# Chapter 54
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## Ruler I
### Shin Noah
**1**
Today I thought I'd talk about Dang Seo-rin, the guild master of Samcheon World Guild.
But before that, let me briefly digress into Samcheonpo... As someone living as a regressor, perhaps there are parts that appear slightly differently to me, or rather, changes that I feel in greater detail than others.
Like the deepening wrinkles between Nodo-ha's brows as time passes—though that's a joke.
For instance, take the 'change in language.'
Those of you who've been reading my stories all along should already be familiar with these linguistic shifts.
A prime example is 'monsters.' Initially called by an English word, those strange life forms—or rather, things that sometimes weren't even life forms at all—began to be called 'grotesqueries' precisely for that reason.
Everyone knows that 'Gate' changed to 'Void.'
Until now I've kept it hidden to avoid confusion, but actually the term 'Awakened' underwent quite diverse changes as well.
Many called them 'Hunters,' and next came 'Transcendents.' Later on, the term 'Ascendant' was also quietly used quite often.
The further toward the latter terms, the stronger the color of that bizarre ideology called 'Awakened Supremacism.' Those who wanted to draw a line against such pseudo-eugenics preferred 'Awakened' as the most neutral term.
Why, you ask?
"Undertaker-nim...."
That's how Nodo-ha calls me.
Rather than being an honorific like 'teacher,' it was actually closer to expressing 'I don't view you as a Transcendent or Ascendant or whatever.'
This wasn't something I made up; it was a secret I heard directly when I asked in some previous iteration. Truly a Nodo-ha-esque annoyance, isn't it.
Anyway.
Amidst such fluctuating linguistic changes, there was also a word that remained unchanged and proudly kept its place no matter how much time passed.
That was 'Guild.'
**2**
I don't know who first started calling 'groups of Awakened gathered together' a guild.
The name naturally stuck to people's lips as if the unconscious community of Koreans had declared 'From now on, we've agreed to call that a guild.'
Most Awakened naturally joined guilds. Did even that lunatic Sword Empress not create a one-person guild called Yuldokuk? (Though in the 108th iteration, the guild membership briefly increased to 2 people)
So here, some might harbor a brief doubt.
What exactly does a guild do?
Well, as often seen in RPGs, if you go to an adventurer's guild, can you receive quests? Depending on how splendidly you perform quests, can you go through tier evolution processes from B-rank, A-rank, S-rank, or Bronze-Silver-Platinum ranks?
Unfortunately, such things didn't happen. That's just the crazy habit of East Asians who've been taught bureaucracy since ancient times and want to impose rank-based classes even in private domains.
I can answer very simply to the question of what a guild is.
It's just a gangster organization.
"Guild Master."
"Yeah?"
For example, in the 6th iteration, when I joined Samcheon World Guild and was serving as Dang Seo-rin's right hand, something like this happened.
"Last night, Awakened from Cheonghae Guild reportedly went around trashing all the bars operating in Nam-gu one by one."
"What?"
Dang Seo-rin, who had been sprawled out lazily, sat up.
"Those bastards should've just been eating seaweed on the island, so how dare they come up to the mainland? Evidence?"
"I've prepared everything on my way here. I asked Director Yu to turn on the minimap too. You can give the order to execute the operation anytime."
"This is why I like being Vice Guild Master."
"Will you go personally?"
"Yeah. Of course. Let's crush them."
I mentioned once before that I seem to have only told good anecdotes about Dang Seo-rin—do you remember?
If anyone who's joined the Dang Seo-rin Fan Club is reading my story, I apologize. Actually, conversations like the above occurred quite routinely in the Samcheon World office (train car).
The 'Korean Peninsula's greatest output star Awakened, the Archwitch Idol Dang Seo-rin' that you all know was merely a creation after massive historical distortion was applied a few years later.
I know this well having worked as something like this idol's manager for decades.
*Ding ding ding ding!*
As the bell rang, guild members poured out of the train in droves.
Surprisingly, all of the over two hundred guild members were wearing cone hats. Not only that. In one hand, everyone held a broom.
