Chapter 23 - Not Suitable for Viewers Under 19?

When the Iron Age dawned and dungeons and constellations appeared, many people became players. The chance to contract with a constellation and gain skills simply by clearing dungeons was that appealing. By now, more than half of humanity could be called players.

["Ah, mic check. Mic check."]

But most of them were level 10 or below. Surprisingly few players reached the middle ranks. To level up, they had to clear dungeons, and the deeper they went, the more the difficulty rose exponentially. That was why high-level players were held in such regard. No matter how well players were doing, not just anyone could risk their life in the depths of a dungeon.

["Can you hear me? You can, right? You'd better be able to."]

In that sense, Monarchs were truly remarkable. Born with extraordinary talent, they had contracted with monarch-class constellations and enjoyed a stroke of heavenly luck besides. Only people like that could reach the absolute realm of level 100. Though more than half of humanity had challenged dungeons, only ten people had ever reached the lowest floor. That alone proved how extraordinary they were.

["Because if this broadcast doesn't reach the Infinite Monarch properly, this bastard's head comes off."]

"..."

But at this moment, Lee Cheon-gi, one of those ten great Monarchs, was at a rare loss for words. He had good reason to be. Nearly everyone in the country... no, most people around the world were having the same reaction. Seeing the president of a nation sweating profusely on television with a blade at his throat was a startling experience.

"... Chief Park, what happened?"

So dumbfounded was Lee Cheon-gi that he paused the television—though the footage was recorded—and asked. His dismay showed plainly, unlike usual. Pale-faced, Park Hyeon-gun answered, "There was an incident at the Blue House."

"What kind of incident could possibly lead to a broadcast like that?"

"Well..."

Park Hyeon-gun faltered. No matter how he thought about it, he couldn't see a way to explain the situation without sounding ridiculous. But he couldn't refuse to answer, either. In the end, he told Lee what had happened: Limon had suddenly stormed the Blue House, taken President Han Jeong-guk hostage, and then done everything that followed.

After hearing it all, Lee Cheon-gi asked, "... And then he demanded a press conference?"

"... And then he demanded a press conference?"

"Yes. Apparently, he said he'd take the VIP's head off if even one domestic broadcaster was left out."

"Why wasn't I told before it got to this point? If that happened, surely our guild would have received a request for support."

"The VIP stopped them. He said mobilizing a guild over something like this would destabilize the political situation..."

"That would have been preferable to appearing on television as a hostage, wouldn't it?"

"..."

Despite his cold remark, Lee could understand President Han's decision. Rumors that the Blue House had been attacked would be enough to throw the country into turmoil. And if the attacker was Limon? If they couldn't stop one man and had to ask a guild for help as well? Han's political career would be finished—whether because he'd driven a hero who had saved the nation to rebellion or because he'd failed to contain the rampage of a single ordinary man who wasn't even a player.

So he had tried to suppress the news and resolve the situation by his own means. Politically, that decision made sense. Tactically, it was a complete misjudgment.

"What made him think he could handle Limon on his own?"

"An aide with the 『Information Analysis』 skill seems to have advised him that firearms would work against someone who wasn't a player."

"And he believed that nonsense?"

"The VIP is a high-level player himself, so he apparently thought that, in the worst case, he could at least use his skills to negotiate..."

"And this is the result."

Lee Cheon-gi sneered.

Limon had slaughtered 150 high-level players, along with Unit 909, equipped with top-grade KIM-S009 powered exoskeletons. Knowing that, Han had still believed mere firearms or his own skills would work on Limon. It was hopelessly foolish.

But what could they do? It had already happened, and President Han was paying for his misjudgment. Having grasped the situation in broad strokes, Lee tapped the desk with a finger and resumed the paused footage of Limon.

* * *

["I figure plenty of you are wondering why I'm doing this here."]

It was an obvious point. Even Lee Cheon-gi, who knew most of how Limon had become a traitor, had been stunned by the footage. The citizens who knew nothing of the circumstances and had suddenly turned on their televisions to find a sword at the president's throat were bound to be bewildered.

["Mind your own business, all of you."]

["... Pardon?"]

["I said mind your own business, you lot."]

["...???"]

To the citizens of the country—or the people around the world—practically sprouting question marks above their heads, Limon said bluntly that they shouldn't concern themselves with why he was doing this.

["I'm not answering your questions, and I'm not going to trot out some pathetic excuse to justify what I'm doing."]

["How can you say that?!"]

["So what if it doesn't make sense? Should I take the president's head off right now? Huh?"]

["N-no! That's not what I meant...!"]

The middle-aged reporter had objected without thinking. At Limon's outrageous response, he stammered as Limon pressed the sword close to President Han's neck. One careless word from him might get the president killed. He had no choice but to watch what he said.

