Negative Dante.

That lunatic.

‘Unbelievable.’

Reading the full interview transcript, I flinched inwardly.  The bastard started with “the competitors are trash” and didn’t hold back from insulting the Constellations either.

But the more I thought about it, this wasn’t Negative Dante’s fault.

‘Trashy Forbtime. This bastard’s the real issue.’

This truly insane bastard!

He was the problem.

It wasn’t enough that he just showed up out of nowhere and pulled this crap, he also spoon-fed Negative Dante the kind of questions that were perfect to provoke answers.

In any good movie fight scene, it’s not the guy throwing punches who makes it exciting—it’s the guy getting smashed that adds the flair.

In that sense, both the royal knight Kashan from earlier and Trashy were phenomenal punching bags.

The aftermath? Explosive.

Arrogant Professor Dante Hiakapo, Defends Marquis Vincent?

“The Constellations Got Properly ‘Scraped’...” Professor Hiaka’s Bold Remarks.

Unknown Professor’s Jab: “Constellation Adventuring Parties Aren’t Martial Orders. They’ve Morphed into Gangs.”

Articles sensationalizing Negative Dante’s remarks exploded onto the scene.

[You have 14,521 DMs.]

Messages poured into my Starfield⧉ inbox, where I’d barely made a profile while expanding into the Empire.

“Professor, professor! Look at this! It’s totally insane...!?”

Maybe because my own account was dormant, Gray’s Starfield⧉ surpassed 200,000 followers...and then hit 300,000.

The reactions from the Constellations followed swiftly.

And they were, for the most part, negative.

Just a few samples:

☮ Peaceful Constellation scolded me with, “Don’t stir up unnecessary inter-Constellation conflict over a minor achievement.”

↑ Competitive Constellation posted a picture of himself partying with 20 bikini-clad women on a yacht and wrote:

“The adventuring party that lost to Dante is just one among many that I train. I am a top-tier Constellation, the strongest warrior, and I live a fulfilled, happy life. My career and legacy are immortal, and trying to tarnish them like this affects me as much as scratching a mountain...”— clearly overreacting.

Ж Struggle Constellation, 🔥 Blazing Constellation, and several others expressed irritation.

‘But to be honest, wasn’t he right? Everyone knows they’ve been playing gangster...’

Oops.

I shouldn’t be thinking like that.

That was Negative Dante’s statement, and has nothing to do with me.

Meanwhile,

† Crusader Constellation and 氷 Freezing Constellation subtly hinted, “We at least take our martial responsibility seriously. We fought Bomiteka—that proves it,” and were widely praised.

One Constellation, whose account creation date is listed as 3500 B.C. (probably ∞), commented, “He talks rough, but he’s a kind kid deep down...” but nobody really picked that up.

Finally, ⁺₊⋆ Radiant Constellation took it very personally.

official Radiant Constellation Society⁺₊⋆ : Our society feels deep offense at Professor Dante Hiakapo’s remarks. While his excellence as a professor is acknowledged on many fronts, he lacks the authority to speak on behalf of or critique all Constellations indiscriminately...

I let out a sigh.

‘It’s chaos.’

I haven’t even shown my face yet and I’ve already burned every bridge.

Still, didn’t ∞ Eternal Constellation say earlier that some Constellations were already eyeing me with curiosity and hostility?

‘This is inevitable.’

The axis of power that has held firm for decades—I’ll soon be climbing the ranks and directly competing with them.

Of course I’ll make enemies.

‘...It just happened a bit earlier than expected.’

Thankfully, the commotion didn’t last long.

Because right then, a massive incident occurred.

“Huh...?”

***

The incident started with Horanche’s Bomiteka, now dubbed “Ultra Bomiteka.”

That massive-headed creature had been repeatedly vanishing and reappearing to avoid the Empire’s pursuit—until it finally caused a catastrophe.

It attacked an airship.

A “floating ship”—an outdated form of aerial transport, basically a flying boat.

The ship’s name: The Eternal.

It had disappeared 120 years ago in the “Void Sky” and belonged to the Horanche Principality. That sky had been cursed with illusions, and The Eternal had since reappeared and vanished repeatedly for over a century.

“The Eternal?”

I knew that name well.

It’s one of the most important “treasure ships” in this entire worldbuilding.

Which is why I was confused.

‘Why is it showing up now?’

