The Empire’s Eight Seats (3)
“Yes. We were offered a place among the Eight Seats, for both me and Kiyoung.”
“Hyung?!”
It was obvious what that idiot was thinking. There was no point denying that Park Deokgu liked me, but being strong and being recommended for one of the Empire’s Eight Seats were two very different matters.
Hyung? Him? One of the Empire’s Eight Seats?
That was probably the sort of thing running through his head. My physical abilities were, by any honest measure, pitiful. To put it bluntly, if he swung a fist at me, I’d be taking a fatal wound. Of course, I did have Yuliena, but the reality was that the unawakened Yuliena wasn’t especially efficient. She did have alchemy magic that was useful in tactical situations, but compared to Jung Hayan’s spells, it was like trying to compare a firefly to an electric lamp.
In short, my individual combat power was less than worthless. Deokgu probably wasn’t thinking about it that harshly, but his expression made it clear he was wondering how on earth I’d been chosen as a candidate for the Empire’s Eight Seats.
“Hyung, you too…?”
“In Kiyoung’s case, it was probably….”
“Yes. Diarugia’s existence was probably the decisive factor.”
That was all there was to it.
“From the Empire’s point of view, there’s no reason to exclude a human chosen by a dragon. They may also want to keep the first dragon to appear openly in the world, the first one to seek contact with humans, under their control. And even if you look at it in the most basic way, Diarugia’s power is more than enough to occupy one of the Eight Seats. If you think about the fact that Kiyoung is the one who possesses such a dragon, it would actually be stranger if he weren’t chosen.”
“Ah….”
“To put it more simply, it’ll be seen no differently than a tamer who summoned a monster that can’t be tamed, or a summoner who called forth a summon beyond all normal standards. That includes the vice guild master’s existence. And….”
“Huh?”
“This is a little different, but you’ve also risen to an unparalleled position as an alchemist. Right now, you’re practically the only person who can make potions above Heroic grade… Of course, your job itself can’t really be said to have much to do with combat, so it probably didn’t have a huge impact on its own.”
“W-well, I guess….”
“I can’t exactly command Diarugia the way a tamer commands a summon, either.”
“E-even so, that’s still incredible, hyung! I mean, that’s seriously amazing, right?”
It was amazing, if you wanted to call it that. Just as Cho Hyejin had said, Diarugia’s existence itself could be seen as something beyond the norm. She was still in a rather battered state right now, but if she unleashed even one breath attack, the firepower would no doubt rival most unique spells. Of course, she had free will, but what did other people’s opinions matter?
What mattered was that she had chosen me, and that I could borrow her power. Park Deokgu kept babbling in shock, but his face had taken on a strangely bitter look.
Ha… that bastard….
The reason for that reaction was obvious. He probably felt like he was the only one falling behind. We had entered the continent together, and before he knew it, the gap had widened to the point where he couldn’t keep up. It was less jealousy than self-loathing.
He had monsters all around him, and yet he didn’t seem to realize that he was growing quickly, too. Naturally, it felt like I ought to say something to comfort him. I gave him something approximating a consoling remark, and he answered at once.
“You’re just getting tangled up in politics and being handed a title, that’s all. The lord’s castle may be trying to force a seat on you while keeping an eye on the Papal See… or maybe the Papal See shoved you in there on purpose. Either way, nothing changes, Deokgu.”
“Even so, being chosen is still incredible, isn’t it? Hyung was already an Honorary Bishop of the Holy Empire, and… even among all the people on the continent who think they’re smart, you’re one of the smartest….”
“I’m not smart. I just move a little more carefully than other people.”
“Isn’t that the same thing? Besides, you led the siege defense brilliantly this time, so I’m sure that played a part too. Guild Master hyung, too… anyway, there’s a lot to celebrate now, and that makes me happy… wow, everyone’s just taking off.”
“Actually, it still hasn’t been decided whether we’ll accept it or not….”
“Yes. In the end, that’s a matter that depends on what the guild master and vice guild master decide.”
At Cho Hyejin’s final comment, I had no choice but to look at Kim Hyunsung. Jung Hayan didn’t seem particularly interested, merely leaning against me and blinking dully, but the rest of the party wore serious expressions. It was a matter that would decide the path we’d take from here on out.
Still…
We’d probably accept. There didn’t seem to be any downside.
