Chapter 96. Scenario Conclusion (2)
Bring a Japanese Contractor force onto the Korean Peninsula.
Hector's eyes widened when he heard me.
"How did you know...?"
"At this point, trying to set everything up again using Contractors from the Korean Peninsula would be impossible. It'd be hard to find someone to replace Cheon Sangwoon, and rebuilding the entire power structure wouldn't be easy either. So naturally, you'd bring in an outside force."
If that happened, the easiest force to bring in would be Japan.
There was an ocean between them, but the distance was still close.
"Japanese Contractors have wanted to advance onto the continent for a long time."
These days, importing supplies from overseas was difficult.
Island nations suffered from that problem even more severely.
Because of that, Japan had been trying to find a way to expand onto the continent.
"If you tempt people like that properly, they'll gladly invade the Korean Peninsula. Crossing the sea carries a lot of risk, but using Tsushima as a stepping stone would make it manageable."
"..."
Unlike Korea, Japan was controlled by a single organization that ruled the entire country.
If they landed a massive army in the southern Korean Peninsula and advanced all the way to the Capital Region without meeting much resistance...
They could seize control in an instant.
Just like that war several hundred years ago.
"Whether you personally lead it again or have other Constellations do it, a strategy like that would let you create the powerful military force with a unified chain of command that you wanted. Then you could use it against Pandemonium. It's completely plausible."
"..."
"But Hector."
I spoke in a cold voice.
"That strategy requires one condition. Korean Contractors have to know absolutely nothing about the invasion so they can be taken completely by surprise."
Just like that war several hundred years ago.
"If this gets exposed beforehand, Korean Contractors won't sit still. They'll unite to stop Japan's advance. They might even prioritize stopping the Japanese force over fighting Pandemonium."
"That's..."
"That would create a completely different picture from the one you wanted."
Hector, or perhaps the force behind him, was probably hoping Japan would rapidly seize Korea, absorb Korean Contractors, and form some kind of Pan-Asian coalition army.
"You can't even deny that what I'm saying is baseless, Hector."
"And what of it?"
Hector replied with a stiff expression.
"If you want to spread rumors, do as you wish. We'll decide our course depending on the situation."
"You may send the Japanese force, or you may not?"
"Exactly."
He smiled.
"But what exactly are you trying to do?"
"What?"
"Are you enjoying the sense of superiority from figuring out our strategy? What an elegant hobby."
Hector spoke with a mocking tone.
"Sorry, but I have no intention of continuing this word game. If you want something, say it quickly."
"Ah, then let's get straight to the point."
I turned my head.
"Take a look over there."
"What?"
Hector raised his head with a puzzled expression.
"Over there."
I pointed toward a corner of the space.
A clown stood there quietly, with an appearance that made it difficult to tell whether they were a boy or a girl.
"That Apostle? What about them?"
Hector and the other Constellations had probably assumed the clown was just some errand runner.
None of them knew that Arlecchino Number 49 was one of my most trusted subordinates.
"Everything you just said was recorded."
"What?"
Hector looked completely caught off guard.
"Hector, you know that the Priest King fell not long ago, right?"
"...!"
The S-rank Constellation, the Priest King, Prester John.
He had suffered a massive blow after the decisive battle in the central-western region.
Not because he had lost the fight itself, but because a video criticizing him had been uploaded to Constellation Tube.
Of course, I had been the one who planned that video.
"You interfered excessively with the surface world for your own purposes and caused chaos. You released Daji, had Ha Mina killed, and summoned the evil Fourth Beast onto the surface."
"Wait..."
"I intend to expose the full truth of the sinister plot you created to the entire world."
When I said that, a voice came from behind me.
"W-wait!"
It was Bradamante.
"Lord Hector didn't do those things for selfish reasons! You know that too! Everything was done to protect humanity..."
"Kuhuhu! That only matters if you win!"
Li Kui cut her off with a laugh.
"You lost anyway! You lost your chance to prove those noble intentions! The loser always gets buried under infamy! Toss out a little bait and everyone in the world will curse and ridicule you!"
"That can't be...!"
Bradamante's face went pale.
Then Hector spoke again.
"I've seen the video criticizing the Priest King as well. It was biased propaganda lacking objectivity."
"Oh? Was it?"
Jason, the very person who had appeared in that video, grinned shamelessly.
"Not sure. Maybe my speech was so persuasive that it felt that way."
"..."
"Well, if I were to appear in a video condemning that Constellation over there... I'd sincerely point out his problems."
Jason placed a hand over his chest.
"The Priest King was far less respected than Hector. Criticizing a Constellation like that wouldn't be easy. I'd have to use very sharp language that pierces right to the heart of the matter and clearly explain to viewers the sinister plot of the hero called Hector."
