Party (2)
I thought he’d probably feel the same way.
He couldn’t say it outright, but there was a faint, unmistakable look of relief in his face.
We’d both been too busy to afford this sort of moment, so meeting like this was quietly heartwarming.
It wasn’t the best comparison, maybe, but it felt like two working spouses finally finding a rare stretch of free time after being buried in chores for ages.
Even if they knew they were living under the same roof, they were so busy that all they ever saw of each other was the way one left for work and the way the other came home.
That comparison was probably about right.
I’d been busy too, of course, but he’d been running himself ragged in his own way as well.
I didn’t know exactly what he’d been doing, but I could at least be certain of one thing: he was preparing for the future.
Kim Hyunsung was the type to work hard by nature, and he never did anything thoughtlessly.
He was not the sort to dig uselessly at empty ground.
He’d tell me what was going on eventually, but I couldn’t help wondering what kind of picture he was trying to paint.
I was the one who spoke first.
“You’re here.”
He seemed to realize we’d been waiting for him, and after a beat, he quietly replied.
“I’m sorry I’m late. Something came up all of a sudden….”
“It’s fine, Kim Hyunsung.”
“I had planned to come together with everyone….”
“You said you had some work-related business with Black Swan, correct?”
“This probably isn’t the place to discuss it, though….”
“Yes.”
“No, perhaps it would be better to talk about it after the party. For now, let’s just enjoy ourselves. Today’s job is to welcome the new recruits.”
“Yes.”
He seems a little serious….
When you spend a long time with someone, you start reading them better.
Kim Hyunsung’s expression really didn’t look very good. There was a tight, uncomfortable look to him, like something was weighing on his mind.
Of course, that flicker of strain vanished almost immediately, and when the new recruits came up in conversation, he put on a cheerful face.
Still, he couldn’t quite hide the awkwardness.
So he’s got something bothering him….
There was nothing concrete to go on, so there was no way to guess what it was.
For some reason, Park Yeonju of Black Swan kept coming to mind, how she’d been talking with Kim Hyunsung over and over again.
At the time I’d assumed she was just expressing interest in him, but thinking about it now, it felt more like they’d actually been having a serious conversation.
Did something blow up or what?
I couldn’t really picture Red Mercenaries or Black Swan getting thrown into crisis.
For one thing, Guild Master Park Yeonju was still perfectly fine, and when I’d spoken to Lee Jihye earlier, nothing had seemed strange at all.
There was no point worrying too much when I wouldn’t get anything out of it right this second, but I couldn’t help feeling that something was off.
After giving my shoulder a few unnecessary taps, Kim Hyunsung started walking.
As expected, every guild member’s eyes followed him.
The sight of him naturally drifting over and trying to sit down was almost comical. It felt like the right time to say something, so I gave him a little push from my side.
“Say a few words, Guild Master.”
“That’s right! This is a gathering of everyone together, so you ought to say something, old boy!”
“Ah….”
He looked a little flustered, but he didn’t seem unhappy.
It felt less like he’d been persuaded by me than forced to stand up by Park Deokgu’s insistence, but once he did, everyone’s gaze followed him naturally.
“Yes. I think that would be best. First, I’m sorry I’m late. I was trying to get here as quickly as possible, but the conversation went on a little longer than expected.”
“It was work, wasn’t it? No need to apologize over that. You’re running yourself half to death trying to feed the rest of us, aren’t you?”
“Haha. Thank you for thinking that way. In truth, I did plan today’s gathering, but since I didn’t handle the actual preparations myself, even giving a toast feels a little awkward. Yoo Ahyoung, Lee Changryeol, Han Sora, and An Gimo as well…. Since I wasn’t present at the training center, I didn’t get to speak with you all very much, but from what I’ve seen, you’re good people.”
Good where…?
Honestly, I’d selected them more for their abilities than anything else.
“Of course, I’m sure your skills match too. I did personally verify Lee Changryeol’s capabilities, after all. In any case, it’s a pleasure to meet all of you. It may sound obvious, but Blue aims to be a family-like guild. I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels that way.”
“Well said.”
“That goes for Lee Sanghee, who helped establish Blue, and Hwang Jeongyeon as well… and for those who first joined here, like Kiyoung, Hayan, and Deokgu, and after them Yeri, Heeyoung, and Hyejin. I imagine everyone feels the same. Lady Dialugia, too.”
There really was a tendency for the guild to lean a little too hard into togetherness.
Though if this was the kind of togetherness we were talking about, I welcomed it with open arms.
“I’d like to thank everyone who helped build this guild with us, and I’d also like to thank all of you who have just joined. You won’t regret choosing Blue. Finally….”
“…….”
“Welcome to Blue.”
Damn. The bastard’s got a face you can fall for.
The faint smile at the corners of his mouth made it impossible not to admit he really was handsome.
Judging from the slightly flushed faces of Cho Hyejin and Kim Yeri, I wasn’t the only one thinking that.
