Dain’s Wait

This chapter is brought to you by AnmesicCat, Haikai, Junny, Lei, Masadeer, and ThunderHamster.

Director Kim Han Seo was looking at Yoo Byung Jun — his teacher, the genuine genius scientist who was sent by the heavens.

The whitish centered lines on his head, red bloodshot eyes, and thick eyegla.s.ses.

Though that was the stressed looking Yoo Byung Jun, his brains were at a level where he could be called a genius.

‘Though the world knows that Royal Road was made together by me and 17 other scientists…’

Director Kim Han Seo lightly shook his head.

There was many differences to the truth than what the public knows.

‘In truth, the concept came from teacher, and he also developed the core technology. The other scientists and I did nothing more than simply flesh out the framework that teacher made.’

For Director Kim Han Seo and the other scientists, it was daunting just to do the parts they were responsible for.

There were many times when the reputedly impossible

perfect Virtual Reality System

was considered a fantasy. There had been dozens of times when he’d gotten up from bed in the morning after having a nightmare about failure.

Every time they were stopped at their tracks, Yoo Byung Jun stepped in to help them, and the person who understood the whole system was also him.

Although the other scientists including Director Kim Han Seo were able to generally manage Versailles for the sake of their tasks, their powers were limited.

Being careful to stifle his footsteps, Director Kim Han Seo stopped in front of Yoo Byung Jun.

“I have returned.”

“Yes, good job. What were the kids at the office saying?”

“Yes. They were being very concerned about the Resurrection Army.”

“Keke. I supposed so.”

“In particular, the Strategy Management’s Department Head Son Il Kang was complaining that he has to work overtime every day.”

“Kekeke.”

Yoo Byung Jun just laughed like as if he had already expected it.

“The user named Daymond, what do you think of him, teacher?”

“Let’s see. Well, he’s not bad.”

Byung Yoo Jun showed responded dissatisfactory.

“The Resurrection Army quest… Well, an incredible amount of power can be gained from that request.”

The scientists who handled the main console in the System Management Department c.o.c.ked their ears to listen in on this particular conversation.

Yoo Byung Jun was a scientist who transcended intelligence itself and secluded himself without revealing himself to the world.

It was just that the outside world didn’t know, but in reality, Yoo Byung Jun had taken on the role of leading everyone.

But what truly shocked the scientists and raised gooseb.u.mps, was the might of the Versailles’ G.o.ddess. Without any defects, they didn’t even need to intervene with things modified by artificial interventions.

It was the super AI that perfectly regulated Royal Road since its release, a fearsome system that could even be called a true G.o.ddess.

And it wasn’t just Royal Road; it even controlled related executive affairs of the Unicorn Corporation. Even at that extent, the Versailles’ G.o.ddess was only using 20% of its administrative resources.

For the scientists, it was a feat that was undisputedly extraordinary.

If someone was told that this system had been developed by just 1 scientist, they would never have believed it. This was the judgment of the scientists who knew Yoo Byung Jun.

— A scientist that cannot be replaced by ten million of mankind.

— He is a scientist who would have been able to advance the world’s technology by 30 years, had he produced anything besides Royal Road.

He was a person that the scientists could only respect and regard as marvelous, to the point that even being a contemporary of Yoo Byung Jun was a source of pride for them.

“Greed ruined their work. Although they’ve been on a roll since they’re using petty tricks… Later on they’ll make more enemies.”

There were no scientists who doubted Yoo Byung Jun’s words.

The words of the genius of the century have never been wrong. If he said that was so, then at some point it would become like that. And for the scientists who knew about the prearranged quest and the hidden dangers throughout the Versailles's G.o.ddess, they did not feel that the Resurrection Army was truly a crisis.

Royal Road was a great Virtual Reality.

As complicated as the applied technology, there were stories hidden throughout the continent, and the histories were innumerable.

The scientists knew the adventurers who were hiding and raising their strength, what the level of the warriors were, what quests were in progress, and they found no reason to be tense.

With a continent that was too wide, and an incredibly large number of users that could be called the virtual social integration of humanity, the scientists put beaming smiles on their faces.

Although they had partic.i.p.ated in the development, Royal Road was a truly fun virtual reality. After the release of Royal Road, there was even a report that humanity’s happiness had gone up by at least 40%.

