I Will Remember You (2)
“We searched them well enough. Those damned bastards….”
“They got what they deserved, didn’t they?”
“I’ve lived in this city long enough to see plenty of trash, but I’ve never seen trash like this. I heard they even staged that terror attack in the middle of the city just to kill a rookie guild member… Sure, it’s awful for all the innocent people who got caught up in it, but from that guild member’s point of view, how absurd must this be?”
“Do you know the rumor? They say that attacked guild member was the Mercenary Queen’s lover… I heard it from a friend who works in the Red Mercenaries, and the guild’s atmosphere is apparently a mess….”
“If that’s true, shouldn’t we be grateful a war didn’t break out? Ah! There he is… Hey, Mr. Kim! Did you read today’s paper?”
“If you’re talking about the news that the pro-Japanese bastard in Blue finally died, of course I read it. Thanks to that, I slept with my arms and legs stretched out all night.”
“How’s your shop doing?”
“Fine. Blue even paid out a separate compensation on top of the insurance, so I don’t think I’ll have much trouble rebuilding…. Honestly, they didn’t need to go that far, you know. I’m the sort of person who’ll gladly gobble up any favor I can get, so I’m grateful, of course, but I still felt a little guilty. I thought they’d just toss us a token gesture and call it a day, but the compensation turned out to be surprisingly generous, and I don’t need to worry about opening a new shop. Hahaha.”
“Look at the smile on this fellow’s face. Shouldn’t you be buying us a round?”
The voices drifting in from all sides kept stabbing at my ears.
Most of it was, as expected, people cursing Lee Seolho or fretting over Blue.
The real issue, after all, had been the cost of restoring the city.
With the media fanning the flames, it was clear that Blue wouldn’t have been able to shoulder the burden alone without the donations from all the guilds and clans desperate to polish their images.
Once again, I owed both the Black Swan and the Red Mercenaries a debt.
As I walked through the square and looked at the buildings that had somehow survived, sensational headlines kept flashing into view from all directions.
Blue’s Traitor Lee Seolho Found Dead in the Ramadel Mountains Near Celia.
Why Did He Choose Such a Path?—A Debate with Kim Seonggyeong
The Japanese Guild Lee Seolho Was Secretly Working With. What Impact Will It Have on the Future Relationship Between the Free City of Celia and Lindel?
Everything was unfolding exactly as I’d expected.
After the Black Swan’s nationally infamous disaster, Lindel had been starved for gossip for a little too long, so it made sense that every newspaper in the city was drooling over this incident.
The entire city was buzzing. Whether at taverns or in the square, there was no shortage of people eager to air their opinions on what had happened.
It wouldn’t have been an exaggeration to say that this was ninety percent of all conversation taking place in Lindel. Guild members from major guilds, their officers, and ordinary adventurers living day to day all had something to say.
As I walked and let my eyes drift slightly to the side, the paper in my hand came back into view.
Several days have passed since the search for the criminals who fled after the citywide terror incident began, and a Red Mercenaries search squad has discovered dozens of bodies near the Ramadel Mountains. The identities of the corpses are presumed to be the criminal Lee Seolho and the Blue executives who followed him.
According to the final forensic analysis, Blue has officially determined that the bodies belonged to Lee Seolho and the other executives, and the search operation will conclude on the fifteenth.
The bodies were so badly mutilated that they were unrecognizable, suggesting they had been subjected to brutal torture by a professional interrogator.
A Red Mercenaries official named Celia’s guild as the likely culprit, suggesting either an effort to destroy evidence or a simple act of revenge after plans went awry.
With Lee Sanghee, Blue’s vice guild master, still absent from the public eye, all attention in Lindel remains fixed on Blue.
Once one of the guilds that best represented the Free City of Lindel, Blue has lost Guild Master Ju Seungjun and many of its parties, making recovery seem nearly impossible.
For now, the alliance with the Red Mercenaries and the Black Swan remains intact, but many mid-tier guilds are already courting Blue’s parties.
Scouts across Lindel are also watching closely to see what choice Blue’s executives will make.
While many experts fear Blue may disappear altogether, the Mercenary Queen Cha Heera, age 28, stated that the Red Mercenaries are, above all else, Blue’s allies and will do their utmost to help no matter what choice is made. The Black Swan’s spokesperson, Lee Jihye, also dismissed the rumors circulating around the city, insisting that Blue will rise again.