“In my opinion, accepting it would be the right choice. It comes with responsibilities, yes, but from both an individual and a guild standpoint, refusing it wouldn’t make much sense. It’ll be a great help to Blue’s growth in the future. As for Kiyoung, I think that should be your decision, but… if possible, I’d recommend accepting.”
That was the right call.
“I don’t really see any need to refuse either. Becoming one of the Empire’s public faces would probably be advantageous for our activities.”
“I thought you might say that.”
“Ha ha….”
“So… Kiyoung and I will need to go to the lord’s castle for a bit.”
“What?!”
Jung Hayan, who hadn’t reacted much up to that point, suddenly exploded at those words. The explanation that followed calmed her down again, but Kim Hyunsung still seemed startled by how loudly she’d shouted.
“Ah. Don’t worry. Hayan will be coming with us as well.”
“Ah… yes….”
“Hyejin, please stay here and handle the cleanup. Jeongyeon, take the rest of them back to the guild and, under Advisor Lee Sanghee’s leadership, prepare what needs preparing.”
“Ah… come to think of it, it’s about time.”
“Prepare for what…?”
“The next batch will be arriving.”
“Ah!”
It was something I’d completely forgotten about. It usually opened once a year, so judging by the timing, it should be happening around now. The Tutorial Dungeon was probably already underway; depending on how quickly they passed the trial, it would take anywhere from a few days to a few months longer.
Time really does fly.
“The Red Mercenary Guild will be handling the management of this year’s Tutorial Dungeon, but… even if it isn’t our turn, recruiting new members is still absolutely necessary.”
“Are you thinking of increasing the number of guild members?”
“We haven’t decided on an exact number, but… if we find talent that fits well with Blue and can blend in smoothly, I plan to bring them in.”
“I see.”
“I’m also considering working with Miss Cha Heera to secure priority in recruitment… We’re going to be busy in a different way than usual. Of course, even so, you mustn’t neglect your training or your hunting. Ahem… then let’s leave the boring talk there. Why don’t we eat and catch up properly over the things we’ve missed?”
As soon as Kim Hyunsung finished speaking, the room grew a little livelier. I’d expected as much; after all, it had been a long time since we’d all gathered together in such a comfortable atmosphere. It was always fun spending time with the people I’d known the longest.
I was a little worried about Ddolli, who would be waiting for me in my room, but as the conversation flowed, I lost track of time almost completely. Of course, Park Deokgu’s face remained noticeably sour the whole time, though at least he was making an effort to look cheerful.
“Have another drink, Oppa.”
“No. This is enough for me.”
“I-it’s a good day, isn’t it?”
“Then I’ll have just one more.”
“Yes!”
Even then, Jung Hayan kept trying to pour me more alcohol, as if she had some plan of her own. A little tipsy was fine, but for some reason I had the distinct feeling that I shouldn’t drink any more than this, so continuing to refuse was only natural. Of course, it was a little hard to shake off Jung Hayan when she was being this stubborn and desperate.
Deokgu, for whatever reason, didn’t touch alcohol at all, so it seemed he wasn’t in the mood to drink. Even though I offered, he just smiled and refused, which made it clear there was something else on his mind. I’d been waiting for the right moment to ask him about it, but after a while he even slipped away from the table.
He wasn’t the only one. Kim Yeri, who was still a minor, and Priest Sun Heeyoung, who had never cared much for alcohol to begin with, had already left long ago. It was late at night, so that was understandable, but….
“Then I’ll be getting up as well, Kiyoung.”
“Yes. I’ll see you tomorrow, Hyunsung.”
“Yes.”
The gathering ended rather naturally. Jung Hayan was still by my side, and it made sense that I should head back to my room now, too.
“Let’s get going too, Hayan.”
“Ah! Yes! Are you drunk?”
“No. I’m still perfectly fine.”
“Ah….”
Why do you sound disappointed?
“It’s late, so we should get back and sleep.”
“Yes….”
“Or would you like to go for a little night walk first?”
“R-really?”
“Of course.”
I’d been a little neglectful of her lately, so I figured an event like this would be fine. She must have been under a fair amount of stress, so it was important to ease it somehow. There was nothing more dangerous than bottling it up until it exploded.
The weather had turned a little chilly, but it was still pleasant enough to walk. The moon hung in the sky overhead, lending the whole thing a mood that might almost have been called romantic. I could feel Jung Hayan’s hand trembling in mine. It was just a stroll through the garden inside the lord’s castle, but she seemed happy enough. It was in the quiet of that night that we heard a sound.
“Did you hear that?”
