An Unexpected Friendship
However, he did not open his mouth to say anything. There was no need to put such deep emotion into words.
"A good man is like a good friend. And these days, true friends are hard to come by. All we did was play a few rounds of golf here, but I already considered you a friend. What about you?"
"Pardon?"
"Is the age gap too wide for us to be friends?"
"Not at all! Let's do it! Let's be friends!"
Kim Tae-san firmly grasped the old man's hand. The old man chuckled again.
"I like how passionate you are."
"You're the one who fired me up, Elder."
"People might misunderstand if they heard that... And there's no need to be so formal with me. I have a general idea of what kind of person you are."
The old man looked at Kim Tae-san with eyes that seemed to pierce right through him.
"You're like a sturdy oak tree. You treat me with respect because of my age, but there's no need to treat me like some frail old man."
"I treat you with respect because you've earned it, Elder."
"My, you certainly know how to make a man blush. Anyway, I was worried you'd stop coming to the golf course. I'm glad to see you like this. Even if you don't come here as often, we're friends now, so keep in touch. Here is my card."
Kim Tae-san accepted the old man's business card. Written on the plain white card, with absolutely nothing else, was a single name.
Yu Seong-su
"Does that name ring a bell?" the old man asked, looking at Kim Tae-san with an intrigued expression.
"Hmm. When it comes to seongsu, the Demer Church's holy water is the best..."
"...What did you say?"
"My apologies."
As Kim Tae-san scratched his head like a giant bear, the old man let out a sigh.
"Tsk, tsk. If my son knew how completely unrecognized I am, he'd be absolutely appalled."
"Well, what can I do if I don't know?" Kim Tae-san grumbled.
"Take the 'su' out of 'Yu Seong-su'."
"That leaves 'Yuseong'."
"Does that ring a bell?"
"My son's sword is named Meteor..."
"..."
"Ahem."
"Sigh. Yuseong Group. Does that ring a bell?"
"Ah, Yuseong Group! The one that just got hit with that massive fine—"
"T-That was my son's fault!"
"You're the Chairman?!"
"Finally, you recognize me. Good grief, it feels like I had to beg for a bow."
The old man—no, Chairman Yu—walked outside with Kim Tae-san. A crowd of bodyguards in suits rushed over to assist, but Chairman Yu waved them off with a flick of his hand.
"I knew you seemed extraordinary, Elder."
"You certainly have a way with words. Especially for someone who couldn't even recognize my name when I gave it to him."
"W-Well, that couldn't be helped... I haven't been paying much attention to the news lately. But hey, I remembered the news about the fine, didn't I?"
"Why on earth did you have to remember that of all things?! And I told you, that was my son's fault!"
After huffing for a moment, Chairman Yu spoke again.
"So, when are you coming back to the golf course?"
"I don't think I'll be coming back for a while..."
"What? Why? Did you find some other interesting hobby?"
Chairman Yu knew how much Kim Tae-san loved golf. For him to say he wouldn't be coming back was shocking.
"Yes. Have you heard of Fantasy Online 2?"
"A game. I've only heard the name on the news. Isn't that for kids?"
"Plenty of adults play it too. I play it, and there are people even older than me who do."
"Is that so?"
Chairman Yu looked largely uninterested.
"Why don't you give it a try, Elder?"
"No, thank you. I prefer fishing to those strange games."
"But you've never tried a virtual reality game before, have you?"
"Those are for people who find reality lacking. Why should I lock myself in a capsule?"
"Elder, virtual reality games aren't meant to replace reality. They're meant to let you experience things you could never experience in the real world," Kim Tae-san said earnestly. His true nature as a hardcore gamer was slipping out.
"Hmm..."
Hearing Kim Tae-san speak with such conviction, Chairman Yu's resolve wavered slightly.
"Elder, real-world fishing has its limits, but fishing in Fantasy Online 2 is limitless. Have you ever fished for birds while soaring high through the sky? Have you ever dived into the deepest depths of the ocean to reel in a giant monster?"
"...I can understand the birds, but I have no desire to fish for monsters..."
"It is a truly unique experience. Fantasy Online 2 uses the absolute pinnacle of modern technology. If you try it just once, you'll be completely hooked."
"W-Well, alright. Since you feel so strongly about it, I'll think about it."
Pushed back by Kim Tae-san's sheer intensity, Chairman Yu took a step back.
"Come to think of it, my granddaughter has been playing it at home."
"It's incredibly popular with the younger generation."
"She used to be such a tomboy, but she's been acting strange lately."
"Oh? In what way?"
"She's reading fashion magazines she never used to touch, and she's buying all sorts of clothes."
"...Isn't that just normal for girls her age?"
"Not for my granddaughter. She was never like that."
"Maybe she's dating someone?"
"Hmm... What kind of worthless punk would..."
Chairman Yu's eyebrows twitched. Kim Tae-san chuckled inwardly. It seemed the hearts of all parents—and grandparents—were exactly the same.
"But I don't think she's actually dating anyone."
"Oh? How do you know?"
"I had my bodyguards follow Ji-su around."
"..."
Kim Tae-san was speechless. Chairman Yu was stating such an absurd invasion of privacy with absolute confidence!
"But she hasn't been meeting any boys."
"Then maybe she's harboring a one-sided crush?"
"What?! What worthless punk dares to make my granddaughter suffer from unrequited love?!"
"W-Well, you can't really control matters of the heart, can you?"
"Grrr..."
Chairman Yu looked utterly displeased.
"If I ever find out who he is..."
"Don't push her too hard."
"Easy for you to say since you don't have a daughter!"
"If you meddle too much, your granddaughter might end up hating you."
