Chapter 71

# 71

User Manual for the Reincarnated 071

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From the atmosphere, I could roughly tell how things were progressing.

'Smart.'

I'm not the only one who has caught the wave of the times.

Black Swan would have needed someone who could keep up with this trend, and they must have been looking for the right talent to resolve this matter internally.

It was a bit surprising that it was Ji-hye, but it wasn't entirely incomprehensible.

She was skilled in politics and, among the people I've seen, she was quick-witted.

A hundred times better than Jung-yu, who can't even grasp her own situation.

The way she greets us so warmly now is likely a calculated move.

'She wants to show off, huh?'

To flaunt her connection with me to the Black Swan guild members who came with her.

It doesn't really matter if I ignore it, but if I play along with her actions, there might be some benefits for me.

Ji-hye is a woman who clearly understands what a deal is.

"Is it really you, Ji-hye?"

"Yes, it's me. Nice to see you again. Hehe."

"It's been a while. How have you been?"

"Of course, I've been fine. I thought I wouldn't see you again, so it's a relief to meet like this."

"Nice to see you. Really."

Seeing her nod and smile, it seems I was right.

The middle-aged woman from Black Swan looks quite pleased.

Sure enough, our side's old-timers also look very happy.

"Hahaha, such connections exist."

"Yes, indeed."

'Why are you laughing, you crazy old man?'

I didn't like the fact that these old men were even here.

Their strangely submissive attitude was also off-putting.

It even felt like they were being cautious.

I was so flustered that I couldn't even speak properly.

Even if Black Swan is a large guild representing Lindel, there's no need for Blue to bow in the current situation.

Blue is currently in a close relationship with Red Mercenary, and the overall situation is favorable for us.

It's not just about embarrassing Jung-yu.

There's a lot that Blue as a whole can gain from resolving this complex diplomatic issue, more than I personally can.

They don't seem to understand this.

Perhaps they thought there was a personal connection.

From what I can see, they seem to get along well.

"I'm really sorry for coming to greet you so late. There were various circumstances on our side."

"That's fine. Your presence here is enough."

'Enough? What a joke. Crazy old man.'

The way they're patting each other on the back is quite a sight.

The parties involved are quiet, but they're exchanging apologies among themselves.

They greet us, who are standing quietly, but the whole situation is far from satisfactory.

To be honest, it felt quite rude.

When I glanced at the middle-aged woman, she seemed to notice and greeted me.

"Ah, I'm late in introducing myself. I'm Eun-hee from the Black Swan guild."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Ki-yeong."

But this crazy old man doesn't seem to want to help me.

He immediately blocks my greeting and starts talking to the woman again.

"How about we have some tea? Ms. Eun-hee."

"Sure, Mr. Seol-ho. Shall we?"

The old man, who glanced at me, started talking to Ms. Eun-hee again.

Seeing him ruin my plans, I felt a surge of anger.

'Flip it?'

The internal trash is more annoying than the external enemy in this ridiculous situation.

I had thought they might do something annoying, but I never imagined they would make such a mess.

I was thinking about what to say when Ji-hye quietly spoke up.

"Let's have tea separately. We have some issues to resolve first."

"Ah."

The expressions of Seol-ho and Eun-hee were quite similar, a mix of surprise and confusion.

However, seeing Eun-hee nod reluctantly, I realized that Ji-hye had more authority in this matter than I thought.

'So that's it?'

I don't know how she convinced the executives of Black Swan, but it seems she is highly trusted by those in high positions.

This isn't a bad situation for us.

"Shall we do that? Mr. Seol-ho?"

"Me?"

"We have some things to discuss among ourselves. It's better to leave this matter to the younger ones. Let me show you the gifts we brought first."

"Hehehe, thank you, Ms. Eun-hee."

'Crazy old man.'

Ms. Eun-hee seems a bit better than Kim Seol-ho.

At least she seems to understand the situation.

Turning slightly to look at me, Eun-hee stood up and spoke to Ji-hye.

"Then, I'll leave it to you, dear."

"Yes, sister."

She doesn't look like a sister, but it's a nice thing to say.

Soon, Kim Seol-ho, Eun-hee, and the other old-timers left the reception room.

The door closed, and those left were me, Ji-hye, and Jung-yu.

Ji-hye was smiling, but Jung-yu didn't look happy.

It was clear she had been under a lot of stress.

She must have been under a lot of pressure in various ways.

She was the main culprit in this whole situation and probably didn't expect it to escalate this much.

She was being criticized from all sides, and her relationship with Red Mercenary had soured.

Many adventurers were boycotting Black Swan, and she might even have trouble joining regular parties.

Her current position is no better than a national pariah.

Her standing within the guild has also declined.

She might even be grateful that she hasn't been kicked out of Black Swan yet.

'Why did you do it in the first place?'

Her smiling face was expected.

After all, we were alone, and Ji-hye probably preferred this relaxed atmosphere.

