“Mr. Ki-Young and I received an offer to join the eight seats,” Kim Hyun-Sung said.

“Hyung-nim did?!” Park Deok-Gu exclaimed.

It was obvious what Park Deok-Gu was thinking. It was true that he liked me, but whether I was strong or not was a different story.

‘Hyung-nim did? He was offered one of the seats?’

This was probably what he was thinking. Since my physical stats weren't that great, I would suffer a serious injury if he punched me. I did have Juliena with me, but because she was still in hibernation, she wasn’t that efficient. I possessed a lot of alchemy magic that would help me strategically, but it wasn’t anything compared to Jung Ha-Yan’s magic. Basically, my power was useless. I was sure Park Deok-Gu didn’t think of me that way, but he seemed like he was questioning how I was offered one of the seats.

“Hyung-nim, too…” Park Deok-Gu mumbled.

“For Mr. Ki-Young’s case…”

“I’m sure Dialugia’s existence played a big part…” I said, finishing Kim Hyun-Sung’s sentence.

“From the empire’s point of view, there’s no reason for them to exclude the person chosen by a dragon. I’m sure they want to tie down the first dragon that showed itself to the world because it wanted to interact with humans… Simply put, the power that Dialugia has makes you more than qualified to have one of the seats, so it would be strange if you weren’t offered a seat,” Kim Hyun-Sung explained.

“Oh…”

“Basically, you’ll be seen as a tamer who had summoned a monster that can’t be tamed, or a summoner who had summoned a unique being. Also…” Jo Hye-Jin said.

“Yes?”

“This is a bit off-topic, but as an alchemist, your position is unrivaled. As of right now, you’re the only person able to create epic-ranked and above potions. Of course, the process itself is irrelevant to battle, so it’s not very impactful,” she added.

“I-I see…” Park Deok-Gu stuttered.

“I’m not a tamer or a summoner who can control Dialugia…” I commented.

“Th-That’s better than nothing, hyung-nim! I-Isn’t it still amazing?” Park Deok-Gu asked.

I guess it could be considered amazing, and just like Jo Hye-Jin had said, Dialugia could be seen as a unique being. Right now, her body wasn’t in the best condition, but if I assumed that she could use her breath, then I was sure it would be stronger than any unique magic.

She had free will, so who cared about what other people thought? The most important thing was that she chose me, and I could borrow her powers. Park Deok-Gu was surprised and kept talking about different things, but he seemed kind of sad.

‘Sigh… this guy…’

It was very obvious why he was sad. He was probably thinking that even though we entered the continent together, the gap between us was increasing so fast he couldn’t keep up. It was more like he was feeling ashamed of himself rather than jealous. He just couldn’t recognize that he was growing fast, as the people around him were abnormal. Naturally, I said something because I felt like I had to comfort him.

“I’ll just be politically involved and get a title. It’s possible that Castle Rock is forcefully trying to take a seat for me, as they’re conscious of the Vatican. Maybe the Vatican is trying to force me into one of those seats, but whatever the reason, nothing will change, Deok-Gu,” I assured him.

“But it’s still amazing that you got chosen, and you are the honorary bishop as well… You’re also the smartest person out of all the smart people on this continent…” he said, complimenting me.

“I’m not smart. I just move more cautiously than others,” I corrected him.

“It’s the same thing. You also did an amazing job leading the recent defense war, so I’m sure they think highly of that. The same goes for the guild master… Anyway, I’m happy that we have a lot to celebrate… Everyone is doing great!” he exclaimed.

“Actually, I haven’t decided whether I’ll accept it or not…” Kim Hyun-Sung remarked.

“The decision is up to the guild master and the sub guild master.”

When Jo Hye-Jin said that, I couldn’t help but stare at Kim Hyun-Sung. Jung Ha-Yan simply leaned and blinked as if she wasn’t interested, but the other party members looked somewhat serious, as this would determine our path in the future.

‘He’ll probably…’

He would probably accept it because it didn’t seem like a bad offer.

“For me, I think it’s a good idea to accept it. There are responsibilities included with the authority and position, but personally and as a guild, there’s no reason to decline. It’ll also help with the Blue Guild’s growth. Mr. Ki-Young, I know it’s up to you whether you’ll accept the offer or not, but I suggest you accept the offer.” Kim Hyun-Sung suggested.

I agreed with him.

