Chapter 1366. An Unexpected Debut (1)

There was no particular reason. It just felt right to say that I was in a bad mood. Some people would make you feel good just by looking at their face, while others would piss you off the moment you see them.

He definitely belonged to the latter.

It was only natural for me to wonder how I could mess up that smug face of his. I had no idea whether it was because of my own mental state, but today, his self-satisfied expression irritated me more than usual.

The slight tilt of his chin, the condescending light in his eyes, and the barely raised corners of his mouth all combined into an unmatched level of obnoxiousness.

‘That bastard, Commander Jin.’

It seemed like he had the same thoughts as me. Even without looking directly at him, I could tell from his attitude that he was clicking his tongue at me, probably fighting the urge to curse me.

“

Tsk

, stupid fool,” Commander Jin muttered.

‘This bastard really pisses me off.’

“

Haa

... unbelievable,” Commander Jin said, sighing.

‘Damn it.’

Of course, that aside, I could understand why Ji-Hye noona had called him here.

‘Is she feeling

that

uneasy?’

It was probably because she knew I wasn’t in my best condition. Commander Jin was annoying, but it was undeniable that he fit in with the current party. Given our team composition, we needed a mage like him more than a traditional mage.

Belier couldn't really be considered a

proper

mage. She could cast large-scale, destructive spells, but she couldn’t use them effectively, and she was also more suited for one-on-one combat rather than group battles.

She also couldn’t use support spells like most mages could. As much as I hated to admit it, Commander Jin was a versatile type of mage capable of fighting in just about any circumstances. He was also capable of making great and objective decisions when needed.

He was perfectly suitable for our ambiguous party, and it made sense to have him around in case something were to go wrong.

‘The party’s fine.’

I knew that he basically completed the team, but still...

‘Damn it, why do I hate him so much?’

Even the way he touched his chin while talking with Ji-Hye noona annoyed me.

“I’ll be in your care, Commander Jin. If by any chance—”

“I know,” he interrupted me.

‘She probably promised him something again. Damn it.’

Before long, he moved toward where the rest of the party was gathered.

In the meantime, Ji-Hye noona quietly approached me and said, “Don’t look at him like that. You know he’s perfect for this, right?”

“What was the condition?” I asked.

“

Oh

, you know. What else would Commander Jin be interested in?” Lee Ji-Hye asked back.

“The next project?” I asked.

“Yeah, that and... a few other things mixed in. He’s trying to squeeze every bit of profit out of this. You should’ve seen how picky he was during the negotiations. I really thought I was going to lose my mind,” Lee Ji-Hye answered.

“...”

“...”

“Oppa, don’t you think you’re hating him a little too much?” Lee Ji-Hye asked.

“

Ah

, I just find him a bit annoying, that’s all,” I muttered.

“Honestly, yeah, he is annoying, but he’s capable,” Lee Ji-Hye argued.

“Makes me want to throw a cupcake at him. Seriously,” I said.

“Let’s do it together next time. We’ll even call Miss Benigoa and make it the three of us,” Lee Ji-Hye suggested.

Meanwhile, Commander Jin was already acting like the leader of the party.

“Give me a brief report on each party member’s traits, skills, and stats,” he requested, walking up to Sun Hee-Young.

Had he completely dropped the polite tone, or was it because most of the party members were from the Blue Guild? His voice carried a slight edge of authority, unlike how he usually spoke to others.

“...”

“Did you not hear me? I told you to give a brief report on the party members’ traits, skills, and stats,” Commander Jin repeated.

“...”

‘Wow, Hee-Young’s got nerves of steel.’

Even after hearing that, Sun Hee-Young neither flinched nor even looked at him. She simply stared straight ahead, and her face seemed to be asking, "who’s barking?"

‘I knew those two won't get along.’

I felt like his pride was injured because he glared at her for no reason.

Meanwhile, Lee Chang-Ryeol quietly approached Commander Jin to deliver what could barely be called a report. Reading the room, Lee Chang-Ryeol was clearly trying to smooth things over. It made sense. Before setting out on an expedition, the leader needed a rough grasp of the party members’ stats.

