The Return of the Genius Ranker of All Times - Chapter 163

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 163

Episode 163.

A message that suddenly appeared.

When I instinctively looked around, I could soon see it.

A necklace placed alone in a small glass tube between the corner walls, perhaps as decoration.

Red light was seeping out from there.

A necklace glowing red through the darkness in the corner of the room with the throne?

‘There’s definitely something there.’

At first glance, it didn’t seem ordinary.

And that thought was correct.

As I moved my steps as if enchanted, a message appeared.

Dohyun’s eyes widened as he checked the message.

[You have discovered the fourth Fragment of Fate, ‘Necklace of Broken Truth’.]

[You obtain a clue about the Fragment of Fate.]

[You have cleared the Main Quest ‘Fourth Fragment of Fate (1)’.]

[The linked Main Quest ‘Fourth Fragment of Fate (2)’ has occurred.]

‘Fragment of Fate!’

The most important thing had appeared.

Though I thought there was a high probability it would be in the Royal Palace, I never imagined I’d find it this quickly.

Compared to Sargis where I barely found it after all sorts of hardships, this was like going beyond LTE to 5G.

Dohyun, filled with excitement, gulped and hurriedly said.

“Could I perhaps take a closer look at that necklace?”

“What did you say…?”

Then Gilberun’s eyes widened greatly.

It was the first expression change I’d seen from him.

It wasn’t just the king.

“…What did you just say?”

“Pardon?”

-Ugh…!?

The atmosphere suddenly turned menacing.

As if they would cut me down if I didn’t answer, fierce energy pressed sharply from all directions.

-…My lord.

Charlie’s expression hardened as he sensed that energy.

His hand was in a ready position to draw his sword at any moment.

He was gauging the situation since drawing his sword would result in a serious crime and put his lord in a difficult position.

-Huh? What’s this!

-R, Risa!

Jihad and Eliza were also startled but maintained their stance.

Dohyun was equally bewildered.

‘What kind of situation is this.’

Just moments ago, this man seemed completely unaffected by worldly matters, so what was this reaction?

And what about the knights’ sensitive reactions?

Even after racking his brain over this suddenly explosive situation, it didn’t make sense.

The only difference from before was mentioning the necklace…

‘…Could it be?’

Was I not supposed to bring up the necklace?

That was the only possibility given the circumstances, but even so, it was strange.

Since most players were obsessed with hidden pieces, there was no way no player had discovered the necklace.

They couldn’t have reacted like this every time.

But that thought was completely wrong.

“…How did you know?”

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t pretend you don’t know.”

The king frowned in displeasure and gestured as if asking why I was making excuses.

“How did you know the necklace was hidden there?”

“…?”

“His Majesty is asking you. Why don’t you answer quickly! Depending on your answer, you could face capital punishment. Answer carefully!”

-How dare…

There was no way loyal Charlie would let such a threat pass.

Now beyond gauging the situation, his hand was on his scabbard. His firm will to draw his sword if necessary was evident.

He was truly an incomparably loyal knight, but for Dohyun, it was absolutely maddening.

‘…No, damn it. Things are exploding without any warning.’

This chaotic situation was giving him a headache.

While the dignified knight presumed to be the knight commander and Charlie growled silently at each other as if battling over who was more loyal, Dohyun held his throbbing head.

“I asked the White Mage Tower master to install not only invisibility magic but also a barrier that obscures mana detection. Even the Empire’s finest assassins wouldn’t be able to see that in such a short time! How do you know about the necklace!

-…Hmm?

“Huh?”

The knight commander shouted.

At the same time, Charlie and Dohyun froze.

They realized things were proceeding differently than expected.

And when they realized it, it was already too late.

“I don’t understand. How does a disciple know about something kept in utmost secrecy? So speak up.”

Gilberun’s low, calm voice that seeped through gritted teeth felt cold.

“How did you recognize Angela’s… my wife’s keepsake?”

“…?”

After being stunned by the completely unexpected answer for a moment.

Dohyun, who quickly grasped the situation, silently nodded.

…It seemed like he was screwed.

* * *

Dohyun’s group, who had come out of the Royal Palace almost as if expelled, let out sighs of relief.

-Whew, what a shock. That was close.

-Risa risa.

-…I didn’t know there was such a story, my lord.

Should this be considered fortunate?

To conclude, they weren’t completely screwed.

The modifier of being the greatest sage king in history wasn’t empty praise, as he accepted their explanation somehow.

-…Honestly, it’s hard to believe, but since you don’t seem to have impure motives, I’ll let it pass.

Though some suspicion was unavoidable.

‘If it ended at this level, I did well.’

Considering I had brought up the king’s top secret that he had deliberately hidden and his dead wife’s keepsake, not being thrown in prison was something.

If Gilberun had harbored even slightly evil intentions, Dohyun would have been helplessly sent to prison.

There were several knights gathered there, and how many more knights were in the castle?

Facing all of them would be too much even for Dohyun.

He could have escaped, but that would only be a temporary measure.

The NPCs who were sensitive to the disciples’ crimes wouldn’t leave it alone, and a wanted order would surely be issued.

‘If a wanted order is issued, the Empire will step in.’

Then it would be over.

It was safe to say there had been no criminal who escaped after the Empire stepped in.

The continent’s only sun.

