Chapter 470: Driving a Wedge (1) |
“Cheers!”
“Cheers!”
‘They’re crazy. Crazy!’
This was already the fifth gathering. It had already been five days since they had arrived here, so I couldn’t help but feel shocked at the fact that it was already the fifth gathering.
‘They’re amazing. Simply amazing.’
They were playing, eating, and enjoying themselves, but playing this much would usually make people get tired of it. I had also gotten tired of it to the point that I was thinking that it was about time for Kim Hyun-Sung to say something to them.
Most of the continent’s forces had gathered here, and it had already been five days since the training started.
I had my own worries, but seeing that Kim Hyun-Sung still hadn’t intervened made me realize that we still had time. I thought he was going to run over here and intervene just like Jingoo, who had been looking for Doraemon.
However, he probably thought that dealing with a sensitive topic on his own rather than talking about it with others was better.
I could have heard information about the approaching threat while discreetly mentioning Benigoa, but I didn’t want to bring up the topic first because I thought that it would be more natural if Kim Hyun-Sung were to approach me first. It was also advantageous in many ways, so I didn’t want to give up the benefit of asking the question first.
While I was having other thoughts, I started hearing loud noises around me.
“Beer really becomes tastier the more sweat you shed. Don’t you agree, Father Lee Ki-Young?”
“I agree. Haha. I think the atmosphere is even better because I’m drinking with great people. Geez… I didn’t think that a day like this would come. Who could have known that the entire continent had such great chemistry?” I commented.
“You’re right. I want to thank everyone who helped the continent become one.”
‘Bullshit.’
“Your glass is empty. Let me fill it up for you, Father Lee Ki-Young.”
“Thank you, Jamila.”
“I’ve only heard about you through rumors… I really wanted to meet you. It was hard to meet you because I live so far away, and the diplomatic relations between the Sacred Democratic Country and our kingdom had been severed. It’s truly an honor to meet you like this,” she explained.
“It’s an honor for me as well. If I knew a beautiful woman like yourself lived there, I would have long visited that place,” I told her.
“I appreciate the compliment, hehe,” she giggled.
“I’m being honest. I’m just telling you how I felt,” I said.
“There’s a strange atmosphere between you two. If this continues, you two might disappear somewhere,” Gellahan chimed in.
“Sir Gellahan… you and your naughty jokes,” Jamila said shyly.
I looked around while everyone was having a great time and saw the scums wasting their time today as well.
‘Kim Hyun-Sung should be here to see this...’
The majority of them were in charge of powerful guilds within their own nations and kingdoms, but none of them were normal. The people with the hellfire-whatever and the Iron Blood-whatever had grand nicknames and job names, but only a few of them lived up to their names. In other words, the majority of them were trash.
The behavior of the woman named Jamila next to me was also a sight to see.
She criticized Gellahan for his naughty jokes, but her body language was betraying her because she looked ready for it anytime.
It honestly made me feel kind of uneasy. I heard that she was part of a powerful clan that barely made the cut, but she seemed more interested in other things rather than in the training. I obviously wasn’t happy that she approached me. I got even more uneasy when I thought about Jung Ha-Yan’s recent anger level.
Actually, more than anything else…
‘It’s difficult to act like a scum right now.’
I was a citizen of a righteous nation, which had been advocating for justice and kindness, so it was difficult for me to act like a cancerous figure in society and play along with them.
Therefore, it wasn’t really strange that I felt uneasy in this kind of setting.
I felt like I was wearing clothes that didn’t really fit me.
Of course, I enjoyed acting like scum once in a while, but no matter how hard I thought about it, being part of this scummy festival didn’t fit Lee Ki-Young at all. We were basically like magnets pushing each other away or a divorced couple.
‘Acting is really hard.’
“Let me pour you a drink, Sir Gellahan,” I offered.
“This is an honor, Father Lee Ki-Young,” he said.
“You feel honored about many things. No need to be so polite. You’re not training right now, and we’ve gathered to promote friendship between us. Since you trained hard, you must do your best in this gathering as well,” I told him.
“Yes…” he said.
“Please have another drink, Miss Jamila,” I offered.
“Sure.”
“Miss Jamila looks so drunk that I want to lend her my shoulder,” Gellahan said.
“I like Father Lee Ki-Young’s shoulder more than yours,” she commented.
“Hahaha. I have a feeling that something is going to happen between you two tonight,” he laughed.
“Please don’t say that Sir Gellahan,” Jamila said.
“I-I’m ashamed…” I muttered.
“How could I not make that comment? You two became close so naturally…” he pointed out.
‘Shit, acting is hard…’
“You seem like you’re in a good mood as well, Father Lee Ki-Young. This is the happiest I’ve seen you so far,” Gellahan commented.
“I’m spending time with great people, so I’m naturally happy,” I told him.
“Please eat this, Father Lee Ki-Young. Or can I feed you? Say ah…” Jamila offered.
“Miss Jamila…” I said.
“Please accept it. Ah…” she repeated.
I had no other choice but to do it. Unfortunately, this kind of role didn’t really fit me.
“By the way, Father Lee Ki-Young,” Gellahan started.
