Stop, Friendly Fire!

'Haa...'

Jin didn't seem like he was in a good mood all throughout their trip to the capital. Was it because Lee Shin Woo had made him draw their wagon, so that his cover (as a normal horse) wouldn't be blown? No, it wasn't that simple. Jin was definitely dissatisfied with his partner.

Lee Shin Woo was absolutely sure that he hadn't figured out about his complete human transformation, but he was also reluctant to ask Jin what was wrong, so he just shut his mouth for the time being.

"The weather's great!"

[It really is. It's so clear, as if it's wishing us happiness in the future. I guess there are some things worth seeing on the surface.]

Whereas Sinea and Ye Jin Jin couldn't be happier, sitting opposite to Lee Shin Woo in the wagon. What was he hiding? He was with Sinea on the first day, and Ye Jin Jin on the second... They were so boisterous, so much so that it seemed like they'd go to heaven, due to the 'entertainment' he'd provided with the date. Lee Shin Woo had asked them to restrain themselves; apparently this was them 'restrained'.

"Don't be so loud."

"Ok!"

[Ok. Hoo. Hoo.]

Those girls knew, of course, how Jin was feeling; more than Lee Shin Woo anyway. That's why they tried their very best to not show how happy they were, but there was no way for them to hide the happiness and joy they felt.

Their reactions reminded him of his friend when he had first started dating his girlfriend. No, now that he thought about it, they were reacting similarly to his friend.

"Mr. Shin Woo, that cloud looks like your eye socket!"

[Hoo, no matter how I look at it, it looks more like his sacrum than his eye socket.]

"Do you guys always look at my bones so closely on a regular basis...?"

'...Keuk.'

And whenever they engaged in more intimate skinship, he could hear Jin's hit points going down.

'Be honest. What did you do to them? Did you by any chance...'

'I told you. They've been working hard, so I complimented them a little bit... After that, I guess we had a date. It was a commercial service. A service.'

'A date is a service...'

Lee Shin Woo could hear Jin's voice through the Assimilation skill and responded naturally. There was absolutely nothing wrong with his attitude. Of course, Jin didn't trust him right away, as he'd travelled with this Joker for so long, but... he didn't have any evidence to pursue it with. So...

'I'm your partner... You shouldn't lie to me.'

'I told you, I'm not lying to you.'

'Really...?'

So Jin stopped his attempts at breaking Lee Shin Woo's unbreakable mask, and tried to hit at his conscience instead.

'Of course. You're my partner. My only partner.'

'...Your only partner.'

However, Lee Shin Woo didn't have a conscience, so it was completely ineffective. Unfortunately, Jin didn't know that, so he decided to accept his explanation.

'Well, I guess it makes sense, since those girls' mental state hasn't been normal since the beginning.'

'You're the worst. You looked like you were being friendly to Ye Jin Jin!'

'This and that are two different things. Yeah, I was being friendly, but she's still crazy.'

Of course, just because Jin had accepted his explanation didn't mean he was completely over it. Since Ye Jin Jin and Sinea were still clinging onto Lee Shin Woo, and he was still drawing the wagon!

"It feels kind of lonely since we left. I wanted to stay in Kuroa's Glory for about ten more days."

"Our shop doesn't have any holidays. If you want to take a break, then apply for a vacation. Of course, it'd be unpaid leave."

In the past, Lee Shin Woo had worked in a vicious enterprise that exploited him, and he was carrying on that tradition for the Lawrence shop. After all, this is how you got rid of bad habits.

"I don't care if I'm not paid, but it's meaningless if I'm the only one resting. I wanted to go sightseeing with you, Mr. Shin Woo..."

[Hoo. Once we get to the capital, Paul Zero will be working hard again. I'd rather time just stopped right now.]

Lee Shin Woo had invested a day into Sinea and a day into Ye Jin Jin, so he couldn't rest anymore. Of course, he didn't forget to play board games with Jin in his free time. Honestly speaking, he was more comfortable with Jin than with them (the business targets).

"Ah, I can kind of see the capital's walls. Shin Woo, what are you going to do about the paladins that are following us?"

"They'll be working on behalf of the Sun God religion, while I'll be staying at the Lawrence shop, so there's no reason to go in together. Moreover, if I stay too close to the Sun God religion, then it'll be hard for people to approach Lawrence to negotiate with Kay."

"As expected of you, Mr. Shin Woo. To think that far ahead..."

Lee Shin Woo wasn't planning on ruining his alliance with the Sun God religion, but he also wasn't going to avoid the influential individuals in the capital. If he could gain information, assistance, or form personal connections by meeting with them, then he had no reason not to.

'The Sun God religion had more power than I had initially assumed. Since my name was spread to about half of the Empire by just clearing five dungeons... It goes without saying that my name was spread to Kuroa's Glory and the adjacent capital. The nobles in the capital might be tense.'

Normally, an individual recognized as a saint by a religious order isn't someone often seen. A saint had to possess power that displayed the god's distinct characteristic, such that everyone in the religious order would acknowledge them. At the same time, they had to have a meek personality that obeyed their orders.

