Chapter 48
Chapter 48
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 48
Chapter Title: The 35th Summoning (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
“What in the world…”
“This is a first. Those angels have really gone too far.”
So this really was a first.
One bald man who looked to be in his fifties, two women who appeared to be in their early to mid-twenties, and one well-built man who seemed to be in his thirties.
Aside from these four, all the other summoned individuals from the 35th batch had youthful faces and were dressed in school uniforms.
Were they high schoolers, or could they be middle schoolers?
“I want to go home…”
“I miss my mom.”
“Mommy…”
“Daddy…”
Many of the students were on the verge of tears.
“Whoa, look at that man’s horse! It’s insane!”
“Isn’t that Red Hare?”
“Mister, are you Lu Bu?”
“Do you know how to use magic?”
“Show us some magic! Magic!”
Even though the angel must have given them a rough explanation before the summoning, some of them still hadn’t grasped the situation and were asking questions like these…
My own head was spinning, so I could only imagine that Tae-soo and the other executives in charge of training must be about to lose their minds.
“Everyone, quiet!”
The moment Tae-soo shouted, the crowd fell silent.
It might have been his first time dealing with a situation like this, but it certainly wasn't his first time training new arrivals.
“Who’s that guy to be ordering us around?”
“He seems to be the leader.”
“Isn’t the leader the man on the red horse? That other guy’s horse looks shabby in comparison, so how could he be the leader?”
Of course, there were still some who continued to whisper among themselves.
“If you want to be left behind here as monster fodder, then by all means, keep talking.”
At Tae-soo’s solemn warning, even the chatterboxes clamped their mouths shut.
Just then, the bald man walked toward us.
“I am Yoon Hong-chun, the principal of Peace Middle School. And who might you be…”
“Didn’t the angel explain things to you? I don’t care if you’re a principal or what, don’t interrupt. Go back and listen.”
The principal retreated, his face beet red.
Being a school principal was a position of some social standing, so this must have been the first time he’d been treated so dismissively, but it couldn’t be helped.
Elsia was not a place where you were respected for your age.
Besides, if they entertained questions from every single person like him, they’d be inundated, and it would be a waste of time.
In any case, since the principal said it was a middle school, the kids must be middle schoolers.
Not even high schoolers, but middle schoolers…
What in the world were those angels thinking, bringing kids this young?
Of course, it wasn’t as if there hadn’t been young people among the previously summoned.
Even in my own batch, the 34th, there were students who looked like they were in middle or high school.
But never in such large numbers.
“Our baldy got shut down for acting up, didn’t he?”
“Hey, be quiet.”
I maintained a poker face, but listening to the hushed conversations was giving me a headache.
“That guy knows the word ‘principal,’ so isn’t he a summoned person too?”
“His hair is black, too. Those other guys over there don’t seem to be.”
The knights from the estate all had Western features.
“I’ll trust that the angel gave you a rough explanation. Let me start with a brief introduction.”
Tae-soo gave a simple introduction and began to explain things step by step, much like what I had heard at first.
He explained that they were not there to harm them but to help the new arrivals.
From the fact that many had died in the early days to the purpose of the basic training, the script seemed to be set, as it was identical to what I had heard.
I was a little worried since they were students, but thankfully, they all agreed to the training without any major commotion, and we started moving toward the castle.
“My legs hurt.”
“I want to ride a horse too.”
“I’m tired.”
“Mommy…”
Of course, many of the students didn’t seem okay, but it had been the same for the 34th batch.
If anything, thanks to the presence of their teachers and a bit of herd mentality, none of the students acted out.
The return trip, however, took quite a while.
When I first came to the castle, I think it took about an hour, but because the students were young and walked slowly, it took almost an hour and a half.
The procedures that followed were also the same.
First, a stop at the administrative office to issue identification.
There was a small disturbance with some students crying about their fear of needles, but thankfully, the ID issuance was completed without any major problems.
However, this time, I wasn't a new arrival just following orders but an escort, so I was able to observe the ID issuance process more carefully.
The crystal orb was taken back inside immediately after the process was finished, so I couldn't spot anything out of the ordinary.
Well, I hadn’t expected much anyway.
I was about to go out and help with the headcount when the commander and the knights who had been with us since morning approached.
I didn't realize it last time, but it seemed their system required them to confirm the ID registration process was complete before they could leave.
But in the hand of the knight next to the commander was a sack I hadn't seen before.
