“Hah. Who turns their high beams on in the parking lot…?”
We returned home to the studio apartment in Seoul.
“Elaine, if you ever end up driving at night, make sure you don’t drive with your high beams on. Understood?”
“I will remember, Master.”
On the way back, someone had their high beams on while entering the parking lot of my apartment, but thankfully, I made it home without much trouble.
“Elaine, am I overreacting?”
“Not overreacting, Master. Perhaps they haven’t considered the situation thoroughly yet.”
“That sounds about right.”
No matter how I think about it, they should have noticed by now. But there’s been no action—nothing to suggest they’re aware.
Or… am I being watched?
“In movies or console games, this is the point where someone would usually jump out from the boiler room.”
I swung the door open.
Nothing.
Except for the outdoor unit of the ceiling-mounted air conditioning system.
“Or maybe someone’s hiding in the storage room or wardrobe.”
Swing. Swing.
There’s nothing there but the stuff I’ve been piling up since I moved in.
“As expected, no one.”
“If someone were present, I would have informed you, Master.”
“…And not a single trace of anyone sneaking in or out of the house.”
“Likewise, I would have let you know if that were the case.”
Despite Elaine’s reassurance, something still felt off.
“Do they genuinely not know that I’m an Awakened or that I’m your Master?”
“Given how overwhelming it is to process a million Awakened cases, it wouldn’t be easy to find all the intel on A-Rank to S-Rank Towers in such a short time.”
Elaine responded while scrolling through information on her secondary phone.
“But the story changes once the ‘reporting deadline’ has passed. A task force dedicated to finding you will be fully activated by then.”
“Specifically targeting you, Elaine.”
“Yes. On social media, cyber sleuths are already live streaming their journey to Mungyeong.”
Elaine turned the volume down to the minimum and opened a screen.
From broadcasters to kids on streaming channels, everyone was heading to the now-vanished Mungyeong Saejae Tower, eager to find Elaine.
“It’s chaos.”
“The silver lining is that your decisions have significantly dispersed their focus, Master.”
“My decisions?”
“Yes. Would you like to hear more about it?”
Elaine selected a live stream and turned up the volume.
[…Elaine has just cleared the S-Rank [Mungyeong Saejae Tower], right? So what’s next? That’s right! Either Dokdo, Jeju Island, or Baengnyeong Island! She’ll definitely tackle one of the S-Rank Towers in these locations! Dear viewers, I’m currently at the airport heading to Jeju!]
“Some people are moving faster than I expected.”
“They’ve jumped to conclusions. Clearing an A-Rank and an S-Rank Tower in one night would make anyone assume you’ll tackle another S-Rank Tower tomorrow. Maybe even one overseas.”
“We have no such plans, though.”
I had already tested my limits by conquering the Mungyeong Saejae Tower.
There’s no need to push myself further by storming other Towers, especially near places swarming with eager hunters.
Think about it.
What if someone sees me controlling Elaine through my smartphone, clearing a dungeon boss that’s not even updated in the game?
— Hey, doesn’t this seem off to anyone?
Once someone thinks something is strange, and others start paying attention…
— I’m God, and I gave them the ability to control Elaine!
The hive mind would quickly turn their focus on me.
— I work for the national intelligence agency, and I tracked their car from Seoul to Mungyeong using highway CCTV!
Whether the rumors start as baseless claims or from those skilled at gathering intelligence, getting caught would lead to situations beyond my control.
So.
“Elaine.”
“Yes, Master?”
“There’s still a lot to investigate and sort out, but I think we need to prioritize and take things step by step.”
I grabbed a set of clothes hanging from the rack.
“It’s getting late, so let’s rest for now. Tomorrow, we’ll start by sorting out the most crucial thing—ensuring my identity is unassailable.”
So no one in this world could ever suspect me.
* * *
Monday Morning.
“Good morning~!”
As usual, I entered the office dressed in my suit, just before 9 a.m.
I took off my coat, hung it on my chair, and turned on my computer to begin preparing for work.
The only unusual thing was the large travel suitcase I’d brought into the office—completely unnecessary for a normal workday.
“Deputy Manager!”
Just as I was about to start my work, colleagues who usually only nodded in greeting swarmed toward me—men and women alike, all abuzz with gossip.
“Have you heard the news?”
“What news?”
“The story about the deputy team leader winning the lottery ticket you bought!”
“Oh, that.”
I tried my best to remain calm.
“I just bought it automatically, so I don’t know the details. Was it second place? Not first?”
“What?”
“Second place would be worth about the price of a car, right? First place… maybe 1 billion won? In that case, shouldn’t I ask for a bigger share?”
