She had a tendency to trust someone far too much once she decided they were one of her people.
In truth, it was only natural. She was still seventeen.
No matter how you looked at it, the power struggles within a guild were too filthy and dark a political arena for a seventeen-year-old’s experience to navigate.
······Ah.
Now that I think about it, that incident breaks out right around winter break.
The so-called “Yu Yeonha Overreach Scandal.”
“What do you think?”
“Huh? Oh, is this the thing I asked you for before?”
I took out the carefully wrapped pills from inside the documents.
“Yes. They’re elixirs made by condensing mana crystals and wild ginseng. Each pill would probably fetch around a hundred million won.”
“A hundred million per pill?”
Then this meant this was worth two billion.
“Is it worth that much?”
“Not really. But the sort of people who can afford to buy it actually get more suspicious if it’s cheap. It means we can legally fleece them. And with the ingredients used to make those twenty pills, we could make three to four hundred doses of other medicine. If we don’t sell elixirs for that much, we’d be taking a loss instead.”
“Mm.”
Nodding, I examined the information on this elixir.
===
[Wild Ginseng Elixir] [Mid-High Grade] [Consumable]
─An elixir created by neutralizing mana crystal solution with wild ginseng. Considerable and meticulous technical skill is evident.
*Upon consumption, strength, stamina, endurance, and magic power will increase by 0.001–0.02 over the course of 24 hours. (However, the higher the consumer’s stats, the lower the efficiency.)
*Possibility of side effect, qi deviation (走火入魔)─0.5% (However, if multiple pills are consumed within 24 hours, the probability increases exponentially.)
===
At this level, it was not only useful for raising stats, but would also be potent enough even if I modified its settings to my liking.
“Take only one pill a day.”
“Yeah, sounds good.”
In that case, I should repay her as well.
“Hey. And this.”
I took out one of the wild ginseng roots I had stored inside Stigma. Its ocher form stretched out radiantly and beautifully. Yu Yeonha’s eyes shone like jewels as she looked at its elegant shape.
“Wow. You found another one?”
“Of course. But if Sin Jonghak finds out about this one, he’s going to get really mad.”
At my meaningful words, Yu Yeonha stared quietly at me.
No matter how good I was, I couldn’t find wild ginseng every time I went up a mountain.
However, the story changed if that mountain had an owner. Especially if it was a mountain like “Wind Mountain,” owned by Jinsung, untouched by human presence for a long time.
I whispered softly.
“I’ll leave it to your conscience. Return it or use it.”
“Ahem······ Well, Jonghak did forget my birthday once before, you know?”
Yu Yeonha quickly understood and smiled mischievously. I smiled too, as her accomplice.
The wild ginseng that should have originally entered Sin Jonghak’s stomach now belonged to Yu Yeonha.
“Then, I’ll get going.”
“Yeah. Take care.”
Yu Yeonha turned around, and I continued on my way.
Just then, my smartwatch vibrated.
[Um. It’s me, Jamer.]
It was a text from Tomer.
Seeing that the ID had changed, it seemed she had changed her smartwatch.
[Why? Are you trying to pay me back already?]
I sent that reply.
But no matter how long I waited, there was no response.
For some reason, it felt like she had gone to that sanatorium, and she would probably need some time to sort out her feelings.
I decided to wait patiently.
* * *
“Hajin, Hajin~ What did you buy~?”
“Meow~”
As soon as I returned to the dorm, Evandel and Hayan ran over together.
“What’s this? Why are you two so close today?”
“Huh? We’ve always been close~ Right, Kim Hayan~?”
As if they had always been close.
“Hajin, Hajin~”
Evandel hopped by my legs, urging me to pick her up. I lifted Evandel up and set her down in front of the sofa along with the snack.
Today’s snack was something a little different: roll cake.
“Waaah······.”
Evandel’s eyes sparkled at the cake’s snow-white appearance.
I sat down at the kitchen table, swallowed an elixir first, and checked the official schedule.
+ + +
[Mission Experience]
*Cadets must choose one of the six mission experiences below.
─Escort
─Tunnel
─Field
─Colosseum
─Group Raid
─Dungeon
+ + +
Mission Experience.
