Chapter 32
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Producer II
Shin Noah
Noh Do-ha's patients never hesitated to 'praise their teacher' whenever they gathered.
"Say, looking at the road laid in Bansong, it's refreshing and nice."
"Exactly. Honestly, that asphalt all cracked up is an eyesore. Instead of managing uselessly wide lanes, just neatly and prettily laying it as a single lane—how much better is that?"
"As expected of Teacher Noh. Where is Teacher Noh's hometown?"
"I heard it's Haenam Land's End Village."
"As expected, someone born in a place with good water and good air! Wish someone like that would be born in our neighborhood too."
At first glance, it sounded like grandfathers chattering while playing Go, but originally, elderly citizens preferred detours over straight roads. If one were to translate their inner thoughts, it would be as follows:
'I'm envious! I'm so envious!'
'Please lay roads in our neighborhood too!'
Noh Do-ha was someone born into this world with distrust and hatred of humanity as his passive traits, and naturally, he could intuitively grasp the ugly and sordid desires lurking behind the words humans spoke.
However, this eccentric was infinitely generous to his patients. Perhaps it was a favorability rating like a limited edition? Just as a dictator who hates humanity would call themselves a mere butler before their pet, Noh Do-ha too was balancing his heart in a peculiar way.
"Sir……. You want me to lay roads in your neighborhood too……?"
"Hmm? No no, Teacher! That's not what I was trying to say!"
"But that is what you said and what you're saying……. So would you like me to lay it, or would you prefer I don't……?"
"Ahh, well. It would be nice if you laid it, it would be really nice if you did. I feel like I'm complaining to the Teacher who's already so busy with work, so my heart……."
"Yes. You must be sorry. A patient who has nothing but age in this kind of world is clinging to a promising technician like me. I know you spoke up, so please continue being sorry along with the other patients……."
"……."
Noh Do-ha visited the Guild Union.
Now and then, the Union's Alliance Leader was Dang Seo-rin. As for me, I was nothing more than a mercenary captain occasionally summoned to work.
"Welcome, Teacher Noh Do-ha. I heard you're starting a business these days."
"I hope you've been well……. It's a bit embarrassing to talk about business in front of Samcheon. I'm just gathering some middle-aged men who used to roll around construction sites to carve out a few li of shabbier roads than new roads……."
Surprisingly, Noh Do-ha was formal with Dang Seo-rin.
It wasn't particularly because they got along. Their wallets got along. Anyone would develop manners they didn't have if they saw the material assets Dang Seo-rin cheerfully contributed to Noh Do-ha's workshop every quarter.
"Why be humble in front of me? So what's the matter?"
"Well. I'm doing some repair work on existing roads to make it easier for patients to come and go……. There are issues of fairness, and human hearts are fickle—don't they sulk alone when they think only they weren't taken care of? So since we're already doing construction……."
"Are you perhaps planning to fix the entire road network of Busan?"
"Yes, well……. That would actually be neater. But it becomes such a massive construction project. There are more than one or two guilds claiming each area as their own territory."
"Hmm."
Dang Seo-rin stroked the tip of her cone hat.
"You want me to do some area cleanup?"
"Yes. If that's not feasible, you could just call me when there's a guild meeting or something and arrange a seat……."
"That's right. That would be better. If I go around bossing Teacher Noh Do-ha, some guilds will obviously throw a fit. Things like this need to be handled by the Teacher from start to finish to avoid any backlash."
"That could be true. Guild masters with only dirty pride and greed are all like that……."
"Good."
Dang Seo-rin smiled broadly.
"I'll arrange a seat as soon as possible."
"Thank you, Alliance Leader."
Noh Do-ha laughed darkly, "Heh."
"Later, if by any chance you become crippled, I'll really do your whole body at a cheap price. Just come back with only your brain and heart intact……."
"……."
What's worth noting here isn't the word 'cripple' but the part about 'really cheap price.' Even if she died, there was no mention of doing it 'for free.'