On [Hard Difficulty], the ship contains a final weapon capable of killing the professor. It’s supposed to appear mid-to-late in the main storyline.

“Did you check?”

— Yes, Professor. Confirmed. It’s a bug.

Ran’s voice came through the ⧉Crystal Orb. I frowned. Just as I suspected.

— Also, we just identified a bug affecting the Hero.

“What? His temper issues?”

— No, Professor. The Hero is supposed to enter a ‘Trial Dungeon’ and retrieve the Holy Sword from within. But due to a bug, the dungeon loaded broken and the world was built without it.

“Then the Holy Sword...?”

— Was leaked from the very beginning. After a long series of events, it’s now aboard The Eternal.

The very ship that Ultra Bomiteka attacked.

“So it recognized the Holy Sword and went after it.”

— That appears to be the case.

Shit.

If Bomiteka disappears again with that thing in tow, humanity’s going to be in serious trouble.

“Understood. Got it.”

I monitored the situation for the next few days.

Ultra Bomiteka clamped onto The Eternal and fled with it. Fortunately, the Empire didn’t take the incident lightly.

If it disappears again, we have no idea when it’ll show up next!

We must kill it this time!

They deployed seven Challengers, the imperial direct [Constellation] Azure Sky 天, and dozens of warriors. They managed to blow off part of Bomiteka’s jaw.

Bomiteka, missing half its mandible and cracking rifts as it fled, eventually got away again—but The Eternal was dropped.

And that was the real beginning of the problem.

Breaking: Over 30 Billion Hika Worth of Treasure Found Aboard The Eternal!

Everyone now realized: this was a treasure ship.

Hundreds of priceless artifacts were discovered: weapons, armor, ancient machines, totems, alchemical tools, relics, divine-mark items, androids...

— Things are about to get very... interesting, Ran remarked with amusement.

And she was right.

Draw a line on the ground and humans will fight over it. So the next question was obvious: “So whose ship is it, exactly?”

Thus began the ownership dispute.

History had similar examples, and ownership law was a messier topic than you'd think.

Here’s the simplified version:

───

Hiaka: Southern Alliance

Kreutz: Northern Alliance

Empire: Neutral

There are seven countries total.

The Eternal:

Horanche (South): This is our ship!

1. Technically true—it belonged to the Horanche Principality.

Hitahita (North): Horanche never paid for the airship we built for them. It’s our ship.

2. It was constructed by a military contractor from Hitahita Kingdom, which never received payment in 120 years.

But what about the cargo?

Kreutz (North): Keep the ship, but return our treasure, damn it. ㅡㅡ

3. The cargo had originally belonged to the Kingdom of Kreutz—plundered by Horanche 120 years ago.

Hiaka (South): That bastard’s out of his damn mind... ㅇㅅㅇ

4. But Kreutz had, in turn, looted those treasures from Hiaka just 20 years ago.

So about 70% of the treasure originally belonged to Hiaka.

Khan Federation (South): It fell into our airspace. So it’s our land now.

5. Khan Federation chimed in to claim territorial ownership.

Hattengraj Empire (Neutral): We’re the ones who retrieved it.

6. The Empire also staked their claim.

Sombania (North): .......

7. Finally, the Sombania Principality—completely unrelated to the whole thing—mumbled like an awkward kid at the back of the classroom.

Sombania: Um, actually, the place where it vanished 120 years ago was... old Sombania airspace?

Sombania: heh...

They were promptly ignored by everyone.

───

Estimated value: roughly 30 billion Hika.

That’s expensive. But not too expensive.

Didn’t even that traitor Batalion, Hiaka’s former Chief Professor, defect for just 5 billion Hika?

Still, among the loot were priceless “national treasure–level” stolen artifacts that couldn't simply be bought. Diplomats from every country gathered to calculate shares. (For the record, Sombania’s stake: 0%.)

In the end, the nations reached a consensus: They would hold a grand auction and divide the proceeds proportionally.

At the central auction house of Goldenfield, the Empire’s largest economic city—

“...The Holy Sword was discovered as well.”

As I skimmed the catalog of listed items, I spotted a particular sword.

＊「Crusader†」 Peacebringer [Normal, Stigma]

“This one. Is it the real deal?”

— Yes, Professor. That is the Holy Sword.

A sword found embedded in stone, still lodged within it.

Visibly, it looked extremely plain—just an old, worn blade.

