[Luna] – [248,000]
[Ah, here’s a break announcement…]
[There was supposed to be a comeback stream today, but I ended up making plans with Irene (she said it’s okay to mention her!), so I’ll be taking the day off and see you next time!]
[Why don’t you just stream this!]
[You’re going to turn the Warrior Guild’s best content into something to do off-stream?]
[Grinding teeth noises]
[What’s with streamers these days being so secretive about Irene?]
[I went out today, and I swear I’ll track you down while wandering outside. If I catch you, you better be prepared—I’ll sponsor with an absurdly huge gold donation!]
“So today was originally supposed to be Luna’s stream comeback day, huh.”
Until Luna arrived, I was fiddling with my device.
Luna had been on a break until now.
Naturally, it was because of the game from last time.
She had essentially cleared six dungeons back-to-back without rest, so it was no surprise she was completely wiped out.
Honestly, for a normal person, it wouldn’t be strange at all if they ended up bedridden.
That’s why she was barely hanging on during the detective stream.
She almost collapsed right before the broadcast ended.
Not long after that, she posted a break announcement, saying she’d fallen ill.
‘Why do I feel guilty about this somehow?’
It doesn’t matter.
I’m the villain, after all!
While I was busy with pointless thoughts, I was watching a replay of Elian’s broadcast.
“Huff… Huff… I’m sorry I’m late, Irene!”
From far away, a pink-haired girl came running breathlessly.
She was gasping for air as soon as she arrived—she must’ve sprinted the whole way here.
Seeing Luna like this, I checked my watch.
“There’s still 30 minutes left until the appointment time.”
“But I got here later than you, Irene, so I’m late!”
Unlike me, who came wearing the same usual outfit, Luna had clearly dressed up quite a bit.
If someone else saw us, they might mistake this for a date.
Her appearance was so different from usual that it was a bit jarring.
That’s probably because Luna never really cared about her looks.
In her monster-hunting streams, it was more about survival than looks, so that was understandable.
But even in her casual streams, Luna didn’t seem to grasp the concept of “dressing up.”
So seeing her now, with her hair styled and tied up on one side, was new to me.
She almost looked like Luna’s older sister.
Or should I say “big sister”?
I turned off my device and stood up.
Luna stared at me for a moment before asking,
“Can you use anti-recognition magic too?”
“Well, I am quite multi-talented, you know.”
In reality, I could use pretty much every kind of magic.
Of course, this included cooking magic and teleportation.
And then there’s this Irene character.
Since I had nothing better to do, I stuffed her with all kinds of glitches and exploits.
As a result, there wasn’t a single spell I couldn’t use.
Even now, I can simultaneously use warrior-exclusive and archer-exclusive magic.
This anti-recognition magic was one of them.
It’s originally a mage-exclusive spell.
Irene, however, is a magic swordsman character.
Completely different class.
“But you look really tired.”
“Ehehe… Is it that obvious?”
“Yes, very.”
Luna gave a shy smile and explained what had happened last night.
“Actually, this is my first time going out like this… so I was really excited. I stayed up thinking about what to wear and where to go, and before I knew it, the morning sun had risen.”
No wonder her outfit looked so polished.
Now I was starting to feel guilty again.
Since I was already out, maybe I should change my outfit too.
Not that I didn’t like what I was wearing now—a cape with gold embroidery on the shoulders.
It looked like some unimpressive decorative item, but I’d been wearing it for three years because I liked it so much.
‘Still, since this is real life now, I guess I should switch it up.’
Not for any particular reason; I just felt like it.
Honestly, I also wanted to eat something good.
While magic could fill my hunger, the food it created was like space rations—bland and functional, just enough to satiate.
If I was going to eat, I might as well enjoy it.
And if I was already out, now was the perfect time to buy clothes too.
When I shared my thoughts with Luna, she asked with a beaming smile,
“Really? Is that okay?”
What’s with that look?
“I can’t believe I get to spend such precious time with you, Irene!”
“Didn’t you announce your stream break specifically to spend the whole day with me?”
“Well, yeah, but hearing it directly from you feels totally different.”
