The Whistleblower (3)
I couldn’t know exactly what Kim Hyunsung had gone through in his first life, but if you considered how exceptional his latent potential was, then it was already a given that his raw combat ability had been formidable.
And if you thought about the fact that Cho Hyejin had been his deputy, then the guild Kim Hyunsung led in his first turn must have been so rigid it could choke on its own principles. Not only was it buttoned-up and inflexible; it was probably the final boss of stubborn righteousness.
If it had been me, or Lee Jihye, shaking a group like that would’ve been child’s play.
It wasn’t hard to guess, at least roughly, why our regressor had failed.
After all, it’s easy to prey on people who are completely defenseless against backroom scheming. There were plenty of people like that besides me, so I figured he’d had his share of rough patches while growing up.
For starters, he’d probably taken a blow from Jung Jinho, and with a high probability he’d been harassed by Ito Souta as well.
If I hadn’t been there, what on earth would you have done, Hyunsung?
And come to think of it, he might even have suffered quite a bit at the hands of Lee Seolho.
If Ito Souta had taken root inside Lindel thanks to Lee Seolho, then the man could easily have wielded serious power there as well.
When I glanced sideways, I saw Team Manager Kim Miyoung looking back at me.
“Do you need any instructions…?”
“No. It’s fine. For now, it’s probably best to leave things as they are. Ah, but we should have some insurance in place, so it’d be good to prepare ledgers and records we can use if the Imperial Audit Office comes knocking.”
“Ah! Yes, understood.”
“Having you here really puts my mind at ease, Team Manager Kim Miyoung.”
“T-thank you.”
“I’m sorry for taking up your time so suddenly on your day off. I’ll be heading out now, so please get some rest.”
“No, not at all. If I could be of help… yes.”
Even while I was talking to Kim Miyoung, I couldn’t stop thinking about Cho Hyejin.
Nothing had been decided yet, but controlling her was basically homework for me.
It was already settled that Blue would accept Cho Hyejin.
Kim Hyunsung trusted her, and if you considered their connection from the first turn, there was a good chance that trust wouldn’t break.
And if you thought about her potential for growth and her combat power, then taking her in was the most natural thing in the world.
The problem is how.
How was I supposed to bring her into the fold?
Should I try to work some magic on her?
The most effective way to drag someone fully over to our side would be to make them dependent on us, the way Jung Hayan was.
But just thinking I could pull her that far over here was a little too full of myself.
Just as Jung Hayan and Sun Heeyoung had suffered serious side effects from my scheming, I didn’t want to handle this one in the same way.
And the success rate’s low, too…
Once I considered her personality, the answer came quickly.
After I gave Team Manager Kim Miyoung a cursory goodbye and stepped outside, I found myself feeling strangely as though I’d lost my way.
I thought, I wish I could just rest without thinking about anything, but between the sudden trouble and the way my personality was wired, there was no chance of me relaxing in peace.
Of course, it didn’t take me long to settle on a destination.
At this point, there was only one place I needed to go.
Hyunsung.
The right thing to do was to talk to Kim Hyunsung, Blue’s highest authority, about our future plans and Cho Hyejin’s treatment.
Kim Hyunsung was the one who knew how the future would unfold. And he was also the one who would make the most rational decision based on that future.
What kind of holiday is this supposed to be?
I’d been busy from the moment I woke up.
“Is the guild master here?”
“I believe he’s in his office right now.”
“Ah, yes.”
It wasn’t much comfort, perhaps, but I wasn’t the only one working hard.
Apparently he had plenty of things to handle and plan as well, because I got the heartwarming news that he was locked away in his office.
It was the perfect timing to talk business.
I hurried my steps, knocked on the office door, and heard a voice call out, “Come in.”
When I opened the door, Kim Hyunsung came into view, perched half on his desk.
Cho Hyejin was also there, looking back at me.
“Ah….”
I hadn’t expected anyone else to be there.
“This works out nicely. I was just about to call for you, Kiyoung.”
“Yes.”
“Have you eaten yet?”
“No, not yet.”
“Then perhaps we should have a meal togeth—”
“Yes, of course.”
Huh. This is more irritating than I expected…
Now I understood why Jung Hayan used to foam at the mouth and charge whenever she saw me with another woman.
My situation was different, of course, but I was still very conscious of what Cho Hyejin and Kim Hyunsung had been talking about.
The thought that they might have discussed something I didn’t know about was enough to make me slightly irritated.
In Jung Hayan’s case, she probably worried I might have done something with another woman. It was one of those moments when I felt sorry for the me of the past, the one who couldn’t understand her behavior at all.
I’ll be more careful from now on, Hayan.
I silently sent my apology to Jung Hayan, and Kim Hyunsung spoke up again.
“Did you need something?”
“Yes. It’s nothing serious, but….”
“Please, speak freely.”
There was affection in the way he looked at me, of course, all the way down to his eyes. That was only natural. Kim Hyunsung trusted me, above and beyond the griffon I’d given him as a gift.
“It’s nothing much. I just had some questions about our future plans and schedule.”
“Ah.”
“Now that things are stabilizing in the guild, thanks to Hyejin, it seems like we’d be fine heading out on an expedition. It feels like the time to get back to our real work… so I wanted to ask whether you were thinking along the same lines, Hyunsung.”
“Yes. In fact, I’ve been considering something.”
Thought so.
“It would probably be best to tell you in advance. You, Kiyoung, are already handling a number of different duties, so you’ll need time to clear your schedule.”
“Yes. You’re right.”
Needless to say, Kim Hyunsung had no intention of leaving me behind on an expedition. He’d already seen my value in the last dungeon, and he probably judged that having me along was a net gain no matter what kind of expedition it was.
