Thanks to Essel's explanation and Jin-Woo's agreement, the boss was finally able to calm himself down. He sat back down in his chair.
'A permit and a guide. That's all it takes to be okay with this?'
Ever since he'd been trapped here, orders to protect this area had come ceaselessly. The orders had no force behind them. But just as one must eat when hungry and rest when tired, he felt compelled to obey them as though by natural instinct. So when he heard that the black soldiers had invaded and were hunting down the demons, his heart sank—it was happening. After deliberating, the boss ordered an extermination, and the units of black soldiers were surprisingly easy to wipe out. However, according to the scout reports, there were enemies on an entirely different level from the black soldiers they had eliminated before. A fire-breathing monster, a massive knight, and a knight wearing a helm with long plumage—their units meant victory couldn't be guaranteed even with the Radir clan's full force. And so, the Radir clan's entire army had been preparing to march out to eliminate them. But that report had left out any mention of the man standing before him now. In other words, the enemy's main force was someone else entirely.
'If I'd known this monster of a human was the master of the black soldiers, I would never have started a fight.'
The boss could see it now. The black soldiers he'd been so relieved to see vanish had gathered right here, right before his eyes. They had been hiding in the man's darkness, waiting for orders. Even now, the killing intent of countless soldiers staring from the shadows gave him chills.
'Compromising with a mere human is humiliating, but...'
The list of things to protect certainly included the scroll known as the "Entry Permit." But wasn't the price of protecting that single scroll too steep? No—he couldn't even gauge whether sacrificing his entire army would be enough to defeat this man's soldiers. And then there was this man.
'...He's hiding his true strength.'
He didn't know what the man was after, but he was concealing himself completely—like the tip of an iceberg above still water. Facing an enemy whose full power you couldn't assess was truly terrifying. The boss spoke with a tense expression.
"Truly... is that all it will take?"
If giving up one permit could save everything, there was no reason not to hand it over. It was to protect more of this area, so it didn't violate his orders. Jin-Woo nodded.
"You won't harm my daughter, will you?"
A glance. He felt Essel's gaze.
'A monster worrying about his daughter...'
Jin-Woo marveled at it and nodded once more. After a moment's deliberation, the boss smiled.
"Then let's do that."
Once he'd made up his mind to hand it over, it felt like a toothache had suddenly been relieved. If a mere scrap of paper could ward off an impending catastrophe, what else could you call that but good fortune?
"No—I'd be grateful if you did."
At the boss's bright smile, Jin-Woo—who had been bracing for the conversation to go another way—relaxed and let out a small chuckle.
'Essel really took after her dad's personality.'
Was this also a setting of the System, or was it real, just as she'd said... Shaking off his thoughts, Jin-Woo gave the waiting boss his assurance.
"I keep my promises."
"Good."
The boss snapped his fingers, and a soldier brought a large scroll and presented it before Jin-Woo. Jin-Woo unrolled it.
'It's the real Entry Permit.'
A smile crept across Jin-Woo's face as he checked its contents.
[Item: Entry Permit] Acquisition Difficulty: ?? Type: ?? A permit that grants access to the 81st floor of the Demon Castle. Usable only at the floor-transfer magic circle on the 80th floor.
He had doubted whether conversation alone could wrest an item from monsters, but the permit was genuine. The difference from the lower-floor permits was that the Radir clan's crest was stamped in red at the end.
'So starting from this floor, the structure requires taking permits from each clan?'
Jin-Woo's lips curled upward. He liked this much better than killing monsters and waiting endlessly for a permit that might never drop. Jin-Woo rolled the scroll up and stored it in his inventory.
"We can leave right away, right?"
He urged Essel as he turned toward the entrance, but the knights on standby blocked his path.
'...?'
When Jin-Woo turned back with a puzzled look, Essel was just grinning. What was this situation now? The boss, who had approached right up to him without notice, stopped in front of Jin-Woo.
"We don't send guests visiting the Radir clan away like this."
With the boss's massive frame, the atmosphere could have easily felt intimidating. But seeing the friendly, uncle-like smile on his face, it didn't seem like he meant to intimidate. The boss spoke in an earnest, pleading tone.
"How about a meal to celebrate the successful negotiation? My daughter will need to prepare for a long journey anyway."
Jin-Woo's gaze shifted to Essel. Essel, watching Jin-Woo's reaction, seemed to secretly hope he would agree. She had kept her promise. Then shouldn't he return the favor with a gentleman's gesture? He had to eat anyway, and he was growing tired of the bread and meat from the System Shop.
"...Sure."
When Jin-Woo finally accepted, the boss burst into laughter.
"Thank you!"
Essel and the knights' faces brightened as well. Soon the boss shouted to his subordinates.
"What are you standing around for? Get a meal prepared at once!"
***
Since they had already spent so long lingering on the 80th floor, he had no intention of wasting time on other floors. The one thing he worried about was whether Essel, who had volunteered as his guide, could use the teleportation magic circle. That problem was resolved surprisingly easily.
[A demon noble has requested to join as a companion.] [Do you accept?] [If you accept, the companion will be able to use the teleportation magic circle, and experience will be shared based on contribution.]
'Sharing experience with a companion?'
The phrasing about sharing experience was slightly irksome, but upon closer inspection, there was a note that it was based on contribution. In other words, as long as he didn't give the companion a chance to fight, there was no need to share experience. So Jin-Woo made it crystal clear to Essel.
"If a fight breaks out, don't you ever get involved. I'll handle it all myself."
