novelraw Chapter 67 : Chapter 67
Chapter 67 : Chapter 67
Chapter 67: Return (2)
"What do you mean, he is like me? Do not leave out the details; explain it more thoroughly."
At Oh Deok-pal’s words, Cha Yu-na asked back as if she did not understand the meaning.
It was not that she asked because she truly failed to grasp what Oh Deok-pal meant.
Cha Yu-na was not so foolish that she could not understand such a simple statement.
She merely felt that Oh Deok-pal had omitted too much, and she wanted to hear a more detailed explanation.
Whether he knew what Cha Yu-na was thinking or not, Oh Deok-pal spoke with a grinning face.
"I mean, the way he seeks out a way to win is exactly like you, Guildmaster. In a way, he looks even more evil than a villain..."
"..."
"...I mean, the way he meticulously induces the opponent to let their guard down and then moves is similar to you, Guildmaster. A-Ahem."
Cha Yu-na considered whether she should get angry at Oh Deok-pal, who was once again acting up and losing his focus, but she decided to endure it.
She knew he was the type of person who just blurted out whatever was on his mind, so she concluded that getting angry would not make him understand anyway.
Therefore, rather than paying attention to the flippant Oh Deok-pal, she thought about Choi Yu-seong, who was not present.
'If Deok-pal says that much, it means the boy showed a quite impressive side.'
She had not sent just anyone from the Horizon Guild; she had sent Oh Deok-pal after careful consideration.
Even though he was a fellow who showed absolutely no respect to his Guildmaster, he was honest and steadfast.
Furthermore, since he was someone who had spent plenty of time in the field, he could view the flow of battle objectively. Thus, the evaluation he brought back could be considered sufficiently reliable.
'Deok-pal's evaluation that he moved while meticulously inducing the opponent to let their guard down... He seems much more outstanding than I thought.'
She already knew that Choi Yu-seong was not a fool who relied solely on his own strength, but rather a personality who moved strategically after assessing the situation.
It was information that could be inferred by looking closely, even though the time she had known Choi Yu-seong was short.
However, she had only expected him to be at the level of a cadet; she had not imagined he would be at this level.
'Honestly, I did not send them there expecting them to succeed in the mission.'
While the target was only a B-Rank villain by her standards, for cadets, it was a "whopping" B-Rank, not "only" a B-Rank.
No matter how outstanding they were, it was a mission that was nearly impossible for first-year cadets with no experience to accomplish.
Therefore, the picture she had painted was to make both Ryu Jin-oh and Choi Yu-seong realize their shortcomings through this mission and then proceed with training together.
If that happened, she would have been able to not only improve their skills but also foster a strange sense of camaraderie, using that as an excuse to increase their friendship.
'Well, all of that is unnecessary talk now.'
After all, those scenarios were based on the assumption that the mission would fail.
From the moment the two of them succeeded in the villain hunting mission, that plan became completely useless.
However, Cha Yu-na did not look upset just because her predictions were off.
Rather, she wore a mysterious smile.
'If I think about it carefully, this is not a bad situation. No, it is more accurate to see it as a better situation.'
She had learned that Choi Yu-seong, whom she had judged to be still lacking, was more outstanding than expected.
And it became a turning point where Ryu Jin-oh’s individualistic tendency, which could be called a weakness, changed to some extent.
Moreover, the relationship between the two had become closer much faster than she had anticipated, so could this not be considered a much better situation?
'This is interesting. It has been a long time since my predictions were wrong to this extent.'
Her original plan was to use the short five-day period to secure these talents who would become great in the future and provide them with good opportunities suited to their levels.
However, the cadets showed abilities beyond the level she had imagined.
The same went for Kim Su-hyeok, Choi Yu-seong, Ryu Jin-oh, and the other two as well.
Yes, they were so capable that the things she had prepared were not needed at all.
'My goodness. Does this mean I also have to put in effort to capture such good talents?'
Since becoming the Guildmaster of Horizon and bringing this guild to the top, she had never really had to put in effort for such things.
How many people would move at a single word from her, and how many people wanted to join her guild even if she did not want them? Why would she need to make an effort?
But somehow, she had an instinctive gut feeling that she should not approach these children in that way.
'They do not seem like children who desperately want the prestige of the Horizon name.'
If she had brought other children in this way, they would have tried their best to look good to her.
However, unlike other children, these fellows seemed interested in improving their skills but did not seem to care much about the name of Horizon.
Literally, they had the appearance of geniuses who did not care much about the ways of the world; that was exactly the feeling.
"At least Cadet Yu-seong seems like he would have many thoughts in this direction..."
Even that was not certain.
She had not fully grasped Cadet Yu-seong’s personality yet, but when she saw him interacting with the other children, he seemed to think more of his comrades than his own future.
"Hehe, yes. If there is no such novelty once in a while, what fun would there be in life?"
Considering Cha Yu-na’s position, it might have been annoying to have to put in effort like she did in the beginning, but she showed a pleasant smile.
Then, Oh Deok-pal, who was watching her, spoke to Cha Yu-na with a fed-up expression.
"Whenever the Guildmaster makes that kind of face, something big always happens. What are you thinking about now?"
"It is nothing much. I just felt like I have been a bit lazy lately, so I am going to try to live a bit more diligently."
At Cha Yu-na’s answer, Oh Deok-pal barely managed to hold back the words that were about to burst out.
Should it be called repetitive learning? Oh Deok-pal was able to endure because he felt that if he babbled more useless words here, he would truly get hit this time.
