Chapter 21
Chapter 21
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Alliance
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Alliance
WeTube does have a donation feature, but the term "Chairman" is typically used on AquaTV, where I used to simulcast.
It refers to the fan who has donated the most money.
Anyone who streams can tell you that you can't help but give the Chairman special treatment.
In a world where attention is money, they're the one who gives you the most.
You might give them a military-style salute when they enter the live stream.
Or share your contact information or messenger ID.
Sometimes you might even meet up for a meal.
Not every Chairman is like this, but some use this special treatment to control the stream.
Especially for female streamers, they might forbid them from streaming with male streamers or demand they ban visitors when another streamer drops by.
Anyway, for these reasons, rumors often circulate about streamers dating their Chairmen, regardless of gender.
Of course, for male streamers, this is usually limited to those who are exceptionally good-looking.
Occasionally, you get Chairmen who ask for no special treatment, and my Chairman was somewhere in the middle.
I gave him my contact info because he asked for it, but he only ever sent occasional greetings and chatted idly, never making requests or interfering.
He insisted from the very beginning that we never talk on the phone, and whenever I offered to treat him to a meal, he would always politely decline.
During my streams, he never tried to stop me, no matter what content I was doing, who was visiting, or who I was collaborating with.
If anything, he would just donate to the other streamers, asking them to look after his "Ung-jjang."
On top of that, when I said I was having a hard time in real life and needed to take a break from streaming, he sent a whopping 5 million won to my bank account the very next day.
Hearing just this much, he sounds like a truly ideal Chairman, but…
[Hawawa~ Ung-jjang oppa is so cool today, it's true!]
[Ung-jjang oppa, don't be mad. Kyaru-jjang is scared. Hoeeng.]
[When Kyaru-jjang grows up, I'm gonna marry Ung-jjang oppa.]
He was someone who really, *really* committed to his online persona.
I just can't reconcile that with the serious-looking, middle-aged man sitting before me.
"Yes. I'm… Kyaru-jjang the Military Veteran High School Girl. Ung-jjang."
Ugh, I get goosebumps every time he calls me Ung-jjang.
"Uh… it would probably be better if you just used my name here. But are you really the Chairman?"
I had to suspect he was an impostor because I always thought my Chairman was a woman.
Of course, based on his usual behavior and username, he seemed like a guy just playing a character, but there was a reason I thought otherwise.
When he transferred the money to me when I was struggling, the sender's name was Lee Ha-young.
He could have had a secretary or someone send it, but I was so grateful that I broke his rule and called him. I was briefly connected.
I didn't say much beyond thanking him, but the person on the other end clearly had the voice of a young woman.
"An impostor!"
He looked genuinely offended.
"I've spoken with the Chairman on the phone before."
"What are you talking about? I specifically told you not to call when I gave you my number!"
The fact that he knows this… could he be the real deal?
But the person I spoke to definitely had a woman's voice…
"Don't you remember the bank transfer? I was so grateful that I called you through the messenger app's call function. We spoke for a moment, didn't we?"
"…Are you talking about the 5 million won transfer?"
He even knows the exact amount. I'm even more confused now.
It doesn't seem like a complete lie…
When I nodded, Mr. Lee Tae-soo let out a sigh.
"…I told you never to call. It seems my Ha-young answered and didn't tell me."
My Ha-young?
"The sender's name was Lee Ha-young, wasn't it?"
"Yes, it was."
"Ha-young is my daughter."
…Daughter?
"If she's your daughter, does that mean she's the Chairman?"
"This might take a while to explain."
"I have plenty of time."
Taking a sip of his beer, Lee Tae-soo slowly began his story.
He was the CEO of a mid-sized company and had a daughter who had been sick since she was young.
Having spent her entire life in hospitals, his daughter's interests naturally drifted toward the internet.
Then one day, she came across my videos and became hooked.
Mr. Tae-soo, who visited his daughter despite his busy schedule, started watching my videos with her and became a fan himself.
That's how he eventually became the Chairman through occasional donations.
I never imagined there were two Chairmen.
What was even more touching was that the 5 million won sent to me was his daughter's savings, which she had sent without her father's knowledge.
Even the nickname, which I had thought was just part of a persona, had a meaning.
"Military Veteran" was because it was his daughter's dream to become a soldier once she recovered.
"High School Girl" was because she was eighteen.
And "Kyaru" was apparently her favorite game character.
"…I had no idea there was such a story behind it…"
I truly didn't.
Honestly, once I realized it was a real woman and not a guy playing a character, a few questions had popped into my mind about the Chairman.
