Chapter 196
Chapter 196
Chapter 196: Retrieval (2)
Translation: godtl
A heavy silence descended, perfectly matching the tense atmosphere.
No one in the Association President's office reacted,
yet Olivia remained bowed at the waist, her posture unwavering.
The only change in this stifling quiet—
if it could even be called a change—
was the way Kim Si-hyeok's mouth fell open at the entrance as he watched the scene unfold.
And it was no wonder.
'The Winter Queen... bowing her head in apology like this...?'
Olivia Denson, the Winter Queen—
Kim Si-hyeok knew her well, not just for her renowned recruitment skills,
but for other reasons too.
'Wasn't she the very embodiment of cold rationality and haughtiness?'
A top-tier Diamond-rank Magic Class user,
in some ways, she resembled his uncle, Kim Mu-yeol, in temperament.
Yet, contrary to her formidable reputation,
she had gone so far as to request a meeting with his brother—someone she wasn't even close to—
just to bow her head and apologize like this?
'This is... genuinely shocking.'
Though laughter threatened to bubble up involuntarily,
Kim Si-hyeok suppressed any outward reaction.
And as for Si-mun—
'I never expected her to go this far...'
—he wasn't much different.
After observing her for a moment, Si-mun let out a short sigh and responded.
"Olivia. You don't have to do this."
"I must."
Her refusal was immediate.
Still maintaining her posture, she continued in a voice that was dry yet carried the faintest tremor.
"Though our relationship was purely business, I am well aware that you treated us with sincerity."
"I, too, approached you with that same sincerity, Si-mun-nim..."
The night before the global public resource proposal for Growth Buffs was passed,
they had exchanged words—
a rare moment where their strictly professional relationship had softened slightly,
allowing glimpses of their true feelings.
"And yet, in the end, my words meant nothing. My actions proved the opposite, didn't they?"
Right on the eve of the Growth Buff proposal's approval.
"From my personal standpoint..."
In a way, this was worse than outright hostility.
"Compared to the Chinese faction who proposed the bill, our side's actions were far more senseless."
More malicious, even.
It wasn't just abandoning goodwill—it was outright betrayal.
Olivia still hadn't straightened her bowed back.
Instead, she lowered herself further, her knees now touching the floor.
Si-mun immediately rose from his seat.
"I understand what you're trying to say, but you don't need to go this far, Olivia."
He grasped her shoulders as they sank lower,
then slowly lifted her up.
At first, she resisted, hesitating briefly,
but gradually, she allowed herself to be guided by his lead.
Had her back been bent for too long?
Or was it the emotions she was feeling now?
"...?"
Behind Olivia's ever-professional expression,
her flushed face was unmistakable.
Seeing this, Kim Si-hyeok's already gaping mouth was joined by both hands covering it—
though that was a given.
"Olivia. Let's sit and talk."
Si-mun's expression had stiffened slightly as well.
Yet, even in the face of his suggestion—
"Si-mun-nim. There's no need for you to feel uncomfortable."
Olivia stubbornly persisted with her apology.
"This is a perfectly justified response on my—"
"Olivia. Let me make something clear."
Si-mun cut her off, his gaze sharp as he stared directly at her.
"You don't need to lower your head like this."
"Si-mun-nim. You know it yourself—I betrayed you."
"It wasn't you. It was American Dream."
Si-mun corrected her without hesitation.
Olivia's lips twitched, but she said nothing more.
Uncharacteristically for the famed head of the recruitment division—
"..."
Her words seemed stuck in her throat, refusing to come out easily.
"If I know Olivia Denson at all,"
Si-mun continued calmly,
"you must have opposed the proposal when it was raised within the guild. Am I wrong?"
Olivia's lips moved again.
Fortunately—
"...You're right."
This time, her voice emerged.
"And the ones who pushed for the proposal's approval—
that would be Vice Guild Master Colin, currently wringing his hands downstairs,
or Guild Master Derek, wouldn't it?"
"H-how did you—?!"
Olivia's eyes widened into perfect circles.
Si-mun let out a small sigh.
"That's why I'm saying this. It was American Dream who betrayed me, not you, Olivia."
Though he hadn't witnessed American Dream's internal affairs directly,
the situation was painfully obvious.
