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At Kang Heseop’s warning, some representatives swallowed dry saliva and trembled. Astora’s representative didn’t seem to have expected it to turn out like this.
“Are you threatening us now?”
“Threatening! I’m just trying to do what you want. You’re the one who pushed my guild members with cheap background checks.”
“……”
“I’m just proving you are wrong by showing what they are capable of, so what’s wrong with that?”
Kang Heseop looked at Astora’s representative and the people around him as if they are pathetic. They were furious at his gaze and were about to say something, but someone else responded before them.
“I agree with Kang Heseop. It was Astora representative who raised their credibility, so isn’t it fine if they could prove their skills?”
One of the representatives, who was quietly observing the situation, expressed his opinion in a calm and serious voice.
“Perhaps other representatives will not be dissatisfied if that part alone is clearly proven. Right?”
When he asked for consent by asking the representatives around him, the rest of the delegates quickly nodded and agreed with his opinion.
“As Gaon Guild representative said, as long as the skills are clear, there is no reason for us to be dissatisfied.”
“Isn’t there a reason for the Angels choosing them in the first place? I think they deserve a chance to prove themselves.”
“I also agree with the Gaon Guild representative.”
Opinions supporting Kang Heseop’s proposal slowly started gathering momentum.
“Ough… I guess most of them are in agreement with my proposal.”
“Ugh…”
Kang Heseop had a more relaxed expression. In contrast, Astora’s representative’s expression kept getting distorted. Now, the atmosphere seemed to have been completely turned upside down.
Kang Heseop did not stop here, he provoked the opponent with a more blatant expression.
“What? You kept blabbering until a while ago. What happened now? Did your mouth got glued together?”
“……”
“why? Aren’t you confident in your member’s skills? Unlike us, doesn’t the Astora Guild judge their guild members based on their skills?”
At the intense provocation, Astora representative shouted with a reddened face.
“Stop it!”
Astora’s representative exhaled quite heavily as if letting out his intense emotions. After taking a while to regain his composure, he said, staring at Kang Heseop as if he was going to kill him.
“Fine. As you said, let’s test the skills of the two.”
Hearing that, Kang Heseop raised the corner of his mouth and laughed.
“It should have been like this from the beginning.”
“It seems that the Guardians guild representative is very confident in their skills. I will check it very thoroughly. Do you have any complaints about that?”
“Rather, that’s what I was hoping for from your side.”
Why?
Why did things turn out like this?
We came here to discuss the Angel mission, but it suddenly turned out to be a stage to test our skills.
Things progressed pretty quickly that I didn’t know how to digest everything.
As if understanding what was on my mind, Jin asked Kang Heseop with a worried expression.
“Guild Master, is it fine this way? Without any prior preparation, brother Si and Miss. Lia will be tested out of the blue……”
“What will be different if they had prepared? And if you don’t prepare, your original skills will come out better.”
“……”
At Kang Heseop’s sophisticated answer, Jin was unable to speak further. Instead, Yerin, who was next to him, continued the conversation.
“Guild Mas… No, uncle Kang. Is there no other way?”
When Yerin asked in a serious tone, Kang Heseop answered looking at me and Lia.
“Well…, this is what Director Lee Seok asked me to do. I just did my part.”
“ Lee Seok? Do you mean the head of Dimension management headquarters?”
Yerin was surprised at the unexpected name.
Lia and I were also interested in the story, so we waited for Kang Heseop’s reply.
“Yes. He knew there would be a controversy like this at today’s meeting, so he contacted me yesterday evening.”
As expected of Director Lee. Since he has been managing incidents like this in the industry for a long time, he seems to have predicted how the flow of the meeting would be.
He seemed to have anticipated the flow of the meeting without much difficulty.
“Director Lee Seok said, Miss. Lia’s skills are the real deal.”
Hearing Kang Heseop’s words, Jin looked at Lia with a surprised look.
He must have expected her skills to be good, but wouldn’t have thought it would be this much.
Yerin, on the other hand, was relatively calm because she know that Lia was a Demon.
Kang Heseop continued his explanation.
“Director seems to have expected that those guys would come out like this. So, he advised me on how to respond.”
Jin’s expression showed he was impressed by Director Lee’s insight.
“Is that why guild master made such a strong provocation on purpose?”
“Oh… that’s just because I wanted to see that smart ass’s face crumble.”
I understood roughly why the situation turned out like this when Kang Heseop explained.
If Kang Heseop hadn’t responded like that, things would have gotten much uglier. Maybe all the representatives would have turned against us.
However, apart from the correct response, the most important problem still remained.
Lia and I need to prove our skills.
The Astora representative and some people gathered a little away from where we were standing and were discussing on how to test our skills.
Since Kang Heseop provoked him strongly, he might try to get back at Kang Heseop somehow.
