Chapter 22: The Cooperation Mission Meeting (1)

“Are you really going to personally attend that meeting, Mr. Minsu?”

Maria nodded at Seo Team Leader’s words.

“Yes. Not only for the meeting, but in this cooperation mission, the operator has been decided to be Mr. Minsu instead of me. So, of course, it makes sense for Mr. Minsu to participate in the meeting on my behalf.”

“Hmm. I see.”

Seo Team Leader’s surprise was natural. The Task Force meeting. Naturally, it was a place where elite raid teams from major guilds attended.

Sending me instead of Executive Director Maria to that place. In fact, it was a very unconventional decision.

“Well, if it’s Mr. Minsu, it wouldn’t be a big problem to bring him along. No, it would help the guild leader. It would be a very appropriate choice.”

But Seo Team Leader immediately accepted Maria’s words without hesitation, to the point of being embarrassing. I asked Maria.

“Are you really saying that I’m taking on the main operation?”

“Yes. It wasn’t a spontaneous decision on my part. When Mr. Minsu was on a business trip with the guild leader, the other members of the raid team held several meetings about it. About who would be more suitable as the operator.”

And Seo Team Leader added.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

“And it was unanimously decided to assign Mr. Minsu as the operator for this mission. Of course, I didn’t know if Mr. Minsu would be attending this meeting as well.”

I glanced at Executive Director Maria’s face. Surprisingly, it was calm.

'I’ve taken the seat from the new intern.'

Of course, if I take on the main operation, Executive Director Maria can focus even more on her main job as a sniper.

And for me, it’s much better. This cooperation mission is important. It’s the main episode where the original Si-woo participated.

'Just like meeting Zerfield at Seoraksan. I wonder if something will happen in this cooperation mission too.'

I encountered an unexpected two eccentrics during the Seoraksan trip. And thinking about how I obtained an important legacy as a result,

'I wonder if something completely different from the original will happen in this mission.'

This is an episode related to the Red Lake. And it’s a dungeon that the association directly requests major guilds for cooperation because it’s not easy.

So, when I become the main operator at Flame, I can handle it more actively in that unknown place.

In fact, even as me, I was thinking of applying as the main operator even if I had a conflict with Maria. Since it was decided from above first, it was unexpectedly easy to resolve.

'Maria. She’s really different from the time at Eins.'

Maria continued with a calm face.

“It wouldn’t be necessary for a small guild like us ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to follow the complicated rules and conventions like big companies. Everyone recognizes Mr. Minsu. They’ve just assigned someone more suitable for that position than me.”

Seo Team Leader also nodded. He said.

“I don’t know what Executive Director Maria thinks, but records are… you can’t hide them. I heard from an acquaintance at the association, but the incident in Pyongyang last time became quite a hot topic.”

“The one where you caught Jang Gyesin with Team Leader Yeon Soso? I also know from watching the battle records. That’s why I was wondering whether to have Mr. Minsu as the operator or as the dealer.”

“That’s a happy dilemma for Flame. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Hahaha.”

Unexpectedly, the two continued to praise me. I already knew that Seo Team Leader thought highly of me.

But Maria’s goodwill was unfamiliar to me. Maria is not Yuri’s maid but a lady-in-waiting. A lady-in-waiting who serves the duke’s daughter is naturally of noble birth.

Especially, the nobles of the Slavia Kingdom are not relics of the pre-modern era.

The Slavia Kingdom maintains the Two-Nation Alliance system with Korea.

Legally, even if Koreans don’t need to show courtesy to the nobles of the Slavia Kingdom, socially the influence is sufficient.

That’s why at the time of Eins, it was natural for Maria to dislike me.

'The Yuri that Maria was serving…'

Yuri is the only daughter of Grand Duke Andrei. That Grand Duke Andrei is the chairman of the Alliance Council, so he’s a very influential person in Korea too.

So, in fact, Yuri and I were very distant in status.

Unfortunately, I was the extra character Lee Minsu in the novel, who originally had no setting, and even my parents didn’t exist.

Me, an orphan, and Yuri, the duke’s daughter, the gap in status was too big.

That’s why Maria at the time of Eins was always harsh to me, but thoroughly kept me in check so I couldn’t approach Yuri, but now Maria is quite different from that time.

As she says, Maria has become much softer towards me.

“I’m glad you joined when Mr. Minsu needed it the most. Mr. Minsu is very close to the guild leader and the team leader. Two core dealers. Rather, you can further enhance their abilities in battle more than me.”

And I know the reason. The close relationship that Maria mentioned a moment ago. Maria probably already knows about the subtle relationship between me and Yuri.

'Is it all for the Yuri that she serves?'

I was certain during the Seoraksan trip this time. Probably, the current Yuri needs me a lot. And I needed Yuri too.

Just as an ancient dungeon and legacy existed in the direction Yuri was heading. For my revenge, Yuri who is replacing Si-woo is truly needed.

'If I think that way.'

Going any closer to Yuri than that would be dangerous for me too. I decided to draw a clear line with Yuri in my own way.

After a while, the short meeting with the three of us ended.

“Then, the list of materials and preparations needed to attend the association’s meeting will be sent to you by email. Let’s end the meeting here.”

“Understood.”

And the three of them stood up from their seats. While Seo Team Leader went out first, Maria called me for a moment.

“Um, Mr. Minsu. Just a moment.”

“Why is that, Executive Director Maria?”

Maria looked at me hesitantly. She seemed to have something to say. This side of Maria was unexpected.

