Chapter 17

Chapter 17. The First Hero (11)

“Who do you think you are? Go mind your own business! Looks like you came here relying on that face of yours, but this is the Fist Rice Ball Guild House!”

A large man suddenly jumped up from his chair.

I should score some points with Guild Master Park Seokdu.

The large man was a new member who had only recently joined the Fist Rice Ball Guild.

Kim Seongchan seemed to be a guest of Vice Guild Master Lee Naye, but the man knew very well that everyone had been ignoring her.

They said she caused trouble for the guild by helping the villagers.

Among the Fist Rice Ball Guild members, only Lee Naye had gone out to help the villagers living outside the walls of the Terk Kingdom.

There were people of this world who raised their voices, asking why the other guild members would not go out and help too.

The man had wanted to say something back to them.

If they’re so worried about what’s happening outside, why don’t they go help themselves? Why are they telling us to do it!

He had wanted to shout that at them, but the knights had been watching with sharp eyes.

So the new member had spent his time complaining inside the Guild House instead.

He had judged that everyone wanted Lee Naye to leave the Fist Rice Ball Guild on her own, which was why he reacted this way.

Kim Seongchan glared at the large man.

Gulp.

When Kim Seongchan deliberately made his expression terrifying, the large man froze.

He had already known Kim Seongchan had a rough-looking face.

But when he saw Kim Seongchan’s murderous expression in person, his mind went completely blank.

Tap.

Kim Seongchan touched his shoulder.

The large man’s empty mind instantly filled with an image of his own blood-covered future.

Clutching his shoulder, the large man ran out of the Guild House as if his life depended on it.

He’s seriously overreacting.

Kim Seongchan had not even used a skill.

He had only scared him a little.

For someone so large, the man was surprisingly cowardly.

“Aaaaagh!”

The large man clutched his shoulder while running toward the door, and at that moment, the door opened.

“If you’re scared, then get that face out of my sight!”

A man shorter than the large man, but with a solid and muscular build, clenched his fist.

Pow! Thud!

The large man was struck by the fist of Park Seokdu, the Guild Master of the Fist Rice Ball Guild, and collapsed.

“Vice Guild Master Lee Naye. I figured you’d leave without saying anything.”

Park Seokdu’s voice toward Lee Naye was far from friendly.

“Where would I even go after leaving the Fist Rice Ball Guild?”

Lee Naye had finally returned to the guild after a long time and was receiving everyone’s attention.

Her body was stiff.

She found it difficult to speak casually to Park Seokdu, even though she was supposed to act friendly with him.

“That’s true. Sir Kosdal, it’s been a long time. It seems your realm has risen even higher since we last met.”

Park Seokdu had looked at Lee Naye without much interest.

But when he looked at Kosdal, his gaze changed into one filled with respect.

So he chooses how to treat people depending on who they are.

Kim Seongchan did not like Park Seokdu’s way of dealing with people.

“Can you see my realm?”

Kim Seongchan was not the only one who thought that way.

Kosdal also had something to say to Park Seokdu, who was wearing a pleasant smile.

“You haven’t visited for two years, so I simply assumed that you must have focused on training during that time.”

“I see.”

“More importantly, who is the man beside you?”

Kim Seongchan did not avoid Park Seokdu’s eyes.

His expression was even more threatening than when the large man had run away.

Park Seokdu flinched.

For a moment, his body stiffened as if he had sensed killing intent.

All I did was make an angry face. Why is he so nervous?

Through several regressions, Kim Seongchan had seen the same reaction countless times.

He had already accepted that his face was extremely easy to misunderstand.

Even so, seeing people run away in terror or flinch like this still annoyed him.

They only run away and flinch because they’ve got something to feel guilty about.

Images flashed through Kim Seongchan’s mind.

If he seriously made his face look frightening, people would run away, faint, or scream.

He quickly pushed those useless thoughts aside.

Standing in front of Park Seokdu, one of the biggest reasons Lee Naye was suffering, Kim Seongchan had no desire to speak nicely.

“Is there something on my face?!”

Kim Seongchan frowned and took a step forward.

Park Seokdu instinctively stepped back.

Kim Seongchan’s face was that threatening.

Park Seokdu was even prepared to throw a punch if things suddenly became dangerous.

“Who is he?”

“He is Hero Kim Seongchan, who is carrying out His Majesty’s orders.”

An introduction from Kosdal, the Knight Commander of the Posit Kingdom, carried weight.

Park Seokdu instantly hid his displeased expression.

The way his face changed so quickly made it feel like watching a masked play.

Even with Kim Seongchan glaring at him, Park Seokdu controlled his expression perfectly.