"Anyway, I think I should head to the cadets now. Can you handle things on your own?"
"Really, Guildmaster, I am not a child. Do you think I cannot even handle a report to the Player Association properly?"
"Yes. I am always anxious when I think about the accidents you caused when you were a rookie."
"A-Ahem! Hey, I am not a rookie anymore, so do not be like that. I will take care of it."
Cha Yu-na gave him a suspicious look for a moment at Oh Deok-pal’s words, but eventually, she nodded.
As he said, he was a fellow who knew what he was doing now, and she could not stay here forever just because she was anxious.
So, Cha Yu-na gave Oh Deok-pal a pat on the shoulder, told him to do a good job, and immediately set out toward the headquarters.
'Then, shall I head off to feed the future talents something delicious?'
From long ago, has it not been said that the easiest way to win someone's heart is through a bribery offensive?
In that sense, feeding them delicious food was simple but could leave a quite good impression.
Moreover, since everyone had just returned from a gate, they probably only ate food that could fill their stomachs, so would it not be even more effective?
Cha Yu-na, moving after clearly grasping the cause and effect, looked like a true tactician.
***
"Wow... I never imagined we would come here!"
In a restaurant that maintained a moderate level of noise yet felt quiet.
There, Kim Su-hyeok was looking around with an excited expression.
Normally, Ryu Jin-oh would have said something to Kim Su-hyeok about being tacky, but this time, even he remained quiet without saying a word.
'If it is a restaurant of this caliber, I guess even Ryu Jin-oh will overlook that kind of behavior?'
I had been slightly looking forward to it since Cha Yu-na said she would buy us something delicious, but I did not know it would be this much.
That was because this was a restaurant operated by a player who had reached the top with a cooking-related talent.
Furthermore, since this was the main branch that most people could not even reserve, I could understand Kim Su-hyeok’s behavior.
Cha Yu-na must have put in some effort even for her... It was a part where I could see she was quite serious about this matter.
Just as I was sitting there with deep anticipation, Kim Su-hyeok spoke with a somewhat worried voice.
"But it would have been nice if Cha Yu-na also ate with us... It is a shame."
The reason Kim Su-hyeok said this was simple. The person who arranged this gathering had left quietly after telling us to eat among ourselves.
However, since I could roughly guess her intentions, I gave Kim Su-hyeok an appropriate answer.
"It is probably a consideration for us to eat comfortably while catching up on the stories we missed without having to worry about her. So, do not think about it too much."
"I-Is that so?"
"Yes. Besides, someone at the level of Guildmaster Cha Yu-na can come to a restaurant like this whenever she wants."
"Hmm... If you say so, Yu-seong, then that must be it!"
Kim Su-hyeok immediately made a bright face as if he had never been worried.
He truly was a simple protagonist.
Just as I was smiling inwardly, thinking that every one of those traits was part of Kim Su-hyeok’s charm, it happened.
"Your food is here~."
A staff member dressed in a neat uniform brought out the food.
As the staff set the table, our gazes could not help but be fixed on the dishes.
The visual alone was in a different league compared to the dishes at other restaurants.
'Then, shall I try a bite?'
After all, did I not come to this restaurant to do more than just look at how it looked?
Therefore, I immediately reached for a meat dish among the set food.
"T-This is insane..."
The moment I put the meat into my mouth, an uncontrollable exclamation burst out.
What is this that tastes even better than ramen eaten after starving for three days?
The ecstatic taste, which I had never experienced in my life, was enough to enchant me.
The same was true for the others. Everyone was focusing only on eating, looking as if nothing else caught their eye.
I suppose it was natural since everyone had been in a gate before coming here and probably only ate simple combat rations.
If that was the case, then putting something delicious in one's mouth first was the priority.
So, for a while, we were busy continuously putting food into our mouths, focused entirely on the meal without any conversation.
***
"Whoa, I am so full that I cannot fit anything else in."
With that shout from Kim Su-hyeok, the mealtime that felt like a battle finally came to an end.
"Indeed. It has been a long time since I have eaten this much."
Oh Jin-eon nodded with a satisfied expression beside Kim Su-hyeok.
That was something I agreed with as well.
The food served at Glory was delicious enough, but it was not at this level.
It had been a very long time since I had focused only on eating without paying attention to anything else.
"This is tea we brewed ourselves at our shop. It is a good tea for settling your stomach."
"Ah, thank you."
The staff, noticing that we had finished our meal, quickly brought out tea.
I guess one needs this much situational awareness to work at a shop like this. It is quite excellent service.
While I was drinking the tea the staff brought with a relaxed mind, Kim Su-hyeok spoke to all of us as if he had remembered something.
"Ah! Guys. Now that I think about it, the academy is opening again soon. That means the club activities that were postponed will also start. Have you thought of anything?"
"Hmm, now that I think about it, there was that. I have not thought of anything in particular."
Clubs.
At those words, a fact I had forgotten came to mind.
'Now that I think about it, it was originally supposed to start as soon as the midterm exams ended, but I forgot about it because it was postponed.'
At Glory, club activities are mandatory regardless of the school year.
Glory’s philosophy is that no matter what the field, it is important to engage with others to become a great talent in the future.
And I felt like I knew why Kim Su-hyeok was bringing this up now.
If I thought about the content in the original work, Kim Su-hyeok’s next words were already decided.
Those words were...
"So, the thing is, I want to try starting a new club with just us. What do you guys think?"
It was the point where the story began to flow around the main characters.
It was the content related to the establishment of a club.