198 – Who Is the Enemy – 5

Jun-i Oppa was returning to her side.

From the moment she learned of that, Ye-min could not remain still for even a single moment.

Although a mountain of work to be processed was piled up, she could not concentrate at all and was gulping down her third cup of coffee, when Ji-hye, who was stamping the documents in her stead, spoke with a look of exasperation.

“Anyone would think a husband who went on a business trip during your newlywed life is returning.”

“It’s similar. Ah, but even if we get married, I can’t send Jun-i Oppa on business trips. Who knows what kind of vixen will cling to him? Absolutely not. Wherever he goes, I’ll stick to him.”

“You haven’t even climbed into the dating ring yet, so why do you speak as if marriage has already been decided?”

Perhaps because Ye-min could not concentrate on her work, Ji-hye’s jab was also particularly sharp.

She was already on edge after hearing the unbelievable news from Eun-shin just a short while ago—a story about as many as 200 vixens—so she got worked up at those words and shouted.

“Because if I don’t at least brainwash myself like this, I won’t be able to hold out!”

“Honestly, this emotional instability…”

Ji-hye shook her head and handed Ye-min one of the documents she had picked up.

“If you want to be praised by Oppa, work hard for now. I can approve most things, but you have to check the really important ones. If you lose your focus, our guild might end up turning into the private army of Gratia’s King, you know?”

“Tch… I know that much.”

When Gi-jun was brought up as a reason, she had no choice but to calm down.

Pouting her lips, Ye-min took the document and checked it.

“Is this the month-end settlement? Yeah… it’s not bad. The new members too… Mmm. If possible, it would be nice if all Earthlings gathered together, but I guess that’s impossible.”

During the roughly three months that had passed since the Grand Quest concluded, Guild Terra, which was established in Cor, had smoothly recruited members, established a proper system, and stabilized to some extent.

Of course, what exerted a massive influence on this was none other than the King and the Crown Prince, Lectus, who blatantly supported the guild.

No matter how strong of an impression Ye-min had engraved as a civilization representative by leading the subjugation squad during the Grand Quest, drawing people’s hearts to unite them and continuously controlling tens of thousands of people without complaints arising were entirely different matters.

“Although we are terribly weak compared to other civilizations, our numbers are incredibly large. If even ten percent gather in the end, wouldn’t that alone be enough?”

“Ten percent is a hundred thousand people. How do you know how many of the one million Earthlings survived?”

“Honestly, if they have eyes to see and ears to hear, it should be normal for them to run to Cor right away—”

From the relationship between a king and his subjects on a large scale to a romantic relationship on a small scale, all human relationships were established only when give-and-take was smooth.

And what the humans belonging to Guild Terra wanted was a dignified standing where they would not be discriminated against just because they were of the human race, along with a continuous and stable growth environment.

It might be different if Guild Terra grew enough to truly represent an entire nation in the future, but they were currently in a situation where they had no choice but to borrow the country’s prestige to protect and grow the guild members.

Of course, up until now, it had been carried out without any problems.

Because there was someone who acted as if they would give up even their liver and gallbladder.

No, in fact, such people were overflowing around Ye-min.

“If that loose-screwed lizard hadn’t been completely in love with Min-i, it would have been much harder than it is now, mm-hmm.”

“Could you stop talking as if I’m running the guild by exploiting people’s feelings? What would Jun-i Oppa think if he heard that?”

The relationship between Ye-min and the slaves of love, including Lectus, was also, of course, a matter of give-and-take.

It was just that compared to what the other side gave, what Ye-min bestowed was infinitely meager.

A smile, or a word of gratitude.

Physical contact was a no-go.

Because if they misunderstood and approached her boldly, it would become extremely tiring.

When she said something along those lines, Ji-hye was dumbfounded and cried out.

“It’s exactly as I said! You are a complete villainess!”

“You’ve been noisy since earlier. It’s fine as long as the other side is satisfied. Besides, this much is just a minor technique for winning the public’s heart. Real villainesses use their own bodies without hesitation. …And men are even worse.”

“You’re talking about a novel, right?”

“It’s a story of reality. It’s the same on Earth or here.”

At Ye-min’s tone, which sounded as if she actually knew such people, Ji-hye’s pupils shook in shock.

For Ji-hye, a model student who had gone to an all-girls middle school, an all-girls high school, and was attending an all-girls university, only knowing how to study, it was a story of a world she could never understand.

In a voice as faint as frost that would melt and disappear at any moment, she asked Ye-min.

“Min-i, by any chance, did you come from a different Earth than me?”

“You just realized now. Actually, I came from Earth 295.”

“That’s a complete apocalypse…”

Ye-min finished checking the documents while sharing minor jokes with Ji-hye.

Most of the guild members were of the Uncommon grade, and less than ten percent of them were of the Rare grade.

Even that was the result of diligently supporting and leading the guild members to conquer dungeons and grow.

Having a larger number compared to other guilds was good, but they were still nothing but weak soldiers, so she could not even get a grasp on when they would be able to leave Gratia.

“Huu, it’s nice to receive Gratia’s protection, but we can’t just stay here forever.”

“I’m telling you, you’re being too impatient. It’s not something that can be resolved in a year or two.”

