Chapter 212: Reward

Nicole entered the large office with a little shyness at the sight of so many officials walking around inside.

Checking the holographic clock and the guide they had given her to take the reward, her expression trembled a little as she saw that she had arrived fifteen minutes early.

Was she nervous?

Of course, she was nervous!

The spot marked for the meeting turned out to be one of the largest administrative buildings in Elelin City.

It was where the different organs and agencies in charge of different types of affairs were located... At the imperial level.

Looking around, she noticed that the guard at the entrance was giving her a serious look.

It was not a question of looking at her like a criminal, but rather the oddity of a young girl of Rank A, trembling with nerves.

In other words, if he thought she was nervous enough that she was about to commit a crime, then Nicole would understand.

The worst part was that they just told her the location, and that was it... Leaving her to drift off.

Or maybe he just recognized her from the tournament? It was hard to tell for someone as nervous as she was.

Taking a deep breath, Nicole pondered what to do when she noticed a secretary approaching her.

“Nicole West?” the secretary asked and when Nicole nodded, she gave her a nod and commented. “Come this way, please. You will soon receive your reward.”

“I understand,” Nicole replied, as she felt a little more relaxed.

First of all, she did not know who to ask, where to look for her reward.

Following the secretary down a large hallway, her expression quivered for a moment as she sensed a subtle change in her surroundings and stopped.

“Oh, I apologize. We connect the different sections with space magic. His Majesty’s idea was to increase the efficiency of the different departments by connecting them with portals. You know, increase bureaucratic efficiency,” Informed the secretary with a smile.

Nicole nodded, more relaxed.

She was actually too nervous and also excited.

Should an A-Rank fighter be in this state?

Nicole could understand that it was bad for her image, but... It wasn’t as if she could help it!

Walking down the hallway, she noticed for a moment that it became wider and, at the same time, slightly luxurious, then they both entered a room.

In it was a secretary’s table and nearby a sofa next to a television with several snacks already prepared.

It was a small waiting room in an office.

“In a moment, you will be attended to,” informed the secretary with a smile, giving her a sign that she could sit down and eat.

“Thank you,” replied Nicole to that secretary who seemed so friendly and professional.

And sitting down on a couch, she looked at the appetizers and, because of her nerves, she couldn’t eat them.

They looked delicious, but she was still nervous.

Before, when entering this kind of place that gave the feeling of being important, she was with her companions, however, now for the first time in a long time... She was alone.

Before coming, the others had wished her ‘good luck’ so that her reward would be pleasant, but now she didn’t deny that having someone by her side would make her feel more confident.

If Clémentine were here, she would surely take the appetizers and eat gracefully, without being disturbed.

Perhaps Érica would do the same, only she would seem more disinterested and, as for Leslie, she would surely use her holographic watch to distract herself.

The only one she could say would be her equal was Andrés, although if she was honest... She believed Andrés could quickly distract himself with his holographic watch.

Without her thoughts being able to continue, she noticed the secretary turn on the television, selecting a news channel.

“More than ten days since the Abyssal Portal creatures emerged from the Abyssal Portal, the information released by the allied forces has been profound. Even so, we still do not know how they will move,” said the host in a raised tone.

Aurora turned her attention to him.

“The lack of movement by the allied forces has caused many to doubt the situation and have their own conjectures. Why are the two SS Rank present not moving and killing them all? Well, not acting can also be a siege tactic,” said the fellow journalist and with a smile, he clarified. “Reliable sources and other experts say they don’t want to move so as not to put pressure on the creatures. You know what they say. There is nothing more dangerous than a cornered creature.”

A cornered rat could bite ferociously, let alone a creature with intelligence.

If the goblins caused a greater disaster by being pressed in completely, it was only natural that the allied forces would not move, at least until they had the confidence to avoid all the trouble.

Nicole was a little more informed thanks to Aurora’s clarification of some doubts, although as she was a professional, she kept the information confidential.

Switching channels, she switched to another news crew where they were going through the streets, asking what they should do with the creatures.

“Exterminate them all,” an elderly man replied.

