Right, no matter how quick-witted Geon-joo was, he wouldn’t have known that the guild he had joined was the Night Rats. Given that the only clue provided was Sa-yoon’s name on the contract, it was natural in a way.
The name Kwon Sa-yoon wasn’t widely known in the world.
When he went out, he wore a ring that interfered with facial recognition to conceal his appearance, and when he engaged in external activities, he hid his existence by putting forward his executives, including Jongsik. As a result, the identity of the Night Rats’s leader was naturally shrouded in a veil, to the extent that it was unknown to anyone not associated with the Night Rats. Even his most easily discoverable name was not revealed, so when he committed a crime, even the reporters who wrote articles with the title “individual” didn’t know his face or name.
So how could his pretty boy know that Kwon Sa-yoon was the leader of the Night Rats?
If Geon-joo had known, he wouldn’t have been able to act so arrogantly. Geon-joo’s expression of widening his eyes in surprise proved that fact.
Facing the blinking eyes, Sa-yoon smiled with satisfaction.
For a guild named the Night Rats, it would have been disappointing if there wasn’t at least this level of reaction. Even if a person is relaxed, there should be a limit to their composure; if their equanimity is too deep, it’s no fun.
Although it seemed childish to treat a twenty-two-year-old this way, a win was a win. Originally, as people aged and lost their minds, they became more childish, so his current behavior was proof that he was growing steadily.
If there was a flaw, it would be that he grew up with a skewed perspective, but there was no one present to criticize that point.
Having sorted out the situation, Sa-yoon tapped the shoulder of Jongsik, who was standing still like a totem pole.
“Let’s go, Jongsik.”
“…Are you taking that guy too?”
“He has to go through the initiation.”
“For real?”
“It seems like it’ll be fun.”
“I’m against it.”
“When have I ever not done something because you were against it?”
At the light rebuke, Jongsik made a long face. Sa-yoon, grasping the shoulder of Jongsik, who couldn’t be bold despite his stature, glanced at Geon-joo following behind them.
“Honestly, you’re curious too, aren’t you?”
“About the newbie’s skills?”
“Yeah.”
Based on his status window, his skills seemed quite good, but Sa-yoon was curious if they would work against people as well.
Due to the nature of the guild, the Night Rats faced people more often than monsters. They had to go to trades or auctions whenever there was a chance, carry out contract killings, and even rob drop items while waiting at the gate entrance. As a result, threats and blackmail were passive, and if necessary, they didn’t hesitate to torture and murder.
So far, such loose-screwed guys had joined, so he never had to teach or pass on those things separately, but Geon-joo was different. What would a beginner Awakener who had lived an ordinary life, based on a glance, know how to do just one week after Awakening?
As it was a period when he knew nothing, Sa-yoon laughed, thinking it was an opportunity to confirm his innate sense and true nature, and Jongsik sighed.
It was a sigh of resignation.
“Still, since it might be dangerous, wouldn’t it be better to educate him moderately before going?”
“It’s more thrilling because it’s dangerous.”
“…I always think this, but your taste is really…”
“Well. And I told you. He’s an important kid. I can’t catch and teach such a kid like catching rats, like the other kids.”
There was only one way Sa-yoon taught his guild members.
Rolling and beating them.
Having never properly taught anyone, it had become a method to just roll them as the System had done to him and see.
He would roll them to the point of death, revive them by feeding them potions, and then beat them again to establish discipline. That was the secret behind the Night Rats members’ steep skill growth, but he couldn’t teach Geon-joo that way, of all people. After all, his priority was to maintain a smooth relationship with Geon-joo, not his education.
Even if it was a necessary process to make him S-grade, he couldn’t easily lay a hand on him, and if he had to beat him, he would have to do it through someone else’s hands, not his own.
However, with little time now, it was difficult to bring other guild members to the villa. He also couldn’t tell Jongsik to beat Geon-joo to a pulp. Considering those circumstances, Sa-yoon taking his pretty boy to the Yongho Guild was a kind of force majeure.
<Skill ‘Self-Rationalization (A-)’ activates.>
“……”
The timing was terribly bad.
He was definitely paying a considerable amount of karma under the pretext of removing 80 percent of trivial skill notifications, but his eyes narrowed at the notification window that popped up at an ambiguous timing. At times like this, he felt like the gods were really peeking into his head through the System.
“…So where are we going?”
Geon-joo, who had obediently followed Sa-yoon’s order to come along, asked. Sa-yoon, who had just received sunglasses from Jongsik, put the large-lensed glasses on his nose.
“Well, to meet a senile old man?”
“A senile old man?”
“Yeah. There’s a guy who’s drunk on imaginary glory, even though he has no past glory to speak of.”
Thinking of Chunbok, who would turn red and blue with anger, Sa-yoon tore the corners of his mouth upward. He wondered what he could get out of him under the pretext of a grudge. As he was lost in happy contemplation, Jongsik, who had been watching Sa-yoon, trembled.
“I told you not to smile like that. You’re not a nine-tailed fox, but a person with a pale face, red lips, and blue eyes… Eek!”
Jongsik was fine, but that mouth of his that blurted out unnecessary things every few times was the problem.
