Chapter 89 : Chapter 89
Chapter 89
The northern part of the Empire is cold.
Extremely cold.
And the metal that could only be mined in such harsh cold was Millennium Cold Iron.
Iron that contained cold energy.
It was difficult to obtain, and it was not easy for an average blacksmith to even refine it properly.
‘He said Hasker’s warehouse was opened. That’s why Millennium Cold Iron has already been released into the world.’
The mine where Millennium Cold Iron could be excavated had not yet been discovered.
Because of that, the current supply in the Empire would be all that was stored in Hasker's warehouse.
And Ria had taken out and used such a precious metal.
To give a gift to Reinhardt.
‘Normally, it would have been a sword that I could only get my hands on much later.’
But Hasker passed away earlier than scheduled.
The cause was Reinhardt.
Naturally, the ownership of the warehouse passed to Ria, and as a result, the established history was changed.
As befitting an expansion pack.
‘Good. This is actually better.’
Reinhardt did not feel impatient about this fact.
He had long since given up the idea of proceeding safely, as per the original game.
The established history was bound to change.
In the first place, wasn't this expansion pack released with the purpose of changing the flow of the story?
It just meant he had more rich content to write about in his serial posts.
Twisting the flow of the original story.
That alone would bring a positive reaction from a considerable number of ‘readers’.
“We’ll meet again, Ria.”
“I learned a lot thanks to you. That item I saw last time, if you get another one, please bring it to me. I won't disappoint you this time either.”
Reinhardt bid farewell to Ria.
The bond of connection was firmly established, and he had even set Ria on a definite trajectory.
In the near future, Ria would become the best blacksmith in the Empire.
She might get the nickname ‘Iron Hand’ like in the original game, or perhaps it would be a different nickname.
‘It doesn't matter either way. It will follow a different flow from the original game. She’ll grow much faster than I remember.’
Before leaving Elmore, Reinhardt wrote a letter.
It was a letter addressed to the Paganoa Knights.
There were two purposes.
A request for Evangeline to visit Serigel whenever she had time, as he had a gift he must give her.
The other was a message for Miya Luxpenber.
‘There’s nothing more certain than coming and seeing for yourself.’
Please visit Elmore.
Come and see Ria’s talent with your own two eyes.
As it was Reinhardt’s request, Miya would move quickly, and immediately after, Elmore would gain a reliable guardian called Paganoa.
Reinhardt left Elmore.
He rode a sleigh and switched to a carriage in a city located at the entrance to the north.
The journey to Serigel was long.
Fortunately, Reinhardt had things to do in the meantime.
<Reinhardt>
[Serial) Finished my business in Elmore…….]
I left a vivid account on the message board.
The story of Evangeline, Ria, Hasker, and the warlock I dealt with along the way filled the white page densely.
I didn't forget to attach screenshots.
An image that allowed one to see the appearance and effects of the newly acquired equipment at a glance, and an image of the already grown blacksmith Ria were included at the end of the post.
“It’s packed, so packed.”
At this point, shouldn't I be getting paid a few pennies for this serial?
With such silly thoughts, Reinhardt registered the post.
And.
The number of views the newly registered post recorded was 23,000.
The number of comments was a staggering 300-odd.
***
Team Leader Choi Ho-jun grinned from ear to ear.
To someone who didn't know, his bright expression would suggest something good had happened.
But the employees of the marketing team knew.
This was just him being out of his mind.
It was the reaction of a human facing a problem so daunting he couldn't even think of solving it.
“Bravo.”
Choi Ho-jun, who had been smiling brightly while looking at the monitor, muttered in a low voice.
It was a result that could only elicit admiration.
Blacksmith Hasker, a major NPC of the expansion pack's Phase 1, had died.
Ria grew rapidly, and Millennium Cold Iron appeared.
He had acquired the [Sword of Pure Light] with better options than the original, and not stopping there, he had also acquired the [Sword of Chilling Frost].
In fact, looking at the content alone, there was nothing strange about it.
It was something that was bound to happen eventually.
As you consumed the content and progressed through the story, it was a moment you would naturally reach someday.
There was only one problem.
The timing was excessively fast.
After all, [Reinhardt] was still in the middle of progressing through Phase 1.
“Hey, Team Leader Choi!”
Just then, a voice he didn't want to hear was heard.
Unconsciously trembling, Choi Ho-jun shot up from his seat.
“General Manager.”
It was General Manager Kim Doo-yeol.
Seeing his face full of smiles, he seemed to be in a very good mood.
“How about we grab a coffee?”
“Ah, yes.”
A cup of coffee.
It didn't mean going to a cafe outside the company.
Team Leader Choi Ho-jun followed behind General Manager Kim Doo-yeol with heavy steps.
He got on the elevator and got off at the garden decorated on the company's rooftop.
Although it was called a garden, no one was seen enjoying a walk.
Only the acrid smoke of cigarettes was rising like signal fires from all directions.
“Team Leader Choi.”
“Thank you.”
Choi Ho-jun received a cup of coffee from the vending machine.
Steam was rising from it.
This was as good as the highest praise from General Manager Kim Doo-yeol.
It was truly rare for him to personally get coffee for someone.
“Our Team Leader Choi, the community response is very hot these days.”
“……Yes.”
“I’m thinking of putting out a few articles soon. The tearful survival story of a modern person possessed in a game. How did you come up with such a novel idea……”
Mid-sentence, General Manager Kim Doo-yeol rummaged through his pockets.
Then he searched his inner jacket pocket and made a troubled expression.
