Waterway (2)
Kim Hyunsung’s expression notified me of his desperation.
I knew he wanted me to bring Jung Hayan along, for she wouldn’t be able to help with the workload here anyway. Though she possessed high intelligence, Hayan had no aptitude for work.
If she were with me, her efficiency would increase. If she stayed behind, she would just end up being a hindrance to everyone. Kim Hyunsung, who had already gone through an entire expedition with her without me, knew just how stressful this was.
After all, Jung Hayan tended to throw tantrums and whatnot in my absence. Hyunsung, with all his work, wouldn’t even be able to take care of her. Even Park Deokgu seemed to side with him.
‘You bastard.
The problem was that it would be difficult to take responsibility for Jung Hayan. As Cha Hee-ra’s Gigolo, it would be hard to bring her along to the party.
Not only would it interfere with hosting a conversation with the Holy Empire’s nobles, but it would also be hard to emphasize my friendship with the Red Mercenary Queen.
Plus, this was supposed to be my vacation. I had to try and rebel.
“I think it would be nice to go together, but as you can see, Jung Hayan isn’t feeling well. I’m afraid she wouldn’t be able to handle such a long trip…”
“Ah!”
“She was complaining of abdominal pain just now.”
“I’m okay now! Really!”
Jung Hayan!
Now I knew for sure that she was just pretending to be sick.
“No, Hayan, you still need to be stabilized…”
“Oh, but Hayan is the most stable when she’s beside you.”
“Ah, that’s right, Deokgu Oppa.”
It wouldn’t be too long before I had to leave. I wanted to find a way to make Hayan stay behind, but I couldn’t find a counterattack for the logic they had presented to me.
“Oh, and by the way, isn’t love the sweetest and most effective recovery?”
‘What kind of logic is that?’
“No, Deokgu. Actually, Mr. Kiyoung has a point. Although her body has fully recovered, she will still need a stabilizer. Mhh, there doesn’t seem to be anything wrong with her body and magic power….
“That’s why she just needs some peace of mind, Sun Hee-young.”
I could already feel that they had planned this setup right from the moment Cha Hee-ra had decided to take me along for the event.
The tanking power of Park Deokgu, who ignored my remarks, coupled with Kim Hyunsung’s logic, rendered me helpless.
At this point, there was nothing I could say to get me out of this situation.
The options were already set. I felt utterly bitter about it.
“I can’t help it then. We’ll go together.”
“Great…”
“You thought well.”
“Nice, Hayan!”
“Hehe…”
As the loser lowered his head, the winners openly celebrated. A sigh escaped me. I had no other choice but to educate Jung Hayan.
‘In particular, I should educate her about Cha Hee-ra.
“Speaking of which, the time has already come.”
“Kiyoung and Jung Hayan need time to get ready.”
“Yes, but before that, I have to oversee the handover.”
“Ah, I see. Have you already packed your luggage?”
“Yes, of course. Just bring it right down.”
I felt like running away without settling things, but I knew the guild would suffer if I did.
Although most of the tasks had already been relayed to Hwang Jeong-yeon, there was a difference between having her tell them to Kim Hyunsung and having me tell it to him myself.
Since there wasn’t much time left, all I could do was explain the best I could while showing him the previously prepared documents. Kim Hyunsung simply nodded.
Our Hyunsung was not stupid. He would be able to handle all the work. And, in actuality, there wasn’t a lot for him to do.
“It won’t be that big of a deal. We have also hired new personnel, and the division of work has been clearly re-established. You just need to understand and organize the sorted documents, and you just have to confirm your decision as the final manager of whatever needs to be confirmed.”
“Okay.”
“The Pension Planning Office can report to Jeong-yeon, and the Imperial Legal Team can report to the newly arrived team leader Kim Mi-young. We have prepared all guidelines for the work entrusted to the division, so please check all production and distribution lines yourself.”
“Yeah. Okay.”
“You can also check the entire Crisis Response Committee, and…”
As I continued to talk, Kim Hyunsung’s expression began to change. He probably only just now realized that I had done so much for the guild. I could already guess what he was thinking of.
‘Lee Kiyoung is such a competent person.’
It wasn’t actually a matter of competence. I just needed to find talented people to come to work for us. Though I didn’t like working, I did my best to uplift our current situation.
However, the truth remained that this wouldn’t have been possible if we did not have such talented recruits. We were able to settle to some extent because of their hard work.
Whatever the reason, I was glad that Kim Hyunsung had, once again, seen me in a new light.
“You can take care of Kim Mi-young yourself.’
At this point, Hyunsung’s expression turned to guilt. He probably felt bad for forcing Jung Hayan on me.
T’ve already forgiven you, Kim Hyunsung. You don’t need to worry.’
“That… Thank you.”
“Jeong-yeon is already familiar with most of the guidelines.”
I wanted to say more, but I already felt sorry for Hwang Jeong-yeon, so I refrained from doing so.
