Ch. 51 The Path of a Hero (3)
by AfuhfuihgsChapter 51 – The Path of a Hero (3)
“Guild Master?! You have an important meeting at that time…”
“I just received a direct call. The meeting is canceled! And prepare to head to the 40th floor discreetly.”
The news that Reina would fight once in the 40th-floor arena spread throughout the tower the moment the negotiations were finalized.
After all, this event had been planned by Lexion from the start for promotional purposes.
Of course, it wasn’t something that could be broadcasted or streamed openly—only those who came to the venue in person could enjoy it, so watching it from afar wasn’t possible.
As a result, top rankers and faction leaders alike began moving to the 40th floor to witness the event firsthand.
It was, after all, quite an interesting event, and in a place like the tower where entertainment was always scarce, there was no reason to pass up a risk-free spectacle.
“It seems Moonlight Sword Radiance is fully committed. How many large-scale movements have there been already because of her in such a short time?”
“…She stepped in personally to rescue a dark elf held hostage by Lexion.”
The news naturally reached Jung Chan-soo’s ears.
Even as Kim Dongsoo scoffed while delivering the news, Jung Chan-soo showed little reaction.
‘That’s so like you.’
He simply nodded lightly at the news that Reina had willingly negotiated to free Shadis.
“Sejin and Sylvia are planning to go watch… What will you do, Guild Master?”
Kim Dongsoo cautiously asked, gauging his reaction.
While the event had drawn significant attention, it was still just a minor spectacle.
Given Jung Chan-soo’s personality, it seemed unlikely he’d be interested in such things.
Unless it was related to climbing the tower, Jung Chan-soo rarely showed interest in anything else.
“I’ll go too.”
“…Huh?”
But Kim Dongsoo’s expectations were shattered. Surprisingly, after a moment of contemplation, Jung Chan-soo declared he would go personally.
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[Look at this, he’s treating her differently.]
[I thought he’d been paying attention to her lately, but now he’s openly showing interest?]
[Oh, here we go again. They’re desperate to ship them as a couple. Why?]
[Why do you keep trying to pair him with Reina?]
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Unbeknownst to Jung Chan-soo, his decision alone sent ripples through his countless fans.
It was already known that he treated Reina slightly differently from others.
As a result, there had always been those in both Reina’s and Jung Chan-soo’s fandoms who tried to pair them together, but they were routinely suppressed.
The vast majority of fans saw them as rivals who needed to surpass each other, and many disliked the idea of either being paired with someone else.
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[The gallery owner keeps dropping hints. What do we do?]
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But as someone had pointed out, the problem was Jung Chan-soo’s gradually changing attitude and behavior.
He seemed to be paying more attention to Reina, giving her more of his focus, and it looked to everyone like he was genuinely interested in her.
‘I hope you never lose that light. Someday, when I lose my way, you’ll need to shine beside me.’
Even the fans couldn’t know Jung Chan-soo’s innermost thoughts.
The moment his knowledge as a regressor reached its limits was the moment he had always feared and guarded against.
He had prepared many things for that moment.
But the one he placed the most hope in was Reina.
Someone who could shine on her own.
Unlike her epithet, Moonlight Sword Radiance, which implied she needed the sun to shine, Jung Chansoo believed Reina was someone who could shine on her own.
“I’m sorry. Things happened so quickly, I had no choice.”
“…Even if you say that, it doesn’t heal the hurt.”
While the upper and lower floors were abuzz with the unexpected event on the 40th floor.
Reina was flustered, standing in front of Kim Ji-eun, who had her arms crossed and her head turned away.
Kim Ji-eun was furious that Reina had acted without informing her, going off with Marc alone.
“I didn’t think it would blow up like this. I thought it would just be a matter of paying some money.”
“That’s the problem with you, Reina. You always forget who you are and how great you are! Do you think those merchants would just sit still when someone like you shows up?”
Kim Ji-eun scolded Reina as if it were a familiar routine.
It was a common occurrence for Reina to act without considering her influence, only for Kim Ji-eun to step in and clean up the mess.
“I thought it was a reasonable negotiation.”
“I think so too. It’s just that it feels really dirty. It’s impressive, really. To think they could still try to profit even when faced with an angry Reina.”