“Yes.”
It was only natural to be curious. Jung Hayan kept trying to lead me toward darker, gloomier corners, but I held her hand and moved toward the sound. What came into view was Park Deokgu and Kim Yeri.
What are those two doing…?
I watched them for a moment with a puzzled expression, but the answer revealed itself before long. They were already pointing weapons at each other, so there was no need to guess. The instant I blinked, Kim Yeri lunged at Deokgu with a dagger aimed for his throat. He hurriedly brought up his shield, but all he could do was react to our little cat’s attack.
“Hup!”
Her signature short battle cry rang out as always, but Park Deokgu’s attack came to nothing. The little girl’s movements were spectacular, slipping past his blows by the width of a sheet of paper as if she were teasing him.
What is she, a cat?
It felt like she could remain airborne longer than most people. Deokgu tried to smack her away with his shield, but she twisted her body in midair to dodge the attack. Not only that, but the way she lightly landed on the top of the shield was almost impossible to understand. I wasn’t the only one confused. Deokgu looked thoroughly flustered too. If anything, I suspected his bewilderment was even greater than mine.
Something incomprehensible was happening right in front of his eyes.
The thing that flew into his open mouth was Kim Yeri’s kick. She drove her foot straight into his head, and Deokgu was sent crashing to the side of the ground at once. The short match ended the moment she drew her dagger again and pressed it to his throat. Kim Yeri’s quiet voice echoed through the courtyard.
“Weak.”
“It’s not over yet.”
“It’s over already… If you don’t sleep when it’s time to sleep… you’ll get scolded. And it’s already been a long time.”
“Grr… let’s go one more round.”
“No. It’s boring.”
“One last time!”
“Uncle Deokgu. If we really did it, uncle, you’d already be dead several times over. So that’s enough for today. Tomorrow again. Training is good. It’s just not fun.”
There was no malice in her words. That kid had always been awkward when it came to expressing emotions and communicating with others. Still, each word seemed to land like a knife in Deokgu’s heart, because his expression didn’t look good at all.
“Then tomorrow, I’ll… ahem, I’ll watch your practice tomorrow.”
“Wrong. I’ll be the one watching uncle practice.”
“Same difference. Anyway, go on in first, Yeri.”
“Okay. You should rest well too, uncle.”
“And… I’m not your uncle, I’m your oppa.”
“Your face. That’s not oppa’s face. It’s uncle’s face.”
“…….”
Watching her refuse to stop delivering fact-based damage all the way to the end, I couldn’t help thinking she might be doing it on purpose. Deokgu stared blankly as Kim Yeri quietly left. I’d never had a conversation that long with that kid either. It seemed likely that Deokgu and Kim Yeri had already had several encounters like this before.
Tsk….
Even after Kim Yeri left, Deokgu didn’t leave the spot. He simply leaned against the wall and sank down with a heavy thud. Jung Hayan, who’d spent the whole time trying to tug me away, was now watching him rather seriously as well. His whole body was already a wreck. He was soaked in sweat, and judging by how much he’d rolled around in the dirt, his entire body was filthy. If he’d kept at this after escaping the drinking table, then he’d probably already been getting beaten by Kim Yeri for hours, which would explain why he looked like that.
A big man burying his face between his knees was, frankly, not a pretty sight. It was obvious what he was thinking. I did wonder if I ought to say something, but he clearly didn’t want to be seen like this. As he slowly got to his feet, I saw him swing his sword at empty air once more.
“Hah….”
His body was trembling with exhaustion.
“Hah….”
And yet he kept swinging. Honestly, I wanted to tell him it was meaningless. It wouldn’t close the gap if he swung that sword a few more times, and the training method didn’t seem especially efficient either. If someone could grow strong just by slashing at the air, then nearly everyone on this continent would have become a master already.
The wall standing in Park Deokgu’s way wasn’t the wall of effort, but the wall of talent. Even if he managed to fill that gap for the moment, it would soon widen again… and even if he somehow caught up once more, the gap would only open again later.
I knew it wasn’t my place to say this, but someone like Park Deokgu could never catch up to Kim Hyunsung or Kim Yeri. The system said as much. No matter how hard one tried, those who had talent were the ones who rose to the top in the end, and the trophy always went to the most outstanding among them. To be blunt, the odds of Park Deokgu catching up to the people above him were close to zero.
That said, I didn’t want to call it foolish. His muttering kept drilling into my ears.
“I can do better….”