Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Chapter 26 Coffeehouse Ramen (3)

-Clatter.

Two cups of ssanghwa tea with egg yolks floating on top were placed on the table.

"These are on the house today. You're regular customers, after all."

"Oh, no! We should still pay!"

I firmly refused the ten-thousand-won bill the Haedong Divine Maiden took from her wallet.

Then, using the complimentary drinks as an excuse, I casually brought up the question I had originally intended to ask.

"By any chance, do you enjoy mobile games?"

"Pardon? Games?"

Even though the words had come from my own mouth, they sounded remarkably similar to someone asking, "Do you know the Way?" And I was saying this to shamans who actually knew the Way.

"It's a game one of my regular customers plays, and it seems quite entertaining. If you're interested, I can send you the link."

"Yes! I'll install it and start playing right away!"

"Ah, I don't really play games, so... Ow! Why'd you hit me?"

"Are you insane? Hurry up and install it!"

"I'm only suggesting that you take a look and try it if it suits your tastes. I'm not forcing anyone."

"It'll be fun! Right?"

"Haha..."

I had recommended it casually, but the Haedong Divine Maiden and the Dharma Master seemed to have interpreted my words rather differently.

The other shamans who had come as customers were likewise busy getting the download link from the Haedong Divine Maiden.

"Heh heh. When you, the master of the Divine Tree, say something like that, do you think those fellows will hear it as a suggestion rather than an order?"

"Now I feel rather sorry."

"Not at all! We'll enjoy playing it!"

"No, that's not what I meant..."

I suddenly remembered the battalion commander who had visited my unit during my military service.

After he casually remarked that the autumn leaves had turned beautiful colors, we had spent the entire weekend running around the mountains, collecting carefully selected fallen leaves, laminating them, and decorating the barracks.

Wasn't I exactly like that battalion commander right now?

I had resented him terribly back then, but now that I was in a similar position, I finally understood.

I was almost afraid to open my mouth.

"But do you truly think this method will work?"

"I don't know. I'm just trying what I can. If it doesn't work, we can look for another way."

It wasn't much of a plan, really.

I had simply felt sorry for Yongman, who was keeping a game alive that nobody logged into anymore, even going so far as to spend a Dragon Pearl on it, so I wanted to give it a little publicity.

Rather than being aimed specifically at helping him ascend, it was closer to an expression of support. Though I hadn't expected it to turn into this sort of semi-forced recruitment.

"Well, there is nothing to lose. But at this point, isn't this simply meddling in someone else's affairs?"

"You're the one who brought him here. Are you really asking me that?"

"Ahem."

It was meddling. Meddling that I had willingly gone to considerable trouble for.

My original goal had been to find a way to create a soul for Lia, but after one complication led to another, I had ended up saddled with the additional problem of helping an Imugi ascend.

Even so, I couldn't simply pretend not to know.

Not after seeing all the posts he had written while waiting alone on that message board for people to return.

"Still, he's not an evil-natured monster. I'd like to help him as much as I can."

"They say taking people under one's wing is a matter of fate, and you are a perfect example. And those fellows over there have the fate of being taken in by a master who makes them suffer. Heh heh."

The Elder burst into hearty laughter and pointed his tobacco pipe toward the table where the shamans were gathered.

"Now, you don't download this game from the app store. You have to go to this website..."

"But I've got a flip phone."

"Who uses a flip phone these days!"

At the Haedong Divine Maiden's table, a lesson on installing smartphone applications was underway, the sort one might expect at a senior citizens' college.

"Still, it looks like about twenty new people will join."

Those twenty people were everyone there.

I felt rather bad about Sani guarding the Divine Tree on Mount Gyeryong all alone, but if I wanted to get the most out of a short, concentrated publicity campaign, this seemed like the best approach.

Wait a minute.

"We have a problem."

"Hm? What's the problem now?"

"I sent the link to Director Baek too."

"Then I imagine things will be chaotic over there today as well."

___________

At the same time, in the National Intelligence Service's main conference room.

"We will now begin the meeting on character development in Hero's Path."

'Are we seriously doing this? They haven't even told us why.'

'They said it's R-class classified information. Just do what you're told.'

'This is ridiculous. We're not a game company, for heaven's sake.'

"Ahem, quiet down over there. The Director is here too, so stop those side conversations. I'll continue. User IDs will be created department by department at one-hour intervals immediately after today's meeting. As you know, you must operate in the game using the personal profiles that have been issued separately. And as for the free discussion board on the official website..."

'But do we really have to do this ourselves?'

'Now that you mention it, that's true. With this many people, surely there's no need for the Director and me to participate personally. Isn't that right, Director Baek?'

'We've already disclosed documents from the records room. The Blue House is aware of this matter as well, so you need to remain personally involved in the operation to avoid problems if anything happens.'

'I suppose you're right.'

It was an extremely unfavorable situation.

They could receive information about the coffeehouse frequented by monsters only with the permission of Jinseong, the coffeehouse's owner.

Therefore, they had to support Jinseong's requests to the best of their ability, without imposing any restrictions.

'I'd rather he just asked for more money. What am I doing at my age? Good grief.'

'If you're truly reluctant, I can handle your account as well, Director.'

'No, forget it. If something else happens here, I'll be the only one who doesn't know what's going on, won't I?'

The position of Director of the National Intelligence Service was not something one obtained merely by spending a long time in politics.

It was an honorary position that could not be attained without knowing when to sit down and when to lie low. He had risen this far because he had recognized early on that he was not cut out to be president or prime minister, and had kept his ambitions within reasonable bounds.

Of those who had been swayed by the sweet words of people around them and foolishly pursued party leadership or a presidential nomination, nine out of ten had disappeared after being treated as washed-up politicians whose prospects of even securing a nomination in the next general election were in jeopardy.

