Chapter 133. Sprout (2)
‘What a spectacular transfer proposal.’
I hadn’t expected such a public display, but my decision to not accept the transfer remained unchanged.
I pretended not to hear the Marquis Ephenel’s words by cleaning my ears.
The Marquis Ephenel also pretended not to notice my reaction, receiving a medal handed by his aide with a nonchalant expression.
Then, with the same indifferent demeanor as when he first took the podium, he pinned the medal onto my chest.
Just like the players before me, it was now my turn to receive a reward.
“For achieving the remarkable feat of capturing and ultimately neutralizing a general-rank adversary, thus contributing significantly to the siege, we acknowledge the accomplishments of the Outsider, K, by awarding 100 Her and a suitable piece of armor.”
Receiving the reward and armor was a shared experience.
However, it didn’t end there.
“Additionally, outsider K made a significant contribution by bringing tormented survivors into the embrace of the divine. For this, the highest priest of Finelpenia expresses gratitude and bestows a suitable reward.”
The Finelpenia order provided a separate reward, not from the military order.
In such a public setting, giving something exclusively to me felt excessive and unexpected.
“Being an affiliate of Palao, receiving special recognition from Finelpenia could easily undermine the Palao order’s prestige.”
From Finelpenia’s perspective, though, it was beneficial.
They created a situation where they could claim they took care of someone that Palao didn’t.
Objectively evaluating it as a method to serve Finelpenia’s intentions, it was excellent; however…
It didn’t sit well with me that they used me unilaterally for their purposes without prior agreement.
Despite this, I accepted the box offered directly by the Marquis Ephenel without displaying any resentment.
‘I may not like that they pushed things their way unilaterally, but…
On the flip side, given that they proceeded unilaterally, receiving this item doesn’t obligate me.
‘Let’s consider it as the price for unilaterally exploiting me.’
The small box, about the size of a fist, gave no hint of its contents.
I decided to check it later, turned around, and descended from the platform, feeling numerous gazes following my steps.
Once all the players, following my example, received their medals and rewards,
「Congratulations! MISSION – Main Scenario Act 1, scene 3: The Dawn of the Counterattack has been completed.」
「Select your participation reward.」
「You are qualified for a rank-based reward.」
Regarding the message related to achievements, a flood of over a dozen messages popped up.
‘They’re really generous with achievements… But what is this even used for?’
A player beside me mumbled, causing me to check the messages related to achievements as well.
“Two hundred.”
Connecting to the server during a hidden mission yielded 10.
Cleansing the 4-star corrupted area and receiving first place rewarded 100.
In the main scenario reward, where rank came into play, it was 200.
Additionally, I obtained minor achievements while destroying messeos, as it often occurred during party hunts.
Thus, the accumulated achievements were not insignificant.
‘So the accumulated achievements have already exceeded three thousand.’
However, even if achievements amassed, their usefulness was unknown.
‘They’re not displayed in the status window, nor is the usage method known.’
Hints suggesting uses related to substitution or gate regeneration were scattered but unconfirmed.
‘I’m roughly aware of when they’re granted.’
I speculated that reputation was tied to awareness among players and contributions to Earth.
Enhancing player survival rates meant preserving Earth’s forces.
Thus, contributing to Earth’s safety likely increased reputation.
Mission completion rewarded reputation, likely for this reason.
‘Because completing a mission makes the hole disappear.’
The reputation built remained a permanent discount benefit.
Conversely, achievements seemed to be awarded based on in-game actions in Bihar and appeared consumable.
‘Reputation is expressed as increasing, achievements as accumulating.’
I stared intently at the system messages, jotting down newly added achievements on a separate memo.
Even as thoughts filled my head, I couldn’t be entirely absorbed, because the victory ceremony was advancing into the march phase.
Participants who played crucial roles in the siege, including players, boarded open carriages one after another.
As the procession began, the residents of Bihar once again cheered fervently.
Some players, sitting nearby, awkwardly waved back at the cheering crowd despite their embarrassment.
I, however, faced straight ahead, ignoring the cheers resonating from all directions.
The fervor transmitted by others was not welcomed.
‘Why, then?’
For some reason, the cheers pounded against my body, reaching deep into my heart.
* * *
With the victory ceremony concluded, there was no reason to linger in Loborre.
I rejoined my party and headed to the temple to return to Habon.
But ahead of us at the gate stood a familiar group.
“Oh? Isn’t that Ilena?”
The children, including Ilena, survivors of the farm, stood at one side, receiving stares from players traversing the gate.
Not all were present, just a few older ones, around ten years old.
Among them was a child we rescued after capturing the general-rank enemy.
When I encountered Ilena in the corrupted area, she was crying uncontrollably.
