Ch.1Chapter 1. Genre Confusion, I Got Fooled Too (1)

“The present moments gathered together create the future.”

This sentence, which I saw in a book I can barely remember now, struck a chord in me when I was mindlessly passing my days.

It was a phrase that gave great insight to me as a college student who was wasting each day just fooling around without any thought.

It also became my first personal motto, when I didn’t have anything like that before.

From the context of the book, I remember it meant that one shouldn’t sacrifice the present with thoughts like “for later,” “to be better in the future,” or “I’ll do it later,” but rather live fully enjoying each moment of the present.

And this phrase deeply embedded in my heart didn’t disappear just because I suddenly fell into another world.

Even though I woke up in a completely different world with a body about 10 years younger without knowing why, I enjoyed my otherworld life by doing my best at whatever I could do.

Of course, that’s not to say there weren’t any special benefits.

I felt proud watching my stats grow steadily with effort, and once I could fully utilize my abilities, I began to progress beyond just being “nameless mercenary #1 of the Adventurer’s Guild.”

Recalling my preference for observing from behind rather than standing at the front, I created a secret organization that exists in any world, and felt proud seeing the organization I built grow to the point where it could control an entire nation.

And so, while enjoying each moment in the Arcaria Continent, just when I had decided to go somewhere quiet to rest after feeling I’d done everything I could…

That’s when I discovered why the “Quest” window, whose purpose I never understood until now, existed.

[Status Window]

[Name: Ryuyeong]

[Title: Black Shadow Corps Leader]

[Job: None]

[Stats: 0P]

Strength: 85

Agility: 87

Magic Power: 46

Luck: 10

Health: 83

[Trait: Teleportation]

[Quest: *Main(1)]

“Sigh.”

Checking my status window made me realize it even more clearly.

Until now, that [Quest: *Main(1)] item had always been [Quest: Inactive].

At first, I thought the quest would activate someday, but after years without any change, it gradually faded from my memory.

I never expected it to surprise me so suddenly like this.

‘So with both the job and the quest like this… I haven’t even properly started yet?’

Once the quest activated, the questions I’d had started to be answered one by one.

The reason why my job was always listed as “None” despite being the leader of an organization (albeit one quite far from justice, stealing from nobles and royal treasuries), and why my “Stat Points” were always at 0, and so on.

‘No wonder my luck never increased no matter what I did.’

It seems that the “job” in the status window doesn’t refer to an actual occupation but rather to “classes” commonly found in games, like “warrior” or “mage.”

So things like luck stats and “jobs” can only be obtained through quests, I guess.

“Should I be happy about this?”

Even though my motto is about “enjoying the present and doing my best,” I couldn’t help but feel deflated knowing that I’d been doing the wrong thing for the past 10 years.

And the fact that the first main quest appeared after 10 years was to enter an academy.

I simply couldn’t accept it positively like, “Wow, it’s finally starting!”

Penalty: Game Over and Reset

Seeing this phrase, it seemed like I had no other choice.

**

The Black Shadow Corps.

Though not widely known to everyone on the continent, anyone with even a little knowledge of the underworld would have heard of this name.

A group that suddenly appeared out of nowhere, grew at a terrifying pace, and now has become powerful enough to be monitored at a national level.

There are several reasons why the Black Shadow Corps could grow this much in such a short time, but the biggest reason was due to the founder and leader of the Black Shadow Corps, Ryuyeong.

Except for his closest confidants, Leader Ryuyeong doesn’t reveal his face or abilities even to his own members.

Known to primarily use swordsmanship but also skilled in magic, especially in elusive teleportation magic, Ryuyeong was famous for accomplishing any difficult request that came his way.

Befitting the leader of the Black Shadow Corps, which means “Black Shadow,” the exploits of the leader called “Black Shadow” are numerous enough to be compiled into a book with some exaggeration, but the most famous one was the “Dragon Heart Theft Incident.”

It was an incident where Black Shadow silently infiltrated and stole a dragon’s heart that the O’Neil Kingdom had barely obtained and stored in their vault with the kingdom’s highest security.

Moreover, the O’Neil Kingdom only realized the theft several days later because there were no signs of intrusion into the vault.

The O’Neil Kingdom identified Black Shadow as the culprit because a wooden carving resembling a dragon model (that looked like “even a child could make something better”) and a card with “Black Shadow” written on it were left where the Dragon Heart had been placed.

Because of this incident, the Black Shadow Corps became famous throughout the continent, and the leader who was known to have stolen the Dragon Heart single-handedly became even more famous.

After that, it even became a trend to leave similar carvings of stolen items at theft scenes.

And that stolen Dragon Heart was now playing a very effective role in controlling the heating and cooling in the leader’s office, the heart of the Black Shadow Corps.