With the pride that they had opened the doors to a new world, the scientists returned to their own duties.

Yoo Byung Jun muttered to himself.

“People in this world delude themselves too easily.”

On the screen he was watching, he could see the activities of the adventurers on the Versailles Continent.

A user who raised strength while hunting in a jungle no one else would seek out.

A user who trained their basic Stamina while climbing the most perilous mountain in the continent.

A user who was growing stronger as they tested their own limitations on a deserted island filled with monsters.

Yoo Byung Jun felt happy whenever he saw these users.

With endless tests on their limitations, they were experiencing extreme situations that could not be undergone on earth.

“To say that Royal Road is a game…”

After the creation of Royal Road and its release, the public media had gone wild over the technology.

The cutting-edge technology that realized the most realistic virtual reality!

Royal Road’s rapidly burgeoning user-base marked the ruin of existing games.

A new world had opened up for the users.

This caused even people in the general populace who were unfamiliar with games to become fascinated, and articles claiming that Royal Road had calmed the entertainment industry came out one after another.

Corporate managers and directors in the real word found great joy in selling fruit within the medieval castle walls, or even setting off on adventures, armed with a sword strapped to their waists.

As they sc.r.a.ped up enormous funds, they received praise as the stars of the game industry’s next generation.

Yoo Byung Jun smirked every time he saw those articles.

“Soft and lazy humans. They don’t even know their future is hanging here.”

It was something so pathetic that Yoo Byung Jun couldn’t stand it. .

He had dedicated his life to Royal Road. It was a monumental work of art that he had devoted his energy and life to, created as if it were his own child.

If it was just for the sake of making one game, he would have already given up long ago.

***

After chasing the Glowing Skeleton’s for a long seven days, they discovered the grand prize near the cemetery at last, and they were able to purify and defeat it with the Cleric’s holy magic.

“It’s a success!”

“Great job, everyone”

The Cleric and the Pikeman were especially happy.

“Dain-nim was especially helpful. Thank you.”

Chasing a Glowing Skeleton was difficult even with a skilled hunter. That was because it would go into a mountain with a lot of monsters, or find dungeons and hide inside. As they stopped to fight while chasing after the Glowing Skeleton, it would escape somewhere else before they even realized it.

If they didn’t have a Shaman’s magic to increase movement speed, catching the Glowing Skeleton would have been much harder.

Dain’s teeth slightly showed as she smiled.

“It was nothing. I wasn’t even very helpful in the fights.”

“That’s not true. Even though you’re a Shaman, the power of your treatment and all sorts of beneficial skills… If Dain-nim hadn’t been here, it would have truly difficult to successfully accomplish this request.”

“Dain-unni is a true shaman.”

Dain had firmly won the trust of her party members.

“Unni, stay with us.”

“Will you do the next request with us?”

“Yes, I will.”

For a few months, Dain freely enjoyed adventures together with the party members.

Her fame improved day by day as well. When there weren’t many users in Morata who did not know who Shaman Dain was, she left for an adventure in the Land of the Black Curse.

It was an expedition that over twenty of Morata’s most seasoned adventurers partic.i.p.ated in!

After experiencing new monsters and a new dungeon, she returned to Morata.

***

“Whew! I’m back in Morata again.”

Dain grinned broadly.

The Morata she had returned to after a long time… She hadn’t known how much she would miss it.

It was because having savored enough solitude in the sky city of Lavias, she had secured a new position in the North and had made friends in Morata.

“But I have to get the curse resolved…”

Dain made a worried face.

The entire expedition had received a curse in the Land of the Black Curse.

Their skin turned dark like a Dark Elves’, and primitive tribe-like patterns had appeared.

A curse that reduced the effects of magic and skills by half!

It was a curse that could not be removed even by the holy magic of a Shaman or Cleric.

‘I’ll go meet with the Priest first.’

Although the Priests in the expedition were also helpless, they could only believe in their Priests.

Dain went into the Church of Freya.

Similarly to the expedition that just came, there was a crowd waiting for a blessing.

After waiting for a long time for her turn, she met a Priest of the Freya Church.

“I would like to have the curse on me cured.”

