Chapter 1357

<Chapter 1357> 1357. Spirit’s Atlantis

I had anticipated that recruiting Elena would be no easy task.

Elena is one of the Five Dukes of the Empire, known as the Duke of Fantasy, and also the head of the Valdert Dukedom. Every move she makes concerns the dignity of her noble house.

An imperial duke becoming an idol? Even I thought it sounded absurd.

Although Zone 6,700 is their own private domain, if Elena debuts as an idol, word will inevitably spread throughout all of Atlantis.

I glanced around the practice room.

Yuria and Miling were chatting amongst themselves.

“Hmm… idols… Though I don’t know much, a pure concept might work best.”

“No way, sis. We need to go with a sexy concept. We’re too… well-endowed for the innocent route.”

Reflexively, my eyes darted to their midriffs. They were certainly voluptuous. Their presence alone exuded sensuality.

“But I’ve heard that going too overtly sexy won’t win over the public.”

“That’s true. But neither me nor you can pull off the pure look anyway.”

Yuria’s brow furrowed briefly.

“That’s insulting! I am pure. Like a noble flower… Lord once said so.”

“Lord? That was probably just polite talk. Your sex appeal rivals or even surpasses mine.”

Miling twisted her body into an openly seductive pose, accentuating her bust and hips. Yuria stared at Miling’s chest, which was slightly larger than hers, and momentarily fell silent.

“…Anyway, sex appeal alone won’t make us top idols.”

“Pfft. Lord does this all the time. He’ll probably half-heartedly try and then let it fizzle out like always.”

“…”

Yuria didn’t argue back.

It’s not just my personality. There were practical issues too. We only have 30 days to summon them.

Debuting as idols within 30 days and reaching the peak of the entertainment industry… Even to my ears, it sounds ridiculous. But with Ju Seohyun, Yuria, and Miling, it could happen. I’ll make it happen.

‘Ju Seohyun, Yuria, and Miling… All stunning beauties, but for a girl group, the numbers are lacking. At least four members would make it more visually impressive.’

Still, I couldn’t just grab any trainee. Any less-than-stunning face would get overshadowed by them and end up relegated to backup dancer status instead of being a main member.

‘Thinking about member chemistry… The fourth member has to be Elena.’

I lifted the seashell again and tried calling Elena. She answered immediately.

“Elena, become an idol. You’re the only one who can. The other members are ready. Just come and we can debut right away.”

*Sigh* “Eugene, think about my position. I’m the head of the Valdert dukedom. If I became an idol, my authority would plummet and other nobles would look down on me.”

“Then look at it differently. Becoming an idol might make commoners see you as more approachable.”

“Nobles don’t need familiarity. It would only diminish our authority. If I wanted popularity or approachability, there are better ways to achieve that.”


“Handing out riches or crafting heartwarming tales is far more efficient. Meanwhile, the idols you speak of… they lose more than they gain. Why should I dance in front of people?”

“Hmph.”

Every word was true, leaving me no room to argue. I am the ruler of [Baekhwan], and I know how much the commoners are like pigs. They praise and adore even with just a little kindness. Distribute some wealth, and their favor is as good as yours.

I closed my eyes tightly. Giving up here and saving someone else would be best. But the image of Elena in the 4-member girl group wouldn’t leave my mind.

I need Elena after all.

“I’m really asking you. If fame is the issue, we can use illusions. Just hide your identity, right? And I’m not asking you to keep being an idol forever. Thirty days will do.”

“…Thirty days? Even though I don’t know much about idols, what’s the point of only performing for thirty days? Besides, wasn’t being an idol just your personal hobby?”

“Do you take me for a fool? Of course not!”

Elena’s silence reeked of suspicion. Glancing sideways, Yuria and Miling were watching me. Their hearing is sharp—they must’ve overheard my conversation with Elena.

“What, don’t Yuria and Miling trust me too? Sure, I didn’t give detailed explanations, but this is kinda shocking. What do they think of me?”

“Seems like you didn’t hear the full explanation. Go ahead, explain yourself.”

“Fine. Explaining again is annoying, so Yuria, Miling, come here.”

“Hold on. Yuria’s there?”

“Yeah. Summoned her as a girl group member.”

“And who’s Miling?”

“Foxy lady?”

Right then, Miling suddenly lunged at me, pulling my right arm into her bosom. Soft and warm, it felt surprisingly nice.

Miling smelled delightful too. My mood instantly brightened.

“Master~! I’m your eternal cute fox. You know my feelings, right?”

She grinned with a sly fox-like smile.

Yuria, expressionless, looked at Miling, then quietly embraced my other hand.

“Master, my body and soul belong to you. I shall serve you forever.”

Two flowers in my arms. I barely managed to stop myself from drooling.

“Haa…”

A sigh came from the seashell where Elena was. It carried complicated emotions, but she quickly resumed her usual tone.

“Explain the situation. Note: I hate interruptions. Loathe them.”

“Ah, yes. To cut to the chase… I’m going to conquer Sector 6,700.”

I added more details about the current situation to Elena.

