God-Tier Enhancement: My Upgrades Never Fail-Chapter 217: Episode _Rose Gold Holy Dragon (3)

4.

Saint didn’t sleep a wink all night. He couldn’t. The events in the great hall from the day before replayed in his mind over and over, inducing a throbbing headache. The two pro-Pope elders were already hard-pressed by the opposition faction’s pressure; the six were stubborn, and their influence was considerable. Yet, with her delicate body, she had stood alone before them, before thousands of priests, and had pushed herself to use Sacrifice a second time.

He should have stopped her. Why hadn’t he confidently rushed out to stop her? With that frail body, she had not only forced herself to use Sacrifice again but had also received a divine possession. Even if she weren’t the Saintess, any human would have collapsed after such an ordeal. No, collapsing would have been a mercy. She could have lost her life. It was highly probable.

Thankfully, he’d heard she had been moved to her room and was still alive. But that was all. She hadn’t come out. He felt he could only be at ease after seeing her face, seeing her open her eyes, but he couldn’t muster the courage to knock on her door. He felt as if what had happened to the Saintess was his fault. A sliver of pity, and the guilt from that moment he failed to step forward, replayed endlessly.

He could have gone out. Pity had nothing to do with it; it was reason enough to stop a Saintess from proving her worth by using a spell that left one utterly exhausted after a single use, without even resting, and at the cost of her own body.

“Haaah.”

He didn’t want his feelings to be discovered, but at the same time, he couldn’t let go. After a long period of deliberation, Saint headed for the Saintess’s room, his tension mounting.

Though the Saintess had collapsed, the work of the Grand Temple hadn’t stopped. The moment the Lord of Rich, who was nursing her in her room, stepped out the door, an investigation by external pressure—unprecedented in the Temple’s history—would begin. The targets were the elders, who held enough authority to request a private audience with the Emperor. What a breathtaking moment. And he was about to face him in this situation. He wouldn’t be a man if he wasn’t trembling.

’What if he gets angry that I couldn’t protect her? What if he tells me to get lost, lumping me in with the rest of the Temple?’ He wasn’t afraid of being reprimanded, but he was afraid of not being able to see the Saintess’s face. ’Should I bring some proof that I’m on her side?’

Fidgeting, Saint’s steps had already brought him to the Saintess’s door. ’Should I knock?’ This dilemma alone lasted for another thirty minutes. Finally, he knocked, squeezing his eyes shut. ’Whatever happens, happens.’

Knock, knock.

There was no response. He did it again. Still no response. This time, he knocked louder, so loud he worried it might be rude. Only then, after a moment, did the door open.

“...Kardian?”

“What is it, human?”

“...I came because I was worried about the Saintess’s well-being.”

“Come in.”

He hadn’t expected the Saintess to greet him personally, but he had at least thought Simin would answer. He had considered the most likely scenario to be Simin cursing at him from the doorway and telling him to get lost. But that wasn’t what happened. The door opened easily, and he was welcomed just as easily.

As he stepped inside, the spacious Saintess’s room came into view. And then...

He was dumbstruck.

“Hey, hey! The angle is everything! The angle! Right. Lower the blanket a little. Just enough to make them wonder. No, no, I said make it look like you’re not wearing clothes, not to actually take them off!”

“It’s stuffy, Dad.”

“The moment you take that off, I’m going straight to jail. Put it on, quick.”

Among the hundreds, no, thousands of scenarios he had imagined, not a single one matched the scene unfolding inside this room.

*

As always, the Republic of Korea held an overwhelming advantage in the global gaming scene—a fact no one in the world could deny.

Occasionally, other nations might claim superiority in certain aspects, but over time, Korea has seized every title. Clearing a hardcore boss designed to take at least six months in less than a day is a common occurrence in RPGs. In AOS games that emphasize individual control, it’s routine for the semi-finals of world championships to become an all-Korean affair. Who could argue?

And that hasn’t changed, even now that the era has shifted from PC games to capsules and virtual reality. Fantastic World. A game where the entire world plays together, where everyone can communicate and enjoy themselves, transcending region, gender, age, and nationality. And even there, Koreans have risen to the top.

Of course, it’s still too early to judge. The game has only been out for about a year. Given the nature of Fantastic World, a true comparison can only be made when adventurers have adapted to the continent, gathered their forces, acquired territories, and eventually established kingdoms. Nevertheless, from the beginning until now, the top of the level rankings has been dominated by Koreans, the top guild is composed entirely of Koreans, and one of their own became the continent’s first adventurer-noble and the Emperor’s son-in-law. Who could deny it? Even if things change later, for now, it must be acknowledged.