“Even when the recent information is that they have high intelligence to communicate? Basically, being sentient beings with emotions?” the reporter asked calmly.

“Yes, they must all be exterminated and prevented from escaping. If the world is populated by them, they will be a plague that can never be eradicated,” announced the old man coolly, and looking at the reporter, he commented. “If I were honest, I would like them to launch missiles to end it all.”

Giving his reasons, it wasn’t too hard to realize that he was a former player.

Most of the human population... Virtually everyone who had a stake in a limitless immersive virtual reality machine and had the financial ability was a player.

While there were many mass suicides and problems after discovering that world was true and subsequent events caused the population to dwindle, players were more common than one might imagine.

It was to the point that Nicole had a father who was a gamer and that man had the same ideas as the old man and the same justifications.

Goblins in the eyes of the players were lustful beasts that trapped novice adventurers and... Nicole let out a long sigh.

Creatures that had a fast reproduction and a high birth rate, which to top it off could breed with any race and those offspring grew fast, the only flaw being their low longevity.

The researchers released quite a lot of information about its characteristics.

Her father had been very direct when he explained about those creatures.

It wasn’t to make her doubt, but simply to show her how heinous they could be.

And it was rare for her father to talk about his past as a player... No, most players didn’t talk about the past and didn’t talk because it was a method of maintaining a stable state of mind.

Only those who didn’t care about their actions at the time or had mental problems could talk calmly.

Switching interviewees, a young man in his twenties, heard the question about what they should do with the goblins.

“If the authorities say they can communicate... It’s best to talk to them. If the reports from the authorities are correct, then so far there have only been battle casualties in a war, but no cases of rape. It may not be definitive proof, but if they are a civilized race like a human or other race, then we should try to communicate,” replied the young man, and letting out a long sigh, he commented. “We are at war and on both sides, people died. I don’t deny that... But haven’t we been at war before? With players, with skill users, with demons, or with the magical beasts?”

He was advocating diplomacy in a rather particular way.

It was true that there were no cases of women being trapped and in that sense; the authorities were to be thanked for moving at a speed that dazzled everyone to carry out the evacuation.

Churches, countries, companies, adventurers, heroes, and mercenaries all came together trying to make a quick and safe evacuation... Succeeding.

“The Apicius Enterprise and Zerzura City showed us that a communication with the magical beasts is possible... Moreover, the beasts by creating their own hierarchy and society with their Queen of the Forest showed us that there is nothing ‘savage’ only ‘uncultured’. If we were to put our prejudices aside, then peace is possible.” Said the young man in a high tone.

Was it possible?

Nicole gave a smile at those words full of high values and idealism that she would like to see happen.

If there was one thing Aurora had told her, it was that this was not an invasion... She had mentioned that the creatures were escaping and while the allied forces did not report it directly; it was reported by other sources.

The allied forces were fighting those creatures, to say that the goblins were not invaders and were just escaping was like taking the role of evil in the face of war... A war was happening because the other side was attacking.

Peace was best, Nicole did not doubt that.

Switching to another interviewee, she turned her attention back to the interviews.

“I don’t know what to think about them. Are they monsters? Are they a race? Are they just creatures? I don’t know what they are, but what I am sure of is that while we are talking and debating, there are people fighting on the front lines,” said the woman seriously and with cold eyes, she stated. “Among all those fighting, only we can resist... Only ability users can protect the Earth.”

The tone was high, full, with quite a bit of pride, but also seriousness and a slight touch of innate superiority.

“An opinion of superiority. You’d think those opinions disappeared during the American and European Civil War.” The secretary commented, and when Nicole looked at her, her expression quivered.

It wasn’t because the secretary had come up beside her without her noticing, but she noticed that the once human secretary had changed.

The ears became long and pointed, while the hair changed to a white color, as did her skin and eyes.

It was impossible not to recognize the secretary who always accompanied Emperor Victor... Ersin.

“I have read the entire history of Earth since life began,” Ersin explained and with a soft smile, she pointed out. “However, the civil war against the ability users was remarkable... You would think that after that, everything would have changed.”

The American Civil War started the confrontation between ability users and the government that restricted and limited them.