This reporter cannot say with certainty what path the battered Blue will take from here, but considering what Blue has shown us so far, I believe it can survive this crisis as well.—Lindel Daily, Reporter Kim Seonggyeong
Not bad.
I thought it was a well-written article.
What I liked most was that it took Blue’s side. Of course, from the paper’s perspective, they had no choice but to do that, but compared to the other outlets scrambling to jump off a sinking ship, the Lindel Daily was downright reliable.
And this Kim Seonggyeong guy too….
He kept writing friendly pieces about our side, so he didn’t seem keen on changing horses midstream.
I didn’t know whether he had a good nose for the news or just some sense of loyalty, but either way, it would be wise to make sure he was taken care of a little later.
When I nodded to myself, I heard a voice I’d been listening to all day last night—Sun Heeyoung’s.
“What are you reading?”
“An article. I was walking without thinking and got so sleepy I could nod off. You don’t look tired at all, Heeyoung.”
“I actually feel a little refreshed. It’s been a while since I’ve had time to serve God. Just seeing how the citizens here are responding makes me feel even happier, because it tells me how meaningful the work we did together was.”
“What did I even do? Really, all the hard work was yours.”
“You did so much preparation. You stayed with me too… Honestly, if I’d been alone, I don’t think I could have worked this hard.”
That’s not it.
Whether I’d been there or not probably hadn’t mattered much.
Recently she’d calmed down a little, but our priest really did seem to find service to others most rewarding.
And when it came to Lee Seolho, in particular, she seemed absurdly satisfied.
She’d never liked the old bastard to begin with, but I hadn’t expected her to be as furious as she clearly was.
It turned out she’d been holding on to a lot more than I’d realized.
Laziness is a sinful thought, a lazy mind. You are an evil of society. You’re as useless as the vagrants in the slums. It’s because people like you rot this society from within that those in need keep appearing. Repent. Of course, what I want is not mere lip service.
Aaaagh!
Thinking back on yesterday, I honestly didn’t feel great. Personally, I wanted to congratulate myself for not rolling my eyes all the way into the back of my head.
I nearly gagged, but after forcing down the bile trying to rise, I was able to look at Sun Heeyoung again.
“Thank you for saying that back then.”
“Pardon?”
“You told me we should create a beautiful Lindel together.”
“Ah. Yes, I did.”
“I was worried at the time, of course, but seeing these results now makes me a little happy. It’s been a while since we worked together as well… Anyway, today’s a good day.”
Sun Heeyoung was behaving exactly like a priest should.
Somehow, though, it felt like she was inching closer to me by the second.
It didn’t seem planned so much as natural—a sign that the distance between our hearts had simply grown smaller.
You too, don’t start.
Sun Heeyoung fit best in the role of a colleague, someone I worked with.
As it was, I already had enough stress from the women around me.
Of course, I could understand her feelings. I had been her only ally, the first and best companion to open her eyes to a new world.
She didn’t seem to have romantic feelings for me yet, but if Sun Heeyoung became deeply involved too, my daily life would only get more exhausting.
Even if I showed that I was deeply involved with Jung Hayan, this was a world where polygamy was taken for granted.
Just looking around right now, I could see men with multiple women and women with multiple men walking side by side.
It wasn’t like Earth, where people would point fingers and shame you for it.
Even if someone already had a lover or a wife, it was actually rare to find them giving up before they even tried. If Sun Heeyoung decided she wanted to grow closer to me, there was no way she would care about Jung Hayan or Cha Heera.
I need to cut this off before it starts.
At an appropriate distance, of course.
“Ah, would you like to stop for a meal before you head back? It’s been a while since you were out, so at least breakfast….”
“Ah, yes, let’s do that.”
Of course, maintaining an “appropriate distance” was easier said than done.
Having a meal together should be fine, though.
We went into a restaurant with a terrace and took a suitable seat. After ordering, Sun Heeyoung spoke up almost immediately.
“How was yesterday, Kiyoung?”
“It was a rewarding time. It was service, after all.”
“Yes. That’s right. It was service. Hehe. It really was rewarding. Still, it’s nice to have someone to do things with.”
“Yes. It is.”
“It was something I’d been thinking every day, but I really have nothing but gratitude for you, Kiyoung. Your way of expressing things was a little rough, but you helped me realize that I had been mistaken.”
“Haha….”
This direction wasn’t good. It would probably be wise to change the subject quickly.