Coincidentally, the top was slightly open, revealing a blue crystal orb.
It looked like the same one used for ID registration earlier.
So they don't store it at the administrative office, they take it to the lord's castle?
Misha's words were starting to seem a little more credible.
“We will take our leave now.”
“Thank you for your hard work.”
“You’ve gone through a lot of trouble. It’s a small token, but please join us for a drink later this evening.”
Tae-soo nudged Ho-min in the side with his elbow, and Ho-min took out a small pouch and handed it to the commander.
“Ahem, you really don’t have to do this every time…”
Contrary to his words, the commander swiftly pocketed the pouch.
“Haha, don’t mention it. You’ve had a tough morning because of the new arrivals, so this is the least we can do.”
“It seems there are many young ones in this batch. You’ll have your hands full. Good luck.”
“Take care.”
Everyone bowed respectfully as if on cue, so I gave a moderate nod myself.
I also bowed my head slightly.
“Tae-soo, was that a bribe just now?”
“Ah, something like that. It’s not like they asked for it, and it’s not much. It’s just easier for us if we grease the wheels a bit. Now, let’s go.”
We left the administrative office and led the new arrivals to the training grounds.
Other members of the Golden Lion Guild who had been waiting came out to meet us.
Seol-hwa was there, and not just her, but every member of the Golden Lion Guild wore the same bewildered expression as us.
“Commander, what is all this…”
“They’re middle schoolers, apparently. I was flustered at first too, but what can we do? It’s not like I summoned them. We’ll proceed as planned.”
“Ah, yes, I understand. Everyone, this way, please have a seat.”
It seemed they were about to conduct the survey, just like last time.
“The rest of you, prepare the meals and get ready for serving. We’ll prepare for training after a break.”
It was exactly the same. The guilds in charge of training changed each time, but it seemed there was a common curriculum.
“All executives, gather in the conference room in ten minutes.”
It seemed he planned to hold a meeting while the new arrivals filled out their surveys and ate.
Just as I was wondering if I should go, Tae-soo approached me.
“What will you do, my friend?”
“Uh… I…”
“Like I said before, you can just relax from here on out.”
“No, it’s fine. I’ll participate too. If my presence as an outsider is an issue, I’ll stay here, but…”
I had no intention of offering any opinions, but I was curious to see how the Golden Lion Guild would handle a situation like this.
I was also curious about how the students had ended up being dragged here.
“An issue? We’re not strangers. Then let’s go up together.”
“Yes.”
“Ah, hold on. Team Leader Yoon?”
“Yes, Commander.”
“Have the adults, including that man over there, about two of them, come up after they finish their surveys.”
“Understood.”
I went up to the top floor of the training building with Tae-soo.
“You must be very familiar with this place, being from the 34th batch.”
“I’ve been to the other areas, but this is my first time here.”
When I went through the basic training, the top floor was used by the Silver Wolf Guild, so this was a first for me.
“You never had an interview?”
“They determined my trait wasn’t good at first, so I couldn’t.”
“That makes sense. The conference room is that way.”
When I opened the door to the room he pointed at, several of the executive members were already seated.
It wasn't as spacious as Tae-soo's office, but it was still quite large.
Soon, the executives filed in one by one, and the meeting began as Seol-hwa entered last.
“I will begin with a simple briefing, including the number of personnel.”
Seol-hwa stood up and began her explanation. This 35th batch of summoned individuals totaled 153 people.
Aside from the five teachers, including the principal, all of them were second-year students from a middle school called Peace Middle.
“It’s quite unexpected for such a large number of underage students to be summoned for the first time, but I intend to proceed as usual. I’d like to hear everyone’s opinion.”
Chil-seong, who was sitting right next to him, shot his hand up.
“Go ahead, Vice Guild Master.”
“Since these new arrivals are all members of a single group called a school, I think we might face some difficulties when it comes to scouting them later.”
“What kind of difficulties?”
“The teachers, especially that bald man who said he’s the principal, and the other teachers… I feel they will still try to exert their influence. Will that be alright?”
“I don’t think that will be a problem. As they go through the training, they will naturally learn that one’s former position or age doesn’t matter in Elsia.”
I certainly thought so too.
Even if they were teachers on the outside, in Elsia, they were just fellow summoned individuals.
“Anything else?”
This time, Mi-jeong, who was sitting in the middle, raised her hand.
“From what I saw earlier, it seems like a lot of the kids still haven’t properly grasped the situation. What does everyone else think?”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
“They’re still young, so it can’t be helped, can it?”