“You have received a curse of an ancient evil.”

“Yes.”

“This is because you went into a place where you should not have gone. It’s a curse that formed as you explored a land that does not welcome intruders. To lift the curse, you’ll need Kelpie Wood, Platinum Powder, Carrot, and a White Rabbit’s Blood. If you daub these ingredients on your body, then blend them and drink, you can be freed from the curse.”

Beside the Kelpie Wood, though it might take a little time, they weren’t hard goods to gather.

Dain smiled as she did not expect the cure to be so simple.

“Thank you very much.”

“It was my pleasure. All harmony is in accordance to the G.o.ddess’ will.”

***

“Buying and selling loot!”

“Tell me if there is anything you need.”

The raised voices came from merchants lined up in the square outside the church of Freya. The compet.i.tion of merchants is a sight to be seen anywhere in the Versailles Continent.

After selling off all the loot she had gathered, Dain calmly milled about the square.

‘This time I’ll relax and wait.’

Meeting Weed was the whole reason for coming to Morata.

However, Weed did not return to Morata, and she got tired of waiting and left for an adventure.

When she left, the Statue of the G.o.ddess Freya was built, as well as other numerous sculptures and the castle had evolved as well.

A rumor that Weed, the Count of Morata, had returned circulated. However, he seemed to be away on another adventure, so it was said that meeting him would be difficult.

‘What were the chances of him coming back while she was away anyway?’

As Dain looked at a building that hadn’t been there before on Morata’s newly developed street, she walked around lonesomely.

‘The Statue of the G.o.ddess Freya, huh...’

As she looked at the glamorous Statue of the G.o.ddess Freya, she felt slightly jealous. For her, who was only slightly prettier than an average girl even when she viewed herself positively, she really did feel a little irritated.

She wanted to return to the location of the Lavias cave sculptures in her memories, but if she did that it would be even harder to meet Weed.

It was when Dain was looking around the square.

“Excuse me.”

She looked back at the voice that had called out to her.

Short and slim, it was a lady with eyes that looked extremely virtuous. From the white robe she was dressed in, she must have the profession of a Cleric or a Priest.

“Did you call me?”

“Yes

“What can I help you with?”

“Oh, I’m sorry for asking this after just meeting you… You’re the Shaman known as Dain, right?”

“That’s right.”

“Whew! I finally found you. My name is Irene.”

Starting the conversation had made Irene feel awkward and very uncomfortable, but she could not hide the joyous expression when she found Dain.

“My party is trying to do a quest right now. But it’s far away, and we thought it’d be good to have someone with a lot of adventuring magic, so we’ve been trying to recruit a Shaman.”

The name of the quest that Pale had discovered was, ‘The Secret of Manufacturing Ancient Breastplate.’

It was said that the book recording the method of manufacture was buried somewhere in the North, so they wanted recruit an Adventurer and a Shaman, and leave. Then they heard that the famous Shaman named Dain had returned just then and had found her.

Irene explained again with a nervous look.

“The difficulty is C. If you don’t mind, would you like to adventure with us?”

Dain slowly studied Irene’s face.

‘She looks like a nice person. She also seems to be around my age...’

But she was unwilling to leave on a quest. She was in the position of waiting for someone.

She couldn’t always just wait for Weed to return to Morata, but since she had just come after completing an adventure, she wanted to take a rest for now.

“I’m sorry. Right now I’m going to rest…”

Just as Dain was saying this, a lady wearing a fancy dress embedded with jewels walked toward them from the direction of a store.

Every time she lightly stepped forward, she was followed by the eyes of the users in the square. Simply watching her walk could deliver the feelings of vigor and pleasure.

‘She’s a Dancer.’

However, the only professions that could go on adventures or hunt while wearing dresses were Minstrels and Dancers. She also wore bracelets, necklaces, earrings, and short heels that were comfortable to dance in.

Since she wasn’t holding an instrument, Dain concluded that she was a Dancer.

“Hwaryeong-unni, where were you?”

“I was eating at a restaurant. But who’s this?”

“This is Dain-nim. She’s a famous Shaman…”

“Ah,

that

person!”

Hwaryeong looked at Dain’s face as if she was seeing it anew.

