Chapter 471: Driving a Wedge (2) |
Situations like this were always exhausting to handle, and it was similar to a scam that one would pull on a pushover. I wasn’t sure whether he told me that because he was genuinely worried about me or if he had an ulterior motive, but the latter was most likely.
Everyone had gathered here to prepare for the upcoming threat, but they were still outsiders despite uniting as one here. We were getting along right now, but there was no guarantee that today’s friends wouldn’t become enemies in the future.
It was even more obvious if one thought about how there were many groups here that were secretly wary of each other.
For example, the Blue Guild. The guild was worthy of the best title, it had many businesses from many different industries, and it had a huge influence as well, which wasn’t just limited to Lindel. The guild could influence the entire continent, so it was natural that there were many guilds that wanted to reduce the guild’s influence.
On the outside, they acted as if they were ready to lay down their lives, but behind our backs, it was natural for them to have other thoughts.
I was sure that some of them were people who had started their own potion-making businesses but failed, while others were definitely forced to close their illegal businesses after being kicked out of the market by the Blue Guild.
‘It’s the same for this bastard and that one as well.’
I was expecting a few of them to be wary of me, but the same people were trying to extract some profits from me. I was sure that they had long come to an agreement before the joint training was announced. They had to have investigated the Blue Guild, and they definitely came up with many ideas to compete against the Blue Guild.
They probably thought that ruining the relationship between Kim Hyun-Sung and me would be really effective. It wasn’t a bad plan as well because many people thought of the Blue Guild as a righteous guild.
I would have come up with a similar plan.
To the public, the Blue Guild’s power structure was really strange because Kim Hyun-Sung had granted me—the Sub Guild Master of the Blue Guild—an unimaginable amount of power, and I used that power to influence my surroundings.
Of course, no outsider really knew who had the rights to parties, and my honorary cardinal status was higher than Kim Hyun-Sung’s status as the Guild Master of the Blue Guild.
There was a saying that there couldn’t be two suns in the sky or two emperors on Earth, but for the Blue Guild, there were two suns, so the outsiders were probably thinking that we were internally unstable.
If the news about Kim Hyun-Sung and I splitting spread all over the continent, I was sure that there would be a truck full of authoritative figures that would celebrate that event.
‘For the past five days…’
I was falling for their plan.
I leaned back and swept my gaze at the people looking at me.
At the sight, I couldn’t help but feel sad.
‘I thought we were friends… Jerks.’
I felt the same for Jamila, who had been holding onto me tightly like Jung Ha-Yan.
‘I loved you, you bitch.’
Of course, it was too early to be suspicious because the people of this scummy party and I had spent a decent amount of time together.
It was fun to trust people, and it was also possible that I was just overthinking it, like what Kim Hyun-Sung had been doing before I intervened as Bitch Ki-Yeon.
‘Yeah, I shouldn’t doubt people so easily.’
I wanted to sound them out. To do that, I had to pretend that I was falling for their plan.
When I spoke, the people around me started talking as if they had been waiting for it.
“Hahaha… That’s not true. Our guild master isn’t that kind of person. If he were planning on kicking me out, he would have done it already,” I said.
“Ahem…”
“Father Lee Ki-Young… I’m sorry to tell you this, but… people are bound to change. The Blue Guild isn’t the same Blue Guild in the past. Just like everyone else, there was a time when the guild worked as passionately as the people here, but that’s not the case anymore. Your every movement is under the scrutiny of the entire continent, so I also know that there’s a chance that you’re thinking about working with him until the end, but he probably doesn’t like the idea of you gaining too much power,” Gellahan explained.
‘Our Hyun-Sung isn’t that type of person, you bastards…!’
“Sir Gellahan is right, Father Lee Ki-Young. We’re not saying that the Guild Master of the Blue Guild is that type of person, but to prepare for an unexpected situation,” another chimed in.
“Ugh…”
‘They’re really coming at me.’
“It doesn’t hurt to be careful. Haha… Think of it as getting insurance. We’re not telling you to do anything but to simply prepare yourself because preparation will help you a lot. I’m telling you this because this happens often in our kingdom,” he continued.
“Indeed. I’m sure there are many people on the continent who have been in the same situation as you. No guild master of a group will just sit by and watch another member gain a lot of power. He’s smiling on the outside, but I’m sure he’s wary of you,” said someone else.
“You were also chosen by the Goddess of Benigoa… you possess the power to use the power of light freely, and within Lindel and the Sacred Democratic Country, people know you more than the Guild Master of the Blue Guild,” he commented.
“The entire continent is aware of how close you two are, but—”
“...”
“...”
“What are you all doing? You guys are making Father Lee Ki-Young feel uncomfortable… Do we really have to talk about this here?” Jamila criticized.
It was amusing how Jamila glared at them while pretending to be the mediator. If I didn’t have Mind’s Eye, then I wouldn’t have noticed them exchanging eye contact while they were talking to me.
‘I’m sure she told them not to go overboard.’
They had to be careful about going too far because that would make their behavior look strange.
I swept my gaze at the people who became silent and sighed.
‘They’re all in on this. These jerks...’