Kim Ji-eun smirked as she glanced at the Lexion officials visible through the glass below.
In truth, they had made a bold move by proposing the deal to Reina.
If Reina were someone who didn’t care about rules and order, things could have gone very differently.
There were indeed ranker-level powerhouses who had been expelled from the alliance for acting tyrannically.
“Merchants are cunning and sly. You can never let your guard down.”
But the fact that they dared to approach Reina showed they knew she was someone who, while ruthless, strictly followed the established order.
As the de facto leader of the guild, Kim Ji-eun, who had dealt with such people many times, shook her head with a tired expression.
‘I can’t let my guard down. I know.’
Reina, watching Kim Ji-eun’s petite figure from behind, also smiled bitterly.
She had already figured out the cunning plan they were preparing through the fan gallery.
“Let’s wrap this up as quickly as possible. I’ll make sure this doesn’t happen again.”
“Good. But since you wronged me, you’ll have to grant me one request.”
Kim Ji-eun turned her head and smirked at Reina’s attempt to appease her.
‘Did I say too much?’
Reina broke into a cold sweat as Kim Ji-eun laughed ominously without revealing what her request was.
“By the way, that Garvat guy, how dare he make such a proposal? A sacred ritual of his tribe? That’s just an excuse, isn’t it?”
“From what I’ve found out, he’s definitely a shady character. Aside from enjoying combat and fighting, he clearly takes pleasure in humiliating and breaking his opponents.”
“Would someone like that just fight cleanly? Reina already declared she wouldn’t use any equipment. But he wouldn’t be satisfied with just that.”
While Reina was briefly away, Kim Ji-eun, sitting cross-legged in her chair, frowned at Marc’s words.
As the guild’s de facto leader and closest aide, Kim Ji-eun found Reina’s heroic yet somewhat naive actions both admirable and frustrating. But it was precisely those qualities that made her adore and follow Reina.
Kim Ji-eun had benefited the most from Reina’s actions while climbing the tower.
‘I just need to support her from behind. That’s my role.’
Scolding Reina was just something she did because she found it endearing to see Reina, who was usually so confident, acting cautious and nervous. She wasn’t actually angry.
Instead, Kim Ji-eun was willing to do anything to make Reina’s wishes come true.
She had done so many times before, and the greatest result of that was the Over Moon Guild.
“Contact the alliance headquarters and investigate on our own. If there’s any legal way to crush them, we’ll bite and never let go.”
“Understood. If Garvat has any secret dealings with Lexion, we can use that as an excuse to crush them both.”
There wasn’t much time, but there were plenty of ways to retaliate.
Regardless of Reina’s intentions, her loyal hound Kim Ji-eun and her subordinates were ready to tear apart anyone who dared harm their master.
***
“Good… that’s enough for now.”
After Marc also left, Kim Ji-eun, now alone, leaned back in her chair and sighed tiredly.
‘What should I ask for? Given Reina’s personality, she’ll probably agree to almost anything after this.’
She smiled to herself, imagining the possibilities.
This incident had essentially earned her a free pass with Reina. Whether it was a date or something else, Reina would likely agree.
‘I should restrain myself. Being too hasty could backfire.’
It had only been recently that Reina had added a pair of jeans to her usual outfit.
Though she had a mountain of fantasies about Reina, Kim Ji-eun was exercising miraculous self-control to keep her desires in check.
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[Yes, that’s it. Just keep doing that.]
[Kim Ji-eun knows what she’s doing. Let’s trust her and wait.]
[Can’t you talk to the gallery admin, Kim Ji-eun?]
[I told you, the answer was always to start with the people around Reina.]
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Unbeknownst to her, many people were eagerly watching her thoughts and actions.
「Contracted Constellation: The Eternal Spirit of the Arcane Tome expresses favor.」
“???”
But she could still show some signs.
Encouraged by the passionate fandom, Kim Ji-eun’s constellation sent a brief message of support, telling her to keep doing what she was doing.
Kim Ji-eun, who had been sitting quietly, was momentarily stunned by the unexpected expression of favor and stared blankly at the sky.
Author Note
A/N (Author’s note):
Thank you for reading.
Translator Note
T/N (Translator’s note):
Make her do the guild taxes for a whole week as punishment!
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