The Path to Kingship?
Interesting.
Qin Luo closed the panel. This series of quests had only appeared twice before.
Once was for recruiting talent.
Another was for taking over all the forces in Jiang City.
And this time... it was about unifying all the cities of the Eastern Kingdom?
The Path to Kingship, as the name suggested.
Qin Luo glanced at Su Muwan, who had just finished complaining and was now sitting down, happily eating barbecue.
A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
This was about making Su Muwan... a king!
"Chomp chomp chomp."
"Mm!? Qin Luo, this is so good! Come over here!"
"Of course, Miss."
"Huh? Qin Luo, your expression looks a bit off."
"Well... I was just thinking about what would happen if Miss really unified Cherry Blossom City."
"?? That's dangerous thinking! Don't think about it again!"
...
...
Inside the Alliance Hospital in Cherry Blossom City.
An elderly man lay on the hospital bed, wearing a respirator. By his bedside, law enforcement officers like Kichikawa Shunta had tears in their eyes.
The man lying on the bed was Mizukubo Isamu, the head of the Cherry Blossom City branch of the Alliance.
But now, his life was hanging by a thread.
"Shunta..."
Mizukubo Isamu spoke hoarsely, his eyes barely open as he forced a smile. "You said... Su Muwan and Qin Luo from Jiang City are here?"
Kichikawa Shunta quickly stepped forward, tightly gripping the old man's hand, and cried out, "Chief! You must hold on!!!! Please don't die!!!"
Mizukubo Isamu chuckled.
Then.
Thud!!
He sat up abruptly and punched Kichikawa Shunta on the head, yanking off his respirator as he scolded, "Didn't I tell you this was all an act for the yakuza to see?!"
"Why are you crying now?!"
Kichikawa Shunta was stunned. He wiped his tears, coughed lightly, and laughed awkwardly, "My apologies, I got too into the role..."
After a moment of silence.
Mizukubo Isamu sat up straight, leaning against the headboard, and rubbed his sore shoulders. "So, Su Muwan and Qin Luo from Jiang City are really here?"
Kichikawa Shunta nodded repeatedly. "Yes, they're just here for tourism."
As soon as he finished speaking.
The atmosphere in the room shifted instantly.
Mizukubo Isamu's eyes narrowed, and he shook his head. "No, no, no. If you think that way, you're underestimating Su Muwan and the others."
Underestimating Su Muwan?!
Kichikawa Shunta was taken aback, then sat down seriously to listen to the chief's teachings.
"I've seen footage of Su Muwan in battle. She's domineering and utterly arrogant."
"On her very first day in Cherry Blossom City, she triggered a murder case. So, her purpose for coming here is definitely not just for fun!"
"Uh... but she wasn't the actual perpetrator."
"You're wrong."
Mizukubo Isamu took a deep breath and looked directly at Kichikawa Shunta, speaking gravely, "She may not be the murderer, but because of her arrival, that murder case became an inevitable event."
"You should have heard my granddaughter's analysis when we watched the [Su Muwan Battle Compilation], right?"
"That Su Muwan... she's a walking disaster!!"
Mizukugi Kiyoshi was Mizukubo Isamu's granddaughter.
According to Mizukubo Isamu's own boasts, she was a spirit medium.
Whether that was true or not, no one present had actually seen her exorcise any spirits.
"So... Chief, what you're saying is..."
Kichikawa Shunta's expression showed a hint of nervousness. "Should I go beg them tomorrow to return to Jiang City and not bring disaster to Cherry Blossom City?"
"Idiot!"
Mizukubo Isamu cursed angrily. He glared at Kichikawa Shunta, exasperated, and said, "Since headquarters doesn't care about the yakuza expanding their territory."
"Or even about our branch being infiltrated by the yakuza, claiming it's for the good development of the martial era!"
"Then..."
"We might as well fight poison with poison!!!"
"Instead of letting those evil yakuza unify Cherry Blossom City, why not..."
Mizukubo Isamu clenched his fist and said, "Let Su Muwan unify it instead! At least my granddaughter went to Jiang City and found that the order there is well-managed. She even got a share of an opportunity!"
"An opportunity?"
"Yes, an ancient ruin appeared in Jiang City. Under Su Muwan's leadership, there were no conflicts. Everyone received their opportunity just by showing their ID!"
"Uh... but isn't Miss Su from Cherry Blossom City?"
"Oh, she changed her household registration to Jiang City just to claim the opportunity. But according to her, it'll take dozens of workdays to change it back..."
"......."
Everyone blinked. Could it really work like that??
But come to think of it, aren't you the chief of Cherry Blossom City?!
Still, there was another question.
Kichikawa Shunta scratched the back of his head. "But if Su Muwan's purpose isn't just for fun, then is it really about unifying Cherry Blossom City?"
"Haha."
"Shunta, Shunta, you've been my trusted aide since you were young. Let me tell you this."
Mizukubo Isamu smiled confidently and said, "I have a good eye for people. Su Muwan... she came to Cherry Blossom City to expand her territory!"
"But... what's the point of taking over one or two yakuza groups?"
"So, it must be about unifying Cherry Blossom City! After all... she's the first person in years to unify an entire city!"
"Her ambition is sky-high! So, she definitely didn't come here just for fun!"
"I see! As expected of the Chief!"
...
...
The next day.
[Another truck collision incident has occurred recently. Witnesses claim there was no driver in the truck.]
[According to related media reports, this is the fifteenth "phantom truck" collision this month!]
[The identities of the victims are all the same—they were all orphans.]
[Additionally, early this morning, witnesses reported seeing a glowing magic circle on top of an abandoned school building.]
[Coincidentally, five years ago, a case of an entire class going missing occurred in that same building. Witnesses at the time also claimed to have seen a massive glowing magic circle above the school.]
[The area has now been sealed off.]
[Finally, local police received a report from a resident about a self-proclaimed "Demon King" with mental health issues wandering around, asking where the reincarnated "Hero" is.]
In the villa's living room.
Su Muwan tilted her head as she watched the bizarre local news on TV.
"Are these people insane? Is this what the news is like here?"
Click!
She switched the channel in frustration, then patted Qin Luo's shoulder, who was watching with great interest, and said in a mentor-like tone, "Qin Luo, don't watch too much of this fake news made up by unscrupulous media. It'll make you stupid."
Qin Luo blinked upon hearing this.
[Detected T0 protagonist of "About the Whole Class Transported to Another World and Gaining SSS Abilities, But I Only Got the Weakest Verbal Ability!"—Minami Izuru.]
[Detected chosen one of "About...."]
[Detected chosen one of "About...."]
Miss, wherever you go, you always run into chosen ones...
This time, the chosen one seems to be related to an isekai theme?
But...
Qin Luo glanced at the ridiculously long title. It really does feel very localized...