For a politician, the ability to read the room and trust one's instincts was a virtue that took precedence over practical competence.

'Let's think of it as medicine. If we don't take it, both Deputy Director Choi and I are dead.'

The desperate struggle to avoid being questioned about what one had been doing while matters deteriorated to this point was a workplace misery that transcended age and rank, one that even the head of a national institution could not escape.

______________

"Let's see... subtract the rent, subtract the utilities, then today's train fare and the five thousand won for ramen at the coffeehouse..."

After boarding the bus, Yongman took a bundle of banknotes from his pocket and muttered as he counted them one by one.

Although manual material hauling paid well, there wasn't work available every day. Given his personality, few places were willing to hire him.

If there was one fortunate thing about being a monster, it was that he could at least save on food expenses despite his difficult financial circumstances.

But an unexpectedly large expense had arisen.

And one that cost nearly a hundred thousand won in round-trip transportation alone.

'Going every day is impossible. If I save every penny, maybe twice a week? But those two are complete beginners. That won't be enough.'

They were the first new players he'd had in a long time. No, the first in several years.

Even if someone suddenly remembered the game and wanted to return, it had been removed from the app store, so installing it was impossible unless he personally gave them the download link.

He had considered advertising it out of desperation, but no fool would directly install a file of unknown contents for a game from an awkward period that wasn't even old enough to inspire nostalgia.

Besides, having his posts deleted and being banned for advertising would have been inevitable.

'Oh, right. This isn't the time for that. I haven't even finished farming the items, and here I am spacing out.'

Yongman stuffed the banknotes he had stopped counting back into his pocket and quickly turned on his phone.

Most of the items the two beginners needed did not drop in the areas where Yongman normally hunted. Instead of the enormous monsters he usually fought, his screen was filled with monsters that looked rather weak.

'Honestly, they take so much work.'

His role was important if he wanted to prevent them from reaching the so-called quitting point, where players gave up because they couldn't obtain the items they absolutely needed.

After all, there was nobody buying or selling items in the town square.

But today was different.

JujubeTreeCaughtAMan: Where's the beginner hunting ground?

FlowerBloomedInOctober: Does anyone know how to close the inventory window?

'What? It's not even eight o'clock yet. Are these really actual people?'

zSupremeMircoolz: How'd you guys get in here?

JujubeTreeCaughtAMan: We downloaded the game and logged in. But where's the hunting ground?

zSupremeMircoolz: Just follow me for now. -_-;;

And so Yongman led a beginner carrying a dagger across the town.

zSupremeMircoolz: Go kill rats and rabbits in that barley field. Avoid the snakes because the poison damage might kill you.

JujubeTreeCaughtAMan: You mean the place with all those people? There were more people than monsters, so I couldn't even hunt and just came back. Isn't there another hunting ground?

zSupremeMircoolz:?

'There are a lot of people? What the hell is he talking about?'

He had intended to quickly show the beginner where to hunt and then return to the square to help the true novice who couldn't close their inventory window.

But at that unexpected message, Yongman activated even his Sprint skill and raced toward the beginner hunting ground.

And there he witnessed an astonishing sight.

JaeminsDad: Hey, you lackeys of the Heaven-Splitting Sword Emperor, stop kill-stealing.

HeavenSplittingSwordEmperor: Who are you to speak to me so rudely?

HeavenSplittingSwordEmperorsBrother: Direc—no, Brother. Please calm down.

JaeminsDad: You're the one who stole my kill first.

HeavenSplittingSwordEmperor: Kill-stealing? Hey, you brat, what department are you from?

JaeminsDad: Department, my ass. Judging by the physiognomy of your IDs, you're destined to spend your old age cleaning up after some young punk.

GiveMeRadish: Recruiting people to hunt snakes! (Healers welcome)

How long had it been since he last saw human-written chat messages flying upward this quickly instead of system notifications?

And that wasn't all.

The hunting ground, which had once been so crowded with newly spawned monsters that they practically piled on top of one another, was now filled with what looked like more than thirty people.

But his moment of joy did not last long.

【Battery low. Switching to power-saving mode.】

'Huh? Damn it! There's nowhere to charge it either.'

The problem was his phone, which had long since exceeded its expected lifespan. Even the connected portable battery could no longer keep it running, and at the most important possible moment, the screen displayed the mobile carrier's logo.

(The next stop is Dangsan Market. The following stop is Dangsan Intersection.)

Yongman was already on his feet before the message he had been waiting for appeared on the bus's electronic display.

-Beeeeep. Clatter.

He got off the bus far too quickly, barely waiting for the doors to open.

How far had he run after getting off?

At last, his palm reached the door bearing the faintly written words "PULL."

-Jingle.

"Welcome."

"Huff, huff... An o-outlet!"

"Do you need to charge your phone? I was just about to go buy some power strips because we don't have enough."

"Why would you not have enough..."

The complaint that there was no reason for a country coffeehouse with hardly any customers to run short of electrical outlets died on his lips.

That was because he saw customers dressed in all sorts of colorful clothing sitting at every table, each with a charger plugged in and deeply engrossed in a game.

And from each of their phones came familiar game sounds.

It was the background music of Hero's Path, which Yongman had turned off years ago because he was worried about draining his battery too quickly.

"Would you like to come with me? There's a convenience store just up the road."

"Huh? Uh, sure."

'For some reason, I keep doing whatever this coffeehouse owner tells me.'

Yongman found himself getting into Jinseong's car almost without realizing it. Only afterward did it occur to him that there was no particular need for him to accompany Jinseong.

But by then, the old compact car was already making its precarious way down the road.