I made a circle with my fingers and smiled, which made the gathered colleagues exchange awkward chuckles and glances.
“Isn’t that right, Ye-eun?”
“Uh, yes, that’s true!”
The junior team member, who had originally been planning to skip work today, answered hesitantly.
Because I’d mentioned last night that I would be coming in, there was no awkwardness from her skipping out.
“What about you, Ye-eun? I didn’t win anything.”
I pulled out a crumpled lottery ticket, and those from other teams sighed briefly in disappointment.
“I… won 50,000 won.”
My junior cautiously revealed her winning ticket.
“Wow, Ye-eun. You really hit 50,000 won?”
“Y-Yes!”
Her behavior resembled someone presenting an alibi at a crime scene, and judging by the sympathetic looks from others, I wasn’t the only one who noticed.
“Wow… to think this was all automatic. Ye-eun, shouldn’t you treat us to something nice for this?”
“Of course! B-beef!”
“Wow, starting the New Year off strong, aren’t we?”
The silent signals from those around her suggested, ‘Be a sport and treat them—you know how social life works.’
“Deputy Manager, by the way… uh—”
“Mangaer Kim!”
Bingo.
A voice boomed across the office, shaking the walls.
“You! What are you going to do about this?!”
“Team Leader? What’s this about?”
“Do you know what the deputy team leader said to me this morning because of your lottery ticket?!”
“What did he say?”
“He told me he’s leaving this industry and that I’ll never see him again!”
The team leader pointed an accusatory finger at me, his voice full of frustration.
“Why the hell did you even buy that ticket?!”
“…”
“What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“It’s 9 am.”
Working hours.
“Team Leader.”
“What?”
“I’m leaving this industry too.”
“What? Wait, did you win the lottery too? You gave me a losing ticket but kept the winnings for yourself?”
“And if I did win? What then?”
“What?”
“Let’s say I hit first place, quit this job, and gave 100 million won each to my close friends here. What could you possibly do about that?”
“Y-You…!”
The team leader’s face twisted into a grotesque expression.
Despite feeling insulted, it was painfully clear that he was salivating at the thought of “100 million won.”
“Y-you’re not saying… Did you really…?”
“Team Leader.”
I smiled brightly at him.
“I’m quitting because this job sucks.”
“…Ha!”
The team leader scoffed at me.
“Ha, as if!”
“…”
“…Wait. Are you serious? Did you really hit first place? I heard someone won at that convenience store near our team dinner spot…”
“Why do you think I came in today?”
I pointed to the items next to my computer.
“I came to pack my belongings.”
“Y-You…!”
“Team Leader, let’s not make a scene. Let’s end this amicably, shall we?”
Neither physically, hierarchically, nor legally could he win against me.
“Quietly process my resignation, and I’ll make sure to speak well of you when I report this up the chain.”
At the very least.
“Ah, uh, I… I might have spoken harshly earlier. I’m sorry. I guess I was just out of it because of the deputy team leader.”
That was exactly the reaction I had wanted to see.
“…You’ll process it quickly, right? And you’re really going to do what you said earlier, right?”
“What do you mean?”
“The 100 million won… I mean, considering I’m wrapping things up nicely for you! Ah, no, I didn’t mean to sound angry—it’s just my natural tone…”
Ah.
“And, well, I did treat you decently as your team leader, didn’t I?”
“Sorry, but if you could just process my resignation quickly.”
“Okay! I’ll get the file… no, I’ll print it out right away!”
“…”
Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything.
* * *
After packing my belongings, erasing data from the office computer, and frequently checking my smartphone, I finally finished tidying up my space.
“4885… S-Class…”
Pulling my suitcase, I headed to a secluded area without CCTV. Waiting there was a black foreign sedan.
Click.
I opened the car door. Inside were a driver and a foreign man in a suit sitting right behind them.
The man, wearing sunglasses, glanced at me briefly before pulling out his smartphone and typing something.
Ding.
A notification popped up on my phone.
I showed the screen to the foreigner, displaying the verified code.
“…”
The foreigner scrutinized me from head to toe for a moment before speaking.
“…Do you transform into a woman, or are you just cross-dressing?”
Though it was spoken in Korean, it was an incredibly rude misunderstanding.
But oddly enough, it reassured me, making me feel comfortable enough to get in the car.
“What’s your rank, Mister?”
“Aide to the President. Codename: ‘Nanomachine’.”
The man replied with the codename we had exchanged via DM.
I extended my hand toward the President’s assistant.
“I am the Master of ‘Maid.’”
“…Nick.”
The assistant clasped my hand firmly with both of his, bowing his head in greeting.
“Let’s get you to your destination safely. Without anyone knowing.”