It may not seem like much, but it was important to me, and of course, I only wanted to show nice things to Smartie since her nature was still unknown. Raising her would become a big problem if her nature turned into something like ‘selfish’ or ‘calculative.’

‘Ugh…’

It applied even more when thinking about how her gentle nature would help her have a normal social life. Anyway, the important part was that I had to do something about Smartie’s education, as we were at the point where I could no longer let Dialugia take care of our precious Smartie’s education. Seeing her sleeping beside me made me think if I was just too worried about her. Since Breath had enough power to destroy a castle, I had to focus on the start of her growth.

When I turned my attention to the front, I saw two women staring at Smartie.

“She’s really cute.”

“Yeah, she seemed kind of exhausted. She hasn’t gotten much sleep nowadays, she’s been really hyper lately,” I commented.

It was Cha Hee-Ra and Dialugia. It was surprising how close they had become despite having just met three days ago. Cha Hee-Ra had a pretty harmonious relationship with Jung Ha-Yan, so I guess she could be considered an outgoing person, but Dialugia was different. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that she had zero social skills. Their relationship had probably developed because Cha Hee-Ra somewhat understood the emotions of a mother.

The way Cha Hee-Ra patted Smartie made it look as if she was petting a pet, and I was sure she liked her.

I had no choice but to say something to Cha Hee-Ra because she seemed so relaxed while chatting with Dialugia.

“Aren’t you going to the completion ceremony, noona?”

“Oh, is it that time already? Well, there’s no reason for me to be there for the entire ceremony because all I need to do is give a congratulatory message, while the other executives will take care of the rest. What about you, darling?” she asked.

“I’m going to head out in a bit. I was going to leave today, but I still had some stuff I needed to take care of… They had been taken care of now, though,” I replied.

“Time flies… It's already time for the ceremony. Oh, have you decided on the rearguard?” she asked.

“...”

“So you weren’t able to recruit anyone,” she commented.

“No, I’m just going to find someone within Lindel. It’s difficult to find a competent mage, so I looked into the archers as well, but I haven’t found anyone suitable. Everyone is below my expectations,” I answered.

“Are you saying that so the other guilds and clans that are recruiting those people can hear you?” she questioned.

“That’s not what I meant…”

“I was just asking. No need to panic,” she assured.

“You’re pretty mean,” I said.

“Is it okay if I make one comment, though?” Cha Hee-Ra asked.

“If it’s advice, then I welcome it,” I replied.

“The Blue Guild’s standards are too high,” she started.

“You think so?” I asked.

“Actually, it’s more like you had placed a strict standard on other people,” she added.

“Ugh… that’s understandable.”

Honestly, I had never actually thought about it, but it made sense after hearing what Cha Hee-Ra said.

“The members of the Blue Guild have been kind of unique from the start, darling. Oh, excluding the two geniuses, Kim Hyun-Sung and Jung Ha-Yan. Also, it was Kim Ye-Ri, right? That kid is the same, too. Sun Hee-Young isn’t that strong to stand out, but she’s so familiar with her holy power that it seems like she was born with it…” Cha Hee-Ra described.

“That’s true.”

“I don’t exactly consider Jo Hye-Jin a genius, but she does have skills because I consider effort a part of talent. I guarantee you that no matter how strong Kim Ye-Ri becomes, it’ll be difficult for her to catch up to Jo Hye-Jin,” she continued.

“Hm…”

“Honestly, the fact that five of these people have gathered is pretty amazing. People like them are usually managing their own guilds or clans. Anyway, besides these unique players, you have ordinary members in your guild, right?” she asked.

“We do,” I replied.

“You’re in it, too…” she added.

“Yeah…”

“The magic scholar, Hwang Jung-Yeon, is part of the guild as well… and that loud mouth fatty that’s in your guild. Oh yeah, his name is Park Deok-Gu, right? He’s the same. But from my point of view, they’re the type of members the guild needs right now,” she continued.

She was correct.

“You and that magic scholar can be considered to have some involvement in both combat and non-combatant type of jobs, but that’s not the case for Park Deok-Gu, right? I feel bad for saying this about him, but I honestly thought he was going to get kicked out pretty quickly,” Cha Hee-Ra said.

I agreed.

“Not only did he last a long time, but he’s been keeping his position within the guild. I’m sure it’s because the guild members had helped him a lot, but that pig will become a top player someday, and people will know his name,” she added.

“You’re right,” I agreed.

If it were a long time ago, I would have disagreed with her, but it was different now. Even though he would be famous as a tanker and not because of his personal strength, he now had the potential to keep up with Kim Hyun-Sung’s party.

“Ordinary people can get stronger as long as they have decent support and are cared for. That’s the reason why the Red Mercenary Guild’s standards are lower than what you’d expect. There are cases where the people you don’t have any expectations for suddenly become enlightened,” she explained.

“Hm…”

“Of course, talent is important because there are times where no matter how hard one tries, they won’t get any stronger. But when I look at people, there’s one more thing I look for,” she said.

“What’s that?” I asked.

“Whether they have the will or not,” she answered.

“That’s nice,” I commented.

“That’s also the reason why I fulfilled your request the first time you came here. It may sound ridiculous, but there was something different in your eyes. Usually, those who cling desperately would achieve at least one thing,” she confessed.

It made sense. Even though my eyes could see almost everything, they were not always right.

Honestly, I had never imagined that Park Deok-Gu would grow this much and that Lee Ji-Hye would settle down perfectly in the Black Swan guild.

‘The same goes for me…’

“You did it on your own, but anyway, that’s all I wanted to say. Let’s go out and take a look around once last time. Once the ceremony is over, you’re going to take the trainees back to your guild,” she suggested.

