Chapter 207
Chapter 207. Drinking Party
A reporter holding a microphone nodded as he looked at the camera.
“Yes! This is Yeosu. The terror that shocked South Korea has finally come to an end…”
As the reporter began to walk slowly to one side, a large camera followed him, rotating gradually.
The camera captured the area filled with destroyed buildings and roads.
The bloodstains and traces of monsters scattered around hinted at the battles that had taken place there.
Though many areas were still under control, safety had been secured enough for journalists and local residents to gain access.
The government worked to provide living expenses and supplies to citizens affected by the incident.
“Is this the right place?”
“Right.”
Meanwhile, Yoo Ji-han, dressed in a suit for the first time in ages, arrived at a funeral hall with his party members.
It was the joint funeral for the heroes who had died during the expedition.
“You can’t talk in here.”
“Got it! I’ll stay quiet.”
Chilla kept his mouth shut.
The news that he could talk had not yet been made public.
—I’ll just hang out in your pocket!
Having given precautions to the Sylph and Chilla, Yoo Ji-han entered the funeral hall.
In front of the largest altar, the most people had gathered.
“Whoa! It’s Yoo Ji-han’s party.”
“Camera! Camera!”
Reporters turned their cameras toward Yoo Ji-han’s party as they revealed themselves.
They were drawing attention due to their achievements during the expedition and the still-high viewership of the hero movie, yet they hadn’t conducted any official interviews, which made the interest even more intense.
However, considering the nature of the event, no one dared to ask them personal questions.
‘There were more casualties than I thought.’
Placing white flowers before the photos of the heroes, Yoo Ji-han examined their faces.
He heard that most of the incidents had occurred outside of Yeosu.
The damage had been relatively light in Yeosu, where he had participated as the expedition leader.
After finishing his homage, Yoo Ji-han stepped aside to a less crowded area and looked at Park Jae-kyung.
She was bowing repeatedly before the bereaved family of a fallen guild member.
“I’m so sorry. It’s all my fault.”
After the mourners left, sighing deeply, she soon spotted Yoo Ji-han.
“Oh! You came.”
“You’ve been working hard, Jae-kyung.”
“Well, it’s that kind of occasion.”
As the Vice Guild Master of a large guild, and with the guild master Yoon Do-ha absent, she was acting as the highest authority in the organization.
“It’s Yoo Ji-han’s party!”
“Yoo Ji-han!”
At that moment, a group of men and women gathered nearby approached Yoo Ji-han’s party.
He recognized their faces.
They were expedition members who had been part of the Yeosu expedition.
“Thank you so much, Yoo Ji-han!”
“Really, we owe our lives to Kim Si-hu’s magic!”
“If it weren’t for Yoo Ri, I’d be….”
They expressed their gratitude by mentioning the moments they had received help from Yoo Ji-han’s party.
They had just narrowly escaped what could have been fatal situations.
They had only directly benefited once or twice, but without that small assistance, they might have been the ones receiving flowers at this funeral.
“What’s going on? Who’s here?”
“It’s Yoo Ji-han’s party.”
As a bit of a ruckus arose nearby, attention shifted toward Yoo Ji-han’s vicinity.
It seemed everyone recognized his party.
After all, they had become the most noticed party during the expedition.
Among those attending the joint funeral, there was hardly anyone who didn’t know their faces.
‘This is… not great at all.’
The atmosphere grew chaotic with the appearance of the celebrity party.
While he understood the people’s feelings, it was not fitting for the solemn environment.
Thus, Yoo Ji-han sought the understanding of those around him and stepped outside.
“Yoo Ji-han’s party!”
“Please, let us see!”
As Yoo Ji-han’s party exited the funeral hall, reporters rushed in to surround them.
But they couldn’t overpower the heroes with sheer force.
They could only watch as Yoo Ji-han’s party got into their vehicle and left.
“Si-hu.”
“Yes, hyung.”
In the passenger seat, Yoo Ji-han spoke to Kim Si-hu.
“More people are mentioning your race.”
Kim Si-hu’s race had previously gone unreported, but classmates from the Hero Academy started posting about it online, gradually spreading whispers.
Journalists’ questions also included inquiries related to his race.
“I expected it. I’ll have to reveal it soon.”
Kim Si-hu remained composed.
After all, it was information that had to be made public at some point.
He had mentally prepared for it.
“Chirp! I want to say whatever I want too!”
“That’s a thought to ponder for a bit.”
*
In the office where Keroes’ representative, Park Joong-seob, resided.
A white envelope lay on his desk.
As he typed away on his laptop, his fingers came to a halt.
“What’s this?”
“It’s a resignation letter.”
“……!”
“I’m resigning from the guild.”
Inside the envelope was a resignation letter.
The person handing it to Park Joong-seob was Lee Mi-a.
“Mi-a, what on earth…?”
“I cleaned out the office last night. I’ve returned all the borrowed equipment, so you can collect it whenever.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yes.”
Looking down at the envelope, Park Joong-seob lifted his gaze to meet Lee Mi-a’s face.
Her expression remained emotionless as ever.
He couldn’t predict what thoughts were running through her mind, but he knew her words were not a lie.
