HACS 130

A long time ago—back when I was managing the cafe as the sole cafe master after pacifying all the trolls—this is a story from those days.

I hated cliques because I didn’t want to be targeted by the regulars with favorable impressions as a “liked regular” after all that socializing, but I still maintained at least minimal conversation.

And what was trendy back then was: if D/Z SAGA were to be adapted into an anime, whose route would it take and what story would it follow?

Naturally, there were different positions.

Eve’s faction, Regina’s faction of complete lunatics, Filtia’s faction, and Isolde’s faction all fought bloody battles against each other.

—

– *Eve-nim’s Bodyguard*: Wouldn’t it be the national route, Eve-nim’s route? Why else would she be the title heroine?

– *Embracing an Angel’s Wings*: Yeah, but your heroine placed 3rd in popularity.

– *Eve-nim’s Bodyguard*: MOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BAN THE TROLLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

– *Isolde-nim’s Amethyst*: Honestly, who doesn’t know Eve’s route lol if they’re going to do it, Isolde’s route is the way. The weight of a route that straddles both light and darkness—don’t you get it?

– *Call Her Lady Sierra, You Guys*: If we’re talking light and darkness, Regina-nim is a year younger, so doesn’t it make more sense to go with Regina-nim’s route?

– *Isolde-nim’s Amethyst*: Where do you live, you son of a bitch?

– *Call Her Lady Sierra, You Guys*: I’m just saying lol why you gotta go full throttle like I’m simping for a heroine lol;

– *Isolde-nim’s Amethyst*: I’ll drop my number right now so call me, or you’re dead for real.

– *Filtia’s Loyal Soldier*: We don’t wish for a main route. We would just like to see her in an OVA. Having been corrupted once, we have all the more no right to stand on the stage of light.

– *Isolde-nim’s Amethyst*: You Filtia-faction bastards are transfer-trash yet you dress up your concepts with reasons—can’t the mod just collectively ban all of you?

– *Filtia’s Loyal Soldier*: We carry our sins ourselves. We merely pray that there is light in Filtia’s future.

—

Anyway, the people who had been fighting so fiercely eventually started discussing things like which episode should go with which heroine’s route.

– *Call Her Lady Sierra, You Guys*: Speaking of which, what would be good for a beach episode? There’s the heaven-blessed map and the underwater temple too—lots of options, right?

– *Filtia’s Loyal Soldier*: I’d like to show Filtia the sea too. That child would be happy.

– *Isolde-nim’s Amethyst*: That concept is so fucking annoying—mod, aren’t you doing your job?

– *Eve-nim’s Bodyguard*: Just imagine them in swimsuits, going [“It’s the sea!”] [“It’s pointless if you hide your swimsuit!”] [“Ehh, I’m embarrassed!”] [“Fufu. Hyah!”] and giggling and squealing—honestly that’s… so good. Legit, this is the angle. Agree? Agree go?

– *Isolde-nim’s Amethyst*: Go

– *Call Her Lady Sierra, You Guys*: Go

– *Embracing an Angel’s Wings*: Go

– *Filtia’s Loyal Soldier*: You bastards, were you looking at those children with those lust-filled eyes!!!

—

Anyway, that’s how I had to watch those idiotic fights under the excuse of cafe moderation, and an unwanted beach episode got seared into my memory.

Of course—

– *Super Youngjin*: The five-way topic is overheating too much so I’ve given everyone a 6-hour ban. Cool your heads and come back.

Justice was served.

—

A few days later. The day to head to the sea dawned.

After loading a mountain of luggage onto the Black King’s ship, I waited—and one by one, they arrived.

“You’re here.”

“Yes.”

The first to arrive was Eve.

That day, after Eve left, I fell into thought.

*’What if Eve actually thinks of me as a rival walking the path to the throne?’*

I entertained that small doubt.

But no, there’s no way that’s true. Eve just wanted to go to the sea. Haha.

There’s one reason I’m doubting this, and one reason to dismiss that doubt.

Eve is quite—no, very serious about becoming Emperor in her own route. Considering the circumstances tied to her, that’s no ordinary resolve.

That’s the “reason to doubt.”

Second. Eve is strong.

Rudika Hassan Shadow at least has countermeasures, but Eve has none whatsoever. You just get pierced by her spear and die on the spot. Magic Power 22 can kill me with a glare alone. And she considers me a rival?

Eve?

Why?

That’s the “reason I dismissed my doubt about Eve.”

Finally, the reason I myself didn’t show any sign of it was—

But if I were to show any hint of “Yes, I will become Emperor”—wouldn’t that be acknowledging rebellion?

I’d get a spear through the belly and be buried on the spot.

The authority over Zefflin’s hundred thousand still belongs to Eve.

I don’t want to die.

“Wolfram.”

“What.”

“…No. It’s nothing.”

“Hm.”

This strange atmosphere.

It feels suffocating.

Haha.

At this rate, am I actually going to die and get thrown into the sea?

