Ride Comfort (2)
By then, everyone else’s mouths were already hanging open.
It would have been strange if they hadn’t reacted like that.
What Kim Hyunsung was showing right now was far beyond what you’d expect from someone who had been here for less than a year.
That wasn’t just a matter of his stats being high.
Kim Hyunsung was moving at roughly twice the capacity of the stats he currently possessed.
Of course, as someone who wasn’t a melee combatant, it was hard for me to make a precise evaluation, but even I could tell there was something exceptional about it, and I didn’t exactly know what I was looking at. That was enough.
I could already imagine what people like Choi Younggi of the Red Mercenaries were thinking.
A monster.
Or maybe.
A genius.
It was all written on their faces.
Of course, Kim Hyunsung wasn’t the only one getting this kind of praise.
The magical firepower Jung Hayan and I were putting out was just as ridiculous.
In my case, I was leaning on Jung Hayan for more than half of it, but even the spells that weren’t being restricted in output kept slamming into the enemies with brutal consistency, leaving an impression.
The same went for Sun Heeyoung, who was looking after Park Deokgu, and Kim Yeri, who was doing her part properly.
It felt, at last, like we had become a complete party.
To exaggerate a little, I’d almost say the whole business of hunting monsters had become fun.
It wasn’t easy to feel catharsis through hunting, the kind you get when puzzle pieces click perfectly into place.
It was strange, honestly, that I could feel that at all.
It was impressive that simply having that lovable regressor step forward and take the lead could change things this much.
He really is different.
At the very least, by my standards, this was what a perfect party looked like.
While I kept chanting, I casually glanced at Jung Yura, and her face came into view, looking thoroughly flustered.
Well, of course.
After all, the source of her strange confidence had always been her usefulness in the hunt.
No matter how the public judged her, the plan must have been to take the role of the necessary villain for the expedition.
Whatever she chose, her image had already taken a public hit, and that couldn’t be undone. Still, if she’d willingly played the villain, she could at least spin the media narrative by saying that the dungeon had only been conquered because of her sacrifice.
Seeing every part of that plan collapse was almost enough to make me laugh.
“Next.”
As if possessed, I kept chanting and throwing out spells.
Each time one of those massive creatures toppled over, a strange tingle ran up my spine.
The more Jung Yura’s expression twisted, the wider my own mouth curled.
And when every monster in front of us finally lay sprawled on the ground, a peculiar silence settled over the battlefield.
Most of them were staring at Kim Hyunsung in a daze, as if they still couldn’t believe the fight that had just happened was real.
Perhaps the silence had become too awkward to bear, because Choi Younggi was the first to speak, very cautiously.
“It seems geniuses really do exist.”
“You flatter me. I only tried to imitate what I saw from you all.”
“Not at all. I don’t think anyone here could imitate that, not even I. It isn’t just that his specs are good, if I’m honest. It feels more like... a veteran warrior with an immense amount of experience. I have to admit, I’m feeling a little demoralized. Not only toward you, Hyunsung, but toward your party members as well.”
“How embarrassing...”
“Your party members seem to have changed quite a lot overall as well. To be honest, when Blue paid such a high price to recruit all of you, I did wonder whether they were overreaching a bit, but after seeing you now, I can feel with my own skin that it was the right decision. The day Blue regains its former prestige probably isn’t far off.”
“That’s very kind of you.”
“Haha. If things go well for you later, don’t forget us.”
I wouldn’t forget an asset like Choi Younggi.
I’ll treat you well later.
Of course, he wasn’t the only one looking at our party again.
Though they all seemed a little dazed, Park Deokgu and Kim Yeri, who had both done well, were also drawing a lot of attention.
So much so that even gathering up the monster corpses was getting delayed.
I’d rummaged through the bodies, hoping something useful for research might turn up, but nothing had come out yet.
In the middle of this warm, strangely uplifting atmosphere, the only person who looked visibly unhappy was Jung Yura.
How will she come at this?
What I was most curious about was her direction.
She still had two choices.
Either she’d flatten herself and try to rebuild a good relationship, or she’d stubbornly cling to her previous attitude.
