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Chapter 94:
Once a celebrity took off, they could rake in an enormous amount of wealth and fame. In exchange, they had to give up on their private life. Wealth and fame vs. private life. Where there was light, there was shadow. Only by being popular in the media could you acquire wealth and fame, and in the process, you ended up forfeiting most of your private life and freedom. You win some, you lose some.
“...So basically, Taeguk Shield can take all the fame and glory. I don’t need that kind of thing.”
My eyes were solely on the practical gains. I didn’t need the troublesome interest of the public. But I still wanted the benefits that came with such fame. Normally, that would be impossible, but not if I worked with Taeguk Shield.
Might as well pick out only the good stuff, right? The method where I could have my cake and eat it too was to put Taeguk Shield in the front and operate in the back.
“So you want to put Taeguk Shield on the outside and take the actual profits?”
That’s right, bullseye.
“Of course, my teammates will do their best to cooperate with Taeguk Shield. We can meet later to decide the particulars.”
How favorable would those particulars be? That would be an enjoyable conundrum.
“It’s win-win for us both. I would put Taeguk Shield on the outside and get the practical benefits. Taeguk Shield would get our help and gain the fame and power the guild always wanted.”
They would become the heroes of Korea. That had always been Sungshin’s true aim with Taeguk Shield. The guild’s success would have an enormous effect on improving Sungshin’s image.
“Through that, Guildmaster Song Kiyeol would take a big step forward in the fight for succession.”
“...”
“You would be able to win the high ground in your competition with your particularly strong competitor, your second-oldest sibling.”
“You’ve even seen through that much?”
Song Kiyeol must have never imagined that he would have such a conversation with an ordinary person, and in the police station, no less.
“I don’t intend on becoming a guild member of Taeguk Shield, but I will think of your guild as an ally of the highest priority.”
“...”
Kiyeol had completely lost the initiative to me. If that was enough to bruise his pride, then he wouldn’t develop any further. He would only grow if he viewed this situation as a learning experience and got something out of it.
‘What will you do?’
I would be happy to see him ask the one question that really hit bullseye. ‘Just why did you insist on Taeguk Shield? With this much insight, you could have gotten another partner. Is it really only because you dislike the public’s interest and find it troublesome? It’s a little difficult to understand if that is your only reasoning.’ If he sent me such an appropriate line of questioning, I would give Song Kiyeol a few more brownie points.
“I have one question.”
“Fire away.”
“Is that really all you want? A simple cooperative relationship? Judging by the current situation, you have already seen through us. You have far more information than we do and have the skills to stand in a far more dominant position.”
“Your assessment is sound.”
Yes, that was exactly right. Then there’s a question you need to ask me, isn’t there? I gave him some more time.
“But is it really because you dislike the public’s interest? Currently, I find it a little difficult to understand… why you are refusing fame and glory.”
Good, well done. It was a pretty good question. I decided to reward him with a little more information.
“That is in part related to my class. The one I have a contract with… does not like to see me acting in the front.”
Actually, the Nameless Guardian didn’t particularly prohibit me from doing so. They simply observed in silence. Even so, this kind of gesture was necessary. All things considered, my Guardian was my biggest customer, my VVIP. It was good to show at least this much goodwill.
‘And it’s an explanation that can convince him.’
After some time, his summary changed.
Summary: Enlightened 3rd Generation Chaebol
He still had a long way to go. He needed to become an enlightened ‘Guildmaster’, not an enlightened ‘3rd Generation Chaebol’.
‘Well, he’s still a beginner.’
He had performed well enough to deserve some leniency.
“Will you agree to a cooperative relationship of the highest priority?” I asked. “Of course, it would be a verbal agreement for now. We’ll have to discuss the particulars later.”
A spoken contract was nonbinding. Naturally, there had to be a written contract. I was saying this to see Song Kiyeol’s guts and willingness to cooperate.
In this situation, where I was the ‘superior’ and he was the ‘inferior’, it might very well be a bold move for him to decisively accept a contract with me without concrete clauses. No, it was definitely a bold move—he didn’t know what exactly I would demand.
‘Well then. What will you do?’
He had barely scraped by in my test. All things considered, Taeguk Shield’s Song Kiyeol was still way better than the Blood and Iron Queen.
‘Queen’ sounded nice, but she was actually more often called ‘Witch’. It was my personal judgment that working with Song Kiyeol was much better than working with Song Junghye, the woman who had wielded nearly absolute power after President Song Kiyoung passed away. I didn’t know what kind of influence this decision would have on the future, but in any case, it was far more favorable for me.
‘Answer me.’
I gave the ‘inferior’ party more time. Shortly afterwards, Song Kiyeol gave me his response.
“I agree.” He continued calmly, “Though I do get the feeling that I was dragged along by you the whole day.”
At least he knew.
“It was a very educational day.”
He seemed more humble than how I had judged him to be when I first saw him on the 12th floor.
“Next time, I will look a little more broadly and seize the initiative from you, Mr. Kim Hyukjin.”
“That’s exactly what I want.”
That’s right. You, the Guildmaster of Taeguk Shield, need to become a little more smart and wily so that I, your partner, can have an easier time.
With a slightly more relaxed expression, Song Kiyeol said, “Shall we leave, then? I have already arranged to have you escorted back in comfort to your home.”