Noh Do-ha bowed and exited the train car.
Dang Seo-rin looked at the sofa where I sat. Coincidentally, I too had come to visit Samcheon Guild as a guest.
"What do you think?"
"Noh Do-ha is a good person."
I sank into the sofa. Perhaps because it was a lounge car converted from what was virtually the only ultra-luxury train in the country, the chairs were very cozy.
Dang Seo-rin looked at me sullenly.
"He cursed at me, calling me a cripple?"
"To be more specific, he said 'if you become a cripple later.' Don't sulk. If you weigh every word from that person, only you'll get tired. Has the Samcheon Guild Master ever seen Noh Do-ha treat patients?"
"No."
"I once had the opportunity to observe by his side all day."
This wasn't about this iteration but another iteration.
Ah, for reference, I always spin tales as if the story connects in a single line, but that doesn't mean all these events happened during one iteration. More often, I edited and connected events that occurred across multiple iterations.
For example, that was the case when describing this country's government falling apart. It's not like I'm glued to the radio 24 hours a day—how would I know what statements the Second Provisional Government and the coup forces made?
Some speeches I heard in the 4th iteration, others in the 11th iteration. The sight of refugees grabbing the Seoul Deputy Mayor for Political Affairs and throwing him off the bridge, I only witnessed directly in the 37th iteration.
My 'omniscient observer perspective' was secured through numerous iterations and experiences.
And I invested as much time as needed to determine whether a person was trustworthy or not. Among them, there was also an iteration where I worked almost like an assistant beside Noh Do-ha.
Unfortunately, until the previous iterations, I wasn't present on this day when Noh Do-ha visited Dang Seo-rin. So Noh Do-ha's projects always progressed only as far as downtown Busan at best and ended there.
But from now on, it will be different.
As I said, this time I 'coincidentally' came to visit Samcheon Guild's headquarters.
"Patients with physical discomfort often have uncomfortable hearts too. Is it only the patients themselves? If there are guardians, the guardians too. Listening to such people's grumbling and curses, Noh Do-ha never once refused a patient."
"Hmm."
"He only looks sinister and has peculiar speech, but you'd be hard-pressed to find someone as good as Noh Do-ha anywhere."
"He rips off Awakened ones every day."
"He rips them off while reading the person. Didn't I tell you? He never once refused a patient. Do you think only Awakened ones with some financial comfort visited Noh Do-ha's workshop?"
Dang Seo-rin propped her chin on her hand.
"…Still, he's someone who only cared for patients his whole life. Can he take responsibility when entrusted with big work?"
"He's not someone who adjusts responsibility to his own size, but someone who adjusts himself to the size of responsibility. It's fine."
"……."
Finally, she nodded.
"Alright. If it's Funeral Director's character assessment, it's trustworthy."
And Dang Seo-rin was the type who, once she gave trust, would follow through to the ends of hell.
Not long after, a national guild meeting was held off the coast of Busan. As one might guess from the expression 'off the coast,' they launched a cruise ship.
In reality, there was no fuel to actually sail, so it was just docked at the pier, but even this was a luxury and splendor hard to even imagine in these times.
The Second Provisional Government officials and Youth Officer Corps members, who typically tried to wedge themselves into such official events, were thoroughly rejected.
Several 'self-proclaimed big shots' sent people to protest, but Dang Seo-rin casually ignored them. Second Provisional Government Foreign Minister? What's that? Ah, a member of the Fukushima Korean Association. Sorry, we can't hear well here, so please cross the Korea Strait first and then speak.
Only guild masters gathered at the meeting.
The only person invited as a guest here was Noh Do-ha. Excluding the chef, singer, and jazz band called for appearance's sake.
"Um……. Alliance Leader……?"
"Why?"
Noh Do-ha looked around the guild masters attending the meeting with a troubled expression. It was an uncommon face.
"I don't know if it's just my imagination, but it seems like not just Busan guild masters but all national-level guild masters have gathered……?"
"Ah."