“I’ve always treated you well.”
Park Joong-seob held her in high regard.
He had signed contracts for her with amounts greater than what any other large guild would offer, even if he could not guarantee a status as high as the guild’s main hero, Kim Hyun-tae.
Given his favors during her time in the guild, the terms of their contract were not lacking compared to any other place.
“If you’re short on money, I can adjust the contract however you need.”
“I don’t need that. I’ve already discussed everything with my party members.”
“……”
“With the expedition over, it feels like the right time to leave.”
Upon seeing Lee Mi-a’s resolute demeanor, Park Joong-seob realized that she wasn’t staging a protest over contract conditions.
She truly intended to leave Keroes.
“Why do you want to leave Keroes?”
“I’m not satisfied.”
“What?”
“I don’t like the party, and I don’t like the guild either.”
“It had conditions that could hardly be envied, right? What’s not to like?”
“I don’t like how Kim Hyun-tae acts arbitrarily, and I’m not fond of the new Kim Kang-woo either…”
“Kang-woo has been doing well, hasn’t he?”
“No, he hasn’t been doing well at all.”
Park Joong-seob raised an eyebrow.
“But the reports to me clearly indicate consistent growth…”
“Reports are just paperwork. They can’t be more accurate than my own eyes having seen it firsthand.”
No matter how detailed the reports were, they could not compare to actually observing from right beside.
Looking at Lee Mi-a as she stated this, Park Joong-seob shook his head.
“You’re saying this without understanding the situation. Kang-woo has been incredibly sharp since he was a child. Hyun-tae said he was quite useful.”
“That’s not my concern.”
“Ugh…”
Lee Mi-a’s cynical attitude.
With a sigh, Park Joong-seob closed his laptop that was widely opened.
Then, taking the resignation letter from the envelope, he said, “Mi-a.”
“Yes?”
“Do you remember when I treated your father?”
“Of course, I do.”
Not long after Lee Mi-a joined Keroes, her father, who worked on a construction site, suffered a severe injury from a fall and was hospitalized.
At that time, Park Joong-seob spent a large sum to hire a renowned healer and went so far as to obtain miraculous potions praised by experts.
As a result, her father made a miraculous recovery.
For Lee Mi-a, whose family wasn’t financially well-off and who hadn’t properly earned money at the time, it had been a tremendous favor.
“Are you planning to forget that debt?”
“Do you think I’ve betrayed your kindness?”
“……”
“My contributions to Keroes’ growth are not insignificant either.”
Park Joong-seob could not refute her words.
The guild that had once rented a small office on the outskirts of the city had now grown to become a well-known faction, largely owing to the efforts of Kim Hyun-tae’s party.
As someone who had been active in that party, Lee Mi-a had every right to claim such statements.
“……Let me ask you something.”
“Go ahead.”
“Did Yoo Ji-han persuade you?”
The one who had confronted them during the expedition, Yoo Ji-han’s party.
If it was that guy who had left Keroes before her, he might have encouraged Lee Mi-a’s resignation.
“Not at all.”
“……”
“I don’t decide based on what others say.”
Park Joong-seob looked down at the resignation letter, contemplating.
However, no matter how much he pondered, it seemed he couldn’t stop Lee Mi-a’s departure.
“As you know, you have over four years left on your contract with me.”
“I’m aware.”
“I don’t want to let you go… If you truly wish to leave, I’ll need to set some conditions.”
*
Yoo Ji-han visited the “Sweet Fun” workshop with the Sylph.
Nam Ho-yeol, who resided in the workshop, was still deeply engrossed in his research on Drimium.
“How’s it going today?”
“Same as usual.”
“Hmm.”
Yoo Ji-han looked at the flawless Drimium, which remained unchanged from when he first received it.
It didn’t seem to look any different on the surface.
However, the amount of magic contained within was definitely dwindling.
—Woohee! Is it snack time?
That was because the Sylph was sucking up the mysterious magic of the Drimium.
Though it couldn’t absorb much at once, she had been visiting repeatedly over the days.
With this repetition, he expected certain changes to occur.
‘I didn’t think the Sylph would grow because of this.’
The act of absorbing the magic from Drimium was bringing about changes in the Sylph before it altered the Drimium itself.
The density of the magic that comprised the Sylph’s body was thickening.
This was a slightly different phenomenon compared to absorbing magic crystals.
The Sylph, which could shrink its body to the size of a small bead, could now become smaller than a pea.
—Maybe I can get bigger than Chilla!
“So?”
—I’m now the biggest in the party! Woohee!
“That just means there’s more for the enemies to hit, doesn’t it?”
—Huh?
The round body of the Sylph, which puffed up, suddenly froze.
—But I can get bigger than Chilla!
“Do you want to get attacked? You want to taste reverse summoning?”
—Uuuh…
The Sylph, slumping down onto the table in defeat, clung to the Drimium.
And at that moment, as the magic latent in the metal slowly flowed into the Sylph.
Yoo Ji-han’s mobile phone started to ring.
“Hello?”
—It’s me.
The caller was Lee Mi-a.
After exchanging greetings and hesitating for a moment, she said to Yoo Ji-han.
—Let’s have a drink tonight.