Sure enough, Ji-hye lay back on the sofa and continued.

"Aren't you annoyed?"

"What?"

"Those old men. They look useless. If I were you, I'd want to tear their heads off."

"Well, you're not wrong, but they have their reasons. More importantly, I never imagined you would come."

"It just happened. I was already receiving offers from Black Swan, but I was moving away from the path to success. But who would have thought the world would change like this? Our guild needed someone to handle the situation, and I guess they thought I was the right person for the job. I'm not saying it myself, but I think I'm pretty smart. They must have thought I could handle this situation well."

"I thought you would."

"It's all thanks to you. They say a woman needs to meet the right man."

"Thanks a lot."

"I'm not just saying that. I've benefited a lot from being close to Ki-yeong, and I know you designed this whole situation."

I couldn't grasp the point of her question.

But I'm not stupid enough to openly admit it.

I just slightly raised the corners of my mouth and said,

"Really? I don't understand what you're saying."

Jung-yu, who was standing next to us, looked very confused. She was being ignored, and the conversation was absurd to her.

I was also surprised. I thought Ji-hye had secured her position, but I didn't expect her to completely exclude Jung-yu, who was once favored by Black Swan.

Instead, Jung-yu was now looking to Ji-hye for cues.

'Wow.'

I had to admit she was resourceful, even more so than I thought.

Even if she had revealed her connection to me within the guild, it was her who had used the situation to her advantage.

"Of course, I knew you would act like this. Honestly, I don't care about the truth. What's important now is how we resolve this situation. Hmm... Before we get into serious talks, how about a little catch-up?"

She subtly lifted her skirt.

Of course.

"I'm not interested."

There was no way I would respond.

"Oh, how heartless. I thought it might be nice to reminisce a bit..."

"Stop talking nonsense and get to the point, sister. We both know what's on your mind, so don't beat around the bush."

"Really heartless. The woman next to you doesn't matter, brother."

"It's not about her."

"I kind of understand why... But before we get into the serious stuff, you should accept an apology first. Ah! Now it's your turn, Yura."

Ji-hye lightly tapped Jung-yu's shoulder.

To be honest, I never imagined this scene.

I almost regretted not bringing Ji-hye to my side.

She is more capable than I thought.

At Ji-hye's call, Jung-yu started to look at me.

Of course, she didn't want to apologize. She probably thought she hadn't done anything wrong.

Especially after seeing my and Ji-hye's attitudes, she would feel even more justified.

But she started to speak, one word at a time.

Seeing her in a typical loser's pose, I couldn't help but laugh.

It wasn't the direction I wanted, but it wasn't bad.

"...I'm sorry."

"Oh, Yura. You need to be more sincere. Our brother must be hurt."

"Sorry... Sorry... I'm sorry."

"..."

But she still looked insincere.

At that moment, Ji-hye grabbed Jung-yu's hair.

'Wow.'

With a snap, Jung-yu's head turned.

I couldn't fully grasp the situation.

I had expected her to look to Ji-hye for cues, but I didn't think she would fall so low.

"Yura, am I not making sense?"

Unsatisfied, she struck again, and Jung-yu's head turned once more.

"Stand up straight."

It was a funny situation.

From Ji-hye's attitude, I could tell how much Jung-yu had fallen.

Actually, Ji-hye's behavior was more interesting than seeing how much Jung-yu had fallen.

There was a lot of calculation in her actions.

It was a way to assert her authority and also to show off a bit to me.

It was impressive that she could do this without any combat skills.

Jung-yu could easily kill Ji-hye, like squashing an ant.

Her confidence that she wouldn't be harmed showed that her position in Black Swan was even more secure than mine in Blue.

"Get down and apologize properly."

"..."

With a loud noise, Jung-yu's head turned again.

Of course, I felt no sympathy.

In fact, it felt quite satisfying.

I'm not a sadist, but seeing someone who annoyed me suffer was very gratifying.

Tears were already streaming down Jung-yu's face, and she seemed to be holding back sobs.

'Wow, our Ji-hye is doing well.'

The sight of her pulling Jung-yu's hair and forcing her to stand was impressive. I almost wanted to clap.

"I told you to apologize properly, Yura."

Whether I chose one or the other, the humiliation was the same.

Finally, Jung-yu slowly got down on her knees.

"Right. Now you're listening."

"Sorry..."

She prostrated herself on the ground like in a prayer.

"I'm sorry. Huh... I'm really sorry. I'm sorry for... treating you... badly."

There was a strange catharsis.

Seeing a woman who could have killed me instantly now prostrate in such a pitiful state gave me a strange sense of pleasure.

I slightly trembled, and Ji-hye immediately spoke up.

"Do you want something? If not me, how about her?"

"No, I'm not interested."

"Come to think of it, you seem to want something..."

"My shoes seem a bit dirty now..."

Ji-hye was smiling slightly.

'Really a shame.'

That's what I thought.