The Price of Discontent (4)
“Huff, huff!”
Hwang Jiwoo came into the training hall clutching her heart, which was pounding like mad. She had sweated so much that not only her clothes but even her shoes were soaked.
“You called for me?”
“Drink.”
Whoosh!
Hwang Jiwoo instinctively snatched the flying water bottle out of the air.
Good.
Looks like her senses had sharpened a bit after exercising a few times.
“It’s ice-cold water.”
“Gasp! Thank you!”
Gulp, gulp!
After opening the cap, Hwang Jiwoo tilted her head back and poured the water straight down.
Well now. That looks incredibly refreshing.
“I told you to do just one hour. Why did you run longer?”
“Huff, is that not allowed?”
“No, I was just asking because I’m proud of you.”
“....I have to work hard too. It’s not like everyone else was that good at running from the start.”
Glance.
Hwang Jiwoo looked outside.
“Your four disciples were running hard.”
They, too, had recently started learning HunGyo’s breathing techniques.
Not Clear Heaven Heart Technique, but circulation methods specialized for each of them.
“Yeah, keep working hard. If you keep enduring like this, you’ll get healthy enough to leave most athletes in the dust.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“First, let’s make a deal.”
“A deal?”
All of a sudden?
Hwang Jiwoo looked puzzled.
“Take this first.”
Wooooong!
The hand Baek Jinwoo extended flashed with light.
What is this?
She reached out her hand in return, and then her eyes widened as big as lanterns.
Because among the presented prices, there were incredible things.
[Baek Jinwoo: Ice Bird (A-rank), Lich (B-rank), Ice Ghost (B-rank), Ice Ghost (B-rank), Frost Cat (C-rank)]
[Hwang Jiwoo: No compensation.]
“....A-A-rank, three B-ranks, and even a Frost Cat….”
Reading each summon one by one, Hwang Jiwoo muttered in a daze.
Her trembling lips showed just how violently her emotions were surging right now.
[Do you accept Player ‘Baek Jinwoo’s’ offer?]
[Y/N]
She could not bring herself to press Y.
How could she possibly accept something like this!
“I’m not giving them to you for free.”
Perhaps he had read her mind, because Baek Jinwoo gave a small grin and said,
“I’ll lend them to you for 100 days, so raise them well. If you manage to raise them enough that even HunGyo acknowledges it, then I’ll give them to you outright as a condition for joining the guild.”
“I-is that really true?”
She was so overwhelmed that she did not even register the fact that the word guild had come out of Baek Jinwoo’s mouth.
An A-rank summon!
Ordinarily, they cost well over 10 billion won, and even then, that was only if one happened to be on the market.
Usually, there was not even any supply, and the seller could name any price they wanted.
And he was offering a summon like that so readily?
“But if HunGyo doesn’t acknowledge you, then you can just buy them later with part of the 100 billion you receive. I bought them for 13 billion, so I’ll sell them to you at the same price.”
Good!
Could anything possibly be better?
Besides, were they not all ice-element summons?
In any case, Hwang Jiwoo had to raise ice summons because of her constitution.
“Why aren’t you pressing Y already? Should I cancel it? What a shame. This is actually a really good combination.”
“I-I’ll press it!”
Afraid he might change his mind, Hwang Jiwoo hastily pressed Y.
Though still dazed, her lips were spread in a bright smile.
What Hwang Jiwoo had received today was not merely a set of summons.
It was hope.
‘No matter what…I’ll earn HunGyo’s acknowledgment! I’ll earn that acknowledgment and join the guild Jinwoo mentioned!’
While making that vow—
Huh?
Hwang Jiwoo felt that something was strange.
A guild?
Did Jinwoo even have a guild?
* * *
The procedure for creating a guild is complicated.
Complicated paperwork, headquarters review procedures, screenings by various ministers, and even the consent of the leaders of both the ruling and opposition parties.
A “guild” is practically the same as establishing a legal armed organization within a nation.
Because modern state-of-the-art weapons are one thing, but the thing that stands above them is the summons.
That is why most nations are reluctant to grant permission for guild registration, and even when they do, they manage them thoroughly.
But?
Yoobaek was different.
