Chapter 47
Soul Calibur was a game with a fairly solid user base.
It had recorded considerable sales worldwide, and updates were consistently made.
In Korea, naturally, not a small number of users were playing it.
To the point where there was a joke that most online games were no match for Soul Calibur, which was just a single-player RPG.
[Did it finally come?? Did the big one come???]
[Ah, it has come again this yearㅋㅋㅋ]
[They say it’s a past timeline this time? Isn’t this on the level of releasing a whole new game?]
As much as the game was loved by the users, the game company also repaid them with all sincerity.
They released small but steady updates every month, were enthusiastic about catching bugs, and constantly monitored public opinion to meet the users’ needs.
Then, once a year.
As a culmination of the users’ hopes, they would release a super-large DLC.
Of course, it was paid, but no one complained.
In fact, though it was called a DLC, in terms of game volume, it was on a level no different from releasing a completely new game.
[Breaking) Super-large DLC has appearedㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
[Scheduled to be updated within 3 monthsㅋㅋㅋ]
[No way, is this volume for real?ㅋㅋ]
[Skylines! Skylines! Skylines!]
[I believed in our hyungㅋㅋㅋ]
The community was in a festive mood.
They were people who shared the common hobby of a game called Soul Calibur.
In the midst of that, a super-large update, a DLC that was clearly of a huge scale just from the trailer, was announced, so it was a natural phenomenon for it to become noisy.
However, while everyone was practically wailing and bowing to the development company, one or two posts expressing doubt occasionally popped up.
[Isn’t this from that serial post guy??]
[No way, was that actually viral marketing?]
[It’s real? Why is this real??]
[Wasn’t he also in a past timeline? I saw a kid version of Irien was uploaded this time too?]
The user’s posts always had the prefix [Serial Post].
He had been consistently posting with a unique concept.
That he had been sucked into the game world.
That he had become Reinhardt, and was now playing a story in the distant past compared to the original timeline.
The effort put into it was too great for it to be a simple fabrication.
Looking at the overall structure and flow, the quality was such that one might think it was taken directly from the game company.
[Fr? Was that thing of his for real?]
[When was the last serial post? Was there one after Irien?]
[It’s a surprise eventㅋㅋㅋㅋ]
The view count of his posts literally exploded.
Hundreds of comments were added, and before long, the Soul Calibur community was practically wallpapered with posts about the mysterious author.
Endless arguments broke out, saying he was a developer, that internal files had been leaked, and so on.
And.
“What is this crazy situation.”
Reinhardt, the person at the center of the incident, muttered in a state of bewilderment.
He had thought the community was unusually noisy, but he never imagined something like this would happen.
‘Come to think of it, it was about time for a new expansion pack to be released.’
It was like an annual event.
If Reinhardt himself had been in reality, he probably would have been mixed in with them, busy talking about the direction of this patch and what not.
But the current Reinhardt was not an ordinary gamer.
He was in a position of devising ways to survive, stuck in a world he didn't understand.
‘First, I should take a look.’
There were more than one or two things to see.
From the trailer video related to the new expansion pack, to the rough outline attached by the development company.
But right now, it was difficult.
Hee-hee-hing-
Reinhardt slowed down the horse he was riding.
A familiar city wall came into view.
“We’re finally back.”
“Pit!”
Serigel.
The city that was currently Reinhardt’s main base, and had to continue to be his base in the future, was right in front of him.
“It’s Sir Reinhardt! Open the gate-!”
As soon as they spotted Reinhardt from a distance, the soldiers could be seen moving boisterously.
Reinhardt slowly rode his horse to give them time to prepare.
As he approached, the soldiers saluted in unison.
“Sir Reinhardt! All clear on duty!”
“Reinhardt of the Taton Knights. I am returning after completing my mission. Also, there is no reason for you to report your duty status to me.”
“Yes, sir! I will correct it!”
This was why home ground was good.
In Lockfort, the majority of soldiers only found Reinhardt uncomfortable, but it wasn’t like that in Serigel.
Admiration. Awe. Gazes filled with such emotions were pouring from the soldiers.
‘It’s nice to be back in a way, but there are certainly many uncomfortable parts.’
As soon as he passed through the gate, Reinhardt put on the robe he always wore.
Only after he had hidden his appearance did the pouring attention diminish.
‘Ethan Taton is probably going to make a huge fuss too.’
He must have heard about what happened in Lockfort by now.
The Ethan that Reinhardt knew would surely come running out barefoot, unable to suppress his laughter.
And when he arrived at the Taton Knights' headquarters, Reinhardt couldn’t help but let out a dry laugh without realizing it.
“No way……”
A giant knight was swinging a sword at a monster’s eyeball.
It was a statue of Reinhardt.
***
The Taton Knights' headquarters was more bustling than usual.
The number of knights he hadn’t seen before had increased.
The number of employees had also increased, and the facilities seemed to have been repaired here and there, looking much cleaner.
‘What’s with this atmosphere?’
Reinhardt didn’t take off his robe even after entering the knight order.
He had only briefly shown his face to prove his identity when entering.
‘It seems like it would get very annoying if I showed my face.’
It was an instinctive gut feeling.
It was clear that some big change had occurred at the Taton Knights' headquarters while Reinhardt was away.
And at the forefront of it was probably an actively involved Ethan Taton.
