[Morning, Seoul Branch of the Dungeon Management Committee.]
“Should I leave the country?”
Kim Min-su, the deputy director of the Dungeon Management Committee’s Seoul branch, sighed as he watched the news, which was filled with nothing but bad reports day after day.
“Leave the country? Why? Even the S-rank Tower in Ganghwa Island was cleared.”
At his muttered words, Chief Jang Taek-hwan, who was working nearby, asked.
Unlike typical government offices, where civil servants gathered, this place was occupied by people who looked to be in their twenties and thirties. The deputy director’s sigh had caused those working to momentarily take their eyes off their computers.
“Deputy Director, you made a lot of money before you came here, didn’t you? You worked as a Hunter for a corporation.”
“Yeah, I did.”
“You came to this government agency because the corporation was pushing you too hard, right?”
“That’s right, but I’m still being worked to the bone here too.”
“Well…”
The staff gave wry smiles.
Although government agencies tended to get busier during certain times, it was rare for them to be this overwhelmed.
“It was great that Lady Elaine cleared the S-rank Tower, but her sense of justice is too immense for this country to handle.”
“Deputy Director, you’re a civil servant.”
“Did I say anything anti-government? I’m just praising Lady Elaine’s greatness.”
The employees held back their comments.
Some wanted to mutter that perhaps the real issue was that the country’s ‘bowl’ was smaller than a soy sauce dish, but they swallowed their words.
“Then where are you planning to go if you leave Korea? Southeast Asia? The U.S.?”
“The U.S., of course. If I apply for immigration as an Awakened, they’ll most likely accept me.”
“You think the government will let you go so easily? They’ll put your name on a wiki and make a public example out of you.”
“I’ll just cut off my internet. Buy a house in a quiet city and enjoy a party lifestyle. It’s not like an Awakened is going to get pickpocketed or shot to death.”
The employees chuckled.
Since there were no non-Awakened people here, it was the kind of joke only Awakened could share.
“Honestly, Lady Elaine is probably already planning her move to the U.S.”
“Well, she is American…”
“No, I mean, she has that lingering attachment to Korea. Before leaving, she’s probably planning to clear the remaining S-rank Towers.”
The deputy director held up four fingers, then folded two.
“The S-rank Tower in Jeju Island—Chinese S-rank Awakened are insisting on clearing it and taking it for themselves. Meanwhile, the S-rank Tower in Dokdo—Japan is making official government-level preparations to conquer it.”
“That’s classified information.”
“It’s an open secret. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs keeps pestering us for dungeon reconnaissance data.”
“Deputy Director!!”
The office door slammed open, and a staff member rushed in, pale-faced.
“Lady Elaine has appeared!”
“Where?! Jeju? Dokdo? As expected, she’s fast—”
“Here. First floor!!”
“….”
The deputy director and all the employees in the office froze for a moment before immediately activating their mana, as they had in their active-duty days, and rushed outside.
“You’re sure it’s not just some cosplay attention-seeker from UTube?!”
“There’s a mana reaction. Cha Jung-hwan, a B-rank, tried to engage and got one-shotted in a second!”
“Then it’s really her! Damn!”
With both excitement and anxiety, the deputy director vaulted over the stair railing and landed on the first floor in an instant.
“Huff, huff…!”
First floor lobby.
Employees were already holding up their smartphones, recording or live-streaming.
At the center of the lobby, a muscular man in a suit was kneeling on one knee.
In front of him—
A woman in a maid outfit.
The Cosplay Maid.
She retrieved her sword and planted it in the floor.
The marble floor now bore a deep scratch, but the deputy director remained composed as he approached the cosplay maid.
“I am the deputy director of the Dungeon Management Committee’s Seoul branch. Welcome, [Cosplay Maid].”
“…”
Even up close, it was undeniably Elaine.
“Yes, nice to meet you.”
“…Yes?”
“…Should I say ‘It is a pleasure to meet you’ instead?”
“Ah, no, that—just now, you really sounded like Elaine! Haha. Speak however you prefer. Ahem.”
The deputy director felt both overwhelmed and awed.
It was like the legendary character from his game account had come to life.
However, he felt a sense of discord—her weapon wasn’t her signature one but a different character’s optimal gear.
Even her speech was different.