It showed that becoming the Guild Master of the Fist Rice Ball Guild, one of the major guilds of the Terk Kingdom, was not something anyone could accomplish.

“So you’re a Hero. I’m Park Seokdu, Guild Master of the Fist Rice Ball Guild. Our guild is made entirely of Heroes. Have you already joined a guild?”

“Is that man lying on the floor also a Hero?”

Kim Seongchan pointed at the large man lying on the ground.

“That’s right. Was there some kind of problem?”

“Nothing happened. Seokdu, you can invite him to the guild later. Let’s talk in the Guild Master’s office.”

Before Kim Seongchan could mention the large man’s rude behavior, Lee Naye quickly stepped in and smoothed things over.

She spoke in a familiar tone, as though she and Park Seokdu were close.

It was the kind of response expected from a Vice Guild Master.

Something in Lee Naye’s words seemed to bother Park Seokdu, because the corner of his mouth twitched for a brief moment.

Endure it. At least until I get Silnyang.

Park Seokdu’s eyes gleamed with greed as he looked at Silnyang sitting on Lee Naye’s shoulder and crying Kyaooo!

Kim Seongchan did not miss that look.

“I’m not interested in joining the guild. I want Naye to show me around the guild instead. That’s fine, right?”

Lee Naye carefully watched Park Seokdu’s reaction.

Seokdu, we have guests, so let’s talk later.

Just this once.

Kim Seongchan stared straight at Park Seokdu.

Park Seokdu met his eyes at first, but slowly turned his head away.

“I’ll allow you to tour the Fist Rice Ball Guild, the greatest guild in the Terk Kingdom. Naye noona, come see me when you’re finished.”

After speaking, Park Seokdu headed toward the Guild Master’s office.

Kim Seongchan’s attention shifted toward Silnyang on the shocked Lee Naye’s shoulder.

Kyaooo!!!

Silnyang wore a completely hostile expression.

It looked like it wanted to kill Park Seokdu.

If Lee Naye had not been there, it looked ready to leap from her shoulder and unleash a violent whirlwind immediately.

Even in that situation, Lee Naye’s eyes remained unfocused.

She seemed deeply shocked.

“Send Silnyang back to the Spirit Realm.”

There was no answer.

“Send Silnyang back to the Spirit Realm.”

Only after Kim Seongchan repeated himself did Lee Naye’s eyes finally regain focus.

“Silnyang?”

She had been so shocked that she had not even noticed Silnyang’s emotions flowing into her.

That alone showed how carefully Lee Naye had been watching everyone’s mood inside the Fist Rice Ball Guild.

“You should be able to feel it.”

Lee Naye looked confused for a moment, then suddenly jumped in surprise.

Kyaooo!!!

Whoooooosh!!!

Silnyang began creating wind from Lee Naye’s shoulder, and its rage flowed directly into her.

Lee Naye tried to calm Silnyang down, but it was not enough to suppress the anger flowing through their emotional connection.

To calm Silnyang, Lee Naye needed to remain calm herself.

However, Lee Naye was not in a situation where she could easily stay calm.

For the past few years, Lee Naye’s position inside the Fist Rice Ball Guild has become more and more unstable.

Silnyang directly received Lee Naye’s anxiety through their emotional connection.

It became furious.

Lee Naye’s self-esteem had fallen to the bottom.

And as bad memories from the Fist Rice Ball Guild surfaced one after another, Silnyang could no longer endure them and tried to unleash its rage.

“W, what should I do?”

Lee Naye tried to grab Silnyang on her shoulder, but the wind pouring out from the spirit prevented her hand from moving any closer.

If she forced it, Silnyang would only create stronger winds.

If that happened, the surrounding area could be devastated.

“Close your eyes.”

“Close my eyes? If I close them in a situation like this, won’t it become even harder to calm Silnyang down?”

Lee Naye looked confused by Kim Seongchan’s words.

She tried to hold back a groan of pain, but a painful sound still escaped from her mouth.

Kim Seongchan smiled at her.

It seemed Lee Naye still needed more time before she could become a true Spirit Master.

She did not understand what closing her eyes meant.

“If you want to talk to Silnyang, you have to focus only on Silnyang. So close your eyes.”

“Ah!”

As if she had suddenly gained a deep realization, Lee Naye immediately closed her eyes.

Silnyang, calm down.

Her heartbeat thundered rapidly.

Her body was so tense that she could feel her muscles tightening and relaxing.

Lee Naye had never realized her heart could beat this fast.

And once she understood that Silnyang’s anger had come from concern for her, she finally realized just how much Silnyang cared about her.