“Yes?”
“I apologize for suddenly bringing this up, but regarding the recent mock battle…”
“Which mock battle are you referring to?” I asked.
“The Great City Lindel Alliance and the Southern Kingdom Alliance…” he replied.
“Ah, yes, I remember. There was a mock battle,” I said.
“Ahem. Many people have expressed their concerns…” he trailed off.
“What? What are they concerned about?” I asked.
“The public believes that the Great City Lindel Alliance is going a bit too far in the mock battles. Of course, I understand the masters’ desire to be passionate about the training, but I feel like they’ve been handling it too seriously. Some of the adventurers of the Southern Kingdom Alliance were actually injured,” he answered.
“I think I understand what you mean,” I commented.
“O-Of course I’m not trying to criticize the Great City Lindel Alliance, and I’m being objective here. I’m telling you this because I’m sincerely worried that bad rumors might spread about the Great City Lindel Alliance since you’re from Lindel,” he continued.
“Ah… I completely understand what you’re saying, Sir Gellahan. There were definitely a lot of wounded adventurers. They can be treated with potions, but the accumulated exhaustion can’t be treated with mere potions… Even I thought that they were taking it a bit too far earlier. It’s great that they’re doing their best, but I think they took it too far,” I explained.
Many people got wounded, but the number of wounded participants was within the acceptable range. There weren’t any casualties, and it was the kind of mock battle that Kim Hyun-Sung wanted. However, the rotten people who were part of the scummy group had to have felt kind of burdened by the Great City Lindel Alliance’s ferocity.
I kind of understood how they felt. One side wanted to train in moderation, while the other side was training as if their life was on the line. There was a massive difference between the two groups when it came to the idea of training. I could sense Kim Hyun-Sung’s urgency in the mock battle, but unfortunately, these scummy bastards didn’t really like Kim Hyun-Sung’s training ferocity.
‘I think he’s expecting something unrealistic to happen here...’
I couldn’t help but think that Kim Hyun-Sung was close-minded. He made a mistake by thinking that if our side trained passionately, the other side would follow us as well.
Kim Hyun-Sung’s trump card, which he hoped would change the mind of the continental alliance members, wasn’t being used properly at all.
Of course, the situation wasn’t that bad for me because if Kim Hyun-Sung’s plan were to fail, then it meant that I would be one step closer to my plan.
I was hoping that Kim Hyun-Sung would come to find Ki-Youngaemon[1] as soon as possible.
“So you’ve been thinking the same thing, Father Lee Ki-Young,” Gellahan said.
“Our guild master has always been a bit passionate about training… I’ll make sure to talk to him about it. I’m not sure if it will be helpful, but I’ll do my best to make sure that the mage soldiers under you won’t suffer unnecessary injuries,” I told him.
“Thank you for your consideration,” he said.
“I hope you don’t have high expectations, though. All I’ll be doing is talking to the guild master… It’d be nice if it’s going to be helpful, but I don’t have that kind of power,” I added.
“Ah…”
“And I also agreed with the guild master’s request of not participating in this training, so my words don’t really have that much weight when it comes to the training,” I continued.
“That’s…”
“You can just think that I have a different task to do. As you know, there are tasks that are just as important as training. The authority to manage our troops belongs to the guild masters, and since the three guilds of Lindel are working together, it’s difficult for me to offer much help in this,” I explained.
“Ah… I see,” Gellahan commented.
“Yes…”
“B-But you’re still Father Lee Ki-Young. You’re the first person in the Sacred Democratic Country to receive a position in the Vatican, and the leader of the Sacred Democratic Country trusts you a lot as well. I’m not in any place to say this since I’m just an outsider, but personally…” Gellahan trailed off.
“Yes?”
“I feel like the Guild Master of the B-Blue Guild is wary of you, Mr. Lee Ki-Young,” he continued.
‘What is this bastard talking about?’
“Haha. It’s nothing like that. I think there’s been a misunderstanding…” I commented.
“Ahem… The Guild Master of the Blue Guild wasn’t the only one who contributed to the growth of the guild. If it hadn’t been for you, I’m sure the guild would have ended up being a third-class guild at most. Despite that, you were completely excluded from the training…” he continued.
‘What do you mean excluded? I told him that I didn’t want to participate…’
“Burning the bridge after crossing it—there’s a similar saying in our country. It will be nice if I’m just worried for nothing, but…” Gellahan trailed off.
‘Yeah, you’re worried for nothing...’
“I’m worried that the Guild Master of the Blue Guild may have other plans,” he continued.
‘He sure knows how to speak bullshit.’
Unless someone were an idiot, they would understand what was going on right now.
Gellahan had been calm until now, but he suddenly changed.
The way he dropped a bomb on me also made me feel uncomfortable.
I wasn’t really sure of his goals, but I knew what he was aiming for, at the very least.
‘Driving a wedge… He wants to drive a wedge between us.’
I started feeling bad for Kim Hyun-Sung, and it was all because he had to work with these scums for the sake of results.
‘Talk all you want, you bastard. Hyun-Sung and I will never split up.’
1. Lee Ki-Young + Doraemon ☜