Chapter 701 – The Right to Know (1)

Including Nam Taemin and Leonie—
Even the majority of the hardline Holy War Alliance players, who had been watching over the Arcana continent back when it was still just a game, had never heard of such a family.

An Akshan demon hunter lifted his chin proudly.

“It’s understandable that you wouldn’t know. These are people who made their name before adventurers like you set foot in Arcana. Much like us.”

Like Akshan?

“…Is that even something we can believe?”

That was the problem—with who was saying it.

Leonie tilted her head in doubt, but the pressure she felt was real.
As the guild master of Gaon, she’d fought through countless wars.
Nam Taemin, more accustomed to such battle dynamics, immediately sensed the enemy’s power.

“Something’s off.”

He turned to the demon hunter.

“Are those really just a noble family’s soldiers?”

Nobles of Arcana.
Even back when Arcana was only a game, the nobility had always been formidable.
Especially those who ruled over territories—they carried an aura that even players found intimidating.

[Authority], [Fame], [Private Armies], [Political Power]—

Guilds that got greedy and provoked nobles back then had met ugly ends.
It wasn’t uncommon for high-level players to be forced to start over with new characters.

Knightly houses like Lion,
Mage families like William,
Merchant clans like Phil—
their very names were enough to make NPCs cower.

But even Nam Taemin, who had once faced those nobles, couldn’t shake off the sense of wrongness.

“How could a single family’s soldiers…”

…reach that level?

‘I thought I’d learned enough from Hoyeol to understand things like this.’

The more you know, the more you see.
But these soldiers—being private troops of a noble family—was beyond belief.
If they had existed on Arcana since ancient times, how could such a force have stayed hidden?

‘Maybe these Akshan guys don’t know the world that well after crawling out of hell.’

They had the gall to compare that family to Akshan.
It was hard to take their word seriously.
But if the testimony came from someone more trustworthy—from Arcana’s true big shots—then maybe…

“It seems the glory of the past has returned.”
“?!”

Nam Taemin turned. Standing there was Mary, the Witch of the Southern Seas— a Descendant of Twilight.

Nam Taemin, who had once entered the transcendents’ social hall through his own awakening, focused.
Because someone like Mary, who could access the higher planes, was not someone to ignore.
And then, Mary spoke the name of the family.

“Claudi.”
“……!!!”

Every player there knew that name.

The Claudi Territory.

In the early, chaotic days of Arcana—
it had been a hidden piece that connected the real world and the Arcana continent.

‘To be exact, it was Hoyeol’s domain…’

There had been endless debates among players about it—
about who Claudi even was,
and why Hoyeol of all people had ownership of that place.

“It doesn’t make sense, right? Claudi was a noble family famous even before the Arcana Continent’s launch! So how the hell does Lee Hoyeol own their territory?!”

It had been a mystery no one could solve, so everyone eventually forgot the name.
And yet now—why was the name Claudi appearing in the Demon World?
Were they really the ones standing to meet them now?

Leonie muttered under her breath, half in disbelief.

“…No way. It can’t be him.”

If she meant that man, Hoyeol—no, it couldn’t be.

‘Unless it’s someone like Hoyeol—but not him.’

Nam Taemin’s barbarian instincts—his sharp sense of smell—
had already told him that the being here was different.
That scent was not Hoyeol’s.

That only deepened his curiosity.

‘They said Claudi…’
‘Someone different from Hoyeol. What secret lies between them?’

Whatever the truth was, one thing was certain—
Hoyeol had already made his decision.

Nam Taemin looked up toward the sky of the Demon World.
That silver gaze—
those eyes known as the Source of Evil, the True Eternal.

‘He said he would hunt—for his pride.’

Srrrng.

So Nam Taemin raised his greatsword high.
Even before Claudi’s retainers, he did not shrink back.

That was when someone grabbed his shoulder, stopping him in his tracks.

“You should keep your head, barbarian friend.”

Those burning crimson eyes—Shahin Dune.

“You almost walked straight into your death.”
“……!”

Only then did Nam Taemin realize—
if Shahin hadn’t stopped him, he would’ve stepped right into their kill zone.

And then Mary’s magic manifestation advanced, as if to demonstrate the result.

“That manifestation power… it’s insane!”
“What’s with all the fuss?”
“You can’t tell just by looking, sis?”
“You think I know magic? Speak plain!”
“Plainly put—it’s something even senior mages from the Magic Tower can’t do!”

No exaggeration there.

Those manifestations, formed from Twilight’s mana,
looked almost human—except for the faint violet glow.
That was why it hit even harder when—

“!!!”

—those same manifestations were sliced apart in an instant.
Some lost their fingers, others their legs, and one, too slow to react, was cleaved entirely—
dispersing into mana particles.

Mary calmly assessed the situation.

