Past Recollection (2)
“So this is a dream….”
It was a dream he had grown somewhat used to by now.
As he slowly sat up and looked toward the window, it almost felt as though the thunderous blast and blinding light from back then were still burning vividly in his eyes.
He shook his head, but it made no difference.
He swallowed for no reason at all, and then he heard a knock at the door.
“Guild Master Kim Hyunsung, it’s time for the meeting. Lee Sanghee-sama has summoned all remaining party members and executives of Blue.”
“Ah... yes. I’ll be out shortly.”
“Yes. Within thirty minutes... ”
“Yes. I’ll be there within thirty minutes.”
His thoughts began to churn.
Whenever he dreamed about what had happened in the first turn, mornings always felt strangely similar.
He would look around, try to remember where he was, and slowly drag himself back into the present.
He rose from the bed as if on instinct and headed for the bathroom, where the mirror reflected a gaunt face back at him.
I haven’t been sleeping much lately.
There had been far too many things to handle on the outside.
The Lindel terror incident, for one, had never happened in the first turn.
Not only that, but he had never imagined they would carry out something like that while the sun was still barely up.
I was careless.
He should have taken Lee Seolho’s nature more seriously.
He’d known the man had bad blood with Lee Kiyoung, but he had never imagined he would go so far as to make that kind of request.
It had helped him secure his position in Blue, sure, but Jung Hayan being badly injured was a painful failure he could never trade away for anything.
She can’t be absent.
She would go on to become the mage who represented Lindel—no, the Holy Empire Benigore itself.
And in the wars that followed, Jung Hayan’s performance would exceed even the most outrageous expectations.
In fact, had she not died, the war might well have ended in humanity’s victory.
That was how overwhelming the great mage of Lindel, revered by everyone, had been—more overwhelming than any hero anyone could name. He could say with certainty that she would be entrusted with one of the most important roles in this turn.
Just looking at how quickly she had been growing lately made the answer obvious.
Talent.
A person born with an innate gift for magic. The more her achievements stood out, the more he found himself nodding once again at the accomplishments of Lindel’s genius mage.
In truth, almost nothing was known about Jung Hayan in the first turn.
She had entered the Magic Guild as a researcher on the condition that she never participate in expeditions or wars, and for a long time she never showed herself to the public.
Still, if he thought about her nature, it was only natural to have some idea of the life she must have lived.
She had shut herself away in the Mage Tower, refusing to talk to people because of some incident in the past that he didn’t know about.
Her daily life had probably been incredibly monotonous.
All day spent studying magic, then sleep, then more of the same.
She may not even have gone outside at all.
She had practically refused to speak to anyone except Kim A-young. So his guess was probably right.
She’s terrible at socializing.
That was Jung Hayan’s weakness, if she had one at all. It was also the reason he’d been willing to take on the risk of bringing her into the group.
Growth didn’t happen in a single moment. Countless people carried their own stories, and each of them grew through suffering.
Some through the death of comrades, some through a lover’s betrayal, some by narrowly surviving death and stumbling into miraculous encounters that let them fulfill their roles.
Jung Hayan was no different.
The reason she had been so strong might very well have been because she’d shut herself away in the tower and focused on magic while refusing to interact with anyone.
Thinking about it that way, he even wondered whether sending Jung Hayan to the Magic Guild had been the right choice. But when he thought of her end, he had no choice but to conclude that protecting her mind mattered more than forcing growth.
Of course, from where he stood now, it was one of the best choices he’d made.
Jung Hayan was growing.
Not only externally, but internally as well.
She’s even...
dating.
If this had been the first turn, it would have been unimaginable.
There was no denying she was a little too obsessive, but even so, it was right for Jung Hayan and Lee Kiyoung to keep this relationship going.
As long as she maintained a steady connection with Lee Kiyoung, she could avoid the future in which she made an extreme choice.
The worst ending he had just seen in his dream could be kept at bay.
Even if she came at him from a place they couldn’t properly cover, it was only natural for Lee Kiyoung to shut her down in advance.
He was not just a different kind of talent from anyone he’d seen before—he was also frighteningly capable.
When he thought about it, it made sense to keep giving sustained attention to both Lee Kiyoung and Jung Hayan.
He needed someone who could handle this kind of attack even when he wasn’t around.
The person he had in mind was Vice Guild Master Cho Hyejin, the hand and feet that had once belonged to him.
With a single spear, she tore through enemy lines so violently that even the enemy called her the Divine Spear.
She might already be in Lindel by now...
While he was still thinking, he hurriedly washed his face and stepped outside. Once he started walking, a familiar sight came into view.
The guild guide bowed politely, but the emptiness inside the guild made Blue’s collapse painfully obvious.
At this point, it was hard to even call it a guild anymore.
Its alliance with other guilds was still intact, but the guild reception desk had been closed, and most of the ordinary guild members had already left.
Even several members of the Second Party were already scheduled to transfer to other guilds.