Elaine always used the most respectful language, even toward her enemies.
She would never speak so casually, using phrases like “It’s nice to meet you.”
“What brings you here today…?”
“I came to tell you to leave the S-rank Dungeon in Jeju Island empty two weeks from now.”
“…!!”
A shiver ran through the deputy director.
It wasn’t just that her voice sounded eerily similar to her in-game voice actor.
It was the way she had delivered her statement—it sent a thrilling chill down his spine.
“You’re finally setting out to clear it! Are you… going solo again this time?”
“…I’m still debating whether to go solo or take a party.”
Elaine lightly tugged at the hem of her maid outfit.
“I’m open to clearing the dungeon with people who like cosplay.”
“C-Cosplay…?”
“Is that a problem?”
“N-No! Of course not! It’s just that…”
The deputy director swallowed hard before asking,
“…You wouldn’t consider forming a party with Korea’s S-rank Hunters… right? Hahaha.”
Although he spoke in a joking manner, the cosplayer showed no change in expression.
“Well, if it’s you, Cosplay Maid, I’m sure you could clear an S-rank Tower solo…”
“Hey, Kim Min-su!!”
A booming voice echoed across the lobby.
As soon as the deputy director heard his name, he muttered under his breath.
“Ah, shit. I’m screwed.”
“Move aside! I’m here now!”
A middle-aged, balding man shoved Kim Min-su to the side.
Even though the man was a non-Awakened, Kim Min-su had no choice but to step back.
“O-Oh! Welcome! I am Lee Yong-baek, the director of the Dungeon Management Committee branch!”
“…”
The director extended his hand for a handshake, but the Cosplay Maid simply took three steps back instead.
“…!!”
A blatant rejection right to his face.
But before he could even register the humiliation, the Cosplay Maid glanced around as if something had just come to mind.
“Now that I think about it—S-rank Dungeon clears. Are there any rewards?”
“R-Rewards? O-Of course! If you leave your contact information, we can arrange a government commendation ceremony immediately…!”
“Ah, no need for that.”
The Cosplay Maid firmly waved a hand.
“And don’t bother calling me in for any formalities.”
“…!!”
It was beyond what one might call ‘MZ-style’ behavior.
At this point, the cosplayer’s feats had long surpassed such trivial labels.
“You guys just let the Towers—threats to humanity—sit there untouched, while those of us preparing to clear them barely have time to breathe.”
Since what she said was completely valid, neither the director nor anyone else could argue against it.
“J-Just for a day…!”
“And if that single day of wasted preparation leads to a failed raid, will you take responsibility?”
“T-That’s…!”
“Enough. I don’t want to waste my time swinging my sword at some annoying woman over this.”
The Cosplay Maid then turned to someone else.
“You there.”
“Y-Yes!”
The burly young man, who had been kneeling, quickly stood up.
“When you throw a punch, relax your shoulders slightly. Think of it as using mana instead of pure strength.”
“O-Oh, I-I see! Understood!”
“Alright, then—ah.”
The Cosplay Maid glanced around once more and approached the youngest-looking woman, who had been live-streaming the event on her smartphone.
“Ah, um.”
She seemed about to say something, hesitated, and then blushed slightly before continuing.
“…If the president of NPia is watching this, I have a request.”
For the first time, the woman who had been displaying god-like prowess while clearing S-rank Dungeons had uttered the word ‘request’ in an official setting.
“I know it’s unfair, but Elaine is my favorite. She is me, and I am Elaine. So… well.”
The cosplayer took a deep breath before finally saying,
“C-Can you buff Elaine a little?”
As soon as she finished speaking, her face turned bright red.
She quickly returned the smartphone and turned around.
Paat!
With a flash of light, the cosplayer vanished.
And in the aftermath—
Rumble!
The entire Dungeon Management Committee building shook.
“Where is the Cosplay Maid?!”
Ironblood stormed into the entrance of the Seoul branch.
But the Cosplay Maid had already disappeared without a trace.
* * *
[At that moment, the White House. The Oval Office of the Presidential Residence.]
“This kind of incident is always welcome.”
Watching the news broadcast on a massive screen, President Luigi clapped his hands lightly and chuckled.
