Chapter 369 – ‘The Path of Excellence’ Guild (1)
A crazy storm named Kim Shinwoo had hit, but the others had to keep working and living.
“Did you finish everything?”
“Yes, I did.”
Just then, a newbie brought back the task Park Mira assigned.
“I’ll report this as my work since I showed you how to do it.”
“What the hell-!”
In response to Park Mira’s words, the newbie momentarily tried to retort.
“Got a complaint? Go ahead.”
“……None.”
Seeing her sharp gaze, he immediately wilted and returned to his place.
“And since you did well, I’ll give you some extra work.”
“Uh… why…”
“You’re doing great. You should make use of your skills.”
“……Yes.”
As soon as her words ended, he drooped as if his shoulders were about to touch the ground.
This was exactly what Park Mira wanted from a newbie.
“Yeah! F*ck, this is how it should’ve been! Not like that bastard Kim Shinwoo!”
So how long did they all work?
It was nearing quitting time, but nobody had any intention of leaving.
And rightly so.
“Everyone, gather up! It’s time for our guild’s special activity!”
“Yes!!!”
From now on, it was time for them to pursue their true purpose in joining ‘The Path of Excellence’ Guild.
At this moment, barriers meant nothing among them.
Whether it be the Guild Master, the team leader, or even male or female,
Right now, they were simply comrades united by a single purpose.
“Hurry up!”
“I’m coming!!!”
Thus, everyone began to gather in the meeting room, brimming with anticipation.
But perhaps they were too hyped.
Or maybe their movements were too loud.
Or maybe it was both.
In fact, which it was didn’t matter much.
What mattered was that they didn’t hear something important.
Someone opening the guild’s door and stepping inside.
*
As I got my coffee right after leaving work, quite a while had passed,
And now I was entering the guild again.
With my newly bought large carry-on bag no less.
Why?
It wasn’t anything special.
[Who the hell comes back to the guild to raid the break room on the first day!]
‘This is what guild welfare is, welfare.’
I was here to pack all the snacks from the break room.
Actually, when you think about it, it’s kind of silly.
It’s going to be my guild anyway.
What’s the problem with the owner taking their stuff early?
[……Isn’t it still not yours?]
‘From now on, it is mine. I can do whatever I want.’
In the break room, there was not only the coffee machine but also countless snacks and even red ginseng extract.
However, just taking what’s right in front of me is something only amateurs do.
What I was aiming for was the shelves and cabinets where the extra snacks were stored.
After cramming the snacks into my bag to the point it could burst,
I decided to carry out my second objective for being in the guild.
To find the disqualification reasons for the guild.
I was actively participating from day one in hopes of uncovering anything.
Although I mildly ruffled the feathers of my senior Park Mira in the process,
There were no significant achievements.
[……Mildly?]
‘That was acceptable, right?’
As I was pondering where to dig deeper, something strange caught my eye.
It was definitely lit, but it was a large meeting room with a privacy screen.
Inside, there seemed to be quite a few people, so much so that I could feel their presence even at a distance.
Even though it was long past quitting time.
Curiosity prodding me, I cautiously approached the meeting room with my recorder on.
And suddenly their conversation started to pierce my ears clearly.
It felt like I had finally found the disqualification reason I was searching for.
“Our Mira is being quite naughty yesterday and today.”
“Guild Master! That’s sexual harassment!”
However, the contents of their conversation were utterly disgusting.
“No, I meant to say she’s using her ‘aura’ naughty!”
“Ah, of course! I did it five times yesterday! I’ll do it again today! Thank you for the good material!!”
“If you need anything, just let me know. There are plenty of treasures stored within the guild.”
Despite the cheerful atmosphere,
[Are they all psycho bastards!!!]
‘…….I can’t believe this.’
Listening to the voices, it seemed like all sorts of folks were there.
The Guild Master, team leaders, even newbies, and even the women.
Though it seemed the Vice Master and the Executive Director, who had been beaten by him, were missing.
Everyone else was there.
Just then, a particularly spirited newbie posed a question.
And not just to anyone,
But to the Guild Master himself.
“Guild Master! How should we refer to that treasure?!”
“That is a magical book called Nec-lolicon, which only we chosen ones can fully read.”
“That’s really cool! Do you know where you got it from?”
“We got it with great effort from Hy-pedo-rea, the homeland of the Ains.”
[No matter how you look at it, it’s just gotten from that damn illegal site, isn’t it?]
‘Don’t insult the Cthulhu Mythos!!!’
One thing was clear though.
