Chapter 591: Key Player (2)

“Where are you going?”

“…”

I couldn’t seem to find an excuse. That was because I thought that if I said I was going to the field, he would say he would follow me.

I felt like the way he looked at me silently packing my luggage was strange, but I had no choice but to continue what I was doing for the time being.

It was a good idea to store some clothes and personal supplies in the storage bag and a simple alchemy kit as well, as I might’ve had to do some research work there.

I might’ve had some time off as well, so I took a chess set with me. It seemed like I was carrying many things, but the storage space of the infinite bag that Kim Hyunsung gave me as a gift was very wide.

In the meantime, Kim Hyunsung continued watching me anxiously.

He was so bad at human relationships that he seemed confused about what he should do at that moment. I felt as if he was judging whether he should leave or continue staring, but there was no way I would say something.

Despite having already finished preparing for the expedition, the subtle confrontation was unlikely to end.

‘It would be better to just speak to him…’

I couldn’t keep him standing like that. As soon as I moved my lips, his voice began to be heard again.

“Er… so… where are you going?”

‘I should just tell him.’

I spoke confidently, and if I felt like he would want to follow, I’d just say no.

“I think I have to go to the field for a while.”

“Are you talking about District 5?”

“Yes, I think I need to see how the recovery work of the ruined district is progressing. It seems that the damage was bigger than I thought… I’ll be taking Deokgu and Hayan with me, so you don’t have to worry about me.”

“But… I know that you just got up. Wouldn’t it be better to rest a little more…?”

“I’m healthy. There is nothing wrong with my head and with my health.”

‘This motherfucker, when did he start worrying about my health? Go and do some training.’

“Still…”

“It’s something I have to do. Just like you spent nine months training to grow a little more.”

“That’s… I’m… sorry.”

‘No, why are you apologizing? That wasn’t a mistake.’

“No, it’s not something for you to apologize. I understand why you had to do it. Wasn’t it important?”

‘You know that it’s as important as my job, right? So, let’s just end this conversation here.’

“Um…”

“Me too. There is nothing more important than making sure the district recovers from the current situation. It was my mistake, and it was my job, so I want to take responsibility until the end.”

“…”

“…”

“Yes, I… understand. When are you coming back?”

“Well, I can’t predict exactly how long it will take, but… it shouldn’t be that long.”

‘He’s not asking to come with us.’

The preparations I did earlier seemed to work. I felt like he had a lot of things to say, but he probably just kept it to himself. It was definitely a good outcome for me.

There couldn’t have been any noise about safety and health after all the incidents had already taken place.

I said that I would take Park Deokgu and Jung Hayan, so my minimum safety was at least guaranteed… above all, Wasn’t it meaningful, my desire to push to oversee the repairs?

Since he was ghosting on me to do what he needed, it was natural that I could do that too.

When I spoke up, conveying as much as possible for him not to intervene, I saw Kim Hyunsung’s expression becoming convinced.

“And… I’m sorry.”

“I’m telling you there is nothing to be sorry for.”

“…”

“By the way… why did you come all the way here?”

“Ah…”

‘I don’t think it’s because he was unsatisfied…’

However, that was exactly what his face said.

It was definitely a different expression than usual. Then he nodded as if he remembered his business.

As expected, I didn’t think it was good news. The anxious look that I saw at the very beginning continued to linger in my head.

‘I wonder if something else broke out. What could happen in the current situation?’

It might not have been much. However, Kim Hyunsung’s seriousness, which wasn’t normal for him, made me nervous.

“Come in and sit down.”

At this, Kim Hyunsung nodded and stepped into the room.

* * *

“What would you like for tea? Or are you okay with coffee?”

“Anything is fine. More importantly… I think the story might take too much of your time…”

“It doesn’t matter. We’ll be a little late, but… don’t rush it. It’s something important, anyway.”

‘So, out with it. I’m curious to death, bastard.’

“I don’t know how to start, but… do you remember what I’ve said before? About the key player…”

‘I’ve never forgotten.’

It would be weird not to remember. It was important as it was the threat of the first round.

Of course, the two lifetimes’ flow was clearly different, but the humans with talents or special powers didn’t change.

Just as Jung Hayan still possessed her overwhelming talent for magic, others also possessed the same talents as the previous timeline. Additionally, even if I didn’t approach them, they often revealed themselves, anyway.

Of course, their importance was tremendous.

Most of the named ones were strong enough to influence an entire battlefield directly.

They had the power to change the tides of warfare and lead their allies out of danger.

If the common troops were simple pawns, the named ones were knights and bishops that could swiftly confuse and destroy enemy troops.

It meant that they could remold the shape of the situation if they were used properly.

