The coastal estuary of Mokpo.
Krashatria, a.k.a. The Special Autonomous Region for the Kikiruks, was a hive of activity.
With the arrival of 10,000 survivors, administrative and local problems overlapped, and the first challenge was securing a place for them to live.
"Okay, let's dig by category on the tidal flats over here! It'll be low tide soon, but you don't mind, do you?"
-Giggles!
-Giggle!
Han Ha-ri, recently established as a goddess of the sea and waves, has been working with Yakt Spinner, the de facto landowner of the Kikiruks, to help develop their settlement.
"Lord Yappy, are we really going to build a house on a tidal flat? I hear they can breathe underwater."
-No problem. They're self-sustaining, as long as they have nests and hunting grounds for breeding.
"I think it would be a big deal just to feed them."
The resources of tidal flats are not infinite. There was also a backlash from local residents who said it was destroying nature through overdevelopment.
The good news is that their fertility and growth rate returned to normal after leaving the gate.
Although their lifespan is half that of humans, they can reach adulthood in three years, which is quite fast.
-Collaboration with Mokpo City and neighboring coastal cities is planned.
"Ah, so they're used for fishing, community development, and menial labor?"
Even though their average strength is below Class D, that alone is a tremendous force for labor. And with their freedom of movement in the ocean, they shouldn't have any trouble finding work.
"Survivors who are not used to modern Earth civilization are often scammed, so please tell them to be careful."
The survivors receive substantial grants and state support. Unless you're an outlier like Leon, there's no shortage of settlement grants and monthly subsidies.
Of course, there were scammers who took advantage of this, and although the number of cases is small, it is a serious social problem.
-No problem. Signing up for the TTG Guild Life Assurance Service.
"Life Assurance Service?"
-It provides various services for all administrative and legal problems of subscribers.
"Is there such a thing? Can I join?"
-Already signed up.
"...?"
I've never heard of it.
"Me?"
-You've been benefiting from the peace of mind service for the past month.
"...."
Ha-ri felt a little uneasy.
"Uh, how much am I paying?"
-Ten percent.
"Scammer!"
Ha-ri was about to say something in frustration, but then she felt cheap.
"Wait… This time, they'll be given a resettlement grant and a monthly subsidy, right?"
There are ten thousand survivors. The amount of money they're legally guaranteed is astronomical.
-Subscribed, of course. With nothing left.
"Lord Yappy's wealth management schemes are getting more vicious by the day!"
-No one of the Kikiruks complained.
"Of course not, they're a race with no sense of economics!
Heck, even orcs recognize the value of money, so they'll sell drugs or work as mercenaries but the kikiruks don't need money because they're self-sufficient under the sea.
A few fish a day was enough for them.
"How did they open an account?!"
-TTG Guild Reassurance Service.
"How did you transfer the money? It's not even yours!"
-Hacked bank.
"It's a crime!"
-I received consent.
Vicious. What in the world has he done to deserve this much money?
"Don't you think you're a little too obsessed with money, even if the king told you to?"
-For good measure.
"What is it?"
-Confidential.
"Scammer…!"
That was it. As if on cue, Yappy hopped down from Ha-ri's shoulder.
"What's going on?"
-A dispute at the harbor. Someone is messing with the local fishermen's fish allowance.
"It's a big deal, should I go help?"
-No need. You'll pay for it later when you go out to sea.
"Ah...."
It's not just the kikiruks who have migrated to the Korean coast.
With the construction of an altar to Poma, the god of the sea and waves, the belief in Poma was also spreading among fishermen.
Perhaps in the future, whether or not they worshiped him would determine the amount of fish they caught and the safety of their voyages.
"Hmm… I feel like Korean society is becoming increasingly infiltrated by the TTG Guild, and there's even a public opinion that all politicians should serve the goddess of light and justice."
The petition came after news spread about divine punishment for failing to follow the goddess' code.
Once, when reporters had interviewed Leon about the kingdom's culture, it had become quite an issue.
"So, Your Majesty, you're saying that in your kingdom, nobles and officials were free of corruption?"
"Of course not. There were some scum who foolishly got caught up in the greed of the moment, but that's okay, they've all been torn to shreds."
-So… all the corrupt ones went to hell?
-There is no hell in the Ten Thousand Gods doctrine. It's either heaven or reincarnation.
-The soul is torn apart and reincarnated according to the weight of the sin.
-If it's too heavy, your soul is destroyed.
