"When can we expect to see Muam's team?"
The clarity of the question, previously drowned out by the chatter of Class A students, struck me distinctly this time. Pushing Hamin, who had drawn near and was buzzing with questions, aside with a casual hand, Sihyun shifted his gaze toward the two guild leaders walking ahead.
Taekju, the question addressed to him, slightly lifted his sunglasses and let out a sigh. Despite being the highest authority within the Muam guild, his attitude remained nonchalantly ignorant.
"Yeah, it seems they started yesterday, but they're still at it. Should we tell them to hurry up?"
Considering the youthful vigor of those kids.
His light-hearted comment, starkly contrasting with Hahyuk's composed manner, brought a smile to his face. The frivolity of his demeanor warranted a frown, but then, Haewoon's explanation about Muam being a domain of the strong came to mind.
"A martial arts novel? What's this about a domain of the strong?"
"That's just how their guild leader is. You'll understand once you meet him, Sihyun. He's quirky but straightforward and enjoys stimulating things. I heard he decides on team or squad leaders through duels every three months. Entering Muam guild, you'll likely first witness members dueling each other."
Disbelieving at Haewoon's explanation last night, thinking such a guild couldn't exist in times like these, meeting Taekju in person lent credibility to his words.
In a world busy battling Irregulars, a guild that incessantly engages in internal fights ranks second in the country.
And such a person leads the guild.
I seriously began to worry about Korea's future.
Whether it's madness to become an S-class or becoming S-class leads to madness, I inwardly scoffed, then noticed the man previously engaged in a friendly chat with Hahyuk abruptly stop.
"Ah."
"…?"
"It seems they've finished now."
Mid-discussion about the guild members' capabilities, Taekju's lips curled into a smile. Following his lead, Sihyun halted and found himself at a loss for words upon seeing the man's face.
Looking toward the door with a lifted smile, he seemed filled with anticipation or perhaps excitement. The certain thing was his laughter, tinged with jubilation, subtly revealed a trace of madness.
Unable to guess why he was excited, the only plausible reason Sihyun could think of was that the Muam guild members had finished their internecine squabble, distancing himself from Taekju.
A real madman, different from Ruth.
A chill ran down my spine, prompting a subtle stroke of my forearm. The man soon composed his expression, returning to his usual demeanor. The lingering smile, compared to the raw laughter from moments before, felt markedly forced.
"It seems to be over."
"Yes, considering the noise has died down, that seems to be the case."
Taekju spoke with a peculiarly cheerful tone. Sihyun, with a mixed expression, gazed softly at the paper doors.
Noisy?
Since entering the Muam guild, I hadn't heard noise loud enough to describe as such, despite my relatively keen hearing. Looking to Haru, known among Class A for his sharp ears, he shook his head in negation.
He hadn't heard it either.
Do S-class individuals have six ears?
Even querying Seowoo and Hamin yielded only denials, whereas Hahyuk seemed to agree with Taekju's statement.
It appeared that only S-class individuals could hear the Muam guild members' battle from their undisclosed location.
"…I didn't expect the difference to be this significant."
Seowoo's soft voice echoed my sentiments exactly. Thanks to Ruth's advice and battles fought alongside Hahyuk, and our achievements thus far, we had subconsciously hoped that with a bit more effort, we could reach S-class status. Yet, we had just confronted another clear barrier.
It felt like a long way to go despite our relentless efforts.
Relieved that Hahyuk hadn't noticed my thoughts, Sihyun clenched his mouth shut, narrowly avoiding appearing boastful in front of an ant.
"Seems like they're on their way here, shall we wait a moment?"
"Meeting in the hallway would be less preferable."
Unlike us, momentarily subdued by unexpectedly confronting a wall, Hahyuk and Taekju casually continued their conversation, each finding a spot to settle.
Taekju was the first to casually take a seat at a nearby table, displaying none of the dignity expected of a guild leader. However, Sihyun didn't dare repeat his earlier suggestion of hair-pulling in front of him.
Hahyuk stood beside him, neatly, facing the door, seemingly awaiting something. Following their lead, we stood awkwardly until a knock sounded.
Knock, knock.
The sound came from the external door, indicating a distance.
As Taek
ju, who had just taken another candy from his pocket, invited them in with a muffled voice due to the candy in his mouth, Sihyun tilted his head slightly, sensing a familiar presence outside.
Something felt familiar.
The energy sensed was strangely familiar, not just to me but apparently to others as well, as Hamin and the rest of the kids gathered around me.