Reinhardt looked for the commander’s office.
The knight guarding the entrance sent him a curious look.
“Who are you? State your identity. Why are you dressed like that inside the knight order…… Huk!”
Instead of answering, Reinhardt slightly lifted his hood and then lowered it again.
“Knight Reinhardt. I have returned after completing my mission and will report the details directly to the commander.”
“Ye-yes! Understood! I will immediately inform him inside…… No, as you wish, sir……!”
The knight was so surprised that he couldn’t even speak properly.
Instead of bothering to calm him down, Reinhardt knocked on the door of the commander’s office.
“It’s Reinhardt. I have returned after completing my mission……”
Slam!
Before he could finish his sentence, the door flew open.
Ethan Taton’s face popped out, and he grabbed Reinhardt and instantly pulled him inside.
“Sir Reinhardt! Reinhardt! My light! My treasure!”
“……I have returned.”
“Come, sit. Come, sit. Here, sit on this comfortable seat and slowly……”
“I’m fine. I’m not tired.”
“I see! You’re not tired! Our Sir Reinhardt is not tired!”
Ethan was several times more excited than usual.
It was clear that he couldn’t control his emotions at all. It was to the point where one might worry if he had contracted mania.
“Ah, the report. Right, I have to receive the report. Report! Please report!”
“Yes, I tracked a warlock with Sir Fermil in Lockfort, found him, and executed him.”
“Kuuuhhh……!”
“Also, in the process, I found the lawbreakers of Lockfort and handed them over to the guard. The number is approximately 280.”
“Kaha! As many as 280!”
“That is all. There are no additional items.”
Clap. Clap. Clap.
Ethan started clapping with an expression that looked genuinely impressed.
Reinhardt was starting to get annoyed. He wanted to hurry up and hole up in his quarters to check the community.
“If there’s nothing else to check, I’ll be on my way.”
“W-wait a minute! I won’t bother you! It’ll only take a moment!”
“Please speak.”
“I’m just asking, just in case, I mean.”
“Yes.”
“Did Sir Fermil make any special offers?”
“What kind of offer are you referring to? We didn’t mention anything to each other except for matters related to the mission.”
“I mean, that……”
Ethan Taton twisted his fingers together. Seeing him swallow dryly, he seemed quite anxious.
“An offer to join Paganoa, or to become a comrade.”
“There was no such offer. Even if there had been, I would have refused.”
“Then, did you meet any other members of the Paganoa Knights separately……”
“I did not.”
“I thought so, right? My treasure, Sir Reinhardt, will forever be a knight of Taton, right?”
“Commander. I am not leaving this place.”
Ethan nodded his head passionately, his eyes getting moist.
“Of course. Because Sir Reinhardt is a true knight. You know the advice you gave me before. I’ve really thought a lot about it.”
“What advice are you referring to……”
“I was wondering if I had been too indifferent to the knight order’s affairs as a commander all this time. So I’m thinking of being a little more proactive. In the operation of the knight order.”
“I think that’s a wise decision.”
“I have nothing more to wish for now that you’ve said that. It won’t be inconvenient if the knight order’s scale grows larger or anything, right? If so, tell me straight!”
“That’s not an important issue.”
Nod.
Ethan Taton stood up from his seat with an expression that said he had believed it.
Then he firmly grasped Reinhardt’s right hand with both of his.
“Thank you so much, Sir Reinhardt. I’ve taken up too much of your time when you must be tired. Go and rest now, and if you need anything at all, tell me without hesitation. I’ll always prioritize and solve your problems,”
“There’s no need for that. I will be returning now.”
“Rest well!”
Reinhardt put his robe back on and left the commander’s office.
When he glanced back, he saw Ethan peeking out with only his head, looking at Reinhardt with a flushed face.
That expression was like that of a miner looking at a diamond rough he had just mined yesterday.
‘Yes, that’s how a businessman should be.’
Reinhardt liked Ethan’s attitude.
Not the part that was favorable to him, but the ambition to sufficiently grow the Taton Knights was what he liked.
Because the larger the knight order grew, the more stable Reinhardt’s living environment would become.
Click.
Reinhardt returned to his quarters.
There were no signs that anyone had entered. Dust had slightly accumulated here and there as he had been away for a few days.
“Home is the best, after all.”
“Pit!”
Reinhardt carelessly tossed his robe, armor, and sword on the floor and lay down on the bed, spread-eagled.
Bitdori, as if imitating Reinhardt, lay down as well.
Seeing it spread its short arms to both sides, it seemed it was really imitating him.
“Home, huh.”
Reinhardt felt a faint sense of crisis at the fact that this place already felt like home.
But the fatigue was greater.
The [Justice] buff was not applied to the current Reinhardt, and the accumulated fatigue made it impossible to continue his worries for long.
“Still, I have to check.”
Reinhardt launched the community.
It was because the contents of the post he had seen on his way back to Serigel were flickering before his eyes.
‘A large-scale patch set in the game’s past timeline, huh. Thanks to that, it seems the posts I wrote have drawn a lot of attention.’
There were dozens of comments calling it sophisticated viral marketing or a leak.
By now, it was probably burning much hotter.
And when he brought up the community page before his eyes.
[Wasn’t his starting point the Taton Knights too?]
[So this was really viral marketing??ㅋㅋㅋ]
Reinhardt had become the hot topic of the community.