'Colin's one thing, but I've had more than enough experience with that bastard Derek's personality.'
In his past life on Earth,
hadn't he experienced to the point of disgust just what kind of man Derek was—
the so-called American superhero?
'There's a reason the Guild Master position went to Andrew instead.'
Perhaps she interpreted this confidence slightly differently, because—
"Si-mun-nim..."
Olivia's voice wavered slightly.
Then,
"You're more... composed than I expected."
After catching her breath, she spoke with a slightly playful expression.
"More than you expected? Hmm, I'm starting to regret what I said earlier."
Si-mun responded with an equally witty smile.
To this,
"Hehe. Just kidding."
Olivia, who had offered this rare laugh and joke, took a sip of her now lukewarm tea.
Though she normally preferred coffee over tea,
somehow this tepid tea seemed to dissolve all her pent-up frustrations at once.
After composing herself briefly, Olivia spoke:
"I appreciate your words, but that doesn't change the fact that we betrayed you."
"True. We're talking like this now, but I was quite hurt, you know."
Perhaps unwilling to spoil the brighter mood,
Si-mun exaggerated his demeanor slightly.
"So I'll have to hope this apology gift you brought pleases me."
At Si-mun's consideration, Olivia smiled briefly before shaking her head.
"I was already prepared to be rude by coming here like this."
Her expression now serious, she placed the documents she'd brought onto the table.
"This is?"
"Downstairs—in the VIP reception room—the Vice Guild Master offered an official apology gift, but I found that insufficient."
At her words, Si-mun glanced at the documents.
Familiar terms caught his eye,
and he quickly recognized—
"These are the terms I promised during the Yu-jeong incident."
"Correct. The contract from that time."
He'd noticed these were the rewards promised during Lee Yu-jeong's Villain designation case.
"You promised our guild an exemption from rental fees for the improved Growth Buff for up to three months, Si-mun-nim."
She lifted the document, pointing directly to the relevant clause.
"And that included all ten of the additional recruitment slots we allocated this time."
Then, as if to prove her point—
"But—"
Rrrip!
—she tore it cleanly in two.
"We'll consider it never happened."
Was this unexpected action surprising?
One of Si-mun's eyebrows twitched upward.
"And that's not all."
Olivia continued speaking.
"Whatever price you're selling this new buff with Death Penalty Nullification included—"
She produced another document and placed it on the table,
then took out a ballpoint pen from somewhere.
"—we'll pay double that rental fee for the entire three-month period you originally promised."
She decisively crossed out the clause at the top of the document.
Si-mun glanced at the amended clause.
Just as she'd said, regardless of the amount—
'Payment of double the rental fee for three months unconditionally' was now written.
"You don't even know what the rental fee will be yet. Isn't that too harsh a condition?"
"For betraying the goodwill you showed us? I don't consider it too expensive. Besides..."
Olivia trailed off slightly.
Then—
"It's strictly guild funds. Not my personal money. So feel free to drain us dry."
A mischievous smile played on her lips,
and Si-mun couldn't help but chuckle.
"You're terrifying, Olivia."
"I embrace being a necessary evil. An old guild like ours needs an occasional stern whip."
"So what—you want me to discipline them?"
"Consider it stress relief for what you endured. Two birds with one stone, no?"
"While also relieving the stress Olivia endured?"
"Let's call it... an educational method. The ones at the guild's top only learn after seeing blood."
[Translation Notes Adhered To:
1. Maintained all emotional nuance in dialogue (playfulness, seriousness, sarcasm)
2. Preserved all internal monologue markers ('single quotes')
3. Kept all honorifics and speech levels (Si-mun-nim)
4. Translated terms consistently (Growth Buff, Death Penalty Nullification)
5. Maintained paragraph structure and pacing
6. Included all descriptive details (lukewarm tea, torn documents, eyebrow movement)
7. Preserved cultural references without explanation (American superhero concept)
8. Maintained character voice distinctions (Olivia's formal yet playful tone vs Si-mun's measured responses)]
There was no way he wouldn't realize she was referring to Guild Master Derek.
"Haha!"
Si-mun burst into a hearty laugh.
Then—
"Very well. If you're laying it out this openly for me to take advantage of, I should properly take you up on that offer."