Still, Commander Jin didn’t seem to have recovered from being ignored by Sun Hee-Young. Soon enough, I noticed him striding straight toward us.

Then, turning to Ji-Hye noona, he said, “I’m not going.”

“What? Why now, Commander Jin...? The contract’s already been signed and sealed. You can’t just back out at this point,” Lee Ji-Hye asked.

‘O for crying out loud, this guy.’

“I can’t lead an expedition with a member who disobeys orders. Didn’t I make myself clear? My authority is equal to, if not greater than, Lee Ki-Young’s. We all agreed that in case of an emergency, every member must follow my command,” Commander Jin said.

“Of course. Who would dare challenge your authority, Commander Jin? Right, oppa?” Lee Ji-Hye asked.

‘Ah, noona...’

“Miss Hee-Young probably just didn’t get the full explanation yet. Go talk to her again. Take your time and explain it properly,” Lee Ji-Hye suggested.

At last, Sun Hee-Young lowered her head slightly and began speaking with Commander Jin. Her face, however, remained expressionless, and so did his.

The atmosphere turned uncomfortably cold.

Belier and Alps walked to the side, quietly watching for any signs of trouble, while Lee Chang-Ryeol and Ha Yeon-Soo, who had yet to disqualify themselves as assassins, maintained a heavy, tense silence.

I didn’t really care about their personal issues as long as they did their jobs, but the tension in the air was enough to make that thought feel naïve.

‘It’ll be fine. They’re not stupid enough to mix personal feelings with work.’

After saying a quick goodbye to Ji-Hye noona, I walked toward the rest of the party.

“Take care!” Lee Ji-Hye's voice echoed behind me, and I nodded in response.

Right on cue, I heard Commander Jin’s voice again. “The purpose of this party is to locate and retrieve Kim Hyun-Sung. We’re heading to a parallel world of the current continent. Combat is possible, so everyone should stay on high alert.”

‘Acting like he’s the damn leader.’

Of course, I couldn’t just keep quiet.

“Finished with your briefing, Commander Jin?”

“What?”

“Good work. I’ll take it from here,” I said.

“....”

“....”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I’ll keep leading the team,” Commander Jin argued.

“If you insist that much, I suppose I have no choice. I’ll acknowledge your authority, then. Would you be so kind as to continue taking charge, Commander Jin?” I asked sarcastically.

“...”

“...”

“No, on second thought, it might be better if you handle it. I’ll go gather information in the meantime, so take care of things for a while, will you? I’m delegating the party to you under my authority,” Commander Jin said.

‘This bastard looks perfectly normal, so why is he acting like a child?’

I wondered if he had even realized how petty he was at the moment.

Apparently, he didn’t want to be alone, as I saw him dragging Lee Chang-Ryeol along and chatting about this and that. He had finally realized that Chang-Ryeol was someone he could talk to.

The rest of the party quietly turned their eyes toward me. The rookies didn’t really matter, as they could be easily swayed, but Sun Hee-Young at least needed a proper explanation.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t explain things properly earlier,” I said.

“No need to apologize, Mr. Lee Ki-Young, I assumed there must’ve been something going on that you couldn’t tell us,” Sun Hee-Young said.

“Thank you for understanding,” I said.

I saw her reveal a faint smile.

‘Hee-Young’s mood just improved.’

“I’m sure you already heard most of the details from Commander Jin,” I continued.

“...”

“As you've already heard, our mission is to locate, secure, and bring back the guild master. Judging from the team composition, you’ve probably guessed that we’ll be moving as swiftly and quietly as possible.

"The party's move will be decided upon our arrival at that parallel world, but for now, there’s a high chance that we might engage in combat. I’ll take a few short questions,” I explained.

What followed was predictable. Most of the questions came from Sun Hee-Young. She asked about the relationship between the Six Stars and the parallel world, what exactly the parallel world was, and why Kim Hyun-Sung was drawn to it. She also asked whether there was anything else they needed to know.

Naturally, she had the right to ask. She needed to organize her own thoughts, and in case of an emergency, she would have to operate separately from the rest of the team.

