I was happy that my importance was getting reinforced in Kim Hyun-Sung’s mind. I had always been playing a key role in Kim Hyun-Sung’s kingdom, so the situation back then had to have made his heart quiver. Actually, it was possible that he came to a realization that I had become more important than ever. I couldn’t help but smile when I recalled the question he asked a few days ago.

‘Your hyung isn’t going anywhere.’

I was sure he was curious since other guilds may want to recruit me, and objectively speaking…

‘I am pretty talented.’

It was ironic that I was evaluating myself, but I—Lee Ki-Young—had been a massive influence on the Blue Guild. The potions being produced in the Blue Guild’s potion factory were not only being distributed within Lindel but they were also being distributed in Celia and Dawan, which meant the guild was earning a lot of money. On top of that, I was slowly spreading my wings by managing the administration team, along with the potion business.

If I were to exaggerate a bit, the Blue Guild no longer needed to go on expeditions because we could live off the potion business alone. However, that wasn’t the only thing I had achieved.

The triple alliance between the Red Mercenary, Black Swan, and the Yozora Guild where Kasugano Yuno belonged to was only made possible thanks to me. In addition, I was also the Holy Empire’s Honorary Bishop. Setting aside my closeness to the Vatican, I also had a close relationship with the powerful nobles, so I was already an important figure, diplomatically. Moreover, I was a seatholder of the Eight Seats, and I also owned the dragon, Dialugia. As such, I could be exaggerating a bit here, but I wouldn’t have any trouble leaving the Blue Guild and creating my own.

Kim Hyun-Sung was worried about that.

‘Why?’

There wasn’t anything he could offer me right now. Neither gold, position, nor items were suitable as an offer. I had received the benefits that he had given me at the start, but right now, our positions in society were almost the same, and I feel kind of bad for saying this, but it wasn’t an exaggeration to say that I was a bit more superior. The innocent Lee Ki-Young in the past happy with just a rare-ranked item was no longer here.

This wasn’t the greatest example, but it was like the couple that had been dating since they were students had grown into adults. The small accessories, events, and the warm cup of coffee they often drank on rainy days were starting to become dull. Since their standards had increased, they had no idea what they had to do, what kind of gifts they should get for each other, and what they had to say to make their partner happy. This was especially applicable when their partner became successful in society to the extent that they lacked nothing. By then, even luxury bags, wallets, or jewelry wouldn’t be enough as gifts. In that case, it was only natural for them to think—

‘Will they be happy with this?’

Picking out a gift for someone who had nothing was easy.

Kim Hyun-Sung wasn’t used to having relationships with other people, so he would naturally have an even more difficult time.

‘Those aren’t the kind of things your hyung wants, Hyun-Sung.’

Obviously, I wasn’t expecting expensive gifts or legendary-ranked items. Rather…

“Mr. Ki-Young,” Kim Hyun-Sung called out.

“Yes?” I answered.

‘Yeah, this is what I want, Hyun-Sung.’

He was quietly handing me a warm cup of coffee. What I wanted were the small things.

‘That’s the answer.’

I felt kind of proud, and even Kim Hyun-Sung himself seemed proud when he realized that I was kind of happy.

“Oh my… oh my…”

“Did you see it just now?”

“Oh, dear…”

“They look good…”

The indescribable voices and gazes around us were strange.

“They say that this coffee came from another kingdom. You looked kind of tired…” Kim Hyun-Sung pointed out.

“Thank you. I honestly couldn’t sleep last night, but I think this will help,” I thanked him.

“That’s a relief…” he muttered.

The people around weren’t openly staring at us, but it felt like they were glancing at us.

‘I think I know why…’

It was natural for them to stare at us because aside from Kim Hyun-Sung, Park Deok-Gu, Ahn Ki-Mo, and me, the remaining expedition members were women.

‘...’

Women were everywhere, and this place was the reason why Jung Ha-Yan and Hwang Jung-Yeon seemed a bit depressed lately. Jung Ha-Yan looked better since she was participating in the expedition, but seeing Hwang Jung-Yeon’s expression as she was sending Park Deok-Gu off made me think that she was more worried about something else. It was the same for Kim Ye-Ri, who didn’t get chosen for this expedition.