*She seems to be from a rich family, so is she donating with ulterior motives?*
*But if that's the case, why hasn't she asked for a meal date?*
*Maybe she's a cutesy girl who weighs over 100kg with a pretty voice…*
Hearing the story cleared up all my doubts.
He had shared my contact info since he couldn't always be by his daughter's side, but he had forbidden phone calls because he was worried about his pure? daughter, who was still a minor and had only ever known life in a hospital.
He refused to meet for the same reason, and also because she was sick.
"Wait a minute, then does that mean your daughter is…"
"She's on the outside."
He must miss his family terribly… wait a minute. Something isn't right.
"Chairman, if you don't mind me asking, which batch were you in?"
"I'm from the 3rd."
That's a difference of more than 30 batches.
A new batch of players arrives in Elsia once a month.
But the Chairman had been consistently donating to me right up until I came to Elsia.
He even sent the 5 million won a year ago. I couldn't understand how the Chairman, who arrived 30 months before me, would know about that.
When I pointed this out, the Chairman smiled bitterly and told me the truth.
"You arrived on May 10, 2023, right? I came here then, too."
"What? But how…"
"The fact that you don't even know this proves you're a real newbie. Everyone, from every batch, arrives on the same day. Time in Elsia flows continuously, but…"
This was the first I'd heard of it.
They didn't teach us this during the basic training.
Come to think of it, none of the Silver Wolf guild members I met during basic training asked about the real world.
You'd think someone would be curious if their favorite sports team won the championship…
I just assumed they weren't interested because they were struggling to adapt to this game-like world, but to think there was a reason like this…
"It's the only positive thing about this damn world."
"Positive?"
"It's not certain, but it's a relief that even if we go back, there's a high chance that time on the outside hasn't passed, right?"
…Right. The Chairman wasn't some small-time WeTuber like me who wouldn't be missed. He was the CEO of a mid-sized company.
If the CEO suddenly went missing, the company wouldn't run properly.
And it wasn't just the company; he had a sick daughter… Huh?
Suddenly, the Chairman leaned toward me and grabbed my hands.
"Chairman…"
"Ung-jjang, no, Hyeon-ung."
His expression was so serious it made me even more flustered.
Come to think of it, he said that while it started because of his daughter, he eventually grew to like me as well…
A cold sweat suddenly ran down my back…
"Our Golden Lion Guild, myself included, is dedicating all our efforts to conquering the labyrinth so we can return to our beloved families. More so than any other guild in the Guild Alliance."
"Ah, yes."
I see I misunderstood.
"I don't usually like appealing to sentiment, but if you were to join us, you would be a tremendous help. I'm begging you."
He even bowed his head as he spoke.
Joining a guild…
I came here with the lighthearted intention of just hearing him out, but it seems I can't give a lighthearted answer.
"I'm truly grateful for all the support and donations you've given me, especially for helping me out so generously when I was struggling, but I'm sorry."
I haven't decided whether I want to go back or not, but the very fact that I wasn't interested in the outside world meant I didn't have any major complaints about my life here.
The Chairman and I are in different situations.
If I go back, I'll just be a small-time WeTuber with 10,000 subscribers.
"Don't you have a family, too?"
Ah, even for the Chairman, this is a bit…
Then again, I never talked about my family on stream.
"I'm an orphan."
Besides social status or wealth, I also don't have a family.
I have a few relatives, but you can't call those people family.
I don't have a girlfriend, either.
I have a few friends, but we were the kind who would just grab a drink occasionally, not the kind who couldn't live without each other.
If anything, Bio, Rina, and Hanna, whom I met here, are more…
"…I had no idea. You always seemed so bright on your streams, I just assumed you grew up surrounded by love… I've made a mistake. I'm sorry."
"It's just how I was on stream."
I had no intention of begging on my streams, saying, "I'm an orphan, so please give me money because I'm pitiful."
It wouldn't have worked anyway.
"It's alright. It was a long time ago."
"…What if, perhaps, you used the Orb of Wishes to ask to be sent back to a time when your parents were alive? To a life where your parents are healthy and live long…"
"It was an accident, not an illness…"
"Then you could go back to the past and prevent the accident…"
"Would that even work? What if I couldn't stop it? What if there's some kind of deterministic force in the world… In a way, isn't that like making two wishes—to be sent back and for my parents to be safe?"
I highly doubt the ones who brought us to this world without any explanation would allow such a loophole.
"…I see."
The Chairman's expression darkened, perhaps because I was being so negative.
"Um, Chairman?"
"If that is your decision, then I can't force you… I will respect it."
I thought he would appeal to my emotions, asking how I could turn my back on him after all his support.
It's not easy to respect someone else's wishes when you yourself are in such a desperate situation.
…He really is just like his Chairman persona.
"I'll leave when Chil-seong gets back."