When I was feeling nervous, Lia, who was next to me, called me quietly.
“Sihyeon, don’t worry.”
“Lia…”
“I’m sure we can do it.”
Her eyes gleamed with confidence as she said that.
Thanks to her words, my anxious mind became a little relaxed.
After a while, the representative of Astora guild approached us.
“The discussion with other representatives on the testing method is over. Follow me. I’ll explain the details when we get to the prepared place.”
After saying what he had to say, he turned around and started walking.
Kang Heseop shrugged his shoulders and gestured us to follow.
We left the conference room, led by Kang Heseop.
The place where the Astora representative arrived along with the other representatives was the basement of the building.
There were several objects that appeared to be artifacts in a very large space.
As I kept looking around, wondering what kind of place it was, Jin came to my side and explained in a low voice.
“This is a space where we can use our artifacts and equipment without any constraints. The surrounding walls and structures are magically reinforced, so we can demonstrate as much power as we want.”
“Oh….”
I nodded to Jin’s explanation and understood the purpose of the underground space.
We arrived at a separate area inside the underground space.
Guild representatives and officials were already gathered there.
Most of them looked this way with an expression of interest.
Astora representative, who was at the forefront, stopped and said.
“We’re here.”
“Okay… what are we going to do here?”
“We thought about a lot of ways to test their skills, but we’ve decided to use the simplest and most intuitive method. It’s two-on-two Free sparring.”
Free sparring?
A murmur broke out among some people.
Astora representative did not care about it and continued his explanation.
“The way is simple. We’ll be limiting their magical powers with artifacts and making them fight. There are two conditions for victory. You win if you destroy the opponent’s defensive artifact, or if you push the opponent to raise their magical powers more than the limited level.”
It seemed to be a way of using artifacts to compete within a safe range.
I’d never heard of it before, but from the reaction of the people around me, it seemed to be quite a normal way of confrontation.
“Is this way fine with you guys?”
With a sly smile, the Astora representative asked, and Kang Heseop replied casually.
“Yes. But, who are they going to compete against?”
“Fortunately, we had the right people, so I asked them to come ASAP.”
As soon as the Astora representative stopped speaking, two people stepped forward.
They were men who looked a little older than me.
“Both of them are our Astora Guild members. This time, they didn’t make it to the Angel list, but they were listed on the previous list.”
“Hmm….”
Kang Heseop, who has been relaxed from the beginning, showed a hesitant attitude for the first time.
In response to his reaction, Astora guild representative’s smile grew bigger.
Looking at the two people who stepped forward, Yerin muttered.
“This won’t be easy?”
Jin, who listened to her, hurriedly added.
“Rather than being easy or difficult, it’s a disadvantageous match.”
“Why? Why is it disadvantageous?”
When I asked with a flustered expression, Jin immediately continued his explanation.
“At a glance, Free sparring might seem like a fair match, but it’s advantageous to one side depending on the matchup. For example, a wizard like me can’t help but be helpless against an agile opponent who moves very fast.”
“Ah…”
I understood what Jin was trying to say.
The powerful skill which might be efficient while dealing with monsters seems to be completely inefficient in this rule-based confrontation.
Moreover, the Astora representative has proposed a confrontation in their favor, as if expecting this kind of situation.
“Of all things, both opponents are quick on their feet and swordsmen. It’s the best combination in Free sparring battles.”
“In addition, Sihyeon’s strength is more on the support side rather than direct combat…”
“Maybe… those Astora guys may have known it in advance and suggested this way.”
Yerin and Jin responded negatively to the unfolding situation.
Perhaps Kang Heseop hesitated for the same reason.
“What do you think, Mr. Guardian? If you don’t like the way I suggested it, you can refuse.”
“….”
At the time when Kang Heseop hesitated to give an answer.
“I don’t care. I’ll accept it.”
Lia proudly stepped forward and accepted the challenge.
Kang Heseop looked at her with a surprised expression.
And soon, he turned his head and looked at me as if asking if it was all right.
Looking at Lia’s confident manner, Astora’s representative showed some signs of confusion but quickly returned to a relaxed smile.
“Oh! You’re so confident. You said your name was Lia, right? Then what about the other person? Do you agree with this confrontation?”
He asked me with a grin.
His attitude seemed to be mocking me.
“Are you confident, too?”
Lia, who stepped forward, turned her head and met my eyes.
Just by looking at her eyes, I could understand what she was trying to tell me.
How many times have I asked people to believe in me?
It seems like it’s my turn to believe in Lia and in myself.
Even though it might be a disadvantageous fight, I believe in Lia and the training that Alfred gave me.
Mustering my determination, I stepped forward and said while standing next to Lia.
“All right. I’ll accept it.”