“Monsters don’t exactly go easy on you just because you’re a child. You all know this world is by no means kind to the summoned, don’t you?”
Everyone nodded at the cold, hard point.
It was true. There were plenty of scumbags among both the residents and the summoned.
“This might be a bit of an extreme example, but there might be cases where people just take their Jewels and sell the kids off as slaves. So, for the children who don’t get recruited this time, our guild should at least…”
Was she suggesting we take them in?
That seemed a bit much.
Ah! Mi-jeong had mentioned she has a middle school-aged son and daughter back in her original world.
She must be especially worried about these children because they’re the same age as her own.
“I think that’s getting a little ahead of ourselves. It’s not like that kind of thing only happens to this batch of summoned.”
As Chil-seong spoke, a few executives shot him a slight glare.
It might have sounded cold, but I didn't think Chil-seong was wrong.
Just as Mi-jeong had said, monsters don't go easy on you for being young.
Taking someone in out of pity for their age, even if they were incompetent, didn’t make sense.
Elsia wasn't such a forgiving world.
“There’s no one here who doesn’t find it unfortunate that so many young students were summoned this time. But our guild’s finances aren’t that abundant. We have a goal, don’t we?”
With Seol-hwa adding her piece, the atmosphere grew a little heavy.
“…Then I hope we can focus on that part a bit more during the training.”
It was the expected outcome, but Mi-jeong took a step back.
“Alright. Let’s do that.”
“Um, Tae-soo, I know I’m an outsider, but may I say something?”
“Of course. Does anyone object?”
When Tae-soo asked, everyone shook their heads.
“Then how about we have each guild sign a pledge when they scout people after this training is over?”
“A pledge?”
“With content stating that if any of the aforementioned unfortunate incidents happen to the kids they take, there will be an investigation and they will be held responsible.”
Of course, since they had to go into labyrinths to earn money, it wasn't a perfect solution.
If something suddenly went wrong in a labyrinth, there was nothing to be done.
But I thought that having at least this minimal safety measure might ease our conscience a little.
It was better than nothing.
“Other guilds might protest, calling it an overreach of authority…”
Chil-seong cautiously offered his opinion, glancing my way.
“I don’t think they’ll protest too strongly, but if they do, you can just say you’re following the opinion I suggested.”
I was about to say they could just use the Golden Lion Guild’s authority to push it through, but it was my idea, even if they were allies, so that didn't feel right. I changed my words.
“Huh?”
“Everyone, even though we’re in Elsia now, we’re all adults and modern people, aren’t we?”
Even if taking full responsibility was too much, I believed that showing this much consideration for minors was perfectly acceptable.
It wasn't my intention, but the atmosphere became a bit solemn.
A few of the executives looked at me with expressions of admiration.
Mi-jeong, in particular, was smiling brightly, seemingly grateful that I had taken her side.
“That’s our Hyeon-ung… my friend. It’s true, we might get a little flak, but we have a just cause, so I doubt there will be much opposition. And we won’t just use your name; the Golden Lion Guild will officially support this.”
After discussing a few more opinions, a knock was heard, and the conference room door opened.
It was Team Leader Yoon, who had been in charge of the surveys.
“Oh, Team Leader Yoon, are the surveys finished?”
“Yes. And the two teachers you mentioned are waiting outside.”
Team Leader Yoon replied, placing a stack of papers in front of Tae-soo.
“Alright. We’ll continue the meeting later. I’m going to have a quick word with the teachers, so you all look this over first. Seol-hwa, make some copies.”
“Yes.”
As soon as Tae-soo left, the executives all stood up and crowded around the survey forms.
“Everyone, stop. I’ll make a copy for each of you, so please remain seated.”
I was curious too, but Seol-hwa quickly transcribed one copy of the survey and handed it to me.
“Oh? Can I see it first? You can give it to someone else first. But thank you.”
[35th Summoned Survey]
The cover indicated that this was the original.
“What? I wasn’t giving it to you to read. Your handwriting was good last time, so please help copy this, Hyeon-ung. Everyone else has terrible handwriting.”
Along with her words, she handed me a stack of survey forms and a pen.
So she wasn't giving it to me to read…
Fortunately, the survey template was already printed, so all I had to do was copy the content, which wasn't too difficult.
“Haha… Okay.”
Well, it didn't matter.
I can just read it while I copy, I thought, as I turned the cover page.