These Days Kids

As the promised time approached, I was able to arrive at the place where the raid members were gathered.

Arriving at my spot, I greeted the raid members cheerfully and began checking the headcount.

Counting the number of members registered in the raid was faster than counting them with my own eyes.

The confirmed number was 38 in total, which was 2 less than usual.

I looked at Iyap with a questioning gaze.

Because Iyap was the one who managed the guild or raid’s affairs when I wasn’t around.

However, Iyap also shook his head, seemingly unaware of the situation with the two who hadn’t arrived yet.

The nicknames of those who hadn’t arrived yet were [WhiteSand] and [SweetAndSourPorkRibs].

Both were newbies who had joined the guild this season.

I had added them to the raid because they showed fairly decent skills and diligent gameplay, but to think they would arrive later than me, the raid leader…

The shock I received was not small.

How could a raid member arrive later than the raid leader?

Of course, there were still about 5 minutes left until the promised time, so it wasn’t technically late.

I decided to sit down and wait for the two of them.

SnowMage, who had arrived with me, mixed into the raid members with a drooping expression.

The raid members who had arrived early were sharing various opinions with those who had the same job as them.

It was about the named monster they would face today, the optimal skill combination method, the timing of when to use skills, and the trending job builds these days.

I nodded with a satisfied smile at the sight.

That was exactly the kind of ideal raid member I wanted.

How good it looked to arrive earlier than the promised time and have discussions with the raid members.

Everyone was serious about the game. The desire to clear this raid was so strong that it could be seen in their eyes.

SnowMage had even spent 10 hours… no, 9 hours and 40 minutes farming before arriving here.

She went to where the mages were gathered and was having a conversation with sparkling eyes.

I watched her and my eyes sparkled.

Seeing her show such a 모습 after being tired, I thought it might be okay to increase her farming time a little more later.

Time passed like that, and the 5 minutes of leeway had passed.

The current time is 6:50 PM.

The promised time had arrived.

The raid’s start time was 7 PM, but the time promised with the raid members was earlier, at 6:50 PM.

The 10 minutes was a preparation time to check potions and doping drugs before starting the raid.

The two people did not show up by the promised time.

I hadn’t received any personal messages either.

If they had left even a letter in my mailbox, I would have understood.

I’m starting to get annoyed.

I’m usually lenient with the raid members, but I’m strict about keeping appointment times.

It’s not just wasting my own time. If one person is late, 39 people’s time is wasted.

That’s what keeping time is about.

I opened the guild window and checked the two people’s nicknames.

[WhiteSand] and [SweetAndSourPorkRibs]

Both were offline, their IDs were turned off.

I sighed and opened my mouth.

“Does anyone happen to know WhiteSand-nim’s or SweetAndSourPorkRibs-nim’s contact information?”

I asked the raid members just in case, but no answer came back.

I nodded. Both are newbies who started the game this season.

There would have been plenty of opportunities to build personal friendships, but it seems no one has gotten their real-life contact information.

“Everyone, get ready. We’ll start the raid at 7 o’clock.”

I said that and got up from my seat.

To be honest, the absence of the two isn’t that big.

It’s just two dealers, and mages at that, who are missing.

With my connections, I could easily fill the spots of the two who are missing today.

But the problem was after that.

Once you proceed with the raid together, that character becomes bound to our raid for a week and shares the dungeon.

So that means I have to take responsibility for those people for a week, or until the raid is cleared.

It’s about time to find substitutes.

I carefully started moving my hands.

My guild, ChewyStickyCow, has 300 members.

On top of that, there’s a backlog of people waiting to join, so finding two mage dealers is nothing.

Yeon – [Anyone want to sub for this week’s raid? Looking for two mage dealers. First named monster is already taken care of. Raid appointment time is until 6:50 PM. Tries will continue until 11 PM.]

The guild leader is looking for a substitute in the first raid.

The reaction of the guild members to that fact was explosive.

Even mages who were registered in the 2nd raid applied.

I was finding a substitute like that when it became 6:55 PM.

The long-awaited WhiteSand belatedly logged in.

I deliberately didn’t say anything and waited for his reaction.

After logging into the game, he greeted in the guild chat and was slowly approaching the meeting place.

I could see what he was doing because his real-time changing location was being exposed in the guild status window.

6:58 PM.

It was the time WhiteSand arrived.

He came running on a large horse and jumped off it.

“Hello!”

It’s a lively greeting.

But no one accepted the greeting.

Everyone was carefully avoiding eye contact, wary of my mood.

“Um…? Aren’t you going to invite me to the raid?”