Of course, choosing the first option required a few things.
She’d need skin thick enough to retract what she’d said before without a trace of shame, and she’d have to be petty enough to throw away her pride as if it were nothing.
It looked easy, but that was precisely why it wasn’t.
People like me could toss those things aside without blinking, but for ordinary people, they were surprisingly hard to discard.
Especially someone in Jung Yura’s position right now.
The people truly at the top know how to throw their pride away to protect the things they value.
Politicians and businessmen bow their heads for the sake of the public.
I didn’t care whether they cursed the people behind their backs as pigs or rats, but at least in front of everyone, they knew how to apologize and act respectful.
But those stuck in an ambiguous middle position can’t bring themselves to do even that easy thing.
Their pride comes first, and bowing their heads feels like humiliation.
It was only my personal opinion, but that difference was exactly the measure by which I judged people like me into first-rate or second-rate types.
Which are you, Yura?
A complicated expression.
Are you first-rate or second-rate?
A face creased with irritation.
Watching her open her mouth at last, I had no choice but to conclude that she was still stuck in the second tier.
You really shouldn’t go into politics.
It was a fight that, from the start, didn’t even merit a proper estimate.
I’d spent all this time watching that invisible struggle as if it were something to be taken seriously, and now I felt like a fool for it.
“Of course, it was surprising, but you suddenly jumped in, so I was startled.”
“I’m not sure what you mean.”
“If you were planning to change positions, wouldn’t it have been proper to say something to us first? I mean, the result wasn’t bad in the end, but you should also consider how surprised we were.”
“Jung Yura, right now...”
“Am I wrong? Because of Hyunsung, our side’s formation was thrown into disarray. Don’t the others think so too?”
“Well, yes, I was a little surprised, but it wasn’t an unexpected move we couldn’t handle. One swordsman stepping forward wasn’t enough to break our formation. If anything, because Blue moved so aggressively, it made victory easier for us. I’m sure you understand that much.”
“I’m not saying you contributed nothing. I only mean that it was a little shocking. And if you were able to move like that, shouldn’t you have done it from the beginning?”
She was doing a splendid job of throwing a fit, and it was so heartwarming it almost brought a tear to my eye.
“Our party members still didn’t seem fully adjusted to the dungeon, so we moved cautiously. Deokgu and Yeri were especially having a hard time. Now that they’ve settled in somewhat, I decided to act, but... I’m truly sorry I didn’t tell you in advance.”
“I wasn’t saying that to get an apology, Hyunsung.”
She was going on and on just to preserve that flimsy status and position of hers, but there was no way people would see her in a favorable light.
Even if I hadn’t done any prior manipulation, at this point she was effectively strangling her own neck.
Still, her point wasn’t entirely without merit.
It was true that Kim Hyunsung had made an unexpected move, and true that Jung Yura had been startled by it.
If their positions had been reversed, and Jung Yura had used every ounce of her acting skill to emphasize that she had been harmed, it wouldn’t have been a completely hopeless situation to play.
But just a few hours ago, Jung Yura had been under fire as a nationally despised figure.
It would have been stranger if anyone looked at her favorably.
“I think that’s a bit harsh, Yura.”
“I can’t believe she keeps acting like she’s the one who matters.”
“You can’t praise them for doing well, then turn around and crush their morale. Is that even reasonable? I don’t care how jealous you are of Blue’s party, that’s going too far.”
“Tsk. No, seriously, how can you watch a scene like that and still say something like this? If anyone needs to pull themselves together, it’s Yura, not Hyunsung.”
“What did you just say?”
“I can say it again as many times as you want. I’m only saying this because I’ve been holding it in for too long. I don’t know why you’re so desperate to find fault.”
“I was speaking solely for the sake of the expedition.”
“For the sake of the expedition, my ass... like hell you are.”
“Keeping your mouth shut would do the expedition more good than this.”
Especially in the case of the Red Mercenaries, who seemed ready to spit out the roughest words, the reaction felt almost excessive.
Watching the conflict intensify made it clear that Jung Yura’s political life was finished.
