Chapter 119
Chapter 119
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 119
Chapter Title: Joint Training with Titan Guild
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Was I entranced by the tiny blizzard falling over the steaming coffee cup, or by Han Ji-seong's beauty?
Whatever the case, the sound that snapped me out of my daze wasn't anything else—it was the favorability notification.
……Benefactor?
I'd known that someday Han Ji-seong would get a keyword like the other guild members.
But I'd been expecting something like 'little sister' or, if I got greedy, 'cherished little sister'.
Benefactor out of nowhere.
As if reading my thoughts, Han Ji-seong spoke up.
"It feels like everything you've done for me from the start has just been one grateful moment after another, Nayeo-ju."
"No, what have I even done to deserve that kind of talk?"
I grumbled a bit, honestly a little embarrassed, but Han Ji-seong just shook his head with a smile.
"Justice Guild is my home. You saved my home from being taken by Sama Guild. And after that, every single thing—there's so many I'd run out of time listing them. This right now, too."
With a slight wave of his hand, snow began falling over the coffee cup again.
It's a beautiful sight no matter how many times I see it.
I have no idea how it'll be used in a dungeon, though.
"You'll do great, oppa."
"Yeah, thanks to you."
"Ah, come on. I said no."
I finally couldn't hold back and stood up from my seat.
"I'll be out playing with the familiars, so call me if you need healing again."
Time to make a quick escape.
I picked up the coffee cup, now a bit lukewarm from the melted snow, and opened the lab door.
Just before the door closed, Han Ji-seong's voice reached me once more, laced with a cool smile somewhere in it.
"Thanks, Nayeo-ju-ya."
Whew, that tickles.
I don't know if it's the extra sweet ring to the notification today or Han Ji-seong's words.
I hurried back to the sofa where the familiars were sleeping and hugged Baekho tight.
"How are they all so soft? How do they survive in this harsh world? Right, my Baekho?"
"Kyahaam."
Baekho, woken from sleep, licked my cheek without even opening his eyes properly.
"Guess I need to step it up. Looks like I'm the only one who can protect this soft Justice Guild."
I saw a post looking for a party to head out to Titan at dawn...
I don’t care about anything else, just hope Su-ho’s mentality holds up ㅠㅠ
In the car heading to Titan Guild's training ground.
I kept drilling it into Jang Su-ho, who was driving.
"Jang Su-ho, what did I say?"
"Don't take out the new shield."
"Right, good memory. And don't get all excited and show it off."
"But why not?"
Jang Su-ho's lips puffed out like a duck's as he gripped the wheel.
"You finally fitted me with a new shield. I want to show it off."
"Who said not to use it at all? Just don't today. It's a private training with no cameras anyway—what's the point of showing off there? Save it for the dungeon entrance, pull it out with a bang. Way cooler."
"……Yeah, you're right."
Jang Su-ho's thin ears twitched.
"Guess that would be cooler."
Who knows what he was imagining in his head, but the pout vanished, replaced by a grin.
Am I raising a kid or what?
I let out a small sigh and finally leaned back comfortably in my seat.
As I stretched my stiff shoulders, rolling my neck this way and that, my eyes met Han Ji-seong's in the seat next to me.
"You've got a lot on your plate, Nayeo-ju."
Han Ji-seong stroked my head as if he knew exactly how I felt, soothing me.
We were always close, but ever since the Benefactor keyword, he petted me like I pet my Baekho.
But I had words for Han Ji-seong too.
"You know too, oppa? Today we're just going to loosen up and come back."
Joint training or not, they won't show all their cards either.
So neither should we.
Especially not Han Ji-seong's new technique.
"Of course. No need to worry about me."
"As expected, you're the only one I can rely on."
What if all the guild members were like Jang Su-ho?
I don't even want to think about it.
Horrifying.
But at my words to Han Ji-seong, the three teenagers in the very back seats erupted.
"Hey, why only Ji-seong hyung?!"
"I can be reliable too, unnie! Me too!"
"You can skip those two, but you have to trust me!"
Im Cheong-su was so excited his dialect slipped out again after being tucked away.
"……."
Even Kang Han was gazing at me with a slightly sulky look from his seat.
"If you want praise, earn it today."
I shrugged at the guild members.
The car filled with a determined atmosphere in an instant.
"Ugh, no messing up today. Gonna get that praise."
"Shut it, Lee Yu-eul. I'm getting it."
"Wait, I'm just there to observe today! Nothing I can do well! Unfair!"
"Figure it out yourself, Im Cheong-su."
This time Im Cheong-su was the duck.
Whatever.
I stretched my arms and looked out the window.
"Almost there."