Its rank? A mere [Normal].

The moment I confirmed that, a massive status window opened up.

「⧉ [Main Story] No.3 Holy Sword Seizure War」

It shoved aside the previously predicted main story “Paradigm” and forced itself into the narrative. Perhaps due to the bug’s influence, the system added a detailed explanation:

───

– Condition 1: Acquire the Holy Sword 「Peacebringer†」.

– Condition 2: Entrust the Holy Sword 「Peacebringer†」 to the Hero.

– If you fail, all of humanity goes extinct.

– Current Progress: 0%

───

At a glance, it sounded simple.

I could just buy it with money.

But... well...

⋮

⋮

⋮

⋮

⋮

Several gazes watched from the shadows.

They looked down on Goldenfield’s central auction house.

Experts had estimated the Eternal’s treasure at 30 billion Hika. And high-ranking nobles, royals, Constellations—even the Emperor—didn’t question that figure.

But for the very few who could perceive the “flow of the world,” that estimate was laughably inaccurate.

*

The first to poke in his head—was the Hero.

“Is there really something important in that auction?”

“...Yeah.”

He stepped onto Imperial soil in secret, accompanied by his new comrade from the Kingdom of Kreutz—Adele Muang.

*

Next, a shadowy mastermind with a limp crept in.

“...We absolutely must secure it.”

Kaiser.

He crossed into the Empire illegally, backed by General Eymon, former Chief Professor Moong Hyul, Count Kahla’s personal vassal, and a promising knight-guardian.

At his side, a woman with long black hair walked silently.

“Worry not, my Lord.”

“......”

Black eyes, black hair, and a face hauntingly like that of a certain friend...

Kaiser was mentally screaming in agony, but didn’t show it on his face.

How had it come to this—walking into the auction house with the world’s No.9-ranked Constellation, Black Star⚉?

Accompanied by Great Mother Nibelung and her elite guards, no less?

F**.*

If he were to talk about it, he’d probably sob and rant for two hours straight—but that wasn’t important right now.

He had to survive.

Screw the auction.

*

Rebecca came next. She moved alone, driven by a powerful instinct she couldn’t resist. She’d told the Church she was off on a “retreat,” then secretly entered the Empire with Lady Layme.

And there, by coincidence, she encountered someone.

“......”

“......”

A girl with sky-blue hair under a pulled-up hood. Blue, gentle eyes. An unfamiliar face—shockingly beautiful. But that wasn’t what stood out.

Rebecca felt an intense, inexplicable hostility. She didn’t understand why. Just that she hated her.

So she said:

“What a tacky outfit.”

“...?”

“If you came alone, «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» why not come with me? I’ll buy you something better.”

The girl—Eve—flinched and shrank back.

She didn’t understand the words coming from Rebecca’s mouth.

“......”

Eve gestured with her hands.

Slowly.

“...What are you doing? Can’t you speak?”

More hand gestures.

Rebecca asked repeatedly what she meant, but only gestures came back. Rebecca’s eyes narrowed in frustration.

“Are you just going to keep gesturing? Are you trying to piss me off?”

Eve scratched her chin—and recalled Human-yi’s voice.

‘If. Someone. Suddenly gets mad. Respond. Like this.’

Remembering the gesture Human-yi had taught her—

Eve blinked...

And gave Rebecca the middle finger.

“......Well, that I understand.”

Rebecca scowled.

*

One [Constellation] also sensed something was off.

“...Hmm.”

The others didn’t notice anything.

But he—he had a hunch.

Snow-white hair. Slitted eyes. Towering, muscular build. Clouds swirled around his body, reflecting iridescent light.

He was ranked 20th in the world. Universally recognized across continents as the God of Illusions.

Also—the global bully who’d recently been pissed off by a certain insect-like professor.

“This could be fun.”

Radiant Constellation⁺₊⋆ Agion.

*

Finally, Dante Hiakapo surveyed the Goldenfield central auction house.

Seven massive buildings in total, forming the grand structure.

“Everyone—treat this like a mission site pre-survey. Memorize the layout. One escape route can mean the difference between life and death.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Roger that!”

“Yessir!”

With my assassination squad in tow—

And...

───

▷ Zone 9 Magic Forest: Cain’s Christmas Tree Resort – Profit Report

– 2,027,521,990 Ħ

───

...with a wallet fattened by three long months of waiting.