Is Korea taking over another game? Amidst such debates, a spending frenzy erupted in the Saintess fan club, as if to prove that this was one area they would never concede.

- This is insane. Level 3... Our goddess. I won’t say more.

- You’re the insane one. Level 3 costs $1,000. You spent that just to see a few pictures? Sheesh.

- Tsk, tsk. Don’t talk if you haven’t seen it.

The pretext was plausible enough: [Donate to the hungry Saintess.] In reality, it was all going to fill Han Simin’s pockets, but for the fans, what a guilt-free purchase it was. People from countless countries, regardless of their wealth, invested money. And they were satisfied. The reviews alone sent the interest in Squeaker skyrocketing. ’What kind of picture could it be?’ People don’t easily accept the relative deprivation of seeing others enjoy something they can’t. It would be one thing if it were an unclimbable mountain, but money can conquer such mountains.

So, Simin had also prepared a system for those people.

- $0.01 per referral?

- So if someone charges $10 and lists you as a referral, you get $0.01?

- Wow, don’t spend it all in one place.

Complaints about it being too stingy surfaced, but at the same time, for those who found it difficult to pay, it was a lifeline from heaven. A competition began, not in the game, but in the real world. To see Squeaker’ pictures. To boast a higher level than others.

5.

The Emperor, of course, heard about what had happened at the Grand Temple. Normally, such important matters were top secret within the Temple, and even an emperor couldn’t easily find out. But things had changed since the adventurers appeared. All one had to do was ask the adventurer-priests who were there, and they would answer readily. No, there was no need to even ask. The information flowed from their mouths on its own. It wasn’t intentional, but the mindset of those born as priests versus adventurers who became priests was bound to be different.

In any case, thanks to them, the news of the Saintess selection reached the Emperor’s ears, and a smile touched his lips.

“Incredible.”

It was pure admiration. Though he often found the man distasteful, he had to acknowledge his actions. Not only had he dealt a major blow to the black magic mages, but now he had procured a Saintess from somewhere, entered the Temple, and even paved the way for the Emperor’s power to intervene in their affairs.

“Truly incredible.”

It was a problem the current Emperor had never even considered attempting to solve. Of course, if he had really wanted to, he might have been able to. But to do so, he would have had to join hands with the elders on the opposite side of the Pope. That would have put him at odds with the Pope, and if a problem arose on the continent later, the discord with the Temple would have engulfed the land in flames. Besides, the opposition elders weren’t competent enough to oust the current Pope. So he had left them alone, and now an opportunity had presented itself.

Of course, he knew it wouldn’t be free. That man would surely demand something. He’d bring the goods first and then demand something outrageous. Refuse? If the Emperor refused, he would have to discard the card, but Simin wouldn’t care. Wasn’t he the type of man who would rather throw something away than give it to someone for free? In any case, this matter with the Temple was tempting enough for the Emperor. He decided he would give him whatever he wanted.

“Hahaha!”

A pleasant laugh filled the Emperor’s office. But that was only until the Princess entered.

“Princess. You’ve come.”

“...Yes, Your Majesty.”

A shadow lingered on her beautiful face. The Emperor knew why.

“Haaah.”

His weakness was indeed the Princess. And that weakness, damn it all, was held by the one man who should never have gotten his hands on it. His good mood instantly plummeted. Nevertheless, he composed himself and comforted the Princess.

“Do not worry. It is merely a cover identity.”

“You said she was a black dragon?”

“That is correct. A dragon whose identity has been revealed does not share affection with humans, so do not worry too much.”

“...Is that really true?”

“And that man is not the type to share pure love with another woman while leaving the Princess behind, is he?”

The news that came with the report from the Temple—the thunderbolt that Han Simin had a wife and even a daughter—had been a trivial matter to the Emperor, but unfortunately, not to the Princess.

“You’re right. My husband is not that kind of person. I believe him.”

The Princess was smart. Her trust in Simin was deep. But she was so smitten with him that even she couldn’t help but let a shadow fall over her face. After all, that was what the world had been told. And the world didn’t know Kardian was a dragon. Most importantly, she didn’t know the Saintess’s true identity either.

“A Saintess... a stepdaughter... Hmph.”

It was jealousy she couldn’t help. Anyone would feel the same. Seeing her, the Emperor summoned the Knight Commander.

“Relay a message to that man. Tell him to come to the palace when he has time.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

As the Knight Commander turned to leave, the Emperor called him back.

“No, don’t tell him that. Tell him this: I wish to make a deal, and I am betting an item from the secret treasury.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

This was a good thing for the Emperor. But as long as his daughter’s sorrow remained, a good thing could never truly be a good thing. And so, before a negotiation that should have involved at least three months of tug-of-war had even begun, he had already raised both hands in surrender.

*