Dang Seo-rin waved her hand as if it was nothing.
"Don't worry. When I said I was holding a meeting, inquiries came in from here and there. Since it's been so long since we've seen each other's faces. Wouldn't it be better to extend the acquaintance expiration date while we're at it?"
"Aha……."
It was a lie.
The event proceeded as follows. First, Dang Seo-rin, who hosted the meeting, came out and gave greetings. Simply, while making it thoroughly obvious that she wasn't the main character of this occasion.
Next was my turn.
An enthusiastic reception erupted.
"Funeral Director! How long has it been!"
"Please come visit Gangwon-do too. Our kids want to see Funeral Director so much."
"Is Sim A-ryeon doing well? Thanks to you sending Sim A-ryeon last time, we cleared the gate safely."
"I'll definitely arrange a seat sometime to host you!"
Even the Sword Empress old man sat with crossed arms at one corner of the hall.
It was truly a gathering of Korea's influential Awakened ones.
I just degraded myself to mercenary captain level, but did you know? Even Switzerland, a permanently neutral country, once made a living from mercenary work. It also created a historical precedent showing that trust earned from mercenary work is very easily converted to financial business.
Simply put, among the national-level guild masters gathered here, there were extremely few who hadn't owed me a favor at least once.
And like all diligent debtors, the guild masters were desperate to repay the principal and interest they owed to the bank called me. They knew well what kind of snowball would roll if they didn't pay now.
"I sincerely thank everyone who has traveled far and over dangerous roads to gather here. If this were ordinary, this would be just a common greeting, but today's meeting theme is contained entirely in this greeting. The long and treacherous road. Isn't it time to fix it?"
"Right on!"
"Whistle—!"
Today's meeting theme? That kind of thing was already written in detail when sending the invitations.
Furthermore, the moment guild masters opened their letters, the Saintess even sent a Constellation chat. Something like [The 'Saintess Who Saves the Nation' regards this quest very favorably].
Dang Seo-rin's authority. My trust. The Constellation's guarantee.
Literally a trinity. Currently on the Korean Peninsula, no stronger letter of credence existed. Probably nowhere in the world either.
"Many of you probably already know. Our Awakened ones' eternal supporter! Thanks to this person, even if arms and legs get chewed by monsters, it's no problem! The owner of 'Noh Do-ha Workshop' who has rendered distinguished service in pushing Awakened ones' combat abilities to the limit! …And a person of such humanity and character that even Awakened ones with quite a temper shake their heads at this. Everyone, please welcome with enthusiastic applause! The 'Limb Maker' Noh Do-ha!"
Thunderous applause erupted. Not as hyperbole, but literally. Who used thunder magic?
Looking, Dang Seo-rin was leading the first melody from the front row. A happy smile was all over her face.
For reference, Dang Seo-rin held grudges for an amazingly long time. If someone had called her a cripple, Dang Seo-rin intended to gladly prove who the cripple was now.
I only described Dang Seo-rin's good sides, but she once grabbed a rival guild master who cursed at her, castrated him completely, then laughed saying "Oh my, there's a TS pretty girl here? Now, who's the bitch?"
Of course, that was because she had a particularly deep bad relationship with that guild master. Anyway, it was good proof that the position of Korean Awakened Guild Alliance Leader wasn't won with poker chips.
Have you heard the saying that birds of a feather flock together? That like-minded people play well together? While it's become much less so now, I too was once the closest confidant who rose to vice guild master under Dang Seo-rin like that.
"……."
Noh Do-ha, having received the full kindness of both Dang Seo-rin and me, trembled with joy throughout his body.
Noh Do-ha walked thump-thump onto the stage after being introduced by me. Then he grabbed the microphone. The expression Noh Do-ha wore at this moment, hmm. It was probably an expression he made quite often back when he was a 7th-grade civil servant.
To put it in an even simpler sentence, it was as follows:
"I am Noh Do-ha……."
We're screwed.
An Infinite Regressor Spinning Tales