Chapter 485: Blue’s Circumstances (1) |
“Miss Kim Mi-Young,” I[1] said.
“Ah, Mr. Park Joong-Ki… I’m sorry. I didn’t even greet you properly because I’ve been so busy. Have the items arrived yet?” Kim Mi-Young asked.
“Yes. I stored the supplies you mentioned in the warehouse while some were loaded onto the carriage for immediate transfer to the site. I’m planning on getting the guild master’s approval once I’m done with the checks. If you’re busy, I can do your task for you as well,” I offered.
“It’s fine. I’m busy, but it’s imperative that I take care of my own tasks because they’re important as well. Anyway, have the reinforcements arrived yet?” she asked.
“It’ll take some time before they arrive because it’s so sudden… In the Sacred Democratic Country, I’ve heard that the Templars, Holy Knights, and even the personnel of the archbishop were mobilized. This is an unprecedented situation, so I think the forces under the Vatican will be mobilized. It’s the same for the other large cities. Father Basel even said that he’d head straight to the Federation instead of stopping by the joint training camp. There have been some discussions about that.”
“That’s…”
“I tried to talk to him as well, but he’s a very passionate person… If it hadn’t been for Miss Oscar and the other senators, I’m sure he would have immediately headed to the Federation,” I added.
“Lindel’s atmosphere must be unstable,” she commented.
“It’s not just Lindel. The entire Sacred Democratic Country is nervous. I checked the mid to small-sized cities on my way here, and they all looked gloomy, including the citizens. The majority of them were praying, and if I were to exaggerate a bit, I think the entire nation has stopped operating. Anyway, how are things here?” I asked.
“And Miss Jung Ha-Yan…”
“I’ve been bringing her food every day, but she hasn’t been eating any of it. I keep hearing her cry, and I can’t measure just how heartbroken she feels. She basically lost the Sub Guild Master right before her eyes… She’s also blaming herself for everything, which breaks my heart. Right after she arrived, she kept rambling about how it was her fault. I suggested that she rest because she seemed like she wasn’t in her right mind, but…” Kim Mi-Young paused.
“...”
“She hasn’t been seeing Mr. Park Deok-Gu, the Guild Master, or anyone else. She has also been rejecting any treatment from the priests. The guild master warned me that she might harm herself…” she continued.
“Ugh. I think being too nice can be a problem as well. I heard he got abducted while trying to rescue the evacuating citizens. Miss Dialugia said that he was still alive, which was a relief. In times like this, guild staffers like us have to be more aware of things so that they won’t have a hard time focusing on what matters the most,” I told her.
“Yes, you’re right,” she said.
I saw Miss Kim Mi-Young’s serious expression.
‘I think she’s overdoing it…’
She pretended like nothing was wrong, but since she had been a member of the Blue Guild for quite a while now, I had an idea about how she was feeling.
‘Of course, this is hard for you…’
Miss Kim Mi-Young had been working with the sub guild master for a long time now. He was like her savior who had saved her from her hellish life, so it wouldn’t be strange if she reacted the same way as others upon hearing the news that he got abducted by a demon.
I was sure that she wanted to cry and collapse to the ground.
However, the fact that she was working normally made me think that she definitely deserved the sub guild master’s trust. I was sure that was the reason he recruited her to be the center of the Blue Guild’s administrative department.
She definitely knew that taking care of her tasks was more important than being sad.
“Are you sure the negotiation with the other nations is going well?” I asked.
“We have received official approval for the Federation recovery plan. The plan will be carried in exactly one week, but…” Kim Mi-Young paused.
“Yes?”
“I’m not sure of this because I’m not a military expert, but I feel like we’re lacking in many things. Some of the nations and large guilds are influencing even the smallest parts, and they’re still arguing over the military formation of each nation…”
”To make things worse, Gellahan of Hellfire and Jamila from the Federation doesn’t seem very determined about all this. It’s as if they have already decided to abandon all the facilities within the Federation. It’s sad…”
”They had spent a lot of time with the sub guild master, but they stopped caring about the sub guild master as soon as he was abducted,” she answered.
“Those scum… I can’t believe it…” I commented.
“I’m not sure if they don’t want to acknowledge the fact that other kingdoms will be affected after the Federation or if they’re not thinking about it at all. In the worst-case scenario, I believe the guild master is thinking about proceeding with the recovery plan with the Three Nation Alliance and the Republic,” she added.
“I’m sure the Republic will join gladly,” I said.
“It’s a relief. I think they’re trying to do whatever they can to recover their image. And the current president of the Republic is hostile toward demons. It’s understandable because of what they had to go through in the war Jin Cheong led,” she continued.
“But there are many—”
“—uncertain factors. However, it’s our job to manage those factors. Since the sub guild master is missing, we’ll have to take care of other tasks as well, so I suggest you prepare yourself, Mr. Park Joong-Ki,” she warned.
“Are you worried that something bad is going to happen?” I asked.