In those years where humans were appearing who were affected by magic and became powerful individuals, who could be considered a weapon, the U.S. government decided to restrict and limit them.

Most of them were the main defenders against the creatures, dungeons, and monsters that could appear everywhere.

The discontent was evident more for a human who could take down a tank on his own and if one added the lunatics and players who had already been trapped by the sense of freedom that Terra nova had offered, then it all gave rise to a big clash between the two.

There were other factors that influenced that event, although, in the end, it was a fact that ended with the victory of the American government.

Causing the players to flee to different countries, mainly to the African continent and the current lawless lands.

However, the rift between skill users and normal people became apparent.

It was the European civil war that revealed that skill users were looking for something else... If the American civil war was created using lunatics, that war was started by a unique way of thinking.

Ability users were to be the ones to lead the world.

If it were not for the fact that at that time a secret group of Internet users released information about the actions of the rulers leading that movement, it was possible that today the European Union would be ruled by skill users who believed that they were the ones who had the right to rule others.

Now that perspective was seen again, even though it had long been silent... It was not reborn, but simply ceased to remain hidden.

The allied forces had powerful individuals and their mission was to try to control the Abyssal Portal and, with it, the goblins, though it was not as if they made the final decision.

The Church of Order had the Supreme Pontiff in command and the Falion Empire was allied with Greece and the decision-making was in their high command, but both were only allied forces that brought humanity together.

In that sense, public opinion mattered quite a bit.

Looking at the elf who claimed to have read all of human history, Nicole didn’t feel she was lying, and it made her smile.

“That’s amazing...” she muttered helplessly.

From what she knew, Terranovians got stronger as they leveled up and that meant they had an increase in what they called ‘stats’, which were basically the body’s punctuated qualities.

It was why one could see archmage-fighters, or archmage-swordsmen, being very capable on both sides not only for using magical energy but for melee fighting.

Even though her father didn’t talk that much, those little details were explained to her from time to time.

Having ‘stats’ and a ‘status’ was another reason why the players thought they were in a game.

If someone now told her that her strength was a definite number, Nicole would just look at them like an idiot.

So she knew that if Ersin was someone strong, then she might be just as capable, physically as she was in memory, and the woman across from Nicole she looked strong.

Ersin gave a smile at the honest answer and averted her gaze to the television.

“So what do you think, extermination or diplomacy?” The elf asked calmly.

Nicole was silent at that question.

Those were the two opinions that were shown on television and the ones that were prevailing over the others.

It also revealed how the younger and older ones had two different ways of thinking.

Surely there were other more important factors to address, as were the danger of the abyssal portal or simply what the other party desired, however, it was a valid question.

“I don’t know. I haven’t faced them and I think I have to live what happens to manage to find an answer,” Nicole replied in a serious tone.

If she had learned anything, it was that she had to live to learn the cruelty of life and reality.

Was it true what the players were saying about those creatures?

And as for the others, were they being led astray by the current values of ‘peace’?

That was a difficult question, but Nicole believed she needed to be there to be able to make a definitive decision and not simply be guided by random opinions.

It was good to keep her in mind, however, opinions did not have to define the final position.

It was no longer like when she had entered the Hero Academy, where she was excited to be a heroine coming from the sky to save people in big cities.

Even if her desire was to wear masks, like the early heroes, giving her a kind of mystery as a kind of spectacle... Now she had learned that complex situations happened elsewhere and she had understood that she had to live through them to get an answer that is to her liking.

“While you are looking for an answer, maybe many people will die,” Ersin specified with a casual look.

The tone sounded indifferent and in a way; it was like a mockery of her way of thinking, or maybe Ersin was trying to provoke her or a way of urging her to respond.

Nicole was not enraged or annoyed and gave the woman a look.

“Aren’t they doing it now?” hesitated Nicole, calmly and without looking away, revealed “At this very moment, perhaps a skirmish is happening among the goblins or someone is being assaulted, maybe even demons are performing a ritual while militiamen kill innocents.”

It was a direct and simple tone.

Those things could be happening, and it might even be even more complicated than she supposed.