“So, what are you saying you’re going to do?”

“I’m entering the academy. By the way, this seems to be cooling down a bit, have we used it too long?”

“The Dragon Heart isn’t a consumable that breaks down from extended use… More importantly, academy, what did you say?”

“I’ve already said it three times.”

Addy, the personal secretary of the Black Shadow Corps leader Ryuyeong, looked up at the Dragon Heart embedded in the center of the office ceiling, emitting magical power, and took a slow deep breath.

The Dragon Heart, which served as the office’s climate control system in addition to hiding the entire Black Shadow Corps building from others, sparkled brilliantly, unaware of Addy’s feelings.

‘Sigh.’

The leader had said many strange things before, but what he was saying now went beyond strange and absurd—it was simply ridiculous.

“Why…?”

“Well…”

Addy swept her hair back, trying her best to rationally accept the leader’s words.

Though eccentric and willful, he was still a person with deep thoughts.

“I’m wondering why I have to do this too…”

“…Huh?”

“Let’s just say it’s for all of us to live well. I need to enter the Crescen Academy for all of us to live well.”

“Is someone blackmailing you?”

“Hmm. It is blackmail, yes.”

At Ryuyeong’s words, Addy frowned, trying to think of who could be skilled enough to blackmail the Black Shadow Corps leader, but couldn’t easily come up with an answer.

Perhaps the Archmage Willian might be capable.

And even if he was being blackmailed, the Leader Ryuyeong she knew wasn’t someone who would simply comply with a blackmailer’s demands.

No matter how she thought about it, everything seemed strange and suspicious.

“Anyway, it’s Crescen Academy. I need to take the entrance exam, so get me a suitable identity.”

“You mean the Crescen Empire?”

“Yes.”

“Why Crescen of all places…?”

“I don’t know either, but maybe because it’s the largest and most prosperous country? The kind of country where a story might begin?”

Addy sighed at Ryuyeong’s attitude, which had a hint of mischief as he questioned her back.

In incidents like the “Dragon Heart Theft” or the “Kingdom’s Red Night,” the Black Shadow Corps leader Ryuyeong was described as cold, sharp, and ruthless, but the real Ryuyeong was nothing like that.

Unlike the typical image of the head of a shadow organization that handles requests for theft, kidnapping, infiltration, destruction, and even assassination, Ryuyeong had a rather light and cheerful personality.

Yet he thoroughly carried out what needed to be done, and occasionally showed leadership qualities.

That’s why Addy, who had been with Ryuyeong since the founding of the Black Shadow Corps, was gradually accepting his words.

Though she couldn’t understand or even guess the reason, the Ryuyeong she knew wouldn’t do something completely nonsensical.

In fact, the Dragon Heart theft incident, which Ryuyeong carried out alone saying “I found an awesome air conditioner for my office!” actually ended up saving the O’Neil Kingdom.

Even though the O’Neil Kingdom was completely unaware of this fact.

Besides, if it were a joke, he would have stopped by now, but seeing him seriously asking for an identity, it must be genuine.

“I found out the entrance exam is the day after tomorrow.”

“…I see.”

“So can you get me an ID by then?”

“Sigh.”

“Isn’t it fortunate? I already said I wouldn’t be working for a while and didn’t accept any requests.”

“…Don’t tell me this is why?”

“Absolutely not.”

Addy seriously considered whether to believe this or not, but at this point, there was no meaning in worrying about it.

Once the leader made a decision and spoke it, he was the type to keep his word no matter what.

“The Crescen Empire might be a bit dangerous?”

“Huh? Why?”

“There’s quite a large bounty on your head, sir.”

“On me? In Crescen?”

“Yes. They might not be searching for you with burning eyes like O’Neil, but after you robbed the Petra Ducal Family last time, they’re probably keeping a sharp lookout.”

“Ah, right. But nobody knows my face anyway, right?”

“That’s true, but there’s always the possibility. Besides, rumors say the third daughter of Duke Petra has some concerning tastes…”

“Ah, I understand. And while I’m gone, could you also take care of that?”

“That being?”

“Acting as the leader. You’re good at it. Like last time, wear some figure-hugging clothes and spread rumors that the leader is a woman, then even if I’m in Crescen…”

SLAM-

“…I won’t get caught. Ouch.”

Ryuyeong finished his sentence, which Addy didn’t hear as she slammed the door shut on her way out.

Addy’s expression before leaving the room was somewhere between embarrassment and anger.

“Sigh. Then maybe I should take a world tour before being tied down to the academy…”

After Addy left, Ryuyeong stood up and began to consider how to spend the remaining two days before the official start of the quest.

Until yesterday, he really disliked the suddenly started quest, but now Ryuyeong had changed his mind.

Yes, since it’s started, I might as well enjoy it.