“I don’t think there’s a reason for me to decline either. Being a representative of the empire will benefit our work,” I said in agreement.

“I knew you were going to say that,” Kim Hyun-Sung remarked.

“Haha…”

“That’s why… Mr. Ki-Young and I will visit the castle,” he added.

“Huh?!”

Even though she had been quiet all this time, Jung Ha-Yan reacted strongly to what Kim Hyun-Sung said. She did calm down after hearing what he had to say, but he must’ve been quite surprised when she suddenly cried out.

“Miss Ha-Yan will be coming as well, so there’s no need to worry,” he said.

“Oh… okay…” Jung Ha-Yan mumbled.

“Miss Hye-Jin, please wrap things up here, and Miss Jung-Yeon, after you return to the guild with the remaining members, please make preparations by following the guild advisor, Lee Sang-Hee’s lead,” he ordered.

“Ah… come to think of it, it’s about that time.”

“What kind of preparations…” Hwang Jung-Yeon asked.

“The next group is coming,” he replied.

“Oh!”

I had completely forgotten about it. It usually opened yearly, so that would be right around this time. The tutorial dungeon must be in progress right now, but its completion could take anywhere from a few days to months, depending on the players’ speed.

‘Time flies really fast.’

“The Red Mercenary Group will be taking care of this year’s tutorial dungeon and even if it isn’t our turn, we really need to recruit new members,” Kim Hyun-Sung explained.

“How many people are you thinking about recruiting?” Hwang Jung-Yeon asked.

“I haven’t really decided on the number of members yet, but if they’re like-minded and can vibe well with the Blue Guild, then I’m probably going to accept them,” he answered.

“Okay...”

“After discussing with Miss Cha Hee-Ra, I’m thinking about taking priority over the recruitment, so I’ll be busy doing that. Obviously, you shouldn’t miss out on training or hunting just because of it. Ahem… I’ll stop the boring talk now. Let’s eat and catch up,” he suggested.

Once Kim Hyun-Sung was done talking, the atmosphere became a bit noisy. I expected this to happen because it had been a while since everyone gathered in a comfortable setting, and it was fun spending time with the people I had known for a long time.

I did feel bad for Smartie since they were probably waiting for me in the room, but after talking to the members, I had no idea so much time had passed since we had done this. Seeing Park Deok-Gu’s serious expression did bother me, but he was trying to look happy.

“Have another drink, Oppa,” Jung Ha-Yan offered.

“No, I think this is enough for me,” I declined.

“B-But it’s a special day…” she stuttered.

“Then, I'll have one more,” I said.

“Okay!” she replied excitedly.

I didn’t know what Jung Ha-Yan was up to, but she kept offering me alcohol. It was fine to be moderately drunk, but I had a feeling something bad was going to happen if I drank more, so I declined. Naturally, it was hard to shake off the tenacious and desperate Jung Ha-Yan.

I didn’t know what Park Deok-Gu was thinking, but I guess he wasn’t in the mood to drink. I was sure he had something on his mind, as even when I offered him a drink, he simply smiled and declined. I was waiting for the right time to say something to him, but moments later, he ended up leaving, and it wasn’t just him. Both Kim Ye-Ri and Sun Hee-Young left a while ago, as one was underage, and the other didn’t really enjoy drinking. I could understand, as it was getting late, but…

“I’ll be heading out as well, Mr. Ki-Young.”

“Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow, Mr. Hyun-Sung.”

“Okay! Are you drunk?” Jung Ha-Yan asked me after bidding Kim Hyun-Sung goodbye.

“No, I’m still sober,” I replied.

“Oh…”

‘Why are you disappointed?’

“It’s late, so we should head back and rest,” I suggested.

“Okay…” she mumbled.

“Maybe, you want to go on a short stroll?” I asked her.

“R-Really?” she stuttered.

“Of course...”

I had been neglecting her recently, so I thought a small event like this wouldn’t hurt. I was sure she had been really stressed, so it was important to do something like this to relieve her, as there was nothing scarier than blowing up after keeping stress bottled up.

It was a bit chilly, but it was still warm enough for a stroll. The moon hung brightly in the sky, so I guess this could be considered romantic.

Jung Ha-Yan’s hand was shaking as I held her hand. I guess she was happy even though we were only walking around the garden inside the castle. All of a sudden, I heard a noise in the quiet night.

“Did you hear that?” I asked.

“I did.” Jung Ha-Yan nodded.