-Lol.
-Shouldn't we apply this to all politicians so they can all go to hell?
-Honey.
The South Korean political establishment broke out in a cold sweat and claimed religious freedom in response to the petition.
A white-winged pegasus landed in front of Ha-ri and Yappy, who were circling the shore to check on the kikiruks.
"Your Majesty!"
-Your Majesty.
The two casually dropped to one knee in deference. Leon said.
"Get on."
When Leon offered to take her aboard Stallion, Ha-ri was surprised. This was the king's steed, Stallion usually only carried Queen Beatrice or Yappy.
It was an emergency at the East Sea Gate, but this time it was really unexpected──
"Your Majesty?"
"Uhm...."
Leon stared at Ha-ri with a puzzled expression as she tried to figure out how to get on Stallion.
'Is it because I'm a lowly commoner that you don't want me to ride?!'
This Lionhearted King was the embodiment of classism.
"Whoa...."
Leon sighed for some reason, then dismounted and held out one hand in a polite gesture. It was knightly etiquette.
"Get on."
"Eh?!"
Ha-ri's eyes widened at the polite, gentle tone she'd never heard before.
"Why, why are you doing this, you're scaring me...."
"Ride on, fool," was the usual response, "It's an honor for a lowly commoner to ride the king's horse."
The sight of Leon politely extending his hand to invite her to ride was more than astonishing, it was horrifying.
"Tsk. Get on."
Leon clicked his tongue in disbelief, but politely put Ha-ri on his horse. As he soared into the sky, he handed her a document.
"What, what is this?"
"A manor."
"A manor?"
What Leon handed over was a land document for a part of the Naju Plain. A deed, to be exact.
"The land is yours. Take care of it."
"Uh, uh, is this real?"
It's not a big piece of land, but it's where the blessed crops grow, so it's worth it. Ha-ri looked like she's asking if she deserves this, but Leon gave her a wry smile.
"As a knight of the realm, it is customary for the kingdom to grant you a manor. I know it's unclear where you belong, but as someone chosen by the gods, it's only natural."
"Hmm…I still don't quite understand why the gods chose me."
Ha-ri was essentially chosen by Petos, the god of war and flame since her affinity for fire was so innate that it manifested as a unique skill.
But even Poma, the god of the sea and the waves, chose Ha-ri as his maiden, not only because she was beautiful… but for a surprisingly different reason.
Purity.
The gods favor those who are unspoiled, blank slates.
As knights swear to love purely, the purity of their view of the world is a rare gift.
Especially in the twenty-first century, a human like Ha-ri was a rarity, so she was sure to attract attention.
"In any case, you are now officially a knight of the realm and a goddess. Be aware of your position and spread the word of the gods."
"Ah, I understand, my lord, and I will do my best──"
"And mend that ridiculous way of speaking. I will not ask for a lady's manners, but you need not lower yourself."
"Ah, yes, I understand…!"
Ha-ri now realized that she was now a noble who would be treated differently by Leon. If she was given a manor, wasn't she a de facto noble?
"Your Majesty?"
"Speak."
"So am I a noble now?"
"Yes....."
Ha-ri couldn't resist asking with a smirk on her face, so he admitted it.
"Yes, you are. You're second only to the Queen and Lord Spinner, at least in the pantheon."
"Is that so?"
"Hmm?"
"Then Lord Yappy!"
-Hmm?
Yappy hopped up on her shoulder at Ha-ri's question.
"Don't be disrespectful to me in the future, I'm…I'm a noble too, noble."
-Snap!
"Ack, when did you hit me, now?!"
-Don't be rude, organism. No respect for an unintelligent monkey.
"Your Majesty, ahh… we're the same noble, but I got hit."
Leon sighed deeply as he watched Ha-ri cry out in frustration.
* * * *
In a separate warehouse in the TTG Guild compound, Beatrice set up her magic workshop.
As the Magician Queen of the Kingdom of Spero and the High Priestess of the Goddess of Dreams and Death, she has many powers.
Among them is the ability of entering a target's dreams and extracting information from them, and that target was Hildir, the "thing" they captured in the Jeju Gate.
"You have come, Your Majesty.
Beatrice greeted Leon.
"How are the results of your research?"
"Successful, I say. Would you like to see it?"
Beatrice showed the Crown of Craving, the centerpiece of her workshop.
It was the crown of craving, obtained by defeating the former Archdemon of Pleasure, Androzin. It had been recovered by Fle, the goddess of dreams and death.