It was a program where cadets experienced various real duties that they would undertake as heroes. If compared to school, it could be called practical training.
As you can see, this experience had six keywords in total, and among them, Kim Hajin and Rachel would probably choose Tunnel.
This was probably around the time Lancaster slowly began to act.
Bzzzt─
My smartwatch vibrated.
[Hey Kim Ha]
[Where are you going for Mission Experience?]
[I’m thinking Tunnel lol]
[(Emoticon of a hamster running around)]
It was a text from Chae Nayun.
Just as I was about to reply, a loud cry came from the living room.
“Aaaang. Hajin, Hajin! She keeps trying to steal mine!”
When I looked, Evandel was holding the bread box high up in the air, and Hayan was climbing up Evandel’s body to covet it.
“······Hayan.”
At my low voice, Hayan subtly backed away.
Only then did Evandel look relieved.
“Hajin gave this to me. You have your own food. Eat that kibble.”
After scolding Hayan like that, Evandel put the bread box back down on the table.
I was about to reply to Chae Nayun now, but this time, someone else sent me a text.
[Are you awkae?]
The sender was “Boss.”
Literally, Boss.
[Yes. I’m awake.]
“Eek!”
Right after I sent the reply, chaos quickly erupted on Evandel’s side.
I didn’t know what happened, but this time I wouldn’t get involved either.
Take care of it yourselves.
[Good. Rookie, do you perhaps have a Violet Banquet ID?]
[No, I don’t.]
[lol]
My brow abruptly furrowed.
What was with that snickering?
Boss’s text continued.
[Do you maybe wnat one?]
[want one?]
[Typo]
I laughed softly and replied.
[It would be nice to have one.]
[lol]
She was laughing at me again.
What is this person doing?
“······?”
Then suddenly, I tilted my head.
For some reason, it felt quiet around me. Hayan and Evandel had definitely been fighting each other.
Puzzled, I looked toward the living room, and Evandel was squatting in the corner of the sofa, thoroughly sulking.
─Ireallyhatehershealwaysstealsmine.
Muttering like that.
“Hmm.”
Seeing that there was cream on Hayan’s mouth just as there was on Evandel’s, it seemed the two had shared it fairly. Or should I say they had stolen and eaten it fairly?
In any case, Evandel wasn’t even looking in Hayan’s direction.
But this time, Hayan’s attitude was a little strange.
Meow─
At that cry, Evandel glanced that way, but soon turned her head away with a huff.
She looked extremely sulky.
Then Hayan got up and stealthily approached her side.
“Hmph. Who are you?”
However, Evandel spoke bluntly and moved away somewhere else.
Meow─
Hayan cried and followed Evandel. Evandel moved here and there until she eventually sat in front of the TV. Hayan, who stubbornly followed her, purred—going so far as to act charming—and rubbed against Evandel’s body.
At that moment, Evandel’s lips twitched.
It seemed her anger had finally melted.
As I watched the two of them with satisfaction, Boss replied.
[I knew you would, so I made a new Violet Banquet ID for you.]
[Violet Banquet access code is qkenpwnkWSD394820##3. ID is Marang. Password is “youcanchangethepasswordifyougointopersonalinfosettings”]
“······.”
The password was both rather complicated and easy.
[Thank you. But what is Marang?]
[It is your codename. Marang (魔狼).]
[Ah.]
Seeing the hanja written alongside it, I understood.
Marang (魔狼).
A “Mythic”-rank wolf monster that had once coiled itself around northern Europe.
A divine wolf-type magical beast that devoured hundreds of heroes and caused billions of euros in property damage, the one also called “Fenrir.”
The reason it was “also called” Fenrir was because no one could be certain whether it was truly Fenrir from mythology. That was why its official scientific name was not Fenrir but “Marang.”
[Isn’t that too much for me?]
[I think it suits you.]
[And you resemble a wolf.]
[Pardon? In what way?]
[Your eyes are slanted.]
I glanced at the mirror. Weren’t my eyes rather round? Maybe if she had said it was because of my beard.
[If it’s because of my appearance, please make it Robo instead.]
[Robot wolf? What a strange wolf.]
[No.]
I grabbed the back of my neck.
