Debuff Master

Chapter 289

At a famous hanwoo[1] restaurant in Gangnam…

Sizzle… Sizzle…!

Slices of meat were grilling on the grill as smoke emitted a mouth-watering juicy smell.

“Hey, what are you doing? Why do you keep poking the meat?” Cheon Woo-Jin asked.

“Hey, Han Tae-Sung. Stop trying to play tricks now. What’s your excuse today? Are you going to say that you’re sad? Don’t even think about trying to act all pitiful just to make me pay for the meal,” Cheon Woo-Jin growled.

‘I’ll change my name to Dog Woo-Jin if I let this bastard dine and dash again! Dog Woo-Jin!’

Cheon Woo-Jin had come here with the determination that he would never allow Tae-Sung to dine and dash again.

“I already warned you it’s not going to work. Stop moping and eat your food, Tae-Sung.”

“Don’t talk to me… I’m not going to dine and dash today, so stop talking to me…” Tae-Sung replied.

“Bullshit.”

“I’m not in the mood to joke around with you.”

“Wow? You’re really not going to drop your concept today?”

“Hey!” Tae-Sung snapped in anger before he pressed the call button.

A waitress rushed over immediately and asked, “How may I help you, customer-nim?”

Tae-Sung gave his credit card and said, “I want to pay for our meal right now.”

“Certainly.”

The waitress returned two minutes later and passed Tae-Sung his credit card and receipt. “You paid 389,000 won.”

“Huh? You actually paid?” Cheon Woo-Jin asked with a hint of skepticism in his voice.

“Are you seriously asking even after seeing this?” Tae-Sung asked. He shoved the receipt to Cheon Woo-Jin’s face and added, “I’m not in a good mood today, so quit talking to me and just eat.”

“Hmm…?” Cheon Woo-Jin tilted his head in confusion.

“Haa…” Tae-Sung let out a sigh before poking the meat and moping once again.

‘What the hell’s wrong with him today?’ Cheon Woo-Jin wondered.

He couldn’t think of any reason for him to mope around like this. In fact, it should be the complete opposite as he placed first on the first-ever war content in BNW, the Constantine Civil War.

His achievement came with huge recognition for him as a gamer, as well as a ton of gold as a reward.

Han Tae-Sung was not only successful in the game; he was successful in real life as well. He was still in his twenties, but he lived in a three hundred square meters penthouse in Cheongdam-dong and drove a Ferrari on top of earning hundreds of millions a month.

What happened to him for him to be so sad?

Cheon Woo-Jin sensed that there was something wrong.

“Hey, did something happen? Is your mother unwell?” he asked.

“She’s healthy.”

“Did your sister get expelled from school?”

“She’s a model student.”

“Then… Did you lose your money gambling or investing in stocks?”

“I don’t do those things.”

“Then what? Why are you moping like that?”

“Ah, stop asking,” Tae-Sung grumbled in response before covering his face with his hands.

“Hey, Seung-Gu.”

“Yes, hyung-nim?”

“What’s wrong with that guy?”

“Ah, that’s—” Seung-Gu muttered.

However, Tae-Sung cut him off. “Hey! Don’t tell him!”

“Yes, hyung-nim.”

Cheon Woo-Jin realized that there was indeed something and decided to pester Seung-Gu.

“Hey! What is it? Are you keeping secrets from me now? What’s going on?!”

“Ah… It’s nothing, hyung-nim…” Seung-Gu replied awkwardly.

“Hey! Let me in on it, too!” Cheon Woo-Jin continued pestering him.

“Shut up!” Tae-Sung screamed.

“Hey! Han Tae-Sung! Are you really going to be like this?!” Cheon Woo-Jin retorted.

It was only after going back and forth screaming at each other that Tae-Sung lost to Cheon Woo-Jin’s stubborn pestering and decided to spill the beans.

“That’s…”

***

Yesterday, Siegfried froze in his tracks and canceled his log-out. He scanned the document stamped with the official seal of the Proatine Kingdom and screamed in despair, “No! NOOO! I’m getting married? No way! Why do I have to get into a political marriage?!”

“Hehehe… Have a good rest back in your world, Your Majesty. You may rest for a whole week if you want to,” Michele said with a sinister smirk, and then he added with a sleazy smile. “Your Majesty will be getting married soon, so I am certain you will need some time for yourself now.”

“Hey… You… Who gave you the right to—”

“I have the right as the legal representative of His Royal Majesty, King Siegfried van Proa of the Proatine Kingdom. Have you forgotten that you bestowed this power upon me, Your Majesty?”

“…”

“I am telling you this just in case Your Majesty forgets. Your Majesty is just reaping what Your Majesty sowed.”

“I’m reaping what I sowed…?”

“This happened because of the mess Your Majesty caused.”

“T-That was…”

“I simply came up with the best possible solution to resolve the problem Your Majesty caused, and that solution was to receive military aid from Elondel. Hohoho!”

‘This was the reason Brunhilde-nim appeared in Soosunhwa Village?!’ Siegfried finally realized that it was quite strange to see the elven princess in a mountain village of the holy empire with her entire squadron.

“S-See you soon… Hehehe…”

Her farewell sounded strange as well as she departed the Constantine Holy Empire.

‘Ah…’ Siegfried finally realized that he got stabbed in the back.

Justification.

He had basically offered the justification for Michele to stamp the political marriage agreement by causing trouble with the papacy.

“H-Hey...” Siegfried muttered. He flashed a desperate look and pleaded, “Michele-nim~?”

“Please stop that, Your Majesty.”

“Please look at me, sir~ I will not ever cause trouble ever again~”

“Nope.”

“Please have mercy on me, good sir~”

“I am not going to change my mind, Your Majesty.”

“I will be obedient from now on, Sir Michele~”

“Nothing will change my mind, so please drop the act, Your Majesty.”

“Please…”

“I would advise Your Majesty to go back to your world and rest up.”

Michele gave Siegfried the cold shoulder even though he was practically begging in a manner unbefitting of a king.

“Unfortunately, the agreement has been sealed by both kingdoms, and this document is the proof of the diplomatic promise between the Proatine Kingdom and Elondel. There is nothing Your Majesty can do to back out of this.”

“Ah…”

“Why did Your Majesty have to force me to take such a drastic decision?”

“…”

“Please return and have a good rest, Your Majesty.”

A thought suddenly popped up in Siegfried’s head.

Crack… Clang!

‘Should I make a run for it?’

He played a simulation of jumping out of the window to run away from the Proatine Kingdom, but…

‘I’m going to get caught in no time…’

Running away was not an option as Michele was going to mobilize all of the Proatine Kingdom’s forces, as well as the Elondel forces, to track him down.

He also couldn’t afford to hide from his own kingdom when both the Genesis Guild and the Church of Osric were eyeing an opportunity to invade it.

“And I will say this just in case Your Majesty tries to run away or break the agreement with Elondel,” Michele said as if he could read Siegfried’s mind.

“…”