For real?

—

“Ah. Eve. Hello.”

“…Hello.”

Ayla tilted her head at Eve’s arrival, then smiled and extended her hand.

“Welcome. Did you come to go to the sea?”

“No, I came to monitor—I mean, to go to the sea.”

“I see.”

After that, everyone arrived.

Ayla. Millefeuille. Nefty. Rudika. Eve. And me.

“Ah, did everyone prepare that thing? How about the little chick?”

“Yes. I prepared it…”

“Rudika and Nefty are fine. Right, Nefty?”

“No problem! How about you, President Eve?”

“Well, I at least have something too…”

The six of us. It was the start of a sea trip that would remain in our memories forever.

—

We arrived at the heaven-blessed heights quickly, pushed through the forest terrain, and reached the coastline I’d scouted before.

Of course, we ran into monsters on the way. They were stronger than expected, and the items they dropped were decent too.

In terms of web novels I used to read before regression, this would have been about three thousand characters’ worth, but this bloody, grueling battle wasn’t good for my mental health, so I deleted it from my mind.

Anyway, after that big fight, the reactions between the three newcomers seeing the sea for the first time and the three veterans who’d seen it before were distinctly different.

“…Phew. I’m not getting numb to it.”

“Why is Senior Rudika acting like that?”

“The heat of battle hasn’t cooled yet. Leave her be.”

What a battle junkie.

Anyway, that was roughly the reaction of the sea-veteran trio.

“…It’s the sea. This vastness that seems to hold the whole world alone. My heart swells. Someday, I will rebel.”

“Wow… The sea I only read about in novels. Fufu. It’s so romantic.”

“There was a place like this in Zefflin…? I’m the student council president, so how did I not know any of this…?”

The newcomers’ reactions were roughly that.

Hm. The sea really is great.

“Th, then shall we change into our swimsuits soon…”

“Ah, right. 【Black Crystal: Barrier: Double Activation】”

“Wow. You can’t see inside from outside. Can you see out from inside?”

“If you can’t see Rudika, then that’s how it is, right?”

“I guess so. I can’t see her.”

“Fufu. Of course. By the way, Nefty, aren’t you changing?”

“I have something to do first. I’ll change when I have time later.”

Hm. Behind me, they’re talking about changing clothes.

Then this Wolfram will graciously take his leave.

“Patrasche. Follow me.”

“…You’re really going to do that?”

“Hm. No more talk, just follow.”

—

Super Youngjin. The days when I survived among all the popular regulars and maintained the fan cafe to the end suddenly came to mind.

The cafe always had similar topics circulating, and thanks to that, I had to stuff anime content I’d never even seen into my head.

Of course, even while reading, there were many things I couldn’t understand.

For example:

First, everyone gathers. Then they all run toward the sea with one heart and one mind and jump.

**【It’s the sea!】**

Everyone can see that. Is there any reason to shout it all together? Why are you jumping? Even if it’s a sandy beach, you’ll hurt yourself if you fall. What if there’s a piece of glass hidden in the sand and someone gets cut? That’s a disaster right from the start.

**【Hey, don’t pull so hard!】**

**【Ehh. I went through all the trouble of putting it on—it’d be a waste not to show you!】**

That’s personal freedom. Don’t infringe on it.

**【Hey hey, let’s smash a watermelon. Huh?】**

If you smash a watermelon on the beach, sand gets all over the cut surface and it becomes inedible, doesn’t it? Are you going to rinse it with water? Then why not just slice it neatly and eat it? You came all the way to the sea and you need to waste bottled water?

**【Ah. A beach shack. Want to grab something to eat?】**

**【Ehh? But we’re having barbecue at night…】**

**【We can eat that later too!】**

And why would you go to a beach shack to eat noodles at twice the regular price? Just quietly grill some meat at night.

**【Let’s play beach volleyball!】**

That’s a nuisance to the people around you. Why are you playing ball games there?

No. That’s not the romance of the sea.

Especially in D/Z SAGA, the romance of the sea is even less like that.

To commemorate this beach group outing, I had stocked up on ample supplies, and with the quick cash I’d raised, I was ready to have some real fun.

Between the rocks. Just ahead was the real sea, boasting deep waters.

Not the kind of coastline where kids splash around laughing.

This right here is the **spot**.

Yes. Like a true Korean, I came to do what you absolutely must do when you go to the sea—**【fishing】**.

“Now, Patrasche. Set up the fishing rod, secure it, scatter the bait, put the bait on the hook, cast it into the sea, and when there’s a bite, reel it in.”

“…Then what will you be doing, Master?”

“I’ll be setting up my fishing chair.”

“Drop dead, Master.”

Thanks for the compliment.

Of course, I want to feel the fight too. I want to feel the bite. But with my Stamina, I’m not confident I could even beat a goldfish.

Anyway, after setting up the fishing rods, I sat leisurely in my fishing chair and gazed at the sea.

“Fishing like this… isn’t an easy thing to do, normally.”