[Robo. R-o-b-o. There’s a wolf king······]
No. That’s not it.
If this kept going, I’d look like an official member.
I hadn’t even given a definite answer that I would join the mercenary corps yet.
[No. That’s not what I mean. I’m still······]
“······.”
After hesitating, I deleted this reply too.
There was no more time to play hard to get.
I was only a mere human, so I couldn’t seize or stop time. Before long, Chae Jinyun would awaken as a colossal devil. To prevent such a catastrophe, I had to become close with Boss.
The more I thought about it, the heavier my heart felt.
I sent a reply.
[Do as you like. More importantly, what about the three hundred million won worth of goods you mentioned back then?]
[I’ll send it to your Violet Banquet ID.]
[send it. Log in first.]
Whether this person had small fingers or was bad with keyboards, she made quite a lot of typos.
Well, in the original and in the setting, Boss wasn’t familiar with electronic devices like this either. In other words, she was “bad with machines.”
[Yes. I’ll wait.]
End
The guild building of the world’s number one guild, “Creator’s Sacred Grace,” also known as the Ark (方舟).
Yun Seunga was looking around the interior of her newly assigned office.
[Rank 250. Vice-Leader Yun Seunga]
She swept a finger over the nameplate whose rank had changed.
The office the guild had prepared to commemorate her rise to rank 250 in the world was quite sleek and magnificent.
“How is it? Do you like it?”
At the secretary’s question, Yun Seunga merely smiled.
“······Right. I heard the Mission Experience schedule has been set?”
“Yes. October 5th, next Monday. Vice-Leader Yun, you have been assigned to Tunnel.”
“Is that so?”
Yun Seunga slowly sat down in the vice-leader’s exclusive chair.
“Mmm~”
The Blood Alligator leather seat was so comfortable that a pleasant sigh escaped her on its own.
“By the way, it’s already October······ Time really flies.”
“It does.”
“Well, is there any news?”
“There is one piece of news about a mercenary corps. It seems there’s a rumor that someone new has joined Jeronimo.”
“Oh. Really?”
Interest appeared in Yun Seunga’s eyes.
In truth, Jeronimo was a mercenary corps with deep ties to Yun Seunga as well. A guild was divided into several teams, and each team handled different duties, and Yun Seunga’s beginning had been with the [Devil Extermination Team]. In order to fight devils as a hero, the help of mercenaries was sometimes necessary.
“Has a codename been decided?”
“It isn’t certain yet, but according to what our informants found out, it’s ‘Marang.’”
Oh-ho. Yun Seunga let out a small exclamation.
“That’s quite a grand codename.”
Yun Seunga had also seen what Marang looked like. Creator’s Sacred Grace had participated in the decisive battle against that magical beast that took place about ten years ago, and the valuable data from that time remained as footage.
“Yes. However, the specialty field is ‘assassination and sniping.’”
“······Is that so? It doesn’t suit the codename. Marang was the kind of creature that caught everything, tore it apart, ripped into it, and ate it.”
Assassination and sniping.
Both were fields closely tied to killing people, but in the case of mercenaries, such fields were actually far more sought after. That was because humanity’s main enemy was not monsters, but “devils.”
“If they’re at Jeronimo’s level, they must be a specialist in that field. Their personal information hasn’t been revealed?”
“No. Even our informant merely picked it up as a rumor. They say there is extremely little public information.”
“Mmm~~ I’m looking forward to it. They film videos whenever a mercenary is added there, don’t they?”
The so-called “mercenary cinematic,” a video that captured a mercenary displaying their martial prowess and talent like a movie. Jeronimo, which had been founded with thirteen members, used such a special promotional system whenever a new mercenary was added.
“There is no sign of such a video being uploaded yet.”
“Mmm······ I’m looking forward to it.”
For some reason, Yun Seungah’s heart fluttered. It felt like she had caught wind of rumors that a sequel was being released for a game series she had enjoyed all this time—one she had been anticipating more than anything.
The “Geronimo Mercenary Corps” was that much of a favorite blade for Yun Seungah.
