Chapter 59
"I'm going toooo!"
Baek Hamin was lying on the living room floor, rolling around with his whole body and cleaning the floor in the process. I had gotten somewhat used to him throwing tantrums like this, but it was still hard to handle, so I looked at Baek Eunseong with lifeless eyes.
Then, perhaps realizing that the choice lay with his uncle, Baek Hamin clung to him with chicken-shit-like tears streaming down his face while whimpering. But Baek Eunseong firmly shook his head.
"No."
"He said no."
"Waaaah..."
The child who collapsed to the floor sobbed with his small shoulders shaking, then rolled around like a broken robot vacuum cleaner again, expressing his opinion... no, screaming that he wanted to go too. However, unlike usual, Baek Eunseong was resolute.
I was only able to slip out of the house after giving the sobbing Baek Hamin a Pani doll. Since I had come out after hearing crying loud enough to make my ears ring, I finally caught my breath and headed to the garage, but unlike usual, Baek Eunseong headed to the driver's seat himself.
What? Where did the secretary go that he's driving? I patted his shoulder as he held the door handle and asked.
"Where's the secretary?"
"Ah..."
Baek Eunseong, who trailed off, curled his lips and smiled bitterly.
"I'll tell you later."
"Whatever."
With that short exchange, Baek Eunseong said nothing the entire drive. Then after arriving at the guild, he came up to me as I got out of the car, wrapped a cloak around me, and murmured softly.
"Actually, I wished you wouldn't come either..."
"If you're just going to lock me up at home, why did you buy me armor?"
"Because you would have come even if I objected, that's why."
He knows me well. I nodded to Baek Eunseong who said we'd talk later, then pulled the hood of my cloak down deep and entered the guild.
When I found a spot in the corner and quietly listened, all sorts of stories reached my ears. Dizzy from the flood of voices, I leaned against the wall and organized the information piling up in my head one by one.
* * *
Baek Eunseong's secretary, Gwak Junyoung, watched Eunseong and Dohyeon from afar while swallowing dry saliva. In his hands were blue and red bracelets.
A few days ago—no, a few weeks ago—voices within the guild supporting Baek Eunseong as the next guild master had been emerging.
However, because Eunseong's body was so weak, the forces supporting Kyeongmin had no choice but to be larger, but recently, after Eunseong displayed his capabilities at the Academy Guild, the forces supporting him were gradually growing.
Against Eunseong, there was opposition that while he possessed the power of earth related to the house, befitting the Baekwoo Guild, his body was weak and he lacked experience. Against Kyeongmin, there was opposition that while he had consistently received formal education since childhood, he lacked abilities related to the house.
Baek Jiseong, who heard and watched over all the guild's affairs, couldn't possibly be unaware of this.
Baek Jiseong, who discovered that Baek Kyeongmin, whom he cherished and loved, was hearing such talk behind his back,
"Welcome, everyone."
decided on a forceful breakthrough.
Junyoung clasped his trembling hands together and listened to Baek Jiseong's words.
"As announced in advance, two gates have appeared this time. It seems it would take too much time to conquer one and then the other, so I will enter one and Eunseong will enter the other to proceed with simultaneous conquests."
Baek Jiseong continued speaking and gestured to the secretaries.
"According to our investigation, both are dungeons related to swamps, but since we don't know what magical beasts will appear, I'll give you the choice of which gate to enter."
The basket held by the secretary was piled high with bracelets identical to the ones Junyoung was holding.
"Those who will go with me, please choose the blue bracelet. Those who will go with Eunseong, please choose the red bracelet. Considering that the conquest will be conducted on a large scale, I've linked the bracelets to the gates, so please choose carefully."
Before Baek Jiseong's words to choose carefully even finished, most of the subjugation team members chose blue bracelets and stood behind Baek Jiseong. They watched each other with sharp eyes to see who chose which bracelet.
This wasn't simply asking which dungeon to enter. It was Baek Jiseong's veiled threat to see with his own eyes who was whose person and who supported whom.
Those who caught on looked around without making a single sound. Junyoung, unable to decide, held two bracelets and hesitated when murmuring voices could be heard from somewhere.
"An S-rank can conquer a dungeon alone, right?"
"Of course."
"Then the vice-guild master can conquer a dungeon alone."
Baek Jiseong is also S-rank! Junyoung forced down the words that had risen to his throat and looked at Eunseong. The murmuring that had started from worry about Eunseong had somehow turned into content belittling him. Even though Eunseong must have heard everything, he was smiling with his eyes lowered without any sign of displeasure.
Junyoung continued swallowing dry saliva and looked around. Everyone was choosing blue bracelets while pretending to agonize. Even the people who had feigned supporting Eunseong were wearing blue bracelets on their wrists.
No matter how much he looked, he couldn't see anyone who had taken a red bracelet, and he was stamping his feet in frustration when Eunseong, who met Junyoung's eyes, smiled softly and pointed to the blue bracelet. Even though it was certain that if even he chose blue, Eunseong would be completely isolated in the Baekwoo Guild from today on.