The arrogance that only the Empire’s emperor was a true king didn’t come from nowhere.

If the Empire decided to act seriously, even using the Lvebed chance he received earlier wouldn’t be enough to handle it.

In short, he had almost been screwed, but was released thanks to Gilberun’s magnanimity.

-Kaiser, was it? I shall remember your name.

-Regarding the necklace… I trust you’ll handle it wisely. I dislike those with loose tongues, you see.

But while he had avoided the worst-case scenario, the situation was still far from favorable.

[The King of Pratel, ‘Gilberun’s’ favorability is low.]

[If you displease him, a hostile relationship may be formed.]

He had thoroughly gotten on Gilberun and the knights’ bad side.

‘A hostile relationship with a city’s king… Even imagining it is terrifying.’

Perhaps if he leaked information about the necklace or got caught committing crimes, he’d have to delete his character?

In other words, as long as he didn’t leak information about the necklace or commit crimes, there wouldn’t be major problems, but for Dohyun, it was a complicated matter.

[Fourth Fragment of Fate (2)]

-Grade: Main Quest, Job Quest

-Description: The royal palace where the King of Pratel resides.

You have discovered the fourth fragment of fate there. Find a way to obtain the fragment of fate.

-Quest Success: Obtain the fourth fragment of fate.

-Quest Failure: Fail to obtain the fourth fragment of fate.

-Time Limit: None.

‘How am I supposed to get it in this situation…’

It was as if any means of obtaining the fragment of fate had disappeared.

Should he have approached more cautiously?

In hindsight, there had been some hasty aspects, but that was only when judging by results.

For Dohyun, it felt unfair.

Logically speaking, who would have imagined that the fragment of fate would be a relic of the king’s deceased wife?

‘Now it’s gone beyond something passed down by lords through generations to bringing back the king’s wife’s relic?’

Even endless obstacles should have limits. This was going too far.

Wasn’t it nonsensical to create this expecting it to be cleared in the first place?

Curses naturally sprang forth and he felt incredulous, but what could he do?

‘Sigh… Well, when was it ever easy?’

Since he couldn’t give up, he had no choice but to keep trying.

The only fragment of fate he’d obtained easily so far was the first fragment he got in Raven.

Having cleared all those difficult conditions, there was no reason he couldn’t clear this one too.

‘Angela, was it.’

The name of the deceased queen that other players probably didn’t know.

He planned to find as many clues as possible based on this first.

Why the king had hidden his dead wife’s relic.

Why he reacted so sensitively to it, and why it was top secret. What story lay behind the king’s current soulless appearance.

‘Whatever it is, just let me catch onto something.’

Burning with determination, Dohyun dove into the gaps between NPCs.

* * *

How many hours had passed?

It was only when he felt it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he’d thoroughly searched every corner of the vast Pratel that Dohyun stopped walking.

Rather than stopping voluntarily, it was more accurate to say he was forced to stop.

“How is it that no one will tell me anything?”

-Right? It’s not like they’ll die if they say something, but they’re terrified and avoiding you.

-Risa risa.

-…It is certainly strange, my lord.

No matter how much he asked, there wasn’t a single resident who gave him a proper answer.

“…You, what did you just say? How does a Disciple like you know that name?”

“I’m sorry… I have nothing to tell someone like you, whose background I don’t know, about that person.”

“Good heavens, I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.”

“I don’t know how you Disciples know of this, but… it’s been a while since I heard that name. She was truly beautiful and kind… Her wisdom simply shone.”

“Her sacrifice cannot be forgotten.”

They would often be startled as if they’d heard a name that shouldn’t be spoken, and even when they weren’t, they clearly showed reluctance to answer.

At least the elderly didn’t avoid answering, but even then, there wasn’t much to gain.

‘Beautiful and kind. Wise… Ugh.’

Anyone could say things like that, couldn’t they?

At best, the mention of an unforgettable sacrifice might be a clue.

‘It’s not like she’s Voldemort, really.’

…Or is she? Maybe that really was the case?

Rather than dismissing it as a joke, it seemed better to seriously consider that possibility too.

Was it thanks to all those efforts?

He was able to obtain just a tiny bit more of a clue.

“You mean Lady Angela? Of course I know. She could be called a benefactor to all of us. She was a wonderful person.”

“People call Lord Gilberun the greatest wise ruler in history, but there are actually those who hold Lady Angela in even higher regard. It’s because of her that Lord Gilberun became who he is today.”

“That’s all I can tell you. I don’t know much beyond that, and… it’s somewhat difficult to speak of.”

“Her life was sanctity itself.”

After finishing his conversation with the last NPC, Dohyun sighed as he came out.

‘She’s quite the secretive person.’

At this point, it seemed like he’d asked all the NPCs he could immediately question.

This little information was nowhere near enough.

Clearing the Guard Knight related quest to meet the king again… probably wouldn’t work.

Though he was wary, should he try meeting the knights again?

It was when Dohyun, troubled by many concerns, was scratching his head.

“Why are you going around asking so much about someone who’s already left this world? How shameless.”

A clear voice heard from somewhere.

And a blunt tone that contrasted with it.

Dohyun’s eyes widened as he instinctively turned his head.

‘…That child is?’

Surprisingly, it was a child that Dohyun recognized.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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