“…Guild Leader Park Cheon-su is Dead.”
"…Guild Leader Park Cheon-su is dead."
"……."
The bombshell I dropped silenced the Black Lion guild office in an instant. Heo Jin-hwan's jaw dropped, and one employee with wide eyes froze mid-sip from his paper cup of instant coffee mix, turning rigid like a block of ice. Any second now, the shock would make him drop that cup to the floor…
Slurp.
…He just drank it? What the hell, these guys. Their own guild leader kicked the bucket, and their reaction is this lukewarm?
"Ah, this is just…."
"Quite the shocking news…. Ahem!"
"Well…. The guild leader passed away…. Let's pray for his soul first, at least."
The employees scratched the backs of their heads and smacked their lips awkwardly. They were definitely surprised, but that complicated, nuanced reaction that bubbles up when other emotions take priority—could it be?
'Are these guys secretly thrilled inside?'
They looked like they wanted to cheer with three hearty hurrahs and bust out a victory dance, but were holding back out of propriety. Otherwise, that calm demeanor and quick acceptance made no sense.
…Just how much of a scumbag asshole was he on the daily, Park Cheon-su, you bastard?
"Wh-what happened?!"
Heo Jin-hwan, the one sane person here, finally asked me for the details.
Why hide anything? I spilled every last atrocity that vile Park Cheon-su bastard had committed—a tale so outrageous it'd make any normal person doubt their ears. If I'd been the only one talking, nine times out of ten I'd have gotten reactions like, "No way, even if he's a jerk, how could anyone do that?" or "Bullshit!"
But…
"That fucking XX threw us to the monsters as bait?!"
"Over some goddamn ore…! We did dig it all up, though!"
"If it weren't for him, we'd probably be… ugh, ughhh!"
Right here in this room were the near-victims themselves, weren't there? Their vivid testimonies skyrocketed the credibility of my story.
And the listeners' reactions?
"I thought he was just a shitty asshole, but he was a great fucking asshole!"
"Good riddance, you damn bastard!"
"Now the guild can finally feel fresh! Heh heh!"
"I even got ulcers from that prick—perfect timing!"
…They started cheering openly like independence fighters reclaiming the nation. These guys must have really had a lot pent up….
Sung Hyun-sook shows a complex reaction, wondering if even we should pray for that bastard's soul!
Right? I didn't expect them to pop fireworks and celebrate like this, though. Wait, where did those fireworks even come from?
Then.
"That said… this puts us in a pretty awkward spot."
Heo Jin-hwan, the only one maintaining any calm, spoke up.
"You went out of your way to join our guild, Jae-min, and now the leader's dead…. At this rate, Black Lion might just disband—."
"How about Jin-hwan takes over as guild leader?"
"…Pardon?"
That wasn't me. Who was it? Oh. The employee who'd calmly sipped his coffee earlier.
'Perfect timing.'
He'd said exactly what I wanted to. Great. A total newbie like me—who'd barely been here half a day—asking to take over as guild leader would come off as arrogant as hell.
One thing I'd resolved when I decided to rejoin this guild: 'Make that guy the Black Lion guild master.'
Black Lion was still a small guild without a proper structure. That's why scout Heo Jin-hwan was doubling as vice-guild master. He was more than qualified. Clean water at the top makes clean water below, right?
I jumped in quick. "Sounds like a solid idea to me."
"N-no, how could I possibly take on guild master…."
I figured this narrow-minded guy would wave it off. But?
"I'm all for it."
"Me too."
"Honestly, Jin-hwan would do way better than that Park Cheon-su asshole."
The employees threw in their support without nitpicking. As you can see, Heo Jin-hwan's reputation in the guild was stellar. With a guild master who was a total scumbag, it was a contrast effect.
Perfect opening. I drove the nail in while the tide was turning. A bit threateningly.
"If Jin-hwan doesn't step up, I might rethink joining Black Lion."
"Ugh…."
"And if he doesn't, the guild falls apart—who's gonna take care of everyone's livelihoods then? Even a clueless newbie like me can see you're down to your last hope: Jin-hwan."
"……."
Heo Jin-hwan, sweating bullets, glanced around. Everyone was winking or thumbs-upping with eyes full of trust.
His answer?
"…If I ever prove unworthy, impeach me on the spot, everyone."
Clap clap! Clap clap clap!
The office filled with applause from me and the employees. Park Cheon-su? Long forgotten.
'Unworthy? As if.'
In my eyes, Heo Jin-hwan's abilities were top-notch. Hell, better than that Park Cheon-su bastard? I'd stake my life on it. With him as leader, Black Lion was finally on the right track.
So, first things first. "Let's revise that contract. Some weird clauses jumped out at me."
"Ah…. Yeah, our standard contract is a bit… compared to others…."
"Let's all huddle up and turn it into a normal one!"
How? Sneakily, so guild work doesn't tie my feet down much! While grabbing all the real benefits, of course. Like gate reservations or selling byproducts—stuff that's a pain solo. That's the guild perk, right?
'Now for the last piece….'
Bring that guy in.
Yoo Seong-su. The man who'd later be called the 'Flower of Players,' shaking the world with his fame.
And the guy who'd pave my second-life path with roses.
Seong-su, bro's coming for you soon!
As I grinned slyly in my head, sketching blueprints…
"Jae-min?"
Heo Jin-hwan eyed my creepy grin with concern. I might look insane. I quickly tried to school my face…
"……."
And suddenly realized how familiar that look felt.
Yeah, he'd always been like that. Back in the first round, every time I screwed up or felt down, he'd worry and comfort me.