Since she was a Shaman with black, jewel-like skin, she was extremely distinctive.

“Did you ask if she was going to come with us for the request?”

“Yes. But unfortunately it doesn’t seem like she’ll be able to do it with us.”

Dain, who had been standing by and listening to Hwaryeong and Irene’s conversation, suddenly interrupted.

“Hey there, I’ve changed my mind.”

“What?”

“The adventure you were talking about just now, I’d also like to do it together.”

“Really? That’s great! Thank you.”

“Yes. Thanks for having me.”

Dain accepted Irene’s offer.

The Statue of the G.o.ddess Freya that Morata’s Lord Weed had sculpted!

It was because the statue’s face and Hwaryeong’s were miraculously similar.

***

Lee Hyun trained his body daily at Ahn Hyun Do’s dojo.

Lee Hyun’s distinctly divided, toned muscles that lacked excess fat, his physical strength, and endurance grew stronger every day. While experiencing the training from h.e.l.l from 4 different training instructors for 30 minutes each, Lee Hyun’s body was becoming a weapon.

“Even a sharp sword is completely useless in the hands of a dull person. If you don’t even have complete control over your body, then you can forget about holding a sword. Though the training is rough, it’s a process that’s required to wield the blade.”

Lee Hyun faithfully followed Jung Il Hun’s harsh lecture. He endured the h.e.l.l training without a single complaint.

It was to the point that the instructors consulted amongst themselves.

“Isn’t the training intensity too strong?”

“If we keep going like this, will he not say that he’ll quit?”

“Even I don’t know. Since Master told us to do it, he must have something in mind.”

“That’s probably true, right?”

“Though occasionally he really doesn’t have any ideas...”

“...”

As Lee Hyun tamed his body, he perceived the feeling that his true skills were being strengthened.

If his body was solidified, then his mental strength would be boosted.

The willpower that formed if he pa.s.sed the arduous training!

When he completed a session of h.e.l.l training with the instructors, he would take a break while drinking the tea Ahn Hyun Do gave him.

“It’s ginseng tea.”

“Thank you, Master.”

Lee Hyun gulped down the ginseng tea.

He was thirsty, but it was so that he could drink another cup of the healthy tea!

Ahn Hyun Do spoke after pouring him another cup of the ginseng tea.

“Is the training not hard?"

“It’s doable.”

“Yes. That’s praiseworthy. With that att.i.tude, you should be able to progress further. How is the rest of your life?”

“My life?”

“I’m talking about your own life. I’m talking about how your life is.”

After a moment of thought, Lee Hyun nodded.

“It is good.”

“Good? What’s good?”

“Grandmother is receiving her treatment well, and my little sister is going to school well. As am I...”

Lee Hyun briefly hesitated and spoke.

“There are no big grievances in my life.”

In the difficult days, eating and living had been the biggest worry.

Although there were times when he wasn’t able to get treatment when he was sick, now he was even able to save a fair amount of money. As he played Royal Road he was able to buy the things they needed, so there weren’t many elements that grieved him.

Ahn Hyung Do shook his head.

“Is that not literally your everyday life?”

“...”

“Are you satisfied with your current life?”

“Yes.”

Lee Hyun answered easily.

The school studies were a little tiresome and bothersome, but apart from that he was getting the things he wanted, so he was living contentedly.

“It’s perfect right now. I’m even going to university, my little sister is studying well too, and Grandmother is recovering her health…”

Ahn Hyun Do asked abruptly.

“Then what is the work you want to do.”

“...The work I want to do?”

“Whether it’s a goal you had since you were young, or there must have been some work that you wanted to do.”

Lee Hyun was momentarily silent.

He had lived these days for his sister’s sake.

As he slept at night, there were times when he’d feared the day to come. The years when he worried while he ate, things such as what he would do after the hunger disappeared.

Without hope, he had lived while despairing.

If there had been no responsibility to support his family, he might have been able to throw down an extreme decision sooner.

Now his little sister was grown up, and she was even going to school on the scholars.h.i.+p she’d received. Grandmother’s big surgery was over and she was waiting to recover as well.

His life’s goal was to live for his family. In the event that he would no longer have to take care of his family, what he would do afterwards was something he had never thought about.

After heaving a sigh, Lee Hyun spoke.

