Translator: Seven

  Editor: Ana_Banana

  In a tatami room(1) filled with the deep fragrance of tea, the Sword Saint was calmly cleaning a Katana.

  This was the Sword Saint’s only hobby.

  “Master.”


  And it was Miyazaki Sakura who interrupted him as he did this.

  As she entered the room, she called out to the Sword Saint.

  “Either we grasp it in our hands or handle it before it gets into someone else. It can only be one of these options.”


  As she said this, the Sword Saint’s expression was even sharper than the blade in his hands.

  “What do you think?”


  “It would be good if we can hold it in our hands.”


  “So what do you need?”


  “The Nemean Lion’s leather.”


  As she said this, the Sword Saint stared at her.

  The Nemean Lion’s leather was not something that could be given out easily, so when she had asked the first time, he told her it was impossible.

  But Miyazaki Sakura had once again requested it.

  Had it been anyone else, the Sword Saint would not have tolerated it the first time.

  “You’ve never pressed for something so much.”


  However, the one standing in front of him was the disciple who had never let the Sword Saint down.

  “Tell me what you’re planning.”


  Miyazaki Sakura nodded and said.

  “We don’t actually need to give them the item per se. We can give them a player to use the item.”


  The Sword Saint gestured with his chin for her to continue.

  “It’s the same method that Park Yong-wan used. Just like he strengthened his relationship with Isaac Ivanov by making Kim Woo-jin his teammate, we can also do the same. Isaac Ivanoc would also take it as increasing his own power.”


  It was a reasonable offer rather than giving the item to him directly.

  “What if Isaac Ivanov’s teammate refuses?”


  The problem was that it wasn’t Isaac Ivanov who was against the possibility of partnership, but his teammate.

  After all, wasn’t it Isaac Ivanov’s teammate who ruined their previous meeting?

  Would he be able to accept a new teammate from the Sword Saint’s side?

  “There’s a high chance that he’ll refuse.”


  Of course, there was almost no doubt about that.

  “So we should use this opportunity to get rid of him.”


  “Get rid of him?”


  That’s why Miyazaki Sakura made a new plan.

  “I’ll show Isaac Ivanov that there are better talents out there than his teammate.”


  To change Isaac Ivanov’s team.

  Those words made the Sword Saint’s eyes narrow.

  “Is it possible?”


  “Recently, it has been confirmed that Isaac Ivanov’s teammate has been frequenting a new bar. It seems their relationship isn’t as close as it used to be.”


  The Sword Saint’s narrowed eyes became cold when she said that.

  Was that all?

  When she saw this, Miyazaki Sakura hurried to explain.

  “First of all, I clearly saw the madness in Isaac Ivanov’s eyes. He would do whatever it took to attack dungeons.”


  Only then did the Sword Saint close his narrowed eyes.

  “What do you need?”


  “Give the Nemean Lion’s leather to the three Ishikawa siblings. They would be much better than Isaac Ivanov’s current teammate.”


  “How would you show that?”


  “Make Isaac Ivanov challenge the Hellhound dungeon with the Ishikawa siblings. Together, their chances of clearing it are incredibly high. After that, Isaac Ivanov would surely want the Ishikawa siblings to become his teammates.”


  “And what will Isaac Ivanov’s teammate do?”


  Miyazaki Sakura laughed at that question.

  “If he has his own pride then he will leave on his own. And if he doesn’t have pride then we can simply force him out.”


  The Sword Saint didn’t ask any more questions.

  This was a sign of approval.

  …


  “Just as expected.”


  Oh Se-chan, who was looking at a monitor, immediately called out to one of his subordinates.

  “Do you know the three Ishikawa siblings?”


  When asked this question, the subordinate nodded as though it was natural.

  “Of course I know. Aren’t they one of the hottest groups of talents in 4 Floor dungeons in Japan currently?”


  The three Ishikawa siblings.

  They consisted of twin brothers and a younger sister, as one could tell from their name, and they were among the most famous players active in 4 Floor dungeons in Japan.

  There were many reasons for their fame.

  Since they were players under the Sword Saint, they received active support from the Japanese media as well as support on a national level, so it would be strange if they weren’t well known.

  “Their skill as tanks are top notch.”


  However, the biggest reason for their fame was the fact that all three siblings were capable of taking on the role of tank to face monsters.

  And there were no shortcomings in their ability.

  “There’s even a saying that whenever an A rank dungeon appears, three spots are always reserved for the three siblings.”


  This was evidenced by the fact that they had already successfully cleared nine A rank or higher dungeons.

  “It seems the Sword Saint’s side is trying to attach the three Ishikawa siblings to Isaac Ivanov.”


  The Sword Saint’s people had offered to have this celebrity group support Isaac Ivanov.

  “Huh? But doesn’t he have Lee Jin-ah?”


  “They want to give him a better tank than Lee Jin-ah.”


  “Is there a reason for that?”


  “Because they are reluctant to just hand the item over. They’d rather give someone the item instead. After all, if they just give the item then that’s it, but if they manage to attach their people, then the relationship could continue.”


  It wasn’t difficult to grasp the Sword Saint’s intentions.

  That’s why Oh Se-chan burst out laughing.

  “They’re really looking down on Jin-ah.”


  The reason why the Sword Saint’s people, who had definitely investigated Kim Woo-jin and Lee Jin-ah, were able to make such a decision was because they were confident that they could replace Lee Jin-ah.

  In other words, it meant that they were sure the three Ishikawa siblings were better than Lee Jin-ah.

  “Anyway, the scenario will probably go like this. The Sword Saint seems to have an undisclosed A+ rank dungeon. They will ask Isaac Ivanov to attack this dungeon, and attach a helper while they’re at it.”


  “And that helper will be the three Ishikawa siblings.”


  “But do you know what’s needed to attack an A+ dungeon?”


  “Verification is necessary to attack dungeons above B rank.”


  “Right, they need to be verified.”


  The risk of failure was so great that even if the players were asked to attack, they still needed to verify through a B rank or higher dungeon that they were qualified to attack.

  Of course, this was only the case for publicly disclosed dungeons.

  There was no need to do so for a dungeon that had been hidden away.

  The Sword Saint’s side would reveal one of their hidden cards.

  “Well, the odds of Isaac Ivanov failing to verify are practically zero. He would naturally attack the A+ rank dungeon. And the moment they clear the dungeon, the Japanese media would wrap it up like this.”


  Naturally, there was a reason to reveal this card.

  “Isaac Ivanov and the three Ishikawa siblings save the world!”


  Through that card, they would paint the image that Isaac Ivanov and the three Ishikawa siblings were now teammates.

  “So will you accept it?”


  “That’s not for me to decide.”


  Only then did Oh Se-chan explain his reason for calling his subordinate.

  “I want you to summarize everything I just told you and tell it to Kim Woo-jin.”


  (Note:

  1. A tatami room is a fixture in washitsu, or traditional Japanese interior design. Once the mark of nobility, modern tatami rooms serve as study areas in temples and as living or sleeping areas in homes.)