“Thank you.”
I was thankful, but I wasn’t done talking yet.
“If I were you, Guildmaster Song Kiyeol, I would have made a different proposal.”
I decided to give Song Kiyeol, a man considered to be relatively kind and honest for a 3rd generation chaebol, a little tip.
“...Pardon?”
“The President aside, isn’t it true that both Guildmaster Song Kiyeol and the other members of Taeguk Shield still do not know much about me?”
“That’s true, but…”
He knew that I had choked Kim Taechun to unconsciousness, put the Orcanthropes into a groggy state, and had a ‘sovereign’ class.
“I’m sure the Players of Taeguk Shield are particularly skilled people.”
That was a no-brainer, since each of them had been carefully selected.
“So how do you intend on explaining to them that Taeguk Shield and I have established a tight knit cooperative relationship? Do you think you can convince them? To them, I am an unknown Player who never even gave a proper explanation of how I subdued the Orcanthropes.”
“...”
The higher one’s skill, the more likely it was that they had strong pride. Knowing that very well, I gave the Guildmaster another push.
“There are definitely Players from Taeguk Shield who were able to read my movements.” If so… “There must be Players who boasted that they could beat me.”
“...”
State: Awed / Surprised / Slight Fear
I could tell from his state. I had clearly hit the bullseye with a single prod. I decided to prod a little more.
“For example, the Player wielding the spear. Or the Player who uses poison.”
“You simply… continue to surprise me.”
In the end, Song Kiyeol acknowledged everything I said, which was far better than not acknowledging the truth of my words and feigning ignorance. I decided to throw him another tip.
“If you are unable to seize full control of Taeguk Shield, your grandfather will be disappointed.”
That was actually Song Kiyeol’s biggest immediate issue, the issue he had to settle before all else. He had to first turn Taeguk Shield into his loyal hands and feet. Only then would he be acknowledged by his grandfather and have a favorable position in the future fight for succession.
“I truly cannot believe you are really 20.”
There was nothing he could do even if he didn’t believe it. I, too, had no idea that I was this capable. I thought I was an idiot because I kept failing the civil service exam, but looking at it now, that didn’t seem to be true. I surprised myself.
I scratched his itch a little more.
“To prevent the Guildmaster from being in an awkward spot, I will gladly accept a test.”
“...What?”
He really needed me to hold his hand from start to finish, huh. There was a lot to teach him.
“If I were you, I would have proposed a test.”
“...”
So come on, say it with your own mouth. That way, you can look more justified in front of your guild members, right? I’ll do you a solid and simply accept.
I spelled it out more concretely. “For example… something like a PVP.”
“A PVP? But you are…”
“That’s right, I am a non-combat class. My specialty isn’t combat.” So in other words… “What kind of influence do you think a sovereign class Player who could win against a combat class Player would have in their specialty field?”
Was that enough for him to finally get it?
“If I were to tell you I could even prove my Playing abilities as a sovereign, what would you do?”
I would prove my outstanding abilities my own way, and Song Kiyeol would prove his discernment his own way.
“And what do you think the evaluation would be of the Guildmaster who was the first to recognize and actively approach the Player who proved his abilities?”
After a short moment, Song Kiyeol spoke with a serious expression. “Please allow me to test you. The test will be a PVP match. As for your opponent, I will choose a Player from Taeguk Shield and inform you at a later time.”
While saying that, he snuck glances at me like he was scared I might be displeased or offended.
‘Of course not. You did well. This is how you do it. Keep going like this in the future. You finally seem more like the Guildmaster of Taeguk Shield. You’ve gotta do well so that I’ll wanna cooperate again with you in the future, dude.’
“I accept the test.”
“Thank you.”
“It would be best if you were to bring up a reasonable proposal like this first next time.”
“...”
For the briefest moment, Song Kiyeol’s eye twitched.
“...I will keep that in mind.”
He wasn’t simply unhappy. His summary changed.
Summary: 3rd Generation Chaebol who Met his Teacher
That was a pretty decent change, wasn’t it?
* * *
One day passed. My opponent would be the future Spear Demon, Byeon Gilsup. It went without being said that the Guardians were also told about the PVP match. It was one of the types of content they went wild for.
‘PVP, huh.’
A PVP against the Spear Demon. Rather than nervousness, I felt excitement.
‘It should be fun.’
The day of the match was just around the corner. It would happen tomorrow.
‘A simple frontal duel would be a bit risky.’
I didn’t think I would be defeated even in a frontal battle, but I wouldn’t be able to show an ‘overwhelming difference in skill’. The opponent was the future Spear Demon. He would be a far stronger PVPer than the Brown Bear Kim Taechun.
‘I have to show them an overwhelming difference in skill.’
Then, Guildmaster Song Kiyeol would have a justification, and he would be able to show his grandfather that his discernment was correct. And considering the days of cooperation ahead of us, it was best to show overwhelming strength. Even better if I could prove my entire party’s strength, not just my own.
‘Then I guess… that’s the method I’ll have to use.’
There was a method that would allow me, a non-combat class Player, to win against the combat class Player Byeon Gilsup with an ‘overwhelming difference in skill’, and that method wasn’t far away.
‘Time to get overgeared.’
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