Chapter 690 – Call It a Diversion Operation (4) #PART2
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Nam Cheolmin’s lips twisted into a crooked grin.

“Noticing something was off means you’ve still got a head on your shoulders.”
“…Why are you talking rougher than usual?”
“Really? I’d call it generous treatment.”

He had thrown out bait, but he hadn’t expected someone to bite so quickly. As an analyst for the Great Alliance, Nam Cheolmin had attended countless political councils in addition to the battlefield. This sort of development didn’t surprise him.

“Seoul’s been put in a very difficult position.”

Nations, guilds, and now even the Ten Thrones—
Everyone was reaching greedy hands toward Seoul.
And in the middle of it all, here they sat.

One of the players, who had been silently listening to the guild masters’ conversation, finally spoke up.

“So… is it really okay for us to just sit here like this?”

They were gathered in a subway station.

“Of course, protecting the evacuated civilians is important… but we can’t just hide and watch forever, can we?”

Nam Cheolmin exchanged a glance with Schreig.

‘Naturally, they’d have doubts.’

Only the guild masters knew the truth—that this was part of the “Lord of Seoul” operation. Until Hoyeol himself appeared, they couldn’t move recklessly.

‘We don’t know the full extent of Agares’s power.’

Maybe it was because the bait they had thrown was so enticing, but Agares had gone so far as to manifest a portal and declare all-out war on Seoul. As for how he had regained his authority, Hisagi provided the explanation.

“After the collapse of the Heavenly Unity, China was plunged into civil war. To be precise, it was nothing more than the festering rot that Liu Zunqun had been suppressing with brainwashing finally bursting open.”

A land overflowing with the negative emotions that fed demons, and abandoned by the world’s attention—China had been the perfect breeding ground. Hisagi laid out the estimate coldly.

“The Demon King of the Second Throne actually believes he can take Seoul.”

Half of the Holy War Army split. Internal divisions, whether intentional or not. Nam Cheolmin nodded grimly.

“This is going to be a war where both sides have everything to lose.”

Then it came—
Boom! Boom!

The roar echoed even down into the subway platform.

The civilians sheltering there began to panic.

“Waaah!”
“Mom, I’m scared!”
“Don’t worry, we’re here to protect you.”
“Is the signal still down?”
“Seems so.”

Nam Cheolmin shrugged.

‘If the signal’s gone…’

It was simple.
Seoul was likely being treated as one massive Rift. Not a real Rift, but one where the unique rules of Arcana’s Chronicle had been imposed.

He laid out the key point.

“In other words, it’s a siege within a siege.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

He pulled out his trusty tablet and drew a large circle.

“Here, this is Seoul.”

He labeled it [Seoul], then filled the interior with smaller circles. Pointing to one of the larger ones, he labeled it [Great Alliance Base].

Schreig couldn’t resist nitpicking.

“…Isn’t that circle a little too big?”
“Not the point.”
“Well, true, but still—”
“Listen. What we need to keep in mind is this.”

Nam Cheolmin cut through the noise.

“The only circle that matters is the big one—Seoul. The smaller ones inside don’t matter, because they all belong to Seoul anyway.”

“Is that why you abandoned the base without regret?”
“No way—we can’t just abandon it with demons rampaging—”

“Yes, but hear me out. Who gets to be Seoul’s ruler? You’re thinking correctly. Without the consent of the smaller circles inside, no king can be crowned.”

“…What?”

“That’s the rule of [Lord] in Arcana’s Chronicle.”

Exactly. Even if Agares devoured all of Seoul, unless he forced every small circle into submission, he could never be crowned as Seoul’s Lord.

‘If he can’t activate the authority, then he’s not so frightening.’

That was why Nam Cheolmin and the guild masters had gambled on this plan—using the most volatile weapon of all: human emotions.

“Our guild bases—the small circles—will resist to the end. No matter the crisis, they won’t bow to Agares’s legion.”
“…Fight evil with evil?”
“From our perspective, yes.”

Someone raised another concern.

“But wouldn’t that mean the fight will never end? If no one can fulfill Arcana’s conditions, then no one becomes Lord. If this drags on, the ones who’ll suffer most are us…”

“You really think that’s impossible?”

“N-no way…”

The Lord of Seoul plan.

“If… if the Commander himself were to try…”

Yes—Hoyeol could do it.
He could earn the support of every small circle in Seoul.
And in that moment, everyone began to realize what the plan truly meant.

-Nam Cheolmin! Can you hear me?

“!”

A voice echoed in Nam Cheolmin’s mind—telepathy.
It was Baek Yiseol, Guild Master of Sinhwa.

-Damn it. The system’s crackling, so I don’t know if this scroll is working properly… but I’ll get straight to the point.

Her tone was urgent, unnatural.

‘What’s going on?’

Nam Cheolmin frowned. He had already shared every detail of the plan with her. According to schedule, Baek Yiseol should be at Sinhwa’s headquarters, waiting for the signal. There was no reason for her to reach out now—

-Agares is dangerous.

“What…?”

He muttered without meaning to. The next words froze him in place.

-Agares has the authority to become Lord!

.
.
.

Baek Yiseol clutched her throbbing head.

There was no mistake. Agares’s authority was a mental domination ability, akin to [Brainwashing]. If even she, who had endured possession twice, was this affected—

Crash!

She burst out of the conference room.
Guild members of Sinhwa lay sprawled across the floor, eyes vacant, whispering as they pressed their foreheads to the ground.

“Agares… our king…”

Baek Yiseol’s face went deathly pale.

“That’s why we need to change the plan, Nam Cheolmin…!!”

.
.
.

Elsidor couldn’t believe his ears.

“According to plan…”

Because that’s what you had said.