The Fox Pretending to Be a Puppy
After the meeting ended at the Awakened Management Bureau.
Every Awakened person filed out of the conference room.
Only Department Head Kwon Ho-yeon and Director Kim Chul-ho remained in the empty seats.
“The video already spread to the Awakened community.”
“Already? That’s fast.”
Chul-ho clicked his tongue and gathered the meeting materials.
Ho-yeon checked the reactions to the sparring video between Si-ho and Gi-seok through his phone.
“As expected, the responses are hot. The expectations for Mr. Si-ho are soaring to the heavens.”
“That much, huh? Yeah, after all the bad news lately, it’s natural to get excited over a new S-class talent like Hye-seong.”
Half a year ago, North Korea lost the war against the monsters pouring out from the Gates.
Hundreds of thousands of refugees poured into South Korea because of it,
and along the DMZ, countless Awakened from guilds and soldiers were stationed to block the monsters coming down from the north.
Still, the constant reports of monster incursions left the public in constant anxiety.
In that situation, Si-ho and Elysia became perfect topics to ease those worries.
“You’re right. The rare appearance of a new S-class Awakened, and even an F-class hitting an A-class’s blind spot.”
“On top of that, Cha Seo-rin, an S-class talent spotlighted as a promising figure, joined the guild too.”
“So Terda Guild is in a perfect position.”
Si-ho and Elysia had been hidden from the public eye until now.
They would have seemed unfamiliar to most people.
But thanks to Seo-rin, there was no need to worry about that.
Because Cha Seo-rin was already well-known to the public, Terda Guild’s first impression had been excellent.
“Director, how far do you think Terda Guild will grow?”
“Well, if things go well, we might even rival Mir Guild.”
Chul-ho stroked his hair as if thinking over Ho-yeon’s question.
“You look at it that high? Or is there something that caught your eye?”
“What’s there to catch? It’s just experience talking.”
“Hahaha!”
Chul-ho laughed loudly, but he wasn’t completely joking.
If Si-ho somehow knew the secret of contracting an S-class summon with his low mana…
Even one more S-class in Terda Guild wouldn’t fall short against Mir Guild in raw power.
‘That would mean we could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the number one guild in Korea in terms of military strength.’
But guild status wasn’t decided by strength alone.
External image, favorability, support—those factors also shaped influence.
Hard to quantify, but Mir Guild led by the handsome Han Dae-jin was undeniably the top dog in Korea.
Thanks to his good looks, cool personality, and silver-spoon background from a top chaebol family.
Cracking Mir Guild’s lead wouldn’t be easy for Terda Guild.
‘But… Terda Guild has Cha Seo-rin.’
Seo-rin was an unparalleled figure who had climbed two ranks in a single achievement, something that was already difficult.
Her story of rising from ordinary roots through sheer effort was widely known.
The public always cheered for the underdog.
‘If we use those elements of Seo-rin well… we might one day stand equal with Mir Guild.’
Chul-ho answered Ho-yeon’s question with those thoughts in mind.
***
Elysia and I naturally headed to Seo-rin’s house.
“We don’t have much time before the operation starts, right? We should maintain peak condition.”
Seo-rin looked at the cramped space and said it would be tough with just the two of us there.
It was a pointless excuse.
“Then I’ll stay until then.”
I agreed.
If she asked why I was worried about a private night with Elysia in that tiny house, I couldn’t deny it completely.
“…If Master desires it.”
Elysia still looked displeased, but she didn’t outright refuse.
“The place is nice.”
“Right? We bought this house for fifty billion.”
“Fifty billion…?”
Seo-rin’s eyes widened at the absurd amount.
“If you’re taking me with you, you need at least this kind of ability.”
Elysia reacted first to Seo-rin’s line.
“Taking you with me? What nonsense is this, Master?”
“You’re the chairman of a promising guild now. Why stay in this tiny one-room studio?”
Seo-rin leaned in close beside me and whispered slyly.
“Since we’ll be doing guild activities together, wouldn’t it be good to use this house as both a guild dormitory and office?”
“Eh? Really? Your personal house, though.”
“It’s fine. I have two more of these houses.”
Seo-rin, how hard did you really work for ten years without me?
Seeing her grow into a solid socialite instead of just a decent one made me feel proud.
“And you know what else?”
Seo-rin turned to Elysia.