Tap.
"J-Jae-min?"
I placed a hand on Heo Jin-hwan's shoulder, just like he'd done for me back then.
"Let's go all the way this time. Jin-hwan—no, Guild Master Heo."
It had been eight days since I joined Black Lion.
"…That's my plan. You two get it, right?"
"Of course, bro!"
"Don't worry, bro!"
Two burly generals bared their teeth in hearty grins and replied crisply.
Good, but….
"…I'm pretty sure I'm the junior here, so why am I getting called 'bro'?"
Other than hair color, they were like carbon copies of each other—the team leader and vice-leader of my 'breach team.' White hair was the older bro 'Lee Il-ho'; black hair, the younger 'Lee I-du-ho.'
Sung Hyun-sook clicks her tongue, saying their parents named them too carelessly!
The mom who'd saddled me with the nickname 'Emperor' as a kid… you got room to talk?
Lee Il-ho and Lee I-du-ho thumbs-upped in turn, tossing in a word each.
"I call anyone stronger than me 'bro' no question!"
"Me too! Having two bros now makes me super happy!"
Yeah. And just like that, I suddenly had two little bros I never asked for. How's it feel getting 'bro' from a duo of living boulders? My heart's glad, but I was about to ask them to tone it down when…
"Huh."
My eyes caught 'the guy' about fifty meters off—a gaunt man with dark circles down to his cheeks, shuffling along feebly.
'Yoo Seong-su!'
Thump thump.
First time my heart raced seeing another dude.
Sung Hyun-sook smiles bitterly, saying she'll respect her son's tastes!
No, please. Don't misunderstand. Not like that.
I'll bring home a proper bride, Mom. My heart raced because Yoo Seong-su was key to making my second life bloom brilliantly. Black Lion would skyrocket too! Zero doubts—he was top recruitment priority.
"Lee Il-ho, Lee I-du-ho. That's the guy I'm pointing at."
"Hmm? Oh! That corpse-looking dude's our mission target, huh!"
"…You two understood the plan properly, right?"
Why were they cracking knuckles like they were about to charge monsters? Seong-su's heart was weak enough already.
"We'll be off then, bro! Let's go, I-du-ho!"
"Yeah, bro!"
Lee Il-ho and Lee I-du-ho… let's just call 'em the Black-White Brothers. The Black-White Brothers charged out with heroic gusto.
Soon enough, they bumped into Yoo Seong-su.
'…They'll pull it off, right?'
I watched like a parent sending their kid on their first errand.
"Hey, cute lil' bro. Where you rushin' off to?"
"Mind if we tag along?"
…What? Those dated lines straight out of a '90s black-and-white comic thug extra?
'If you're gonna pick such lame dialogue, at least act properly!'
It was like a robot vacuum trying to emote. They might as well shout, "We're acting right now~!"
"Wh-what the hell?!"
Yoo Seong-su paled and stumbled back, yelling.
…Holy shit, the act was working?
Emboldened by his spot-on reaction, the pumped-up Black-White Brothers stepped closer. Shadows loomed menacingly over Yoo Seong-su's face.
Well, yeah. Acting aside, their visuals screamed gangster.
"What the hell? Nah, it's nothin'. You look loaded, bro—how 'bout a little charity?"
"We're hungry. Tough world out there—let's help each other, yeah?"
Thud!
The Brothers' massive palms landed on Yoo Seong-su's skinny shoulders. On this secluded alley with few passersby, no one to cry to.
As the cornered Yoo Seong-su trembled like a leaf…
My turn.
"Hey! What's going on?!"
I bellowed, striding toward them—and realized acting ain't easy.
Sorry for earlier, Brothers.
The savior appeared, and relief washed over Yoo Seong-su's face. Right on cue, the Black-White Brothers turned to me with attitude.
"Who the hell are you? Butt out."
"Yo, mind your business. Unless you're here to donate too?"
No point in drawn-out lines for fake acting—I showed, don't told.
Shhh—!
A casual mana burst!
"Guh?! What?!"
"This guy's a player?!"
Their reactions? Like Freeza spotting Super Saiyan Goku.
Half-given-up inside, I nailed it with the finisher. "Scram."
"Yes sir!"
The Brothers, hamming it to the end, bolted offstage.
I reined in my mana, smiled, and approached Yoo Seong-su. "You okay?"
"Ah…."
He'd been gaping blankly but snapped to, bowing politely. "Th-thank you so much! How can I ever repay you…."
"Repay? Just did what anyone would."
…Was that too cool-guy? Overthinking?
But Yoo Seong-su seemed genuinely touched, eyes sparkling up at me. I'd worried about the acting at first, but his innocence was making it smooth sailing.
'Approaching out of nowhere would've looked weird.'
I needed a natural in. Hence the cheap play with the Brothers.
I'd implied no thanks needed, but come on.
I stroked my chin thoughtfully. "Hmm… Fine, as payback, hang with me a bit?"
"Pardon? Hang…?"
"Just grab coffee. Got a dungeon raid tonight—nothing to do till then."
"Oh, sure…! If anything, I'm the one who…!"
First real face-to-face, but we knew each other well already. I'd regressed with full memories, and Yoo Seong-su would've seen my face plastered everywhere as the 'jackpot rookie' megastar.
'Impossible not to recognize this face.'
No hitches sealing the first meet.
And…
"……."
Far off, out of Yoo Seong-su's sight, the Black-White Brothers winked and thumbs-upped.
…Sigh, yeah. Thanks to you guys.
I chuckled and thumbs-upped back.