“I have no dream.”

***

The SwordNoobs pa.s.sed the Plains of Despair and arrived at the Orc village in the Yuroki Mountains.

The place was teeming with pig-faced Orc users, and because they had such great reproductive rates there were even whole families gathered there.

After a female or males decided their mates, even if they ate just one meal together, baby Orcs would bounce out of somewhere.

SwordNoob5 held his head in his hands.

“We’re ruined. To say they’re married Orcs…”

SwordNoob3 patted his shoulder.

“It is okay, sahyung, it’s simply that a man and a woman are sharing one meal together. We have to understand that this is how Orcs naturally are.”

SwordNoob4 also interrupted.

“Sahyung, manly broad-mindedness is what wins the game.”

Of course, real s.e.x was possible in Royal Road.

Humans or Elves could also strive to obtain a house, and there were many cases where a loving couple did so to spend a cozy time together.

However, Orcs were a special case — if they ate just one evening meal with their spouses, or someone they were close to, baby Orcs would come out.

At first, of course that was too impractical, and there were many forlorn male Orcs who said the progression was too easy. It was the Orc’s racial characteristic, the vigorous reproduction feature. There had been wicked intentions to take advantage of this disposition, and many who wanted very much to satisfy themselves.

However, soon they realized the reason why Orcs needed to be able to make baby Orcs simply by eating one meal.

‘It looks like 4 fingers will fit into the nostril of the partner Orc female.’

‘The partner is an Orc male! If he opens his mouth and yawns, a whole watermelon might fit in there.’

‘Just look at the plump side fat and belly, on a sober mind it’s hard to go together with him.’

‘What a relief.’

They were very satisfied that all they had to do was eat food together, and the Orcs repeated the propagation.

The Orc villages on the Yuroki Mountains were expanding.

Adult Orcs would take along young baby Orcs and have them grow up. Whole families of Orc tribes developed, and Orcs controlling the families appeared.

Since Seechwi was an Orc Commander, after she arrived at the Yuroki Mountains she emitted the light of talent.

“You Orcs, chwi-chwi-chwik!! We must eat more. Must have more food. Let’s fight. Chwik!”

There were no reasonable explanations or reasons or the like. She made the Orcs satisfied with the simple eat and fight logic, and created subordinates.

In the vicinity of the Orc villages, there were many tourists who had come to sightsee to satisfy their curiosity.

“Orcs really look unique.”

“Individual Orcs are weak, but their reproductive rate is something to be feared. They don’t recruit mercenaries, the baby Orcs can come out so easily and endlessly offer their loyalty… I think the Orcs will be able to grow really quickly.”

“Will it be okay even though they say Orcs are on really bad terms with the Dark Elves?”

“Since users can now choose Dark Elves too, sharp conflicts between them will probably happen.”

“A war with Humans could happen in the future too.”

“A racial war between the Orcs and Humans? There’s probably a possibility of that. If the number of individual Orcs grows and they come to the Central Continent, then there’s no doubt they’ll b.u.mp into each other.”

“Isn’t right now the opportunity to strike when the Orcs are weak?”

“There’s nothing we can gain by fighting the Orcs. And it’s too far to come for Human armies to cross the Plains of Despair. If a fight with the Orcs occurs, then that itself could become a quest, so there are probably many people who are waiting for it to happen.”

The tourists did not go inside the village and were observing from outside. That was because the relations.h.i.+p between Orcs and Humans wasn’t all that great so it was dangerous to get close.

However the SwordNoobs entered the Orc’s village without any reservations, and upon seeing the SwordNoobs do quests together with a female Orc, the tourists were very shocked.

“How can a Human act like that? The Orcs don’t even care about them.”

“It must be part of a quest.”

“I think it could be a characteristic of their profession. I heard there are professions that have high intimacy with other races.”

When the tourists were pitting their opinions against each other, a convincing answer appeared.

“Just look at their appearance. Is there a difference between them and a male Orc?”

“...”

A closer look revealed that the explanation was plausible.

Though there was no doubt that they were Human, their wide shoulders and their physiques outcla.s.sed the Orcs.

Just by seeing those bodies, the simple Orcs had easily become friendly toward them.

***

“Hyaa!”