“Ah… you still need to give your congratulatory speech.” I pointed out.

“It’s a bit bothersome, but I still need to do it. What about you, Dialugia?” she asked.

She probably wouldn’t come with us.

“It’ll be difficult for me to come with you, Cha Hee-Ra. Dialuria is still sleeping…” Dialugia replied.

“Ah, then we’ll be back after it’s over,” she informed her.

“Okay...”

The Red Mercenary Guild went all out.

‘The Blue Guild didn’t have any kind of completion ceremony.’

It actually felt like an official event, and now that I thought about it, Cha Hee-Ra’s outfit was different from her usual outfit. Usually, she preferred wearing clothes that showed a bit of skin. She was like that when we first met, and the party dress she wore at the gathering was a bit sensual as well. However, since she had to read her congratulatory message in front of the rookies, she probably thought she had to dress up for the occasion, and seeing her dressed up in flashy armor made me want to call her Red Knight or Red Mercenary.

I was also dressed up, but I wasn’t as flashy as Cha Hee-Ra.

‘She does look pretty good.’

As we walked toward the tourney hall while being escorted by the Red Mercenary Guild members, I saw the trainees all lined up. The major guild masters of Lindel were sitting in a tent on the stage and were looking at the trainees.

‘Hyun-Sung!’

I saw our lovely regressor as well. He was discussing something with Park Yeon-Joo, the Guild Master of the Black Swan Guild, but when he saw me, he smiled. I didn’t want to be silly and wave my hand, so I nodded instead.

Cha Hee-Ra walked up to the podium without looking at the trainees even once. The trainees seemed amazed by how neat Cha Hee-Ra’s red hair was, but the majority of them seemed nervous.

‘Is this their first time seeing her?’

She was the strongest in Lindel and the one who created the Red Mercenary Guild. The way her hair fluttered in the air while wearing her armor made her look like the Goddess of War. Usually, people like her didn’t need to do anything special to stand out, and I wasn’t sure if this was the correct comparison, but I felt like I was watching television.

Naturally, I walked on the stage with her. I looked at the trainees after taking my seat, but unfortunately, no one stood out. Lee Chang-Ryeol and Yoo Ah-Young were going to head to Lindel with me after the ceremony, and I noticed them looking at me.

‘Has she taken care of Kim Ki-Chul?’

Seeing the smile on Yoo Ah-Young’s face made me think that she got him good and that she might mess him up even more after the ceremony. Lee Chang-Ryeol was standing up while wearing the mask he had always been wearing, but he was looking at me with a friendly gaze.

That was when Cha Hee-Ra started reading her congratulatory message.

“I’m sorry for making you all suffer by holding a useless event like this. I’m sure you all want to return to Lindel and focus on your lives, but at events like this, there are bound to be useless customs. Honestly, there isn’t much I want to say to you all. The guild’s executives did write a congratulatory message, but…” Cha Hee-Ra paused.

‘She probably won’t read it.’

“It’s not my type, and rather than trying to look good by reading something like this, you probably need realistic advice,” she continued.

The executives of the Red Mercenary Guild looked as if they expected it.

“Entering this place means you’ll have to hold a sword. Whether you have a production-type job or you just don’t want to fight, the day will come when you’ll have to use a sword. Monsters may attack the city, and an unexpected war can break out. It’s built so that players will live that kind of life,” she added.

Her speech was interesting.

“That’s why we have been giving useless basic training to non-combatants and those who are unwilling. This will probably help you understand better since you don’t know about the world just yet. You were sent here as warriors and were trained to be warriors. It may sound ridiculous if you heard this while on Earth, but all of you are warriors. All of you can fight, and you must be prepared for that day,” Cha Hee-Ra advised.

Her speech was mortifying but relatable.

“Of course, everyone will fight differently, but if I start talking about that, it’ll only make the speech longer. There’s one thing I want to say, though. Don’t do anything stupid and get yourselves killed,” she warned.

“...”

“...”

The place became quiet.

“I’ll see you on the battlefield, rookies,” she concluded her speech.

The Red Mercenary Guild’s flag was raised up when she ended her speech, and the ceremony ended with the members saluting her.

“Do you want to say something, darling?” she asked.

When I shook my head, I saw her stepping down. She definitely looked like a pro.

‘I might actually fall for her…’

Cha Hee-Ra was cool, not because she was a woman, but because she was a cool individual. I wasn’t the only one who thought her straightforward personality was charming.

‘I was staring at her the entire time.’

Thanks to her, I didn’t have the chance to look at the trainees. I wanted to look, but the other guilds were already taking the people they had recruited away. A few of the trainees got on a carriage that would take them to Lindel, and that also included the Blue Guild’s two member-to-be trainees. Yoo Ah-Young and Lee Chang-Ryeol were heading toward the place that had the Blue Guild’s flag, and that was when a person caught my attention.

She was mixed in with the other trainees who hadn’t received an offer and were waiting for the carriages to leave.

‘Han Sora.’

It was like I was looking at Lee Ji-Hye.

I did think about bringing her with me, but the Blue Guild didn’t need another alchemist. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to use her since she was passionate about alchemy, but there was a conflict between her and me.

‘Usually, those who cling desperately would achieve at least one thing.’

Cha Hee-Ra’s words repeated in my head. I did take a look at her status window again, but nothing really changed.

‘Wait…’

The most important part had changed, and it was so ridiculous I couldn’t help but laugh.

‘Would you look at that…’

[Job - Black Mage]

I couldn’t help but call her.

“Hey, come here.”

Han Sora’s eyes started to tremble.

“I mean, please come here, Miss Han Sora,” I asked politely.

I spoke to her politely, but her eyes were still quivering.