"It became clear that the demons were using the gates, as your Majesty had predicted."
The questions began with the Fluctuation Gate.
How could the demons have changed the gate to a Demon Gate in time for Leon's entry?
Coincidence? Yes, it could be a coincidence. But the suspicions came to a head at the Jeju Gate when the quest to save the slaughtered and defeat the majestic Georgic appeared.
It was seemingly just a quest to save the barbarians who had sold their souls to an evil god and defeat the honorable Holy Knight.
At this point, Leon was convinced that the system and the quests given to the Awakened were not "well-meaning," but rather "malicious" in their intentions to steer the Awakened to their own ends.
Then came the East Sea Gate.
This quest culminated in the destruction of the stone statues that held the seal of the Demon Archduke Rakshar.
"As it turns out, the gate is divided into two types: 'real space' and 'imaginary space'."
"What is real space?"
"The Kingdom of Spero, where I was, the city that Lord Yappy guarded, and the Black Gate that you returned from, in other words, the gates where the 'survivors' are."
Those places have one thing in common.
They are home to survivors of worlds that have not been completely destroyed and have not been completely taken over by demons.
In reality, Beatrice was merely undergoing a hundred years of time looping and corruption, and the Cheongju Gate also had a millennial guardian in the form of the Yakt Spinner.
The same is true of the gate to which Leon returned, where the demons were eventually slaughtered and the last survivor survived, but the world was not conquered by the demons.
"The second example, on the other hand, is just a place that mimics the real world; it's literally a virtual space that takes a moment in the past and recreates it."
This was the case with the Orc Gate, and it was the case with the Jeju Island Gate, where Georgic and the knights were.
The gates mimic an event or place, and hunters can do the quests there to retrieve items, magic stones, and more.
"So there's a difference between 'real' and 'virtual'."
"There's a difference between 'virtual reward' and 'real reward' with a clear purpose."
Why can't you just call it fake?
Items, rewards, traits and gates.
The Gate's resources are the foundation of human society.
"It's also what distinguishes 'survivors' from 'NPCs' on Earth."
"You're referring to the magic stone, which replaces the heart."
"Yes. Also, given the examples of Sir Georgic and me, the Gate seems to be able to regress."
We can speculate on its identity, but it also begs the question.
If the Gates, or "virtual spaces," are demonic farms, why do they allow us to mine all sorts of items and magic stones?
"One thing's for sure. Nothing in this world is free."
"I agree."
In fact, it was a question anyone could ask.
Why did the gates occur, and why do they all have a common resource: magic stones?
How could there be such a common object in so many worlds?
There were a few doubters, but they were not the mainstream.
"This world has become accustomed to the bounty of the magic stones, and even if there are doubters, they will not give it up for economic reasons."
Blinded by immediate profit, the cost of changing the system is too great.
Even the promised doom is ignored and passed on to the next generation. That's how humans have always handled risk in any world.
"Foolish things cannot be helped. That's why we need monarchs and nobles with truly noble duties."
Leon is willing to take on that role. It is a duty he feels he cannot fulfill unless he is the bearer of the divine mandate and has proof of his kingship.
"The conspiracy of evil has reached alarming proportions. We must act quickly to counter them, and I have heard that this gate is something we can utilize."
"Technically, I'm only talking about 'virtual space'. A gate with survivors or a gate with demons requires a medium to specify the 'coordinates'."
"So you want me to use this to input the coordinates of the gate?"
At that, Beatrice shook her head.
"As it is an evil object, it will leap to a place associated with it, so why don't you try something else first?"
"Something else?"
"How about using Your Majesty's holy objects as coordinates?"
"Sacred objects?"
Leon had a holy sword, a holy spear, and a holy grail. There are many other things that could be called holy, but those are the three.
"Well, it's worth a shot. What should I carry?"
"Fuel for the gate summoning… that is, a large amount of magic stones. We'll need a lot… a lot, a lot, a lot, a lot, of it."
If the item is the navigation that takes the coordinates of the gate, then the magic stones are the fuel to reach the gate.
It takes a lot of them, and like all gates, it has a duration of between a week and ten days.
The question is, where do you get them?
"It's simple. There are still plenty of places to mine them in the world."
Leon quickly realized the intent of Beatrice's words, and he immediately contacted Yappy and Ha-ri.
"Issue an order and rally all available forces. We will attack the gates indiscriminately from now on."