Ch. 64 The Root of the Matter (4)
by AfuhfuihgsChapter 64 – The Root of the Matter (4)
“I’m starting to think I should tell them to tone it down a bit.”
“No, let it slide today.”
Serpina shook her head at Perbas’s suggestion.
Naturally, the gallery users who witnessed Reina’s actions immediately went into a frenzy.
For them, especially those who had been watching Reina for a long time, this incident was perhaps even more shocking than the announcement of the Heavenly War.
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[This is truly legendary.]
[How is this even possible? Wow, seriously lol.]
[Finally? Finally? Finally? Finally?]
[Well, if ten attempts don’t work, a hundred will.]
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Some of them praised and cheered for Kim Ji-eun, who had skillfully pressured Reina into this.
For those who wanted to see more diverse sides of Reina, the help of people like Kim Ji-eun was invaluable.
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[Isn’t dolphin shorts the harder challenge? So I’m team dolphin.]
[Let’s be realistic, crop tops are already pushing it for Reina right now.]
[I’m team dolphin too, but honestly, the outcome seems obvious.]
[Still, we need to raise the bar like this so next time… hehe.]
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Most of the other posts were debates about what Reina should wear.
For users who enjoyed dividing into factions and arguing, this was just another form of entertainment.
To someone unfamiliar with the situation or uninterested in Reina, it would look like a bunch of perverts arguing over something trivial.
“It’s a relief.”
But Serpina chuckled as she scrolled through the lively posts and comments.
“It’s fine for today. If this might be their last moment, they should enjoy it to the fullest.”
“That’s true. Who would’ve thought Reina would pull off something this cute at such a time?”
Perbas also laughed in agreement with Serpina.
Why did they watch and cheer for Reina, a challenger in the tower?
The reasons varied among the constellations, too many to list, but one thing was certain.
It was an excellent and wholesome way to soothe their weary hearts and refocus their attention in the endless journey of fate.
Reina, still in the tower, might not know about the Heavenly War, but her actions were bringing joy to many users on the eve of battle.
Serpina judged that this alone was worth it and decided not to intervene in the gallery for now.
“Lady Serpina, I’ve brought the swords.”
“Good work. Make sure to guard the place well while I’m away.”
As she absentmindedly stared at the screen, a servant arrived behind her, pushing a massive cart filled with hundreds of swords.
Each one was an S-grade weapon from the tower she conquered.
Serpina stood up, picked one, and unsheathed it, a faint smile tugging at her lips.
‘How adorable.’
She cherished and took pride in Reina as much as, if not more than, the fan gallery users.
It was only natural that she felt satisfaction seeing Reina grow and change bit by bit recently.
At the same time, a growing desire burned in her eyes.
She was determined to make Reina a constellation and have her stand before her one day.
“So, which side are you on?”
“Of course, I’m team dolphin shorts.”
She answered Perbas’s question without hesitation.
***
“See? You can do it. It looks good on you, so why do you hate it so much?”
“…Be quiet.”
The next morning, Kim Ji-eun smiled brightly, clearly satisfied with Reina’s appearance.
The gallery’s hottest topic had been settled by Reina herself.
Reina, wearing a white T-shirt, kept fidgeting and covering her exposed stomach with her arms.
‘This is insane. These crazy perverts.’
Her decision was heavily influenced by her late-night browsing of the gallery.
After seeing the chaotic state of the forum, left unchecked by the excited users and even Serpina, Reina couldn’t bring herself to choose what the majority was clamoring for.
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ㄴ“What, does wearing different clothes change how you act?”
ㄴ“Lol, when she wore sportswear, she acted like a guy, but that won’t fly now.”
ㄴ“Wow, I didn’t know Reina could act so modest.”
ㄴ“De!li!cious!”
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Of course, no matter what she wore, the gallery’s atmosphere wouldn’t have changed much.
The users cheered as they watched Reina, usually so confident, now fidgeting and shrinking into herself.
‘It’s fine. The first step is the hardest, but after that, it’s whatever.’
And it wasn’t just the fan gallery users who smiled contentedly at Reina.
Kim Ji-eun, who had orchestrated this, nodded with a satisfied expression, as if she had achieved a lifelong goal.
Reina, too distracted to notice, failed to see Kim Ji-eun licking her lips while looking at her.
“Shall we head out now? Stand tall like you usually do. You look even weirder fidgeting like that.”