Of course, I was curious. Jung Ha-Yan led me to the dark and gloomy place where the sound originated, and when we arrived, we saw Park Deok-Gu and Kim Ye-Ri.

‘What are they doing…’

I was confused for a moment, but I understood what they were doing when I saw them pointing their weapons at each other. Before I could even blink, Kim Ye-Ri ran toward Park Deok-Gu with her dagger aimed at his neck. Park Deok-Gu quickly raised his shield, but that was all he did in response to the kid’s attack.

“Hah!”

He released a short and unique shout, but his attack was useless. The way the kid barely dodged his attack like she was teasing him was a great sight.

‘Is she a cat or what?’

It felt like she could stay in the air longer than others. Park Deok-Gu tried to slam the kid halfway up in the air down, but she dodged by twisting her body, and to make things worse, I didn’t understand how she landed on the shield so lightly. Both Park Deok-Gu and I were shocked, but I was sure he was more shocked than I was because something incomprehensible had happened before his eyes. Kim Ye-Ri’s foot flew toward the agape Park Deok-Gu’s face, and the kick struck his forehead, making him fall to the ground. When she immediately pointed her daggers at his neck, the winner was decided, and she whispered to him.

“You’re weak.”

“It’s not over yet,” Park Deok-Gu said.

“It’s over… If I don’t go to sleep during my bedtime… I’ll get in trouble. And we’ve been here for a long time now,” she told him.

“Ugh… one more time,” he requested.

“No, it’s not fun.” Kim Ye-Ri declined.

“One last time!” he shouted.

“Mr. Deok-Gu. If we fought for real, you would’ve died a few times already, so let’s stop here. Let’s do it tomorrow again. It’s not fun, but it’s good to train,” she suggested.

Kim Ye-Ri didn’t have any ill-will toward him. She simply wasn’t good at communicating and expressing her emotions, but I guess her words got to him, as Park Deok-Gu didn’t look so good.

“Then, ahem… I’ll watch you during practice tomorrow…” Park Deok-Gu compromised.

“Wrong. I’m the one watching you during practice,” Kim Ye-Ri corrected him.

“It’s the same thing. Anyway, go inside, Ye-Ri,” he told her.

“Okay. Good night, mister,” she said, nodding.

“Also… it’s Oppa, not mister,” he corrected.

“You don’t have the face of an oppa. You look like a middle-aged man.” She pointed out.

“...”

Seeing Kim Ye-Ri being blunt until the very end made me question whether she had done it intentionally or not. Park Deok-Gu spaced out as Kim Ye-Ri quietly left the scene. I had never talked to her for as long as Park Deok-Gu had, so I guess they must have secretly met a few times like this.

‘Tsk…’

Even after Kim Ye-Ri left, Park Deok-Gu stayed and sat down with his back leaned against the wall. Even Jung Ha-Yan stopped pulling my arm and directed a serious look at Park Deok-Gu. Park Deok-Gu looked like a mess. He was covered in sweat, and he must have rolled around in the dirt a few times because he looked dirty. If he started training after leaving the drinking party earlier, I could understand why he looked like that after receiving a beating from Kim Ye-Ri for a few hours. When the guy with the large frame dropped his head between his knees, I pitied him, as I had an idea of what he was thinking. I did think about saying something to him, but I was sure he didn’t want to show that side of him to anyone else. He stood up and started swinging his sword once more.

“Hah…”

Park Deok-Gu must be tired, as his body was trembling.

“Hah…”

Despite that, he continued to swing his sword. Honestly, I wanted to tell him that what he was doing was useless. Swinging his sword a few times like that wouldn’t close the gap, and that kind of training didn’t seem very effective. If people could get stronger just by swinging their swords a few times, then there would be many strong people on this continent.

Park Deok-Gu was facing the obstacle called talent, not effort. If he somehow filled that up, the gap would quickly open once again, and even if he somehow managed to catch up, the gap would still continue to widen.

I know it wasn’t my place to say this, but it was impossible for people like Park Deok-Gu to catch up to Kim Hyun-Sung or Kim Ye-Ri. The system had even said it. No matter your efforts, talented people would eventually climb up, and the most talented player among the talented would receive the trophy. To be frank, Park Deok-Gu’s chance of catching up to those guys was close to zero, but I didn’t want to hell him that what he was doing was dumb, as I kept hearing him mumbling.

“I can do better… I can do better…”