If he hadn’t ended up here, he might have made a living off his face back on Earth—model, celebrity, something like that.
“Let’s all have a drink.”
The one who shouted loudest at the final line, of course, was Park Deokgu.
“Drink!”
And so the little party began.
The lavish dishes spread before them—things they’d never have tasted during training—seemed to seize Yoo Ahyoung’s attention immediately.
Jung Hayan and Sun Heeyoung were quietly picking at the food on either side of me, while Kim Hyunsung was talking about various things with Lee Sanghee.
Even though it was a party, the group had grown to more than ten people, so everyone naturally drifted into smaller conversations.
Of course, the one who always stood out at gatherings like this was Park Deokgu.
His booming voice was loud enough that I could hear it all the way over here.
“Hey, but why does Changryeol-hyung keep going around wearing that mask?”
“……”
“Hey, mister Changryeol. It’s in your mouth. That thing there… the poison needle.”
“Huh?”
“I… we fought once before, remember? As part of the guild entry test… he fights a bit dirty, but not bad. Feels talented.”
Just as I was thinking, Ah, Kim Yeri’s talking to Lee Changryeol, he was already off somewhere else talking nonstop.
“Ah. Han Sora-ssi, are your legs really that uncomfortable? Don’t worry about it one bit. Our hyung and Heeyoung noona are the type who can make even a cripple stand up again! If they start treating you properly, you’ll probably be on your feet in less than three days. Right, noona Heeyoung?”
“It’ll need to be tried, but… I’m not entirely sure. I did treat it once already, but there were some aftereffects. Still, if you keep exercising, your condition should improve compared to now.”
“It’ll improve, my foot! One sip of the miracle potion made by hyung and your eyes will regenerate too. Don’t worry about the eyes either. If that doesn’t work, hyung’ll even fit you with prosthetic ones, I’m telling you!”
“T-thank you.”
Unfortunately, I didn’t possess the power to make a cripple stand up or anything like that. I did sometimes think it would be nice to have, but making Han Sora’s body perfect was beyond me.
“I heard the story…. Something about you going into noona’s magic laboratory and getting hurt, was it? Still, don’t worry! Our Hayan noona is! Hm? The icon of forgiveness, isn’t she? The icon of forgiveness. Is there anyone else as angelic as her?”
“Hic….”
“Right, noona?”
“Y-yes. I, I made a mistake too. But from now on, please don’t, don’t, don’t do that again?”
“Ah… aah….”
“Don’t worry! Even urinary incontinence will be cured!”
He was darting around everywhere like Hong Gildong.
“This noona here, you see. The new recruits won’t have seen her, but this noona’s true identity is actually a dragon.”
That could be inferred easily enough from the horns on her head.
“I saw her true form once during the Castle Rock siege, actually—and let me tell you! Some rotten mage in a dungeon had been controlling this dragon noona. Then, just like that! the one who reached out a hand of salvation to her was our hyung. What did hyung say at the time, you ask….”
“……”
“Stop attacking! Stop attacking! Don’t attack anymore! That’s what he shouted as he stood right in front of this dragon noona… seriously, if hyung had been a woman, I would’ve fallen for him right then and there! He was even protecting this dragon noona’s daughter! The little one, I mean—holding her in one arm the whole time!”
I suddenly felt embarrassed.
“Honestly, it was lucky I didn’t fight back then. If she’d smashed me with that front claw, I’d have died on the spot. If you get swallowed whole, that’s it—you can’t even resist, just done. Anyway, because of that, this dragon noona chose our hyung, and speaking of which, I heard this dragon noona can even shoot out something like Kamehameha from her mouth.”
“It’s a breath attack.”
“Breath attack, Kamehameha, same difference! But the funny thing is, hyung apparently even made that breath into a potion!”
This bastard….
He was shouting as if he meant to blow away every bit of stress he’d been carrying lately.
Still, I couldn’t exactly say I disliked it.
In fact, thanks to him, the atmosphere had become a lot softer, and there were even people laughing now.
Though because he was spreading around information that was somewhat scrambled, the listeners didn’t exactly feel at ease either.
Whenever he talked about Dialugia and me, I got embarrassed enough that I wanted to crawl off and hide somewhere.
And yet, aside from me, most of the others were focused on his stories, watching him with amusement.
If Park Deokgu hadn’t been here, the mood would probably have been a little gloomy.
More than anything, I was glad I didn’t have to keep talking.
That’s emotional labor too, in a way.
Of course, to him, that wouldn’t feel like emotional labor at all. And it didn’t take long for his good nature to tilt in a bad direction.
“When you first said you were going to become an alchemist, I don’t know how much I tried to stop hyung. I trusted him even then, sure, but still—leaving behind a cool job like dark mage to choose alchemist… It’s been proven right now, of course, but back then I used to look down on production jobs too.”
“Ah… yes.”
“What I’m saying is that the production path is full of possibilities! It all depends on the person. I realized that by watching hyung.”
