Arena

With a complicated heart, I started my mission.

I passed through the exam door and I was in a room in baron of Wolfenbrooke’s residence, where I ended the last exam.

I was sitting on the bed and I found Cha Ji-hye sitting at the table by the window.

“Have you checked your mission?”

“Not yet.”

“Check it. I don’t want to jump to conclusions but it’s not that hard a mission.”

At her words I summoned and looked at my board.

-Name: Kim Hyun-ho

-Class: 43

-Karma: +50

-Mission: within the time limit, prepare for the invasion of the Aman Kingdom.

-Time limit: 729 days 23 hours

‘Prepare for the invasion.’

Words with an expansive scope.

Firstly, control or dictate or do whatever a noble does with their stuff in the territory that King Alsefon the 3rd of the Arend kingdom gave to me, strengthen the army, and prepare for war. I think that’s what it wanted.

But it can also mean preparing to raise the status and care of my territory but you can’t say I won’t have achieved (the mission) if I personally prepare myself for war either.

Just saying prepare can be interpreted any which number of ways so I could clear this mission no matter what.

“It’s a mission without the category of achieved or not.”

Said Cha Ji-hye.

“Is there something you know?”

“You experienced this before. The mission where you were told to help the elves of Brown Mountain along with just a time limit.”

“Yes.”

“It is the same this time. The time limit given is 2 years so we’ll do our best to prepare. And when the mission ends, how much effort we put in will be accounted for and will show up as our karma prize.”

“Ah, that’s a mission without an achieved/failed category?”

“It is. But you can also get a grade close to unachieved. I have heard of getting minus karma for not doing what you could have done and being negligent.”

“We’ll definitely give it our best so that doesn’t matter.”

“Of course.”

Honestly, the mission itself isn’t a problem.

It isn’t a matter of fighting for life and death so we can do it easily.

But what I heard from the baby angel earlier won’t stop replaying in my head.

If I can’t clear all the missions, just what will happen?

‘I’ll give you what you want. So Arena isn’t severed (from you), so you can keep dipping your hand in the majeong jar.’

Just what did he really mean by that!

Simply, as it is now, keep letting the examinees come and go to Arena?

But I didn’t think that was it.

‘That’s why the gods are trying to end these exams once and for all. How should they determine when to finish it then? That happens to be where you come in, examinee Kim Hyun-ho.’

If I dwelled on those words, if I failed the exam, they’re saying they won’t keep this exam system.

Then if the exam is gone, how will people go back and forth to Arena and keep acquiring majeong.

That’s the part I don’t understand.

What I’m really worried about is not just examinees like me but the whole real world being plunged into danger.

My family might be put in danger.

My nails started digging into my palms.

I suddenly felt a warm heat in my hand.

Cha Ji-hye had grabbed my hand.

“Are you worried about what the baby angel said?”

“…… yes.”

I admitted honestly.

“Do not worry.”

“What?”

“Regardless, we just have to clear all the missions. There’s no need to think about what will happen if we fail.” f𝚛e𝚎𝘄𝒆𝚋𝚗𝚘ѵ𝑒𝚕.𝑐𝘰𝑚

“I guess so.”

“Undoubtedly, we’ll make it so we clear the missions. I’ll make it so.”

She said confidently with her unique expressionless face.

“We will clear all the missions. Together, we’ll be free from the bonds of this exam. I want to live as your wife. With you and your family, I want to be one family. That is my wish that I had never given thought to before.

“That…… is your wish?”

“Yes.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

Using the hands we were holding, I pulled her into my arms.

The lump of anxiety in my chest disappeared and a happy feeling spread.

It’s paradoxical but I think dying and becoming an examinee was my good fortune. At the very least, I was able to meet her.

***

I took out the handkerchief that Yoo Ji-soo and Cha Jin-hyuk gave to me.

And then I let number one and number two sniffed it.

“Remember their scent?”

“Beek!”

“Beek!”

“Think you can find them?”

“Beeek!”

Number one and number two nodded their heads.

Whew, I used the animal tracking for the first time and apparently doing it like this was the correct method. Thank goodness it was easier than I thought.

“Good, then have those two ride you and bring them here. Fly as high as you can and don’t be noticed by any people on your way.”

“Beeek!”

“Beeek!”

With an energetic reply, number one and number two lifted off together. Flapping their wings without restraint their large builds soared up into the sky at an unbelievable speed.

I’ll be able to see them shortly.

Riding on the rake eagles for a few days, it’ll be a bit difficult for them.

In the meantime, I decided to reside in Wolfenbrooke with Cha Ji-hye and Odin.

Marie had another mission so sadly we had to say goodbye quickly.

“I, too, received the mission to prepare for war. Probably all the examinees that have moved up and hold titles will have gotten this same mission I think.”

“That means we’re going to war with Aman Kingdom for sure then.”

“Yes. While you two are staying here, watch and learn how to handle a territory. I’m not that impressive of a lord or anything but I don’t get shamed for it anywhere either, haha.”

So Cha Ji-hye and I, as if we were an entourage, tagged behind Odin, Odin occasionally gave us errands to complete. He was very considerate to have us personally do some tasks in order to let us learn.