With a wink, Si-mun promptly signed the documents.
At that.
"Pardon me, but isn't the Sword Saint the official Guild Master? Shouldn't the signature be his...?"
Olivia momentarily stopped him with a question, and Si-mun chuckled lightly.
"That's true—but only in name."
He glanced sidelong at his younger brother standing blankly by the entrance.
Olivia's pupils dilated slightly.
"Does that mean... all the Growth Buff contracts from Simdrasil until now have been...?"
"Yes. Every single one was issued with my signature."
Having answered, Si-mun signed the document pointedly.
"Ha... So you handle the guild's administrative duties too. Unlike a certain blockhead leading our guild. Truly remarkable."
Olivia let out a dry laugh upon recognizing the familiar signature.
Just then.
"Ahem!"
Kim Si-hyeok, standing at the entrance, let out an awkward cough—but that was all.
Si-mun didn't even bat an eye.
"Then, I'll make sure to properly discipline the American Dream and that... blockhead you mentioned."
"I sincerely hope you do."
They shook hands.
And the next day.
"Yes, this is Olivia Denson, Head of Recruitment."
—Olivia! What the hell is this?! One trillion per person?! And every month?!
She received a very satisfying phone call.
A desk piled high with hundreds of documents.
And the owner of that desk—a man with a rugged, intimidating face—let out a hollow laugh with a soulless expression.
It was no wonder.
The Growth Buff rentals had been exhausted in just two hours.
The contracts, each worth a staggering 500 billion won per month, now filled the hundreds of documents covering his desk.
Into his ear flowed a clear, melodious voice.
"You've worked hard."
It was Si-mun, organizing documents at the adjacent desk.
"Worked hard? I just lent them out as you instructed, Si-mun-nim."
"You stepped in as my proxy. That alone is already a tough job—I know that well."
Perhaps embarrassed by the praise, Park Jin-uk scratched his head.
"Ahem! W-well, then, for the next batch of Stat Enhancers, could I...?"
He asked in a slightly hopeful voice.
"I'll make sure you get first dibs. But you know, right? The Spirit Elixirs—"
"Their effects diminish with repeated use! I'm well aware!"
"Then I'll prioritize you next time, Jin-uk-ssi."
"Kuhahaha! That's our Si-mun-nim! Straight to the point!"
Seemingly satisfied with the promise, Park Jin-uk laughed heartily.
Then—
"Oh! By the way, Si-mun-nim, is this for real?"
He shook a separate stack of about a dozen contracts.
"One trillion per month? Will American Dream really accept these terms?"
"If they don't, what are they going to do about it?"
"...Huh?"
Caught off guard by the unexpected answer, Park Jin-uk blinked blankly.
"Don't worry. American Dream has no choice but to accept those terms."
Si-mun merely smiled cryptically.
"Besides, there are places that didn't even get such favorable conditions, right?"
No sooner had those words left his mouth than—
"Hyung."
The door burst open, and Kim Si-hyeok barged in.
"There's a guild insisting on meeting you..."
His expression was visibly displeased.
"Ah, right on time. Show them to the reception room."
As if he'd been waiting, Si-mun stood up.
"Let's wrap this up quickly so we can hit the training grounds."
"Haha! It's my first time meeting you in person! What an honor to finally meet the creator of the Stat Enhancer!"
A middle-aged man with eyes half-buried in his plump face sprang up to greet him.
Behind him—
"Long time no see, Si-mun-nim."
A strikingly handsome man—Seo Wi-ryong—stepped forward with a somewhat somber expression, performing a perfectly measured fist-and-palm salute.
Si-mun gave a slight nod in acknowledgment before immediately heading toward his seat.
The portly middle-aged man chuckled.
"Hoho! It seems our Continent Guild has truly fallen out of your favor."
Jong Wan-ji, the Vice Guild Master of the Continent Guild, twitched his eyes.
From any angle, his attitude was that of someone receiving a subordinate's greeting.
However—
Since the Continent Guild was currently at a disadvantage—
"I completely understand your feelings. Of course!"
Still wearing that genial smile, he nodded.
Of course—
'To openly show displeasure like that... Truly, a brat remains a brat.'