Plus, Lee Shin Woo had enough power to clear a level 6 dungeon by himself, which had made a strong impression on not only the other religious orders, but the nobles in the capital as well. Furthermore, he was Lawrence's sponsor, the same Lawrence that had had such a successful auction!

According to a report he'd gotten through the golem network, people were selling books in the capital detailing the peddler Lawrence and the hero Kay's friendship and successes. With this, he wouldn't have to worry about people recognizing either Lawrence or Kay. But for some reason, he was a bit concerned about the contents of the book. He would get Ye Jin Jin to buy it for him later and check it for himself.

'Anyway, my position in the capital will be set once I clear the unconquered level 7 dungeon. I'll have as much power as a high rank noble, and in a way, an image that surpasses that of a [Hero].'

If he wasn't going to engage in an all-out war with the surface, then he had to take this opportunity to create a foothold in the capital. He had, of course, given Bisher Moon that mission, but there were things one could do in the light that couldn't be done in the darkness.

"B-But you can't succumb to temptation, even if they offer their daughter to you or something."

"Even though the Sun God religion has acknowledged me as a saint, I'm still originally a mercenary. The nobles won't give up their daughters so easily. But they might send me a prostitute disguised as a young lady of the house or their daughter."

"You can't! I'll take care of all of that!"

"Yeah, yeah."

Ye Jin Jin acted so innocent, but said something so bold. Lee Shin Woo stroked her head and grinned. Of course, her concern was unnecessary. If need be, he could dispel his human transformation. With that, all his worldly desires would disappear, and he would become a Sage!

Being able to control his sexual desires when speaking with other humans or negotiating with them was a huge advance. One's base desires would cause one's judgment to go askew, and it was especially difficult to control oneself when faced with an intelligent and attractive individual.

However, Lee Shin Woo was now capable of switching to his 'Sage Mode' at will, so during a negotiation, he could dominate the other side!

'In that sense, Bisher Moon was the right choice to move in the shadows... Though he didn't know just how much he'd accomplished here.'

He got his answer 30 minutes later. Once the front gate guards noticed his wagon, their eyes shined and they immediately welcomed him.

"Ah, you must be the party of the Sun God's hero and the Lawrence shop. We've been waiting for you. Please, come inside."

"Your store branch in the capital has been completed. If you're going that way, then I can take you there myself."

"...I'd appreciate it."

He thought that perhaps Bisher Moon had done something to the guards to take advantage of the nobles, but once the lid was open, he found that it was the complete opposite.

Just in case, he checked the guards' stats, but there was nothing suspicious about them; they were 100% human. While he was puzzled, one of the guards guiding them approached him and whispered.

"Lord Bisher said he'd meet with you in the evening."

"...Can you tell him I got his message?"

"Of course."

As he thought, this human was under Bisher Moon's control! He didn't know if he commissioned them, or if one of his subordinates had infiltrated the guards, but he was amazing either way!

As a regular business employee, Lee Shin Woo didn't know what Bisher had done to acquire such power in the capital.

"Well, I'll know after I hear it straight from him."

'Perhaps he did stuff like this in the past, before he became a hero,' Lee Shin Woo thought vaguely. At the end of the road, he could see an indistinct castle.

It seemed completely hidden, but he could feel it. The existence of the Emperor within those walls, as well as magic greater than that of the Archmage. At that moment, he was sure of it. He was a lower level than him, but for some reason, he was able to roughly measure him.

'Level 9.'

He'd expected this, but it felt different in person.

Did the Emperor sense his presence as well? Even if he did, he would probably regard him as the Sun God's hero. There was also a chance he hadn't sensed him at all. Lee Shin Woo was confident that his mana control wouldn't lose to anyone.

'As I thought, it'd be difficult to face a level 9. Is the Undead Emperor also level 9? He probably is... Ultimately, if I want to achieve my goals, then I need to take those two down.'

His magic had increased significantly and he'd collected bones from the level 6 dungeons, which had increased his stats by a little. So, his current stat total was 12,392. He needed a little over 400 stats to reach level 8.

But even if he reached level 8, he didn't think he could defeat the Emperor. Even if he used all his strength, using the Bone Armory, the Thorn Shadow, or even the fully charged level 8 Titan Bone Golem, he didn't think he would be able to win.

That's just how overwhelming a level 9 was. Just by sensing the Emperor's existence from afar caused him to instinctively feel tense!

'So that's why he's so confidently emitting his magic. ...He doesn't know that I'll use that against him.'

Could he find his weakness and make use of it with just that exposure of mana?

Yes, indeed. As long as Lee Shin Woo was the one fighting him at least.

"Now then, let's go see the place that Bisher Moon has prepared for us."

"Ah, Shin Woo's making that face again. Whenever he makes that face, someone dies..."

"...Mr. Shin Woo, you're so cool."

[It's perfect.]

"Why do all the girls involved with you have such perverted fetishes? Or does the world have some sort of proclivity towards the name 'Lee Shin Woo'...?"

[I-I can feel the Emperor's mana... Can we go undiscovered? We probably won't be, but...]

And thus, his party (they were all in the same situation but had different thoughts) successfully entered the capital. They'd gotten in quietly without a hitch, but in the end their presence would be unavoidable... Everyone will know.