I watched beside him and I couldn’t be taken in by Odin’s charisma.

Seeing how well he handles people, I felt like he was a different kind of leader-hyung than I.

Can I, like Odin, competently command those beneath me?

…… I think it’s a stretch.

Up till now, I had prepared for the civil servants exam, I didn’t think for one second that I had some hidden leadership skill in me!

In that regard, I decided to trust Cha Ji-hye. With a military background, she was specialized in leadership.

When about four days passed, the people we had been waiting for arrived.

Yoo Ji-soo and Cha Jin-hyuk.

“Uaaaah!”

Yoo Ji-soo who jumped down off number one and yelled as she stretched.

“Ooh, the smell from my head is killer! I couldn’t wash the whole way here!”

“Whew, thought I was going to die. Just what kind of order did you give them that they didn’t rest at all the whole way here?”

I laughed quietly at Cha Jin-hyuk’s grievance and answered jokingly.

“Well…I didn’t tell them to not rest. But I also didn’t really tell them to rest either.”

The two of the stared at me with rage in their eyes.

“Anyhow, you’re here early so all is well.”

With a sentence, Cha Ji-hye clipped the topic simply and the two of them looked upset. But they were in the position of receiving help so they can’t complain any further.

I handed them both the synthetic muscle suits and radios.

The next day, the four of us left the Wolfenbrooke territory.

Finally, we were heading to my territory.

“Do we have to ride the eagles again?”

Yoo Ji-soo looked like she was about to cry.

She does have the physical strength buff but fundamentally she’s a magician so her physique was weak. Riding an eagle all day was burdensome for her.

I smiled and said.

“Don’t worry. I’ll let you ride something nice soon.”

We all rode the eagles until we reached an area without people and then I took out the car from the virtual space.

The MSM-2 that used majeong to run.

“Uh, wow! What is that?!”

“A car?! I’ve never seen this kind before? No, more importantly, a car in Arena?!”

Yoo Ji-soo and Cha Jin-hyuk nearly fainted as they stared at my favorite horse.

Especially Cha Jin-hyuk as he opened the hood and was awed. Ah, that’s right. Before Cha Jin-hyuk was an examinee he was an auto mechanic.

The car was a two-person so of the four two of us have to ride the eagles or ride atop the car.

Cha Jin-hyuk volunteered as he wanted to drive and Yoo Ji-soo insisted on sitting comfortably on the seat.

But then, from the side, Cha Ji-hye slightly jabbed me in the side and said.

“Put the two of them in the virtual space. We can take them out when we reach your territory.”

“Ah, I hadn’t thought of that.”

The virtual space I mastered can hold life forms so as long as the person consents, it’s possible. That’s the result of already having tried it with Cha Ji-hye.

“To come up with such an idea, you must really want to drive.”

“Not much opportunity to ride it if not in Arena.”

Cha Ji-hye admitted frankly.

I explained about the special ability of the virtual space to the two people.

“You’re going to put us in the virtual space? That’s possible?”

I nodded my head at Yoo Ji-soo’s question.

“Yes, if you consent, I can put you there. And I take you out when we arrive.”

“And that doesn’t cause any problems for our health or anything? Inside there I’m not like unable to do anything and locked inside or anything?”

“Time doesn’t flow in the virtual space. In the blink of an eye you’ll have arrived.”

“Really? Then I’ll consent. Please put me in the virtual space.”

“Alright.”

I grabbed Yoo Ji-soo’s hand and say the order to ‘place.’

Pat!

Yoo Ji-soo’s form disappeared.

Then I gestured to Cha Jin-hyuk. Cha Jin-hyuk couldn’t hide his nervousness.

“I don’t know if this is okay.”

“Don’t worry, c’mon.”

Eventually I put Cha Jin-hyuk into the virtual space too.

Cha Ji-hye got into the drivers seat.

When I got into the passenger seat, she immediately turned on the car and pressed put the pedal to the floor.

As if she had been waiting for this day she excitedly built up speed.

***

Heinz territory.

An area stuck in between the Brown Mountain and Wolfenbrooke, the old territory of Bastian.

For a long time, it was ruled by Baron Heinz and thus it was already called the Heinz territory. Hundreds of years had passed since then.

Now, it has become the property of me, Baron Kim, but I’m just going to keep the name as Heinz territory. Doesn’t Kim territory sound weird?

Anyway, we arrived in Heinz.

By relentlessly racing in the MSM-2 through the fields and riding the eagles through extremely mountainous areas, we arrived in just 4 days.

We could’ve arrived sooner but I wanted to spend time alone with Cha Ji-hye so we moved casually.

After Cha Ji-hye’s words that were basically a proposal, our relationship was even more special.

Just seeing her next to me gave me relief and felt good, making me think I’ve really gone crazy.

We got to the Heinz territory and reached where people lived and put the MSM-2 in the virtual space and moved riding the eagles.

We flew around while checking the Arena map on the tablet PC and we found the feudal lord Heinz fortress quickly.

The castle that will now belong to Count Kim.