“Sector 6,700 conquest… Did you know? The Empire once attempted to conquer Sector 6,700 under the royal family’s leadership.”

“First time I’m hearing this. Really?”

Just looking at Sector 6,700 now tells us how that turned out—failure.

“Sector 6,700 had a civilization different from the Empire, relying on science instead of magic. The Empire found great interest in it because science could be used by anyone, unlike magic, and its culture was more advanced than the Empire’s. Dominating and analyzing Sector 6,700 would allow the Empire to progress further, as judged by His Majesty the Emperor.”

Back then, the Emperor’s power was even stronger than now.

“As soon as His Majesty’s order came down, the top poets and dancers within the Empire gathered. The best among them, along with top operatives, were sent to Sector 6,700.”

“But they failed miserably?”

“Terribly so. They didn’t even make it into the top ten. The Empire underestimated Sector 6,700. His Majesty ordered a more detailed investigation and analysis. As a result, the plan to conquer Sector 6,700 was abandoned.”

The systematic training regimen since childhood left cultural aspects weaker…


The Steia Empire wasn’t something that could be conquered in one fell swoop.

-His Majesty the Emperor abandoned the plan primarily due to the apex of the current 6,700th sector. You already know who she is, don’t you?

“…Rainbow Bubbles.”

The Spirit seated with Ri Mei.

The most renowned Spirit of Beauty.

“Aphrodite.”

The goddess also known as Venus.

– Dominating the 6,700th sector means surpassing this Goddess of Beauty. Can some mere idol really surpass Aphrodite’s popularity?

“I can surpass her.”

I declared confidently.

I’ve already seen Aphrodite’s beauty. It’s not hard to find pictures of Aphrodite in the 6,700th sector. She was undeniably beautiful, worthy of being the Goddess of Beauty. If it were just Joo Seohyun alone, surpassing Aphrodite’s popularity would have been impossible.

But if Yuria, Mi-ling, and Elena formed a girl group together… we might actually surpass Aphrodite.

“To my eyes, you’re far more beautiful than someone like Aphrodite.”

Upon hearing my words, faint smiles graced the lips of Yuria and Mi-ling. There isn’t a woman alive who doesn’t enjoy being told she’s pretty.

-Incomprehensibly confident, aren’t you?

Elena muttered under her breath. But the tone of her voice suggested she wasn’t entirely displeased.

“It’s true. And besides, Aphrodite isn’t a perfect celebrity. There are cracks to exploit.”

-Ho? Then enlighten me. What are the cracks in the Goddess of Beauty?

“Aphrodite is too famous. Just look at the myths… Aphrodite’s promiscuity isn’t a joke. That’s her weakness.”

From what I know, the entertainment industry ultimately revolves around image battles. Even if this sector is lenient about scandals, even if Aphrodite is a goddess, she will eventually fall because of her tarnished image. And that “eventually” will come sooner rather than later.

“We don’t need to surpass Aphrodite. We just need to get close enough, and Aphrodite will fall on her own.”

-…Yuria is part of the group, right? Just knowing Yuria is involved makes the possibility of success feel higher.

“Elena. Let’s do the idol thing.”

-Hold on a moment. Let me crunch the numbers.

Elena quietly began calculating the pros and cons. While waiting for her answer, my hands didn’t stop moving. I teased Mi-ling and Yuria, touching their chests and caressing their backsides. Their faces gradually flushed red, and the atmosphere began to turn crimson when—

-There are conditions.

“Hmm. I expected as much. Lay them out.”

-Firstly, I won’t reveal my identity.

“That’s understandable. Agreed.”

-Secondly, a 30% stake in the 6,700th sector. Guarantee it.

“Sure thing.”

I answered without hesitation.

If the plan succeeds, the dominion will be mine. Yuria and Mi-ling will be reverse-summoned in 30 days, and Joo Seohyun can’t disobey my orders anyway.

And Joo Seohyun has no interest in such matters. The only concern is Elena… but giving her 30% isn’t an issue since I’ll ultimately retain control.

-I miscalculated. It’s not 30%, but 50%.

“Don’t push it, Elena. I’ll make sure you’re well taken care of.”

-…Fine. 30% is acceptable. In return, the Valderth family will handle the distribution of goods in the 6,700th sector.

“Goods distribution? Isn’t it impossible to distribute items from the 6,700th sector?”

-With dominion rights, 1% of the 6,700th sector’s production can be distributed externally. Did you know that?

I hadn’t realized there were such detailed benefits.

1%.

By my standards, using modern items from other worlds freely, it seems small… but to Elena, it must mean something different.

“Got it. I accept all your conditions. But by tomorrow… no, tonight, you need to come to the 6,700th sector. You can manage to get the tickets, right?”

I’m not particularly worried about entry tickets.

Elena is a duchess of the Steia Empire. With her wealth and power, obtaining tickets to the 6,700th sector should be easy.

-Haaah… How did I end up doing something as trivial as becoming an idol…

Elena’s lament reached my ears. I ignored it and continued teasing Mi-ling and Yuria.