Hoping that I misheard what the blue-masked demon said, I glanced at Sung Gukeon.
As if he also doubted what he just heard, Sung Gukeon clarified.
“I’m sorry? Can you repeat that please?”
“I request that you destroy one of Tuatha Dé Danann’s treasures.”
The blue-masked demon spoke clearer and slower than when he first said what he said.
He modified his words slightly, but the meaning remained the same.
What we heard was right.
The feeling of incompatibility that I felt after stepping foot in this place began to materialize in my head.
‘Something’s been weird ever since our badges turned blue.’
The floor also felt especially hard and solid right after we passed through the blue curtains.
Any sound that we would’ve heard after stepping foot on this ground was buried under the sound of the exploding energy waves.
The strangest thing of all was this demon’s words, who concluded that Sung Gukeon does not have Celtic blood.
‘Sung Gukeon’s camouflage is perfect. He paid special attention not to reveal his race, and we never did anything noticeable before we came here.’
Sung Gukeon was suddenly proclaimed the winner and received an alexandrite crown, garnering attention from the crowd.
But something was odd about this whole process.
‘Compared to the level of the prize, the process of being selected as the winner is somewhat… empty.’
The main purpose of these mini-games is to provide simple entertainment and to lighten the mood of the party.
Even if it’s simply for the purpose of giving away gifts, some bare minimum process is still implemented in this.
Something like throwing a dart or spinning a roulette.
Sung Gukeon being announced as a winner right after we stepped on this ground did not match the purpose of the party games.
Combining those suspicious points, I arrived at a conclusion.
‘Don’t tell me… the guy who asked him to destroy the treasure is…!’
I glanced at the curtains we just passed through.
The floor that we stepped on.
“It seems like your company noticed already.”
The blue-masked demon must’ve been closely observing us under his mask.
As if he already figured something out, Sung Gukeon was looking at the floor, smiling.
I was almost certain, but I decided to ask for confirmation.
“So there’s not just one report is secured.”
“What makes you think so?”
The blue-masked demon feigned ignorance.
It seems like he doesn’t want to reveal all his cards.
But maybe he’s just trying to test us.
“Most of the guests here came to see that very thing. To have the organizer ask us to break it before the auction starts is to betray the confidence of the attendees.”
Although it wasn’t publicly known, those invited to the party came after hearing about it.
There was no word about the treasure on the invitation, but the Fomorians intentionally leaked stories about major auction sales to attract people.
In a situation of the Phantom Thief Neon’s bold announcement, it makes no sense to destroy items.
If there’s no treasure, and if Neon successfully steals Imoogi’s Exorcism tonight, no one will come to the Fomorian’s party the following year.
If it wasn’t for that one treasure, things would be different.
“But it wouldn’t be a problem if there was another treasure to be auctioned.”
“Wonderful. I can’t believe you got that far from a simple exchange.”
The blue-masked demon spoke in an exaggerated tone.
I don’t have a bad feeling about this demon, so I decided to ask one more thing to get another clue.
“If a ‘winner’ who will take the crown didn’t appear, you didn’t plan to destroy the treasure yourself, is that right?”
“Yes! The treasure is only meaningful only when it is broken by the person it chose.”
Chose.
Now that the word appeared, it became clear.
The blue-masked demon proudly revealed the real identity of the treasure.
“What is buried here is the Lia Fáil. The coronation stone of the Tuatha Dé Danann who we hate the most! It is a treasure trampled on by the party attendees tonight.”
In Celtic mythology, kings had to go through several rituals when he ascends to their throne.
One of them was to pass the test of the Lia Fáil, the stone of coronation, the stone of fate that proves the worthiness of a king.
This treasure appeared in Celtic mythology, though its appearance and whereabouts were unclear.
Some say that it is shaped like a pillar that extends toward the sky.
Some claim that it was buried deep in the hills of Tara.
Some describe it as a flat foothold.
‘That Lia Fáil was beneath us all long.’
The Lia Fáil is said to make a noise when it is touched by someone who is worthy of being a king.
It is said that when King Conn Cétchathach stepped on the stone, it cried as many times as the number of kings that will come after him.
The sound that we heard earlier and Sung Gukeon suddenly being announced as the ‘winner’ definitely has something to do with Lia Fáil.
“The stone determines a king’s ability to lead. It’s been such a long time since it made a noise, so it did right away when it saw a man with the qualities of a king. Perhaps it realized that you are not a king of its country, it immediately kept silent after.”
The strange feeling and strange sound I felt under my feet when we passed through the blue curtains.
And Sung Gukeon being chosen.
A crown playfully handed over.
