Round 51

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People watched my mouth intently. I drew my own conclusion and carefully chose my words.

“I am willing to help you even without any compensation, Chairman.”

“Hmm…”

“And I will make a contract with Ara Hongryeon .”

After all, as a human, I have my ambitions. It’s not just any guild, it’s potentially the number one guild in the country. However, that wasn’t what I wanted. I didn’t desire to become a member of the top guild in Korea; I wanted the simple happiness of myself and the people around me. And those people had long included members of Ara Hongryeon .

If I were to abandon my loyalty here, I would be betraying the connections that had formed over time.

‘Ara Hongryeon  might say it’s okay, but how could I face these people again?’

It was true that I had grown attached to them over time. No matter how cold society might be, there must be people like me, right?

And I wasn’t rejecting the offer without any thought.

“Oh! Kyu-seong! As expected…!”

“But!”

I felt sorry for Hanul, who was prematurely celebrating, but I had thought further ahead.

“My contract clearly states a two-year term. After that, I will be a free agent.”

“What?! Only two years?”

The secretary of the Iron Blood Guild looked at Han Seok-jun, as if to confirm this was true. It was indeed an unusual contract duration in the industry. Typically, contracts were signed for at least five years, with the industry standard being around ten years. Of course, one could be traded for better terms midway, but Han Seok-jun had alleviated such burdens with an unusually short contract duration.

My contract was only for two years.

In the Awakener industry, two years was quite a short period. After that, I would be released as a free agent. Of course, Ara Hongryeon  would try to re-sign me.

“I don’t view a relationship with the Iron Blood Guild negatively.”

“Hmm!”

Baek Tae-seop’s eyes gleamed intensely. He was determined to bring me over.

“Two years! Short if short, long if long, but in this industry, it’s not that long!”

“That’s correct. Thanks to Guild Leader Han Seok-jun’s consideration.”

“In that case, let me rephrase.”

Baek Tae-seop, who initially felt like a pitiable old man, began to assert his presence. His voice wasn’t loud, but it was clear and sharp.

“When the time comes, I will offer the best conditions in Korea, no, in the world. We will treat you as the best Awakener. And the Iron Blood Guild will reclaim the number one position without making you feel ashamed.”

“I look forward to it, Chairman. But you should know that in two years, other guilds will also know about my abilities. And my abilities are special.”

“Hmm! I will have to work harder then. Hahaha!”

The members of the Ara Hongryeon Guild, who had been listening to our conversation, also showed a determined look. Their perception of me must have changed a bit.

“Our Kyu-seong has grown up.”

Young-seong nodded with a satisfied smile. Meanwhile, Guild Leader Han Seok-jun was looking at me with the same smile as before, as if he had anticipated my choice.

However, all of this was just a story of things going well. First and foremost was the treatment of the Awakener Baek Seung-hyun, as promised to Chairman Baek, and then the promise about the pizza needed to be fulfilled.

‘I never thought my ability could help someone to this extent.’

It was incredibly satisfying to know that someone wanted my ability. For the past three years, I was an F-rank Awakener whom no one sought out, except for Young-seong who welcomed me… But now, both Ara Hongryeon , Korea’s first guild, and Iron Blood Guild, competing for the top rank, wanted me. And they weren’t just wanting me; they were scrambling to bring me in. It was a stark contrast to the past.

All thanks to the slimes.

“Thank you, Ara.”

“Huh? Why are you suddenly thanking me?”

Ara tilted her head in confusion. I patted her head and gave her a big smile.

* * *

The contract concluded smoothly.

The antidote deal with the Iron Blood Guild, the item loan contract, and my membership in Ara Hongryeon  were all completed swiftly. I then checked the watering can that had arrived first.

Unlike Vitriol’s Shield, which had been sitting in the warehouse, the Iron Blood team had brought the watering can immediately during the contract process.

“It’s strangely shaped.”

“It’s cute!”

Hanul and Jeong So-yeon commented on the watering can, each reflecting their personalities.

“Hehe.”

Ara hugged the watering can lovingly. Although I received it for my use, since Ara had chosen it, I let her hold it for now.

“Thank you very much, Chairman.”

“I hope this item will be of great help to you, Kyu-seong.”

Baek Tae-seop smiled, carefully examining the vegetable juice he had received from me.