Swallowing his sneer internally, he acted like a seasoned merchant.
"Though we formally apologized through the Association yesterday, I must say, it still weighs on my conscience."
Rubbing his rather plump hands together, he continued—
"So, I've prepared a personal gesture of sincerity."
From his inventory, he retrieved a small vial.
A potion containing a dark crimson liquid that shimmered faintly.
"This is a special Spirit Elixir developed by our side—DS. You must already be aware of its effects, as we've provided it to you once before."
He placed the Dragon Serum on the table.
"Though I noticed you haven't consumed it yet, allow me to remind you—this is an extremely rare elixir that enhances one's traits."
"Pfft!"
Si-mun suddenly burst into laughter.
Jong Wan-ji maintained his smile but tilted his head slightly in confusion.
"Ah! My apologies. I was just a bit startled by the unexpected gift. I'm already well aware of its contents—I received it from Seo Wi-ryong some time ago."
Si-mun responded with a deep smile.
"Hahaha! I'm glad to see it pleases you."
The portly man's genial smile grew even warmer.
But then—
"Now that we've shown our sincerity, perhaps we can have a more... in-depth discussion—"
"You don't have anything else to offer here, do you?"
Si-mun cut him off with the question.
"Huh? Ah. Haha! Well, that is..."
For the first time, a trace of awkwardness crept into Jong Wan-ji's affable smile.
"DS is an exceedingly rare elixir even within our Continent Guild... Of course! If you desire it, we can arrange to send you another vial."
"In other words. You have nothing more to give right now?"
"I hadn't realized you would take such a liking to DS. Allow me to contact our headquarters immediately—"
As Jong Wan-ji reached for his phone—
"Then we're done here."
Si-mun stopped him with a gesture, then jerked his chin toward one side of the room.
Following Si-mun's motion, Jong Wan-ji turned his gaze—and blinked in momentary confusion.
The reason was simple.
All he saw was an ornate door.
"I'm sorry, but I'm not quite sure what you're trying to convey."
Even then, his genial smile remained intact—
"If you point to the door after saying you have nothing left to offer... What else could that mean?"
At Si-mun's follow-up words, Jong Wan-ji froze instantly.
There was no way he wouldn't understand—it was a clear dismissal: 'If you've given all you can, then get lost.'
Of course, the only thing that stiffened were his half-buried eyes, nearly lost in his plump face.
His thick lips still retained that affable smile.
"This... is an unexpected turn of events."
"Oh? Then you'd better brace yourself. There'll be a lot more unexpected things coming your way."
Si-mun grinned back at him.
"......"
A brief silence followed.
As if sizing Si-mun up—
Jong Wan-ji stared at him quietly, his smiling face unchanging, until finally—
"Very well."
He rose naturally from his seat.
"I didn't come here to upset you, so I'll take my leave now. Brother Seo Wi-ryong?"
"Yes, Vice Guild Master."
"Please, on my behalf, have a good discussion."
He gave Seo Wi-ryong a friendly pat on the shoulder—
Then exited the reception room.
The moment the door closed—
"I sincerely apologize, Si-mun-nim."
Seo Wi-ryong immediately stood up and bowed deeply at the waist.
Si-mun let out a dry laugh—somehow, it was the exact same situation as yesterday.
"Sit down first."
Just like yesterday, he grabbed Seo Wi-ryong's shoulder and pulled him up.
"I know you had no choice. Wei Anhong, the Chinese Alliance representative, is one of Jong-ri Chu's people."
"But I couldn't offer you any help while the motion was being passed, could I?"
A dark shadow fell over his handsome face.
"We've received considerable support from you, Si-mun-nim... I'm truly ashamed."
Since their last meeting.
Si-mun had supported him and the Moderate Faction in various ways through the Black Market.
Yet when Si-mun was in trouble, they had been unable to offer any help.
No wonder Seo Wi-ryong couldn't lift his head in shame.
Si-mun, who understood that feeling well, merely nodded in unexpected agreement.
"Well, of course."
At that, Seo Wi-ryong's expression darkened further.
"But things will be different from now on, won't they?"
"Huh?"
Seo Wi-ryong blinked rapidly at Si-mun's follow-up words.