Her eyes were always on Kim Hyun-Sung, so I recalled her expression when it was revealed she wasn’t one of the chosen members. To Kim Ye-Ri, whose expression barely changed, this was a rare situation. Kim Hyun-Sung had probably made that decision for her safety, and because the Black Swan Guild’s assassin ratio was high, there wasn’t a need to include her. However, Kim Ye-Ri’s expression was too serious.

‘Considering the fact that her lovely oppa is going to spend a few weeks at a place like that…’

I would have been worried as well if I were in her shoes.

When I glanced around, I saw things you would normally find in a female-dominated guild.

“Did you bring your pads?”

“I did, unnie. I got the one packed with the supplies.”

“I really hope I don’t start during the expedition… It makes moving around uncomfortable, and it puts me in a bad mood.”

“Seriously. They don’t even have medicine here. I wish someone would develop a spell for it…”

“Wouldn’t alchemy solve this?”

They were talking about things that seemed like it was a big deal, and it wasn’t that they were being careless, but it was more like they didn’t care about who would hear them.

One thing I was certain of was that the women who grew up to be adventurers on this continent were completely different from the women on Earth. They seemed more open-minded about the idea of sex and were more independent. Since their physical stats were almost the same as the men’s, they were more easy-going and indifferent about how others thought of them.

Even the smallest details could make a difference. Whether I was looking at them or not, I could see them sitting on chairs and changing into armors resembling stockings. It was then that I felt Jung Ha-Yan pulling at my sleeve.

‘It’s nothing like that, Ha-Yan. There’s nothing I can do about this. It’s like being idle.’

The majority of the assassins and archers were wearing revealing armor, but if that were the only issue, I was sure Kim Ye-Ri and Hwang Jung-Yeon wouldn’t have been that worried. Even more dangerous than those defenseless women was the group staring at me.

‘It’s not bad.’

Basically, the four men here were decent husband material based on this continent’s standards. Kim Hyun-Sung had the body of a model and the face of a celebrity, and he had made the impossible possible in just one year. I wasn’t as handsome as him, but I also had a fanbase, which I wasn’t really happy about. I was sure they wanted Park Deok-Gu as well because of his large frame and muscles.

‘Ahn Ki-Mo too…’

He didn’t seem to have any distinct characteristics, but because he once aspired to be an actor, his appearance wasn’t bad. The important part was that our positions in society and futures were all guaranteed. In addition to possessing power, which was an important element in this continent, we were the executives of a recently emerged venture company as well, so it was understandable that they were trying to make a good impression.

‘We’re all pretty old…’

Age was just a number, of course. But since they were in their late 20s to early 30s, they wanted to form a good relationship with us. Usually, players at their level had high standards. Weak men wouldn’t satisfy them, so they would dump them even before those men could approach them. They would flirt with a few good-looking men, but none of them would commit. Regardless of gender and whether it was here or on Earth, the idea that both sides had to meet certain standards was still there, and surprisingly, Park Deok-Gu was the most popular among us.

‘Harem King Park Deok-Gu…’

After saying goodbye to Hwang Jung-Yeon, I was a bit jealous to see him getting surrounded by women. Park Deok-Gu didn’t even notice how Hwang Jung-Yeon was biting her lips.

“Can I try hanging off your arm?”

“You can… ahem…” Park Deok-Gu replied.

“Look how strong his body is. It’s all muscles.”

“You’re really tall.”

“Well, I ate and slept a lot which helped me grow a lot,” he told them.

Seeing Park Deok-Gu being surrounded by women who laughed at trivial things showed that he was truly Gangwon Province’s Love Doctor. They didn’t bother to approach Kim Hyun-Sung since their Guild Master Park Yeon-Joo already had her eyes on him. Since I was already in a relationship with the Mercenary Queen, it made it difficult for them to approach me. The biggest issue was probably Jung Ha-Yan since she was glaring at them while holding on to my sleeve, but since I was a guy as well, I was envious of Park Deok-Gu.

Unlike them, the remaining members of the expedition seemed to be in a good mood. Once another person joined us, the expedition party would be complete. The last person we were waiting for was slowly walking toward us.