“Production classes, you mean? Deokgu-oppa?”
“Oh? You’re interested in production classes too, Ahyoung?”
“Ah… yes. At first I wasn’t thinking about combat classes, and honestly, I’d been planning to go in a different direction. But Instructor Lee Kiyoung said he saw potential in me, so… I decided to take this path seriously.”
“Ahaaa… I see!”
“And….”
“Hm?”
“I’m actually due for my second job advancement right now. I haven’t chosen yet, though…. Um….”
“Ooh?”
“Blacksmith is one of the options.”
“……”
“……”
“……”
An abrupt silence fell over the room.
The first thing I checked was Kim Hyunsung’s expression.
There was clear bewilderment on his face as he looked at Park Deokgu. He must have been remembering something from the past.
Sure enough, I heard Park Deokgu muttering under his breath.
“Blacksmith… that seems pretty good….”
This crazy pig….
His low voice in the suddenly quiet room carried a strange, weighty pressure.
It was more than enough to leave anyone at a loss.
Apparently sensing something was wrong, Kim Hyunsung hurriedly spoke up.
“Ahyoung-ssi. Are the other options perhaps…?”
“Ah. There are two choices. One is Blacksmith. The other says Defensive Warrior.”
“Not bad. It is surprising that only two options appeared, but that’s likely a side effect of growth without hunting experience. If it’s Defensive Warrior, you should be able to do your part without issue.”
“Defensive Warrior… well, that does sound nice, but… honestly, all the basic shield knowledge that comes with the job effect is stuff I can teach her myself.”
Don’t start a fire, you pig bastard.
Park Deokgu was clearly getting ready to fan the flames while checking everyone’s reactions.
“Think about it. Hyung chose alchemist, yeah? But the firepower he’s showing now is, huh? It’s even beyond most mages.”
That’s because I’m a special case.
“If I may speak carefully… huh? People who walk a path no one else takes are the ones who get noticed! A shield in one hand, hammering monsters to death while even making weapons with a hammer? That’s basically a cheat, isn’t it?”
“Well… there is a point there, but the farther along you go, the more the gap in growth will widen. Ahyoung has talent, so she could probably advance into a Heroic-grade, or even a Legendary-grade, class later on.”
“If I may say one thing, a Legendary-grade Blacksmith might just smash a monster’s head in with one hammer blow.”
“No… that kind of thing….”
Even Kim Hyunsung seemed stunned by the complete lack of logic.
“The choice is Ahyoung’s, of course, but if you’re asking my opinion, then based on hyung’s case, Blacksmith is the only answer! A new wind is blowing in, I’m telling you! Yoo Ahyoung, the genius Blacksmith who can make anything! Krrr… just thinking about it makes my chest shake with excitement, doesn’t it?”
“Of course, I’m not saying production classes are bad. Like Deokgu said, looking at Kiyoung’s case, it’s not impossible. But if you consider Ahyoung’s talent, she could absolutely obtain results even by taking the orthodox route. In terms of overall efficiency, choosing Warrior would be the ideal path.”
Kim Hyunsung’s words were, in truth, the most reasonable.
Blacksmith was certainly necessary too. Still, using Yoo Ahyoung as a Blacksmith felt wasteful in a number of ways.
“If you think about Ahyoung’s talent! She can get strong without taking the orthodox route, can’t she? Lindel needs a new wind! I’m definitely recommending Blacksmith!”
“Defensive Warrior. If Ahyoung-ssi chooses Defensive Warrior, I’ll give you this shield as a gift.”
The flow was much the same as when he’d tried to lure me into becoming an alchemist.
What Kim Hyunsung had overlooked was that Park Deokgu was no longer a greenhorn.
“If you choose Blacksmith, I’ll not only teach you all the shield techniques I know, I’ll also give you this hammer!”
It was the heavy hammer he’d once brought back from a dungeon expedition long ago.
For just a moment, Kim Hyunsung’s face was colored with genuine bewilderment.
“Blacksmith! A person with a broad chest ought to be hammering away at an anvil!”
“Defensive Warrior. It’d be a waste of her talent.”
“That talent can shine just fine somewhere else too! Blacksmith!”
“Defensive Warrior!”
“Blacksmith!”
“Defensive Wa—”
“Blaaaaaacksmith!”
This… crazy pig….
What was even more absurd was that, for some reason, I also started feeling like I was being swayed by Park Deokgu.
Yoo Ahyoung looked visibly flustered, as though she hadn’t expected the choice she’d thrown out there to ignite this badly.
“Defensive Warrior!”
“Blacksmith! It has to be Blacksmith!”
“Defensive Warrior is better. I’m sure of it.”
“Defensive!”
“Blacksmith!”
“Defensive Warrior!”
“Blaaacksmith! The hammer’s coming in hot!”
What in the world.
Yoo Ahyoung’s eyes drifted to me as if asking what she was supposed to do.
“The hammer’s coming in hot!”