Invite to the raid? Shouldn’t there be something else to say first if you’re late?

I looked up at him with my arms crossed.

“Raid Leader-nim…?”

“You’re late, aren’t you?”

“Ah… yeah, I’m a bit later than yesterday, right?”

WhiteSand said that and started looking around.

It seems he’s starting to notice that the gazes of the raid members looking at him are strange.

“The appointment time was until 50 minutes.”

“Yes? Ah… but the raid starts at 7 o’clock, right?”

“The appointment time was until 50 minutes.”

“No… anyway…”

I twitched my eyebrows at his words.

Is it that hard to say one word of apology for being late?

WhiteSand stood there awkwardly, smiling.

“WhiteSand-nim. Please check our headcount. How many people do you think there are?”

“Yes…?”

WhiteSand widened his eyes at my question and started checking the people.

How long has it been?

He opened his mouth with a slightly surprised expression.

“There are 40 people…?”

“Yes. There are 40 people. The raid’s capacity is 40 people.”

“No… what about my spot?”

“You were late.”

“No, come on… I’m a regular raid member.”

“You were late. WhiteSand-nim.”

My voice is getting stiffer and stiffer.

WhiteSand frowned at my attitude, erasing his smile.

The apology doesn’t come out until the end. Rather, he started showing an attitude that he was upset.

“No… this is a bit…”

“If you had told me in advance that you would be a little late, I would have waited. But you didn’t say anything.”

“It starts at 7 o’clock anyway.”

“The appointment time was until 50 minutes. This is a promise. WhiteSand-nim unilaterally broke the promise.”

“Tsk…”

“Is it that hard to say one word of apology? I’m sorry for being late. I apologize. Is it that hard to say this one word?”

Was he unhappy with the situation of being scolded by a girl smaller than him?

WhiteSand frowned and sighed.

Stubborn wrinkles formed on his distorted face.

He was a person who wouldn’t admit his mistakes until the end.

“You’re being really picky.”

“I’m picky, that’s right. My personality is also bad. So apologize. To the raid members, not to me.”

This was an opportunity.

If he apologized to the raid members for being late, I would forgive him.

But he didn’t bow his head until the end.

His head is too stiff.

Like a straight branch.

That’s why these days kids are like this…

I clicked my tongue and shook my head.

The judgment on the person called WhiteSand is over.

He was a person who couldn’t go with me.

“No… everyone, did I do something so wrong? Huh? The raid is until 7 o’clock anyway. Isn’t that right?”

WhiteSand didn’t talk to me anymore.

Instead, he poured out his thoughts to the raid members around him.

He seems to be hoping for sympathy, but it’s not a good choice.

The people in this place now are those who have been with me for a long time.

People are bound to be influenced by each other, knowingly or unknowingly, when they live together for a long time.

So I can tell. The raid members were thinking the same thing as me right now.

[Yeon-nim has expelled WhiteSand-nim from the guild.]

“Huh…?”

The guild and the raid are mine.

I operate it as I please, recruit as I please, and expel as I please.

So I don’t need you.

I won’t even use honorifics anymore.

“Get lost.”

“What…?”

“I said get lost.”

“…”

“Get lost if you don’t want to die.”

I said that and drew my sword.

Now that he’s not even a guild member, I didn’t hesitate to swing my sword at him.

WhiteSand sighed deeply and raised his staff.

I raised my eyebrows at the sight.

Is he trying to fight back?

“Believing in the simps around… Keueok!”

His words were not completed.

Because his chest was deeply split by the quickly swung demonic sword.

As expected, he didn’t die in one hit. I readjusted the sword I had swung upwards and slammed it down as it was.

Hwiik-!

Like a white snake aiming for its prey, the blade draws a strange trajectory.

The moment the golden divine power flashed on the crimson blade of the demonic sword, it pierced WhiteSand’s chest.

Chwaaak-!

[Lawless Index +10]

Whispering in a small voice in WhiteSand’s ear.

“If you catch my eye, you’ll keep dying.”

He twitched his mouth with wide eyes, but couldn’t say a word.

Soon, the strength drains from WhiteSand’s body.

I pulled out the sword that had pierced his chest and turned my body.

The blood on my cheek is slightly annoying, but the moment I thought that, Helena, using Blink, came to my side and wiped my cheek.

Current time 7:03 PM.

It’s 3 minutes later than the raid start time.

I smiled brightly at the raid members and said.

“I’m sorry for being late! Let’s start the raid!”

But even with my smile, the coldly frozen atmosphere didn’t thaw.

The raid members were busy watching my mood.

I scratched my cheek awkwardly, smiling.