I have talked to would say otherwise."

I laughed again and said, "There've been a lot of talk going around me lately. I think it'd be best to judge with your own capable eyes rather than listen to other people, no?"

"True."

A curt and cautious response.

Sorg Kuhne didn't seem to be on edge, but he did seem reserved. As if a lot of thoughts were on his mind.

I pulled out a chair for him and said, "Please sit. This may be a long discussion, so it wouldn't do to be standing for the entire time."

Sorg Kuhne nodded and said, "Yes. These old bones are a bit weary." After saying that, he took a seat.

I walked around to the seat across from him and sat down as well, smiling.

At least, on the surface. But internally, I was confused.

'Nothing?'

My 'eyes' were definitely fully activated now. As a result, I should see some color coming off Sorg Kuhne to gauge the situation. Whether he was a threat, whether he was favorable...

But there was nothing. A blank slate- No, as if he didn't have any connection to me at all.

Sorg Kuhne took a look around the room and said, "I was expecting to meet you at Carpe Diem's office. I have to say that it was quite a surprise to have that tomboy princess welcome me directly to the castle."

I materialized a pot of black tea and some porcelain cups. While pouring some tea, I nodded and said, "That was originally the plan, but after some thinking, I felt that it was a bit rude to welcome Eva's Royal Administrator in such a run-down building. Tea?"

Sorg Kuhne nodded. "I appreciate the hospitality."

I reached over to set a cup down in front of him before pouring one for myself.

Silence filled the room, broken only by the sound of pouring tea.

Since magic barriers were placed to isolate the room, nothing from outside was getting in, and nothing we said here would escape the room.

That much should have been included in the memo to Sorg Kuhne.

Even so, he still seemed cautious.

Well, I suppose that just showed how competent he was. And from the vague memories I still had left of how the future should be playing out... that made sense. He was pretty much the only guy keeping Eva afloat right now.

I finished pouring my cup of tea and then sat back, sipping on it.

Seeing that, Sorg Kuhne did the same.

Another silence. One that Sorg Kuhne didn't seem inclined to break because he was lost in thought.

Since that was the case, I just sat back and let him think.

I knew the situation around my reputation. Even though it was chaotic on the public face at the moment due to the copycat running around, the people who mattered would know it was fake.

And a competent person like Sorg Kuhne would be taking that public information, compare it to the 'real' information he gathered from the ones in the know, and then analyze what he was experiencing directly from meeting me in person.

Probably to check for any incongruities.

If I was acting, it would be nerve-wracking.

But I wasn't, so I just relaxed and waited for him to continue the flow of the conversation.

And as expected, after a moment to collect his thoughts, Sorg Kuhne spoke up. "Seol Jihu. That is your name, correct?"

I nodded. "Where I'm from, that is how we say it. But Jihu is my given name. Seol is my family name, so it's fine for you to call me Jihu Seol."

"Mister Seol, then." Sorg Kuhne nodded and then took another sip from his tea. After that, he set his cup down and pushed it off to the side. Placing his hands together on the tabletop, he looked me straight in the eye and said, "Answer me honestly. Do you use a spear?"

I blinked. "Spear? I mean, I'm capable of using one, but my main weapon is a sword."

That was a weird question. It should be obvious that I was a sword-user. The only people who knew or thought otherwise were in Carpe Diem... and were the people who wouldn't blab about that sort of thing.

So why would-

Wait.

Spear.

Eva.

The weird responses from Blackie and saying he was 'busy...'

...That son-of-a-

"I see." Sorg Kuhne nodded. "Then I suppose you have no information about the Crazed Black Demon Bunny running rampant in Eva's underworld?"

...#%!@#$

[author] Overcommitting is a real danger when you're competent at your job. Do less, not more.

Anyway, Happy Halloween!

Have some treats. Note: Paragraph comments might break, so I'll make a chapter comment thread with the pictures in a bit too.

Seol Jinhee

Eun Yuri

Maria Yeriel

Yoo Seonhwa

Yoo Seunghae

Seo Yuhui

Hao Win

Yun Seohui

Yun Seora

Kim Hannah

Hugo Richard

Chung Chohong

Jang Maldong

Jihu

Flonecia Lusignan La Rothchear (Flone)

Ian Denzel (Post Youth Elixir)

Claire Agnes

Teresa Hussey

Arbor Muto (Rejuvenated)

[/author]