It was true that my offensive power lagged behind other mages, but I could manage Jung Hayan’s emotional state, adapt flexibly to sudden situations, and keep the entire party together.
He’d probably realized I did more than I seemed to. He’d also want to keep an eye on my growth as an alchemist-summoner, so I could be certain I wouldn’t end up as some forgotten old-timer sitting in the back room.
What I had to guard against most was being excluded from the expedition. I had to cling on with all I had and take what I could get.
“There’s nothing set in stone yet, but what Kiyoung says makes sense. Expanding our funds through various businesses is important, but thanks to you, Kiyoung, we’ve got some room to breathe, so heading out now doesn’t seem like a bad idea. I had quite a few things in mind as well, so I thought it would be best to tell you ahead of time.”
“Yes. Yes.”
“For now, it looks like our next destination will be Castle Rock.”
“...Castle Rock?”
“Yes.”
Lady Marlin will love that.
“I can’t say for certain, but there have been reports of strange behavior among the monsters around Castle Rock. People think they may be under the influence of a nearby dungeon, or that an heroic-grade named monster may have appeared.”
“Hmm….”
“There’s also a low possibility that this is the sign of a monster wave. There are plenty of hunting grounds around Castle Rock, so an expedition in that direction doesn’t seem like a bad idea. I’d like to hear what you think, Kiyoung.”
“Ah. My thoughts are the same as yours, Hyunsung. It does seem like a good choice. I’ll admit it’s a little surprising that it’s Castle Rock instead of somewhere near Lindel, though… but if Hyejin is from Castle Rock, then it seems like we can get some help from her. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“Yes, Vice Guild Master. I do know the local geography and such.”
“I didn’t mention it earlier, but I was already thinking of expanding sales of our basic potions a bit. The expedition comes first, of course, but it wouldn’t be a bad idea to set up supply contracts with other guilds. There are quite a few guilds that are well established in Castle Rock, aren’t there?”
“Yes… Vice Guild Master. It may not be as large as Lindel, but the market itself should be solid. Most guilds and clans there make their living through expeditions. There’ll probably also be a shortage of priests compared to Lindel.”
So that’s how it is.
When I glanced to the side, I caught sight of Cho Hyejin’s unhappy expression.
Even as she answered, she seemed to be biting her lip, as if something was sticking in her throat.
Apparently she hadn’t been told we were heading to Castle Rock either.
It was only natural that she’d rather not run into an unpleasant old connection, but Kim Hyunsung looked as though he thought she absolutely had to come with us.
So this expedition is going to be that dangerous.
The answer was in what our Hyunsung had told us. It could simply be a dungeon raid, or it could be a hunt against an heroic-grade named monster.
And there’s also a chance it’s a monster wave…
At this point, it was obvious enough that we were heading to Castle Rock in order to clean up whatever future disaster was about to happen there.
There would be enough information to piece things together once we got there anyway… and in the end, it was impossible to deny that this would benefit us.
We were going there to improve the quality of our party.
And the best part was that it would give me more room to dig into Cho Hyejin.
This is the best.
I’d probably also get a chance to talk directly with the leadership of Castle Rock. All under the guise of a business visit, of course.
Kim Hyunsung did look at the suddenly silent Cho Hyejin with a slightly regretful expression, but it didn’t seem like he had any intention of changing his mind.
“When should we prepare for the expedition, Hyunsung?”
“Hmm….”
I answered before the regressor, who was still deep in thought, could keep mulling it over. If you were going to pull out a bull’s horn, you had to do it while the iron was hot.
“How about we leave first thing tomorrow? We can get the supplies later, but I’ll probably need to look into the potion distribution personally.”
“I see. To be honest, I was thinking we should depart within a month or two anyway… but doing it this way doesn’t seem bad. The only issue is where we’ll stay.”
“You don’t need to worry about lodging. I’m on fairly friendly terms with the daughter of Castle Rock’s lord, so I think we can probably borrow the lord’s castle.”
“Ah!”
Lady Marlin would welcome us with open arms.
Even while we were eating after arriving at the dining hall, most of the conversation remained focused on the Castle Rock expedition.
Cho Hyejin seemed to be keeping her words to a minimum, and Kim Hyunsung seemed to be considering her feelings in return.
So it’s already been confirmed that she has bad memories there.
There was no avoiding Castle Rock forever, so at some point she would have to face it, but it seemed she was worried that the timing was too soon.
Considering she’d only just arrived in Lindel, it was still quite possible that Cho Hyejin was a hot potato from Castle Rock.
The rest of the conversation was fairly ordinary. Domestic. Not bad at all.
Kim Hyunsung seemed to be praising Cho Hyejin somewhat deliberately, trying to emphasize her good points to me, and by the time the meal was almost over, I understood why he had brought this up to me at all.
When Cho Hyejin briefly stepped away from the table, he spoke first.
“What do you think, Kiyoung?”
“Pardon?”
“About Hyejin.”
“She doesn’t seem like a bad person. She’s capable, and her character seems solid as well. I think I understand why you recruited her, Hyunsung. Considering her combat power and her potential for future growth, she’s the kind of talent anyone would want.”
“That’s a relief. I was worried you might feel uncomfortable.”
If I were uncomfortable, do you think I’d just say it straight out, you dense idiot?
“The timing feels a little early, but as I said yesterday, I’d like to appoint Hyejin to an important post… I’m curious what you think.”
That must have been why he’d called me in today. He looked at me with an expression full of expectation. I was glad he respected my opinion, but it was still a little suffocating.
Ha.
“I….”
Before I could speak, I had to think it over once more.