Chapter 94


    Once a celebrity took off, they could rake in an enormous amount of wealth and fame. In exchange, they had to give up on their private life. Wealth and fame vs. private life. Where there was light, there was shadow. Only by being popr in the media could you acquire wealth and fame, and in the process, you ended up forfeiting most of your private life and freedom. You win some, you lose some.


    ...So basically, Taeguk Shield can take all the fame and glory. I dont need that kind of thing.


    My eyes were solely on the practical gains. I didnt need the troublesome interest of the public. But I still wanted the benefits that came with such fame. Normally, that would be impossible, but not if I worked with Taeguk Shield.


    Might as well pick out only the good stuff, right? The method where I could have my cake and eat it too was to put Taeguk Shield in the front and operate in the back.


    So you want to put Taeguk Shield on the outside and take the actual profits?


    <em>Thats right, bullseye.</em>


    Of course, my teammates will do their best to cooperate with Taeguk Shield. We can meetter to decide the particrs.


    How favorable would those particrs be? That would be an enjoyable conundrum.


    Its win-win for us both. I would put Taeguk Shield on the outside and get the practical benefits. Taeguk Shield would get our help and gain the fame and power the guild always wanted.


    They would be the heroes of Korea. That had always been Sungshins true aim with Taeguk Shield. The guilds sess would have an enormous effect on improving Sungshins image.


    Through that, Guildmaster Song Kiyeol would take a big step forward in the fight for session.


    ...


    You would be able to win the high ground in yourpetition with your particrly strongpetitor, your second-oldest sibling.


    Youve even seen through that much?


    Song Kiyeol must have never imagined that he would have such a conversation with an ordinary person, and in the police station, no less.


    I dont intend on bing a guild member of Taeguk Shield, but I will think of your guild as an ally of the highest priority.


    ...


    Kiyeol hadpletely lost the initiative to me. If that was enough to bruise his pride, then he wouldnt develop any further. He would only grow if he viewed this situation as a learning experience and got something out of it.


    What will you do?


    I would be happy to see him ask the one question that really hit bullseye. Just why did you insist on Taeguk Shield? With this much insight, you could have gotten another partner. Is it really only because you dislike the publics interest and find it troublesome? Its a little difficult to understand if that is your only reasoning. If he sent me such an appropriate line of questioning, I would give Song Kiyeol a few more brownie points.


    I have one question.


    Fire away.


    Is that really all you want? A simple cooperative rtionship? Judging by the current situation, you have already seen through us. You have far more information than we do and have the skills to stand in a far more dominant position.


    Your assessment is sound.


    Yes, that was exactly right. Then theres a question you need to ask me, isnt there? I gave him some more time.


    But is it really because you dislike the publics interest? Currently, I find it a little difficult to understand why you are refusing fame and glory.


    Good, well done. It was a pretty good question. I decided to reward him with a little more information.


    That is in part rted to my ss. The one I have a contract with does not like to see me acting in the front.


    Actually, the Nameless Guardian didnt particrly prohibit me from doing so. They simply observed in silence. Even so, this kind of gesture was necessary. All things considered, my Guardian was my biggest customer, my VVIP. It was good to show at least this much goodwill.


    And its an exnation that can convince him.


    After some time, his summary changed.


    Summary: Enlightened 3rd Generation Chaebol


    He still had a long way to go. He needed to be an enlightened Guildmaster, not an enlightened 3rd Generation Chaebol.


    Well, hes still a beginner.


    He had performed well enough to deserve some leniency.


    Will you agree to a cooperative rtionship of the highest priority? I asked. Of course, it would be a verbal agreement for now. Well have to discuss the particrster.


    A spoken contract was nonbinding. Naturally, there had to be a written contract. I was saying this to see Song Kiyeols guts and willingness to cooperate.


    In this situation, where I was the superior and he was the inferior, it might very well be a bold move for him to decisively ept a contract with me without concrete uses. No, it was definitely a bold movehe didnt know what exactly I would demand.


    Well then. What will you do?


    He had barely scraped by in my test. All things considered, Taeguk Shields Song Kiyeol was still way better than the Blood and Iron Queen.


    Queen sounded nice, but she was actually more often called Witch. It was my personal judgment that working with Song Kiyeol was much better than working with Song Junghye, the woman who had wielded nearly absolute power after President Song Kiyoung passed away. I didnt know what kind of influence this decision would have on the future, but in any case, it was far more favorable for me.


    Answer me.


    I gave the inferior party more time. Shortly afterwards, Song Kiyeol gave me his response.


    I agree. He continued calmly, Though I do get the feeling that I was dragged along by you the whole day.


    At least he knew.


    It was a very educational day.


    He seemed more humble than how I had judged him to be when I first saw him on the 12th floor.


    Next time, I will look a little more broadly and seize the initiative from you, Mr. Kim Hyukjin.


    Thats exactly what I want.


    Thats right. You, the Guildmaster of Taeguk Shield, need to be a little more smart and wily so that I, your partner, can have an easier time.


    With a slightly more rxed expression, Song Kiyeol said, Shall we leave, then? I have already arranged to have you escorted back infort to your home.