“But to be of help to Oppa, we must build an elite force composed of at least Unique-grade members within three years.”

“Just because we grow quickly doesn’t mean others can do the same…”

Ye-min shook her head and stood up.

“I’ll go organize the data. There are quite a few things to hand over to Karin.”

“Yeah, please do.”

Karin was a German mage belonging to the party led by Choi Kang, one of the representatives of Earth’s civilization.

She did not know how she ended up with Choi Kang, but the reason that loose-screwed, ignorant man had managed to preserve his life until now was entirely because that woman did not give up on Choi Kang and guided him.

It meant she could be given an overwhelmingly passing score in both character and ability.

She seemed to harbor indescribable, complex feelings toward Choi Kang, who had thrown himself into Guild Terra without hesitation simply because Ye-min was there after being together since the tutorial days—but since she believed Guild Terra was the best place for those from Earth’s civilization to entrust themselves, she was being very cooperative with the guild’s management.

…Even more so because she knew that Ye-min did not view Choi Kang romantically in the slightest.

From the perspective of Ye-min and Ji-hye, the reason they could trust and leave things to her was that they knew there was no reason to betray each other, given that the representatives of their respective civilizations belonged to each party—and she could not betray them anyway, as Choi Kang would surely fly into a furious rage if she screwed Ye-min over.

“I think you’re already a villainess at the point you calculate things like this to delegate work.”

“It can’t be helped. Originally, relationships between people are maintained because they hold each other’s weaknesses.”

“So, did you get a hold of Jun-i Oppa’s weakness?”

“Oppa holds my weakness. Hehe…”

Ye-min replied instantly, letting out a creepy laugh.

At the sight of Ye-min unable to control her emotions while thinking of Gi-jun, Ji-hye was disgusted and quickly opened the door.

“Do not ever tell me what that weakness is, even in the future.”

And she slammed the door shut as she left.

* * *

Gi-jun came.

She did not know why, but he was becoming increasingly attractive as time passed.

Thus, it was understandable that he was popular with the opposite sex, but she highly disliked how much closer he had grown to his party members, Lora and Tilla, compared to when they had parted.

And what she disliked even more was none other than herself.

“I don’t care how dangerous it is. …If Uncle Su is what’s on your mind, I’ll talk to him separately.”

“Still, to Hyung… sigh.”

Mok-su was the least capable among the party members.

Of course, he was also at an outstanding level among those from Earth’s civilization, but compared to the other members, who each had a distinct individuality and were becoming strong enough to transcend the limits of their civilization, it was inevitable that he fell behind.

Ye-min, who was active in a party with Mok-su, knew this even better than Gi-jun, so she had been paying a lot of attention to his growth, but…

“You know we’re not children either, right, Oppa?”

“I know. That’s why it’s even more of a problem.”

“We can’t only operate in safe places. I’ll try to persuade Uncle Su to stay behind, but… moving together will probably be helpful for Uncle’s growth as well.”

She felt disgusted with herself at the words she had uttered under the pretext of Mok-su’s growth.

Of course, her wish for Mok-su to grow was sincere—but what if he could not?

What if he overexerted himself and got hurt?

Gi-jun would care about it and feel pained.

Because of that, he might completely give up on operating together with Ye-min’s party.

‘That cannot happen. Even if it means throwing Uncle out of the party…’

…Ye-min was worrying more about not being able to be together with Gi-jun because of it, rather than Mok-su getting hurt.

Upon realizing her own heart while conversing with Gi-jun, she felt that she was unspeakably ugly.

She could not forgive herself for already regarding Mok-su as an obstacle.

But it was unavoidable, was it not?

She herself was struggling to catch up to Gi-jun, and if she even dragged a shackle like Mok-su along, the gap between her and Gi-jun would only widen further.

Even as she considered herself ugly for plotting to coldly abandon Mok-su while having such thoughts, she was instead able to steel her resolve because of it.

‘It cannot go on like this. For Uncle Su’s sake too—not like this.’

If she moved together with Gi-jun this time, she would be able to find out.

Whether Mok-su could continue to follow them in the future.

Whether Ye-min could even be together with Gi-jun in the first place.

“Oppa, what is this talk about two hundred shrine maidens?! Don’t tell me there are two hundred more of this kind of lewd girl!”

“Lewd girl?!”

While she was making a serious resolution, Ji-hye’s voice entered her ears, snapping her back to reality.

Yes, the problem now was not just Mok-su.

Among the reasons Ye-min had been troubled, was there not also the existence of the two hundred shrine maidens that Eun-shin had told her about!

“Tilla, will you open it?”

“Sure. Since we will be together in the future, it would be best to greet them in advance.”

The Flame Human, who was already strong and of the greatest help to Gi-jun, was showing off a super-large sub-space—a sub-space where people could even enter and live.

The moment she opened the sub-space, Ye-min clearly saw her look at her with a smile full of superiority.

As expected, she could not leave Oppa’s side.

Even if it meant dying, she had to stick to him!

“Greetings. I am Ouka, the leader of the shrine maidens. I serve Lord Gi-jun with all my body and soul.”

And that resolution became even firmer upon seeing the woman who called herself the representative of the shrine maidens, directing an unwavering gaze toward Gi-jun.

For that woman’s hair and eyes were both pink.