"Leader of the Expedition...!"
"Hmm. But Unknown, don't you think what we've discussed so far is a little lacking? We probably need a stronger story."
Jason looked at me, and I nodded.
"Of course."
"What kind?"
"Something like this."
I calmly met Hector's eyes.
"Hector was a hero who fought to protect his own country from invasion, yet now he's trying to make one country get invaded by another. A hypocritical hero."
The moment he heard that, Hector's expression hardened.
"This won't only offend Constellations from Korea. Any Constellation who fought to defend their homeland from invaders would feel disgusted. Hector is respected because he was a hero who fought to protect his nation. But that same Hector is now instigating an invasion war? The reaction will be explosive."
"Wait!"
"Number 49's recording alone should be enough evidence. With proper editing, it'll make an extremely provocative video. Of course, Jason will have to perform his host role persuasively."
"Wait a moment!"
Hector looked genuinely shaken.
The Constellations standing behind him also seemed visibly disturbed.
"I didn't create that plan! I stayed silent earlier because I couldn't react recklessly, but in reality..."
"Don't play dumb."
I cut him off sharply.
It didn't matter who had originally created the plan.
"Hector will become widely known as a hypocritical hero."
"Listen to what I'm saying!"
"We'll use every piece of material we've gathered to condemn you."
"Kh...!"
Hector ground his teeth and glared at me.
"Are you threatening me?"
"Threatening you?"
"You're telling me all this before uploading the video because you want to threaten me, don't you? You want something!"
His voice was full of anger.
"You coward!"
It was an intimidating shout, worthy of a great hero.
But I didn't care.
"Coward? You really want to say that?"
I raised an arm and pointed behind me.
"Who sent Bradamante to ambush me?"
"...!"
That part was undeniably Hector's fault.
"Shining Guardian... In fact, that's also why I came here."
The Count, who had remained silent until now, spoke.
"If two sides are clearly enemies and forced into a life-or-death confrontation, that's one thing. But unlawfully entering the throne of a Constellation with whom you had no prior conflict, putting a sword to his neck, and threatening him... That damages the dignity expected of a Constellation."
"Kh...!"
"W-wait! Wait!"
Bradamante raised her voice again.
"I was the one who attacked the Nameless Constellation! Blame me, not Lord Hector!"
"We already know the Shining Guardian ordered you. In that case, the Shining Guardian bears even greater responsibility."
"That can't..."
"You wanted to eliminate a dangerous variable beforehand so the Scenario would unfold in your favor. But your method was too hasty and too violent."
The Count spoke coldly.
"Of course, unless the victim, the Nameless Constellation, desires direct punishment, I won't impose anything myself. But if he wishes to condemn the aggressor through a public video, then I intend to add a few words of my own."
"...!"
Hector's eyes widened.
The Constellations behind him also stirred.
Apparently, the Count of Monte Cristo personally stepping in carried more weight than I had expected.
"What about you, Grand Preceptor of the Golden Whip?"
"Me?"
Wen Zhong, also an S-rank Constellation, placed a hand on his chin.
"I'm not particularly interested in involving myself in the matters just discussed... but I cannot simply overlook the fact that Daji was released from her seal."
Then he turned toward me.
"Nameless Constellation, could you teach me how to upload videos to Constellation Tube? I'd like to issue an official condemnation statement in the name of the Shanhai Alliance."
"...!"
Wen Zhong was the representative of the Shanhai Alliance, a gathering of Constellations associated with Investiture of the Gods.
If he mobilized the Shanhai Alliance and issued an official condemnation, the consequences would be significant.
"..."
Hector remained silent for a long time.
He didn't ask for opinions from the Constellations behind him or even from Bradamante.
He just stood there with his lips pressed tightly together.
"What do you want?"
Only after a long while did he finally speak.
"State your demands. You clearly already have something in mind."
"My lord...!"
"Enough, Bradamante. This is my complete defeat."
Hector slowly shook his head at Bradamante's anguished voice.
"The defeated should surrender like the defeated. I'll hear your demands. However..."
"Don't worry."
I answered calmly.
"As long as you meet my demands, I'll protect your honor."
Of course, the truth behind this Scenario still needed to be uploaded to Constellation Tube.
But depending on how it was presented, Hector's honor could be preserved.
All we had to do was emphasize that Hector had acted out of a sense of duty to protect humanity from Pandemonium.
"Thank you..."
Hector gave a bitter smile and slightly lowered his head.
"Then I'll ask again. What are your demands?"
"I've already thought them through."
"Say them."
I looked at Hector, who had completely raised the white flag, and calmly replied.
"First, I'd like you to appear on my broadcast."
"Wasn't this Scenario seriously worth watching?"
"Yeah. Watching all day was worth it."