“You expect me to go out in front of people like this? Me…?”
Kim Ji-eun, beaming with joy, dragged Reina along as they embarked on their leisure outing.
Flustered, Reina quickly adjusted her crooked sunglasses, but they had already left the 135th floor, where the guild headquarters was located, and were heading to the 78th floor.
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[Getting a good show right before the Heavenly War.]
[Compilation of zoomed-in photos of Reina from today.]
[Will the selfies come at night again? Why do they only come at night?]
[Lol, it’s hilarious how she’s too embarrassed to even talk to the guild staff. Is acting like a girl Reina’s weakness?]
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The exhibition hall, where captured magical beasts were displayed, was just an ordinary, everyday sight.
But for Reina’s fan gallery, which rarely saw such moments, the posts and comments were as lively as when she was conquering dungeons.
It was a stark contrast to other galleries, which were flooded with discussions about the Heavenly War.
This showed just how special today’s events were to Reina’s fandom.
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[I admit she’s been changing lately. But I’m worried she might go off the rails. I liked her steadfast training routine.]
ㄴ“Training is important, but is it normal to train every single day except when the gallery is inactive?”
ㄴ“Dude, she’s just having fun for one day, and you’re already saying this?”
ㄴ“I’m so curious about what people like you were like when climbing the tower. I’ll expose your real name.”
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Of course, not everyone was happy about this.
Some, especially those who weren’t just troublemakers, had been supporting Reina for a long time and genuinely liked her original demeanor.
They weren’t fond of the recent changes in Reina’s behavior and attitude.
Especially now, when she seemed to be abandoning her training to go out and have fun.
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[What are you even talking about? How many people stop growing, settle in the tower, and just enjoy what’s inside?]
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They pointed out the numerous cases of challengers who had worked hard to climb the tower but eventually fell into corruption.
Many, after conquering the tower and becoming constellations, chose to remain as power holders within the tower upon realizing that only an endless, unknown fate lay ahead.
This was what they feared.
The possibility of Reina falling from grace and deviating from the noble, strong warrior they had admired.
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ㄴ“Wasn’t it the fundamental theory? That the younger challengers would reveal their true colors as they climbed higher?”
ㄴ“That’s too harsh. Reina and Jung Chan-soo are the ones who best fit that theory in the tower.”
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In the end, it was a clash between those who believed in stricter discipline and those who advocated for occasional rewards.
This phenomenon also arose because everyone viewed Reina differently.
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ㄴ“Stop overreacting. You always pop up and make a fuss over nothing.”
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For now, Serpina herself stepped in to shut them up.
Even to Serpina, who wanted nothing but the best for Reina, worrying about her corruption and laziness at this stage was ridiculous.
***
“Guild Master. As you requested, I’ve come to report that the Overmoon Guild Master has left her post.”
“…Where did she go? Did she go to the lower floors for training?”
However, it wasn’t just Fate Road users who were interested in Reina’s activities.
Jung Chan-soo, who was in the training hall, turned his sharp gaze toward Kim Dong-soo, who had come to report with a troubled expression.
“No, that’s not it. She went to the 78th floor for leisure. To visit the magical beast exhibition hall.”
Kim Dong-soo explained where Reina had gone and what she was doing, then pulled something out to show.
It was a newsletter from one of the tower’s media outlets, featuring a photo of Reina and Kim Ji-eun observing a sealed magical beast.
Jung Chan-soo’s eyes twitched as he saw Reina’s noticeably different outfit.
It wasn’t because of her shyly exposed navel peeking through the short clothes.
He was focused on the fact that a significant change was happening within her.
-“Even that stubborn woman has her limits, huh? Well, no human can remain flawless in the face of constant temptation and instinct. She needs to rest sometimes, right?”
“…Nonsense. It’s just a common leisure activity.”
Jung Chan-soo muttered in response to the mocking words of Abeltar, a constellation who believed Reina would eventually fall into corruption.
But he couldn’t hide the unease in his eyes as he looked at Reina’s photo.
The expectation that she would be the only one who could keep up with him, the strong will she had shown in fulfilling that expectation—if even that wavered, his already restless nights would become even more unbearable.
Author Note
A/N (Author’s note):
Thank you for reading.
Translator Note
T/N (Translator’s note):
The ‘back in my days’ old fogeys will always exist in any community. Best thing to do is to call a hospital, both for them and for you, after a very good correcting session.
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