"Hey, this…"
"Familiar."
"…Ah."
Is it that person?
Haru, having seemingly realized something, sighed briefly, identifying someone.
And at that moment, the tightly shut door opened.
Step, step.
If Taekju's words about them having just fought were true, the faces of the four individuals stepping inside bore evidence of it, each marked with scrapes. Sihyun, adhering to Muam's rule of the strong, surmised these were the ones who had made it through the fight to represent the guild.
One face was familiar.
As the individual wiping blood from a small cut with his thumb caught sight of Sihyun, he nodded slightly.
His head's slight movement allowed glimpses of red among the black hair, maintaining his red secret two-tone even after joining Muam guild. Sihyun returned the gesture with a slight nod.
Half-moon.
The individual with whom connections were made during the sports festival siege was now among the four Muam guild members here for the Titan extermination.
"Excuse us."
"It took longer than expected?"
The apparent representative of the four stepped forward to greet, prompting a reprimand from Taekju as he removed the candy from his mouth. Despite the softness of his voice, it carried an underlying chill, reminding me that the man seen as a madman indeed was a guild leader.
Admittedly, I had felt this way upon our first meeting.
The ruffian-like demeanor in his office and that damnable giggle had unfairly lowered my opinion of him.
Observing the guild leader, now standing and displaying his rank and dignity before his guild members, I couldn't help but note the stark contrast to his usual behavior.
Hahyuk, then, spread his palms toward us.
"Here are the Redem guild leader and members, who will be cooperating with us in the upcoming catastrophe-level extermination."
Thankfully, this time, in front of his guild members, he refrained from mentioning any fortunate timing. Though he concluded with a smile, the implicit pressure to greet us made the Muam guild members lower their gaze before lifting it again. While they had bowed to Hahyk, they merely offered us a glance that barely qualified as a greeting, clearly distinguishing between the guild leader and the members.
The attitude, slightly offensive, was the issue.
A nod from Hahyuk, and a mere tilt from us, would have sufficed, wouldn't it?
Clean water flows only if the source is clean, and starting from Taekju, the guild members seemed no different in their rudeness. Accepting their begrudging greetings, I felt their wary eyes scanning us.
Excluding Half-moon, the other three Muam guild members cast overtly critical glances.
"Something feels off."
"It wasn't just me feeling uncomfortable, then."
"Is it an attempt to intimidate?"
"More like they're asking, 'What are you even doing here?'"
Exchanging looks, we communicated silently through glances. It seemed not just me, but everyone felt the Muam guild members, aside from Half-moon, viewing us unfavorably.
Sihyun stared at Half-moon as if demanding an explanation. The recipient of such probing gaze casually pointed at his wounds before opening his mouth.
"The strong's domain."
Even without hearing his voice, the shape of his lips made it clear what he was saying, triggering a recollection of Haewoon's warning from last night.
"Anyway, Muam operates on the principle of the strong's domain, acknowledging only those with proven strength and respecting only those stronger than themselves. The guild leader has enforced this culture. So, adapting to their atmosphere from the get-go will be tough. See, even he wants out of the guild. You'll likely face challenges, so be cautious."
Haewoon's words, shared after contacting a friend who had joined Muam guild, had been discussed among us, making it likely I wasn't the only one recalling his advice now.
As if on cue, our eyes met.
Grinning.
Hamin, hating to lose in any confrontation, provocatively smiled at our opponents. Normally, Seowoo would have restrained him, but seeing him too, smiling faintly at the Muam guild members, Sihyun shook his head.
Always ready for a fight.
Being disregarded by Taekju and now his guild members had visibly irked them, a sentiment clear to me, if not to others.
Muttering about seeing such young men after a long time, I straightened up.
Directly confronting them with open eyes seemed unwelcome to
the Muam guild members, excluding Half-moon, who frowned.
The domain of the strong.
Essentially, show your strength.
Reflecting on our journey here and everything we'd faced, laughter escaped me. Not out of mockery, but sheer absurdity.
Who said we couldn't do it?
Among us, who lacked confidence in their skills? Even after realizing the gap between us and the S-classes, Hahyuk, and Taekju just moments ago, we were the same students who had been placed in Class A since the placement tests, receiving high grades in various evaluations.
Given the opportunity, we were ready to show what we could do.
And thankfully, that stage was willingly provided by Taekju, who seemed more inclined to pour oil on the fire rather than extinguish it.
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