“You’re a key position in the original world, right? Aren’t you due for a transfer?”
“Hmph! It’s fine for a few days. I have many capable subordinates.”
“~ Subordinates suffering because of a boss who loves slacking~”
Elysia started stammering under Seo-rin’s teasing.
Physically Elysia was superior, but Seo-rin was winning in words.
Of course, Seo-rin had a point.
Even in this world of peace, Elysia was the Knight Commander of the Kingdom, one of the highest posts.
Sending her there now and calling her back just before the operation made sense.
“Since the Songdo operation timing is uncertain, it would be best to send her there until it starts.”
“Sounds good. Go and stop slacking around, and come back to work.”
Elysia’s momentum faltered under my support.
“…Understood. I’ll finish the work quickly. Please summon me the day before the operation.”
She looked a bit dejected, but I released her anyway.
It would be a nuisance to leave her in that other world for long.
Huaaah—
A blinding light took Elysia away.
Seo-rin smiled as she watched.
“Hee~ No more interrupters now.”
A mysterious smile curved her lips.
That smile hid feelings I couldn’t quite read.
“Then… let’s enjoy our cozy time alone, Oppa.”
“Cozy time is what?”
“First, you have to pay for skipping the graduation ceremony.”
“That wasn’t skipping, it was…”
The reason I hadn’t come to Seo-rin probably wasn’t that important to her.
With Elysia gone, the fact that there was no obstacle between us was what mattered.
‘This… Elysia wasn’t the only problem.’
If I tried to cover it up, I couldn’t do anything about Seo-rin either.
I only realized that after she left.
***
Elysia returned to the original world for the first time in a while.
She threw herself into the pile of work without a moment’s rest.
“Huu…”
A mountain of documents piled on her desk.
Elysia handled them one by one.
Maril, the vice commander, helped beside her.
“Commander! Your expression today… it looks troubled. Is something wrong?”
Maril had seen Elysia as someone who never showed emotions easily.
Seeing the clear displeasure on her face now felt strange to him.
“It’s nothing. Just…”
Elysia swallowed her words.
She couldn’t bring herself to tell him about everything that happened.
“…I met an opponent I haven’t seen in a while. That’s all.”
She couldn’t reveal the full details.
Just like that.
Of course, the opponent Elysia had in mind was Seo-rin.
Watching her side with her master so naturally made her heart twist painfully.
Grit—
The fountain pen in Elysia’s hand screamed as she squeezed it.
Maril sensed something was wrong.
‘The commander is showing this much fighting spirit… who could she be…!’
Elysia, the Sword Saint who learned swordsmanship from the Hero.
According to Maril, no one on the continent was her equal except a few of the Hero’s companions.
Seeing her express such emotion shocked him deeply.
‘Could she… be someone threatening the peace of the continent again?’
Maril worried for no reason.
“To think someone could make the commander show this much emotion… I couldn’t even imagine such a formidable opponent.”
“You’re right. That mysterious charm of words and gestures… it seems quite advanced.”
Elysia recalled Seo-rin.
The way she always leaned in to appeal to her master with every word.
Elysia found her own clumsy attempts at flirtation unbearable in comparison.
“A technique I can never imitate… yet she handles it so skillfully.”
Of course, Elysia meant Seo-rin’s flirting.
Maril understood it as sword technique.
‘Impossible! The commander, who received all the Hero’s swordsmanship, can’t imitate it?’
Maril’s eyes widened.
He chose words to cheer her up.
“Still… I don’t think you need to worry. The commander is the Hero’s disciple, isn’t she? Even if that person uses flashy techniques, the commander should see through everything.”
“Hehe, thank you, Maril.”
Maril’s solemn words of encouragement warmed Elysia’s heart.
As he said, who was she?
The Hero’s cherished disciple.
The Kingdom’s Knight Commander.
‘Elysia.’
‘Hmph, a fox pretending to be a puppy. I’ll let Master take your seat.’
Elysia burned with fighting spirit in her heart.
She sped through the documents at an unprecedented pace.
She had overdue tasks to finish first.
“Maril. Where is the artifact Master used kept now?”
“The Hero’s artifact? It should be in the palace exhibition hall.”
Seo-rin couldn’t do it, but Elysia could.
The artifact her master used.
With that, Elysia planned to strengthen her position.