“Is that so?”
Behind the purification team collecting the neatly dismembered monster corpses, Ryu Taeha, who had just finished clearing the gate, wet his throat. The perfectly severed corpses were all his work.
“Yes, that’s what I’m saying. Lately, praise for Esper Jeong Dawoon is all the rage.”
The esper from the support team who handed him a cool water bottle answered with a good-natured smile. Called supporters, they didn’t participate in combat and helped with procuring supplies and transporting the injured.
Those selected as supporters were mainly fast and agile. Also, they were all talkative, to the point where one might think ‘chatty personality’ was a qualification requirement.
“Everyone says he seems like a different person and finds it amazing. I also saw him working on-site, and his atmosphere seemed completely different from usual.”
The supporter standing in front of Ryu Taeha right now was also stretching out to verse 2 and verse 3 of things he hadn’t even been asked. If Ryu Taeha hadn’t shown interest, he would have wisely shut his mouth, but thanks to his reaction, he sang enthusiastically all the way to verse 4 without getting tired.
“A person’s way of speaking or expressions don’t change easily, right? But Esper Jeong Dawoon suddenly started using speech patterns he never used before. Kind of how should I say… military-style…?”
“Our Dawoon hasn’t served in the military.”
“Exactly. That’s why everyone was even more puzzled.”
He, who received the water bottle Ryu Taeha emptied, offered an energy bar. Ryu Taeha, who didn’t eat well during work, shook his head and listened to the continued words.
“Though his rank is low because he’s physically weak, if you just consider his healer abilities, his level is exceptionally high. In the past, there was a lot of talk about how it was a waste that he was letting that ability rot, but lately, well.”
The supporter, who replaced the rest with applause, gave a thumbs up. Even with the enthusiastic praise elevating his guild member, Ryu Taeha’s expression wasn’t very bright.
“I’m curious if there’s a reason for the sudden change. I wonder if there’s been a big change in mindset recently, and I’m worried too.”
Worried, my ass. Ryu Taeha knew well that it was a question asked out of simple curiosity. Whether Jeong Dawoon, who gained motivation for work, died vomiting blood from overwork or whatever, others wouldn’t give a shit.
“Stop him if you see him.”
“Pardon?”
Ryu Taeha, who had taken out his pager, gave a firm order to the flustered supporter.
“Tell your colleagues too. If Dawoon seems to be overdoing it on-site, make him stop immediately.”
“Ah… Yes. But will he listen to us?”
“Use my name. Or call me.”
Could we really call the busiest Guild Leader Ryu Taeha in the country for just such a thing….
The supporter hesitated for a moment, then gladly accepted the order. It was rather a good thing since he might get another chance to see Guild Leader Ryu Taeha.
“Then I’ll be going! Please call me again anytime!”
The supporter, adjusting his large bag, left with a bright smile.
Left alone, Ryu Taeha put the quiet pager back in his pocket.
The pager’s notifications, which had been ringing noisily until just a few hours ago, had stopped. The gates that had opened like a flood seemed to have been dealt with to some extent now.
He had already been handling the highest-rank gates exclusively, so he couldn’t respond to support requests.
Fortunately, they were all A-rank or below, so situations where he was absolutely necessary didn’t arise.
That didn’t mean it was safe, though. High-ranking espers could be killed by weak monsters too.
The reason for that, well, it’s obvious.
“You seem to have let your guard down for once.”
The owner of a calm voice approached Ryu Taeha’s side. It was Leader Nam Seokgwan of Howl Guild.
He scanned Ryu Taeha’s jacket stained with monster blood and stood side by side with him.
“It’s new to see stains on the clothes of someone who usually doesn’t get a single drop of blood on them.”
“I have to show this kind of human side occasionally.”
Ryu Taeha chuckled, deliberately showing the traces of battle remaining on his jacket. It was extremely rare for traces of monsters to remain on his body as a multi-ability user. It was practically unheard of.
“Do you have business with me?”
He immediately asked the main point to Nam Seokgwan, who had come to him out of the blue. Neither of them were the type to engage in small talk.
“Do you have something on your mind lately?”
Ryu Taeha, tilting his head diagonally, raised one eyebrow. It was an expression asking if he came just to ask that.
“You seem unable to focus on meetings lately, so I’m telling you as a representative.”
“Ah, me? Did I?”
Ryu Taeha cunningly rolled his eyes and pretended to ruminate on his past behavior. Nam Seokgwan, already used to such an attitude, calmly changed the topic.