Under Yoo Jia’s direction, the procedures moved right along.
With the captain of the national team as the guild master, Yoo Jia’s capital as Daeseong’s granddaughter, and Yoobaek’s capital, which had been rising sharply lately, what could possibly stand in their way!
There was no need to lobby.
“Haha, Yoobaek? Of course we should approve it! Do I just stamp it right here? I only ask that you remember my humble name.”
“Heh heh heh, I’m Jo Donghoon, newly elected this time. I look forward to working with you!”
“Oh my, I’m the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. Well then, is there anything else you need? Should we lift a bit more of the development restriction zone around Geomdansan?”
Politicians, ministers—it made no difference.
Every time Yoo Jia went to visit them, they treated her with the utmost hospitality.
They had no choice.
As long as Yoobaek had Baek Jinwoo, she was clearly the one in the superior position.
“Haha, not lifting the greenbelt is fine for now.”
Hanam is the only area in the capital region where more than 77% of the land is designated as greenbelt.
And if that greenbelt were lifted?
Countless major corporations would swarm in and launch development projects.
‘I can’t let that happen.’
From now on, all the land in the Geomdansan area was going to be bought up by Yoobaek at dirt-cheap prices.
Because they also had to keep in mind the future expansion of Yoobaek City.
And if they wanted to buy the land cheaply?
The greenbelt still could not be lifted.
There were already countless jackals who had caught the scent of money from Yoobaek City, and if that restriction were lifted too, prices would skyrocket through the roof.
“Still, I’ll keep that sentiment tucked deep in my heart.”
“Hahahaha! Excellent! Just say the word! Even the mayor of Hanam is my junior from university, so he’s very easy to control.”
The Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport laughed heartily.
In truth, there was nothing to control.
Politically, maybe not, but administratively, the mayor was in a position where he had no choice but to follow the minister’s orders.
Anyway.
They had barely gone around at all, yet the “permit” had already been issued.
With just this permit, they could establish a guild.
The guild’s name was SKY.
It was a name that had come from Yoo Jia’s mind.
One Heaven.
A name to honor God Ji-nu, who had once been the one sky!
Naturally, the guild master was Baek Jinwoo.
The problem was...gathering guild members.
“Mr. Jinwoo.”
Yoo Jia, who had come to the training grounds, asked,
“They say that in order to establish a guild, you need at least ten guild members, including the guild master.”
“...Ten people?”
“I was going to try forming it with me and the staff first, but they said the people have to hold player licenses recognized by headquarters.”
“Ah.”
Baek Jinwoo scratched his head.
He had been planning to start with a small elite group, but ten was a bit much.
“What about Mr. Park Changseok?”
“Uncle Changseok is a headquarters assemblyman, so in principle he can’t join a guild.”
“Then for now, the only ones eligible are me and Baek Ajin... and that’s it?”
“Yes.”
Yoo Jia, Kim Byungjin, Hwang Taeseop, and the others had all had their licenses revoked.
Because they had not gone into dungeons.
“Hmm.”
Baek Jinwoo pressed at his temples.
This was getting troublesome.
“And duplicate membership isn’t allowed either, right?”
So there was no way to register your four disciples?!
“Unfortunately, they say that’s not allowed either.”
“Haha.”
Baek Jinwoo let out a hollow laugh.
“Well, nothing we can do.”
If there was no way, then they would just have to put it on hold for now.
“Keep that permit tucked away until we have ten people.”
“You’re not going to gather them separately?”
“It would’ve been best if my disciples could join right now, but if duplicate membership isn’t allowed, then there’s nothing we can do. I only want players I personally teach to be guild members.”
That part was absolutely non-negotiable.
Baek Jinwoo’s intention was to choose only properly vetted players whom he would raise the right way.
‘Sorry, Ajin, but…’
She could not enter SKY.
Because she was closer to a merchant than a player.
For now, confirmed members: 0.
And there was a chance Hwang Jiwoo would join in the near future.
Other than that?
Well.
He would gather them slowly.
* * *
The first place Park Hoe, the guild master of Baekho, went to was the Player Headquarters.
More precisely, the office of the headquarters director.
“Hahaha, well, if it isn’t our proud Baekho guild master!”