“General Manager.”
Choi Ho-jun quickly took out a cigarette from his pocket and offered it.
As soon as the general manager put it in his mouth, he even lit it with a lighter.
The general manager, after exhaling a deep puff of smoke, smiled with satisfaction.
“Thank you. I wasn't planning on bumming a cigarette off a subordinate, you know.”
“Not at all. It's fine.”
“I'd be grateful if you think so. Care to join me? It's different from the old days. Especially a young company like ours can't fall behind the times.”
“Ah, yes.”
Choi Ho-jun also put a cigarette in his mouth.
He was in a state where he desperately needed a puff of a carcinogen anyway.
Ssshh-
The tension that had risen to the top of his head eased a little.
In a much calmer state, Choi Ho-jun waited for the general manager's words.
“When is the project until?”
“Th-there's nothing decided yet.”
“That makes sense. The effect is too good. You didn't expect it to go this well either, did you, Team Leader Choi?”
“No.”
“Alright, you handle that matter. Just stick to the standards.”
“Yes, we will only open up to Part 1.”
The general manager nodded his head.
“Anyway, I was thinking about spreading some articles. That's why I called you.”
“Articles, you say……”
“It won't be a too serious atmosphere. Moderately playful. You know? Like an article that's blatantly meant to make you laugh. And don't go for the major media outlets, just the mediocre ones.”
Of course, I knew well what he meant.
General Manager Kim Doo-yeol didn't want a reporter from a proper major media company.
The kind who mainly posts articles on communities.
He wanted a reporter at the level of being active in game communities.
“A few have already come out, right? Along the lines of, ‘Skylines is pulling such a delightful prank’.”
“Yes. That's right.”
“Let's do that more seriously. In my opinion, the water is high right now. I think we need to row. Anyway, if our plans go as intended, the project will be finished soon enough.”
Taking a drag of smoke, the general manager turned to Choi Ho-jun and asked.
“How much of Part 1 is left now?”
“About 30% is left.”
Choi Ho-jun answered, recalling the indicator that could check the story's progress.
Of course, [Reinhardt]'s situation was a bit different.
“So, what's your judgment, Team Leader Choi?”
“In my opinion.”
The general manager's judgment was correct.
No, rather than correct, it matched Choi Ho-jun's thoughts.
Now was the perfect time to attract attention.
That is, if this was a situation he could actually control.
“I think it would be better to wait a little longer.”
“Really?”
“……Yes.”
“Alright. Do that.”
Surprisingly, General Manager Kim Doo-yeol readily accepted his opinion.
“I'm trusting you with this. It started with your idea, Team Leader Choi.”
“Thank you.”
“Be careful not to get too greedy.”
“Yes, General Manager.”
General Manager Kim Doo-yeol gave a grin and left the rooftop first.
Instead of following him down, Choi Ho-jun took out a new cigarette and put it in his mouth.
“At this rate, a person could really go insane.”
For a long while like that.
After puffing out smoke with a dazed expression, Choi Ho-jun stubbed out the cigarette butt in the ashtray and got on the elevator.
But the floor he got off at was not the one where the marketing team was located.
“Is Manager Han Yura in her office right now?”
The development office.
It was the floor where Manager Han Yura, who was said to have worked overtime until dawn yesterday as well, worked.
***
No one knows more about Soul Calibur than Han Yura.
It was a statement that no one who worked, or had worked, at Skylines would deny.
That assessment applied equally to the expansion pack.
Han Yura knew everything. To the point where she remembered even minor settings and every single line of a specific character's script without omission.
“It's amazing.”
Such was Han Yura's assessment of [Reinhardt].
“Really. I'm serious. It's a world I designed, and although I tried to guarantee as much freedom as possible, even I can't do what he's doing. I think I mentioned this last time, but……”
“You did say that last time.”
“Actually, the rest of my impressions will probably be the same as last time. The fact that he called Jenkins already, and the incident that unfolded in Elmore this time.”
Click.
Han Yura put down the mouse she had been scrolling with.
“At this point, it's really like he's touched the NPC's emotions.”
“Touched the emotions.”
“Doesn't make sense, right?”
“No.”
“But he did it. The employee you work with, Team Leader Choi.”
In the end, it was a repeat of the conversation they had last time.
Choi Ho-jun scratched his forehead with his index finger and asked like a sigh.
“Didn't you say so? That there are things like emotional expressions within this expansion pack.”
“They're in every game. Laughing, bowing, crying, shouting, things like that.”
“Isn't the number of those quite large?”
“I feel it's insufficient.”
“There are over 300 expressible emotions.”
“The emotions you've shown in the last week alone, Team Leader Choi, would easily exceed 300.”
“Over 300?”
“Look at yourself now. Even just while talking to me, it seems to have changed dozens of times. For example, even if you sigh, it's not all the same emotion. There are subtle differences in meaning, aren't there?”
Choi Ho-jun's head began to throb again.
But he endured it.
Even if it felt like a meaningless conversation, the advice of this Manager Han Yura was the only clue he could grasp right now.
“You're right, Manager, but that's a story for the real world. In reality, of course, all sorts of emotions are expressed, but……”
“That's it exactly.”
“Excuse me?”
“The person playing the role of Reinhardt acted almost like in reality. Making choices appropriate for the situation, carrying out quests, and using all sorts of emotional expressions.”
“No, that's……”
To Choi Ho-jun, who was about to ask if that made sense, Manager Han Yura drove the point home as if it were obvious.
“You still don't get it. It's only possible because he did that.”