["B-but isn't a broadcast like this usually for making a statement?"]

Perhaps it was his years of experience, or perhaps a scoop mattered more to him than the president's life. Despite his caution, the reporter managed another question. Limon replied with a bored question of his own.

["Who decided that?"]

["Pardon?"]

["Who decided you have to make a statement when you take a hostage and go on air?"]

["Well, to argue that taking a hostage is justified..."]

["And I'm asking why I'd do something that pathetic, you fucking asshole."]

The middle-aged reporter reacted instinctively to language that would have been a broadcasting scandal if this hadn't been a forced transmission.

["Uh, this is live, so could you tone down your language a little..."]

["This dumb fuck is talking bullshit and telling me to fuck off."]

["F-fuck?!"]

["Listen, you crazy bastard. The president could get his head chopped off live on national television, and you're worried about a little swearing?"]

The reporter was speechless. There were limits to worrying about broadcast standards. A swearword or two could hardly make this situation any worse.

'He's not wrong... so why does this feel so unfair?'

Whether the reporter felt wronged or not, Limon gave a snort and continued.

["Besides, only bastards with something to hide need to argue they're justified. I've got nothing to be ashamed of under heaven, so why would I make excuses?"]

'You're one to talk!'

The reporter's mouth fell open. Here was a man holding a sword to the president's throat and taking him hostage on live television, making that claim without a trace of shame. The other reporters and camera operators at the press conference were equally stunned.

But there was no reasoning with a madman. Unable to point that out to his face, the reporter asked something else.

["Th-then why did you request a press conference?"]

If he wasn't going to justify himself, why demand that every channel broadcast this scene? Didn't that mean he had something to hide after all? Or was he really insane? All those questions were packed into the reporter's words. Limon answered calmly.

["Oh, this? I wanted to send a message."]

["A message? To whom?"]

["Who do you think, asshole? Didn't you hear me tell them to get this broadcast to the Infinite Monarch?"]

["... If you wanted to contact the Infinite Monarch, why didn't you just call him?"]

The reporter's question had come out sarcastically. Limon answered in kind.

["Sure, that call would get through. It'd be ignored along the way, and I'd spend the next ten years on hold."]

He had a point. The problem was that replacing a phone call with a live broadcast in which he held the president hostage was an insane idea. Still, Limon had not done this for no reason.

["Besides, I'm planning to make that bastard an offer he can't refuse."]

["That bas...? Wait, what did you just call the Infinite Monarch?"]

["Infinite Monarch Lee Cheon-gi. I seem to have been getting on your nerves lately, so I've got a special gift for you."]

Limon paid no attention to the reporter. He simply looked straight into the camera and continued in a cold voice.

["Come to the Blue House by midnight tonight."]

["I don't care whether you come alone or bring every last member of your guild."]

["As long as you show up, I'll release the president."]

["But if you don't, the president dies."]

["...!"]

The press conference room froze instantly. It wasn't the brutality of the threat itself. It was the matter-of-fact way Limon spoke of the president's death, as though discussing the life of an ant, that chilled everyone there.

["And it won't end with the president."]

["Next will be the prime minister, then the deputy prime minister."]

["After that, I'll take ministers and members of the National Assembly one by one and send you the same message."]

It was madness. An ordinary person could never do such a thing, and even if they could, they would never carry it out. Only a complete lunatic would say it.

Yet those watching the broadcast could not dismiss it as mere bluster. It wasn't just because the speaker was a superhuman who had stormed the Blue House alone and taken the president hostage. Limon's golden eyes, still as a frozen lake, made them realize that the madman before them truly could do it—and might.

["Try and stop me if you think you can."]

["If you think you can protect every high-ranking official in this country from me."]

And they remembered a past buried beneath forgetfulness: the old stories their grandfathers had told them of a hero who had saved the nation, whom everyone had admired before the Iron Age began. They remembered what humanity's last Sword Master had been to his enemies: a figure of terror.

["Well, you could just watch them all die. Then you could take this whole country without lifting a finger."]

["Or you could get rid of one troublesome has-been and become the hero who saved the country."]

["Which you choose is up to you."]

["Just remember one thing."]

["Whatever you choose, one day you'll have to settle things with me."]

He wasn't forcing anyone to choose. Everything was up to Lee Cheon-gi. With a fresh smile across his face and not a hint of laughter in his eyes, Limon finished speaking. Then he dragged the ashen-faced, rigid president out of the press conference room.

["Oh, one more thing."]

As though it had just occurred to him, Limon stopped, grinned at the camera, and said,

["Good little kids, don't try this at home. I'll kill you if I catch you copying me."]