The director welcomed him with a broad smile, and Park Hoe voiced his grievance.
Either recover Baek Jinwoo’s 1 trillion won!
Or make him pay the price for gobbling up national tax money!
The director had previously received massive support from the Mirae Group’s resources.
Because of that, he would not be able to reject the proposal so easily.
But—
“C-cough. You mean Baek Jinwoo?”
The director pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat running down his forehead.
Naturally, it was not something he could be pleased about.
For his next reelection, the public absolutely had to like him, and now he was being asked to attack Baek Jinwoo, who was practically a hero to the people?
It was not merely a matter of giving up his assembly seat—his future political career would become difficult.
Once the public branded you here, that stain lasted until death in this political world.
“What’s wrong? Why not try getting along as fellow national representatives?”
“Are you really going to act like this?”
“What did I even do! To be honest, I want to do that too! But it’s already over. Even the forces here at headquarters have all been swallowed up by that bastard Park Changseok.”
“Assemblyman Park Changseok?”
“All politicians are like that. Acting like brothers one day, then pretending not to know you the moment you lose power. I’m not even tired of it anymore.”
True to his slippery nature, the director expressed his refusal in a roundabout way.
Creak!
Headquarters was a dead end!
But headquarters was not the only place that did not welcome him.
“Hahaha, we’re sorry.”
“The risk is just too big for us. Both Baek Jinwoo and Daeseong are simply too massive to make enemies of.”
“We can publish an article or two for you. But we can’t attack them in blatantly inflammatory terms. That would be too much of a burden for us as well.”
The media, the politicians—not one of them stepped forward wholeheartedly.
“Fuck, this is fucking bullshit.”
Park Hoe finally exploded.
“They were happy enough to take the money, and now they’re pulling out?”
“...Brother, what are you really planning to do now? Shouldn’t you just apologize and beg, even now?”
Kang Geonho, South Korea’s number one ranked player, lowered his posture in a way unlike himself.
There was no helping it.
The opponent was far too powerful to cling to pride.
To be honest, he too had bought and read the weekday dungeon strategy guide.
And the way Baek Jinwoo played there had been so flashy and cool that he was completely captivated.
And that was not all.
He had felt it in the consulting too.
Baek Jinwoo was an exceptional teacher as well.
So inwardly, he had actually been satisfied—but because of his older brother Park Hoe, who was completely wrapped up in that damned pride, things had blown up into this mess.
“So what if I apologize? You think Baek Jinwoo would happily accept it and give consulting? Don’t make me laugh. We haven’t even gone to the real ones yet.”
The “real ones” Park Hoe meant!
Those were MK and Mirae Group—more specifically, their chairmen.
The very people who could fairly be said to have built the Baekho Guild into what it was today!
But—
“Sorry, but can’t you stop making such a fuss?”
“I’ve been hearing troubling news lately.”
“If one mistake of yours causes the guild we raised with enormous capital to collapse, I’ll mobilize every resource I have and hit you with a claim for damages.”
Both chairmen were negative.
Only then did Park Hoe instinctively realize it.
Someone was interfering properly behind the scenes.
Who on earth could it be?
Irritation surged through him.
“What, should I just naturalize somewhere else?”
“Brother...”
Whew.
Kang Geonho sighed.
With Baek Jinwoo here, if someone like Park Hoe naturalized elsewhere, would anyone say, Please come back?
He would be lucky if people did not just curse him out as a traitor.
It was then—
“G-Guild Master, have you seen this?”
One of the Baekho staff members came running up and held out a phone.
“What, what is it?”
Park Hoe snatched it irritably and began reading, then suddenly shot to his feet.
What the staff member had shown him was a kind of gossip sheet.
Not confirmed information, but the kind of Japanese slang term for a summary outlet that made people think, Where there’s smoke, there’s fire, right?
Its contents were roughly as follows:
-B, a national representative and the head of one of the Big 3, openly expresses dissatisfaction toward Baek Jinwoo, the captain. Signs have even been detected that he intends to strip him of his captaincy through various political maneuvers…! An insider in the industry stated, “It’s B’s unilateral action, and the vast majority of national representatives are frowning upon it.”
“What the hell is this now?”
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