The massive building housing Titan Guild's training ground that Jang Su-ho mentioned before departure was visible in the distance.
"Everyone, get ready."
We'd left our precious uniforms at the guild and come in light workout clothes, but that didn't mean we could stroll into the heart of Titan turf totally relaxed.
'Next time, partner with a decent guild.'
This was just the first step, unavoidable, but with dungeon raids approaching and tension rising—not to mention not trusting the guild we're going in with—the stress was piling up.
The car was slowing down.
Then Jang Su-ho's surprised voice came from the front.
"Huh? Lots of people in front of the training ground?"
Proud Justice Guild supporter Lee Ha-young felt her anger boiling over.
"Why keep pushing us back?! We got here first!"
"We've told you—this is Titan supporters' spot."
"Even so! It's not like names are written on the ground!"
It was Titan supporters' territorial behavior.
They had a reputation for being intense, but she hadn't expected this level.
They'd arrived first thing on the earliest bus and snagged the prime spots.
Then these Titan supporters appeared out of nowhere, spouting nonsense and shoving Lee Ha-young and her three companions aside.
"We're not moving, so deal with it."
"Hah, Justice Guild supporters act just like their guild—stealing other people's spots clean."
"Hey, you done talking?"
"What? Did I lie?"
As voices rose, a Titan Guild staffer intervened to sort it out.
But arms bend inward.
It naturally favored the Titan supporters.
In the end, Lee Ha-young and the other three ended up with spots closest to the road.
"Ugh, so frustrating."
Tears of frustration threatened to spill, but she bit her lip.
Crying here would just make the snickering Titan supporters laugh louder as they watched.
"Our kids won't get treated like this elsewhere, right...?"
One of the quieter, shy ones muttered softly.
"No way. Nayeo-ju unnie wouldn't let that happen."
"Yeah, true."
The other three nodded at Lee Ha-young's firm words.
'Right, right. Our Nayeo-ju unnie doesn't tolerate that.'
It was the faith in Nayeo-ju that had spread like a religion among Justice Guild supporters.
"Kyaa! Ho-young! Over here!"
"Han-kwon oppa looks handsome today too!"
Suddenly the area grew noisy.
Titan Guild, the training ground's owners, had appeared.
With hundreds gathered, they got thunderous cheers just for showing their faces.
But on a tight schedule, Titan's raid team slipped inside without proper greetings.
"Aw, great outfits today too."
"Couldn't even snap a few pics."
Titan supporters voiced regrets here and there.
They'd yelled and fought for seats, but got mere seconds in return.
Soon after, a black van pulled up.
Justice Guild's vehicle, emblazoned with a huge 'JUSTICE' logo.
The once-noisy training ground front went dead silent.
Sharp glares full of hostility targeted the van.
Lee Ha-young inwardly cursed the Titan supporters as she raised her expensive camera prepared for today.
Being roadside meant no need for much zoom.
She focused solely on the camera screen.
'I'll capture our kids' first day on the job!'
Just as she resolved, the door opened and Kang Han stepped out.
She pressed the shutter to somehow capture his radiant beauty today.
Charruk-!
A rain of shutter sounds poured like drizzle.
'What? Not my camera...?'
In her curiosity, Lee Ha-young photographed each descending Justice Guild member.
The ever-spunky Nayeo-ju today, and Kang Han escorting her down by the hand.
Han Ji-seong like a cool-toned winter sculpture of certainty, the twins bickering over who to let out first, and Im Cheong-su with hands clasped behind like a grandpa descending the back mountain.
And finally, Jang Su-ho handing the keys to a Titan staffer and turning back.
'Gasp, Nayeo-ju unnie!'
Lee Ha-young screamed inwardly.
Somehow spotting them amid the sea of Titan supporters.
Nayeo-ju waved right at her camera.
And that wasn't all.
Like baby birds following the mother, the rest of the guild waved at the camera too.
'Jackpot!'
Material on Justice Guild just starting full activities was precious.
How many would love these pics on the board?
Lee Ha-young kept snapping relentlessly, fingers numb.
Nearby supporters even managed to hand over gifts.
After capturing the guild members' backs entering the training ground, Lee Ha-young finally lowered her camera and realized the source of that 'charruk-' sound.
"Damn, snapped without thinking."
"You too? Hey, me too."
Titan supporters had unconsciously photographed the perfect subjects.
"Whoa, Justice Guild is no joke."
"Insane in person."
Lee Ha-young's shoulders rose higher and higher.
'Ah, this is why I support Justice Guild.'
The bitterness from being shoved aside washed away.
"Gotta upload these pics quick."
Lee Ha-young's hands busied packing her camera.