A treasure.
I was guessing to some extent, but the more I listened to the blue-masked demon, the more I felt overwhelmed.
“I knew at least one person worthy to be a king would visit. You are fit to be the king of what country you came from.”
I kept myself from cheering out loud at the words that said that Sung Gukeon was worthy of being a king.
Most countries in the modern world do not have kings already, including Korea which doesn’t adapt the monarchy system.
Still, the concept of a country’s chief representative still remains.
I was moved by the fact that Sung Gukeon is fit to be one.
‘My playable character is born with the talent of a president. The mythical treasure recognized it.’
Sung Gukeon might become Korea’s representative in the future.
He hasn’t run for election yet, but the images of Sung Gukeon on presidential election posters, making speeches on the streets, appearing in interview programs, me gladly voting for him, and Sung Gukeon finally being elected…
All those things crossed my mind.
‘No, it’s not right to say not yet.’
Of course, in one corner of my head, I was aware of the cold fact that Sung Gukeon can’t be president yet.
Article 67 of the Constitution says that a person can only be elected president if they have the support of the National Assembly and have reached the age of 40 on the day of the election.
He’s still in his thirties, so he can’t run yet.
Even if he could, the perception of players is not very good at the moment, and Sung Gukeon himself has a lot of things he wants to do as a lawmaker, so he probably won’t run for president.
‘But if Sung Gukeon gains political experience and perception of players changes, then someday…’
However…
There are countless heroes and potential kings in myths who died without achieving their destinies.
Just like Sung Gukeon, who died in PMH before he could become president.
If I change the course of this world, the day will surely come when Sung Gukeon becomes the chief representative of Korea.
‘In order to do that, I have to do everything I have to do in this auction.’
I suppressed my pride for Sung Gukeon and decided to think objectively.
Looking at the blue-masked demon, it seems that he had no intention of auctioning Lia Fáil in the first place.
‘They used the party games as an excuse to find someone who will make the Lia Fáil make a noise. They want someone worthy of being a king to destroy it.’
A person getting the confirmation from the coronation stone destroying the very thing that crowned numerous kings recognized by Tuatha Dé Danann.
For the Fomorians, this may be one of the best ways to smear their mortal enemies.
Though I’m not sure if it’s worth all the trouble of preparing for this cumbersome party and taking risks.
“The Tuatha Dé Danann can interfere in this world as superior beings. I’m reluctant to bear the wrath of a superior being.”
Sung Gukeon spoke politely, which is not like him.
If he were a player who worries about himself and angering superior beings, he wouldn’t be nicknamed Peerless Sung Gukeon.
He’s known to do whatever he wants to do, whether it was against the royal lineage or superior beings.
‘I’m sure he means he doesn’t want to do it because it’s inconvenient.’
Like the politician that he is, he said his intention in a polite manner.
The blue-masked demon spoke in a confident tone as if they expected the response.
“We will pay the commensurate remuneration.”
Is there a reward worth the wrath of a superior being?
I thought about several things, but the demon managed to give one.
“The Fomorians will unconditionally help you and support you until you get your rightful throne. It doesn’t matter if it means being a king or a head of a state. Having the one who breaks the treasure of the Danu as the head of a state will bring so much joy to us.”
Unconditional support of the Fomorians.
Sung Gukeon’s eyes got a little bigger.
Rather than being phased by the proposal, he seemed to think “are they really going to go that far for breaking a stone?”
“You may give an answer any time you like. Please think carefully. We’re not asking you to break it right away.”
The blue-masked demon stepped back.
He handed over a business card with a device code and quietly disappeared.
After he left, Sung Gukeon and I talked, careful not to let anyone hear us.
“What will you do?”
“It is tempting, but I don’t intend to borrow the royal lineage’s influence in an election campaign.”
Sung Gukeon memorized the device code before disposing of the business card.
He didn’t even pay another glance at it.
“I’ve made up my mind, but I don’t think it’s a bad idea to pretend to hesitate.”
As if feeling a gaze on him, Sung Gukeon looked back and shut his mouth.
A party participant wearing a swan mask was looking at us.
The person waved their hands casually.
‘Is it someone we know? No, if it’s the crow devil’s agent, he should be wearing a crow mask.’
I’m sure the patissier from MITRON is here somewhere, but he wouldn’t be wearing a swan mask.
I couldn’t tell who the person was based solely on their physique, but there was something that caught my attention.
‘Isn’t that person the one who won the cuff links from the dice game?’
The person in the swan mask was wearing the chessboard-patterned cufflinks that were displayed under the red pumpkin lanterns earlier.