"...Okay."
Essel answered shyly.
'...?'
In any case, having accepted her as a companion, Jin-Woo quickened his pace. Essel struggled to keep up a few steps behind, carrying a bundle of luggage several times her size. The luggage wasn't heavy, but keeping pace with Jin-Woo's swift strides was no easy task. Jin-Woo periodically stopped to wait for her to catch up.
"There it is."
Essel, who had been examining the 81st floor's map, pointed toward a castle whose outline was becoming visible in the distance. Jin-Woo, who had already known this, nodded.
"Just a moment."
Essel set the large bundle of luggage on the ground and rummaged through it. Soon she produced a ceramic bottle of liquor. Jin-Woo asked.
"What's that for?"
"It's the Garshu clan lord's favorite drink. If you bring this along, negotiations will be easier..."
"Negotiations?"
Jin-Woo grinned and summoned his shadow soldiers.
'Arise.'
The soldiers answered his call and materialized all at once. Swoosh—
'No way...'
Essel couldn't believe her eyes. There were three black soldiers on par with upper-class nobles. And in the hands of the man who had summoned them, two short swords had already appeared. With a razor-sharp aura that could cut skin just by standing nearby, Essel wondered if the man before her was really the same person she had been talking to moments ago.
"A-aren't you going to negotiate?"
Instead of answering, Jin-Woo asked back.
"By any chance, are you guys close with the Garshu clan?"
"N-no. Even in the demon world, nobles have always been at each other's throats over rank... But they're still someone we can talk to."
At that, Jin-Woo grinned.
"Good enough."
One exception was all he needed. Leveling up was just as important as obtaining permits.
"Stay here and wait."
With that, Jin-Woo led his soldiers toward the fortress.
"W-wait a moment!"
Essel, who had been standing there wide-eyed, belatedly turned in the direction Jin-Woo had disappeared.
"Gasp!"
In that short time, the Garshu clan's castle was already ablaze. Kuuu—as the towering, colossal monster breathed fire, the gate and walls melted away helplessly, and the Garshu knights who rushed out in alarm were cut down one after another by the shadow soldiers' blades.
"Oh my god..."
Essel let out a sound that was somewhere between a moan and a whisper.
"GRAAAH!"
"AAARGH—!"
The Garshu castle, which had looked several times more fortified than the Radir castle, was crumbling powerlessly. Essel swallowed hard.
'If Father hadn't willingly handed over the permit...'
What she was now witnessing at the Garshu castle could have been the fate of the Radir castle. Just the thought made her dizzy. At the same time, she felt immense relief that things had gone so well. Kung! Another tower behind the castle wall collapsed with a thunderous roar.
'How are we supposed to fight monsters like that...'
Essel wiped the sweat dripping from her chin with the back of her hand and let out a sigh of relief that her own clan had been spared from disaster.
***
The executives of Japan's Hunter's Association and high-ranking officials of the Japanese government gathered in one place. With heavy air settling over the conference room, the Association president quietly spoke up.
"Korea's been buzzing lately with the emergence of their tenth S-rank."
The officials let out small chuckles. In Japan, the number of S-rank Hunters had already surpassed twenty. How quaint, celebrating just their tenth S-rank. Or rather—should it be considered natural for a country that, aside from two lost to accidents and emigration, had a mere eight S-rank Hunters total? In any case, today's meeting was not a forum for mocking Korea. Otherwise, there would have been no reason for the atmosphere to be this heavy. The Minister of Defense, sitting with a furrowed brow, spoke up.
"What does that have to do with today's meeting?"
The Minister's discomfort was audible in his voice. Currently, Jeju Island—southern territory of Korea—had been overrun by magical beasts after a failed Dungeon clearance. And not ordinary beasts, either—ant-type magical beasts known for massive colony sizes and staggering reproductive rates. That alone would have given the Japanese government reason to gloat at Korea's misfortune, but the problem was that the damage was reaching Japanese shores. Just yesterday, a single ant suspected of flying in from Jeju had wiped an entire small village off the map. The damage was beyond the point of being ignored. Above all, the most urgent matter was calming the furious demands of the Prime Minister, who was pressing hard for countermeasures. And here they were, in a critical meeting where many careers hung in the balance, engaging in idle chatter. Frowns were inevitable. But the Association president continued.
"People are most prone to mistakes when they're caught up in excitement."
The president's white hair and deeply lined face spoke to his years of experience.
"I believe now is the perfect opportunity."
At his cryptic remark, attention that had been scattered around the room converged on him. Unlike his earlier outburst, the Minister of Defense now asked in a tense voice.
"Do you... have some kind of plan?"
"Rather than 'good,' I'd say 'appropriate' would be more fitting."
Every official and Association member, including the Minister, leaned in to listen. The Association president, as if deliberately building suspense for this moment, finally spoke.
"When those who lack the strength to defend a land claim it as their own, can we really recognize them as its rightful owners?"
"..."
Silence fell over the room. What on earth was the Association president trying to say? Given the relationship between Korea and Japan, if this became public, it would be far more than just the ramblings of an old man. Moreover, he was the man currently leading Japan's Hunter's Association.
"...So what exactly are you trying to say?"
The Minister of State asked cautiously. The Association president surveyed the room and declared confidently.
"We will eliminate the magical beasts on Jeju Island."
Murmurs rippled through the room.
"And."
The brief uproar subsided once more under the president's voice. The Association president continued.
"We will take Jeju Island."