Nicole was different before where she was unaware that such actions were happening and therefore didn’t care... Now she knew and understood that evil acts or actions that endangered innocents were happening.

She understood that people were dying at this very moment for various reasons and many of which could be changed if she were present.

While she had stopped being that ignorant child who only thought that because her surroundings were okay, the world was okay, she was still the same by not moving.

These things could be happening and she was here... In an elegant room talking calmly with an elf.

There was a difference from before, and that was simply the awareness that such matters happened.

“You don’t sound like a heroine,” Ersin commented with a small smile, as if liking her answer.

That an elf of great beauty gave the smile caused Nicole to become a little shy.

“It’s because I’m not a heroine... I can’t even come close to that title.” Nicole muttered under her breath.

It wasn’t about the fact that as a student she hadn’t graduated ‘heroine’, it was about the fact that in values she couldn’t achieve what she was looking for.

What was a hero?

It was hard for Nicole to pinpoint, but she felt it was someone who not only saved people but charged forward trying to reach their goal... One that would put them closer to the ideal of ‘hero’.

Maybe her thoughts were wrong, or she just hadn’t thought it through, still, what she was sure of was that the person who was closest to her ‘ideal’ of ‘hero’ was Aurora.

Someone who charged ahead following her goal, helping those in need by doing whatever she had to do to reach it or at least be closer to her goal.

As Nicole was lost in thought, the office door opened and three figures stepped out.

“I’m sorry to disturb you, Your Majesty,” said a young elven woman with blue hair and eyes of the same color, with a typically cordial smile.

The diplomatic princess aura stood out so much that it made it impossible not to glow... She was Cithrel, taking the role of Princess of the Falion Empire, and next to her was Venali.

“No, not at all. This is the least of it. I hope I helped you, even a little. And I hope you find the person you are looking for, at least I can assure you that wherever she was... It would be by his side,” Emperor Victor said with a smile.

After a short farewell, Cithrel walked away and greeted Nicole with a friendly smile as she said goodbye.

Emperor Victor approached and Nicole stood up quickly, having second thoughts on how to show her respect or greeting.

“Thank you for keeping her company, Ersin. My meeting with the princess took longer than I expected,” Emperor Victor said to his secretary and when she nodded formally, he turned his gaze to Nicole and, with a smile, ordered. “Come.”

Nicole immediately followed the man, who was considered one of the most powerful men in the world.

Leaving the office, he walked down the hallway and Nicole could see her surroundings changed.

Unlike before, where the hallway had remained the same, now the decorations had changed to a more solemn one.

Some statues and armor were on the sides, giving the feeling of a medieval castle because of the decorations and magic lamps.

When they opened a door, they entered a large training room and while Nicole was stunned, Emperor Victor’s clothes changed thanks to the ‘quick change’ ability.

Then that man turned around.

“Do you want to fight in those clothes?” the Emperor asked.

Nicole looked at him and then checked her formal clothes in which she had come to seek the reward, and her mind could not comprehend what was going on.

Seeing that she was stunned, Emperor Victor laughed in amusement.

“Your reward is me,” announced the man.

“Your Majesty, please don’t make such jokes with people you don’t know,” intervened Ersin, appearing at his side immediately.

The look that elf gave was stinging, causing the man who rule the South American Empire to lower his head with a half-smile.

“But I really am...” Victor muttered and noticing that Nicole was looking at him strangely, he announced. “I’m the person who will train you as a reward.”

Nicole’s mind went blank again at that idea that sounded too far-fetched.

An SSS Rank fighter was going to train with her?

Those words to her ears sounded like a complete and utter joke... No, if they told her straight out that was the reward, Nicole would have thought they had gotten confused.

She was about to train with one of the strongest humans on earth, an SSS rank, and the Emperor of South America!

Victor laughed at her look and tensing his muscles, he watched her with the intensity only a fighter could give and smiled.

“I expect you to show me what it is to be a fighter,” Victor declared with eyes full of battle spirit.

Nicole, instead of feeling fear from the look of an excited SSS Rank, felt her blood boiling.

She was about to face a powerful fighter who was showing all his battle desires.

It was impossible that she could not show the same.