At Kim Tae-san's warning, Chairman Yu smacked his lips. He had a point.
"Anyway, since you recommend it so highly... I suppose I'll log in at least once."
"Great! Let's add each other as friends, Elder!"
"What? Add friends? What's that?"
"A friend request. We call it a friend add."
"...Do you really have to use such slang?"
"Haha. That's how the younger generation does it these days."
"Good grief... Fine, I understand. But don't expect too much. I still prefer real-world fishing."
"Haha. I'm sure you'll fall head over heels for it, Elder."
Kim Tae-san smiled as he prepared to send Chairman Yu off. At that moment, a sudden thought seemed to strike the chairman.
"Ah, I almost forgot. Next month is my birthday."
"Happy early birthday?"
"I said it's next month. Given my position, it's not something I can just let pass quietly."
"Keep it small then."
"Even a small gathering inevitably becomes a massive affair. Put yourself in my shoes."
"No thanks, sounds like a massive headache."
"Listen to you... Anyway, you're coming, right? You can make it?"
"Of course I'll go. It's my friend's birthday, after all."
Chairman Yu grinned at Kim Tae-san's words. He seemed genuinely touched by what Tae-san had just said.
"Indeed. I knew I was a good judge of character. Yes, I need a friend like you around so I won't be so bored. Ah, did you say you have a son?"
"Pardon? Yes."
"Bring him along too. I'd like to see his face."
"I don't think that would be very good for your mental health, Elder..."
"The love you have for your son is written all over your face. If he's your son, and you cherish him so much, he must be a decent fellow. It's always good to know men like that."
"It might actually be terrible. I'm warning you now."
"Hahaha. Don't worry. And while you might not have any ambition, your son might. In the future, whether he runs a business or does something else, the connections he can make at my house will undoubtedly be of great help to him."
"Elder, my son has even less ambition than I do."
"...Just bring him anyway!"
"Well, that's not hard, but..."
"But why are you following me?"
"What? My guild members are one thing, but I'm perfectly fine. I'm strong enough not to drag you down."
"No, it's not that. I'm saying this because if we fail the quest, you'll suffer a death penalty for nothing..."
Lee Da-bi had left her guild members to handle their tasks and was currently following Tae-hyun. Even though Tae-hyun had explicitly warned her, 'This is a dangerous quest. If things go south, I'm just going to use my Luck to escape and abandon the other churches.'!
"It's fine, it's fine. Dying once in a while is no big deal."
"...?"
"Besides, wouldn't it be worse to send you off alone, Tae-hyun? To such a dangerous quest!"
"That's almost touching... Wait, no. You're not the type of person to act like this."
"...!"
"You're doing this for the gold, aren't you?"
Lee Da-bi blatantly avoided his gaze.
"N-No, it's not like that. Our relationship isn't built on mere gold. It makes me a bit sad that you'd misunderstand me like this..."
"Then what is our relationship exactly?" Tae-hyun asked, dumbfounded.
If anyone else heard her, they would definitely misunderstand!
"I'm warning you now. If we need to run, I'm prioritizing my own life first."
"That's fine. A single death penalty is nothing."
She must have something up her sleeve.
Tae-hyun could tell from Da-bi's attitude that she was hiding something. Just as Tae-hyun had revived the Archisus Church and obtained his cheat skills, it wouldn't be surprising if Da-bi possessed a hidden skill of her own. It was almost certainly a skill that reduced or completely negated the death penalty.
Her class really is something else...
Thinking about Da-bi's merchant class, Tae-hyun suddenly felt a wave of self-pity. He, the Pope of the Archisus Church, was hardly in a position to mock anyone else's class.
"Fine, let's go together. Two is better than one."
"...Am I invisible to you bastards?!"
Cain, who had been silently trailing behind them, exploded in frustration at Tae-hyun's words.
Now that he thought about it, this was blatant discrimination! Tae-hyun had told Lee Da-bi she didn't have to come because it was dangerous, but he had dragged Cain along without even asking for his consent.
In terms of time spent together, Cain had been with Tae-hyun far longer! Even among slaves, there was a hierarchy, and as the senior slave, Cain felt deeply sorrowful at this lack of respect.
Is it because Lee Da-bi is pretty?! Is that it?!
"What are you babbling about? You have to come anyway."
"Why?! I can choose not to want to go too!"
"Think about your class."
"...!"
"If I die or get into danger while you're not around, who do you think is going to suffer the penalty? You have to stick to me like glue."
"...!!!"
Cain's mouth fell open.
He was right. Just like before, if Tae-hyun fell into a crisis, there was a high probability a penalty quest would trigger for Cain. If he wanted to avoid the penalty, he had to stay right by his side and protect him!
"Ugh... Uwahhh... Sob... Waaaaah!"
Cain collapsed to the ground, wailing in despair.
The other guild members walked past, giving Cain strange looks, but Gu Sung-wook couldn't just ignore him. He finally understood. He understood why the people around Tae-hyun were always crying out in despair.
Yes. They cry because they have no choice but to cry!
Gu Sung-wook knelt down next to Cain and threw an arm around his shoulder.
Cain stopped his wailing and looked up at Gu Sung-wook.
A deep sense of camaraderie was blooming between two victims of Kim Tae-hyun!
"What are those two doing?"
"No idea. It's embarrassing, so let's just pretend we don't know them," Tae-hyun shamelessly whispered to Lee Da-bi.
"Count Kim Tae-hyun. Now that you have returned, I shall head back to my own territory..."
"Oh, heavens! To think the other churches would beg me to save the continent! Must I abandon my fief once again?!"
"..."
Count Anong stared at Tae-hyun, looking utterly bewildered.