SwordNoob violently swung the two-handed sword.

The Ogre. In terms of physical strength alone, the monster was an opponent second to none.

The SwordNoob who was at the apex of his cla.s.s, doctrine, and sword arts was not able to suppress his piled up rage.

The movement of the sword was rapid and intense.

*Kuoooooo!*

The Ogre swung its ax with extreme fury, and although the wind grazed his face as the ax pa.s.sed, the Ogre was unable to follow the natural movements of the SwordNoob.

“Tak!”

The SwordNoob’s swung sword frayed the Ogre’s side. Even with his outstanding attack power, the Ogre did not die easily.

Since he didn’t use any skills, he had a lot of mana left. He purposely did not aim for the fatal vital spot and hacked away at the Ogre’s whole body.

The words of his most brilliant pupil, who had come to him late, would not leave his mind.

“To have no dream…”

The SwordNoob’s memories of his youth came to mind.

‘There was only fighting for me.’

He had chased strength and advanced towards the fighting that made his blood race.

There were many times when he’d had to put his life on the line, and he’d even struggled with gruesome wounds in deadly situations. Although he had very briefly felt satisfied after defeating a strong opponent, it just led anew to the process of looking for more powerful men to challenge.

After only fighting and training as if possessed by something, his youthful days had pa.s.sed.

Then, one day when he regained consciousness and looked around, he had risen to the position of the top swordsman.

The glory of the admiration and scars he received every time he beat a strong opponent. He was the ground-breaking, risen SwordNoob whom no one could surpa.s.s with a sword.

Although there were many people in the general populace who did not know who he was, martial artists and the people of the backstreet world were all in awe of him, and feared him.

Despite that, one part of SwordNoob’s heart was empty. After he’d achieved his goal, he did not have a lifelong partner, and his whole family thought that he had died.

“I didn’t have a family.”

The emptiness and despondency that resulted from the goal that he had achieved over his life!

“Although I have become the best with the sword, there was no one around me.”

Before SwordNoob returned to the ordinary life of going back to Korea, finding his family, and raising his disciples, he had spent a lot of time alone.

There was no reason for his disciples to follow in his footsteps.

That was because the burden of family was heavily weighing down on his shoulders. Since it was something that could be done together with family, friends, and fellow brothers, there was no reason to feel alone.

Weed had strong will and judgement, and possessed the ability to take action immediately and put his skills into practice. If there was anything he needed to do, he did not hesitate. Although he occasionally showed a tendency for timidness, he was a man.

In his current state he was like a child searching for his lifelong goal and dream.

“I envy that kid.”

The SwordNoob’s honest feelings understood his best pupil one hundred percent. If he had also had a little sister as beautiful and cute as Lee Hye Yeon, he would have never left his family.

“And how are his friends again.”

He even had pleasant and beautiful ladies like Hwaryeong, Irene, and Romuna by his side.

SwordNoob looked back at his memories.

How had his youthful days really been?

“There were only unlucky-looking men! I had to get stronger if only to trample down those arrogant b.a.s.t.a.r.ds.”

If he had been in enviable circ.u.mstances like Weed, why would he have only fought in his youth!

“This loathsome, unmarried life.”

SwordNoob grumbled and hardened his resolve.

“I’ve left him alone in the hands of the other instructors for too long. It’s time to teach him now.”

He would show Weed what true h.e.l.l training was.

He was resolved to teach Weed the real sword.

***

WIth the festival approaching, the number of students staying late in Korea University was increasing.

Each department was preparing plays and musicals, and a stage for performing music was installed. Expectations of a music festival, magic show, and even the neighboring university’s sport meet spread through rumors.

Lee Hyun could not possibly understand this.

“Why must we do something that can be seen on television?”

With his utterly meager sensitivity, merely not having to attend the festive school for a few days was gratifying. To Lee Hyun, the festival of the Korea University that matched the regional culture matched well and was sought out by many famous celebrities was simply an inconvenience.

However, his department seniors came out and threatened them.

“We cannot be outstripped by other departments in this festival. We can’t let them make light of us just because we’re a new department. Does everyone understand?”

“Yes!”

The new students answered with smiling faces.

Lee Hyun held his tongue.