    Thank you.


    I was thankful, but I wasnt done talking yet.


    If I were you, Guildmaster Song Kiyeol, I would have made a different proposal.


    I decided to give Song Kiyeol, a man considered to be rtively kind and honest for a 3rd generation chaebol, a little tip.


    ...Pardon?


    The President aside, isnt it true that both Guildmaster Song Kiyeol and the other members of Taeguk Shield still do not know much about me?


    Thats true, but


    He knew that I had choked Kim Taechun to unconsciousness, put the Orcanthropes into a groggy state, and had a sovereign ss.


    Im sure the yers of Taeguk Shield are particrly skilled people.


    That was a no-brainer, since each of them had been carefully selected.


    So how do you intend on exining to them that Taeguk Shield and I have established a tight knit cooperative rtionship? Do you think you can convince them? To them, I am an unknown yer who never even gave a proper exnation of how I subdued the Orcanthropes.


    ...


    The higher ones skill, the more likely it was that they had strong pride. Knowing that very well, I gave the Guildmaster another push.


    There are definitely yers from Taeguk Shield who were able to read my movements. If so There must be yers who boasted that they could beat me.


    ...


    State: Awed / Surprised / Slight Fear


    I could tell from his state. I had clearly hit the bullseye with a single prod. I decided to prod a little more.


    For example, the yer wielding the spear. Or the yer who uses poison.


    You simply continue to surprise me.


    In the end, Song Kiyeol acknowledged everything I said, which was far better than not acknowledging the truth of my words and feigning ignorance. I decided to throw him another tip.


    If you are unable to seize full control of Taeguk Shield, your grandfather will be disappointed.


    That was actually Song Kiyeols biggest immediate issue, the issue he had to settle before all else. He had to first turn Taeguk Shield into his loyal hands and feet. Only then would he be acknowledged by his grandfather and have a favorable position in the future fight for session.


    I truly cannot believe you are really 20.


    There was nothing he could do even if he didnt believe it. I, too, had no idea that I was this capable. I thought I was an idiot because I kept failing the civil service exam, but looking at it now, that didnt seem to be true. I surprised myself.


    I scratched his itch a little more.


    To prevent the Guildmaster from being in an awkward spot, I will dly ept a test.


    ...What?


    He really needed me to hold his hand from start to finish, huh. There was a lot to teach him.


    If I were you, I would have proposed a test.


    ...


    Soe on, say it with your own mouth. That way, you can look more justified in front of your guild members, right? Ill do you a solid and simply ept.


    I spelled it out more concretely. For example something like a PVP.


    A PVP? But you are


    Thats right, I am a nonbat ss. My specialty isntbat. So in other words What kind of influence do you think a sovereign ss yer who could win against abat ss yer would have in their specialty field?


    Was that enough for him to finally get it?


    If I were to tell you I could even prove my ying abilities as a sovereign, what would you do?


    I would prove my outstanding abilities my own way, and Song Kiyeol would prove his discernment his own way.


    And what do you think the evaluation would be of the Guildmaster who was the first to recognize and actively approach the yer who proved his abilities?


    After a short moment, Song Kiyeol spoke with a serious expression. Please allow me to test you. The test will be a PVP match. As for your opponent, I will choose a yer from Taeguk Shield and inform you at ater time.


    While saying that, he snuck nces at me like he was scared I might be displeased or offended.


    Of course not. You did well. This is how you do it. Keep going like this in the future. You finally seem more like the Guildmaster of Taeguk Shield. Youve gotta do well so that Ill wanna cooperate again with you in the future, dude.


    I ept the test.


    Thank you.


    It would be best if you were to bring up a reasonable proposal like this first next time.


    ...


    For the briefest moment, Song Kiyeols eye twitched.


    ...I will keep that in mind.


    He wasnt simply unhappy. His summary changed.


    Summary: 3rd Generation Chaebol who Met his Teacher


    That was a pretty decent change, wasnt it?


    * * *


    * * *


    One day passed. My opponent would be the future Spear Demon, Byeon Gilsup. It went without being said that the Guardians were also told about the PVP match. It was one of the types of content they went wild for.


    PVP, huh.


    A PVP against the Spear Demon. Rather than nervousness, I felt excitement.


    It should be fun.


    The day of the match was just around the corner. It would happen tomorrow.


    A simple frontal duel would be a bit risky.


    I didnt think I would be defeated even in a frontal battle, but I wouldnt be able to show an overwhelming difference in skill. The opponent was the future Spear Demon. He would be a far stronger PVPer than the Brown Bear Kim Taechun.


    I have to show them an overwhelming difference in skill.


    Then, Guildmaster Song Kiyeol would have a justification, and he would be able to show his grandfather that his discernment was correct. And considering the days of cooperation ahead of us, it was best to show overwhelming strength. Even better if I could prove my entire partys strength, not just my own.


    Then I guess thats the method Ill have to use.


    There was a method that would allow me, a nonbat ss yer, to win against thebat ss yer Byeon Gilsup with an overwhelming difference in skill, and that method wasnt far away.


    Time to get overgeared.