“Is that so. I suppose so. Given your stamina, Master, that makes sense.”

“No… well, I suppose so.”

To be exact, even in modern times, going out fishing wasn’t easy. Especially if you don’t live near the coast and are buried in work.

That’s why this isn’t just fishing healing I’d only seen on TV—this is my real first fishing trip.

Of course, as Lee Young-jin, a subscriber to a million fishing YouTubers, I’ve mastered everything. My fishing is invincible.

Moreover, in D/Z SAGA, you don’t just catch fish.

As your fishing skill increases, you sometimes catch magic-enchanting items or even monsters.

“It’s cold, Patrasche. Summon some fire in the air.”

“……”

Patrasche looked at me like I was trash, but I didn’t mind.

Hm.

Warm is nice.

After that, one of the fishing rods began to shake wildly.

“…Isn’t that a bite?”

“Hm. A pretty big one.”

Patrasche immediately used telekinesis to pull up the fish, and the creature thrashing on the hook flew through the air.

“…Huh?”

And the two of us harmonized in exclamation.

—

Eve von Lohengrin’s swimsuit was splendid.

A pure white swimsuit with golden threads flowing across it—a noble bearing.

No, it was so noble it was giving me a headache.

The problem was that this was something that didn’t reflect Eve von Lohengrin’s tastes at all.

‘…….’

It was apparently a student council president exclusive swimsuit created at the time of Zefflin Academy’s founding, like the “Emperor’s Cloak” that only the student council president could wear.

Naturally, it came with three options: automatic cleaning, permanent preservation, and automatic repair. Ah, plus temperature maintenance. It was truly worthy of being called a “Lohengrin treasure.”

While thinking that outsourcing to Yggdrasil would take too long, she discovered for the first time that such a thing existed among the student council president’s exclusive supplies, and somehow brought it along… but why does this even exist?

“Now, little chick! Show us your swimsuit!”

“…I, I’m embarrassed, Senior.”

“Ufufu. It’d be a waste if you don’t show it after going through all the trouble of wearing it, right?”

Ignoring Wolfram’s fiancée and the next student council officer candidate chattering beside her, Eve lightly leaped over the Black Crystal barrier. She’d never learned levitation magic, but with Magic Power 22, making her body fly was simple.

“…As I thought.”

She clenched her fist.

Wolfram von Lohengrin and his subordinate wolf were nowhere to be seen.

Where on earth did they disappear to?

What scheme are they plotting again?

Before, she couldn’t even follow him, but now this place was the sea.

First, she’d find Wolfram, and this time—she’d figure out from the start exactly what he was up to.

Eve spread her magic detection and searched for Wolfram’s magic pattern.

“…Magic Power 3 is too faint!”

Nearby, there was Ayla with Magic Power 19. Her wavelength was so strong, and deeper in the forest she could feel comparable magic power. This was truly the “outside”—finding Wolfram’s Magic Power 3 within it was a painstaking task.

“Gh…!”

She turned off Soul Chain and amplified her magic power. Naturally, fatigue washed over her.

But now she could at least use Magic Power 21. It was a shame she couldn’t use maximum output, but Magic Power 21 was plenty for detection.

She spread her magical flow thin and wide. Among the endless magical wavelengths pouring into her head, she first filtered out the strong ones. She removed the four people behind her from detection, then erased the hundreds—no, thousands—of monsters in the forest. Her head throbbed.

Was Wolfram hiding alone in a place with thousands of monsters?

“If something happens to you there, what are you going to do, you idiot Wolfram…!”

Eve didn’t realize that her own words of reproach clearly contained worry.

More than that, she had to find Wolfram, who’d gone off alone on this field.

And soon, her detection net caught a faint, faint Magic Power 3.

Next to it, a flame-like magic power. Probably between 17 and 19. Undoubtedly Wolfram’s fairy, Patrasche.

And…

“It’s not just the two of them?”

Before them, another magic power was detected.

No small amount of magic power.

She turned Soul Chain back on, and Eve ran swiftly. As a pure mage, her movement speed wasn’t fast, and the sandy beach was hard even to walk on, let alone run—but she lashed her legs forward.

Wolfram’s destination was undoubtedly among the rocks overlooking the deep waters, not too far away.

The magic power she felt as she drew closer became clearer. It’s not two. It’s three. They’re very close together.

She could see Wolfram’s back. She could also see the wolf. Both were frozen like stone.

“Wolfram! Off on your own again. Step back from there for now!”

Eve went right in front of Wolfram and confirmed the possessor of the third magic power.

What she saw was the upper body of a human woman.

“This beast…!”

Did he come out here alone to enjoy a secret tryst? Does he have any idea how worried people were?

To confirm who it was “again,” Eve stopped herself from driving a light spear into Wolfram’s belly and decided to identify the being first.

It could be someone like Filtia—a living witness to history. Or if it were a dragon, she couldn’t afford to make a scene again.

Hm.

Human upper body. No doubt.