Thank you for getting angry for me. I’d like you to stay in the Spirit Realm for a little while.

Once she closed her eyes, strangely, she no longer felt the need to open her mouth.

She felt that communication with a spirit was not something done with words.

It had to be done through the heart.

She needed to send her thoughts directly.

Lee Naye began to understand a little why Kim Seongchan had told her to close her eyes.

“Your master is worried about you. Are you still going to keep acting like that?”

Kim Seongchan looked directly at the wind spirit as he spoke.

Whoooooosh!

As if warning him not to provoke it, Silnyang’s wind made his hair and sleeves flutter.

Then, with a sudden whoom, Kim Seongchan’s body lifted into the air.

He was blown backward.

Tap, tap, tap.

Kim Seongchan took several steps back and regained his balance.

After blowing wind at someone who had nothing to do with its anger, Silnyang’s wind slowly began to weaken.

Silnyang, I’ll summon you again after you calm down a little. Can you wait for me?

At Lee Naye’s promise that she would summon it again, Silnyang rolled its eyes as if thinking.

Then it sharply turned its head away and returned to the Spirit Realm.

Haa... Haa...

Even after sending Silnyang away, Lee Naye could not open her eyes.

Emotional communication with a spirit was like waves of emotion.

When a violent storm of rage collided with a downpour of worry, calm emotional waves could suddenly transform.

Breathing became uncontrollable.

The heart pounded wildly.

Drip. Drip.

It had only lasted a short time, but Lee Naye’s forehead was already covered in sweat.

She was still struggling to escape from the emotional waves.

If the emotional waves become too violent, the master can even die.

Lee Naye had shown worry and anxiety.

Silnyang had shown rage.

If Kim Seongchan had not pointed out Silnyang’s condition, Lee Naye would have focused on her own worry and anxiety instead of Silnyang’s anger.

If that happened, their twisted emotional communication would prevent them from understanding each other.

And if they failed to understand each other, the waves of emotion would only become more violent.

Once those waves became too strong, the master could die and the spirit would return to the Spirit Realm.

Any Spirit Master should have known this before making a contract with a spirit.

However, almost no one actually did.

Fortunately, Lee Naye had sent Silnyang back to the Spirit Realm before the emotional waves truly became dangerous.

“Ella.”

At Kim Seongchan’s call, the water spirit Ella appeared.

Ella began rubbing her cheek against Kim Seongchan’s.

Returning the spirit’s affection, Kim Seongchan stroked her head before speaking.

“Please wipe away her sweat and give her some tasty water.”

Ella seemed to understand Kim Seongchan’s words.

She stopped rubbing her cheek against his and looked toward Lee Naye.

A stream of water formed above Ella’s head and moved toward Lee Naye.

The water swept from Lee Naye’s head all the way down to her feet before disappearing.

After wiping away her sweat, Ella created a ball of water about the size of a fist.

It stopped in a position where Lee Naye could drink it simply by lowering her head a little.

Gulp. Gulp.

Each time Lee Naye drank, the round ball of water grew smaller until it disappeared completely.

Haa~

After finally calming down, Lee Naye suddenly opened her eyes and looked around.

She saw guild members watching her with concern.

There are still guild members who worry about me.

Lee Naye felt happy inside and turned her head toward another direction after sensing more gazes.

She saw a guild member quickly turn away and begin eating.

There were also guild members talking among themselves and eating as if they had never been paying attention in the first place.

Blink. Blink.

Lee Naye blinked.

They were watching me.

Deep down, Lee Naye had wondered whether every guild member treated her as if she were invisible.

But except for a few members, she saw many of them breathe sighs of relief before returning to their meals.

“You’re more loved in this guild than you think.”

“I want to repay them for that too...”

Lee Naye’s voice trembled because she knew she could not bring herself to approach them.

If Silnyang helped her, she could confidently speak to them as the Vice Guild Master.

It must be hard for her to approach them. Even speaking to them won’t be easy.

The Fist Rice Ball Guild was a guild made up of Heroes.

When Lee Naye had originally become Vice Guild Master, she had not yet become Silnyang’s master.

Back when Lee Naye used a shield and sword, no one questioned her position as Vice Guild Master of the Fist Rice Ball Guild.

That had been during the time when Guild Master Cha Hyunwoo, Silnyang’s former master, was still there.

After Lee Naye became Silnyang’s master, she gradually lost the trust of the Fist Rice Ball Guild members.

Kim Seongchan knew the entire situation.

That was why he could say this.

There were too many people nearby, so he brought his face close to Lee Naye’s ear and whispered,

“I’ll make it possible for you to repay the trust of your guild members.”