The conference room in the Dawn Guild building.
I had co here to discuss the SS-rank dungeon raid.
"…Are you sure that’s all you want?"
"Yes, how does it sound?"
Yeo Dohyung asked again, looking surprised.
I nodded as he blinked in disbelief.
"It’s such a simple request that I find it concerning. Are you absolutely sure there’s nothing else you need?"
"Well, I’m not exactly soone who’s overly materialistic."
The terms I requested for cooperating on the raid were straightforward:
that Yeo Dohyung would agree to form a party with whenever I asked in the future.
This was a precaution to prepare for the invader from another world.
Yeo Dohyung was a magician I could trust to work alongside .
Any additional material rewards were set at a modest level.
"If it weren’t the Saintess making this request, I’d think it was a trap—your demands are so modest."
"But I am hiding sothing."
"Excuse ? Hiding sothing?"
"You can’t complain if I take you sowhere unexpected in the future, right?"
"…Haha!"
Yeo Dohyung laughed, his shoulders shaking with amusent.
Then, as if struck by a thought, he suppressed his laughter and added:
"If it’s a dungeon abroad, give ti to prepare."
"Of course. I’ll need ti to prepare too."
I nodded in agreent, then paused to consider whether I should conceal the exact reason.
…Should I just be honest?
Even if I left out details about Evan being so god or administrator,
it might be better to at least ntion that we’d be heading sowhere dangerous.
After deciding, I spoke.
"Dohyung, honestly, even I don’t know where we might go. But if sothing truly evil invades, we’ll be heading there to stop it."
When I spoke frankly, Yeo Dohyung widened his eyes and asked:
"Are you certain sothing like that will happen?"
"Yes, absolutely. Oh, and let’s keep this between us. It’s a secret."
I raised my index finger to my lips and gave a small smile.
Yeo Dohyung stared blankly for a mont before nodding seriously.
"If the Saintess calls sothing truly evil, I’ll gladly join you."
"…Thank you, Dohyung. Oh, and please just call like you used to."
"Understood, Si-Hyun."
Yeo Dohyung smiled warmly as he responded.
Gentle sunlight streaming through the window fell across his face.
"So, that wraps up the eting, right?"
I spoke first, and Yeo Dohyung nodded lightly, standing up from his seat.
"Yes, I’ll pass on the agreed details to the staff. Please wait here a mont."
Yeo Dohyung left the room, and through the slightly open door, I could hear his footsteps and snippets of conversation.
I took a sip of the iced coffee in front of through the straw.
"He really accepted everything so easily."
Sure, it made sense when I hid the specifics.
But I didn’t expect him to agree so readily, even after hearing about sothing as ominous as a potential invasion.
I had thought a more detailed explanation might be necessary.
Did I gloss over things too much?
Should I have been more specific?
…Or did I actually get right to the point?
Alone in the room, my thoughts began to spiral.
Just then, Yeo Dohyung returned to the conference room.
"Thank you for waiting. Everything has been approved."
"That’s good to hear."
I nodded and glanced at the watch on my wrist.
Thanks to how smoothly the eting had gone, a lot of ti had been saved.
Now, I had quite a bit of free ti before my next appointnt.
"…Dohyung, are you busy right now?"
"Hmm? Did we miss sothing in the eting?"
"No, nothing like that. I just have so spare ti and thought I’d ask if you could chat for a while."
"Ah, perfect. I could use a break myself."
With a friendly smile, Yeo Dohyung sat back down across from .
I asked him, half-jokingly:
"Do people ever tell you that you’re too nice?"
"Excuse ? Why do you ask?"
"You agree to things way too easily when people ask you for favors."
"Hmm…"
Yeo Dohyung tapped his fingers lightly on the table, as if keeping a rhythm, his expression relaxed.
After a mont’s thought, he spoke in an easygoing tone.
"It’s the first ti I’ve heard that, but thinking about it, you might have a point. I’ll take it as a realization."
"Huh, is that so? Interesting."
I tilted my head slightly, then took another sip of my coffee.
We continued chatting about random topics until I finished my drink.
As I had noticed before, Yeo Dohyung was an excellent conversationalist.
Thanks to him, I was able to pass the ti pleasantly before my next appointnt.
***
After leaving the Dawn Guild building,
I visited the residence of the master of the Knight Guild, the Elder.
The iron gate bore the marks of ti,
beyond which lay a stately mansion and a ticulously maintained garden.
It was a landscape that always brought a sense of calm,
simple yet solid, much like the Elder’s life.
"Hello! It’s been a while."