Now, she seemed considerably calmed down, presenting a neat appearance.
As I surveyed the children, Kim Yul approached them first with a smile and a greeting.
“Didn’t you come to watch the victory ceremony? We looked amazing!”
“I, hello. I thought meeting you there would be challenging….”
Ilena glanced at me as she replied.
“You waited here? You couldn’t have known when we’d arrive!”
“Well, it’s just that, um, outsiders, you all frequently pass through here….”
Kim Yul expressed surprise, and so did I.
More than these kids waiting here for us, I was surprised they conceived such a plan.
“Gathering information about Outsiders in just a few days… you’ve got some brains.”
Deciding to meet us at a likely spot was unexpectedly clever considering Ilena’s age.
‘I suppose leading so many to escape indicates her foresight.’
I looked down at Ilena for a moment and lowered myself to her level, asking gently.
“Why wait for us?”
Ilena’s face turned red as I leaned closer.
I was prepared to wait for her to speak, but someone interjected.
“We came to thank you!”
It was a child we discovered with Yang Taeho during an additional search.
This was the same kid who scolded others not to leave the farm – Judith.
“Was her name Judith?”
I vaguely remembered hearing Ilena call her that.
“That’s all! There are no other motives, so don’t think too deeply!”
Judith was watching me with a cautious glint in her eyes.
Yet, she stood firmly in front of Ilena, protecting her.
“Aha.”
The intention was quite apparent.
“It’s cute.”
Thanks to this, my complicated thoughts eased somewhat.
I exerted self-control to avoid laughing outright.
Then Ilena pushed Judith aside with a sharp “Get lost!” before snapping at her angrily.
“You’re the one making strange comments to oppa!”
Judith’s mouth fell open in shock.
“Oppa… You, you, you!”
This soon turned into an exclamation of betrayal.
“I don’t call him oppa! I’m a year older!”
“He’s smaller than me, what kind of oppa is that!”
A brief glance behind revealed Yang Taeho and Kim Yul trying to suppress laughter, staring at the sky or pinching their sides.
I wasn’t much different, holding back a laugh until my face felt stiff.
Witnessing their light-hearted bickering over trivial matters was heartwarming.
By now, the kids’ spat was wrapping up.
“Quit bothering and scram!”
Ilena decisively chased Judith away with a fierce look and unwavering hand.
After catching her breath, she turned toward me with a sidelong glance.
With her hands clasping each other, tapping the ground with her shoes.
“Oh dear.”
“A man with many sins…”
Yang Taeho’s sigh and Kim Yul’s murmur echoed beside me.
I responded by nudging Kim Yul’s thigh with an elbow to silence him.
Understanding my intent, Kim Yul immediately held his peace.
“I, I…”
Gathering her courage, Ilena spoke.
“I just really wanted to thank you.”
Her face flushed as she began, her head gradually bowing lower.
“For saving me and for comforting me then…”
Though her voice lowered toward the end, it was clear enough.
“I’ve been doing much better since, no more nightmares…”
“……”
“For finding us a place to stay, too, they said it was K who did that… Thank you so much.”
“Thank you very much!”
Their thanks, conveyed with sincerity entirely devoid of ulterior motives, touched me profoundly.
Inexplicably, standing in the presence of such pure intentions made me feel small.
All my decisions had been calculated based on potential gains and losses.
Even volunteering to protect the children arose from knowing a related mission would appear.
It wasn’t purely a selfless decision for their sake.
Observing others’ hypocrisy and self-interest often drew silent sneers from me because, truth be told, I wasn’t so different.
Utilizing others and evaluating personal gain was wisdom learned and accepted as a survival instinct.
Meanwhile, Ilena and the others had yet to learn this.
“Ah.”
Reaching this thought led to a revelation previously unknown to me.
I’d been aware of my softness toward the children but never pinpointed the reason.
I merely attributed it to projecting onto them memories of my younger siblings.
It hadn’t been crucial enough to need pinpointing until now.
But today, unexpectedly, I realized the underlying reason was,
‘I wanted to protect it…’
Unspoiled by the world, a child’s innocence means they can sincerely engage with others.
This purity resembles a glory lost to me over time.
I find it difficult to engage with others purely and wholeheartedly now.
I guess my unconscious wish to protect what I lost manifested through my leniency toward these kids.
I closed my eyes to hide my agitation.
However, realizing this subconscious desire caused my cheeks to quiver slightly.
I kept repeating to myself that after reaching this far in the children’s matter, it was enough.
It’s no longer my concern, after all.
Damned System
TL’s Corner:
MC realizing that he unconsciously wanted to protect the kids’ innocence because he lost his is kinda wholesome and sad at the same time.