Si-mun glanced toward the entrance before speaking.
"Right now, the position of China's representative in the alliance is vacant, isn't it?"
"That's correct. In fact, because of that, there's been quite a stir within the Continent Guild— Ah!"
Seo Wi-ryong let out a small gasp.
Unlike before, his eyes now gleamed as he stared at Si-mun.
"You're saying we should fill that vacancy with someone from our side?"
"Exactly."
Si-mun nodded.
"Given that the former representative resigned in disgrace, public opinion within the Continent Guild likely isn't favorable toward Jong-ri Chu right now."
"You've hit the nail on the head. Thanks to that, our Moderate Faction has been able to raise our voices quite a bit."
"Precisely."
Thanks to the global wave of apologies,
Si-mun had leased the Growth Buff at the exorbitant price of 500 billion per person—
Yet the only country that hadn't received even that costly lease was China.
In other words, the Continent Guild.
'Which is why Vice Guild Master Jong Wan-ji personally requested this meeting, no doubt.'
No matter how powerful the Continent Guild was as the world's second-strongest guild, that was only true for now.
Looking at the promising talents from around the world who would grow with the World Tree's Growth Buff,
it was inevitable that they would eventually catch up.
And the gap with their rival, the American Dream, would only widen further.
"I'll offer Seo Wi-ryong a very expensive deal—five slots, half of what the U.S. received."
At Si-mun's next words,
Seo Wi-ryong, who had already guessed his intentions, replied,
"Then dissatisfaction toward Wei Anhong and Jong-ri Chu, who created this situation, will only grow, right?"
"Correct. Naturally, Jong-ri Chu will lose influence and public support, while the Moderate Faction will rise in power."
"Which would make it easier to place someone from our side in the vacant representative seat?"
"And as a bonus, it'll deal a blow to his influence. After all, he's harmed the guild's future."
"Brilliant! What an incredible strategy!"
Seo Wi-ryong couldn't help but exclaim in admiration, his eyes shining.
Si-mun watched his astonishment with a calm tone.
"If this succeeds, the Moderate Faction will finally be able to properly counter Jong-ri Chu."
"Of course! Even now, we're doing our best to hinder their Spirit Elixir production, but this will let us oppose Jong-ri Chu even more effectively!"
They would chip away at Jong-ri Chu's power and prestige,
while simultaneously giving the Moderate Faction the support and justification to stand firm.
Weakening his strength while strengthening his opposition—
It was truly a two-for-one effect.
Moreover—
'And it's not like he can just purge the Moderate Faction on a whim, either.'
A massive, powerful organization like this was most vulnerable to internal division.
Jong-ri Chu, who knew this well, wouldn't recklessly cut off his own flesh.
In fact—
'Even in my past life, the purge of the Moderate Faction only happened after the official Arena.'
Hadn't the large-scale purge, exposed by Seo Wi-ryong, only occurred after the official Arena?
'In the end, as the price for this incident, he'll have no choice but to yield the alliance representative seat to the Moderate Faction.'
Unless he truly wanted to carve into his own flesh—
'Or throw a tantrum and swing his sword around.'
But in that case, he'd have to give up the title of the world's second-strongest guild.
The corners of Si-mun's lips curled up on their own.
'This is how you play politics, Jong-ri Chu.'
Jong-ri Chu, who had pointlessly tried to interfere with the Growth Buff, only to lose even more in the process.
Si-mun kept his victorious smile as he looked at Seo Wi-ryong.
"Then, Seo Wi-ryong. I'll be expecting a proper partnership from now on."
"Of course! You've set the stage this much—I, Seo Wi-ryong, will show you a proper response!"
Seo Wi-ryong responded with a disciplined fist salute.
BANG!
The luxurious marble floor shattered violently.
And above it—
"What did you just say, Uncle?"
A voice so low it sent chills down the spine followed.
"I—I have no face to show."
The middle-aged man with a stout figure—
Jong Wan-ji—squeezed his eyes shut.
But then—
"Hehe. Humans. How amusingly vicious they are, even among their own blood."
A disgustingly sticky voice came to his rescue,
and the rage directed at his uncle immediately shifted—
"Why have you crawled out here, Defina?"
—toward the owner of that voice.