The Old Guard (3)
“If enough people believe it’s real... then it becomes real.”
Don’t mutter to yourself...
Even as we walked, Jung Hayan came into view, muttering the words over and over like a mantra.
I was already worried about what she might do, but I decided she probably wouldn’t make a huge scene.
She still had to remember what happened in the dungeon, so that was the sensible conclusion.
At worst, she’d probably just quietly let everyone around us know that we were lovers.
She didn’t seem to realize where I was taking her, but given the circumstances, she looked pleased, as if this were a long-awaited date.
Still, the farther we walked, the darker Jung Hayan’s expression grew.
Even when we’d had a simple meal outside, she definitely hadn’t looked like that.
She said nothing, only clutched my sleeve and tried to slow my pace as much as she could, which made it obvious that, in that respect, she still had no control over herself.
You could actually see the strength in the hand gripping my sleeve.
After crossing the plaza and passing by the many little shops around it, the large guild house finally came into view.
Black Swan.
One of the major guilds representing the Free City of Lindel: the Black Swan Guild.
“Ah... ”
Sure enough, Jung Hayan soon wore a dejected expression, and I had no choice but to gently open my mouth while patting her head.
“We came because I had something to do.”
“Yes...”
“We can always date later. You understand that I’m busy right now, right?”
“Yes, Oppa.”
Well, the fact that I hadn’t come here without telling her seemed to make her happy enough. Of course, I couldn’t take Jung Hayan with me when I spoke to Lee Jihye, but just knowing she was in the same building probably gave her some measure of comfort.
Is this my first time visiting?
I’d crossed swords with Black Swan plenty of times, but this was my first time actually seeing the inside for myself.
As I took a step forward, the door before us slid open by itself.
Magic?
That was probably it.
It seemed the condition here was better than in Blue not just because of its size.
The moment I looked around, a voice came from beside me.
“Thank you for visiting the guild. Lee Kiyoung-sama, and... Jung Hayan-sama.”
“Ah... yes.”
“I’ll personally escort you inside. Is this your first time at Black Swan?”
“Yes.”
“To the reception room, then.”
With a slight nod, I immediately noticed the people around us springing into motion.
The guide speaking in a quiet voice was very calm, but it was obvious from her expression that she was tense.
Every time we passed someone, they greeted us from all sides, casting furtive glances as though worried there might be something inconvenient for us about the place. It was clearly the kind of treatment reserved for honored guests, something I’d never felt in Blue.
Huh.
I had a rough idea why Lee Jihye and I were being treated so lavishly, but honestly, I didn’t mind it.
“Have you eaten yet, perhaps?”
“Ah. We had something on the way.”
“Then we’ll prepare tea for you. If anything feels inconvenient, please let us know right away...”
“I’ll do that. More importantly, is Jihye inside?”
“Yes. She’s already waiting in the inner room. Would it be all right if Jung Hayan-sama were guided separately?”
“Yes. I’d appreciate that.”
“Jung Hayan-sama, this way, please...”
“Ah... yes. Th-thank you.”
Jung Hayan herself looked completely baffled. For a moment, she sent me a pleading expression, but the instant she saw that she was being taken to the room next door, her face brightened.
One guide bowed her head and opened the door, revealing Lee Jihye waiting inside in neat, tidy clothes.
The moment she saw me, her lips curled into a sly smile.
“So you didn’t bring her in with you after all. Honestly, I had no idea you’d drag Hayan here too... how can you be so clueless about a woman’s heart?”
“I have my reasons. More importantly, you knew I was coming?”
“Yes. I’d already received several reports, and I told them you’d come here once things in Blue were settled. Just in case, though... you’re not planning to join Black Swan, are you?”
“Well, sorry, but no.”
“I knew it.”
When I sent her a look demanding an explanation, she immediately continued.
“We got a report that you and that woman Jung Hayan were on your way here, and the guild went into an uproar. Blue is basically on the verge of collapse right now, so it wouldn’t have been strange if you transferred anywhere. Since you’re acquainted with me and all, when you think it through from different angles, it wasn’t impossible that you’d come to Black Swan, so everyone got ahead of themselves. You saw how tense the guides were, right?”
“Honestly, I didn’t expect this kind of treatment.”
“You’re worth the treatment. One of you is a genius with the potential to become the greatest mage, and the other is a talent skilled in politics and alchemy, not to mention someone who owns a legendary-grade item.”
This is a total mess.
I already knew Blue was a disaster, but I never imagined it was this bad.
The fact that Lee Jihye already knew I’d acquired Yuliena meant someone in Blue had leaked the information to Black Swan. Even if Blue was currently a guild teetering on the edge of ruin, who would have guessed its security was this pathetic?
Damn it.
“Don’t make that face, Oppa. You can just be more careful from now on. To be honest, I thought you might be considering a transfer too... but the fact that you’re still trying so hard to stay in Blue means it’s because of Hyunsung, doesn’t it?”
“Half right.”
“Hey, Oppa.”
“What.”
“I’m asking this a little seriously.”
“Yeah.”
“Should I include Kim Hyunsung as a rival too?”
“……”
“If I’m really right about what I’m thinking, you should tell me in advance. Even if I say your taste is my type, I’m not confident I can overturn someone’s sexual identity.”
“……”
“I’m kidding.”
“That’s a relief. Honestly, I was about to get up and walk out of here.”
“The atmosphere just felt too stiff, so I thought I’d crack a joke. If you didn’t come to transfer, then the reason you’re here is obvious, isn’t it?”
“It is.”
“You’ll probably be satisfied. First, take these materials, and... you can go over the rest slowly once you get back to the guild. To put it bluntly, it’s not exactly clean. I did wonder if they were making too much of a fuss when they didn’t understand their own limits, but there’s definitely a connection somewhere.”