It was a good example showing that in a world gone mad, our guild in particular had gone mad.
Dang Seo-rin climbed onto the roof of the train station. Like a principal standing on a podium. And she gazed with great satisfaction at the scene of everyone wearing cone hats.
"Hello, kids."
"Yes, Archwitch-nim!"
"The Cheonghae Guild brats who were loitering around Yeongdo apparently had a company dinner last night at the bars we're protecting. Those kids have lots of money too. They went all the way to a 16th round of drinks, can you believe it? Must be nice living in Yeongdo these days. But those things didn't say a single word to us, their neighbors. This is hurtful, what should we do?"
"We should kill them!"
Someone shouted. It was Yu Ji-won, my adjutant and the number one agitator on the Korean Peninsula.
Dang Seo-rin blinked as if encountering a very unexpected opinion.
"Hmm... I hadn't thought about that direction, but listening to you kids, suddenly enlightenment seems to come. Yes, really good opinion. Let's kill them."
"Ohhhh!"
The Samcheon World guild members, uniform in black cone hats and black cloaks, cut across the city.
You ask if full-grown adults aren't embarrassed? First of all, there were a few who weren't adults yet, but even setting those kids aside as exceptions, of course it was embarrassing. But saying such things in front of Dang Seo-rin meant death.
The opposing guild members who suddenly came under total attack were terrified.
"Fuck! It's the Witch Faction!"
"It's Samcheon World."
"The Witch Faction has invaded! The crazy witch is here!"
"I said it's Samcheon World. You want to die?"
No one listened to Dang Seo-rin's words. Actually, almost no one remembered the guild name Samcheon World. It was just the Busan Witch Faction.
And the Witch Faction's specialty was witch hunting. Compared to the uncivilized Middle Ages, civilization had progressed given the times, but the latest trend was that witches didn't get hunted—witches did the hunting.
"Pl-please spare us...."
Three hours after battle commenced, Cheonghae Guild based in Busan's Yeongdo was annihilated.
Tap tap. Dang Seo-rin tapped the opponent's head with the end of her broom, wearing a somber expression.
"Hey."
The broom's stiff bristles poked the Cheonghae Guild Master's eye.
"Argh... Aaagh...."
"You were someone who'd be groveling in less than a day, so why did you steal money from ordinary citizens doing honest business? We don't want to fight you either. But when merchants ask us for help, hmm? We can't just pretend we didn't see our neighbors' request. Why make things difficult for people?"
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry... Please just spare me...."
"Let's play a witch game. We drown you, and if you sink, you're innocent, and if you float to the surface, you're guilty. Got it?"
"You fucking! You crazy lunatic bastard! Are you even human acting like that!"
"Kids, what are you doing? This person says they want to enter the water."
I repeated the command.
"Enter the water."
"Blub blub blub?"
I'll say it again—the modern era has progressed beyond the Middle Ages. Unlike the inquisitors of the past who would merely tie rocks or iron chunks to ankles, we introduced the latest civilization called 'concrete boots.'
Called seamounts—actually, if you looked closely, there were many mountains under the sea too. Concrete shoes were an invention that now helped humanity conquer even seamounts.
A short while later, bubbling foam rose from the sea off Busan.
I nodded my head.
"They're not floating. Guild Master."
"They were innocent."
Dang Seo-rin raised her cone hat and pressed it firmly against her chest.
Then she lowered her eyebrows sorrowfully and hung her head.
"This too is a tragedy of chaotic times. Let us all mourn."
"Everyone, moment of silence."
Following Dang Seo-rin, all two hundred guild members observed a moment of silence.
Our guild didn't only deal with water magic. Fire magic that let you taste the scent of firewood, time magic that made you keenly feel the preciousness of a vainly passing day second by second, healing magic that gave acupressure effects to the soles of your feet by making you walk on heated stone paths, and so on....
As befitting Dang Seo-rin's guild who was versed in all magic, Samcheon World never discriminated between white magic and black magic, and loved the four great elements equally.
It was good proof that in a world gone mad, Samcheon World Guild was even madder, and especially Dang Seo-rin was mad.