“Come to think of it, how is Hayan doing?”
“She’s still recovering. Her body is basically healed already. The priests over in the Red Mercenaries have been helping too. The reason she still can’t quite collect herself is only because her body was exhausted, so you don’t need to worry too much.”
“I see. That’s a relief.”
“Ah, by the way, what are your plans from here on out?”
“Pardon?”
“I was asking whether you plan to stay in Blue. You haven’t really been involved in the guild’s affairs lately….”
“Ah.”
I felt like I knew what she was trying to ask.
It was true that I hadn’t been paying much attention to Blue lately. No—more accurately, it would be fair to say I hadn’t been doing anything at all.
Blue was in a very unstable state, both internally and externally.
Honestly, this was the perfect time to exert influence over Blue.
And yet the reason I wasn’t getting involved was Kim Hyunsung.
Power is easier to handle when it’s concentrated in one place.
From my perspective, the table was already set and the spoon was in place, waiting for me to eat.
Lee Sanghee was practically retired, and Hwang Jeongyeon had never cared much about power structures in the first place.
It was no exaggeration to say that Kim Hyunsung’s rise as the new center of power was already a foregone conclusion.
Of course, considering when he’d joined, he would probably only be operating the guild as a regent for a while rather than as guild master, but judging from his abilities, plenty of people were likely to be putting their trust and support behind him.
Right now, if I reached into Blue too soon, it could backfire.
In any case, if Kim Hyunsung did seize power, I, as the one who had played the largest role in making it happen, would be showered with plenty of rewards.
No need to look ugly and beg to be taken care of first.
In fact, it would be better to step back and let the other side sweat a little.
I was indispensable to Kim Hyunsung’s kingdom.
“I’ve been a little busy lately. Hyunsung’s always with Lee Sanghee, and even though the guild is in crisis, I don’t really see it that way.”
“Ah.”
“If anything, now that all the rotten water has been drained out, this is the perfect chance to build a proper organization.”
“Ah! I-I see. Ah… as expected, that’s so like you, Kiyoung. I never would have thought of it that way….”
“Hahaha….”
“Then I guess I should put off resting for a little longer. T-This is embarrassing to say, but I was secretly hoping there might be more time for me to serve with you, Kiyoung. A-ah! N-no, don’t misunderstand. I don’t mean in a romantic sense… just sharing the same hobby… spending every day together… or rather, um….”
“Ah… I think I understand what you mean.”
Her face was turning red for some reason.
Ah….
I could see exactly what she was imagining.
She was probably picturing the two of us building some sort of house of service together, living there side by side and devoting our lives to charitable works.
That’s not exactly appealing….
If such a house ever came to be, it wouldn’t be a house of love. It would look like the kind of place that belonged in a horror movie.
Sun Heeyoung had twisted ideas, but not twisted affection.
Unlike Jung Hayan, who would lock me away forever and call that love, her way of thinking was fundamentally different.
She was a priest who worked for God, after all. She didn’t seem to indulge in that sort of bizarre fantasy.
Still, she’s not exactly normal either….
“Of course, living the kind of life you’re imagining doesn’t sound bad, Heeyoung, but there are some other important matters to handle first. I’m sure Hyunsung will sort out the chaos inside the guild. I’ve also been running around hard enough already, and yesterday we settled a major issue. I think it would be fair to call this my own reward.”
“So, in short, you’re saying you’re going to rest. Hehe. I’m glad, then, because it means more time together. Ah! N-not that I mean anything by it.”
“Yes. I understand.”
Obviously, I had no intention of living together in Sun Heeyoung’s house of love and piety.
For now, the biggest question was what kind of picture Kim Hyunsung was painting.
He was a little weak on politics, but he was still Kim Hyunsung.
He kept staying close to Lee Sanghee, taking care of her and comforting her, and the fact that he showed that side of himself every day meant he definitely had his own plans.
He’s sneakily devious, that one.
If I’d been in his shoes, I would’ve considered winning Lee Sanghee’s favor my first priority too.
I couldn’t exactly say I’d done some grand, earth-shaking thing, but if he couldn’t make his move after I’d laid the groundwork this well, he might as well surrender his qualifications as a regressor.
It probably wouldn’t be long before he started bringing in results.
I wonder what our Hyunsung is up to.
I flinched a little at the memory of Lee Jihye’s old joke, but I really was curious what was going on inside our lovable Kim Hyunsung’s head.