* * *
[Lee Yeonghan has invited Kim Suho, Kim Hajin, Lee Jiyoon, Rachel, Chae Nayun, Hazuki, and 3 others]
Lee Yeonghan [hi hi this is the tunnel team group chat, Chae Nayun told me to make it so I did]
Chae Nayun [?what nonsense when did I]
Lee Yeonghan [??pardon?]
Chae Nayun [what]
Kim Suho [Hm? What’s this group chat? What’s it for?]
Lee Jiyoon [Suho, hii~ ??]
Lee Yeonghan [Dunno. I told you, Chae Nayun said to make it so I did ]
Kim Suho [Oh, hi]
Kim Suho [Chae Nayun did?]
Chae Nayun [no no not me;; Lee Yeonghan, you wanna die?]
Xie Chen [hi hi]
Lee Yeonghan [Oh~ Chen, long time no see~]
Lee Yeonghan [Chae Nayun told me in a private chat that we should all gather and go together]
Chae Nayun [Ah, what are you talking about, it wasn’t me? Seriously wasn’t me? You all know this isn’t the first or second time he’s lied, right?]
“······What is this?”
When I came out after washing up, about five hundred messages had suddenly arrived on my smartwatch.
It seemed I’d been invited to some tunnel team group chat.
“Was something like this in the original?”
I don’t think there was.
I skimmed through the contents.
Originally, for the mission experience, everyone was supposed to get there on their own by 10 a.m., but since we were going anyway, they were talking about going together.
“Hmm······.”
After roughly understanding, I sent a private message instead of writing in the group chat.
To Rachel.
[Ms. Rachel. Are you going with the others?]
[Yes. I plan to.]
[Then I think it’d be best if you wear what your secretary tells you to wear.]
[······Why =_=?]
“······Ah, what do I do?”
To be honest, Rachel had been my biggest concern lately. I had to give her the powder from the butterfly sapling, but I couldn’t think of any way to actually do it.
“Should I put it in an accessory and give it to her?”
Spirit powder only clung to “those with potential.”
So if I sealed the spirit powder inside an ordinary necklace or bracelet, and Rachel wore it, it would naturally seep into her skin.
“Hmm.”
That seemed like the best method for now.
A necklace would be too much, so a simple bracelet.
If I used the excuse that she’d gone through a lot during the team play, it would probably pass well enough.
“Okay.”
I entered an accessory shop through my smartwatch.
Something moderately cheap.
I was looking for something around 100,000 won when a text came in.
[Hey. You know. Did you do volunteer work or something a long time ago?]
It was Tomer.
[Yeah. I did. Why?]
[······Just. I’m thinking of trying it too.]
[Good idea.]
[But did you ever meet a Latina like me while volunteering?]
“Hmm?”
Something about Tomer’s words was a little strange.
Has she still not found the will? What happened at that nursing home······?
“Ah, she must have met a different nurse.”
If she had met a nurse other than the head nurse I met, there was a high chance she hadn’t heard about that letter.
I replied.
[Yeah. I have. Why?]
But no matter how long I waited, no reply came.
Was she planning to do it next week again?
From Tomer’s position, it had to be complicated, so I should understand.
“Hajin, Hajin~”
Just then, Evandel called me from the living room.
I threw on some clothes and went over.
While Hayang was sprawled out on the sofa, Evandel was sitting in front of the living room table, hard at work making something.
I quietly watched it. A four-legged beast with two sharply torn eyes, a protruding maw, and a roughly grown mane.
It was a wolf.
“Wow. What’s this, what’s this~? You made it really well, didn’t you?”
I sat down beside Evandel and stroked her head. Evandel giggled happily as could be and held the wolf out to me.
“Here, it’s Hajin’s.”
“Hm? It’s mine?”
“Mhm, look.”
Evandel tapped the small wolf on the back. Then the wolf, which had been hardened pure white like beeswax, suddenly gained color and, growling, lunged at my chest.
“Whoa!”
Startled, I closed my eyes and toppled backward.
I opened my eyes again soon after, but the wolf had vanished without a trace, and Evandel was looking at me with sly eyes.
“What was that? Were you playing a prank? You little~!”
“Huh? N-No, ehehheh. Ah, euhihihih. Aaanghihihi~”
Evandel’s