"Hoho. Young lady, you’ve grown even more beautiful since I last saw you. I hear you’ve been very busy lately."
"Oh, co on. No matter how busy I am, I’ll always make ti to visit you. Don’t worry!"
"Hohoho."
I greeted the Elder warmly as he opened the gate and welcod in.
He smiled gently, turning to walk inside at a leisurely pace.
Watching his back, I smiled softly and followed him with light steps.
"In this heat, indoors is better than the garden. Co on in."
"Yes, that sounds like a good idea."
I answered naturally and followed him into the cool interior.
As we entered, the air conditioning’s pleasant chill enveloped .
In the living room, a table was laid with a delightful spread of refreshnts.
In the glass filled with ice, a deep red beverage glistened.
The color seed familiar. Perhaps...
"This is omija tea, isn’t it?"
"Hoho, you’ve got a sharp eye. There’s nothing better for sumr. Have a glass."
"Thank you! I’ll enjoy it."
Sluuurp. The clinking sound of ice accompanied the sip of cool omija tea touching my lips.
A tangy, refreshing flavor filled my mouth, followed by a subtle spiciness.
It was a taste that made the sumr heat lt away.
"Oh, this is a souvenir from my trip."
"A souvenir, you say? What’s this, bringing gifts?"
The Elder’s curious eyes crinkled with a small smile.
I handed over the present and settled into a seat.
From there, we exchanged casual conversation.
The Elder ntioned how visitors like kept him from feeling lonely.
He also shared how lively it beca when groups of his students visited, creating a fun commotion.
I talked about my plans to continue teaching at the academy.
About how seeing my adorable students often brought a smile to my face.
Ti passed as we chatted, and before we knew it, the long sumr day had begun to wane.
Then the Elder stroked his beard lightly and spoke.
"You’ve got sothing you want to say, don’t you?"
"Um, was it that obvious?"
"Hoho, it’s the intuition of an old man."
"Aha."
I chuckled softly at his words.
The Elder, now serious, added in a gentle tone:
"Don’t hesitate to share whatever’s on your mind. If there’s sothing troubling you, let hear it."
"I feel bad bringing this up after not seeing you for so long."
Smiling awkwardly, I took another sip of the omija tea.
But with him offering so kindly, wouldn’t it be rude to hold back?
I decided to speak up, summarizing the situation concisely.
"In the near future, I think I’ll have to go to a very dangerous place. I want to go with people I can trust."
"Hmm, I see."
It was a short and simple explanation.
Yet, the Elder didn’t press for more. Instead, he offered a gentle smile.
Straightening his back, he adjusted his posture.
His dignified, steadfast presence reminded of an unshakable boulder.
With a calm and deep gaze, he looked at and spoke.
"I can’t send my prized student into danger alone. I’d been considering getting back into shape anyway."
"…Thank you!"
I couldn’t help but feel a slight tremor in my voice.
His words, filled with kindness, ward my heart deeply.
I responded with a radiant smile.
***
...The past few days had been incredibly busy.
I made ti to et people I was acquainted with—
Da-Young and Han-Gyeol from the Wing Guild, the Academy’s President, Professor Noh, Professor Park, and others.
I handed out souvenirs and had brief conversations about what had happened recently and what lay ahead.
The rest of my ti was spent adjusting to my new power.
I also t regularly with Areum, exchanging thoughts on divine power.
During these monts, we were both each other’s teacher.
After all, if one is willing to learn, teachers can be found everywhere.
Thanks to Areum, I realized things I had overlooked, and together we shared a period of growth.
Ti passed, and the day for the SS-rank dungeon raid in Korea finally arrived.
The main raid team consisted of hunters from the Dawn Guild.
My role was to act as a supporter in place of the resting Choi Ga-Eul.
"Ah, Si-Hyun! You’re here!"
"Hello. Looks like everyone gathered early."
At the clearing near the gate,
I joined the others who had arrived ahead of and exchanged greetings.
"Please take care of us today!"
"The sa goes for . Let’s do our best."
Everyone was friendly and approachable.
It wasn’t overly formal, and the relaxed atmosphere felt comforting.
After the greetings, we completed our preparations.
Kim Tae-Ho, the Dawn Guild’s S-rank tank, was the first to step into the gate.
One by one, the others followed behind him, entering the gate.
I was the last one left.
Just before stepping in, I lightly reviewed the plan.
Today's objectives:
Adapt further to the power I had been training through the rigors of real combat.
At the sa ti, compare the effectiveness of my awakened trait and its absence.
While experinting, I would still be able to contribute my share to the team.
With an easy stride, I stepped into the gate.
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