“...”
“...”
There was a moment of silence, and I was sure that we had the same thoughts.
The Blue Guild’s administrative team was famous for being way more competent than the administrative teams of other guilds, but it was undeniably because of the sub guild master—the honorary cardinal’s influence.
The two of us got worried about how much we could achieve without the sub guild master pointing us in the right direction. In addition, every single decision was critical.
The silence between us spoke a thousand words about that.
Basically, we were doubting if we could even do our jobs properly.
We continued walking in silence and eventually arrived in front of the Guild Master’s Office. I took a deep breath and knocked on the door.
“Come in,” said the guild master.
Miss Kim Mi-Young nodded, and I slowly opened the office door.
‘I’m sure he’s in shock because he’s really close to the sub guild master.’
I was kind of worried. He was trying his best to pretend like he was fine, even though he looked a bit haggard. In other words, the news had definitely affected him.
He looked unkempt—like he hadn’t been able to shave recently. He also looked like he didn’t get much sleep because of the dark circles beneath his eyes. Not only were his eyes bloodshot, but he also looked nervous and anxious overall.
“No need for greetings. Just show me the documents that require my approval and leave… Actually, please wait a bit,” the guild master ordered.
“Okay…”
‘The atmosphere is…’
It was different from usual. It was ice cold, and I unknowingly shivered.
‘Was he always like this?’
I couldn’t really describe it.
Getting the guild master’s approval whenever the sub guild master wasn’t around was part of the rules, so it wasn’t my first time seeing him up close like this. However, I could still remember that he definitely wasn’t emitting this kind of ice-cold vibe.
Of course, he always looked indifferent, but I could remember seeing him wearing a business-like smile, and he would always treat us nicely as well.
He had changed so fast and so radically that I couldn’t help but question if I was still looking at the same Kim Hyun-Sung before the news broke out.
“Is this all the supplies?” he asked.
“Yes. W-We got as much as we could… It hasn’t been that long since the war ended, so the supplies are a bit lacking. We have a surplus in some of the categories, but—”
“Please prepare another batch of the same items within three days,” he interrupted.
“Sorry?” Kim Mi-Young asked.
“Prepare it. It doesn’t matter how you do it, just prepare them,” he replied.
“When you say i-it doesn’t matter how—” she stuttered.
“Do I have to explain every little detail?” he snapped.
“N-No…” she answered.
“Do whatever you can to make sure that the supplies are even,” he repeated.
“Yes, sir.”
‘Shit…’
“I’m sure you already know, but Mr. Ki-Young has been abducted. The Tactical Support Team, the Strategic Supply Support Team, and many of the administrative team’s tasks I haven’t mentioned will be handled by you and Mr. Park Joong-Ki. Not only will you join the joint meeting with Miss Hye-Jin in Mr. Ki-Young’s place, but you’ll also participate in official meetings, so please be prepared,” he explained.
‘I knew it.’
“I assume you have an idea about what’s going on,” he added.
“Yes… sir…” Kim Mi-Young meekly answered.
“Miss Kim Mi-Young…” he called out.
“Yes, Guild Master.”
“Please create a list of people you think will be a threat or will get in the way of the Federation recovery plan and submit it to me. Obviously, the list is confidential and top secret,” he ordered.
“...”
“I’ll give you two days. The faster, the better. You can ask Miss Lee Ji-Hye of the Black Swan Guild for help,” he told her.
“I’ll do my best,” Kim Mi-Young replied.
“You’re both competent, so I believe you’ll do well,” he complimented.
‘...’
My gut feeling had never been wrong, and the burden I had to endure was heavier than I initially expected.
It wasn’t like I couldn’t understand what the guild master was thinking, but I couldn’t express my thoughts properly because he wasn’t acting like his usual self.
In addition, it seemed like he had ordered Kim Mi-Young to create a hit list, and he had also told her to do whatever was necessary to obtain more supplies.
‘Is he telling us to loot small cities or burn down farms?’
Otherwise, it would be nigh impossible to obtain the same amount of supplies we had procured so far in the next three days. If we forcefully obtained the necessary supplies, the Blue Guild’s image would undoubtedly be ruined.
There were many things that didn’t sit well with me.
Yes, we lack supplies, but I couldn’t help but question if we actually had to take extreme measures like this.
I bit my lips, hesitating.
“Guild Master…”
All of a sudden, the door was opened, and I saw a familiar face.
“Just state your business,” the guild master ordered.
“I received a message.”
“...”
“The mages are still checking the authenticity, but the message sent by the Federation looks like a m-magic hologram… and we saw the sub guild master. We’re concerned if there are other traps…”
The messenger had just finished talking, but an intense, heavy pressure immediately pervaded the room.
I started feeling out of breath.
‘W-What’s this…?’
Even Miss Kim Mi-Young started trembling…
‘I-I can’t breathe…!’
1. Park Joong-Ki’s POV ☜
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