Even I couldn’t help but think that they got a bit too desperate to build things up. It became obvious that they weren’t that experienced when it came to something like this, especially when I saw how they teamed up just now.
Of course, one could also say that we had just gotten close to each other, but if I were in their shoes, I would have been more cautious.
I would have done preliminary work for a month rather than five days, and after sprinkling some bad rumors, I would have created a similar situation to what they had created for me today.
Of course, I was sure that they thought of that as well, but they had to have found it hard to hold it in upon seeing the delicious bait.
When I thought about the flow of the conversation earlier, I understood why they charged at me so quickly.
‘Wow, I can’t trust anyone here aside from Hyun-Sung…’
Their betrayal had completely destroyed the relationship we had built over the past five days, and I realized just then that I shouldn’t give these greedy bastards even a tinge of my trust.
‘What do you need badly? Do you want to join the potion-making industry? Are you guys worried about Lindel growing too big? Is it because we opened a weapon business? Maybe the free trade agreement was a bit unfair?’
I felt bothered about many things.
“I think Sir Gellahan is drunk. Anyway, let’s forget about the ridiculous conversation and have another round of drinks. I’m sure they didn’t mean any harm, Father Lee Ki-Young. Everyone only said what they said because they’re worried about you, so don’t worry about it,” Jamila said.
“I’m… very sorry about this, Father Lee Ki-Young. I’m sorry for the nonsense…” Gellahan said.
“I apologize as well. We shouldn’t be talking about this here…” someone else said.
“Relax, Father Lee Ki-Young. For me, please?” Jamila requested.
“Ahem, it’s not because of you guys. I was just thinking about something else…” I said.
“I’m glad. I apologize again if it made you uncomfortable, Father Lee Ki-Young,” Gellahan apologized.
“Hahaha, it’s fine. You all said it because you were worried about someone like me. I should actually be thanking you. I never thought about what you said before… It’s a bit too early to think seriously about this, but I don’t think it’ll hurt to think about it once in a while,” I told them.
“We’re glad you think that way.”
“If you need someone to talk about it with, I’ll be happy to give you advice anytime, Father Lee Ki-Young,” Jamila offered.
“I’ll be sure to let you know at that point,” I told her.
“Shall we toast?” she suggested.
‘The way they’re going back and forth is amazing. Bastards.’
If Gellahan and the others were attackers, then Jamila was the one controlling the pace of the battle. I wasn’t sure if they had known each other for a long time or if they recently agreed to execute their grand plan, but I wanted to applaud them for their teamwork.
If my relationship with Jamila had gotten a bit deeper, then it would have been easier for them to ruin my relationship with Kim Hyun-Sung because there weren’t many methods as effective as a bedside lecture.[1]
‘I’m done with you, you bitch.’
I wasn’t planning on staying with her anymore, but I nodded harder than usual.
The situation itself was actually fun because no one was ballsy enough to do something like this in the Sacred Democratic Country.
Of course, it was only natural considering my status there.
In the Sacred Democratic Country, people would automatically bow toward me before I could even say anything.
Therefore, I was having fun dealing with these guys, and their refreshing reactions were even more amusing to behold, especially whenever I respond positively to their words.
‘Did I look like a pushover to them?’
They had to have thought that I was a pushover because they lacked information about me. In addition, the public viewed me as a holy saint who had sacrificed himself to the brink of death for the sake of the continent.
Aside from the journalists affiliated with the Blue Guild, the denizens of the Sacred Democratic Country, and a very small number of people, not many people had actually seen me in the flesh outside the Sacred Democratic Country.
“Actually…” I started.
“Yes?”
“No, it’s nothing,” I said.
When I spoke as if I was going to tell them something, the scummy bastards got excited. They looked like they really wanted to hear what I was about to say.
“Is there something bothering you?” Gellahan asked.
“I wouldn’t say that it has been bothering me, but… I recently felt like there’s some distance between the guild master and me…” I replied.
I wonder how many people would get involved…
“I’m sure it’s difficult, but please talk comfortably. This conversation is just between us,” he requested.
I was sure that they weren’t doing this just to me, so I couldn’t help but be curious about who was with Kim Hyun-Sung right now because doing this to me alone wouldn’t be enough to split us apart.
It was just a guess, but I couldn’t help but think that perhaps the woman who had approached Kim Hyun-Sung when we first arrived was with him.
‘Kylie Yale?’
I had seen her with Kim Hyun-Sung a few times after their first meeting.
‘I’m ninety percent sure that she’s with him right now...’
***
“Are you alone today as well? Master of the Blue Guild?” Kylie asked.
“Ah, Miss Kylie,” Kim Hyun-Sung greeted.
“You must be tired from all the work,” she said.
“I’m used to it. What brings you here today?” he asked.
“You seemed like you haven’t eaten yet, so I thought we should eat together. You eat late, don’t you? If it’s not too much trouble… how about we eat at the Blue Guild’s cafeteria? If it’s uncomfortable for you, I can just go—”
“It’s fine. I actually have something I need to tell you, so let’s go there and eat. I’ll lead the way,” Kim Hyun-Sung interrupted.
“Thank you, Guild Master of Blue,” said Kylie.
1. This is when a woman has sex with a man, and the woman will ask the man whatever she wants. ☜
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