“Is there a way to meet the beastman clan chief?”
That was the real business for coming to him. It was a topic that had already ended at the meeting, but the situation wasn’t good enough to just wait for the right time.
“Gate occurrences are increasing day by day. You know best that danger zones are increasing in civilian areas too.”
When a gate opened in a civilian area, the report went to Ryu Taeha first. The only one who could handle monsters most quickly and cleanly before citizens got involved was Ryu Taeha.
“Meeting isn’t the problem.”
Ryu Taeha, slowly broaching the subject, murmured in his characteristic leisurely tone.
“The problem is how to persuade the chief after meeting.”
Nam Seokgwan’s blunt impression watching Ryu Taeha hardened even more.
It seemed he intended to keep the method of meeting the beastman clan chief to himself until the end. He knew his independent tendencies were strong, but he especially wasn’t sharing information about this matter.
What kind of plan is he concocting alone again. I can’t gauge it at all. Where on earth does that confidence that he’ll definitely meet them come from.
Nam Seokgwan looked at the leisurely smiling Ryu Taeha as if observing him closely.
Ryu Taeha, as if responding to his gaze, looked back and continued the story about the beastmen.
“Since they’ve lived closely knit together for over 100 years, their closed-off tendencies must have deepened even more. The saying that they’re a group with strong stubbornness for generations is also in old books.”
Nam Seokgwan, knowing this too, silently nodded. Among the countless stories about beastmen, the commonly mentioned characteristic was that they were closed-off and stubborn.
And one more thing.
“I plan to rely on the records that say they’re strongly greedy.”
Ryu Taeha spoke as if there was no other way besides that, and also smiled as if that would solve everything.
“The fact that beings with near-god abilities are greedy is… generally unfortunate for ordinary people like us, but can sometimes be fortunate.”
Who in the world would call Ryu Taeha of Sau Guild ordinary? Nam Seokgwan chose to listen as always instead of objecting.
“There’s nothing easier to grab and shake than a greedy existence.”
Ryu Taeha sought agreement with his eyes. Nam Seokgwan, who had been listening calmly without showing emotion, slowly opened his mouth.
“Do you think we have something the beastman clan chief would covet?”
“There will be. Probably.”
At the ambiguous answer, Nam Seokgwan closed his mouth again. Asking more of someone with no will to answer would only waste time.
“Guild Leader Ryu Taeha.”
Still, he decided to address at least this.
“Let’s say there is, by any chance.”
If, like a miracle, the beastman clan chief appeared on time and requested something in exchange for helping us.
“What if they want something we can’t give?”
Ryu Taeha briefly snorted. As if it wasn’t even worth considering.
“When the nation’s safety is at stake, what could we not give?”
Unlike the light gesture of shrugging his shoulders, his golden eyes were as firm as if bound to rock.
Nam Seokgwan read sincerity in his eyes. It didn’t seem like words thoughtlessly spat out to quickly end the conversation.
Just as he was about to speak one last time, Ryu Taeha’s phone rang.
Ryu Taeha left a light eye greeting and took out his phone. Behind Ryu Taeha, who had turned his back, Nam Seokgwan added his last business.
“Esper Jeong Dawoon didn’t look well.”
Though he clearly heard Nam Seokgwan’s words, Ryu Taeha didn’t show much reaction. He just answered the phone as if the vibrating phone was more important.
“Yeah, Jin-ah.”
-H-Hyung….
Ryu Jin’s delicate sobbing came through the phone. Despite hearing his younger sibling’s sudden crying, Ryu Taeha didn’t panic and calmly soothed him.
“What’s wrong. What happened.”
The fact that Ryu Jin had called him instead of texting while he was working was itself a signal that something unexpected had happened.
-Sob, sniff… Th-that….
Ryu Jin couldn’t continue his words easily. Ryu Taeha knew well that once he started crying, he couldn’t calm down easily. That’s why whenever his younger sibling cried, he always waited sufficiently for his emotions to settle.
“Jin-ah.”
However, now was a little different.
“Tell me first. Hyung will solve it.”
Ryu Jin, who had been sobbing, made some sound while holding back hiccups. A familiar name was mixed in the words that were cut off in spurts, obscured by crying.
-Da… woon… Esper-nim.
The moment Ryu Taeha heard that name, he created a transport gate.
-Guiding… won’t work.