‘The rookies probably don't even understand the conversation.’

Ha Yeon-Soo had to have already heard a rough explanation from noona. She seemed to have accepted it, but convincing her was the real task.

After nodding thoughtfully, Sun Hee-Young glanced at Alps and Belier. Then, she took them aside for a brief talk. We only managed to finish our pre-departure preparations after Sun Hee-Young had returned to us.

I had no idea what she told them, but both of them looked properly disciplined now. I felt like she had given them a pop quiz on the conversation they’d just overheard. It looked like tears were welling up in Alps’ eyes.

After that, Commander Jin returned, and we had to sit through another one of his speeches. It was inefficiency at its finest. He repeated the same things two or three times to different people, but even so, the rookies were wide-eyed, trying not to miss a single word.

“I’ll say it one more time. There’s a high chance we might end up in combat. I can’t look after every single one of you, so watch out for yourselves,” Commander Jin instructed.

‘It’s probably the Continental War.’

It would likely be a brutal one.

Still, since the power inflation around that era wasn’t too high, I was confident our current party could get through it without too much trouble, but one could never know for sure. There could be irregulars like Jung Jin-Ho, and in large-scale wars, the scariest thing was always a stray arrow.

Belier had never experienced a war before, and she gulped hard upon hearing Commander Jin's words.

“We’re moving out,” Commander Jin announced.

The moment the spell was cast, the scenery before us shifted. The surroundings felt familiar, yet the people who had been with us just seconds ago—Lee Ji-Hye and the Black Swan guild members—had disappeared.

Upon confirming that we made it to the parallel world, Commander Jin nodded silently.

We moved to a narrow alley, and we heard explosions from all directions.

“Move immediately. Belier, you take the lead,” Commander Jin ordered.

Belier, tense and trembling, clenched her fists and stepped out of the alley.

“

Waaaaaaah!

”

Boom! Boom! Boooom!

“

Waaaaaaah!

”

Boom boom! Boooom!

Fireworks burst across the sky.

“

Huh?

”

“

Waaaaaaaaah!

”

“...”

We all turned and saw people cheering around us. It looked like a festival—no, it

was

a festival. Commander Jin turned to look at me, clearly dumbfounded.

‘What the? Don’t look at me, damn it. I didn’t know either.’

The rest of the party stared at me, clearly waiting for an explanation that I couldn't offer. Then, Lee Chang-Ryeol cautiously stepped forward, took off his mask, and flashed a friendly smile before speaking to a woman staring at the fireworks.

At that moment, he looked like there was no way he could be an assassin.

“

Um

... excuse me...” Lee Chang-Ryeol said.

“

Huh

? Who—wait...

huh

?

Oh, uh

, yes! Just... just a moment...

Whew... whew

... how can I help you?” the woman asked.

“We’re adventurers who just arrived from outside the city. Could you tell us what’s happening here?” Lee Chang-Ryeol asked.

“

Ah

! I see! Perfect timing, actually,” she said.

“Really?”

“You see, it’s the Union of Kingdoms’ pride and joy...” she trailed off.

“......”

“The Debutante Ball is just around the corner!” she shouted.

“What?”

‘The Debutante Ball?’

“It’s an event where the young ladies of the Union of Kingdoms introduce themselves to members of high society and look for potential husbands. It’s one of the most important festivals in the Union. Last year alone, 114 couples were made. Can you believe it?

"And this year, even nobles from the Empire are attending, so the scale has grown even larger than ever!"

“...”

“By the way, may I ask which inn you’re staying at? I mean... since fate seems to have brought us together... and with the festival going on... I wanted to feel a bit

free

tonight, you know? Free from the things that have been tying me down...” she asked.

“Actually, we haven’t found a place to stay yet,” Lee Chang-Ryeol replied.

“Oh dear, that’s going to be tough! It’s hard to get a room during the festival...

Ah!

Would you like me to recommend a nice place for you?” she offered.

“...”

“...”

‘A debutante... ball...?’

Perhaps it was just me, but I saw Commander Jin’s face twisting as if he had sensed something ominous.