“Then experiencing it firsthand will feel even more different.”
I stood up leisurely and extended my hand to Luna.
She hesitated for a moment, seemingly pondering its meaning, before suddenly lighting up as if a light bulb had gone off in her head.
She grabbed my hand.
Initially, I’d only planned to buy a transmitter, but somehow, I ended up hanging out with Luna.
Who knows if you could even call this a “date,” but this strange encounter had turned into something unique.
How long has it been since this began?
I’d been worrying up until now.
Luna had said she’d never really enjoyed herself properly before.
I thought she’d be awkward or shy, or maybe she’d struggle to find her way around stores.
But—
“Irene! Look, there’s a mini-game here where you hit monster dolls with magic!”
“That sounds fun.”
“Irene! Over there, Count Lanemore is hosting an event!”
“What kind of event?”
“Not knowing is what makes it fun!”
In reality, it was the exact opposite of what I’d expected.
I thought I’d be the one leading, but instead, Luna was the one dragging me around everywhere.
She suddenly walked into a shop saying she wanted to test her magical sensitivity, then she insisted the bread from another store was delicious and bought a ton to take with her.
At this point, I was genuinely curious.
‘How on earth does someone like this not have any friends?’
Luna wasn’t lacking in any way.
If anything, she was the epitome of what people call a social butterfly.
And yet, she had no friends and had never gone out with anyone before?
That thought passed quickly when Luna said,
“You said you wanted to buy clothes, right, Irene?”
“Yes.”
“Then there’s no better place than this one!”
“Ahh, wait! I didn’t say I was ready to go yet—!”
“Do you not want to?”
“I didn’t say that either.”
And so, we ended up at our fifth clothing store of the day.
My role here was simple.
“All I have to do is stand still, right?”
“That’s perfect, Irene. I’ll find you the best outfit.”
A mannequin.
That was all I was—a living mannequin.
Well, it made sense.
In the game, Irene’s wardrobe only needed to be “pretty enough,” but this was reality.
Here, practicality, comfort, and versatility mattered just as much as aesthetics.
And I couldn’t wear something so ostentatious that it would feel cringy as everyday wear.
‘Honestly, my current cape is hard to beat…’
Still, a change of pace couldn’t hurt.
Besides, I’d soon be dragged into the Warrior Tournament.
Keeping the “villainous lieutenant” vibe of my current outfit might not be the best idea.
As I was lost in thought, Luna declared,
“This is the best option!”
“…I think you’ve brought the wrong outfit.”
“This is the best option!”
“You’re saying I should wear a white dress?”
“This is the best option!”
Ah, so she’s not going to budge on this.
Honestly, I was baffled.
I’m pretty sure I mentioned I was looking for casual clothes.
Do people in Rios Fantasy wear stuff like this casually?
When I finally put the dress on and stepped out, ‘It’s surprisingly comfortable.’
A wave of positive emotions washed over me.
Though, admittedly, it did feel…
really strange.
This is something I could get used to.
‘This outfit is surprisingly comfortable.’
I stood in front of the mirror and swayed my body side to side a few times.
The dress flowed smoothly without any part catching or feeling restrictive.
I could definitely see why Luna recommended it.
Everyone knows I don’t bother with armor—except maybe Luna, who might be an exception to that rule.
So instead of worrying about defense, all I care about is mobility, and this outfit fits the bill perfectly.
Considering how my old cape was stiff and often got in the way, this was a welcome change.
Luna was watching me with a hopeful, excited expression, so I decided to offer her a bit of feedback.
“This is actually pretty nice. Very Irene-friendly.”
“I put so much thought into it! But… Irene-friendly?”
“Oh, I mean it’s comfortable.”
“Then it’s decided! Let’s get this one!”
Luna smiled brightly, grabbed her device, and headed toward the staff to pay.
Her device—honestly, it’s an impressive piece of tech.
You can stream, take pictures if you have the right transmitter, and even store gold.
It’s basically a superior version of a smartphone.
As I idly watched her check out, something started to feel off.
‘How many zeros are on that thing?’
I immediately checked the price tag on the dress.