Now then.
Looking at just this short anecdote, I trust you sufficiently understand why I declared guilds to be 'gangster organizations.'
I did bring out a slightly provocative episode on purpose, but the guild's main source of income was protection fees. They meticulously collected taxes from people doing business in the city, working people, and refugees.
It couldn't be helped. The miraculous fantasy where you defeat monsters and—oh my—gold coins drop didn't exist in reality.
Nor was there 'Magic Stone,' the dream superconductor energy source that could replace petroleum.
The only useful thing among items dropped by monsters was the meat, at best? But there were insufficient aspects for a guild to open a butcher shop. Not only did people not prefer monster meat, but sometimes it even contained radiation and other such seasonings.
In the end, guilds had no choice but to shake down 'protection fees' from people. Actually, up to this point, all guilds nationwide—no, all guilds worldwide—were the same.
The real difference came after this. That is, it depended on how they interpreted the concept of 'protection.'
"The essence of the world is the war of all against all, and humans are the most fearsome beasts. Protection of people, by people, for people is the measure most needed by humanity in this present time."
Humanists who adopted the answer above sat down in their own territories. It was also the ruling ideology chosen by the absolute majority of tough guys.
"Isn't monster a bit scarier than humans?"
About 4%, a tiny minority of cowards, thought a bit differently.
"Humans are one thing, but we need to deal with monsters first."
"But nothing drops even if we catch them?"
"What do you mean nothing? Busan drops."
Dang Seo-rin designated the 1st of every month as protection fee payment day. And whenever the end of the month approached, she would lead guild members to subjugate the Voids outside Busan and return.
It wasn't just hunting. Dang Seo-rin always filmed the monsters dying with a camera, and captured at least one alive to drag back to Busan.
And she proved before Busan citizens that the Archwitch's magic didn't only apply to humanity.
*-Gweeeh!*
The monster, having tasted fire magic, water magic, time magic, and healing magic in order, offered thanks with all four limbs tightly bound.
"Torture it more! More! More!"
"As expected of Samcheon World Guild Master. She knows how to play."
This magic show was so popular it became a source of pride for Busan citizens and a city attraction.
When collecting protection fees the day after the execution ceremony or the day after that, amazingly, the payment rate rose significantly. Citizens' reactions were roughly along the lines of 'They showed us a fun variety show, so we should pay the admission fee.' Even when Korea's National Tax Service was functioning properly, the ratio of honest taxpayers probably wasn't this high.
"Guild Master... are you a genius?"
"Yeah. You can praise me more."
"If not for the cone hats, you'd have been in biographies."
"Wanna die?"
As Dang Seo-rin predicted, before long, Busan naturally fell into Samcheon World's embrace.
As the situation turned strangely, some humanists had no choice but to reconsider their political philosophy.
"Come to think of it, monsters were a bit scarier than humans."
"Right. You can at least communicate with people, but monsters don't negotiate at all."
"To think we didn't realize such an obvious truth until now! I feel pathetic about myself!"
As befitting the nation of early adopters, the Korean Peninsula's guild masters didn't hesitate to emulate Dang Seo-rin.
Whether out of local patriotism or lust for power, guild masters changed their main occupation to hunters. Guild masters who failed at career change were naturally selected out anyway, so they weren't even worth mentioning.
But among them, no one could catch up to Dang Seo-rin's 'Magic Show.'
Who would dare showcase magic that severed a monster's limbs (actually a bit more than four) and made them float in the air before grafting them back on?
"Why is our neighborhood execution ceremony so boring?"
"Down there in Busan, they have fire magic and water magic and all that."
"Ha, as expected, no copy beats the original."
In a world where the internet and movie theaters were all destroyed, monster execution ceremonies were hard to resist. The number of ordinary people moving to Busan increased day by day.
The fact that the protection fees Dang Seo-rin set for Busan citizens were at extremely reasonable levels also contributed to the moving craze.
And it was right around this time.
Our Archwitch, Her Excellency Dang Seo-rin, began harboring strange thoughts—though she was already strange to begin with, these were 'slightly stranger thoughts' than usual.