When Sa-yoon firmly pressed Jongsik’s waist with the dagger hidden in his wrist, Jongsik froze. Even though he wouldn’t get hurt because it was the back of the blade, he was really timid. As the chattering man fell silent, a peaceful stillness arrived. Swallowing his satisfaction, Sa-yoon turned his attention to Geon-joo, who had asked the question.
“We’re going to the Yongho Guild.”
“The Yongho Guild?”
“Yeah.”
“What are we going there for?”
“Well, that’s…”
“…?”
Sa-yoon, trailing off his words, squinted his eyes and scanned Geon-joo up and down. Whish, the dagger in his hand spun once in the air.
“What else would a criminal guild go for? Obviously, to cause trouble.”
And to commit crimes while we’re at it.
Sa-yoon spoke as he caught the spinning dagger in the air and sheathed it at his waist. Jongsik shook his head as if he couldn’t stop him, and Geon-joo looked at Sa-yoon with an indescribable gaze.
Among the two silent men, only Sa-yoon was having fun.
♟
“……”
“Why are you rolling your eyes so much?”
“Ah…”
Tok-tok, tok-tok. As Geon-joo, who had gotten into the car, kept rolling his eyes without a moment’s rest, examining here and there, Sa-yoon, who had been staring at him, asked. As if he hadn’t expected to be suddenly spoken to, the man, who seemed slightly startled, soon replied that it was nothing. It was an extremely awkward sight.
Thinking he might be scared, Sa-yoon took out the contract he had put in his pocket.
“What, are you getting scared now that I mentioned committing some crimes?”
“…Who knows.”
“What to do. Even if you’re scared, I can’t give back the contract.”
I forgot to mention, but you have to stick with the Night Rats for at least 3 months to be able to leave.
A smile that some might call mean hung on the corners of Sa-yoon’s mouth. At the brazenly added clause, Geon-joo let out a sigh that was close to a hollow laugh.
“That’s the first time I’ve heard that.”
“Of course it’s the first time. I just told you now.”
“Shouldn’t you tell me these things when we make the contract?”
“What, you don’t want to stick around for 3 months?”
“……”
“Your legs must be sturdy. Want to run to the Yongho Guild?”
As Sa-yoon spoke with a momentum as if he would open the door at any moment, the man, who had been stalling, gave in. Sa-yoon was laughing, feeling good about winning against a mere twenty-two-year-old newbie Awakener, when Jongsik, who had been observing the situation in the back seat through the rearview mirror, raised his hand.
“Excuse me. Hyung-nim. I’m here too.”
“So what?”
“It seems like you two are having a conversation alone. I thought you forgot about me, so I mentioned it.”
Jongsik looked at Sa-yoon with an expectant air, hoping to be included in the conversation. Sa-yoon slightly lifted the corners of his mouth toward his subordinate who didn’t like being left out, and raised the leg he had crossed outward.
Kwang!
With a fairly loud noise, not only the front seat but the entire car shook greatly. Startled by the rattling and swaying car, Jongsik hurriedly grasped the steering wheel. If it hadn’t been an empty road due to the early morning, it could have been a dangerous situation.
“Hyung-nim!”
“Jongsik.”
“…Yes?”
“Just focus on driving.”
“……”
“Got a problem?”
Sa-yoon tilted his head. Jongsik muttered softly that he was in a worse position than the newbie, contrary to the unusually gentle question. If he was going to complain, he should have done it where it couldn’t be heard, but he caused a problem by doing it where it could be heard.
He’s been getting more and more impudent lately.
Sa-yoon had been busy with work and found it bothersome to discipline him, so he had left him alone, but Jongsik had been getting more and more out of line. Because Jongsik had always known his place well and had been by Sa-yoon’s side the longest, Sa-yoon had let it slide without saying anything so far, but the situation was different now that a newbie had joined.
Isn’t it said that the water below is clear only if the water above is clear?
Recently, the number of times Jongsik interfered with guild affairs had increased, and at this rate, it seemed like he would push Sa-yoon aside and even become the guild leader.
Kwang!
Worried that Geon-joo might see and learn from it, Sa-yoon kicked the front seat once more with his foot as a penalty, and the timid Jongsik yelped in surprise. Perhaps his hand slipped, as the sound of the car horn split the silence, and Geon-joo’s head turned. He looked at the violent Sa-yoon and the roasted Jongsik with a speechless expression.
“Hyung-nim! I’m driving, driving!”
“That’s why I’m telling you to drive properly.”
“I am driving right now! Do you all want to die?”
“What was that?”
Sa-yoon thought Jongsik needed to be kicked one more time to come to his senses. With that in mind, Sa-yoon raised his foot but stopped midway, sensing a gaze, and turned his head.
Geon-joo, who had a reluctant and stiff expression, entered his sight. Only then did Sa-yoon think that his and Jongsik’s behavior might have seemed too violent and messy, so he swallowed his anger and lowered his raised foot back onto his knee.
Silence briefly followed. Sa-yoon, observing the gloomy-looking Jongsik, opened his mouth.
“He may look like that, but he’s good at his job.”
Belatedly trying to maintain the executive’s image, as it seemed he had only shown a roasting side so far, Geon-joo nodded. His expression didn’t show a hint of belief.