If enough time passed like this, Blue’s name might actually disappear from Lindel entirely.
Lately, with Lee Kiyoung spending so much time with the Red Mercenaries, there had also been worried talk that he might be leaving the guild as well, but he could say with certainty that wasn’t the case.
He thought he understood roughly what the man wanted.
He wants me to do it...
He was waiting for Kiyoung to take control of Blue’s real authority.
Capable bastard.
If it was the Lee Kiyoung he knew, then he might actually be able to settle this mess.
The reason he had intentionally left Blue alone was surely to strengthen the party leader’s hand even further.
He understood exactly what he wanted, too.
It was as if he could see through every thought on this side. As if he had already anticipated how things would unfold and prepared every arrangement in advance.
And sure enough, not long after he started walking, voices came at him from all directions.
“Kim Hyunsung-nim.”
“Yes.”
“There are some documents you need to review.”
“Ah... yes.”
“There are a few matters that need to be checked by today, but... well... Lee Kiyoung-nim isn’t here either, so...”
“Did you tell Kiyoung that there was a meeting?”
“Yes. I heard he’s on his way over now. Yesterday he was nursing Jung Hayan-nim over with the Red Mercenaries... ”
“Ah. I heard that as well. Just leave any documents that need approval in my room. After the meeting, I’ll review them personally and report separately to the Master.”
“Yes. Is it all right if we post the notice about guild member recruitment today?”
“I’ll speak with them about that directly.”
Even on the way to the meeting room, people kept asking him about one thing or another.
That was enough to show what kind of picture Lee Kiyoung had been painting.
In the meantime, while Kiyoung was away under the excuse of nursing someone, many of them had naturally come to rely on him.
When he moved at a leisurely pace, it was no surprise that the meeting room soon came into view.
He opened the door and saw Lee Sanghee and Hwang Jeongyeon waiting inside.
Lee Sanghee looked visibly worn down, while Hwang Jeongyeon of the Second Party watched her with an expression that was hard to read.
What had once been a crowded meeting room now held only three people, and the sight was desolate.
“Ah... you’re here.”
“Yes.”
“Kiyoung is...”
“I heard he’s on his way.”
“Yes... thank goodness.”
“It feels like it’s been a long time since we last had a proper meeting.”
“Yes. I’m sorry. I should have made time for something like this much earlier, but... so many things happened at once that I was completely overwhelmed.”
Her eyes were without energy.
And yet he thought she would get through this. Even in the first turn, she had risen again after enduring the pain.
“Although Kiyoung hasn’t arrived yet, I think it would be best if I spoke first.”
“Yes.”
“First, I want to say how deeply sorry I am for continuing to show you all such an ugly side of myself. If I had thought more about all of you who remained in Blue, I should have done better. And to the two of you, who kept this guild standing even in my absence, I truly am grateful.”
“We only did what had to be done.”
“The truth is... while I was resting, I had a lot of time to think. Naturally, I thought a great deal about what Blue should do from here on out. In fact, if I think about the future of all of you and the party members, I know that dissolving the guild and sending you all to other guilds would be the best thing for you. No, that would probably be the correct choice.”
“……”
“But I couldn’t bring myself to dismantle, with my own hands, what that old man... no, what the Master built here. I’m terribly sorry to ask this of you both, but please, stay in this guild.”
“Of course.”
“Yes... and the Master...”
“I’m no longer the Master. Jeongyeon, I think it’s right for me to step down here.”
“What?”
“Not only did I put all of you in danger at the Cursed Shrine, but even while the Master was awake, and even when he was lying in a hospital bed, I was nothing more than a title-holder. I failed to notice that Lee Seolho was colluding with Japan, and even after I became suspicious of them, I couldn’t cut them off because of old ties.”
“But...”
“I am not suited to being the person above everyone else. I, too, fall into the category of the incompetent person Kiyoung mentioned. Even if I were to take back Blue’s real authority, nothing would change much from before. It’s right for me to step aside. It may be difficult, but...”
“I... I...”
He hadn’t been surprised.
It was a story he had expected to some extent.
She hadn’t actually finished saying it, but it already felt as though Hwang Jeongyeon was expressing her refusal.
Lee Sanghee’s expression darkened as well. It was only natural that he found himself thinking Lee Kiyoung would have spoken up at exactly this moment.
Still, perhaps it would be better to speak carefully, but firmly.
“If Jeongyeon doesn’t feel comfortable with that, then...”
“Yes.”
“I can at least remain here in an acting capacity.”
Speaking like this would probably inspire more trust.
“Ah...”
“Of course, handling everything from beginning to end alone is impossible for me, but... if the two of you can help keep me from going in the wrong direction, then it may not take very long for me to recover the way things used to be.”
“Ah...”
“There are still plenty of talented people left in Blue.”
At the same time, voices began to sound from outside.
“This is Lee Kiyoung. I’ll be coming in.”