"I thought Cheon Sangwoon was going to win, but Kang Yujin's group took the victory in the end."
"I was seriously disappointed when Lee Hyunje got completely overwhelmed by Cheon Sangwoon. At least he landed one last hit in the end."
"There were smaller fights happening elsewhere too, but the Gangnam battle was probably the most entertaining."
"There were a lot of parts I didn't understand, though. An explanation video should be uploaded to Constellation Tube soon."
"But the recording isn't even up on that channel yet. I want to watch it again."
"Another Constellation already uploaded footage. Just watch that."
"The editing is way worse. The copies can't beat the original."
"Wait, I think it's up now."
"What?"
"I'm going to watch."
After learning that a new video had gone up on the channel centered around Kang Yujin, the Constellations who were still immersed in the afterglow of the Scenario rushed to Constellation Tube.
But the moment they played the latest upload, they were all shocked.
"What?"
"Huh?"
"What's going on?"
"Why is His Excellency here?"
Until now, every video uploaded to that channel had been a recording of Kang Yujin's group in action.
But this time, a Constellation had personally appeared.
And not the owner of the channel.
It was the S-rank Constellation, the Shining Guardian, Hector.
[Through this opportunity, I would like to explain the truth behind the recent Scenario that occurred in the Far East.]
The video was Hector personally explaining the events behind the Scenario.
He stated that Pandemonium's renewed invasion of the Korean Peninsula was expected soon, which was why he had tried to create a centralized system led by Cheon Sangwoon.
He then revealed, one by one, the plots he had devised to achieve that goal.
[Everything was my responsibility.]
[I would like to apologize to everyone who suffered because of my actions.]
In the video, Hector lowered himself to an almost excessive degree.
Yet there was little to criticize.
He openly admitted that he had interfered too much in the surface world and appeared to sincerely apologize.
Still, many wondered why an S-rank Constellation as famous as Hector would make such a sweeping public apology.
A Constellation making this kind of public statement was nearly unprecedented.
The reason became clear near the end.
[Therefore, I intend to spend some time in self-reflection. I will refrain from interfering in surface affairs for a while.]
[As for Pandemonium's expected invasion of the Far East, I intend to entrust what follows to a reliable Constellation.]
[Although he lacks seniority as a Constellation, he is wiser than most and overflowing with a sense of duty. A considerable number of Constellations already trust him.]
[The reason I have chosen to speak publicly like this is also because I hope many Constellations will support and assist him.]
[That Constellation's name is...]
"Princess Longji, Hector probably has no idea what kind of reaction this is going to cause."
"Most likely, Wen Zhong."
Princess Longji was seated on her throne, speaking with Wen Zhong.
Naturally, they were discussing the video that had just been uploaded to Constellation Tube.
"Until now, the Nameless Constellation has deliberately avoided revealing his Constellation Name."
"..."
"But if he continues acting as a Constellation, he'll eventually have no choice but to reveal one. The real question was when and how."
Wen Zhong's voice was cold as usual.
Yet if one listened carefully, there was a faint excitement mixed into it.
"Do you understand what I mean? He revealed his Constellation Name in the most effective way possible."
"Exactly."
Princess Longji nodded.
"If he had simply announced, 'This is my name,' on his own, it would've been difficult to leave a strong impression. People might have mocked him, saying, 'So this is what you were keeping everyone waiting for?'"
"But he didn't announce it himself. He had a famous S-rank Constellation reveal it for him."
"Yes. And only after defeating that S-rank Constellation in a conflict... and then getting that very Constellation to practically declare, 'I entrust the future to this great young Constellation.'"
Hector was a great hero.
Now a Constellation had appeared whom Hector had publicly praised even while humbling himself.
"With so many Constellations already watching because of the Scenario, the impact of a video like this will be enormous."
"Indeed. In my estimation... his Origin Power will surpass ten billion before long."
"Ten billion...!"
As far as Princess Longji knew, ten billion Origin Power was a highly significant threshold.
It meant a Constellation had enough power not merely to control a few Contractor organizations, but to influence the very world itself.
Even within the Shanhai Alliance, Wen Zhong was the only Constellation with more than ten billion Origin Power.
"Wait, then..."
"Yes. The Committee may take interest."
The Committee.
At those words, Princess Longji bit her lip.
"So, Princess Longji... I would like you to maintain your relationship with that Constellation from now on."
"Understood. I was planning to do that anyway."
Princess Longji nodded and operated her observation device again.
She moved the seek bar on Constellation Tube back to replay the section she had been watching.
[The reason I have chosen to speak publicly like this is also because I hope many Constellations will support and assist him.]
[That Constellation's name is...]
[The Nameless King.]
[The newest S-rank Constellation, the Nameless King, will protect the Far East from Pandemonium's invasion.]
A new era was beginning.