“Today has been an unforgettable experience. Not only the antidote, but I also want to taste your food again next time.”

“I will serve it to you again next time.”

“Then, we will be on our way. Now that we have the antidote, I am eager to get to my son as quickly as possible.”

Young-seong nodded understandingly at Chairman Baek’s words.

“The sooner he can be free from pain, the better.”

“Young-seong, I am truly grateful for this. I won’t forget it.”

“If you need any materials related to the antidote, please contact me anytime. I will do my best to help.”

With this warm conversation, the Iron Blood Guild left. Checking the time, I realized it had been morning when they arrived, but it was already late at night.

“Thank you all for your hard work today. You must have experienced many sudden things, so go home and rest well.”

Han Seok-jun patted my shoulder, acknowledging the effort put into handling multiple contracts at once. In truth, Young-seong had managed most of it, so I wasn’t particularly tired.

“Um… is there anything specific I should do? After all, I’m now a guild member.”

“There’s nothing in particular. Just continue your activities as usual, and if there’s any work related to deliveries or if you need help, please contact us. The relevant department will assist you.”

Honestly, it still didn’t feel real.

But the smiles of the people looking at me warmly were genuine.

“Welcome to Ara Hongryeon , Kyu-seong!”

“Ha ha ha! We’ll be seeing each other more often now, Kyu-seong!”

“Kyu-seong, I plan to return to the guild once Si-young’s health is fully restored. Let’s get along better from now on. Ha ha!”

As I awkwardly scratched my head and asked for their guidance, Ara chimed in.

“You should ask for help! If you treat me well, I’ll even accept you as my subordinate!”

“Hehe. Then I should stay on Ara’s good side. If I become Ara’s subordinate, I’ll get to eat lots of delicious food, right?”

“Of course!”

Jeong So-yeon patted Ara’s head and then glanced at me with a playful expression.

“Now that we’re in the same guild, no hiding things from me, okay?”

“Ha ha. Of course.”

So-yeon smiled brightly at my response. She looked even prettier when she smiled.

“Oh! By the way, the orphanage really wants to meet you, Kyu-seong. They want to thank you somehow…”

“I was planning to contact them anyway, but things got busy all of a sudden.”

“In that case, why don’t we schedule a visit together? We can bring Ara too.”

Oh, that definitely sounded better than just Ara and me visiting alone. It’s always nice to have someone familiar accompany you.

“I’d appreciate that.”

“Shall we set a date then? When would be convenient for you?”

I didn’t have any particularly busy days, but…

Then I thought about the children at the orphanage.

‘If I’m going, I’d like to bring some gifts.’

I wanted to see people happy because of my abilities, especially children. For that, I needed to harvest more crops and increase my stock. Maybe even visit the Dungeon of Gluttony again to get some honey.

‘Come to think of it, there’s quite a bit to do. I need to plant the new dungeon plant that tastes like bread too…’

Most tasks could be handled by the slimes, but planting seeds was something only I could do. Planting seeds itself didn’t take much time, so I had some flexibility.

The only concern now was the land.

‘Assuming I continue growing the existing crops, I’m running out of land.’

The solution was the Dungeon of Gluttony. From my previous visit with Mark2 and planting the Meluca flower, it seemed possible, but the actual outcome was still uncertain.

“Hmm… how about two weeks from now?”

“The week after next? Let me check.”

Jeong So-yeon checked her schedule on her phone and then smiled brightly, nodding.

“I’m free on Friday the week after next! How about then?”

“Sounds good. I’ll contact you the day before to confirm.”

“Great!”

As our conversation ended, I noticed people around us looking at us with satisfied expressions.

“?”

“??”

So-yeon and I exchanged puzzled looks, wondering why everyone had such strange expressions.

“Hehe. Kyu-seong, you’re getting close with a pretty lady.”

“Huh? Oh, uh, yes, I guess?”

Ah! So that’s why they were giving those looks.

I waved my hands, trying to avoid any misunderstandings, but the mischievous old men were already whistling and murmuring.

“Ah, youth is wonderful, isn’t it? They look good together.”

“Ha ha ha! It’s the best time! I too had a burning love once! The problem was it burned everything down!”

“…Team Leader, was that supposed to be a joke?”

“Ha ha ha ha! Don’t you find my joke funny?”

Listening to the old men’s chatter, So-yeon and I exchanged awkward glances and laughed it off.