“Where?”
“Japan.”
“Something I never expected just bit.”
“More precisely, it’s the large guild Yamato in the Free City of Celia. It looked like they’d maintained a long-standing relationship, and after the rescue team left Lindel, there was a first contact, then several more after that. We only confirmed it three times, though. Of course, we couldn’t verify everything. I don’t know the full contents either... still, since I found something, I think you can read the report and decide for yourself. How you use it is up to our Oppa.”
I had been expecting something like this to a degree. Men like Lee Seolho usually never move unless they have backing.
He’d already prepared every possible escape route for himself, so he’d been able to pull off so many schemes.
Thinking of it that way, I could understand why he’d fought so hard not to go before the rescue team was even assembled.
“The picture is pretty obvious, isn’t it? Under the pretense of protecting Blue, which has been ruined to the point where it can no longer act on its own, they’re expanding their influence into Lindel. Or you could just call it economic aid. In exchange, that old bastard must have been stuffing himself with all kinds of sweet little favors...”
“What you’re thinking is probably right, Oppa. Celia does have some trade with us, but it’s easier for them to plant roots directly here.”
Of course, it wasn’t as though the situation was truly that serious. Free City of Celia and Free City of Lindel were effectively allied.
Both cities were managed by Holy Empire Benigore, and naturally Benigore, which had to consider the strain on its forces, didn’t welcome conflict between Lindel and Celia.
We might bump into each other from time to time out in the world, but we weren’t the sort of bitter enemies who bit each other’s throats out at every opportunity.
In fact, trade with Celia was thriving.
Given that background, this probably wasn’t some grand invasion or annexation.
Still, the information could be used.
Even if it was merely a cooperative relationship, aid, or protection, depending on how I spun it, I could dress it up as something much more sinister.
“I thought it was only inside Lindel...”
“Exactly. The scale turned out to be bigger than expected. I’m only saying this now because I’ve got too much on my mind, but do you know how disgusting the way they looked at us was? Like bugs crawling around. And they were so happy just because you called them Oppa, Oppa...”
“You must have had a rough time.”
“It wasn’t just rough, I’m telling you. I had to flatter them to their faces, then go around digging up what they were doing behind the scenes... if it hadn’t been your request, I would’ve been too disgusted to bother. Seriously.”
It was easy to see just how hard she’d worked.
The thickness of the report she was holding made that obvious enough.
Even a cursory glance showed that the information packed inside was so dense it covered the daily routines of the other old men aside from Lee Seolho.
If Blue had even one person like Lee Jihye, things probably wouldn’t have sunk to their present state.
We might be the kind of people who used each other, but gratitude was only natural.
After quietly meeting her eyes, I slowly opened my mouth, only to see an unusually shy expression on her face.
“Thanks, noona.”
“……”
The way she hurriedly changed the subject didn’t suit Lee Jihye at all.
“Well, it’s nothing. And there was definitely a problem with the support force formation too. The formal request for aid to Black Swan wasn’t made until two days after the expedition had already left. They were the ones who kept saying they needed more preparation. I’m sure there were all kinds of circumstances, but one thing’s certain: they weren’t trying very hard.”
“Hmm...”
“They also spent a lot of time wandering around the plaza. If you asked me whether they got anything out of it, I’d shake my head, but it looked like they were at least putting on an act. If the support force really was delayed because of unavoidable circumstances, then I can say with confidence those people were the definition of incompetence.”
“So the related details are all in there too?”
“Of course.”
“What do you think about the guild master, then?”
“Ah. So you’re thinking murder too, Oppa.”
“That’s usually the reasonable conclusion.”
“Well...”
“Hm... you didn’t find anything else?”
“How could I have found anything? I’m an outsider, after all. I wasn’t exactly slacking off, but... it’s clean.”
“Hmm...”
“Truly clean. Even if you look at the people who entered Blue back then or at Lee Seolho’s movements, there’s nothing you can really pin on him. At this point, you almost have to consider that it might have been a natural death. After all, I heard Blue’s guild master was already someone on death’s doorstep, so a natural death wouldn’t be strange either... The timing is a little uncanny, sure, but we have to leave the possibility open.”
“Ugh.”
The moment I considered the possibility that it really had been a natural death, my head started hurting a little.
No matter what, the fact remained that I’d still have to stage the whole thing myself.
Still, assuming Lee Seolho had actually killed the guild master was obviously more convenient.
Of course, the information we had already was enough to screw Lee Seolho over, but I felt like I needed one more decisive blow.
And that blow was the guild master...
It was a pity, but evidence could be manufactured if necessary. When I glanced at Lee Jihye, I found her smiling quietly.
The instant I saw her expression, as though she were waiting to be praised, it took me no time at all to understand what sort of arrangement she’d prepared.
Before I could even speak, she was already opening her mouth.
“What do you think this is?”
In her hand was a tiny vial.
“It was a very difficult potion to obtain. It’s not poison. In fact, you could call it a sedative. It’s a little complicated, so I don’t understand all of it myself, but I was told it could be pretty lethal to certain kinds of patients.”
“Can I check it?”
“Ah. This is your specialty, isn’t it?”
After receiving the vial from Lee Jihye, I examined it carefully, and I could only conclude that she was exactly right.
“Pfft.”
“I dabbed some on the clothes that old bastard Lee Seolho wears every day. How’s that as evidence you were looking for? I didn’t have time, so this is all I could prepare...”
“No. It’s enough, noona.”
“I’m glad to hear that, Oppa.”
I couldn’t begin to understand how she managed to scratch the itch in exactly the right place. The feeling that she could see straight through every thought I had sent a chill down my spine, just a little.
She’s insanely competent.
I could understand why the status window kept calling Lee Jihye and me soulmates.