The moment I saw it, I froze in shock.
[Spring Outing Dress for Young Girls]
[2,800,000G]
“What the hell…”
I almost swore out loud.
This dress I was wearing was 2.8 million gold!?
It’s just a plain white dress!
Did they coat it in gold or something?
I tried to stop Luna before she finalized the payment.
It’s not like this was the only dress in the shop.
If it came to it, I could just use magic to make an outfit.
But before I could say anything, Luna turned to me and said,
“This dress is yours now, Irene.”
“Did you even see the price?”
Noticing the unease in my expression, Luna smiled and replied,
“It’s fine. If anything, thinking that I now have a stake in Irene makes me so happy.”
At this point, Luna was starting to scare me.
It wasn’t like she had romantic feelings for me—Luna was so pure that it would be obvious if she did.
That’s what made it even scarier.
What on earth does she think friendship is?
Looking back, it was strange.
Luna had been paying for everything with gold all day, but she hadn’t mentioned the price even once.
I had a sinking feeling and decided to ask.
“How much have you spent today?”
“About 5 million gold, I think?”
My head felt like it had been hit by a hammer.
She spent 5 million gold in just one day with me?
That’s…
What, like 5 million won in Korean currency?
I didn’t mind being treated.
After all, Luna earns plenty of gold, whereas I didn’t have a single coin to my name.
I thought of it lightly, but this…
This was a whole different story.
The overwhelming guilt of having racked up such a massive debt weighed heavily on me.
“I’ll pay you back.”
“You don’t need to! I’m just so grateful you became my friend…”
“No, I have to pay you back.”
“Then instead, promise me you’ll spend more time with me in the future!”
“I’ll repay you while spending time with you.”
When I pressed this hard, Luna finally relented.
Luna is scarier than I thought.
Yes, she earns a good amount of gold.
But not to the extent where she can casually blow 5 million gold in a single day.
This bordered on madness.
Seriously, who pays 5 million gold just for “friendship”?
So, I spent a long time lecturing her about financial responsibility and budgeting.
“You understand, right? From now on, don’t spend that much gold on me.”
Luna nodded with a sad expression.
From Irene’s perspective, this was an obvious and necessary measure.
But Luna felt like she was being distanced, even though she didn’t regret a single thing.
She planned to write down every detail of the day in her journal and treasure the memory forever.
She was even determined to store it in her long-term memory archive.
It was while she was lost in those thoughts that Irene suddenly stopped in her tracks.
A flash of crimson eyes passed in front of her.
Irene blinked, questioning her own sight.
‘Why is the Emperor here, without any guards?’
This was a common street for commoners.
There was no reason for the Emperor to be here alone.
And considering that Irene had been slow to notice, the Emperor must also be using anti-recognition magic.
‘Is it because of the Hero Guild’s event?’
It was a plausible theory.
In Rios Fantasy, the Emperor was known to take an interest in the Hero Guild.
He would often make an appearance at events to offer a few words.
Irene tried to brush it off as nothing.
But then—
“Ah, found you.”
The Emperor turned around.
His sharp gaze was unmistakably directed at Irene.
Luna, however, didn’t seem to recognize him.
That only proved how powerful the Emperor’s anti-recognition magic was.
But then again, mine was just as strong.
The only reason Luna could recognize me was that I’d deliberately excluded her from the spell’s effects.
Even Elian would need at least five minutes to identify me.
Yet, the Emperor had found me in less than ten seconds.
“Luna, leave.”
“Huh? What?”
I immediately deployed my magic.
If the Emperor was here and specifically looking for me, there was only one explanation.
‘He sensed my magic.’
He came here to eliminate me.
After all, I’m the infamous villain of the Demon Lord’s castle.
Unlike the typical image of a cruel and ruthless emperor, this Emperor genuinely cared about the people.
It was only natural he couldn’t tolerate a terrorist like me lurking here.
The Emperor stared at me for a long time before finally speaking.
His voice carried overwhelming authority.
“Irene.”
“Yes, Your Majesty?”
“Turn on your stream.”
What?
I was so stunned I thought I’d misheard.
What the hell did he just say?