“I can swear a few more times for that!”
“Of course, you’re the newbie who first applied for the oath. I’m really proud of you.”
“You remembered!!!”
“Of course. I like talented people.”
“So do I!”
Everyone but me seemed to have known everything about the guild.
They were openly talking about how they had sworn in before joining.
Meanwhile, I had been informed that I would officially swear on May 6th, after the holiday.
[Isn’t it because you got accepted this time?]
‘But why do such an important thing not on the day of joining, but two days later?’
[I’m not so sure about that.]
Just as I was mulling over it, I then heard grumbling amid the cheerful atmosphere.
To be honest, the topics were so revolting I wanted to keep the recorder on and just listen, but I had to focus immediately.
That was only because of one reason.
“Why didn’t we do the elementary school patrol today?! I was waiting for that on the first day!”
“Oh, that’s because we couldn’t because of that jackass Kim Shinwoo who hasn’t sworn in yet.”
“That bastard still hasn’t sworn in?! Why on Earth?!”
Now that my name was mentioned,
‘My mom is still alive, you bastard.’
[……You’ve talked about her like she’s dead when making coffee.]
‘I didn’t say anything wrong, it’s the bastards who misunderstood it.’
My senior Park Mira, who seemed like a crazy woman who only gave the newbies a hard time,
Now seemed surprisingly apologetic towards the newbie.
It was bizarre, as if the barriers between them had temporarily vanished.
“Since I was just accepted, I didn’t get to proceed with it. My bad.”
“I’m really sorry. We’re in a hurry with numbers this time.”
“I understand, but…… I’m still worried!!!”
This time, I could hear the regretful voices of the female interviewer I had seen during the interview and the Guild Master.
Matching that, the newbie’s voice started to crack with emotion.
“That crazy bastard is threatening the safety of the elementary school!!! It’s so tragic!!!”
[You bastards are the root cause of the safety threat!!!]
‘I’m so bummed I couldn’t kill that jerk, f*ck.’
I wanted to dash out of there right away,
But just in case, I decided to keep recording.
Hoping to catch some irreversible disqualification reasons.
“Hey Team Leader, I have a question!”
“What is it?”
And my actions started to yield significant results.
“Isn’t ‘d*ck’ and ‘loli’ synonymous, so is there really a need to say it twice?”
“We need to say it twice because it’s important.”
“Ah…… As expected, there’s no end to learning.”
Far more serious than I had expected.
‘As a person, you’re completely done for, f*ck! It’s totally over!!!’
[…Ah, f*ck. Oh God…]
The conversation was causing my mind to swirl, and ironically, it had reached a level where even the Piece was seeking out a God.
But they still didn’t seem to notice my presence,
And the conversation became even more lively.
Eventually, some even began an absurd discussion.
“As the saying goes, youth lasts only from two to eight. Beyond that is all over.”
“Excuse me! That’s too extreme! The expiration date is up to 8, while the consumption date is up to 13! Please correct that!”
“At 13, that’s already expired, right?!”
“Even if it’s expired, it’s still good! It’s already fermented!”
Meanwhile, someone was busy bragging about their favorite.
“Look at this! This girl is not only pretty in her dress but has a sweet voice. Plus, being beastman gives her animal ears and a tail as attractive points.”
“What even is that? I can’t catch on.”
“She’s a soft 11-year-old.”
“Oh.”
Of course, as with all favorite brags, not everyone was satisfied.
“Wait a second! That’s still in double digits! I feel offended.”
“Isn’t double digits the marriageable age, so it’s okay?”
“I don’t compromise with double digits.”
Elsewhere, someone was voicing their concerns.
“Ugh… this is a big problem. What should I do?”
“What’s the matter?”
Of course, whether that should even be called a concern.
“Shouldn’t a unit made up of three kids averaging 9 still be considered 9?”
“Ugh… If 9 years old is grouped as a unit, that makes 27 years old. Are you into Adultphilia?”
“Adultphilia? Are you implying I’m insane? Apologize immediately!”
It raised a slight question for me.
[We socially agreed to call that normal!!!!]
‘Who’s the real psycho here…’
I once jokingly called Koko Corona Kyoka “Mom,”
But these guys were the real deal, not some ‘fake’ like me who held a concept.
Anyway, at this level, it should definitely count as a disqualification reason.
Just as I decided to take my leave,
The Guild Master’s voice boom echoed in the meeting room, halting my feet.
“So, shall we discuss the special event of the guild that will be held on May 5th?”
I began focusing once again on their disgusting conversation.