While he was biting his lip, not knowing what to do, the majority were wearing blue bracelets and looking at Baek Jiseong. It was the moment Junyoung also squeezed his eyes shut and was about to put the blue bracelet on his wrist.
"Give it here."
Someone burst out from the crowd. Whether to stop or grab the footsteps heading toward Baek Eunseong. When someone's hood was pulled off by the outstretched hands of the bodyguards, pitch-black hair like the night sky swayed.
He chose the red bracelet without hesitation and stood next to Baek Eunseong.
"Seong... Dohyeon Hunter."
When Baek Jiseong called his name in a low voice, Seong Dohyeon raised his chin and looked straight into Baek Jiseong's eyes.
"Why? You told me to follow him around."
* * *
Baek Jiseong: Please choose carefully.
A few days ago, along with a text message saying a gate had been discovered, Baek Jiseong had contacted me. I wondered what he meant by choosing, and this is what he was talking about. Anyway, it's incredibly childish. Clicking my tongue, I put on the bracelet while ignoring Baek Eunseong's wide-eyed gaze.
I chose Baek Eunseong because the idea of openly dividing people to see who had more on their side was so childishly irritating that it gave me goosebumps, but if I had obediently listened to Baek Jiseong's words, the grand tiled mansion that he would have bestowed upon me flashed before my eyes.
Tsk, if I sold that, I could have bought at least one more material.
I tilted my head at Baek Jiseong who was staring at this side as if to ask what he was looking at. Good grief, when he was hinting that I shouldn't follow Baek Eunseong, that was one thing, but now that I am following him, he's giving me attitude again.
When I snorted and waved the red bracelet as if to show off, Baek Jiseong, who smiled artificially, gripped the microphone.
"Has everyone made their choice?"
I remained silent and was looking around when I opened my bag to check if I had enough ingredients and potions. Since only Baek Eunseong and I would be entering, it would end in just two waves, so I wondered if there was any need to bring them, but just in case. Honestly, with Baek Eunseong, it seemed unlikely I'd even get hurt.
As I let out a hollow laugh and turned toward the gate, I felt a wriggling flow on the ground. At the same time I looked down, Baek Eunseong placed his hand on the ground.
"...Kyeongmin?"
At the careful call, mud sprang up from the ground and Baek Kyeongmin rose up. Running with squelching footsteps, Baek Kyeongmin snatched the red bracelet from the basket.
"Kyeongmin!"
Baek Kyeongmin, who hesitated for a moment at Baek Jiseong's shout, clenched his lips and dove into the mud. At the same time, mud started dripping from all directions. While the subjugation team members who ran at Baek Jiseong's gesture were scurrying about, not knowing where Baek Kyeongmin would appear, I watched the situation with my arms crossed, and Baek Eunseong was tapping the ground and communicating with Baek Kyeongmin.
What a mess, a total mess.
As I muttered quietly, at that moment I saw morning glories creeping around my ankle.
"Baek Hamin!"
"Hamin?!"
When I saw traces of someone who shouldn't be here, I urgently called Asil. When I ordered to find Baek Hamin immediately, perhaps because he was nearby, Baek Hamin was dragged over with a pouty expression, wrapped up by Asil.
"Didn't I tell you to stay home?"
"You did..."
Baek Hamin avoided my eyes and fidgeted with his hands. How on earth did a child come all the way here alone?
"I asked to come together."
Ugh, jeez, that startled me.
Baek Kyeongmin, who suddenly popped up from the mud, shoved two bracelets into Baek Hamin's hands and disappeared back into the mud. This isn't a game of whack-a-mole, and with Baek Kyeongmin popping up from all directions, I was losing my mind. In the midst of it all, Baek Hamin and Baek Eunseong were wrestling over the bracelets.
"I'm going too!"
"I said stay home!"
"If Kyeongmin hyung can go, why can't I!"
"Baek Hamin! Do you really want to be scolded!"
"I hate you, uncle!"
...I need to catch Baek Kyeongmin first. I wove a net with Asil, and the moment Baek Kyeongmin popped up, I snatched him in one go. He may be an S-rank hunter, but he was still a kid. How dare he mess with a veteran hunter.
As I looked down at Baek Kyeongmin, whose expression had hardened from being caught in an instant, and snorted, Baek Jiseong came running in a fluster. With a stiff expression, Baek Jiseong confronted Baek Kyeongmin who was held in my arms.
"Kyeongmin, what is the meaning of this."
"You said the choice is free. I will enter the dungeon with the vice-guild master."
"No."
The moment I, who shook my head before Baek Jiseong, was about to hand Baek Kyeongmin over to Baek Jiseong's secretary—thinking I saw a bright light shining from somewhere—I saw the gate activating. Beneath the gate I casually peered into, mud had pooled.
Don't tell me, Baek Kyeongmin, you...?
"I'll be going now, father."
With those words, a bright light enveloped us.