Therefore, Kim Hyunsung and I had no choice but to become sensitive to the named people of the first round. I didn’t go to the Blue Guild, but I made a list of the first-round heroes, and those I thought had potential.

By the time their growth stopped, I had already maximized their potential, even if that meant using extreme methods.

In a joint training center, in a small village with an unknown name, in Lindel, in the labor field, or a dungeon, I helped each of them in a way that suited them and even sponsored them without them noticing it. I waited for them to grow.

Among them, some people had bumped into Kim Hyunsung in the past or cooperated with him as co-workers. However, some were still forced to point their swords at us, had no connection with us but heard rumors, and there were even geniuses that couldn’t see the light because of their absurd death.

‘But why them?’

“…”

‘Aren’t they alright?’

As far as I remembered, that was the case. Rather, they were growing very satisfactorily, and ideological verification had also been completed. Since their loyalty to the light was even comparable to the church’s priests, what more would be needed?

“I think there is a little problem.”

“A problem?”

“The warrior that was chosen by the holy sword.”

Come to think of it…

“It’s already about time.”

“I see.”

‘Yes, that guy is also one of the people I’ve been waiting for.’

The individual was one of the real authentic heroes who had the SSS-level importance among key players. He was powerful enough to be evaluated as belonging to the same league as Kim Hyunsung, Jung Hayan, and Cha Hee-ra.

Based on that alone, I could already deduce that he was another cheat character under the holy sword’s selection that had a force to be reckoned with.

Although in the previous round, the holy sword lost its light and died as a maniac due to the evil tricks of Jin Qing, the masked trash, but the chosen warrior described by Kim Hyunsung was one of those considered to be a necessity for our plan to succeed.

Kim Hyunsung had said that it would be better to entrust the whole northwest region to him, which made me wonder how strong he was.

I forgot for a moment, but…

“Is the tutorial dungeon already open?”

“Yes.”

“Good. I wanted to see his face, though. I was always curious about how strong he would be for you to say such things about him. I was wondering what kind of weapon it was to be called a holy sword. Perhaps the shortest time clear record for the tutorial we set might have been bested. According to you, he would have left the tutorial dungeon with a holy sword… instead of being still like this, shouldn’t we get in touch with him quickly? It’s not wrong to manage things from afar as we do with others, but considering how crucial he is to our plans, we…”

“He wasn’t there.”

“What?”

“I’ve already looked it up, but I couldn’t find that person’s name in the tutorial dungeon’s resurrection list.”

“What?”

‘What? Fuck, what’s going on?’

“Aren’t you mistaken… maybe in the next round…?”

“No.”

‘Yeah, it couldn’t be.’

Kim Hyunsung in the first round must’ve heard of him as well. He wouldn’t forget that.

‘Because it would have been shocking.’

Even if he didn’t want to know, the rumor would have spread, and in the end, it would have eventually reached Kim Hyunsung’s ears.

Even our lovely regressor said that the person who came to his mind right after the return was the chosen warrior and Jung Hayan, so unless Kim Hyunsung was an idiot, there was no way he was mistaken.

‘But, fuck, why wasn’t he there?’

Perhaps Kim Hyunsung wanted to ask me the same question.

‘This is getting so fucking complicated.’

I wondered if that was the reason behind the messy future I saw with Yuno Kasugano.

As if to make matters worse, he came without notice right on time as the recovery project in District 5 turned into a mess. I might’ve had to change the plans I had made so far from head to toe.

The situation was that dire. Like a battle without Jung Hayan, a battle without him was also inconceivable.

I felt more convinced that he ran into a dungeon immediately after the tutorial dungeon and died alone. In the beginning, the tutorial dungeon wasn’t a place where external butterfly effects could intervene at all.

That made things a little more confusing.

“Shouldn’t there be a mistake?”

“No, I don’t think so.”

“Sigh… I don’t know what to say about this… For now, it would be better to revise the plan. He may appear later, so ask someone to check the neighborhood. I’ll also look into what exactly happened personally.”

Perhaps Benignore knew about the warrior chosen by the gods and the holy sword. It was obvious that Benignore’s influence was involved in some way.

‘Ah, this is getting ominous for some reason.’

It was only natural to feel that way.

The incompetent Goddess had never had a beneficial effect on the continent even once.

‘What happened? No, in the first place, you did send a holy sword, right? Why is the warrior not popping out, then?’

[Common-grade forced quest has been activated.]

[I’m sorry, my lovely believer Lee Kiyoung. (0/1)]

‘Fuck… What are you sorry about?’

[Common-grade forced quest has been activated.]

[The plan for fostering the warrior chosen by the Holy Sword… was totally canceled due to lack of budget. (0/1)]

‘…’

Of course, it was caused by the butterfly effect of Benignore’s holy bankruptcy.