“Two weeks until the Jeju Island raid, huh? Should I contact the Navy and send some warships to the area under the guise of training? Or should I arrange direct transport from Seoul to Jeju by military vessel? No… If people find out she’s in Seoul, that would be bad. It’s better to have her come down to Busan first and then…”
“Mr. President.”
His aide, Patrick, handed him a tablet.
“As you requested, we’ve acquired a large stake in the Korean gaming company, NPia. We made the purchases discreetly through ‘Wayne’s’ investment firm, so there shouldn’t be any issues.”
“Good. That’s a relief. Now our dear friend can enjoy his hobby a little more comfortably.”
President Luigi leaned back in his chair and smirked.
“That friend of ours… they aren’t exactly ‘PC,’ are they?”
“No, sir.”
“Have Sir Wayne deliver the message. Tell them not to shove in PC elements just to fit some global standard—just keep things as they are. They’ll trust the words of a major investor more than a message from the U.S. President.”
“Understood. And also…”
“And?”
“The Eschilde Group has reached out. They want to know if they can also establish contact through investment—whether it’s related to the Summoner’s hobby or otherwise.”
“Hmm.”
President Luigi furrowed his brow for a moment.
“Which Eschilde?”
“Robert.”
“Robert is… no good.”
“Sir? But, Mr. President, he’s been a long-time partner.”
“I never expected that from him, either. I can’t tell you the details yet, but… instead of Robert, make contact with Adam.”
“…But that man publicly criticized you.”
“An elite bureaucrat is still better than a hypocrite.”
“…It seems you’ve uncovered something about Robert that I don’t know yet. Understood. I’ll proceed as instructed.”
Patrick maintained a composed expression as he scrolled through the data on his tablet, despite noticing the President’s bitter look.
“In addition, regarding the ‘Android’ that [Cosplay Maid] once cosplayed as—we’ve made contact with the CEO of the company that originally created it.”
“Oh? And?”
“They said they could move to the U.S. for creative freedom, but they can’t leave behind the graves of their deceased colleagues. Instead, they want to use the investment to complete the game their team was working on before everything fell apart.”
“Hmm…”
President Luigi let out a quiet sigh.
“So there are convictions that money and freedom can’t persuade.”
“The Summoner… isn’t it the same for them? Despite how things are in Korea, they still choose to stay.”
“I wonder. Even I haven’t asked them that directly. Maybe they’re worried about paparazzi, or maybe they’re already scouting for a place to live in the U.S.”
“…As you instructed, we’ve secured properties in all 50 states for the Summoner to choose from. Wouldn’t any of them be fine?”
“Either something is tying them down to Korean soil, or…”
Luigi picked up his smartphone.
“…They have a reason they can’t leave home.”
* * *
“Elaine. Good job.”
“…”
As soon as Elaine returned home, she threw herself onto the couch.
“Elaine buff, please.”
“You’ll die for that.”
Drei perfectly mimicked Elaine’s voice, prompting Elaine to lift her head from the couch and glare at her.
“Do not imitate my voice.”
“I wasn’t imitating. I just played back your exact words with my voice playback module.”
“…”
“Stop fighting, nyah. You all have to raid together in two weeks.”
Kiharu stepped in to mediate.
“Partner, are you sure you can handle party play like this, meow?”
“Of course. Even if we play around and argue at home, we’re both professionals in the field. Right, Drei? Same goes for when we eventually move to the U.S.”
“Oh my, are we moving to the U.S.?”
“After clearing the remaining S-rank Towers in Korea.”
“…Is it because of some sense of obligation? Responsibility?”
“I’d be lying if I said no. Maybe about 1 gram’s worth.”
“Then why?”
“I got a quest. Alice, explain it for me.”
I picked up my smartphone.
[If you conquer two more S-class towers, you’ll be able to summon one more summon.]
“See?”
“….”
“Once we clear these, the whole ‘housing issue’ will be solved too. I’ve already started working on something new.”
For the sake of our ‘safe home’.
“I’m thinking of rolling for a Wisconsin class.”
“…?”
“Or maybe Ohio, Enterprise, Georgia, or West Virginia 44 would be good. Wait, no… Should I just go for the latest model instead?”
When we go to the U.S., we won’t be flying.
We’ll be taking a ship.
“Anyway, if we succeed, we might finally be able to move beyond national borders freely.”