As I continued to explain, I felt the minutes tick by. Though I wanted to be as detailed as possible, I knew I couldn’t make Cha Hee-ra wait any longer.
“I need to go, Hyunsung.”
“Of course. By the time you return, the guild will be a little more relaxed. On the work side, of course.”
“I’m sorry for making you feel as if I’ve escaped from my work.”
“There is no need to be sorry. It will be a good opportunity for Blue as well. I also had a bit of work to do, but… but so did Deokgu and Kim Ye-ri with her training. I thought it’d be nice to get some new parties for any upcoming quests or expeditions.”
“Hahaha, alright.”
“Thank you.”
“No. That was what I wanted to say.”
The warm farewell felt like a death flag to me, but I knew nothing would happen.
As usual, Blue would focus on restoring previous damage and returning the guild to normal, while Park Deokgu would continue to grow, as well as Kim Ye-ri, who already had excellent potential.
From then on, it would be natural for more talented people to flock to Blue. Perhaps Kim Hyunsung already knew about who to recruit. As Kim Hyunsung looked at me affectionately, my heart squeezed.
Don’t stare at me like that. I know how you feel, motherfucker.’
As I held out my hand, Kim Hyunsung clasped it over his. As I stepped closer, 1 thought about hugging him, but that felt awkward for some reason.
Resisting the urge to smile, Kim Hyunsung simply patted me on the back.
‘Ah, stop being so handsome.’
After that embarrassing moment, Park Deokgu approached me as well.
“Ah, Hyung…”
We settled for bumping fists. I had no intention of hugging Deokgu, either. Considering his build, I would definitely get hurt.
“Always remember, Deokgu. If I can do it, you can do better.”
“It has already been engraved into my heart.”
“And share some meals with Jeong-yeon. She’s been eager to talk to you.”
“What?!”
“And Hee-young, take care of yourself. It won’t take long, but…”
“Of course. Just continue to work hard, Kiyoung.”
“Volunteer work is prohibited while I am away. Wait for me to return, okay?”
“Alright…”
“You too, little kid.”
“Yes. Please be safe, uncle.”
I looked up to see Jung Hayan holding her bag and drifting by the sides, unsure whether or not I would abandon her.
As we opened the door of the Guild House, I could see Cha Hee-ra waiting outside. However, what caught my attention was the beast standing behind her.
“Huh?”
This was an animal with large wings resembling a bird’s, paired with a beast’s body. This was a monster that I had only ever heard in mythology.
“A griffon?”
“There are only two of these in Lindel. This guy is perfect for long-distance travel. They even tried to mass-produce animals like him in the Holy Empire but failed. That’s how rare they are.”
“Ah…”
“I didn’t know there would be three of us. I don’t know if he’d like that. This was supposed to be a two-man ride.”
“Aren’t the other Red Mercenary members going?”
“The rest of the people will follow on land. Wouldn’t it be convenient for us to go first? I’ve been to the capital, but I barely have enough time to enjoy it. Get on quickly. I suggest you hold on tight because I’ll be the one in front.”
I nodded and followed her instructions, but I couldn’t shake my nerves away. Of course, it was only natural for me to feel scared.
As the beast’s body trembled, I had no choice but to grasp Cha Hee-ra’s waist tightly. She smelled good and was soft to the touch, but I couldn’t afford to get drunk on her.
“Ugh…”
‘It hurts…’
“Yikes!”
Meanwhile, Jung Hayan angrily kept trying to pull me away from Cha Hee-ra. If I did, however, I didn’t think we’d survive the fall.
‘If I fall, we both die, Hayan. Please stop pulling.
It already felt like I was going to die this early on.
As the Griffon slowly rose into the air, the guild members waving their hands as a farewell gesture gradually began to minimize in size.
Hwang Jeong-yeon and Lee Sang-hee, who could not come out to say goodbye, settled for waving from the windows. The same went for Park Jung-gi and Kim Mi-young.
“It took you a while to say goodbye to everyone. I didn’t take you for that type of person, sweetheart.”
“I’m a person, too, Nuna. A person.”
“I didn’t think you had a cute side. Hold onto me tightly. Be careful not to fall off.”
She didn’t have to tell me twice. As I did so, a voice called out from below us.
“Hyung! Hayan! Oh, when you return to the guild, you have to come back as three people!”
Keep dreaming, Deokgu.’
Even if we came back after two years, there would be no such thing. Meanwhile, Jung Hayan nodded.
Don’t make any promises, Hayan.’
It wasn’t bad to hear Park Deokgu like that again. The first time I heard that sound of his was when he first arrived in Lindel.
‘What did he say? World, Park Deokgu is here?’
I couldn’t remember properly, but I knew it was somewhere along those lines.
As we continued to rise into the air, I mustered the courage to look below us and understood why Park Deokgu had shouted like that.
‘It looks so small…’
The continent looked so small, almost as if it would fit perfectly in the palm of my hand