“What useless compet.i.tive mentality. Why can’t we be looked down upon? A life lived while pa.s.sing unnoticed is quite comfortable. Stopping the school’s antagonism and prejudice? What nonsense.”

He had considerable complaints, but since he did not want to get involved in something troublesome, so he stayed silent.

‘Even if I don’t say it, someone else probably will.’

There wasn’t a rule that said everyone had to partic.i.p.ate in the festival, so all he had to do was wait for it to pa.s.s.

As the day of the festival came closer and closer, the virtual reality department had not made definite plans on what to do.

“What about dressing up as our Royal Road characters and doing a parade?”

“We should make a large dinosaur. We could make a Tyrannosaurus hologram, and if we had it roam around the festival, it could be the highlight of the festival.”

“How about the incomparably vicious Velociraptor? If we have hundreds of them running around and hunting humans…”

Only absurd and grandiose opinions emerged and a reasonable plan did not form.

It was when there were only two weeks left until the festival.

The student body executives held a meeting with the whole department.

“We must do something as well.”

This was the united view of the executive seniors, including the president.

However, there were neither preparations nor plans.

“It’s tiresome to prepare something for every festival, and there’s already no time so can’t we just pa.s.s it?”

Choi Sang Jun cautiously presented his opinion. Then the returning senior spoke with an impartial tone.

“The professors are currently wondering whether or not they should do another department members.h.i.+p training (MT) before the break.”

“....”

“Specifically, it’s a considerable Silmido, a 6 night, 7 day course…”

“I definitely want to partic.i.p.ate in the festival!”

The previously uninterested seniors and new students offered their opinions.

“The problem is what could we do…? Of course we have to do the sports meet in the name of our department. Since there are a lot of girls in our department it’d be good if a lot of them came out and partic.i.p.ated. Anyone opposed to it?”

“...”

“I see there’s none. Then let’s just have everyone attend.”

The President’s words were absolute.

Suffering a little in the festival was a hundred times better than going to Silmido.

“After that I think we urgently need to go out on at least the music festival, because the professors never fail to come and watch.”

“For the music festival, have about five teams practice and send them up.”

They were quickly coming to an agreement. Though it was a festival that the students should enjoy, they would do anything to impress the professors.

Even for the students, just attending was bothersome, but since Korea University’s festivals were famous and there were a lot of things to watch, they were waiting for the festival.

“And I think we’ll have to open a bar too, because we have to earn event funds from the bar. Who wants to partic.i.p.ate in the bar?”

If it was a bar, they would have to cook until late at night, and there were a lot of ch.o.r.es to do. All things considered, though it was a tiresome job, Lee Hyun willingly raised his hand.

“You’re Lee Hyun, right? Okay, thanks. Anyone else?”

By the mood it seemed like all the freshmen and seniors had to partic.i.p.ate in at least one task.

He had judged that it was better to work in the relatively comfortable bar.

‘The play or whatever is preparing all week, so just suffering during the festival time is probably better.’

Since the bar opened during the day, he might even be able to set aside some time. However, excluding Lee Hyun, there were no students who voluntarily raised their hands. In many ways, working the bar would make it difficult to sightsee and they regarded it as a pain, so no one wanted to partic.i.p.ate.

Then, 1 female student raised her hand and broke everyone’s expectations.

It was an honor that she simply came to the same school as them. Though they saw her at school every day, it was she who was so beautiful that they wondered if it was a dream, reality, or heaven.

Seo Yoon was raising her hand.

Even the President was so taken aback that he spoke formally.

[T/N: In Korean, formal and informal speeches are very distinct.]

“Surely you do not plan to partic.i.p.ate in the bar?”

Seo Yoon nodded slightly.

Then the other male students simultaneously raised their hands.

“President, me too! I would also like to try working in the bar.”

“I raised my hand first. Please just let me do it.”

“Sunbae. No, hyung-nim! It’s me, Dong Hun! You’ll squeeze me in, right? Right?”

“Sang Hyuk, I’ll buy you booze until we graduate so I’ll just request that you give me the bar job. I’ll enshrine you as my life’s savior!”

The other students’ eyes shone brightly as they shouted that they would partic.i.p.ate, and the bar staff list quickly filled up.

To be continued…