Her face was flushed bright red.
The other members of the Black Swan were trying to smooth things over, but there was no chance of salvaging it now.
Even Choi Younggi, who had been mediating the whole time, didn’t look pleased anymore.
Honestly, I wanted to criticize Jung Yura outright too, but the fact that I couldn’t take that position was a lifelong regret.
Still, it felt like I might be able to fan the flames a little.
I tried desperately to think about how to bring it up, but in truth, it wasn’t easy to start the conversation.
I had to stand on the side of the victim, after all.
First, I needed Kim Hyunsung’s permission.
I glanced at him, and saw his eyes turning toward me. I hadn’t asked directly, but he’d probably already guessed that I had something I wanted to say. I was practically beaming encouragement at him with my eyes.
Can your brother say a few words? You know I’m good at talking, Hyunsung.
At that look, he slowly nodded.
Now that permission had been granted, speaking was easy.
“Would it be all right if I said a few cautious words?”
The moment my voice rang out, several pairs of eyes came down on me.
“Yes, of course.”
Teasing people is quite fun.
Watching her from behind the wall of public opinion had been entertaining enough, but openly provoking her while mocking her directly suited my tastes even better.
“Honestly, I’m deeply sorry. We did our best, but it seems we caused you some trouble...”
“N-no, not at all.”
“Especially to the Black Swan members, I’m truly sorry. Especially to Jung Yura.”
Sending her a strange look prompted an immediate reaction.
“We’ve actually spoken with Hyunsung and many of the other party members. I’m sure you’re roughly aware that we joined this dungeon raid for the sake of gaining experience. There was also the simple fact that, in Blue Guild, we were the only party able to go after a Rare-grade dungeon, but with our party’s specs, there was no way we wouldn’t be causing trouble for you.”
“That’s not true, Kiyoung.”
“No. I really do feel sorry about that part. So while we did our best to help in ways outside the actual raid, I think it still wasn’t enough. In fact, it seemed as though Jung Yura was quite displeased with us. We pulled ourselves together as a party and resolved to work harder, but after watching the situation when the hunt just ended, I think I understand exactly what the problem is.”
I could see Jung Yura’s face growing uneasy.
She seemed to think I was going to point a finger at her.
That wasn’t a bad option, of course, but it wasn’t the answer.
After exhaling once, I continued slowly, and the faces of the people around us began to show confusion.
“I think we’re causing discord.”
“What?”
“Our party seems to be the one causing discord within this expedition.”
“Ah...”
“I had thought you might not be pleased with us, but I never imagined you’d feel this uncomfortable. We didn’t come here to create a situation like this... I sincerely apologize to all of you.”
“No, that’s not...”
Various bewildered voices rose from all around us.
To be honest, I wanted to keep going with the final blow, but it felt more appropriate for the party leader to deliver it.
After a moment of thought, Kim Hyunsung nodded as if he understood, then opened his mouth.
“I think it would be best if our Blue party withdrew from here.”
Good timing.
I was quite pleased that he understood what I was aiming for.
Of course, once Kim Hyunsung finished speaking, the atmosphere shifted even more sharply, as was only natural.
“No, there’s no need for Blue to do that. If anything, the problem lies elsewhere...”
“There’s no need for that. Someone caused discord here...”
The public shield that had been protecting me had now turned into a spear, and it began to stab Black Swan instead.
Choi Younggi seemed to be deep in thought as well.
But I figured the former Red Mercenary had already decided what he could and couldn’t say.
“You weren’t unhelpful. On the contrary, you worked much harder than we’d imagined. There were mistakes, but they’re certainly understandable. The ones causing discord are actually the other side.”
Nice rhythm, nice flow.
“Jung Yura.”
“......”
“I’m truly sorry to say this. I understand you’ve had a hard time, but... for the sake of smooth progress, I think we’re going to need your understanding.”
“What are you...”
“I’ll make sure you’re compensated enough to recognize some of the byproducts that come out of the dungeon.”
“Really...”
“I’d like to suggest that you leave the expedition.”
The moment the scene I had been drawing in my head finally came together, complete.