“Kyaaaaaah!”

The person’s identity was obvious. It was Dialugia, the special bodyguard.

‘I told her not to bring Smartie… I should have been stricter.’

We were about to part ways, but seeing that she brought Smartie with her, I guess she must have failed in leaving Smartie behind. I understood Dialugia’s feelings, but I was certain that parting ways here would be even worse.

‘Then what was the point of saying goodbye yesterday…’

Regardless of her feelings, the expedition party was starting to get busy.

“Ah… you’re here. Greet everyone, and then we can leave,” I suggested.

“Okay,” Dialugia replied.

“Kyaah… kyaaaaah…”

“Let’s get ready to leave,” Park Yeon-Joo ordered.

“Yes, Guild Master,” the members answered.

“Ji-Hye, you packed all the supplies, right?” she asked.

“Yes, unnie,” Lee Ji-Hye answered.

“Take care of the guild for me,” she requested

“Don’t worry, and have a safe trip,” she assured.

Lee Ji-Hye and the Guild Master of the Black Swan Guild Park Yeon-Joo said their farewells.

“Kyaaaaaah… kyaaaah!”

“We’re heading out now. Please take care of everyone, Miss Jung-Yeon. Also, the rookies’ training—”

“Just leave it to me, Mr. Hyun-Sung,” she interrupted.

“Okay, I’ll leave it up to you,” he repeated.

“Okay…”

“I’ll be back soon, Ye-Ri. Miss Hye-Jin, we need to prepare for departure…”

“Yes, Guild Master,” Jo Hye-Jin answered.

In addition to saying goodbye to Hwang Jung-Yeon, who would be in charge of the guild while Kim Hyun-Sung and I were away, he was also comforting Kim Ye-Ri. I saw him walking out the door with Jo Hye-Jin. Even Jung Ha-Yan, who was wary of her surroundings, was saying goodbye to the other members.

“Kyaaah… kyaaaah… kyaaaaaah!”

However, I couldn’t join them because I had to go through a grand farewell ceremony.

“Kyaaah… kyaah…”

“Don’t cause any trouble, Dialuria. Mom is… mom is—” Dialugia paused.

“Kyaaah…”

“It won’t take long, and our friends will be with you. It might be a little bit uncomfortable since you won’t be at the nest, but there are a lot of things you can play with, so you won’t be bored,” she told Smartie.

“Kyah…”

“I’m sorry for leaving you like this, my baby…” she muttered.

“Kyaaaaaah!”

“Smartie… Daddy and Mommy have something important to take care of. You can wait for us, right?” I asked.

“Kyah… kyaaaaaaaaah! Kyaaaaaaah!”

When tears started falling out of her eyes, my heart started to break, and I was sure that even Dialugia’s heart was being ripped into pieces.

“Dialuria, it’ll make it harder for me if you cry…” Dialugia said.

“Kyah…”

“Dialugia, we need to get going. Everyone is waiting…” I informed her.

“Wait… let me hug you one last time, my baby…” she said.

It was kind of beautiful how the mother and daughter were sad together, but the expedition party was already prepared to depart. It was kind of embarrassing to waste time here, so ending this with one last hug was the best thing to do. As such, Dialugia opened her arms.

“Dialuria…” she called out.

That was when Smartie passed by Dialugia.

”Kyaaaaah kyaaah! Pant, pant! Kyaaah!”

It didn’t take long for Smartie to pass by Dialugia to come to me while whimpering and crying.

“Dia… luria?” her mother mumbled.

“Kyaaaaah! Kyaaah… pant… kyaaaaah!”

I felt bad when she kept burying her face into my chest while whimpering.

“Kyaaaah… kyah. Kyaaaaah!”

Smartie was even shrieking at the expedition party waiting to leave.

“Kyaaaaah! Kyaaaaaaaah!”

“You won’t cause any trouble, right Smartie?” I asked.

“Kyah… kyaah…”

“Once this is over, I’ll play with you for an entire week so just wait until then,” I promised her.

“Kyaah… kyah…”

Dialugia watched with a sorrowful expression as Smartie licked my face.

“Di… Dia… luria?” she mumbled again.

Anyone could tell that she had been betrayed.