"Chairman, it's me, Ung-jjang."
"…Hm?"
"Did you really see me as someone so disloyal?"
Even if the Chairman's initial support wasn't for me but for his daughter, does the reason really matter?
I may not trust people, but I can't turn my back on someone who showed me kindness first.
"Didn't you say it would be difficult for you to join a guild…?"
His tone was one of resignation, but I could see a small flicker of hope in his eyes.
"I said joining a guild would be difficult. I never said I would turn my back on you. Besides, wouldn't it cause trouble for you because of the Silver Wolf Guild, who are in the same alliance as the Golden Lion Guild?"
"Don't worry about that. I'll…"
"No. It's just that I don't like being tied down. Still, if you need my help, Chairman, I will support you with everything I have."
To show that these weren't just empty words, I opened my inventory and took out five pouches.
"This is…"
"I don't mean to solve everything with money, but it was the first thing that came to mind. Please take it for now."
Earlier today, I'd organized my money into pouches, thinking it would be more convenient to take out. Each pouch held one thousand gold, for a total of five thousand.
I had noticed his discomfort when ordering food and drinks earlier.
"But then there's nothing in this for you, is there?"
"I've already received more than enough. Besides, if you've watched my streams, you know my motto, don't you?"
He smiled faintly, seeming to recall the words I always used to say.
Malice with greater malice.
Kindness with even greater kindness.
This is how I've lived my life, and how I'll continue to live.
"Ah, and the drinks tonight are on me."
A meal date is supposed to be paid for by the one who received the donations, after all.
****
The top-floor conference room of the Silver Wolf Guild's hideout.
The expressions of the several people sitting around a long table were grim.
The face of Jang Tae-seok, the Guild Master of Silver Wolf, who sat at the head of the table, was so red it looked like it was about to explode.
*CRASH—*
Unable to contain his anger, Jang Tae-seok slammed his fist on the table, shattering it.
"Does this make any sense! Not just anywhere, but in our own guild hideout! The Vice Guild Master gets his ass kicked and his gear stripped!"
"I apologize."
Yoo Cheol-yong stood up and bowed his head, but Jang Tae-seok's expression didn't soften in the slightest.
"You shut up!"
"Now, Guild Master, Cheol-yong has contributed a lot to the guild. Why don't you calm down a bit?"
When his own brother and the other Vice Guild Master, Jang Tae-soo, stepped in to mediate, he finally averted his displeased gaze.
"If he hadn't, I would have kicked him out already. Why did he have to bet a unique item that wasn't even his…"
"Cheol-yong probably didn't think he would lose."
"So we just let it slide because he didn't think he'd lose? The reputation of our great Silver Wolf Guild… Ugh, whatever. Where are the two bastards who didn't know their place and started the fight?"
"We had them treated. They're waiting outside. Shall I call them in?"
Jang Tae-seok shook his head.
"Call them in for what? I don't even want to see their faces, so kick them out! I heard those two were the ones who started this mess by picking a fight they couldn't handle!"
"They were both Elsia rankers with decent traits. We scouted them first…"
"So what? Are they even worth the price of a single item they lost? I don't need them, so tell them to get lost… Ah, wait! They haven't used their Jewels yet, have they?"
"What? Well, they probably each got a mount. They were scheduled to go to the 10th floor next, so I told them to get one."
"Damn it. Make them use the rest on equipment draws and confiscate whatever they get."
He didn't expect a unique item, but even a single rare would help cut their losses.
"Understood."
"Ah! And make them sign an IOU for their basic training fees. And everything they've received from the guild, all the food and lodging, add it all to their debt."
"Guild Master? They're being kicked out with nothing. It'll be hard for them to pay that back…"
"And? They should have thought of that before acting so high and mighty and causing this mess. If they can't pay it back, we can just sell them off as slaves, can't we?"
Just as Jang Tae-soo was about to nod and agree, the conference room door opened.
"Who the hell are you? I said no one but officers are allowed in during a meeting…"
"Master, it's an emergency! On the verification board, the Golden Lion Guild is…"
"The Golden Lion Guild is what? Hah, I'll check it myself. You'd better hope this isn't a waste of my time."
Jang Tae-seok, who had been yelling at the guild member, used the community function to access the verification board and soon found the post with the most views.
[Declaration of Alliance.
Author: Lee Tae-soo
The Golden Lion Guild of the Guild Alliance and the 34th-batch player Oh Hyeon-ung hereby declare that as of today, we have entered into a mutually cooperative alliance.
This alliance relationship takes precedence over the coalition. Any individual or group that attempts to harm the Golden Lion Guild's ally will be considered an enemy of the Golden Lion Guild.]