'At Eins, I only received one-sided notifications.'

After hesitating like that, Maria lowered her head and said to me.

“I’m really grateful to Mr. Minsu. Since Mr. Minsu joined, Yuri-ssi… no, the guild leader has changed a lot.”

For a moment, her words continued. Before I joined, how mentally broken Yuri was.

“But the current guild leader has more smiles than before. Like… like Yuri-ssi before the Eins graduation.”

Back then. The time when I was closest to Yuri. And after a moment of silence.

Maria hesitated a bit more as if thinking, and finally said.

“Actually, I know it’s not something I should say lightly. But Yuri-ssi likes Mr. Minsu a lot. Like at Eins. No, even after that, the young lady has always thought only of Mr. Minsu.”

I stayed silent at those words. And Maria, as if the words she was waiting for an answer to, lowered her head once and left the meeting room first.

Two days later. I was attending the association’s Task Force meeting in the morning.

As previously agreed, the participants from Flame were Yuri, Soso, and me. The three of us were heading to the association headquarters in Yeouido in Yuri’s car.

'It won’t take long to get to Yeouido…'

But this time, the three of us being together alone was the first time. In fact, it was rare even at Eins.

Yuri and Soso weren’t close. Or rather, there was no big intersection, not that they were bad.

Yuri was the top of the student caste from admission to graduation. But Soso was actually the lowest in that caste before awakening the Heavenly Demon Divine Art. They were opposites.

'Moreover, Soso’s personality was gloomy.'

Of course, both were only children of the Five Heavenly Stars.

Andrei the Grand Duke needs no saying, and the Heavenly Demon Yeon Se-hwi, leader of the Heavenly Demon Cult that dominates not only Hong Kong but also the south of Muguk, was comparable to Andrei the Grand Duke.

But unlike Andrei the Grand Duke who was very strict with his successor, Soso’s father, Yeon Se-hwi, was a doting father.

He didn’t force martial arts training on Soso, who had a naturally introverted personality. Of course, thanks to her innate bloodline, she passed the Eins exam.

Anyway, at that time, in Korea where Korean language was clumsy and culture was quite different from Muguk, Soso didn’t adapt well to academy life.

Anyway, in the car with the three of us, there was a moment of silence. Suddenly, Soso spoke.

“I heard there’s a reunion for Eins alumni in March. What are you going to do, Yuri?”

“No interest. If it helps Flame, maybe. Most of the Eins graduates went to big company guilds. It wouldn’t help us much.”

But the current Yuri and Soso were talking without much awkwardness.

From what I heard from some Flame employees, they said the two were surprisingly drinking buddies. Thinking about it, both are precious daughters of their families.

People who sympathize with their similar situations and can open up to talk. They probably had no one else besides each other.

'Still, this seat is a bit awkward.'

But the two were now clearly aware of me more than each other.

The person sitting in the driver’s seat now is me.

And before departure, the two tried to get into the passenger seat at the same time, and their eyes met.

“Yuri, you’re the guild leader. It would suit Korean customs to sit in the back seat, the main seat.”

“Since it’s my car, the passenger seat is more comfortable. Mr. Minsu driving my car might be awkward…”

Of course, it wasn’t awkward at all. Yuri’s car was now as familiar as my own. When going to Seoraksan, I drove this car.

So, the two talked for a long time about who should sit in the passenger seat, and eventually Yuri yielded.

So, Soso sitting next to me continued the conversation from earlier.

“Hmm… Yeah. Yuri, you won’t go, right? But besides us, there’s another 19th generation here. What would Minsu do…”

At that moment, the air in the car became a bit colder. Yuri and I seemed to have noticed the intention of Soso’s words just now.

'Soso seems to want to create an opportunity to be with me.' ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

We went to Pyongyang together because of the Wind Cutter, but of course, there was no private meeting with Soso after that.

In fact, when I was at Eins, Soso was the one who stuck to me the most. We were friends, so we met for trivial things and spent time together.

Then, like now, when the relationship became awkward, Soso might have been desperate.

'Soso’s personality is the kind that wouldn’t go to the alumni reunion even if she died…'

But I also didn’t plan to go to the alumni reunion. The surviving 19th generation students are still contacting me.

Probably, my classmates think of me as a hero who saved their lives. Of course, the juniors below were the same.

But originally, if it weren’t for me, the villain attack on the graduation ceremony wouldn’t have been so big, so I couldn’t accept that goodwill.

“I probably won’t be able to attend.”

“R-really? It seems you have many busy things as you’re capable.”

I felt a bit sorry for Soso. Soso’s Korean had become very fluent, but her skill with the Korean keyboard was messy.

Still, she sent awkward messages trying to make an appointment with me several times, but I blocked her messages.

'I changed my contact once. I thought it was spam.'

So, now that I’ve unblocked it, but I haven’t replied to those messages separately. In fact, right now, there wasn’t time to use for private matters because of preparing for the cooperation mission.

More than anything, after starting to use mana in earnest, this existence in front of the reactivated vision was more worrying than this time.

By the time I managed to somehow end the system, we had arrived at Yeouido. Both of them went straight to the association headquarters without getting lost.

“First, let’s go to the association’s guidance desk to get an entry pass for the meeting hall.”

And as Yuri said, when the group stood in front of the guidance desk, a voice calling me suddenly came.

“Is it Lee Minsu? Are you Lee Minsu?”

And I recognized the blonde-haired woman calling me.

“Ha-eun sunbae?”

Yuri and Soso’s gazes simultaneously turned to that woman.