“Let’s wrap it up here. You all must be busy, so I won’t keep you any longer. Thank you all for your hard work today.”

“Thank you, Guild Leader. See you next time.”

With Han Seok-jun’s words concluding the meeting, everyone prepared to leave.

As we were descending in the elevator together, Young-seong leaned in to whisper to me.

“Come over to our place sometime. Actually, we’ll come to you. How about we meet at that café?”

“There’s no need for that. If you insist, I can come to you. I’ve been there once before, so I remember the way.”

“No, no. Si-young has been cooped up at home for so long; she needs to get some fresh air. Besides, it’s a good excuse to see you. Si-young is an outdoor enthusiast.”

“An outdoor enthusiast?”

“Yeah. She loved camping. We’ve been all over Korea and even camped in safe dungeons from time to time.”

“Camping…”

Thinking about Si-young, who had spent almost a decade confined to either the hospital or home, made me feel sad. Especially for someone who was not just any ordinary person but a powerful Awakener who loved the outdoors, those long years must have been indescribably painful.

“If it weren’t for me, Si-young would have just died. When a bird’s wings are broken, it dies. But she hung on tenaciously for my sake. I’m really grateful.”

Young-seong spoke matter-of-factly. However, the emptiness in his voice made it all the more heartbreaking.

“Hmm…”

Suddenly, the Dungeon of Gluttony came to mind. Since she likes camping, how about making that the location for her first camping trip after her recovery?

“Brother, if it’s okay with you…”

* * *

-Ohohoho!

In the Dungeon of Gluttony, the World Tree.

Frey, the Queen of Alfheim, was currently swaying her body joyfully. It was her way of expressing happiness, though her awkward movements suggested she wasn’t much of a dancer.

-Really, your Majesty’s power is incredible! To think the sprouts would appear so quickly!

-Wow! Does this mean we won’t go hungry anymore, Queen?

-Of course! All we need is to trust in our Lord and the apostles sent by our Lord!

Two slimes, who had been promoted from ordinary workers to the Lord’s apostles, wriggled around the Meluca cultivation area. Their actions, though simple, were watched with reverence and encouragement by the Alfheims. Some even shed tears as they watched.

-Apostles! Keep going! We’re right here with you!

-Apostles! Feel free to rest whenever you need to!

-Ah, working tirelessly for us… You’re so amazing, it makes me dizzy.

Despite their cheers, none of them actually helped, perhaps fearing they might mess things up. Instead, they just watched and shouted encouragement from the sidelines.

The slimes, unfazed by the fuss, carried on with their work. For them, this task was both rest and play.

-The sprouts are beginning to receive light, so now all that’s left is to care for them until they bloom. There’s still the issue of the poison… Ah! To think we’re solving a 200-year-old problem so quickly!

As Frey was basking in her emotions, a fairy, who looked like a worker, descended on a starlight bug.

-Queen, Queen! The honey processing you mentioned is complete!

-Well done. How much do we have?

-Um… the usual amount?

-Oh no! We need to make more honey to present. We must show our value so that the Lord won’t abandon us!

-Gasp! I will start processing more honey right away!

But Frey’s efforts encountered a challenge even before they began.

-Queen, Queen! The honey collection has failed!

-What! What do you mean by that!

-The Star Bear attacked the fairies collecting honey!

-How dare he! That creature!

The Star Bear was known as the most ferocious animal living near the World Tree. Shaped like a bear, the Star Bear had a particular fondness for honey. However, since it couldn’t collect honey itself, it usually chewed on flowers.

-Ugh… Queen…

The fairies responsible for honey collection were carried in on leaf stretchers one by one. 

None were seriously injured, most were just feigning distress. Despite this, Frey couldn’t contain her anger. It was intolerable that the noble Alfheims had been attacked and that the honey of the Slime Overlord had been stolen.

-War!

At Frey’s declaration, the Alfheims erupted into a frenzy. The fairies who had been feigning distress immediately sprang to their feet, spreading their arms and shouting wildly.

-War!

-Attack! Attaaaack!

-Huh? Isn’t war a bit too much? Can’t we just teach them a lesson?

-Revenge! Revenge for my dear friend!

-…War! Another war!

And so, unbeknownst to Kyu-seong, a tiny war was brewing within the Dungeon of Gluttony.

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