“We haven’t been granted permission to approach.”

In other words—

“We lack the qualifications.”

Shahin’s frustration was visible,
but Nam Taemin tried to reason.

“W-We can’t just give up, though. We’ve already entered the Demon World— our sense of time must be broken by now. We can’t afford to linger here long.”

A few days here might mean months in Arcana Continent or the real world.
With the Holy War Alliance already divided in two, there was no guarantee nothing would happen while they waited.

“You’re right, Taemin.”

Fabien Delon, the leader of the Explorer’s Federation,
spoke as his unique ability scanned the entirety of the Demon World.
What he reported was grim.

“It seems… the Demon World already belongs to someone.”
“…Wait, what do you mean by that?”
“That the original owners—the Ten Thrones—are gone.”

The Ten Thrones.

Those who had once personally felt their unimaginable might
were struck silent in shock.

And then realization dawned.

Nam Taemin murmured quietly,

“Claudi… He hunted the Ten Thrones.”

A sudden thought crossed his mind.

‘Hoyeol… just what kind of being did you coexist with?’

And if it was coexistence—

‘Then it could only mean one thing…’

His thoughts brushed faintly upon possession—
but he didn’t pursue it further.

Leonie clenched her teeth.

“Can’t even argue with that, damn it.”

The soldiers of Claudi didn’t attack unless someone crossed their boundary—
as if declaring, beyond this line lies our domain.
Their restraint somehow made them even more terrifying.

The ever-naïve Diamond Merchant Lord, Garmond, peeked out of his carriage and muttered,

“They’re scarier because they’re not acting like demons, don’t you think?”

Shahin’s lips curved in a chilling grin.

“The piglet raised indoors actually has good instincts.”
“P-Piglet? Me?!”
“Who else?”
“You!”

The hardliners had entered the Demon World with conviction.
They would no longer be swayed by demons or their world.
The best defense was a relentless offense.

That certainty was what had brought them here.
But what they found was far different from what they’d imagined.

“So what do we do now?”

No one could answer easily.

It wasn’t fear of death—they had long overcome that.
No, it was something else entirely.

Just doubt.

“Are we even supposed to raise our swords against them?”

Was Claudi truly the enemy they owed vengeance to?

Then, the ones who had been silently watching—the Akshan demon hunters—spoke.

“You still don’t get it.”

“What?”

Leonie snapped, unable to hold it in.

“If you’re gonna talk, talk straight!
Who doesn’t get what? We’ve got too much sense of what’s going on! You smug bastards—!”

But the demon hunters didn’t even look her way.
They continued, firm and unshaken.

“You still know nothing about him.”

Step.

A step forward.

They were just as mouthy as they’d always been—
but if they hadn’t moved, that would’ve been all.

Shahin instantly sensed danger.

“Take another step and you’ll fall back into hell.”

That wasn’t a kind warning this time.
It was a promise.
Shahin still didn’t recognize Akshan.
And he couldn’t. Not after seeing their cryptic, aloof behavior since entering the Demon World.

Step.

But Akshan wasn’t the sort to flinch from hostility.
When they approached the forbidden line—
Claudi’s soldiers raised their weapons.

“Isn’t this gonna blow up in our faces, sis?”

Everyone watched anxiously.

And then—
Akshan crossed the line.

Their words fell like a final declaration:

“You know him so little—it almost hurts.”

There was no time to translate that cryptic remark.

Attacks rained down.
The same attacks that had shredded Mary’s magic manifestations—

—but.

“?!”

The demon hunters were unharmed.

Was it because they were beings who’d already died once in hell?

No.

Nam Taemin and Shahin, who had instinctively stepped in after them, locked eyes.

Shahin let out a hollow laugh.

“So we were completely fooled.”

In plain terms—
the attack had been a warning shot.
Even though Akshan had crossed the line,
Claudi’s soldiers hadn’t truly attacked—they had only pretended to.

Nam Taemin unknowingly released a breath of relief.

‘…Maybe.’

Maybe they didn’t have to fight at all.

Claudi.
The being who smelled different from Hoyeol,
who had once coexisted with him,
who might have even possessed him.

‘If that’s possible…’

Maybe everything would finally make sense.

And as if reading his thoughts,
one of the Akshan demon hunters spoke.

“It seems… he is grieving.”

Once again, full of omissions—Akshan’s cryptic way of speaking.

“He must not wish to spread that grief any further— for he has shown mercy even to us.”

And beneath the hunter’s mask came a quiet murmur—

“Truly… what a deep and enduring favoritism you show, Grandfell.”

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In the depths of the mire, I forced myself to make a vow.
Get a grip, Lee Hoyeol.

But no matter how hard I struggled to climb out, the feeling of sinking deeper and deeper wouldn’t fade.
I couldn’t help but keep asking myself—

What am I to you, someone like me…?